chrislarue

the blog has moved

2011-06-03T01:26:00.000-05:00

I'm moving my blog to: www.chrislarueonline.com

See ya there!

confession is only $1.99 (for a limited time)

2011-05-26T16:35:00.001-05:00

Turns out there wasn't an app for quite everything yet...

Little iApps recently made confession easier by creating a mobile app - Confession: a Roman Catholic App. As if that isn't enough to blow your skirt up (sorry, probably need to go download that app now), the Roman Catholic Church has actually given the app their blessing. But, to their defense, Pope Benedict XVI did admonish the denomination to "embrace the digital world" *commence front hugs* (just looked up the app... it's $1.99, which could be a bargain or a rip-off depending on your "usage"). The app, affectionately nick-named "the pocket priest", will track your admitted sins and will even allow you to examine a customized conscience (something everyone needs from time-to-time, right?!?).

What I found really interesting about this app is the user must still go to a priest for absolution. Though it may be a great tool for confessing and tracking your sins, it doesn't appear as though confession booths will be phased out any time soon. Here's why, per the Pope, "It is important always to remember that virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives."

Even as evangelicals (or protestants, as the liturgical world calls us), we must be diligent to avoid substituting virtual contact for true contact. It's great to listen to podcasts, watch Christian TV (sort of), and read inspirational books... but to engage, discuss, emote and confess with real human beings is the beginning of appreciating the complex beauty that is the Body of Christ. Even more, if we will be diligent to engage, discuss, emote and confess with the real, living God, we will discover Life: joy, peace, freedom.

And all this can be yours, no app needed (unless you're using it to read your Bible... or listen to a podcast).

two realities

2011-05-05T13:27:00.001-05:00

Scripture reminds us that if one member of the body suffers, the whole body suffers.

If I stubbed my toe, I would probably walk with a bit of a limp in an effort to keep pressure off my toe. This may cause me undue "attention" by my office friends because the "hitch in my giddy-up" would look funny and could even cause me to incur other aches and pains (because I was trying to compensate for the pain).

Or if I had a stomach ache, I might avoid the day's tasks and lay my entire body down to rest (since I have yet to learn how to lay only my stomach down to rest).

Or if I had a headache, my overall focus and productivity would be hindered and, if it was severe enough, I might even need to be motionless in a dark place with my eyes closed to reduce the pain.

Though each of these ailments are fairly localized - my toe, my stomach, my head - they each have the potential of far reaching effects across my entire body... and can even cause peripheral symptoms (if not graduated problems).

But Scripture also reminds us that if one member of the body rejoices, the whole body rejoices with it.

There is much in life that demands critical thinking, discerned evaluation, intentional decisions and focused execution - in other words, there is much in life that can cause a cafeteria of suffering. BUT... let's remember that all of those hard things in life:

should be preceeded by the ONE NECESSARY thing (see this)
must be carried out in the MOST EXCELLENT way (see this)
will be worthless without THE ONE true builder (see this & this)

Our God is an unbelievably powerful and faithful God... except that we - His children - actually DO believe He is just as powerful and faithful as He says He is.

And THAT is where our HOPE comes from... sitting at His feet to listen and feel His presence, loving with His heart and remembering our experience of His grace in the faces of others, working and building under His leadership, by His blueprint and in His timeline... like Joesph, Moses, Noah, Hosea, David, Paul, Jesus).

We have work to do. Some of it will be hard, even painful. But we do not do anything in this life as those who have no hope.

wahoo.

the prefix in serve

2011-03-24T16:16:00.001-05:00

Deuteronomy 6.1-2 reads:

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

The most important word in this passage is "observe" and here's why... I'm convinced that if every Christian in the entire world had their Bibles taken away and never learned another Christian truth or principle for the rest of their lives, BUT was faithful to observe all that he/she had already learned, God's Spirit would rock this planet.

Most Christians have enough "biblical information" to lead a God-honoring life. Most Christians know how to give their best to God, their families and their "neighbors". Most Christians know enough of God's character, promises and loving boundaries to navigate the slippery slopes of life. And most Christians simply fail to observe that which they already know. Yes, we will make mistakes, draw inaccurate conclusion, make inappropriate judgments... but most Christians also have enough biblical information to know what to do once they realize their mistake.

To OBSERVE is more than just seeing... it's seeing and submitting, it's awareness and adherence, it's learning and practicing... it's faith and action. One without the other is death... and then you still get fined!

what kind of fisherman (or woman) are you?!?

2011-03-09T11:19:00.002-06:00

I'm reading the book "Same Kind of Different As Me" by Ron Hall (a wealthy white man) and Denver Moore (an uneducated, homeless black man), and am thoroughly enjoying it! Without going into too much detail, just know that Ron and Denver build an extraordinary friendship. Yesterday, I read a portion that literally caused me to put the book down and take a deep breath - it was a conversation they had when their friendship finally became "official". I wish I could say it resonated within my soul, but feel it might be more appropriate to say it echoed in my heart.Here is an excerpt of their conversation:

Ron had asked Denver if he would be his friend, to which Denver replied, "Let me think about it."

