Can you go home again? I did.

Some people say you can't go home again. Some say you can. In my life I have said both. Currently, I believe you can. Let me explain:
I am proud of many things. I am proud that I am a child of God. I am proud to be married to Sheyna, and to be the father of Levi and Sophie. I am proud to be the son of Clarence and Ruth Widener. I am proud of my nephews being saved, baptized, and that one is soon going into the Army.
I am also proud of the four years I spent in the Hibriten High School Band. For four years I played euphonium in that group, and was part of really a special tradition. It was one of the first things I truly learned to apply myself at, and learned to strive to be the best. During my time there I was all-district four years, first chair all-district two of those years, and first chair junior & senior year. I was privileged to get to play with the US Navy Band my junior year, and in three of our four years the HHS Band received Superior ratings at "contest," a judged festival of bands in the district.
Enter Facebook. An alumnus of HHS started a group on the site for Hibriten High School band alumni. being the proud member I am, I joined. Several memories have been shared from members on that site that graduated from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and in the past decade. We have kept up with the current band, discussed issues facing the band, and have garnered ways to support it.
I'm not sure how this came about, but this weekend a project came about called "Loving Lenoir 2011." I do know that much of it was due to the efforts of  Dr. Neal Isaac. Tonight, alumni are gathering reunion-style at Sweet T's in uptown Lenoir. Some gathered to do some community work today. Tomorrow there will be a concert featuring many former Hibriten students, including an internationally-renowned soprano.
For me, the highlight was Friday night:

30 or so members of the past got to join the current band for the homecoming game, playing in the stands. It was quite a thrill to be a part of it. We marched in the stands with the band, played several songs, and cheered our old school. Sadly, we did not cheer them to victory, but it is a rebuilding year.
It was nice to know that I somewhat still had it. It was nice to see old and young alike come together for the old school. It was just a banner memory that I will never forget.
Thanks go out to Dr. Isaac for the time he has put in with the Facebook group and for what he did in setting this up. Thanks to Nickey Horner, director at HHS, for letting us do this and for all the accommodation she made for us. Thanks to Kevin Townsend, former director, for first agreeing to this. Thanks to Stephanie Lee, president of the HHS Band Boosters, for all the work she put into this. I don't know who else was involved, but if you read this, thank you as well.
One last thing: things are not the same as they were in our day at HHS. The band does not receive the funding that it used to, and instruments are not in the same condition that they were in. The band has needs for equipment and upgrades that require outside donors and support. If you are able to donate to the band, send anything to Hibriten High School Band Boosters, 1350 Panther Trail, Lenoir, NC 28645, or call (828) 758-7376 for more information.

We are ALL Ministers (but some are better than others)

I grew up the son of a Pastor of a small church in Buffalo Cove, NC. He has actually been the Pastor, there with the exception of one year, since 1970. With that as my background I can say this: I have been exposed to a lot of preaching in my days. I have also been exposed to a lot of preaching styles. Some shout until they are hoarse; some spit and strut around; some band the pulpit while they preach the fire down. Some are very quiet; others teach while they preach.
This blog is not to declare that I prefer one style over the other. I do; however, I am not going to say which style. Last year my Pastor, Steven Furtick, brought something up that really changed my way of thinking about the role of the preacher, and it is absolutely true: we are ALL ministers of the gospel. Really, we are supposed to be the hands and feet of the Church. Think about it: do the people around us see our pastor when we are at work? No, they see us. If they do not open the Bible at home, what do they know about Christ other than what we represent? What do they know about the Word of the Living God other than what we present in our words and actions? How many more rhetorical questions can I ask?
Think back to what Francis of Assisi is attributed with saying: "Preach the Gospel at all times- if necessary, use words."
More importantly, think about what Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19-20: "'Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' Amen."
He didn't give that command to a select few that preach one to two days a week, visit people in hospitals, officiate funerals and weddings, and eat lots of fried chicken. He gave that to all that follow Him. In other words, we are the Church, and we are ministers. The role of the Pastor is to empower the people to do the ministry of the Church, and only then is it stronger and does it grow.
Caveat: That pastor needs to be rooted firmly in the Word of God, and lead the people to root their lives firmly in that Word. Think of 2 Timothy 2:15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
 That's what Jeremiah dealt with in Jeremiah 23. False prophets were telling Israel everything was okay, God would deliver them, there will be peace and prosperity. They were led into idolatry, allowing the people to live in any method they deisred, and promising them God's blessings regardless. In that, God had enough with that, and He was telling the people the destruction and exile that awaited them. God was only speaking to one man, and no one wanted to hear it.
So yes, we are all ministers. However, for those that are called above that to be a Pastor, I salute you. I salute you and I warn you. God has given you the words you need to instruct and empower your Church to do the ministry. Don't tell us what we want to hear; tell us what we need. Tell us what "Thus says the LORD." The Church will be stronger, and men will be drawn to Christ.

