General Conference ?s

(South Georgia Area Bishop Michael Watson presides)


Last night I watched the live feed from the General Conference proceeding. It was better than any reality TV show. The debate was powerful, as the issues of leadership and use of episcopal funds to provide leadership to fast growing central conferences in Africa, Philippines and other places around the world.

It was exciting to see the passion persons from different parts of the world and from different theological points of view, had for spreading the gospel and for the need for justice as well. In the end, we US Methodists


were called upon to give up 1 Bishop per Jurisdiction across the church, by 2012. That means that in the next 4 years the shape of our conference and almost all annual conferences in the United States will be changing. This will not be easy, change never is! I do believe that we will emerge stronger and that the Central Conferences will continue to see the Spirit move and bring souls in for the Kingdom.

One other thing, was very clear, for all of Mr. Wesley's organization we Methodical Methodist sometimes are bound by our abundance of structure. As one young adult delegate put it on the floor last night, "I call on our generation to change our way of doing things so that we can follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, NOW, Not 4 Years from NOW!"

Most of the time our bureaucracy works well, we do things well and in order, but sometimes we need to be able to be less like and corporation and more like a rapid reactionary force for God.

Whatever my opinions of different decisions, so far at General Conference, I have been proud to be called a United Methodist. We are becoming, Thank God, more of a Global Church for Jesus Christ our Lord!

Blessings!
RevRichard

Wait Upon the Lord!

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;" Psalms 37:7a

The purposes of God often develop slowly because His grand designs are never hurried. The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. "What's the trouble, Mr. brooks?" he asked.

"The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't!" Haven't we felt the same way many times?

Yesterday all of my daily devotional readings were on the need for patience in our walk with Christ. Sometimes I feeling like a friend of mine who prayed, "God I want patience and I want it right now!" I know that often I need to slow down and learn to wait on God. I struggle to just be and not to continue to do and do and do.

What about you, how hard is it to wait on the Lord?

RevRichard

Sneaky Evangelism

Here is Sunday's Sermon

RevYoung

Acts 17 : 22-31
Easter 6

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all, by raising Him from the dead."

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter." So Paul departed from them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

George Whitefield once said,

"I’m willing to go to prison for you,

I’m willing to go to death with you,

But I’m not willing to go to heaven without you!"

Not everyone likes or agrees with the Apostle Paul, but few discount his magnificent mind and his passion to make Christ known. He was a man for all seasons and cleverly planned his strategy for the most effectiveness.

This master communicator, guided by the Holy Spirit, had preached in Philippi, Thessalonica, Beroea, and now, before he goes on to Corinth, he makes a stop in Athens. Athens was a city "full of idols," with a whole regiment of altars to unknown gods. Paul stopped at one of these altars and began to preach. Let us learn some lessons in sneaky evangelism from this master.

Begin Where the People Are (verses 22-23)

Paul, with his unique audience in mind, begins where they are. He takes a known to present an unknown to them. "Men of Athens," he began, "I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown God.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you."

He began by getting their attention, and then was off-and-running with the eloquent oratory and skill for which he is so well-known. Paul had drunk deeply of the well of salvation, had become addicted to the Water of Life, and his passion for Christ had made him a peddler of the same "spiritual high" which he had experienced. This kind of passion for others is not learned, nor shamed into us, nor programmed into us, nor even educated into us; it is simply impossible for one who has found Jesus as Savior and realized the riches of that "find" to be silent. We become "spiritual arsonists," intentionally and deliberately setting people on fire for God!

People are won for Christ, primarily, by someone speaking to them about Christ and the Church. Charles Wesley wrote a hymn entitled, "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing My Great Redeemer’s Praise." A thousand tongues would be fine (maybe), but we would be glad to settle for just one! If every tongue of every Christian would be dedicated, sanctified, and consecrated to tell the Gospel story, we would soon set the world aflame!

There are multitudes of ways for evangelism to take place. Methods are as varied as are the witnesses; some are naturally better than others. Someone found fault with D. L. Moody’s methods of evangelism. He responded, "I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it!" The worst we can do is to do nothing at all.

