Ken Pierpont's Blog, page 137

Pot-Watching

Classic Re-post from 2006

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Dan studies in ‘Narnia.’ Scroll down for more photos

Let me tell you a little something more about myself than you probably want to know. I have a wonderful study lined with books as nice as almost anyone’s I have ever seen. It is not big enough for all the books with which I have been blessed over the years (including huge parts of two men’s libraries who blessed me – Larry Whiteford and Ron Ayres).

When I first came to the Character Inn I found an ugly yellow storage closet with harsh fluorescent lights and a tile floor and dumped my extra books into it. Sometimes for quiet I would go into the room, push some boxes aside and sit down to read or think or meditate. One day I wondered where the closet was in the floor-plan of the building. I discovered that it was beside my office. A plan began to form in my mind and soon Kyle had painted the room, Ken Krause had installed a nice door between the room and my study. One of the men wired in a nice light fixture, they laid carpet that matched the rest of my study, Kyle and Chuk assembled six shelving units to line the little chamber. I requisitioned a nice reading chair added a small desk , lamp, and file and dubbed the little place Narnia, because you have to go “through the wardrobe” to get there and it is filled with stories.

Almost every day the boys read there. I often go there all alone to study and read. When I need to have an uninterrupted conversation with one of the children we can do it there. You can exit my study from the main door or you can go through Narnia and out. I usually keep some running gear in Narnia so I can change and then shoot out for some fresh air. In the morning I get my study lights on and then duck out through Narnia to the kitchen behind my study.

As a part of my routine many mornings I find myself hovering over a rumbling, gurgling appliance that sends just the right amount of water at just the right temperature over my coffee grounds. The brewing of the coffee takes exactly three minutes with the commercial Bunn Coffee Maker that is plumbed into the restaurant kitchen behind my study but on a good day I can stretch the ritual to between eight and ten minutes.

During that time I am out of range of phone and receptionist. I am not distracted by my books or files or other projects. For just a few moments that coffee tradition is all my world. Before I wind my way back through the familiar labyrinth from my secret chamber attached to my study to the kitchen I usually look around to find something to read while I wait for my coffee.

Sometimes it is simply the scriptures in whatever version I am inclined to read. It will often be the ESV, sometimes, the New Living Translation, or the Living Bible (which I prefer), occasionally the Amplified or the Message (with which I have a love-hate relationship). Often I will fire a copy of an article from the ‘net that I have been looking forward to. Anything by Charles Spurgeon is worthwhile reading from Lectures to My Students, to John Plowman Talks, to Morning and Evening, to any one of his sermons.

I am of the opinion that my little pot-watching routine is an important part of my day. Everyone needs a little “soul-tuning-up” time. That’s one of the ways I do it. I have more but I will save them for another time because I’m sure there is a limit to how much personal information you are willing to read. My advice: Find a quiet place every day. Read something good for your soul. Start with the Scriptures, and brew yourself a good pot of coffee every morning. It’s just good form.

Ken Pierpont

McLean House Bed and Breakfast

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

April 3, 2006

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Where Have You Been All My Life?

A Classic Re-post from 2001

Saturday we spent the day on the West Coast of our beloved peninsula enjoying the sandy beach of our own freshwater inland ocean-Lake Michigan. Driving into the parking lot I noticed some of the cars were from out of state. Others were enjoying our Michigan sand and water.

Sometimes I will be fly-fishing the cold tailwaters of West Michigan and the angler next to me will be from a distant state. He has had to invest significant money and arrange his schedule to share the fishing hole I enjoy only twenty minutes from my front porch. Trout fishing and miles of perfect beaches are a couple things that make Michigan winters tolerable even without a snowmobile or skis.

I packed my journal and some good reading, iced down some soda in a cooler, and we made a day of it. It was a postcard perfect day on the beach. We picked a nice isolated stretch of beach and watched a dozen sailboats out on the blue water. Whenever they overheated in the sun the kids plunged into the cold clear water.

Coming into the park a woman of about 60 named Liz was keeping the gate. I’ve noticed that it is common for people who gravitate to gatekeeper jobs to be petty people who seem to enjoy wielding their authority over others. Not Liz. She was of a different kind. She was the rare kind of person who has the special ability to turn a mundane chore into an event to remember and enjoy.

She took our money, affixed the tag to the inside of our windshield and informed us of the privileges the little tag entitled us to. When she finished her little speech the four dollars we invested in it seemed a paltry sum. After she wished us good day she flashed a big smile and directed her last words at my nineteen-year-old son. “And where have you been all my life?” She said. Kyle laughed as we drove away and said; “You can tell that was a coined phrase,” but I noticed it still brought a smile to his face.

