Mike McClenahan

 Read Psalm 33 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. (Ps 33:20-22) Get in the diamond lane. I only have 13 items. The test results come back in two weeks. You still have two months left? Can we open just one present tonight? We don’t like waiting because in our math waiting equals doing nothing. We feel powerless and therefore hopeless. How can I have hope if I’m not doing anything? But the Psalm says we wait in hope for the Lord, he is our help, and our shield. Waiting gives us hope, because  Waiting is doing something .  We wait with worship: with instruments, with joy, with a new song, with shouting. Many Moods of Christmas helps me wait. It’s more than a distraction; it’s acknowledging the truth of God’s word, his faithfulness, his love for us in sending Jesus. Harps, violins, cellos, gu...

Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior , and my hope is in you all d ay long. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the trou bles of my heart and free me from my anguis h. Look on my affliction and my distress and ta ke away all my sins. Deliver Israel, O God , from all their troubles!   ( Psalm 25:5, 16-18, 25 N IV ) Hope is sometimes illusi ve. Ther e is a mo ment of hope I ex pe rience when things are going well out there . The con flict is working out, the plans are s ucce e ding, kids are doing well, the market is imp roving. The circumstances of my life are on the other end of the are teeter totter and I am hoping they are light. But David brings the t opic of hope in here .    Guide me. Teach me.   Hope depends on me look ing in here , in my heart to my willingness to be le d, to be instruct ed , not by my circumstances b ut by the one who holds t he unive rse in the palm of his hand....

The simple story of Christmas is God loves us. John tells us "for God so loved the world that he gave his only son..." because it's the heart of the incarnation. Jesus becomes human, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." God seeks after us with the sacrificial and unconditional love of a Father who is willing to send his only son for the sake of the whole world.  Augustine said, "God loves you as if you were the only one in the world to love" (paraphrased). God loves us. A lot.  John writes in his epistle, "this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin." In a relationship with God, love is defined not by what we do , but what God has already done . Yes, I know.  God loves the world. He loves everyone. He loves me.  So how do we make that simple message of God's love go from I know , to I experience, to I am changed ? Because unless we make it personal, we keep ...

This weekend is the Many Moods of Christmas at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. I had the opportunity last Wednesday to be interviewed in the KPRZ studio by David Spoon of the David Spoon Experience to talk about Many Moods . He's a joyful, fun, energetic (he was drinking a Monster energy drink) and loves God. He gave me a chance to tell a little about our story as a church and my story as a pastor. It's in two parts on You Tube . Many Moods of Christmas is a weekend of music that begins the Christmas season with the wonder and beauty and mystery of the season. Our chancel choir, children's choir, soloists and amazing orch estra present the message of Christmas with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. I'm looking forward t o the community joining us in the sanctuary Saturday n ight, Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Monday evening. Tickets are online for $15 and $20. Live interviews are crazy, especially with David. I wasn't quite sure what ...

Last night I taught the Alpha message, "How Does God Guide Us?" It's a great reminder that God uses "five c-s's" (commanding scripture, common sense, compelling spirit, counsel of saints and circumstantial signs), and that God is always drawing us into relationship with him as shepherd and sheep (he knows us, wants us to listen, and wants to lead us). He's as interested in what we become (followers) as he is what we do. Which helped me process why I went to El Salvador ten days ago with twenty pastors* from San Diego, L.A., Santa Barbara and Hawaii, and staff from Compassion International just before Thanksgiving and right in the middle of our capital campaign to build a new children's ministry center, chapel and improved parking.    We visited three projects which address child poverty from infants to college students. We had lunches in two homes of salvadoreanos whose lives are being changed because their children are being loved.  We visite...

I've never felt more welcomed by strangers to worship and the table.  IBERZ is a Compassion partner with child sponsorships, and several in our group were able to meet their children in person.  The children learn entrepreneurial skills in craft making and financial management.    The girls make crafts for parties, Christmas cards and decorated pens to sell. They presented to us their work, demonstrated their technique with confidence and poise.  The signs on the wall said, "the student will learn basic skills of financial administration, a personal budget and a personal bank account" and "the student will learn to commit themselves to financial integrity and stewardship of all aspects of their personal finances and strive to be above reproach."  We were welcomed into worship enthusiastically with handshakes, hugs and kisses, as well as popular worship songs led in English and Spanish.   Pastor Pablo Figueroa preached from Luk...

I took my seat next to mother Griselda and her two year-three month daughter Natali in the sanctuary of the 10,000 member Elim Church in Santa Ana, El Salvador. Together with our pastor group and dozens of women and their children we sang worship songs, then listened to the story of a former gang woman. Eighteen months ago she came to Christ because her son was in the Compassion child survival program for infants and preschoolers. At first she couldn't participate in church because of her gang commitment, but through her son's involvement she learned to love him and grew spiritually. She urged the women it's never too late to seek the Lord. Elim partners with Compassion to care for 1000 mothers and babies in 21 projects across El Salvador. The women learn crafts, hairstyling, and other skills as well as caring for their children. The women are given prenatal care and the children are monitored from birth to five years old in physical, spiritual, intellectual, and social...