Paul was very wise in his approach. If you are going to catch fish, deer, quail, or people, it is sometimes best to "Sneak up on ‘em." This is certainly not to say we are going to be dishonest, manipulative, or misrepresentative at any time, but it is to say we are going to be aware that a lot of folks are "running-scared" of religion; they are leery of the "hard-sell" that has turned them off and are rightly suspicious of people whose motives are to "get ‘em" so they can carve another notch in their Gospel Gun of converts.

Communication, at best, is not easy. Two men went into a restaurant and saw that there were three vegetables on the menu from which to choose. The waitress said to them, "Just tell me which one of the three you don’t want, it will be a lot easier that way." One fellow said, "I don’t want any rutabagas," but rutabagas weren’t even on the menu. She said, "Look, mister, you can’t not want something we haven’t got, you’ve gotta not want something we have!"

Paul started where his hearers were. Jesus told us to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." We manage the "harmless as doves" part fairly well, but our "wisdom" is often astoundingly lacking.

The one who is witnessing must follow Christ closely if he/she expects to be heard. Nietzsche was not unfair when he said, "You will have to look more redeemed if I am to believe in your Redeemer." Laurence Houseman said, "A saint is one who makes goodness attractive." Do we enhance the Gospel we represent, or bring a reproach upon it?

Paul didn’t begin by using a sledgehammer of verbal accusations to those he addressed. He might have said, "Shame on you, Athenians, for having so many gods," or "How can you possibly worship an ‘unknown’ God?" or "You claim to be philosophers and don’t know who God really is! Where are your brains?!" NO! Rather, he started with them.

If those to whom we witness do not know God the Father as revealed in Christ, we do not and should not criticize or assault their intelligence. We might do well to start by talking about "their" gods. There are all kinds of gods today. Just because something seems real, doesn’t mean it is. Non-Christians have a wide range of gods. It might be a rock group. It may be a media personality. It could be a star like the late Elvis Presley. He was a god to thousands who still bow before the shrine of his grave at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Or consider the god of Transcendental Meditation, or the followers of Mysticism, or the Eastern religions. Some thirty-two million Americans express a belief in astrology and let a dead, burned-out star in outer space decide their destiny. Or others make gods of their children, grandchildren, money, business, wife, husband, car, house, golf game, or sex. Probably the most popular god of our time is named SELF. Why not talk about "their" gods first, not critically, not judgmentally, not with a holier-than-thou attitude, but with honest interest? Paul did exactly that. He said, "I see that you are very religious, I’ve considered your objects of worship."

Talk About God (verses 24-28)

Then Paul, having identified with his audience, subtly began to talk about the true God, not their god, not just any god, but GOD! Note that he is still finding common ground for agreement. Everyone needs a god. An atheist said to a man who was witnessing to him, "I don’t believe in God." The man wisely said, "Tell me about the god you don’t believe in. Maybe I don’t believe in him either!"

Paul started at the beginning, with God as Creator, the Source of all life. He told how God guided history and is the One on Whom all life depends. We live "in Him" and "we are His offspring," meaning we don’t even take a breath without his giving it to us. He found contact with the people on the grounds of our common humanity.

Then Paul proceeded to instruct that God is the center of the physical and spiritual universe. If somehow, someway, we could "sneak up on ‘em" with the wondrous knowledge that all their soul’s needs are met in God, we would do people so much good. The soul needs God as the earth needs the sun. Because the earth has the sun, it can grow forests and gardens and flowers; it can create rivers and seas; it can live. Without the sun, our planet would be as barren as a life without love and as blind as midnight. But our earth does not need the sun as much as our world needs God. God is all the hope our world has. He is Creator, Sustainer, Light, Health, Intelligence, Inspiration, Joy, Salvation. Take God out of the world and life is dead and hope becomes the despair of eternal darkness. Everything dies if God dies, even love, for God is love. If we lose God, we have lost it all!

