hi, we're still alive :)

i know

i know

really, i do know -- it has been a long time since i last created an entry

i've heard it locally, from people in other cities, across the country, and even from South America

it's been a long time

that's on purpose

i realize since my last post, there have been rumors about me--some true, others not

true--we've seen many people leave the church we serve

not true--i'm NOT the new state ministries coordinator for AL--nor am i looking to be. (believe me, based on the previous truth, there would be many who would stand opposed to such an ambition/'promotion')

let's set some things straight
--from about November to August, we've had about 30 people leave the church we serve. most left on the same day in March. i've kept from writing intentionally since then. i didn't want to sound smug, arrogant, unfazed nor unkind in the wake of such 'transition'. it was a source of pain for anyone who has been in the church for longer than 3 years. our eldest members, 90 & 93 respectively refused to leave with their friends, despite invitations then and now. their support of our leadership has meant more than i can begin to write. they hurt then and now over how these events transpired. after this departure, our friends and prayer partners sent from Birmingham to help anchor us in this community were released from their call to north Alabama and re-called to Florida--we miss Curt and Jerri, but we wouldn't be here had it not been for their faithfulness to God and support of us

strangely, only half of the remaining church has been in the church longer than three years -- everyone else has come since our arrival on June 1, 2003. Easter was similar to Ezra 3 where the elders wept over the new temple's foundations having seen the once grander temple of Solomon -- yet the younger ones rejoiced with a new sense of freedom and intimacy. with some you have pain that mirrors that of betrayal, and with the newer ones they shrug their shoulders and say, 'so some people left' and they're ready to move on

moving on has been interesting. but in hindsight, i can honestly say that even without half of the congregation we were originally called to serve, we are closer now to being whole.

we took a group of ten to Guyana South America and worked alongside our brothers and sisters there to rebuild a church building for the developing community of Sophia south of Georgetown

we were able to bring in a summer youth intern, Josh, who worked well with building up our youth and giving us momentum for our youth ministries

we have seen additional families come in and show interest of involvement

we have seen the congregation move to reprioritize our ministries to support a youth ministry

we are approved to begin Angel Food as a host site for this food distribution ministry to our community, beginning next month (and will be done in partnership with our Hispanic brothers and sisters)

we saw two young girls, including my daughter, get baptized in an exciting service that motivated three other children to want to be baptized in the coming weeks

we have begun conversations with a church in the United Kingdom to begin the path to missional partnerships with them next summer; and have the hopes of piggybacking off of that trip with another church group to learn about partnership in Uganda. our vision of touching the world for Christ could see us creeping onto three additional continents by the end of next summer!

our services have been filled with honesty, searching, and surrender -- God has been faithful and at work within our church--and we're aligning our selves with Him, watching for how He's about to move through us for His glory.

Sunday, we began our fall Old Testament series. (i listen and plan every summer vacation at least a year and half in advance for messages--i then spend the next year and a half continuing to listen and meditate on those texts and related content. the Lord has been faithful in this process, and i'm continually surprised at how he directs the text to minister to us, right where we are). we began the series, "on the way to Worship," from Exodus. read these verses from chapter 1
"The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.
Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them." (v.5-7)

look again, and do the math. Jacob/Israel's descendants in Egypt numbered 70--then subtract Jacob and all of Joseph, his brothers, their wives (at least one per), and you're left at the most in the 40's. then, by the faithfulness of God, even after family betrayal, famine, and being forgotten, they're fruitful so that they're "exceedingly numerous" and filled the land

you may think i'm reading into the text -- but from a church in the 40's that has experienced a sense of 'betrayal,' financial famine, and being forgotten -- a church who is suddenly younger and lacking the spiritual maturity -- this connected. and the Spirit inspired hope and surrender to our God "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

stay tuned for more exciting works of God in coming weeks

as for the rumor--i thought it was a local thing due to misinformation and speculation since my wife's appointment to be the state ministries Secretary this past spring. that is until a national church leader called the house last weekend, on "good authority" from "two sources in two different states" had informed him that i was the state minister. well, at least it's given us a good laugh :)

empty chair

...pray continually... ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17

in our service last night, i spoke from Colossians 4:2-4 and the instruction of Paul to be devoted in prayer. as i spoke on this subject, i shared again with the church a simple practice that has revolutionized my ability to practice the presence of Christ and have watched others be similarly impacted.

you may have read the widely forwarded e-mail about the man in the hospital who would communicate in prayer as if Christ were sitting in the empty chair next to his bed. the man dies in the hospital, but out of his bed with his head in that empty chair. i first read that e-mail while reading Brother Lawrence's convicting letters in the book "The Practice of the Presence of God." this 17th century french monk had disciplined himself to maintain constant communion with the Living Christ by thinking of Him working beside Brother Lawrence in the routines and mundane activities of each day as the cook for the monastery.

