New Monmouth Musings “A Tribute to Pastor Dan, or the “Big S” as Some Might Have Known Him?

Dear Friends,

On Tuesday the church was filled to capacity to celebrate and remember the life of Dan Immordino, or “Pastor Dan”, as he was best known. If you gaged the impact of your life on others, you might calculate the size of the ‘crowd’ who showed up for your funeral. If that was our standard of measurement, you would have to say Pastor Dan’s life had an overwhelming impact on the lives of those who knew him as not only was the church filled for the service, but hundreds of people showed up for calling hours (one person told me he had to wait in line for an hour to show their respect to the family).  The service was a wonderful tribute to a man who was greatly loved by all who knew him. and who treasured the relationship they enjoyed with him. Five pastors including Nick, Jared and I had the privilege of sharing our remembrances of him, and a few of the thoughts I shared during the service I have incorporated into my Musings for this week.

Someone once asked a pastor “How do you know if you are a servant,” and the pastor quickly replied “By the way you react when you are treated like a servant.” Pastor Dan never had a problem being a servant. His life bled servanthood, and the greatest compliment anyone could give him, or us for that matter, would be to have someone call us a servant.

Dan might just as well have had a Big “S” emblazoned on his chest for in my mind he was more than Superman, he was a super “Servant.”

I sometimes sign my letter with the verse Col 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Dan epitomized this verse for no matter how large or small the work might be, Dan devoted every ounce of his energy in accomplishing it. Whether it was the sacred duty of studying and preparing to preach the Word, or the secular responsibility of moving tables, shoveling sidewalls, cleaning up the kitchen, or taking out the trash, you knew it would be done well for it was always done for the Lord.

Of all the ministries for which Pastor Dan was known, perhaps the one most significant and most appreciated was his countless hours of visitation to those both in and outside our church. Whether in the hospital, nursing home, or in someone’s home, Dan would faithfully show up to read from the bible, offer encouragement, pray, and of course sing some hymns, which earned him at Riverview Hospital the moniker of the “singing pastor.” Everywhere he went, he brought joy to the hearts of those he visited.

Tucked away in 1 Timothy are three words spoken by a friend of Paul who visited him while he was in prison. Paul remarked that many of his friends had deserted him, but not Onesiphorus. He said of the “Big O” that his visits “often refreshed me.” Onesiphorus is not a well-known biblical name (when was the last time you heard of someone named Onesiphorus), but to God his name was special. I am sure Onisiphorus has taken his rightful place in God’s “Servanthood Hall of Fame.” And last week, I suspect that Onesiphorus had a new friend and brother in the faith join him and his name was Pastor Dan.

For those of us who would aspire to be known as a servant, we might wish to keep in mind the following remarks shared by the deceased but well-known pastor Fred Craddock who summed up the measure of a servant when he spoke the following  words at a pastors’ conference. This is what he said “To pour myself out for others . . . to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom-I’ll do it. I’m ready Lord to go out in a blaze of glory.” 

“We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking $1,000. bill and laying it on the table-Here’s my life, Lord, I am giving it all. But the reality for most of us is that he sends us out to cash in the $1,000. for quarters. We go through life putting our 25 cents here and 50 cents there. We listen to the neighbor’s kid’s troubles and instead of saying, “Get lost.  It means going to a nursing home and giving out a cup of water to a shaky old man.”  “Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory. It’s a lot harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.” (Quoted off the internet)

I think Dan wonderfully filled Craddock’s definition of a servant and like the “Big O”, Onisiphorus, maybe God now knows Dan as the “Big D”, or better yet, the “Big S” for Servant. But to us who knew him he was always just Pastor Dan, a faithful follower of Jesus, who because of his unselfish life of service to others has been privileged to hear those wonderful words of Jesus “Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in a few things, I will put your in charge of many.” Matthew 25:23. God bless you Pastor Dan for showing us the meaning of servanthood.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Pastor Tom

New Monmouth Musings:  Words of Encouragement from a Baseball Coach

Dear Friends,

Did you ever have someone share some words of encouragement that so made your day that you just had to write them a note and say thanks to your ‘cheerleader”? As some of you may know, I have umpired high school baseball for 30 years, but because of some recent health issues, I realized I probably wouldn't be calling balls and strikes this season, something that was disappointing to say the least.