About a week later, over breakfast at a local cafe, Denver said, " I been thinkin a lot about what you asked me." Ron was at a loss because a week had passed since their last conversation, "What did I ask you?" " 'Bout bein your friend," Denver replied. Ron's jaw dropped... he had not only forgotten about the question he asked a week ago but Denver had spent that same amount of time pondering the question.

Denver looked up from his coffee and fixed his eyes on Ron, "There's somethin I heard 'bout white folks that bothers me, and it has to do with fishin'." Ron didn't dare laugh but he was a bit taken off guard, "I don't know if I'll be able to help you; I don't even own a tackle box."

Denver continued, speaking slowly and deliberately, keeping his eyes steadily fixed on Ron. "I head that when white folks go fishin they do somethin called 'catch and release.'" Ron nodded. Denver went on, "That really bothers me. I just can't figure it out. 'Cause when colored folks go fishin, we really proud of what we catch, and we take it and show it off to everybody that'll look. Then we eat what we catch... in other words we use it to sustain us. So it really bothers me that white folks would go to all that trouble to catch a fish, then when they done caught it, just throw it back in the water."

Denver looked away then locked onot Ron again with his drill-bit stare. "So, Mr. Ron, it occurred to me: If you is fishin for a friend you just gon' catch and release, then I ain't got no desire to be your friend... but if you is lookin for a real friend, then I'll be one. Forever."

Jesus said he was calling us out to be fishers of men... when we are out in the world, are we perceived as a catch-and-release religious folk, or I'll-be-your-friend-forever folk?

all for some?

2011-03-02T11:30:00.000-06:00

In our weekly staff meeting, we take turns sharing a devotion... kind of a cool way to get to know each others heart and hear what's going on in our lives. This past week, Sam shared from an article he read. The phrase was that reverberated so strongly in my mind and heart was this: faithful presence.

The author's simple point was we ought not live our lives for the sole purpose of being excellent nor for the sole purpose trying to evangelize. Both are amiss. Instead, we might live to be excellent what we do because we know we represent Christ and desire to live a life of worship and thanks to him. Therefore, it would be through our "faithful presence" that opportunities will arise in which we may share the hope, peace, joy, and salvation we have in Christ.

It made me think of when Paul said he worked so hard to be ALL things... to ALL people... so that by ALL possible means... he MIGHT... save SOME. That seems like an awful lot of ALL-ness for only the potential of a small return. Doesn't it? But, maybe this was Paul's way of saying he was committed to be a faithful presence wherever he may be, whomever he may be around, whatever it might demand, so those around him might see and experience the presence of Christ through him.

Isn't that the example of Jesus, too? Wasn't he a faithful presence of his loving Father,only saying and doing what the Father instructed?

Here's a hard and humbling word picture God has challenged me with on so many occasions (including recently):
Who ran to Jesus? Who sat with him for hours while he spoke? People. Yeah, we could call them "sinners" but really they were just people like you and me, looking for peace, healing and love. So, when was the last time "people" ran to you or sat down to listen to you while you shared of your heavenly Father? Or, when was the last time "people" ran to our church to sit for hours while shared of Christ's life and his love for them? Until we experience the response Jesus evoked in "people", we still have something else to learn about living a life of faithful presence.

I am so humbled by that.

the whoosh-quotient

2011-02-17T10:11:00.003-06:00

Have you ever played the game Minesweeper? If you haven't, click the Minesweeper pic to give it a try.

The goal is to uncover (left-click) all the spaces without mines but using basic math skills to locate and flag (right-click) the spaces with mines. If you uncover a space that has a mine the game is over. If you uncover all the spaces without uncovering a mine, you win!

My favorite part of this game is when you uncover a space and WHOOSH... a whole bunch of non-mine spaces open up. Sometimes I would even restart the game if I didn't get a good whoosh-effect.

I've been in a season of whoosh-ness lately. Nothing over the top; God has just seen fit to allow me to uncover a few spaces that have had fantastic whoosh-quotients. I am learning the coolest repeatable experience in this planetary life is uncovering new spaces of my personhood. Sure, there can be some fear when uncovering new spaces because the potential of a mine lying in wait is very real. But... when I uncover a space because I've done the spiritual math in faith and then WHOOSH happens, it is absolutely exhilarating.

God created us in such cool ways and we get to experience all that coolness "click-by-click" as we uncover new spaces within our selves. Settle into the reality of God's complete work in you and that "working out our own salvation" (though it may be with fear and trembling at times) is an exhilarating journey of discovering who we are in Christ as we learn more of who He is in us.

