Put Church Back Together

      I am a notorious list maker! Each day while working in the office here at church I always begin to make a "To Do" list for the next day. Now like any other busy Pastor that list changes often, sometimes hour by hour. Each time I finish a task on the list I cross thru it and go on the another one. This morning when I got to Church one of those items that I added to my list said this: "Put church back together". Now the reason I wrote it down was that yesterday we had a funeral here at Church and then I had to leave right after the meal for another funeral I had that afternoon. I did not have the time that day to clean up my mess in the altar area or my office. Not to mention getting the Foyer furniture and other items put back where they belong. This is why I wrote down, "Put Church back together". But later in the morning when I looked back at my "To Do" list this one jumped out at me, "Put church back together". Boy did my words startle me! What an awesome task this is. Shoot, the old nursery rhythm tells us that "not even all the kings horses and all the kings men could put Humpty together again". Who am I then to put the Church back together. You see, the Church universal , worldwide is in need of some major repair! We have lost our focus. We have made Church about what "I" want it to look like and that it needs to meet everyone of "MY" needs and be responsive to each and everyone of "MY" pet ministries and of course it needs has to agree with the way that "I" think on each and every theological issue under heaven! But our actual focus should be on Christ and He alone. We need to spend more time in His Word and less time in the newspaper or on Facebook. More time in worship of Him and less time making certain our every whim is met. If we were to focus more on Christ, He then would put His Church back together, just how He had always planned it would be. So let's let Jesus do His thing and then wait and see what His/Your Church will look like!
Love ya' All Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown Church             

Tutoring Time

     A year or so ago I felt a call from the Holy Spirit to be involved in our school in an educational way. Now I have been a volunteer coach and Announcer for many sports for many years, so this call was different. I talked with the principle about it and she said that she would get back to me. I never heard back. But about 5 months ago a retired teacher asked me if I would like to help out with a Grandparents Tutoring program that she was going to have. I accepted. Three Wednesday afternoons a week elementary age kids read to me, I helped them with math and spelling and whatever was asked of me. It is now done for the year. As I reflect back on the time several of us spent with these kids, I ponder "The Fruit" of our work and  I see this. I am getting old! I had kids who I worked with whose parents went to school with my daughters! I saw how the kids, whom I did not previously know, warmed up to me after time. I was blessed to see these kids improve their skills. Fruit I did not see yet, but I know is to come because I am trusting in Christ, is how may my/our interactions with these kids, the relationships made, how will that grant me future opportunities to minister unto them and their families. But for now those seeds are planted. Where might God be calling you to plant a few seeds, water a few young plants, pull a few weeds when needed, so that Christ like fruit may one day appear?       

The Deck

     A few month's ago my wife Beckie gave me an ultimatum. Get the Deck power washed and sealed by  Mother's Day. You see my wife s a huge flower gardener as well as one who enjoys decorating our deck with flowers galore along with all of that other artsy stuff she has learned about from HGTV. So last Wednesday afternoon I borrowed from my friend Paul Skoog, his power washer. Now this was no ordinary power washer. This was Industrial grade! You dare not put your fingers in front of that spray, that is if you valued them. Man I was washing away crud I didn't know existed embedded in the grain of those wooden planks. It caused me to think about the Industrial Power Washer Christ must have had to use on me to make me like it says in Psalm 51:7"Wash me and I will be whiter then snow". Sometimes you and I build-up many layers of crud/sin in our lives that only can removed by this Guy, we know as Jesus, who was willing to die for us. And why? Because His love for us cannot be matched by anyone on this globe.
   O.K. now the Deck is clean, on to the next step. Come Friday afternoon I began to use my trusted Thompson's sealer to protect my deck from the elements. Two and one half hours on my knees with a roller. My 55 year old back and knees were barking at me! But it was done. Ephesians 4:30 tells us that you and I as well have been "Sealed by the Holy Spirit". That God not only cleansed us, but then sought to seal into our hearts all that good stuff he has passed down and that he did this by giving us the Holy Spirit!.
    So for those of you who have Decks or porches you enjoy spending time on and ones that you have put into a little elbow grease. Remember how our Father has done the same for you tthrough His Son Jesus and through the Holy Spirit. Now get outside and enjoy that deck this Summer!
Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown Church          

Two or More

      A verse that has become very powerful unto me lately is Matthew 18:20, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them." For most people who know me well, they know that I am a "Numbers" person. I promote heavily aattendance in worship and Sunday school and being apart of those other activities that the Church promotes. These are just a few of the areas people talk about when we ask ourselves about the health of a Church. Low numbers can have adverse effects. And when I look into public life the same holds true as well. I am beginning to see the ill effects of the lack of volunteers for most if not all of our volunteer organizations as well. But this verse is now constantly bouncing around in my head ( and that's a lot of bouncing seeing as my brain has shrunk with age) I am now seeing the wisdom and truth in this brief verse. I now attend a Bible study just for guys where our largest group has been five and many times just three. Great conversations can take place within this number. I meet regularly with a mentor having God Talks that are invaluable. This past Saturday I and one high school youth went on a service project 70 miles from home. A great experience. In years past I would have canceled out for the lack of numbers.
   Anyway, I will always be a strong proponent of Worship attendance and being accountable myself to those volunteer organizations that I am apart of. But I also value greatly these small intimate times where only a handful may gather, for I have seen what God can and will do in their midst! So the next time you are considering canceling something due to "Numbers", you might want to reconsider your decision! For who knows what blessing God might have waiting for you and the person you sit across from.
           May you have a Blessed and Joy filled week! Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown

A Place to "Get Away To"

Yesterday in my message I used a phrase that went something like this. As Christians, with the Holy Spirit's guidance, we are to create an atmosphere within our Churches to make them places to "Get Away To" rather then places to "Get Away From".  I find myself pondering that statement this Monday morning. We live in a day and age where for MOST people, even for us who live within so-called small towns where everyone gos to church, going to Church on any given Sunday is low on their list of things to do with their weekend. This is a fact! So, we can sit here and say, "Oh woe is us" and continue to slowly fade away, or to put it more bluntly, die. Or you can ask yourselves as a church and as individuals, "What can I Do to help make my Church a place to Get Away To?" But simply asking that question is not enough. What are You going to do about it? It's time to quit the whining about what other churches have that you/we may not. About how "THEY" are taking people away. Believe me, there are plenty of people out there who need and want a good church home. The Church just needs to create that Holy Place, that healing place, that place where Hope is found, that place where everybody knows your name. Alright, that last statement dates me and my years of TV watching. So I ask you to ponder this statement as well and see what the Holy Spirit is asking you to do in making Christ's Church wherever you attend, one that people want to get away too.
Bless God this Week! Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown  

Being at Peace

There is a verse in Romans 12 that I have tried to live out as best I can as a Christian and a Pastor. It is Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Doing all I can do to live at peace with everyone around me as best as I can. This can be difficult my friends, but it is a calling that I have tried to fulfill. One place in my life that I have had to rest in this verse is when it comes to my relationship with my mom and step-dad, Phil. It has been "Rocky" at best ever since I got out of high school. As a matter of fact neither of my two brothers or my two step sisters have much of a relationship with them, if any at all. They had always looked to me to keep them informed about was going on in Missouri. Over the years I have spent considerable energy trying to not simply, "keep the peace", but to build a relationship with Mom & Phil. Some headway was made once in a while and then in a matter of moments it would vanish amidst harsh words thrown my way and then I would hear the familiar sound of a phone hung-up in anger. I bring this up to you all today for this weekend I was informed that my Mom has Alzheimer's. And has had for a while. My step-father has made it clear that I and my siblings are unwelcome to go and see our Mom. And I now must live in the pain of knowing that I will not ever have another conversation with my Mom.
      So I try and find a little solice in Romans, knowing that over the years I have invested my heart into trying to live at peace, yet today that seems a bit hollow to me as I now have no more opportunities to try again. I write this today out of my own need to do so, to begin anew the healing. But also for those of you who have strained relationships within your families and you are striving to work for peace. Keep at it, for you never know when you might have your last conversation with that loved one. Or like myself, what did I even say in that last conversation.
       Time now for me to move and to trust in God's healing and forgiveness. Pastor Rick Koch         

Courage for the Future

I love my daily devotional "The Upper Room"! Through the writer's who contribute to it I find myself blessed on a regular basis. If you are not using it, I highly recommend that you do.
Anyway on one that recently spoke to me and I believe speaks to many of you a well. The topic of having "Courage" as we face the uncertainty of tomorrow.
I am certain that most of you out there have at one time or another longed for the "Good ole' Days". Better times in your personal life that have been swept away by time or maybe more fruitful times as a church that keep you always looking back. It happens to us all, even our heroes in the Bible. Take Joshua for instance. He was given the job of following in Moses footsteps. WOW! Talk about big shoes to fill. I cannot imagine the pressure that Joshua felt. But here now the word of God from Joshua 1:2, "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people get up, get ready, quit looking backwards and go and cross the Jordan river, into the land I have promised you." No eulogy to Moses, no listing of his conquests, only he is dead. And it is now your time Joshua to take these people from this time forward. Be strong and courageous, for I will be with you. And oh, by the way I will empower you Joshua just as I did Moses".
It is hard for us at times to move on, to consider that God has even better things awaiting us who are faithful unto Him. Therein lies the issue! The rub if you will. You see, the courage and strength you need to move forward is ONLY found in Christ! For those of you who get your courage and strength from God, you cannot fail!
So whoever your "Moses" was, cherish their memory, what they passed down to you, but now go courageously where no man has gone before. Do you like the little Star Trek blurb there? May our all powerful God empower you for whatever lies before you and may you encounter the Courage only He can grant. Love ya' all, Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown