Thoughts from Wayne’s World

While growing up some of my fondest memories are of playing games with my family. As a small child I remember watching as my parents and grandparents played Pinochle, or they joined with my great aunt and uncle to play poker. (just so you know it was less than a penny a chip…so no big bucks changed hands). As I grew I learned the games of my family – Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Pinochle, and of course Poker. But my family also loved to play board games. It seemed a new game was presented to the family each Christmas…and the tradition carries on with my nieces having received new games and a new Wii gaming system. These games brought us together as a family, and they still do even though the make up the family is different.

The other vivid memory I have is going to church every Sunday morning. Missing church was just not in the “cards” for us. There were days we kids tried to bluff our way out of going, but Mom and Dad made sure we were up, dressed, fed, and in the car when we left for church that morning.  I have 12 years of perfect attendance in Sunday school and have the pins to match. Perhaps my parents knew that much like learning to play cards and games by watching and being taught so it was for their at church.  We went and we learned from our grandparents, our pastors, our Sunday school teachers, and the other adults what it meant to be a faithful member of the church. They taught us the faith by example. We learned the hymns of the church, the prayers, and the creeds by being in church.

My brother, sister and I are all still faithful to the churches to which we belong, and both of them have raised or are raising their daughters in the life of faith. As much as it is important in our family to pass down the tradition of playing games, it was and is more important to pass down the love of church, of faith and of the Still Speaking God.

It is my hope that as we enter into the Lenten Season that we can reexamine our lives and what we are teaching our children. Is church a commitment you’d like to pass on to your children??  If it is I hope to see you in church celebrating the faith, and being a living example of faith to all the children of McFarland UCC.

See ya in Church!            

Peace!
Pastor Wayne
P.S.  I hope and pray that you and your families have a most blessed Christmas and Holiday season.

Pastor’s involvement in the community: President of the McFarland Food Pantry Board; Human Growth and Development Committee for the School District