There are so many gifts

Still unopened from your birthday,
There are so many hand-crafted presents
That have been sent to you by God.

The Beloved does not mind repeating,
"Everything I have is also yours."

~hafiz

live out loud

2011-02-10T16:12:00.001-06:00

I recently discovered that our beloved JEREMY MILLER has an album on iTunes. Yes. Jeremy. iTunes. (how cool is that... and isn't he just a dreamboat in that pic?!?)

His album dropped in November 2006, as a single with two songs. Now, I know Jeremy pretty well, so I will say this for him (and because he already said it to me)... the album was not fully mastered prior to being released (i.e. it sounds great but don't be too picky). And, to his praise, he wrote these two songs as well as many, many more! I say we do our best to keep him writing!

[ok, here's a little attempt at being spiritual]

The coolest part of being in the Body of Christ, specifically the creative part, is that our gifts - by their very nature - are visual and aural expressions of Christ in us. Paul wrote in Philippians 2.12 "my beloved... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Salvation is life (forgiveness is just the door we pass through to receive life). God has worked into us all that makes us unique: our gifts, passions and personalities. And it all is for his pleasure.

So, another way to say what Paul wrote might be: Hey friends, lets live our lives out loud for God and the world to see, but let's be intentional to do so with humility and grace; it is God who gave us this life (and all the intricacies that make us "me" and "us"), so there is no greater gift to give him then to use and share all he has given us with one another and the world!

how deep is your mercy? (part 3)

2011-01-27T14:26:00.002-06:00

I'm speaking next week for the launch of iSERVE. I'm hoping it's an eclectic experience of solemn worship and exuberant celebration. Hoping... and praying. So, as we approach this launch of servitude, I wanted to share something with you that has stayed in my heart ever since I first read it some 15 years ago. It's from Calvin Miller's "The Table of Inwardness".

The intrigue of the table in Psalm 23 has marked my life as a pastor. The metaphor mixes itself in glory. The shepherd becomes the sheep and God becomes the shepherd. There is no flock. There are only two. The shepherd and his love walk along and uninterrupted from the pleasant fields through the threatening chasm and back again. There glory is not the path they walk but their togetherness.

And how do we come to the table in the wilderness? Exactly as we would to any other table - hungry. Our hunger is for him whom we really can never know fully in a group, no matter how religious that group is.

Do we not feel a certain reluctance to be there, alone with our Host who knows everything about us? Do we not feel repentance even as we sit at the table? Do we not desire to weep? Do we not feel emotion surging? Yes, but emotional feasting is not the reason we come to the table. We do not come to vent our emotion. We come to be with him. Deep feelings may be our response. Our fellowship with Christ, like all of life, may be marked by laughter and tears, but we meet with him because we need him and not because we need to laugh or to cry.

Yet what of those times when our enemies gather against us? There is no panic. With our Host we sit in quietness with food as rich as our relationship. Those who brandish weapons and make threatening advances do not understand how we can act as though we are secluded in some grotto. The marvelous truth is that there is a grotto. It is not carved with stone or shaped by events. It is a grotto of the heart.

how deep is your mercy? (pt. 2)

2011-01-17T16:09:00.002-06:00

I recently watched a movie I have had in my Netflix Queue for months, "Molokai: the story of Father Damien". I was humbled... and moved.

Damien was a Catholic Priest from Belgium in the 1800's who volunteered to the mission of being the only Priest on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i; specifically, the northern peninsula which was a government-sanctioned medical quarantine for those with Hansen's Disease (leprosy).

Father Damien arrived to Molokai at the age of 33, in the year 1873. Six months later, he wrote his brother in Europe saying, "...I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ."

Damien's arrival was a turning point for that neglected community. Under his leadership, basic laws were established and enforced, shacks (which were few) became over 350 painted houses, working farms were organized and schools were erected. At his own request, as well as that of the lepers, Father Damien remained on Moloka'i after his one month mission had expired.

In December of 1884, while preparing to bathe, Damien inadvertently put his foot into scalding water, causing his skin to blister... he felt nothing. It was then, 11 years after his arrival, he had finally contracted leprosy. Despite this discovery, Damien worked vigorously to complete building projects, enlarge the orphanages, and organize his work so it would continue after his death.

Not a day too late, four strangers came to help the ailing missionary: a priest, a soldier, a male nurse, and a nun. Louis Lambert Conrardy (a Belgian priest), Mother Marianne Cope (the head of the Franciscan-run St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse, New York), Joseph Dutton (an American Civil War soldier, whose marriage had been broken by alcoholism) and James Sinnett (a nurse from Chicago) each took their experiences, skills and gifts to continue the vision and work of Father Damien. Conrardy took up pastoral duties; Cope organized a working hospital; Dutton attended to the construction and maintenance of the community's buildings; and Sinnett nursed Damien in the last stages of his disease.