Because I love baseball and was missing being on the field, I stopped by the Rumson practice field last week where my son had played and where over the years I had umpired a number of times. As I walked from my car to the fence to witness an intra-squad scrimmage, Coach Kevin James recognized me and immediately came over to the fence to give me a great big hug. Wow! Baseball coaches hugging umpires is probably a rarity these days, but Kevin knew my health situation, and his physical embrace communicated a message I needed to hear that particular Saturday morning. I am sure that Kevin had little idea how much his warm embrace and his words of encouragement meant to me that morning, but they were exactly what I needed.

A hug, a few kind and encouraging words and Kevin went back to the dugout to get his team ready for the game. Little did he know how his actions would impact me that day. His message of love was just what I needed to hear, as I struggled with the reality of not being on the field this season. I wanted Kevin to know how the short time he spent with me had impacted me, so I wrote him a note to say thanks for being there and for being an encourager when I most needed it.

Mother Teresa once said, "kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless." It doesn’t take much time or effort to be an encourager, and the wonderful thing is that it is a gift that everyone can offer.
The Apostle Paul said "Don't let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Eph. 4:29

Solomon, the wisest person who ever lived, said "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24

Yes kind encouraging words spoken at just the right time can lighten loads, lift our spirits, and inspire us. They can fill our hearts with hope for the future.

Just as I was finishing this devotional, I received a call from my breakfast partner, Dan Herman who is the chaplain at Riverview, and with whom I had just had breakfast that same morning. He just wanted to check in to find out how I was feeling.

How thankful I am to have friends like Kevin and Dan and so many others who have encouraged me in so many different ways over my lifetime.

Blessed are those who through their kind and encouraging words are the wind beneath our wings.

Is there someone you know today who might need a little wind beneath their wings, a little healing for their hearts, a little encouragement for their hearts? Why not drop them a note, give them a call, or stop by and offer one of those Kevin James type hugs? Not only will you feel better, but imagine how you might impact your 'huggee’. So today I encourage you to get writing, get calling, and get going, and whatever you do, and wherever you go, take the love of Jesus with you and make the world a different place because you cared enough to share your love with someone else.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Pastor Tom

PS  And the sequel to this story is because of Kevin’s encouragement,  I have now determined to make an effort to get back on the field and do what I love to do “calling them as I see them”!

  

New Monmouth Musings: Connecting with Visitors

Dear Friends,

At our last deacon meeting, the question was raised about how we as pastors seen to connect with new visitors. I shared with them how we spend time at every Monday staff meeting sharing with each other the new people we had met and those we had met in the past and yet hadn't seen for a while. As connecting pastor, I am always anxious to keep in touch with prospective members of the New Monmouth family.

And then out of curiosity asked the deacons "what are you doing to connect with people on Sundays"? They are among our church leaders, and I would expect that they would be taking the lead in greeting and welcoming people. And today I would ask of you the same question - What are you the members doing to help make people feel welcome?

Four pastors are not able to connect with every new face in the congregation. But imagine if 200 of you every Sunday would commit to not leaving the campus without introducing yourself and trying to get to know someone you had never met. They may or may not be a member, but they cared enough to come and worship with us, so we must always do everything we can to contribute to our established reputation as a 'friendly church'.

Remember it only takes one person to turn our reputation from a friendly church to an unfriendly church, so each one of you has a part to play in insuring our reputation is justified.

Let me share some thoughts that might assist you in engaging with people you don’t know. Not much is original, just notes and ideas I have tried to model over the years. I hope they might be helpful.

