Cheri and I want to thank all of you for the very nice 10^th Anniversary reception you held for us this past Sunday, June 22.  We appreciate very much the gift cards to the Olive Garden from the church, and the cards and various other gifts you gave us individually.  Even more, we thank you for the kind words you’ve shared with us. 

Thanks go to Larry and the Pastor/Staff Com­mittee, and to Marta for putting the reception together.  Thanks also to all of you who helped in other ways, and to those of you who were able to stay for the reception.

It doesn’t seem like it’s been ten years that we’ve been here, but as I’ve said to many of you, when I stop and remember that when we came to Chico, Paul was in Jr. High and Laura was at Citrus Elementary, and now Paul is head­ing off to grad school and Laura will be a senior in college, I realize that the years have certainly gone by.  I don’t feel that much older – until I look in the mirror and realize my beard is much whiter.  Then too, I have to take my glasses off to read now, something I’ve only had to do for the past couple of years.  I’ve changed in ten years.

So too, the church has changed.  Many of the members who were here when Cheri and I first came to Chico have died, some have moved, or some of you are no longer able to attend on a regular basis. Others of you have joined the church and stepped into leadership positions.  Together, we continue the 128 years of ministry here at First Baptist Church. 

Anniversaries offer the opportunity for us to remember what has been, even as we look forward to what may be.  I won’t take the time to talk about what’s been accomplished since I was called to serve as your pastor – things like   housing the homeless, and joining both the PCBA and the Evergreen Association.  We have done very good things together.

We also continue to look to the future.  The Transformation Committee continues to work.  Our committees are working hard to discern God’s leading for our work in Chico.  While our membership has declined, I truly believe that God has great things in store for First Baptist in the future.

Speaking of changes, it’s with regret that I share with you that our secretary, Melody Hatler, has resigned.  Melody has been here a year and done a great job of serving us.  She will take a full-time restaurant job in Paradise, close to home, with benefits.  While we will miss her, we’re glad for this opportunity for her.  Laura Sandberg will serve as our temporary secretary beginning July 7^th  as the Pastor/Staff committee begins the process of finding a replacement for Melody.  Please keep them in your prayers.

Since we’ve moved back into the sanctuary following January’s storm damage, we’ve occasionally heard non-church “voices” coming over our sound system.  Jerry F, our sound operator, has hopefully isolated the problem, and will soon have it fixed. 

One reason it’s taken awhile to determine the problem is that the piece of equipment allowing the “voices” to appear has to be warm before it fails.  This takes about a half hour.  I very much appreciate Jerry’s willingness to stay in the sanctuary Monday morning for that length of time so that he could discover the problem.

This half-hour delay has meant that the voices typically have started “speaking” during the Pastoral Prayer.  I’m not sure how it’s affected those of you who’ve heard what’s turned out to be a radio station, but the “voices” have been very distracting for me.  I’ve been a little surprised how easily I’ve lost focus in the midst of my prayer because of the competing voices. 

But, upon reflection, I shouldn’t be surprised because it’s easy for us to lose focus, not just in prayer but in many aspects of life.  There have been times I’ve gone out to my shop, only to realize that I can’t remember why I’ve gone out there.  I’ve been distracted by something on my way to the garage, and my goal has gone flying out of my mind. 

How do we keep from being distracted, especially in a multi-tasking world?  For me, I must force myself to pay attention to the task at hand.  I can’t do more than one thing at a time well, so I must focus on that one thing.  This means that when my wife talks to me, I need to put my book down and listen to what she’s telling, or asking me.  Not that I always do this.

So too, we don’t always focus on God, do we?  Especially with God, we’re easily distracted.  Just as the voices coming over the sound system can keep us from hearing what’s being said, life itself can keep us from hearing God. [It certainly doesn’t help that God most often speaks in a very still, small voice.]

When Cheri speaks to me and I fail to pay attention, she lets me know that I need to focus on her.  “Did you hear me?” she’ll ask.  I wish that God did the same.  I wish God would loudly say to me, “Did you hear what I told you, Ted?  Are you listening?”

Because I’ve never heard God say that to me, I’ve found that I need to worship each Sunday to make sure that I’m paying attention to God.  Yes, worship is surely giving praise and glory to God.  But worship also helps me keep my focus on God, helps me put life’s distractions out of my mind, at least for awhile. 

If you’re not clearly hearing God speaking to you, join us this Sunday as we celebrate Pentecost. (Remember to wear red.)  Maybe this will help you focus on God as it helps me.