It wasn't too long before Father Damien was seen walking the island with one of his arms in a sling, a foot in bandages, and dragging his leg behind him. Damien knew more and more every day that his death was near.

He became bedridden on March 23, 1889, and after 16 years of being the utmost servant, Father Damien died of leprosy at 8:00 am on April 15, 1889 (age 49).

"I think the company helps... but I know the prayers do."

~ Father Damien, speaking to an uninfected islander and unbeliever as he walked into the hut of a leper.

(short article on Molokai and Father Damien)

how deep is your mercy?

2011-01-13T15:16:00.000-06:00

Have you ever really pondered the depth of God's mercy? And with it, have you ever really considered the vast reach of his grace?

Next Sunday - Jan 23 - we will sing a remake of a hymn written by Charles Wesley in 1740, entitled Depth of Mercy. Read the words to this hymn through the lens of these three verses:

Depth of Mercy

Depth of mercy! Can there be
mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God his wrath forbear,
me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood his grace,
long provoked him to his face,
would not hearken to his calls,
grieved him by a thousand falls.

I my Master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
oft profaned his hallowed name,
put him to an open shame.

There for me the Savior stands,
shows his wounds and spreads his hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Now incline me to repent,
let me now my sins lament,
now my foul revolt deplore,
weep, believe, and sin no more.
------------------------------------------------------

Ephesians 2.8 ~ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

Matthew 10.8 ~ Freely you received, freely give.

change begets change...

2011-01-03T11:55:00.022-06:00

Communications & Arts Party ~ Sunday, January 9th @ 3:00 pm

chris, christie and camille's home
16301 dry creek blvd, prosper 75078 (map)

EVERYONE: please bring a finger food or dessert of your choice!

let us know if you're coming -->
(all staff and elders are welcome, too!)

Like all things in life, change begets change. iTunes has made some changes that make it difficult (if not impossible) to post iMixes like I have in the past. That little change has created an avalanche of other considerations... so, I am exploring the "blog option" as the primary method to help keep us all connected and informed BUT it will require something of you, too.

FIRST, let me know your thoughts on utilizing the "blog option" for our communications - it's easier and allows for more flexibility on my end, but I would like to know your thoughts (there is a poll on your right).

SECOND, I would really like ALL arts & communication folks to subscribe to my blog so you will receive automatic notifications of new posts. This way, when I have something to communicate to our a&c posse, I can have the confidence of knowing you're all getting the update.

THIRD, if you want to view each Sunday's iMixes, you can follow me on Ping (which is iTunes' social network). Or, you can follow me on Twitter or Facebook for all of my updates, which will include notifications of new iMixes, new blog entries and other philosophical (though maybe peripheral) thoughts. Sorry for all change... but with no change, there is no appreciation. ;-)

Oh, almost forgot... here's my new year's deep thought for you:

To discover the will of God you don't know,

do the will of God you do know.

hurry up and read this...

2010-11-17T13:48:00.002-06:00

One barrier to full intimacy with the Savior is hurriedness. Intimacy may not be rushed. To meet with the Son of God takes time. We can't dash into his presence and choke down spiritual inwardness before we hurry to our next appointment. Inwardness is time-consuming, open only to minds willing to sample spirituality in small bites, savoring each one.

Intimacy with Christ comes from entering his presence with inner peace rather than bursting into his presence from the hassles of life. A relaxed contemplation of the indwelling Christ allows for an inner communion impossible to achieve while oppressed by busyness and care.

Holy living is not abrupt living. No one who hurries into the presence of God is content to remain for long. Those who hurry in, hurry out.

This was written by Calvin Miller, a former professor of mine as well as a pastor, author, painter and exceptional communicator. Though this article may sound spiritual and lofty, it is fundamental and basic... isn't this what we already know with regard to any relationship - friends, siblings, spouses? My prayer for each of you today is to walk with intentional pace and deliberate direction so that you won't miss God's blessing. He has blessings already planned to share with you for today, this week, this coming Sunday, this coming holiday season... every day for the rest of your lives!

If you stop long enough to wonder where God's blessing is,
you're probably moving too fast.

which ministry is really most important?

2010-11-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

If I were to ask that question at the next leadership gathering, each and every ministry there would say their ministry is the most important ministry to the health and success of wb...

and they would ALL be right.

The kids workers would say, "If we reach the kids, we'll reach the parents! The kids ministry is most important."
The student workers would say, "If we don't reach them by their high school graduation, the chances of them being reached at all drops significantly. The student ministry is most important."
LifeGroup leaders would say, "Anything aimed at the home and "living life" (marriage, family, career) because the home is the backbone of the church AND society. LifeGroups are most imporant."
The Life Enrichment and other small group teachers would say, "Teaching is the most important because people need the absolute foundation of God's Word, and how will anyone hear if we don't tell them?!? Teaching is the most important ministry of the church."
The ones we rarely hear from would then step up and say, "But didn't Jesus say his Father's house should be called a house of... prayer?!?"
And then all those artsy-fartsy people would sing and shout (with appropriate dramatic pause, "But the life blood, oh yes, the life blood of the church is worship. Everything we do for God's glory is rooted in worship."
Then the missionary-types would take over and say, "Guys, I hear what you're saying but Jesus and the Apostle Paul made it abundantly clear that without this one ministry, the church would eventually die out... and that one ministry is evangelism."