1. Ask questions of others and then listen. Don't ever try to be the center of attention. Get to know people's histories. Ask about their hopes and dreams and be more concerned about being impressed with them, than trying to be impressive. Speak about what they care about and always offer direction and hope.

2. Remember the "thirty second rule." In those first thirty seconds make an effort to connect with the people with whom you are talking. Remember the importance of good eye contact. Listen intently to them instead of focusing upon what you want to say. Make them look good. Find a way to thank them for something they have done or accomplished and appreciate something about them that impresses you. I might ask, “Do you know what I like about you? And then I will share one thing that stood out about them in the course of our conversation. It might be their appearance, attitude, joy, sense of humor, faithfulness . . . Whatever it is you note, be truthful and honest about what you share. Please “No phony baloney”.

3. Always find ways to enlarge or adding value to others. Enlarging others makes you larger. Believe the best about people and be willing to give your power away. Secure people love to delegate. It makes you more appreciated, and it develops a stronger connection, as well as greater self confidence in the people to whom you delegate.

4. Stop lording over people and start listening to them. Stop role playing for advancement and start risking for others' benefit. Stop seeking your own way and start serving others. Albert Schweitzer said "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know; the ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. If you want to lead on the highest level, be willing to serve on the lowest level." (taken from the internet-“In Search of Heroes.com”)

5. Remember the three "A" letter words when you are with people: attention, affirmation and appreciation.

6. Remember "a gossip is one who talks to you about other people. A bore is one who talks to you about himself. And a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself" ( Liza Kirk, American Actor, 1925-1990 taken from the intra net.”) Make sure you are numbered among the last.

While I was serving at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge and right before my message, I  challenged people to get up and greet one another, and then to remember their names and after the service to try to connect with them. I personally did just that, and as a result I made friends with two parents and their seven-year-old son. Now I confess I didn't score 100 percent on their names, but at least two out of three 'ain't' bad.  I always try to remember names by association, so after the service I walked back down to talk with them, and I got the mother's name and the child's name right. One because the mother's name was the name of one of my daughter's best friends, and the child's name was Aaron, who I associated with the Old Testament priest. But when I addressed the dad with the word Nathaniel, he corrected me and said his name was Benjamin-right biblical idea of association but wrong Testament!!!!!!!!  However, we still connected, and after the service when I was standing at the door, the family again took time to talk with me. They told me what a wonderful church it was, and how blessed Aaron was to be a part of Calvary’s special needs ministry, "Beyond Limits." 

You know people may not like the message or the music, or the sanctuary, or a number of other things about the church or the service, but one thing they will never forget is the people. Connecting and relating to people trumps any bad or negative experience a worshipper can have.

Let's start connecting, and oh yes, don't carry the memory association thing too far. Early on in my ministry, I took Jean with me to visit some new people I had met in church. Their names were the Snows. I walked up to the door, and confidently thinking I would have no problem remembering their name by association so when the door was open, I calmly said, "Jean, I want you to meet  Mrs. White." The woman calmly responded with a smile, I am Mrs. Snow. I remember that encounter to this day, and I will never forget Mrs. Snow, or is it White. Well, how about Mrs. "Snow White".

Yours in faith,

Tom

New Monmouth Musings: Be Careful How You Build


Dear Family,

I often sign my letters with a biblical verse, and the verse I use is Colossians 3:17. For me it is a reminder of the importance of striving to do and to give my very best in all I do. Whatever I do, I want it to have value. Whatever I produce, I would like to think I could present to Jesus without embarrassment. Paul writes in Colossians 3:17 “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”


What kind of work will you leave behind when you exit this earth? What will people say about its quality? Will people remember you as one who always gave his/her best? Are you one who will be known because you go out of your way to serve others? Will they say of you, he/she was a person who could be counted on to be on time, to honor commitments, to give his/her best?