You can divide humanity roughly in half between people who manage to sap the joy out of everything in life, even a trip to the beach, and the “Lizes” of the world who have a flair for adding value to your day. Some people turn every task into a chore others turn every chore into an adventure. I think the State of Michigan should give Liz a raise.

(From Stonebridge Newsletter – Number 43)

P.S. This little piece was carried in the local paper in Fremont, where we lived at the time. I cut the article out and we delivered it to Liz. It brought a smile to her face. If you want a local example of this kind of mentality, go to Bob Evans in Woodhaven. Call ahead and ask if Andre is working. You will see what I men.

A Promised Steak

A Classic Re-post from 2009

To portage and to paddle thorough the Canadian wilderness is incredibly beautiful and rigorous. If you haven’t tried it you really should, just because there are some beautiful places that you have to paddle for many miles to reach. Having paddled and carried your canoe and food and tent and gear to those places somehow makes them even more beautiful and more enjoyable. O how sweet is the sleep I have enjoyed on a bed of pine needles, on a rocky point, in a pristine Canadian lake, under a waxing moon, after a day of strenuous effort as the loons call to each other in the night. You go to sleep with a smell of wood smoke perfuming the chill night air.

I turned fifty this year so adventures like this come at a high physical price. It was helpful to have a strong 18 year-old-daughter work steadily at the paddling and a strapping 17 year old son help carry and the gear over long, rocky paths from waterway to waterway. With each portage and paddle stroke my appreciation and admiration grew. The strength of a young man justifies the on-going expense of all that vitamin-fortified Captian Crunch, pizza, Mountain Dew, peanut butter, and Tim Horton’s coffee. It is a miracle of God that he can turn such common fuel into such brawn.

We paddled and hiked and carried a hundred miles of wilderness late this summer with friends from the church and as each day passed my gratefulness for Daniel’s strength and character grew. Late one evening more than half-way through our adventure we were facing a long paddle before camp and a long carry. It was Daniel’s turn to take the canoe on his shoulders and stalk through the woods, over the rocky hills to the next waterway. I wanted to encourage him and thank him so I said; “Dan if you solo this next carry I will take you to Outback when we get back home.

In the wilderness, when you are carrying your own food it is usually ramen noodles, “mac-and-cheese, powdered drinks and soups and such. This food tastes like gourmet fare after a grueling day of work getting to camp, but the prospect of a thick steak and baked potato with all the trimmings is a pleasure almost too wonderful to imagine.

Tonight we make good on that summertime promise. It’s cold out today, January 9th. It’s been snowing all day. I’ve been watching what I eat because this evening a group of men will gather and keep a promise to our sons. And we will thank them, and honor them, and bless them. It’s just one of the ways Dad’s can help sons develop muscular character and a dynamic spirit strong enough to press through obstacles.

I just returned from the dinner. Each of the men stood at the table and shared a memory. Brendon told of the night, lying in his tent with Tom, after a long day of paddling, where he prayed to ask Jesus to forgive his him his sins and make him a child of God. It was a good night.

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

January 9, 2009

I Cried When I Read This Resume

Classis Re-post from 2009

If you know of a church looking for a youth pastor you might want to jump all over this opportunity while you can-especially if you are in Michigan or Northern Ohio or Indiana… cause I want my son to live close. Chuk has a unique anointing on his life to reach people who hurt. He has a clear calling to be in pastoral ministry. He has outstanding references from people who have worked with him. His resume makes great reading. This is the first resume I have ever cried reading.

Chuk’s Resume (as of 2010)

Hello, my name is Charles, but my friends call me Chuk. I am the third born of eight children. I was home educated (and enjoyed it). I enjoy talking, laughing, writing, telling stories, biking, hiking, whistling, skipping, eating fresh out of the fryer donuts, taking walks on fall afternoons, driving with the windows down, apple cider, big snowflakes, salvation, bird songs in the spring, good guitars, making people smile, redemption, mason jars, pop out of glass bottles, meeting new people, reading books, fireplaces, movies that I can watch without feeling guilty, front porches, homemade bread, Jesus, sweet tea, my family, open water, sanctification, big sail boats, the wind in my face, rain in the fall, swimming in the great lakes, big waves, trout fishing, and my brothers home roasted coffee.

Growing up a pastor’s kid I assumed that being a pastor was not for me. I pursued business during high school and thought this is what I would enjoy more then anything else in life. After High School I got involved with the business world and quickly found out that no business could fulfill the desire I had in my heart to preach and care for people. The Lord has especially gifted me with the ability to preach, and has given me a deep rooted love for people. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was created to be a pastor.