Here is why we can ALL be right... every Christ-follower should be serving according to their gifts and out of their passion - maybe you've heard the phrases gift-based and passion-driven? So, doesn't it make sense that each and every believer would feel that "my" ministry is the most critical to the continued growth of the Body of Christ?

In a book Dave and I are reading, the author makes the following statement, which is the most beautiful way I have ever heard someone illustrate the synergy of gifts and passion.

My reason for walking through all these ministries was to make one simple point: God has given each of us a different piece of His heart for His world. When we bring each piece to the work of service, we collectively display the heart of God to one another and the world. No one of us has a heart big enough to contain the heart of God for humankind. No one of us has the time and energy to be involved in all that needs to take place. So God gives to each of us a passion - a love, if you will - for some dimension of His work.

So, what piece of God's heart do you carry?
We each need you to bring that piece to our church family... and the world.

do you have a theme song?

2010-10-20T09:54:00.001-05:00

This has been a crazy and blessed week.

Camille was in a horrific car accident and was able to walk away - though she did get a CAT scan and x-rays at the hospital (as did her aunt and cousin). Needless to say, Christie and I have been so thankful for God's mercy, as well as all the men and women who have worked to make our automobiles so safe - this was a 55mph T-bone accident, not no fender-bender.

Christie has been flying completely solo at her studio - there's lots of details but let me put it this way: it ain't easy having all the responsibility and none of the authority.

And then, last night my left eyeball started having this sharp pain, glossing over and feeling generally uncomfortable. I woke up this morning pretty sure I have pink eye. So, I worked from home today which is ok, just harder to do.

All of that to say, I am buhLESSED (translation: WAY blessed), and not just because there are folks who have it worse than me - that's a lousy way to measure blessed-ness, don't ya think?!? I am blessed because I have a God who loves me, my wife and my daughter (and my whole family) more than I could ever comprehend, AND who has a plan for each of us that He so desperately wants to share with us, AND because I know the temporary frustrations and pains of this world don't even weigh down the joy of my salvation and hope in God's amazing grace and love. I am not a human being who has a soul; nope, I am a soul that has a body... for now. This life is not my own (nor is it my final destination) so I can walk in confidence that He who began this life will be faithful to complete it. My biggest challenge is to walk as the son my Father is loving, training and encouraging me to be... the details of each step are His to worry about - I just need to walk, true and straight. I love my life, my wife, my daughter, my home, my dog, my job, heck... I even dig my very practical Prius! I have NO complaints about my life on this planet becuase I know I am loved and will never have to walk alone. Ever.

Oh yeah, theme song... do you have one? Check out this video (thanks, Darrell!).

recalibrate

2010-09-22T11:51:00.000-05:00

Do you remember when Windows OS was still a new thing and the term "WYSIWYG" was the cool tech-speak? If you don't, it's the acronym for "What You See Is What You Get" and was relevant to the new computerized desktop publishing environments - what you see on the screen is what you get from the printer. For better or worse, I've often seen myself as a WYSIWYG kinda guy... I'm not naturally skilled at hiding things, like my emotions, but I like to think I'm learning more every day (believe it or not).

So, in that vein of WYSIWYG-ness, I wanted to share a journal entry with you that I stumbled upon the other day, read to Christie last night and may share on Sunday morning (so don't steal my thunder just yet).

Here's the entry:

I'm in a season - and have felt it for several weeks - where I sense rushing waters behind me and I'm about to either shred some serious waves or get pummeled under its crashing power... So, I find myself doing some serious soul-searching, or maybe better said, some soul-recalibrating. The thing about recalibrating is that recalibrating doesn't actually change the machine or its original function; recalibrating just makes the necessary adjustments to keep the machine effective and efficient in its original intent and purpose. I'm living my dream and I'm set on my mission, but neither are fully realized yet. So, I recalibrate. I must adjust myself to the things God has revealed to me, to the circumstances in which He has placed me and to what I sense Him impressing on my heart. I'm still me and His Truth and purpose (in me) hasn't changed... I'm just continuing to dial it in... and I don't want to miss this opportunity or His blessing.

Can you relate?

getting perspective on the "lost"

2010-09-14T14:35:00.000-05:00

I was recently reminded of a time a few years back... Camille was about 6 and we were in Walmart. I was looking for something specific - don't remember what - and was having a hard time finding it. Camille was switching back and forth between holding my hand and looking at things around us. I kept looking, occasionally reminding Camille to stay with me... then, one of the times I glanced back, she was gone. GONE!