Humankind can no more abandon God and live than safely abandon air. Our life is tied up in him. Paul said, "In Him we live and move and have our being!"

Paul began with God, the God-Creator, breath, life, and asserted that God’s centrality is the reason for our very existence.

We need to let people know that it makes a difference whether or not they have the RIGHT God. Any old god won’t do! Who really is your God? Whatever is FIRST is God. If you put your faith and hope and confidence in anything or anybody other than the one true God of the Bible, you will have NO God on the Judgment Day, but you will have a Judge.

The next step, of course, was that Paul asked the Athenians to turn away from their old gods to the God who gave them life. Couldn’t we be that wise, too? Let’s ask people to "Try God."

Then Come Right Out and Say It! (verses 30-31)

We must finally come right out and say it! We must make truth clear. There is a community in Washington state which is located on a river, downstream from a large timber-cutting project. The logs are floated down the river to their destination, which is the saw mill below. It became the practice for the people to fish the logs out of the water, saw off the ends that had the company name printed on them, and build houses and buildings for themselves from them. The local minister heard about this practice and became very upset, and the following Sunday he preached a sermon with the title, "Thou shalt not steal." At the conclusion of the service, as the people filed out the door, they all told him what a fine sermon it was, so he knew they had missed the point. The next Sunday he preached on the subject, "Thou shalt not cut the ends off of other people’s logs," and they got the point! (Of course, that preacher had to move to another church, but they got the point!)

When we rid ourselves of being embarrassed, of apology, of unnecessary theological jargon, when we dispense with irrelevant concepts, when we have made truth plain, then we must be direct in calling for a decision, a choice, a call to repentance. People are dying for a clear word from God. We must not make them wade through a veritable morass of trappings that only hide the Gospel.

There comes a time in the Christian witness when we must speak boldly and plainly of sin, of the need for confession and repentance, of Christ and his death and resurrection, and take the risk of being switched off by the participants in the dialogue.



It is a stupendous claim that Christians make: "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." It would be a lot easier to suggest that Christ is only one way among many to God, that he offers truth just as other leaders offer truth about God. But Paul couldn’t do that, and I can’t either! This is not my choice but his. I cannot put Christ on the throne of my heart as one Lord among many other gods, I can only say that I am his, that I belong, body and soul, in life and in death, not to myself, but to Jesus Christ!

Some Believed! (verse 34)

Resistance to the Gospel comes in many ways. In Philippi, they put Paul in jail. In Thessalonica, there was an uproar with political overtones. In Beroea, an angry crowd was the reason the Christians sent him on a ship to safety. Here in Athens, the resistance was of the sort with which we are all familiar - they ridiculed him. The Athenian reaction of bland toleration, of ridicule, of calling him "this babbler," is not easy to take, but it can never douse the flaming zeal of the Christian who carries a desperation for the souls of men and women to win them for Jesus Christ as Savior.

Paul was not a failure at Athens. God never allows any witness to be lost. Nothing we do for him is in vain. "But some men joined him and believed,

Flordia training for life guards, while a man drown.

When we all stand before God in the Great Day, will anyone point to you and say, "I am a Christian because of him/her?"

Well it's that time again . . . the two weeks when United Methodists hold their breath to see what sort of legislation will arise out of some hotel room at 2 a.m. The General Conference is upon us, meaning that some 3,000 of our brothers and sisters will get too little sleep, rear ends that become attached to chairs, and more calories from restaurant food than any human should be forced to endure. It is the time when we come together to re-write the Book of Discipline, and in spite of all our faults and problems, we still often actually succeed in hearing God speak.

Let us be in prayer for our leaders as they struggle to do God's will for our Church and for it's future. Let us pray for unity and for the out pouring of the Holy Spirit on us and all out churches.

Peace,
Rev. Richard

An Amazing Story of FAITH!!

Check this lady out! What a witness! I am not sure this is always what you should do in this situation, but what an amazing story of faith. I want this lady in our church!

Rev. Richard

Seeing Gray!