How I have spent my time as a Pastor

Growing up in a Pastors family

November 1985 – present

This may seem funny but its not here to be a joke. I believe the greatest pastoral experience I have is the opportunity to grow up in a pastor’s home. I have had the opportunity to witness the good, the bad, and the ugly of Pastoral ministry. It gave me the opportunity to attend pastor’s conferences, tag along on hospital calls, be on the receiving end of some of the very worst Christmas Fruitcakes, and very best homemade pumpkin pies. I have suffered through two cups of the worst Hot Chocolate in the world just because it was her “Grandmothers Recipe”, I have spent Saturday nights cleaning bathrooms and setting up chairs with my dad when he was making a go of things with his church plant in the farmlands of central Ohio, I have waited up late at night wondering the outcome of difficult deacons meetings, and I have received inexplicable gifts from people who gave out of the goodness of their hearts. I have witnessed the goodness of the Lord firsthand.

Starbucks Coffee Co 2010 to present

Currently I am brewing coffee for a living. What I first considered to be a break from the “ministry” has turned out to be the opposite. Working in an environment filled with “unbelievers” I hear story after story of heart ache, straight from the mouths of people I trying to reach. Working for Starbucks in this environment has deepened my resolve to give the gospel, and expanded my network of people.

Summer Volunteer Grace Church Granger Indiana.

Preached for Junior High Youth Group

Riverpointe Christian Church Gross Ile, Michigan

Youth Pastor September 2009-June 2010

In September of 2009 I took the position of youth pastor at Riverpointe Christian Church(not in affiliation with the “Christian Church” Riverpointe is Baptist in history non-denominational currently) in Gross Ile, Michigan. The Lord was gracious in giving this opportunity and I enjoyed working with Pastor John Russell as he labored tirelessly in his work as Pastor.

Evangel Baptist Church Taylor, Michigan

Volunteer Youth Worker January 2009-September 2009

I did a short stint at Evangel Baptist Church (My Father is the senior pastor at Evangel) volunteering as a youth worker with the youth before taking the position at Riverpointe Christian Church.

First Baptist Church Sister Bay, Wisconsin

Youth Pastor January 2008 – January 2009

I was called to direct the youth of First Baptist along the shores of Lake Michigan in Northern Wisconsin. Upon arrival the youth program had four teens in attendance, and was directed by a faithful man named Gary. I worked hard at meeting new people and attending events in the community where I lived. The area was ripe for the picking and at the time that I left there were eighty kids in attendance. I left the area because I felt the Lord telling me too. No fighting involved? I loved the people and the people loved me.

Camp Barakel

Summer 2005

I worked as a camp counselor at Camp Barakel in Fairview, Michigan. It was at camp that I knew Pastoral ministry was going to be the trail that I walked here on earth. I met so many kids, rich, poor, pretty, ugly, fat, skinny, black, white, and heard their stories. Out of all the kids and all the stories there was one common theme, they all needed the love of Jesus, and none of them would be happy until they knew the love of Jesus and loved Him in return. I was excited because I found a spot for myself in this world because I knew very well that as dumb as I am I can tell the story of Jesus to anyone who would listen and I knew I could organize games and activities, go to baseball games, attend dance recitals, make a fool out of myself, just to earn the chance to tell people about Jesus.

Para-church Organization (iblp) 2002-2007

I worked with my family in a Christian youth/family organization. My Dad directed a Christian Conference Center in Flint, Mi. During this time I worked serving banquets, serving lunches, community service, homeless ministry, and many other areas. I also had the chance to take a month long missions trip to Mexico during this time.

Where I was Educated.

K-12

My mother and father educated us at home for our grade school careers. They figured that would be best for us and I believe it was. My family does not feel that homeschooling is the only righteous form of education, they just liked having us around.(a decision they have regretted more then once) My dad worked hard to make sure that we received theological training and a good vocabulary while my mom took care of the rest.

Bachelors

I am in the process of earning my bachelors degree in History from Charter Oak State College. At present I have 117 Credit hours and am enrolled in one of my last two courses.

Continued Education

I plan on attending Seminary shortly after completion of my bachelor’s degree. I wish to obtain a masters degree through online learning. I wish to do this online so that I will not have to take time off from working in the local church.

Charles K. Pierpont

pierpontchuk@gmail.com

734-250-4357

Q and A on Alcohol (Part 2)

Title: Q and A on Alcohol (Part 2)

Speaker: Pastor Kenneth L. Pierpont

Place: Evangel Baptist Church–Taylor, Michigan

Date: June 30, 2013 PM

Q and A on Alcohol (Part 1)

Date: 06/16/2013 07:00 PM

Message: Q and A about Alcohol

Speaker: Ken Pierpont

Text: Proverbs 23:29-35

Saturday Night Rollers

Saturday night our daughter Heidi posted a picture of our grandprincess, Keira Lee in rollers. The picture stirred old memories. Lois always had the girls in rollers on Saturday nights. She listened to gospel music on the radio and cycled the kids through their baths while I put the finishing touches on my messages. One at a time the children came to kiss me good-night smelling sweet from their baths.