in an effort to Practice the Presence of God myself, i set an empty chair in my office at the church i was serving. i hoped to be reminded of the presence of the Living Christ while i worked on the various administrative duties as associate pastor of that church. but as i worked and as the phone rang, i looked over at the "Jesus chair" only to find it full of papers, books, and anything else i had unconsciously cleared into His lap. at first this was a point of great guilt as i would continually find my work in the Lord's lap -- but then it became a reminder to pray for the work, especially about any projects i may have kept laying aside

then, my pastor at the time would come in and sit in that chair to talk to me about an issue, a project, or idea. the first time i smiled and almost laughed out loud at the site of him sitting in Jesus' lap. but this too became a reminder to pray for those who came in to sit with me

as i shared my misadventures of trying to practice the presence of God with the church i was serving, everyone got a good laugh at their pastor sitting in Jesus' lap -- but the idea soon morphed under our youth to place an empty chair at the front center of the stage during their worship services to remind them that it was the Lord we were singing about, that He was present, that He was alive

this empty chair in the worship service also became an altar of prayer, confession, and love -- at any time someone came and sat in that chair, the music would fade and the youth would gather around to listen to the need of their brother or sister to pray for them.

so i shared this process and progression in my own faith journey last night, demonstrating with an empty chair and leaving it front and center during the response -- then someone came, then another, then we just stayed there as individuals took their turn in the chair confessing, unloading, and receiving compassion, encouragement, scripture, and prayers from the others. and these were multiple, agreeing, heartfelt prayers for each other--it was a longer service--but the presence of the Living Christ was manifest as we "carried each other's burdens and so fulfilled the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2)

maybe it's not a chair for you--maybe it's a cross, a picture, or something else you can put close by to remind yourself that He lives, He's with you--to paraphrase Brother Lawrence, you'd think it rude to leave a guest unattended--leave Him not alone.

crop?

from morning message, 02-05-06

we're currently going through the Gospel of Matthew as a part of our morning sermon series. we began this journey during Advent and will continue in it through Easter. well, actually, it will continue in the summer too as we will return to chapters 5,6,7 for a "Summer on the Mount" series.

this week, we were in Matthew 13:1-23, looking at the well-known parable of the sower. you know the sower sows the seed, some falling on the path, others among the rocks, others among the weeds, and still others among the "good" soil.

as i prepared this message, i was really struck by and personally convicted by the words that the Lord was preparing me to share. the emphasis in the parable of the sower is not on the type of soil, but on the produce -- what results from the seed. Jesus had taught, "by their fruit, you will know them" (Matt 7:16). essentially, you can tell the heart of a person by the plant and crop coming from a person's life. if their heart is "good" soil, then a crop 30, 60, 100 times will be evident. if not, then one of the other soils is true about our hearts.

it could be the hard heart -- thankfully, there's hope for the hard heart. in Hosea 10:12, the Lord speaks through the prophet to His people, "sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of unfailing love; break up your unplowed ground". God is looking for a harvest of love out of our lives, and if the righteous living Word continues to fall on hard hearts, then He wants that ground broke up so that it can receive the Word. The Lord may use grace to soften the heart so that it can be turned over, and the Lord may use painful experiences to move a heart to want a change. But the Lord has all sorts of ways to prepare a heart by His Spirit.

it could be the shallow heart -- thankfully, there's hope for the shallow heart. God wants us to be transplanted into a deeper experience and understanding, sending down roots that will prepare for a harvest. in Ephesians, Paul is praying for young, immature believers, "I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (3:16-19)

though these are soil types are true of many hearts, i fear the soil type true of most of our church members in North America is the third, the crowded heart. in addition to the harvest of souls that seems to be missing, there is also the lack of fruit within the lives of believers. as Hosea mentions the fruit of unfailing love, Paul says (in Galatians 5:22-23) the fruit of the Spirit is love -- manifesting itself in the 8 ways that follow (joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfullness, gentleness, and self-control). however, we've grown too accustomed to weeds and too complacent about the harvest.

we're too worried by circumstances to be joyful
too proud to be at peace
too busy to be patient
too angry to be kind
too greedy to be good
it's too easy to be unfaithful
we have too many grudges to be gentle
and if ever a society lacked self-control, it's ours

the crowded heart -- thankfully, there's hope for the crowded heart. Our heavenly Father is the great gardener (John 15:1) -- He knows how to bring fruit from each branch. more than that, He equips us with His Spirit to convict and lead us to "throw off [or, weed out] everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" (Hebrews 12:1).

Lord, help us again to be concerned for the crop -- make our hearts receptive to Your Word and let Your Spirit lead us into fruitful, productive lives for the Kingdom. for Your name's sake, amen.