One of the things we have tried to do as a bishopric is visit people in their homes. We've set aside Wednesday evenings as the time to do this. Sometimes schedules don't line up or we aren't able to arrange to visit with anyone (we don't want to show up unannounced), but when it happens, it's always a wonderful experience.

Last night the bishop and I visited three families:

• A single mother and three of her five children
• A couple and their three daughters
• An elderly man who lives by himself and whose wife is in a care facility

Each visit was relatively brief, but special. We were able to get to know these good people a little better. We were able to pray with them. I hope they felt of God's love for them.

Visiting with the elderly man was a particularly sweet experience. He recently moved into our neighborhood after enduring years of being a caregiver for his wife as she suffered from dementia. It eventually got to the point where she was a danger to herself and to him, so for her good and his, she had to be admitted to a facility that is able to both deal with her condition and care for her. He also had open heart surgery a year or so ago and was on the operating table for over 8 hours.

His genuine gratitude for being in a safe home of his own, for being surrounded by good neighbors and a caring church community, and for being alive and in relatively good health was evident. We were delighted to visit and pray with him and he was so grateful for our company.

As I reflected on this experience, a scripture from the Epistle of James came to my mind:

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27 KJV)

Another version:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27 NIV)

When we care for others and strive to live righteously, we are living “pure religion.”

As overwhelmed as I feel about my bishopric calling sometimes, I am grateful for the opportunities to forget about myself for a while and minister to others. I need to be better at this.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 152) #faith #Lent #Christianity

I finished reading Patrick Stewart’s memoir “Make It So” – a long, interesting read by one of my favorite actors.

Worth reading at least once, it has given me a deeper appreciation for Stewart and his work. His style is amiable and his storytelling is engaging. From his humble beginnings to his greatest triumphs, he delights in his successes and owns his mistakes. He comes across as decidedly human – one who has had an incredibly interesting life.

A common thread is the people who made an impact in his life – good or bad. Meaningful relationships are a cherished part of his story.

As a former music student with plenty of performances in my time, I could relate to his live theater experiences on some level.

Few of us will ever have such talent or experiences. But after reading any memoir or biography one can’t help but think: how will I be remembered when I’m gone? I don’t want to be remembered for accomplishments or notoriety. I hope people would remember me as someone who tried to follow Jesus Christ and showed it in the way I lived and treated others.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 151) #faith #Lent

I enjoy having long talks with loved ones. It's a wonderful way for us to connect, share experiences and perspectives, and to “think out loud” – to talk through and crystallize thoughts that have been bouncing around in our brains but haven't quite fully formed yet.

Lately I've been having long talks with my son. These are usually about technology and music, but more recently, they are also about faith.

One night last week we stayed up way too late talking and somehow the subject turned to missionary service, as he is getting ready to serve as a missionary for our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). As young as age 18, young men and women can apply to serve as missionaries. For young men it is expected that they do so, if able. For young women it is considered optional.

Things have changed quite a bit in the more than 23 years years since I returned from two-year missionary service in Brazil. But I shared with him some of my experiences and perspectives that I feel are timeless.

I told him that first and foremost, missionary work is not about trying to convince people to join our church. It's about helping people to become converted to Jesus Christ. And we do that by learning to see people as God sees them and love them as He loves them. We meet them where they are, teach them the things that Christ taught, show them His love through serving and ministering to them, and help them to draw closer to Him in whatever way they can.

I will miss these talks when he finally leaves the nest.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 150) #faith #Lent #Christianity