Wear what the pros wear

The phrase used in the title of this blog has been used by sporting goods stores over the years, as well as New Era cap company. Last week in church, our pastor talked about the strange need to wear jerseys of football players, basketball players, etc. I will admit that I have taken part in this as well, although I do not anymore (primarily because I can't afford them, although there are other reasons). Simply put: we like to emulate people we admire.
Take it another level: I work for the nation's #2 home improvement company. In our stores employees wear vests to indicate they work there and that they are in a position to assist customers with any questions they have. In the call center where I work, sometimes more experienced employees will wear these vests and roam the floor to assist with any questions that people on the phones may have. They are the authority, and have the answers to the questions that are faced.
So where am I going with this? Follow me as I get off the rabbit trail.
Most believers are familiar with the passage in Ephesians 6 in regards to the armor of God, and many could quote the different parts of the armor. You know- belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit. I'll bet you weren't aware of this passage from Isaiah 59:15-17:
"Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.

He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak."

It is a passage talking about the judgment of God , and look at what He is wearing. Just exactly what Paul instructed Christians to wear. This is generally a verse believed to prophecy the coming of Christ to the earth, but it also displays that He is our example, a thought perpetuated in scripture several times. Of course Paul was a Pharisee, and has to know Isaiah forwards and backwards. He was familiar with this message, as was Jesus himself, who quoted Isaiah 61 when he started His ministry. After all, He was the inspiration for the scripture (2 Tim. 3:16, John 1:14).

Long story short: the Armor of God is not just a metaphor given by Paul to illustrate how Christians should live their life; it is the "jersey" worn by Christ himself.  He is the authority, and I would love to be seen with one of His jerseys.

Hope and hurt: not mutually exclusive

I think we hear this concept all the time, and we say "Yes, that's true." We hear the sermons in our church every weekend and tend to agree with what the preacher says. But then we get into our workday midweek lives and wonder why life is so hard. We have a bad day at work, or we struggle at home, and we can tend to wonder when God will move on our behalf.
It is true: hope and hurt are not mutually exclusive. Hope often rises in the midst of hurt. Take a look at the book of Isaiah. I have been reading this in recent weeks, and there are two common themes:
1-There is judgment in store for those who have disobeyed God and His commandments.
2- Even with this judgment there is hope coming with which the world will never be the same.
Isaiah 36-37 features the invasion of Judah by Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Sennacherib is extremely bold, mocking God left and right. He believes the God of Israel is nothing more than one of the wooden idols that had been torn down in one of his many conquests. For Hezekiah, the news is troubling, if I may understate. He had been following God like his ancestor David, trying to obey the laws of God and follow His word, and this comes? Imagine the stress! The great conqueror of the land, calling Egypt a bunch of nobodies, is basically telling you to prepare, no one can save you.
In the midst of this, hope comes. He takes Sennacherib's words to the temple, lays them out before God, and declares his hope. What happened? God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, and declared to him his hope was not unfounded. He told him He knows everything about that guy: when he sits, when he stands up, and he will take care of him. The next day, 185,000 men are dead, without a single blow. Sennacherib returns home and is murdered by his sons. The mighty conqueror is now just an afterthought of history.
Sometimes to get to the place you want to be you have to go through the rough part of town.
Sometimes to get a job you want, you might have to work a job you don't want.
Sometimes you are detoured to a different place you than where you thought you were going.
But God hasn't left you. The voices telling you that He doesn't care will soon be silenced as His glory will be revealed in you.

Addressing a common misconception

This may be considered a break from the normal postings you see on the Wide Scope, but there is a serious problem that I have to address. You see, there is a word that is common in the English language that receives constant abuse. It is quite common in its usage, and is a popular thing for people to talk about, especially in the summer. The saddest part of all is, most people that use the word in error have no idea they are doing it, in spite of television shows determined to help people understand the error of their ways.
What is this word that has me so riled up this hot Thursday evening?
Barbecue.
Barbecue is NOT A VERB! Barbecue is a NOUN!
More specifically, barbecue is a noun describing a type of food. Barbecue does NOT EVER refer to a piece of equipment used for preparing meat or vegetable products.
In its truest form, barbecue refers to pork shoulder, beef brisket, ribs, and occasionally chicken smoked for hours at a time. Since I am in western North Carolina, barbecue refers to pork with a lovely ketchup based sauce. Eastern NC, it's vinegar based, and that does have its place. In South Carolina, it's mustard-based, and that does have a special place in my heart - - er, stomach.
Barbecue is not something you do, nor is it a piece of equipment. The word you are looking for in that instance is the word GRILL. You GRILL hamburgers and hot dogs. You place the vegetable skewers on the GRILL. Another word you may be looking for is COOKOUT. In other words, you do not have A barbecue. You have BARBECUE.
Also, barbecue can be considered an adjective, when used to describe certain styles of sauce or meat that has been smoked when describing the animal that was smoked, but that is the only exception I will make to this rule.
The most common offenders to this are yankees, northerners, and people in the west coast. I pray God forgive them for the folly of speaking in this fashion.
I thank you for your indulgence in this blog. I hope you had fun. Now, join me in celebrating the truth by having some wonderful barbecue!

A letter to my hometown

(I would have posted this in the local paper, but I believe more people read my blog. Also, you can't view their page online without subscribing.)
Dear Lenoir,
I did not want this day to come, but we need to separate. Please do not take this personally. I have a lot of love and affection for you. It's not like I won't ever see you again, but let's be honest: I have needs that you simply cannot provide for me. For example, I haven't received a paycheck from you since 1998. I've had to go to everyone around you- Blowing Rock, Morganton, Hickory, and now Wilkesboro- because you just haven't given me what I need in that area. The family and I have to get away.
It's going to be good for us. Levi will start going to school in Wilkesboro, where they have a great Christian school. Things are improving for me at work, but we need to step away from you to improve things a little bit more. It's caused a stressful period for us, but it will improve us for the better, and greatly help the rest of the family as well.
As I get out of town, I wanted to pass a little advice for you. Support your businesses. By businesses, I mean more than Walmart. Magic Mart will do you well if you realize it's not Walmart, it has good stuff, and can save you a trip to Hickory. For goodness sakes, enjoy the new Krispy Kreme.  Keep that Mayflower seafood restaurant open, if you can. Also- if the rumors of a Chick-fil-a coming are true,  by God, make the most of it. You know I will come visit.
Encourage some entrepreneurs that may be lurking in your limits. I realize you have needs, and I would love to be able to help you out, but I just don't have the ability. I do know what I would love to see: That sight that I saw this Monday- the mall parking lot completely full of cars? I remember that sight when I was a boy. It was nice to see it again, but now it only has two stores! I would love to see either those stores get some neighbors or them in another location. I'd also like to see you get another theater. Two cinemas are not enough for a city of your size.
I want you to preserve the great things of the past. I know there are plans for the Harper School to restore the Lenoir High School Band building, and I can't wait to see that restored to its former glory. (But at the same time could you get rid of some of those eyesores? The factories that are run down, the buildings that should be condemned, etc.)
We've had good times, and bad times. I've had some embarrassing times there. We've lost friends within your borders, and said hello and goodbye to a great many people. You are forever a part of my life.
You see, I want good things for you. And it's not like I won't be back- we still have family and friends in town. You know I will have to come to some Hibriten football games, especially for homecoming and band alumni night. But we need to get away from each other. I still love you, and I hope you know that. When I hear Montgomery Gentry's "Our Town," I think of you. Consider it our song. But things can never be like they were, and it's time to say goodbye.
Yours,
Jonathan

Keeping up appearances: June, 2011

If you are wondering: no, I haven't been on vacation.
I haven't taken a sabbatical.
I haven't abandoned the Wide Scope.
What I am doing is searching for inspiration, energy, and a brief moment of time in my day. I have had some ideas, and there will be some new posts coming soon. I promise.