I am currently reading a new book "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White," by Adam Hamilton. It is a very important book because it helps Christians of 2008 struggle with evangelical faith and yet being involved in social outreach. He helps us to find a new way between the common labels of Liberal and Conservative. Are you on the left or the right?

The emergent church is really a proving grounds for and church leaders who have a ministry that is really gray and not black and white. Researchers of a survey from the Pew Forum found in questioning 2000 American pastors that they were not easily characterized as conservative or liberal. They see the world as more gray than black and white.

I really like this book so far, because I think it is really were we as Christians are at, in 2008. Yea, I wish things were easy to understand and figure out. Black and white is always nice, but unfortunately that is not reality! There is a reason that the Apostle Paul, says, "Work our your own faith with fear and trembling!' It is hard work to really let God direct your paths and beliefs in this modern day of things like cloning, genetic research, globalization, abortion, poverty, internet, computers, instant communication and all the rest.

I look forward to see Adam's ideas and thinking and praying through what it means in our time to have a new reformation as the church of Jesus Christ.

On the Journey with Christ and all of you,

Rev. Richard

God Talk VS. Our Self Talk

As promised here is the list from Sunday's sermon.

We think: "It's impossible"

God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

We think: "I'm too tired"

God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

We think: "Nobody really loves me"

God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

We think: "I can't go on"

God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

We think: "I can't figure things out"

God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We think: "I can't do it"

God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

We think: "I'm not able"

God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

We think: "It's not worth it"

God says: It will be worth it (Romans 8:28)

We think: "I can't forgive myself"

God says: I forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

We think: "I can't manage"

God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

We think: "I'm afraid"

God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

We think: "I'm always worried and frustrated"

God says: Cast all your cares on Me (I Peter 5:7)

We think: "I don't have enough faith"

God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)

We think: "I'm not smart enough"

God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

We think: "I feel all alone"

God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) (4)

These are God's promises. Do you believe them?

Do we Trust God everyday to lead and guide our lives?
Peace,
Rev Richard

It's NBA Playoff time! And that means Spurs basketball. I am a homer when it comes to the Spurs. They aren't flashy, they are the most exciting, but they play together as a team. They are Champions many times over. They do everything with integrity, and with class.

I think they are a good model for the local church. If we are going to champions for God they we must work together as a team, we must do everything, even the little things with quality. We don't have to be flashy, the latest or the greatest, but we have to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I can't wait to see Tim, Manu, Tony, Mike, Fab, Bruce and all the other Spurs get after the Suns! They are great in every way.

Let's keep playing for the Kingdom and the Lost!

Rrvrick

Rockin at Rockport!

I just returned from a 3 day trip to Rockport, on the Texas gulf coast. Twice a year I meet with 5 other clergy for fun, fellowship, accountability, and worship. I have been a part of of this group for about 15 years.

It is always a great time, to let down your hair, so to speak and be with a band of Christian brothers who understand you, love you, and keep you honest and open in your walk with Christ.

I have never gone to one our retreats and not be renewed and refreshed in body, mind and spirit. This years spring get together was no different. The fresh redfish were delicious, watching the dolphins play just off the end of the pier next to our beach house was amazing, the time of sharing the joys and struggles of each of our ministries was a true blessing.

As I watched the sun set over Copano Bay the other evening I felt the stirring of God's Holy Spirit renewing my strength to run and not be weary in the race that is set before me.

I encourage you to find some rest, and to find some person who can be God with skin on for you.

Blessings,
Revrick

It's Not a Four Letter Word Any More!

Evangelism! There I said it! For some persons that has become a four letter, unacceptable word.
Why? Well there are many reasons, negative feeling because of past abuses of Christian trying to manipulate persons into the faith, in your face kind of faith sharing, judgmental attitudes towards no believers and lots of other reasons.

Yet, yesterday I had the joy of attending a wonderful workshop that was focused on Evangelism!
And on top of that 500 leaders from our annual conference were there to learn and be challenged by God to "Offer Christ to All!"