In 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds us that we have a choice when it comes to how we build our lives. We can use wood, hay, and stubble, or we can use gold, and silver and precious stones as we build the foundation which has been laid in Jesus Christ. Jesus laid the foundation. He is the expert builder who warns us that “each one of us should be careful how he builds….for our work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-13


Maybe the following story will be a reminder to each of us of the importance of the life we are constructing, as we daily labor for the Lord. An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. He and his wife would plan to get by on what his retirement income would be. The contractor was very sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work, and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house, “he said. “It is my gift to you.”
And so it is with us. We are daily building our lives and what we create is a pretty clear revelation of who we are. When we do not give our very best, we create a picture for others that says he/she is a shoddy workman. I don’t want that said about me, and neither do you.
Our life today is the result of the attitudes and the choices we have made in the past. Our life tomorrow will be the result of our attitudes and the choices we make today. Let’s make sure that the choices we make are the best choices and the materials we use are of the best quality, so that when our work is revealed people will say, “Wow, what a masterpiece!”


“Let’s be careful how we build”.


Yours in faith and friendship,
Pastor Tom

New Monmouth Musings: A Love Letter to His Children

Dear Family,

I love the little story old the pompous college professor who was standing before his students while putting down the Bible. “This doesn’t make any sense to me. It is just a bunch of unintelligible gibberish-just a book of fairy tales,” he said with an air of intellectual superiority. With that, one student boldly stood up and said, “Sir, the Bible is God’s love letter to His children, and if you don’t understand it then perhaps it is because you have been reading someone else’s mail.”

Yes, the Bible is God’s love letter to his children, and yet so often those love letters go unread and unstudied.

As believers, we need to be students of the Word. We need to be in the Word on a daily basis. The Israelites discovered when they sought to gather huge amounts of manna and then store it, so they didn’t have to gather it daily, it rotted. Neither can we expect to gain proper spiritual nourishment by feasting on the Word for only one day while forgetting it the rest of the week. God’s Word can be stored in our hearts, but unless it’s gathered daily, it will quickly lose its nourishment.

Our study must be daily, and it should be systematic. Whether we are studying the Bible from a bird’s eye view (viewing large chunks of it-perhaps as reading through the Bible in a year), or a worm’s eye approach, studying smaller amounts and breaking it down into little bits as we reflect upon those paragraphs or verses or even words, we need to be studying it regularly, consistently, and systematically.

We need to remain flexible in reading the bible, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in regard to approach and application. We need to find what works for us and stay at it until the Holy Spirit directs us down another path. However we choose to read and study it, we need to be reminded of Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
I close with this challenge from the pen of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. “Never, never neglect the Word of God. The Word will make your heart rich with truth, rich with understanding, and then your conversation, when it flows from your mouth, will be like your heart, rich, soothing, and sweet.  Make your heart full of rich, generous love, and then the stream that flows from our hand will be just as rich and generous as your heart. Above all, get Jesus to live in your heart, and then out of your heart shall flow rivers of living water, richer and more satisfying than the water of the well of Sychar of which Jacob drank. Oh go, Christian, to the great mine of riches and cry to the Holy Spirit to make your heart rich unto salvation. So shall your life and conversation be a boon to your fellow man; and when they see you, your face will be like an angel of God. Wise men will stand up when they see you, and men will give you reverence.”

This is the kind of man I want to be, and I know that it is the kind of person you want to be as well. Let us be known as ‘people of the book’, so if we are lagging behind in our study of God’s Word, why not use this coming weekend to commit anew to a fresh study of God’s love letters to His children.

Have a great weekend, and if we do get snow, as the weatherman predicts, what better time to nestle up in a quiet place, open up the Bible and feed upon the riches of God’s love, power and wisdom.

And a final word to remember: “it is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times the Bible has been through you.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Pastor Tom

"Prayer, Let's Pray for One Another"

Dear Friends,

Next Sunday, there will be prayer team members stationed in the front of the church following each of our services. As I shared last week, they will be available each Sunday to pray with and for anyone who has a need. The Word of God encourages “to bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), and one way we can do this is through prayer.

