The Caring Catalyst

What’ll STOP You ?

ChuckBehrens — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 12:00:15 +0000

What is it?

WHAT STOPS YOU ?

What slows you down. . .

What DELAYS YOU ?

What makes you proceed with caution. . .

What redirects you

What’ll discourage you. . .

What will dampen you resolve. . .

What will end your quest. . .

Interesting questions, huh?

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to deter us. . .

It doesn’t have to be a sign

or a natural or unnatural disaster. . .

Sometimes it can just be as random as a

thin sliver of metal

That’s what about did me in

on the way to Church

knowing that I not only needed to get there in time

to Lead Worship/Preach

but to hurry out and go do a funeral some 40 miles away

to hurry across town to do another funeral

so a flat tire was not in my plans. . .

s e l d o m

are bad things. . .

THE TAKE AWAY:

When bad things happen

G O O D P E O P L E S H O W U P

Two kind Caring Catalysts

Steve and Craig were both at Church early that morning

and when I told them of my woe

and even bigger woe of not finding a place that was open

to either fix the tire or buy a new one

E V E R Y T H I N G W A S C L O S E D

Steve was going to throw the not-so-effective

DONUT TIRE

and Craig had a better idea of going to a local AUTO ZONE

and put a tire patch on the leak

just as fast as he bought the kit

and I was happily down the road

without a bump or a burp. . .

my biggest problem:

GETTING. . .

I don’t G E T so good

a compliment or a fixed tire. . .

who thought it wouldn’t be the flat tire

and the

FIXING OF IT

would be less of a problem

than my

RECEIVING THE KINDNESS

of having it done. . .

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. . .

what does it say

That K I N D N E S S

though severely appreciated

would keep me

S T O P M E

humble me to a

s c r e e c h i n g

h a l t i n g. . .

The Living Sermon

from Steve and Craig

that Sunday Morning

was to teach me

A G A I N

wasn’t to prove. . .

to shame me in knowing

my huge ugly-pimple-of-a-flaw

of not being a good RECEIVER

a GOOD-GETTER. . .

No. . .No. . .NO. . .

the lesson

t o j u s t

G E T

b e t t e r

A Musical Moment

ChuckBehrens — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 12:00:41 +0000

STRAIGHT NO CHASER

It’s a musical group that have been together

for well over 12 years

and I’ve had the opportunity to see them

several times. . .

I was able to see them on Sunday, December 10

with Erin and our best friends. . .

I was anticipating their

famed Christmas program

but just three songs in

they sang

C R E E P

and I was leveled;

M U S I C

is such a powerful medium

for many

and absolutely for me. . .

I don’t know

why

how

what for

that particular song

hit me the way that it did

but it seemed like everything

patient deaths

parishioners illnesses

a series of tough Community Holiday Memorial Services

funerals

my multiple friends lay-offs

parents medical situations

dispersed family members during the holidays

it’s a mathematical addition problem that

has not-so-good

e q u a t i o n s. . .

I don’t think it was the lyrics

so much as the beautiful harmonies. . .

it was one of those rare times

that the LIVE VERSION

was actually better than the recorded one. . .

the darkened venue

the overwhelming

gratefulness of my most intimate relationships

the powerful pounding of my Imposter Syndrome

the perfect imperfectedness

I KNOW OF THE CONTINENT OF ME. . .

the words:

“I’M A C R E E P

I’M A WEIRDO

WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE. . .”

leveled me

built me up

. . .a true musical moment

that made me

pause

reflect

respond,

kindly

generously

lovingly

effectively. . .

Y O U. . .?

WHAT DOES THAT FOR YOU?

How often?

When was the last time?

Cue up your Moment

let it level you

build you up

and then share it. . .

C L A U S E D

ChuckBehrens — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 11:00:35 +0000

Have you ever turned a corner

and run into him face to face?

Would you be surprised?

Shocked?

Doubting?

Too old to even imagine it?

It happened. . .

to Max

a four year old

in church

who never saw him coming

and now will never forget that he did

Max was the only little kid in Church

last Sunday when we were celebrating

C H R I S T M A S I N J U L Y

He came forward to the congregation’s singing

J E S U S L O V E S M E

I asked him if he’d be surprised if Santa Claus

would actually be in church today.

Max agreed that he would

with a sigh and a face full of doubt

at the silly question.

I asked him to turn around

to see who was sitting in the back row.

It was Santa

in white pants

and a loud flowered print shirt

with a picture of a surfing Santa on the front.

The look on young Max’s face

couldn’t be painted or replicated

with shock and surprise.

Max excitedly said,

“I’ve never seen Santa in the day time. . . “

I asked Santa to come forward

(mind you, this was all impromptu)

and when he did,

he made a little boy’s heart

and the rest of all of us instantly transformed

little boys and little girls

h e a r t s

beat forever differently.

He told Max how glad he had come to Church

and how happy he was to see him.

He asked Max if was being a good boy

and like little marionettes

we all instinctively moved our heads

young and old

up and down

into a

Y E S

After he magically pulled a

C a n d y C a n e

from his pocket

for Max

and. . .M E

he picked up young Max

and gave him a hug

that we all felt.

Have you been

C L A U S E D

It truly made for one memorable

C H R I S T M A S I N J U L Y

none of us that

overly warm, humid Sunday

will soon forget

and maybe

even sooner still—

will unforgettably share

as it was so

awesomely

shared with us

It put the

F A

in all of our

L A ‘s

(not always such an easy feat at Christmas or Christmas in July)

Ho. . .

H O

m e r r y c h r i s t m a s