I looked around... no Camille. I went to the other side of the isle... no Camille. She was just there FIVE SECONDS AGO!

It is absolutely unbelievable the number of scenarios that can run through a parent's mind in a matter of seconds. Between thoughts of her being abducted and seeing her terrified face, and visions of me being brutally and slowly tortured by Christie, I was a wreck... and then it got worse as I realized I was "one of those parents" who loses his kid in WALMART! (Are you kidding me?!?)

Then, after what couldn't have been more than 20 seconds - though it seemed like 20 lifetimes - I heard, "Would the parent of Camille LaRue please come to dressing rooms."

I ran to the dressing rooms, scooped her up and squeezed that little body of hers... I can't begin to explain the overwhelming sense of joy knowing she was safe, no longer lost and alone. I could almost feel her fear fade as she whimpered and said, "I'm sorry, daddy. I know I shouldn't have walked away."

I kept her close the rest of the day and scratched her back a little longer when I tucked her into bed. I thought she was lost, gone... but she wasn't, and I was (and will forever be) so thankful.

Though I NEVER want to relive that experience again, my soul is humbled to have caught a glimpse of how our heavenly Father must feel when he "loses" his children and how much his heart rejoices when even just one is found.

God is not obsessed with the lost...
no, the Father of all creation is obsessed with his children.

shake the pepper or be the salt

2010-08-27T13:54:00.001-05:00

chasing lions... seems a bit hard to fathom when some of us don't even want to chase one of those long, skinny, black bugs with the little pincher tails we find in the bathroom, right?

in the first chapter of the book "in a pit with a lion on a snowy day", batterson writes "goodness is not the absence of badness" and that "we can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right". (yeah, read that again)

several years ago, after serving a church that had a fairly legalistic "i am the pastor" type pastor, i decided to stop using the words "right" and "wrong". i wasn't renouncing absolute truth, nor was i advocating situational ethics. my intent was to make sure my language and my perspective wer not peppered with "that's wrong" and "this is right" type phrases. such vernacular for us spiritual types makes us more coercive than creative, more religious than relational, more arrogant than compassionate, and that is not what we are to be.

for example, if i view everything as either/or, right/wrong, righteous/sinful, i assume i know all there is to know regarding a given situation, that there is absolutely nothing left to which i might be unaware. as much as i might want this to be the case, it is highly unlikely. ;-)

when we look at Jesus, we see a man whom scripture says grew in stature and in favor with God and man, was without blame (to give or receive), and who was constantly surrounded by the likes of folks most of us avoid - prostitutes, adulterers, thieves, liars, murderers, drunkards, you name it. as a matter of fact, there are stories of where so many people wanted to see him that they packed houses, pushed against him in crowds and forced him to get into a boat so he could have some breathing room.

as i superimposed my daily routine of life, word and deed, over the life of Jesus, this is what i saw: the one whom i am to emulate, my Lord and Friend, had people running and flocking to him that they might listen to him, touch him or just see him - when was the last time that happened to me?

collectively, we could ask that of ourselves as a church family... (as scary as that might be)

so, i decided to remove the words "right" and "wrong" from my vocabulary so i might take another step toward my mentor and Savior, and learn how to get past circumstance, behavior (or my prejudice) to see the person - or the people - just like Jesus did.

a little diddy on leadership

2010-03-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

Did some "leadership" reading recently and have been doing some pondering. I sent my thoughts to my church elders and staff... thought I would share them here, too. Ladies, my apologies in advance.

Imagine you are Joshua. You have just led over a million people across the Jordan on dry ground. Momentum is high. People are excited and they are just waiting for you to tell them what's next. So, you ask God for direction and you get Joshua 5:2-3: At that time the Lord said to Joshua, 'Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.' So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.

Leadership is TOUGH.
Did God tell Joshua to find a few good men to empower and delegate? Nope. Did God tell Joshua to find folks who were trained in this discipline? Nope. Did God tell Joshua to find people who were willing to do this for him? Nope. Leaders are those who know that God knows they will do the things no one else is willing to do. Leaders are willing to roll up their sleeves and fully invest. Leaders are not cowards who fear what others may think (and please remember, Joshua had over 500,000 men to face who, I'm sure, did NOT love this idea).

Leadership is tough. We are at a point, and will be again, where we need to humbly ask ourselves, "Can God trust me to do the things that no one else wants to do, but are absolutely essential for the success of the church that I am leading?"

Leadership is SACRIFICE.
Everyone loves the idea of progress, improvement, growth... it's the sacrifice associated with these things that we have a problem with. Maybe that's why Jesus challenged us to take up our cross daily, instead of sit on our couch? We love hearing stories of sacrifice and even get energized when we see someone sacrifice. We just don't like it when it comes to us.

Leadership is sacrifice. We are at a point, and will be again, when our personal preferences, our desire to please others or our adaptation to a style must be weighed against the character, call and commitment of Christ in us.

Leadership is SERVING.
Scripture doesn't say anything about anyone rebelling against Joshua's plan. Think about it, over 500,000 men were willing to expose themselves to some seriously intense pain and discomfort when they thought they were about to finally "arrive" in paradise... and NO ONE pushed back. Why? Could it have been because these men knew Joshua, their leader, had already submitted himself to the same experience? He wasn't asking them to walk a journey, take a risk, or submit to an experience he had never walked, risked or endured... or would be unwilling to walk, risk or endure WITH THEM. He knew the pain and sacrifice associated with the vision he was casting and yet he could ask it with integrity because he was experienced, seasoned and committed.

Leadership is serving. We are at a point, and will be again, when we must hold ourselves to that which we, as leaders, embody, expect, profess, teach and demand.

Are we ready to lead?

bi-polar faith

2010-03-16T06:53:00.000-05:00

The Saturday after Jesus' crucifixion was a silent day, at best. Bewilderment, fear, frustration and anger were likely emotions for those who celebrated the triumphal entry of their king just 48 hours earlier. The most fundemental discipline of being a God-follower had been elevated to status-critical : walking by faith rather than sight.

When Jesus interacted with people, he challenged the religious to be humble, the learned to be relevant, the healthy to be hope, and the wealthy to be gracious.

He encouraged the diligent to sit and rest, the lazy to work and earn, the weak to get up and walk, and the strong honor the weak.

He taught parents to become children, children to become heirs, foreigners to become citizens, and citizens to become inclusive.

Yet many Christ-followers, like those on that Saturday long ago, exchange God's gift of transformational faith for a bipolar faith. One day we are singing and shouting His praises; the next, hunkered down ready to sit out the next season (or more) because our loss is just too great and we don't see enough personal benefit to justify the cost.

As creative worshipers, we must remain committed to the details while increasingly cognizant of the fuller expression. In other words, our worship cannot be centered on this one life that has been changed but centered on the One who can change all life. Then, and only then, will our faith grow beyond "me" and "my" benefit, to him and his purpose.

This might be the only way to elevate our worship beyond ourselves and Easter beyond another hallmark holiday with chocolate bunnies and new clothes.

how He loves

2010-03-09T17:12:00.000-06:00

John Mark McMillan wrote a song called "How He Loves"...

The song is about John's struggle with his best friend's death; specifically why God, a supposed loving God, would allow his friend to die suddently in a car accident. The answer God spoke into John's heart was this: God allowed him to die because God did love him and was ready for him to come home.

John's friend was in a prayer meeting the morning before he died. In that prayer meeting, his friend prayed that whatever God required or asked of him for the message of Christ to be heard, be it life or death, he would give it.

Now, I'm not quick to believe that God said, "Aw'ite..." then *poof*, John's friend died. But I do know God gave every human being the right to make choices (like the right of John's friend to choose humbly, and the right of the driver who hit and killed John's friend to choose wrecklessly), yet reserved for himself the right to work any choice into his larger plan and purpose.

Listen to this quote from John:

I do believe the effect this song has had on people is part of a promise the Lord made when He took my friend home. I regularly receive messages from kids battling with depression and suicide who tell him the song turned them around, that it even saved their lives. I don't understand how all that works theologically. I just know that's the way it is.

Click here to read the words and watch a live performance of "How He Loves".

OMG! i can do that SO better than you!

2009-12-08T16:53:00.000-06:00

Think about this:

We're not God (duh) but how often do we get frustrated when we have to wait on someone else to do something when we KNOW we could do it FASTER and BETTER ourselves?!?

True that, right?

Now, think about this...

Jesus as a baby, unable to do anything for himself but allowing his mother to fumble her way through all the things first time Mommies fumble through.
Or Jesus as a boy, going to school to "learn" about his ancestry and faith, when he had actually met (and created) the people his teachers were talking about!
Or Jesus as a young man, listening to his father wax intellectual (like only Dads can do) about agriculture and carpentry, or friendship and the birds-and-the-bees, when Jesus already knew the difference between "that", as well as the difference between his dad's business and his Father's business.
Or Jesus as the Savior, hanging on a cross as those who were taking his life were unable to see that Jesus was actually giving it, and he let them continue to think whatever they wanted in order to fulfill his love for them.

When Jesus said he came to serve, we need to remember that his service didn't start when he turned 30; Jesus began serving others - began enduring FOR others - the moment he left his rightful place in heaven to enter the broken reality of humanity.

Now about that Jesus graphic...
I ripped it off a church website. Seriously. Sadly.