The promise of God is that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power in its working” (James 5:16). Does this mean that only the prayers of the super spiritual prayer warrior will be heard? No, not at all. The word righteous in the Bible refers to whoever has faith in Jesus, and as a result is the recipient of His righteousness. If you are a believer that is you. As a believer who has trusted in Jesus Christ, you have received his righteousness. No you are not perfect, and no you are not special in the sense that your prayers are more powerful. It simply means because you are in right standing with Jesus, your prayers are effectual, that is they can effect change.

Prayer is a powerful way through which we grow closer to God and closer to one another. Praying for others draw us closer to them. Jesus tells us we are to pray “in His name” (John 14:13-14). If you do something “in the name” of someone else, it means you do it according to His wishes. Therefore, the better you know and understand God, the more effective you will be for you will know how and what to pray for. The more you know the heart of God, the better able you will be to pray for those things that are in accord with His heart’s desire.

There are times when we won’t know what and how to pray for someone, or when we are asked to pray for something that we truly sense is not a part of His will. This can be awkward, but not if we pray that whatever is asked for will glorify the Father. In John 14:13 Jesus promised, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” In every situation it is appropriate to pray “that the Father be glorified”, even if you feel uncomfortable about praying for something someone asks you to pray for while your heart tells you the request is wrong.

My hope is that each one of you will avail yourself of the opportunity to come forward to seek prayer whenever the Holy Spirit prompts you.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Pastor Tom

PS The above thoughts were drawn from the following online articles “Pray for One Another” by Donald Whitney and “Why is Praying for others Important.org”

New Monmouth Musings: “New Monmouth to Begin Prayer Ministry Following Services”

Dear Friend,

Who are those prayer people up front in the sanctuary after services you might ask? Well, they are part of our spiritual family who are committed to praying for one another.  Whether you desire to receive Christ, ask for prayer for a friend or family member, or seek help for some struggle you are having, the opportunity will soon exist to  share your concern following services with a prayer team member.

In the next few weeks, we will be reintroducing our prayer team ministry. Each Sunday following services, prayer team members will be available in the front of the church to meet and pray with those seeking prayer. Now I know some of you may think, I'm not going forward to ask for prayer; I can do that all by myself, and I don't need anyone's help. Yes, that is true, but the Word of God commends us to pray for one another, encourage one another, lift one another up, and bear one another's burdens, and how can we do these things if we don't know how and what to pray for? 

It is a Christian's responsibility to pray for one another, and the New Testament makes that very clear. James commands us "to pray for one another," and such prayer is not limited for just the sick. Repeatedly, the Apostle Paul pleads, "Brothers, pray for us" (see also 1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess 3:1). His letters to the churches testify of his prayers for them (Eph. 1:15-23; 2 Thess. 3:1). Even Jesus Himself asked for the prayers of Peter, James, and John in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:38, 40-41).

I hope we will get over what some may feel to be the awkwardness of asking for prayer, admitting our needs, and seeking help from someone in the family. 

Of course, you don't have to come forward for prayer. You can pray right in the pews before and after services, and I am continually encouraged when I see you doing that. I am also encouraged when I see people laying hands on someone in the Family Ministry Center and praying because in the course of their conversation someone expressed a need for prayer. When needs are expressed, pray right then for those needs. Don't wait. "May I pray for you" is the response and do it right there wherever you happen to be. Too often we say we are going to pray and then for whatever reason our commitment is forgotten.

The way to encourage people to participate in our prayer ministry is for you to periodically come forward when you have a need.  If no one ever takes advantage of the opportunity to ask for prayer in an environment where prayer should be a natural response to what has taken place in worship, we will miss the opportunity of experiencing the wonderful blessing that comes when others pray with us and for us.

Remember, the tragedy of our day is not unanswered prayer-but unoffered prayer.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Pastor Tom