Wee Keira’s picture brought the memory back to my heart. Now the girls are all grown up. They have every appliance known to womankind to enhance their considerable natural beauty. They have curling irons, flattening irons, kinking irons, double curling irons and blow-driers. They have mirrors and contraptions and lotions and soaps and fragrances and whole bags of implements and beauty aids.

Lois said she remembered her mother getting her in rollers on Saturday night in preparation for church, too. Sometimes her mother had to get her ready for church late in the night after working a shift at the Ford Motor Company.

Thanks to devoted moms everywhere who put little girls in rollers on Saturday nights and bathe little boys for church. May God bless America with moms and dads who care about preparing little hearts for worship.

Manly Man Manitou Revival

This week the Pierpont men are preparing for an adventure.

It’s been years since we have visited North Manitou Island. Kyle, Chuk and I went with Manitou Mike Otis back in about 2002. Daniel and Wesley have never been on the Island. Kyle and Oliver weren’t even born the last time we ventured out on the hour-long ferry to North Manitou.

We’ll all meet at Dan and Wes’s apartment in Grand Rapids then head north to couch-surf at my sister Melony’s home in Bear Lake. In the morning we’ll hit the Early Bird Cafe in Leland for our last mainland meal.

The Manitous are are part of the great Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, one of Pure Michigan’s most wonderful natural wonders. The Island is only accessible to hikers who pack in on their backs everything they need to camp in the back-country. It’s a great place to freshen our relationship with the Creator and with the people we love. We plan to hike to the bluffs on the west cost of the Island and enjoy the sweet-water lake, good food, camp-coffee, trail mix, togetherness, story telling, sweet sleep, prayer, Scripture reading and discussion. We’ll gather stories and tell them for years

GARBC Annual Conference 2013 Dearborn, Michigan

GARBC Annual Conference will be held this week in Dearborn. Great music, preaching, workshops, ministry dialog, discussion, and fellowship. Hashtag #GARBCConf on Twitter.

The End of American Civilization

It’s the time of the year families take vacations. In the mid-seventies Dad and Mom created an enduring memory for us. We would take a loop through the Smokies and Washington D.C. on a camping vacation. We would visit some Christian colleges. We would take in historic sites along the way. We would picnic out of a cooler. We would spend every night in our cabin tent together. The big Chrysler held six. Mom and Dad in front. One child in between. Three across the back. Our family of three sons and one daughter was a car-full.

Toward evening we would begin to watch for camp-site billboards. In the back seat we campaigned for a camp-ground with a swimming pool. It was a beautiful week. Most of the camp grounds had swimming pools. We tired ourselves out swimming until the pool closed and then we would all lie snug in our sleeping bags and listen to crickets and the wind in the trees as we drifted off to sleep. One evening in the mountains our site was along a creek and we fell asleep to the music of water over rocks.

One night we were camping in a small town somewhere in Tennessee. We broke camp early in the morning. Dad said we would have breakfast after we got a few “miles under our belt.” Within an hour we topped a rise in the road and rounded the bend into an idyllic village. We stopped the car and got out to stretch. Mom began to spread out our breakfast on the hood of the car. A grandfatherly man appeared from nowhere.

“Good Morning.”

“Hello, sir,” Dad said.

“Are you on vacation?”

“Yes, sir. We are.”

“Well , welcome to Tennessee.”

“Thank you. It’s a beautiful state.”

“Well, we’re proud of it.”

The gray-haired man pulled a ring of keys from his side and said, “Don’t eat out here. You can use our Town Hall. There are rest-rooms and a nice table. Can I make you some coffee.”

I would have been more comfortable staying there with the car. We lived in a suburb of a major city. People there were human and kind enough, but they kept their distance a bit more and we were not used to such overt hospitality. Dad, I’m sure feeling the same but knowing to that a refusal would be impolite, immediately accepted the offer of the stranger. We enjoyed our breakfast around a table in the town hall making small-talk with the kind old man.

Soon we were on the road again idling through other mountain towns with their halls and churches and schools and hospitable people. We had experienced the gentle touch of civilization. We drove away with the warm feeling you have whenever you are touched by human civility. I’ve learned that it’s a feeling worth seeking.

In the Gospel of Matthew the story is told of the time when Jesus sent out his disciples and gave them special power over sickness and spiritual oppression. He told them to herald that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand and offer their help freely to anyone who showed them hospitality.

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:40-42)



You really never know what will happen when you exercise common civility and extend simple hospitality. The Epistle to the Hebrews says sometimes in showing hospitality to strangers people have entertained angels without knowing it.

Who decides how long American civilization will last? We do. Every day.

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

June 18, 2013