We are about to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus; and we might remember the words recorded by Luke in the Book of Acts: And suddenly, two men in white robes stood by them. They said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?' Isn't that an odd question to ask? It isn't what you would expect to hear in church! "Why are you looking up toward heaven?" It is even stranger when you consider that these same angels also tell the disciples that Jesus "will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." So shouldn't we firmly fix our eyes on the last place we saw Him? What goes up must come down; Jesus went up, so He's up there, and when He comes again, it will be from on high. Right? I have learned over the years that this is a trick question. After so many years in local church ministry, I have learned that the church is indeed the place that helps me direct my attention toward God. But I also have come to believe that this hill, the church, is often my security and comfort zone. And when I allow the church to be either of these, those angels ask me the same question: "Why are you looking up toward heaven?" Now don't get me wrong. Heaven is wonderful. We need heaven; there's a need for holiness, beauty, purity, and radiance, all the things we hope for in our understanding of heaven. But the big problem with looking up to heaven is that you can't see the person next to you. I believe that when Jesus comes again, He might come in the same way He came before. If you want to see Jesus: Don't be staring up into heaven. Look to the people who struggle each day for their daily bread. Look to the people who are hurting, lonely, and depressed; look to the least, the last, and the lost. Come down from this hill, out of our comfortable church, and share something of yourself with another. I am excited that God has promised me heaven; sometimes, it is what I need to keep going here on Earth. But I have come to believe that if we are really looking for God, we'd better look lower. And we might find that heaven is a lot closer than we think. This Sunday I am preaching at Covenant Church at the 11:00 service. I hope you will join me as, together we remember and celebrate the Ascension. Breathe Peace,

I wish I could tell you that I always make perfect meatballs, but that would be a lie. Recently, I discovered that, usually if one of my meatballs doesn't turn out right, it is because I forgot one of the basic rules of meatball making, one of the basic rules of life: Keep It Simple. The best meatballs I make are the ones that are simple; they are the ones that I don't try to add extra seasoning or do something too fancy! They are so much better when I keep things simple. Long before I started making meatballs, a brilliant man talked often about keeping things simple. Albert Einstein lived by the idea of keeping it simple. (By the way, this will be the only comparison I could ever make between Einstein and me.) But he did have a caveat, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Not too long ago, I saw a study about jurors, expert witnesses and why jurors tend to believe one expert over another. It isn't the titles, degrees, honor, or resume of the experts that sways the jurors’ vote; what influenced the jurors was the experts' ability to talk in a simple way. Keep it simple! John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement, understood this same concept. Now yes, there were many things that he made a bit complicated BUT he boiled the most essential ideas do to 3 points. Wesley called them The General Rules; the Methodists now lovingly call them The Three Simple Rules. It was Wesley's understanding that if we all could live our lives according to these rules, we could change our lives, our families, our communities, our country, and our world. What are The Three Simple Rules? Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God. You want to make outstanding meatballs? Keep it simple! You want to make a great life? Keep it simple? It's simple, but it is not easy!

If you know me, then you know that I love meatballs. I love eating meatballs, but more than that, I love making meatballs. A sense of peace fills my soul as I mix the ingredients, form the meatballs, and smell them cooking. And when I put the meatballs into the oven, the smell that permeates the house - - well, it sometimes feels like I am standing on Holy Ground. An Italian Catholic mom raised me, and when I make my meatballs, I am transported back to her kitchen. I learned about meatballs, red gravy (oops, sauce), and life itself in that kitchen. What did I learn in that kitchen? I learned that a wooden spoon stings your hand when you dare to dip some bread in the pot of gravy simmering on the stovetop. Besides this painful lesson, I also learned there are ways life often mirrors meatballs. Life Lessons of Meatballs K.I.S.S… It’s All About Balance… Better Together… Get Your Hands Dirty… The More We Share… Sometimes More Is Better… I hope you enjoy attending the Church of Meatballs , where we might learn about God, Faith, and Life! Breathe Peace, Marty PS - - maybe we can exchange meatball recipes

I was in an all-day meeting today when I received a notification about the school shooting in Nashville. When all was said and done, six people, plus the 28-year-old female shooter died at the Covenant School. There have now been 110 people killed and 281 wounded in school shootings since February 14, 2018, which is the date of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland, Florida. It makes me stop and think that the places where our kids and grandkids should be safe simply aren’t. If I was still preaching from a pulpit, I think I would use the story found in the Gospel of Mark ( 4:35-41 ). In this story, the disciples learned that nowhere, not even a boat, is safe. They knew the boat was in danger of capsizing. They knew it was not secure enough to carry them safely to the other side. They knew their modest boat could be overturned in the face of a storm such as this. That is why they called out to Jesu s. They called out because they knew they could. Perhaps that’s all we can do. Call out. Even in the places we thought could be safe. Even in the spaces we thought we were safe. We call out. Why? Because, in the end, we know we are not alone. Not ever. The truth of Covenant School ( and all the other sites of school shootings ) is that evil finds its way in, no matter what. And when a sense of hopelessness fills me, I feel God gently tap me on my shoulder and whisper into my heart. He reminds me that He is with us. And then I am reminded that for every tear we cry, God not only cries with us but also wipes away each of our tears. “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” ( Mark 4:38-41 ). I know who this One is: He is the One that is Emmanuel; He is the One who is with us! We pray for the families and friends of the victims of the Covenant School shooting: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all 9; and Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61. Breathe Peace,

I am not Irish, but I love St. Patrick’s Day. I love it not because of the celebrations, although green beer and parades are always fun! I love the day because I have come to believe that St. Patrick is one of my favorite saints, and his prayer is probably my favorite prayers attributed to any saint or theologian. We don’t know a lot about St. Patrick before the time of his preaching in Ireland. We know he was a British native and was about 16 years old when pirates captured him. We also know he was a prisoner in Ireland for six years. It was during those six years as a prisoner, Patrick committed his life to follow and serve Jesus. He eventually escaped his prison, but years later, he felt led to return to Ireland and preach the Gospel. I love that Patrick did not allow his imprisonment and suffering to allow him to become a bitter man. Instead, his love for Jesus and the peace he discovered in God’s presence gives us the example of what it means to have hope. Hope…some say hope is a dangerous thing and can drive us insane. While others say hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things (paraphrase from The Shawshank Redemption). St. Patrick’s Breastplate or The Lorica reminds me that Patrick believed the latter! So, on this St. Patrick’s Day, may we not just enjoy the celebrations, but may we remember to follow the God of Hope. And may we be saturated and marinated in His hope, peace and grace! Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I bind unto myself the Name, The strong Name of the Trinity, By invocation of the same, The Three in One and One in Three. By Whom all nature hath creation, Eternal Father, Spirit, Word: Praise to the Lord of my salvation, Salvation is of Christ the Lord. (Excerpt from St. Patrick’s Breastplate) Breathe peace,