I can remember a time when this kind of event would not have been widely accepted in the Southwest Texas Annual Conference. And to see our Bishop and our District Superintendents leading us to be more faithful to the Great Commission by saving souls and doing justice was just what the doctor ordered for this portion of Christ's church.

I can't wait to see how God uses this to energize us at FUMC Del Rio, and across the conference.

I am truly blessed,

Revrick

Social Gospel!

Often times we as Wesleyan Christians struggle with the balance between evangelistic outreach and social and justice ministries. John Wesley was a master at keeping those two prongs of the church's mission in harmony with each other. If fact Mr. Wesley believed that neither of these high callings could have God's full power without the other.

Max Lucado tells the story in his new book "Next Door Savior," about a woman who lived in a small Arkansas town as a single mom. She had a very difficult life, and it was made harder because her only child was very frail. One of her neighbors started stopping by every few days to watch her child for a little while so she could go into town and show for things that she needed, as well as to get a short break. After some weeks her neighbor shared more than time; she shared her faith in Jesus, and the woman did what the disciples did. She choose to follow Jesus!

The friends of this young mother objected strongly. "Do you know what those people teach?" "They can be really judgmental, too!" they contested. "Here is what I know," she told them.
"They held my baby." Max says, "I think Jesus likes that kind of answer, don't you?"

You see evangelism and social outreach are two sides of the same coin. As the old saying goes, "How can I listen to you tell me about Jesus and the good news, when my stomach is empty?"

Why am I thinking about this? Yesterday I felt prompted by the Spirit to work on a new addition to our web page. It was to be a page with all of the hands on ministry activities that we are a part of as a local church. Well as I began to work on the site, I got excited about how many different ways people can be involved in feeding people, or fixing their homes, or listening to them when they are lonely, or helping them find a job, or get through a tough time in their lives.
God is doing some get things in people's lives through this part of the Body of Christ, and He wants to do some much more through each of us.

I am going to praying about were I fit into the beautiful picture of God's Kingdom we are becoming!

In His Power,

Richard

Miracle Shot!

I am a final four junkie! There I confessed it! Last night I watched an amazing game between Kansas and Memphis. Down by 9 points with just at short time left, Kansas came back and hit a long 3 pointer with just over 2 seconds left to tie the game and then win in overtime. It was even more amazing because, Kansas and been missing 3 point shots all night long. Their shooting percentage from beyond the arch was around 25 %, yet they made one when they needed it.

Somewhere in this outstanding game there maybe lessons to be learned.
1. Never give up!
2. Courage in the face of defeat!
3. The power of team and community!
4. Always believe in yourself!
5. It ain't over till its over!
6. You fill in the blank with your own idea ____________.

They say sport imitates life, and maybe it does. If that is the case then, the next time, I come up against what seems like an impossible task, I want to turn to God and trust Him by faith and then step back and drain the 3, so to speak! I want to trust in God and the rest of the team of disciples I play with. I want to believe in the power of God to do miracles, even when defeat looks certain! I want to remember it ain't over, because God is God!

Congratulations to both Memphis and Kansas for one of the most exciting games ever, and for some life lessons that I needed to be reminded of!

Revrick!

All Shook Up!

I just read this morning about south Texas being struck by a 3.7 level earthquake. The epicenter was near Kenedy (The town my dad grew up in). People all over south Texas felt the shaking all the way to north San Antonio. What a strange event for this part of the world! I mean southern California, no big surprise, southern Texas, weird!

You know sometimes it isn't such a bad thing to get a little shook up in life. In fact in my experience God, through the work of the Holy Spirit has a way of doing that from time to time. It makes me look at my life and my priorities and a new way, a good shaking also causes me to ask God some important questions about what He wants for my life.

Maybe a little shaking is just what some of us need!

I am Revrick
Bye!!!

We Need God!

Some years ago, when the news broke out that Joseph Stalin's daughter had defected from Communism and Russia, many people were startled. Her statement given to reporters who met her plane in New York, told why she defected:

"I found it impossible to exist without God in one's heart. I came to that conclusion myself, without anybody's help or preaching. That was a great change because since that moment the main dogmas of Communism lost their significance for me. I have come here to seek the self-expression that has been denied me for so long in Russia."

That woman's struggle was a terrible one. To leave Russia, she had to leave two children in Moscow and realize that it would be, as she said, "Impossible to go back."

Pascal said there is within every person a "God-shaped vacuum." He's

right. Historians Will and Ariel Durant observed in their summery

volume, The Lessons of History, that There never has been a significant example of morality apart from belief in God."

Richard

Confirmation Time!

It's that time again! Time for one of the most exciting events in every pastor's life. No its not easter or christmas worship! It is time for Confirmation classes.

Confirmation truly is a wonderful opportunity I look forward to each year to get to know, a group of 6th, 7th or 8th graders who are seeking to follow Jesus and to learn how to live out their faith in everyday life. Yes, we talk about church history, John Wesley, and all that stuff, but we also talk about prayer, Bible Study, Sin, Forgiveness, Sacraments, Worship, and lots more.

All those things are so important to having a real intimate relationship with Jesus. It is so powerful to talk and walk thru this journey with Jr. Highers. They are so real, and open as persons that it is fun to go on this kind of adventure together.

I look forward to the next 6 weeks with our 8 confirmands and their friends in faith. Please keep them in prayer as the seek a real realtionship with Jesus.

In Him,
Richard

An Extreme Makeover!!

Jesus said that he had come to make all things new! He spoke of giving us a new heart!

I have gotten hooked on a TV Show called "Extreme Home Makeover!" I love to watch it online with my family. Why is it so addictive? Well, it is very emotional, I like that! It shows lots of people learning that it is important and exciting to give to others with no need to get something in return. It also shows the importance of community in some very powerful ways.

The idea for the show is simple: find a family in each of the 50 states who needs help with their home and their life situation. Then the ABC team of designers and local builders and tradesmen and average person volunteer to build the family a new home in one week. Along the way, special needs of all kinds get met and communities, not just this one family are changed forever.

I find it exciting, and challenging all at the same time! Isn't this what God has called all of us to do and be. Isn't he about doing an extreme make over in our hearts, lives, and priorities as we reach out to others in need.

When God shows up, as they say in the show, "The renovation starts Right Now!"

Peace,
Richard

Pastor Glen Barnes of the First Baptist Church of Lodi, California tells about an unbelievable experience he had sometime back. Barnes’ church was hosting a couple of visitors, two women, from Lesotho, Southern Africa. According to Barnes these two women have an incredible ministry caring for the poor and sick in South Africa, especially those suffering from AIDS. Unfortunately this ministry was taking a toll on them physically, emotionally and spiritually. In fact, one of the women shared with Barnes in confidence that she was really struggling, feeling burned out and wondering if it was time to move on to another ministry. As they talked about trying to hear God’s voice, she said that sometimes she just wished God would write it on the sky. Then she would know whether she was doing God’s will or not.

Later that very same day Barnes and these two ladies went on a little sightseeing tour of San Francisco. They went out on a boat onto San Francisco bay. They went by Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge. “It was gorgeous,” Barnes reports.

About half way out on their journey, they heard a rumbling like thunder in the sky and they looked up and right above them flew the Blue Angels, the aerobatic team of Navy jets that entertain for special events. The two African women looked terrified and one asked Barnes if America was under attack. He reassured them that it was just a show.

As a part of the magnificent aerial demonstration, one of the planes took off over the city, turned its smoke stream on and went straight up, and it began skywriting. What it wrote was not a word or a sentence, but a symbol. The jet left floating, written in the sky, a big AIDS ribbon. Pastor Barnes looked over at his new friend who was struggling with her work back home attending to AIDS sufferers. He had chills up and down his spine when he saw the ribbon in the clouds. She literally had tears running down her face as it seemed God, on this occasion, had literally written His answer to her in the sky.

Isn't amazing when God speaks to us! He desires to do it at every moment of our day, if we can somehow stop and listen. So today I am going to be keeping my eyes towards the sky and my ears open to see what God has to say!

Rev. Richard