I put it there to challenge us with this:

Next time we get frustrated with how someone else is (or is not) doing something, will we love like the Jesus who hung on a cross or condemn like the Jesus in that graphic?
Next time someone gets in our way or attempts to influence our anticipated outcome, will we serve them (or maybe endure WITH them) to show them the fullness of God's love, or will we convince ourselves we have no need of them and could do it better without them?
Next time we speak about Christmas (especially if it's after Christmas), will we share what we were able to give or just about what we "got"?

Jesus was the Word that became flesh.
May the Word of Christ continue to become flesh in our lives.

folded underwear (and 99 other things)

2009-11-23T12:14:00.000-06:00

Re-married life has brought with itself many unexpected splendors. One of the more interesting is folded underwear.

Some of you may recall my sharing with you a tradition I started several years back; the Thanksgiving week tradition of writing 100 things for which I'm thankful. This may sound trite or a even a bit contrived, or it could be an intentional discipline of exercising thankfulness and humility. I'll choose the latter as it sounds much more spiritual.

The first thing I'm thankful for this year is folded underwear. Seriously. The first time Christie did all the laundry after we re-married, I came home to a dresser filled with folded underwear, socks and t-shirts! You have to understand, though I kept a clean and organized home as a single man, I NEVER folded my underwear. As a matter of fact, I would throw and shove my underwear, socks and t-shirts into their respective drawers, and felt that was more than sufficient. So, I shared with my beautiful bride that she really didn't need to fold my underwear...

It so happened that I was the one to finish the laundry next time around, so I did what I always do... throw and shove. But sure enough, when Christie did the laundry the following week she folded and neatly placed all my unmentionables in their proper places.

Then last week, when I once again opened my dresser to a freshly replenished drawer of folded skivvies, I smiled, laughed, shook my head, and asked myself, "Why does she bother to do this?" I knew she didn't fold my underwear out of wifely duty or because they fit better folded than thrown and shoved. And, to be honest, I still don't know why she folds them but this is what the Lord placed on my heart when I opened that drawer that day:

your bride gives you her time and effort
to do something you feel is unnecessary
because she loves you
and wants to show you her love
in every little way she can

I still haven't asked Christie why she folds my underwear, but I hope she never stops. Every time I open my drawer to neatly placed and beautifully folded BVD's, I will thank the God of all creation for entrusting me with his beautiful daughter who thinks of me and loves me... even in ways no one else will ever know (except that I guess you actually do know now).

humbled. again.

2009-11-19T09:17:00.000-06:00

Have you ever heard the saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"? Sometimes I think the same is true on the road to heaven!

There is so much that we CAN influence and control, and then there is ONLY so much we can influence and control. We can have the best of intentions, a heart in the right place, do our best to be humble, try our hardest to be a good friend in the faith... and still get it wrong. Or at least not right.

And this is EXACTLY why I removed words like right and wrong from my vocabularly years ago. They are divisive and arrogant, and if we are all part of the family of God then we must be careful not to let anything come out of our mouths that does not edify the body. Though I may be branded as a liberal for such a statement, as a father I have witnessed that my daughter chooses "less than the best" more often than she chooses "wrong". The significant difference between these two philosophies is how it plays out when we approach the other party.

If I approach Camille with the conviction that she is wrong, then I must be right and the only resolution - regardless of things I may be unaware - is that she submit to my rightness (which is not to be confused with my "righteousness").

However, if I approach Camille with the conviction that she has choosen less than her best, then I have the opportunity - a graciously difficult one, mind you - to seek to understand why she chose the way she did and then to partner with her in helping her choose more wisely in the future. This is much more healthy for our relationship and for her future. And, I believe this is how God, our heavenly Father, parents us, His children. Once we accept our position as one of his children, his sole aim is to lavish his love on us that we might lavish his love on others, more and more (keeping in mind that God is both love and truth).

Back to the "proverbial fan" story...
I found myself having a conversation today that started over 6 months ago. I, with the best of intentions, was trying to encourage, lead and challenge a brother whom I love. Unfortunately, my communication with and understanding of him was less than my best, though my intentions were good. Neither of us did anything mean or inappropriate, yet feelings were hurt, misunderstandings were had and the relationship suffered. However, each of us was willing to submit to our love for God and our love for one another MORE than to our desire to be right.

I may have choosen less than my best along the road (to heaven) but I am grateful to be the friend of a man who knew my heart and didn't declare me wrong.

It is humbling to live as one
who knows he is not innocent,
yet is declared "not guilty"
by the Almighty God.

new desk. same determination.

2009-11-10T13:19:00.000-06:00

That is what
the Son of Man has done:
He came to serve, not be served
and then to give away his life ...

Matthew 20:28 (the msg)

I have excerpt from Oswald Chambers next to my desk. I have a new office and a new desk, but I pray the newness doesn't push out all that has brought me here. You know how newness can do that, right? Cause you to focus so much on what's in front of you right now that you forget, neglect or even leave behind what brought you to such a place?

This is the condensed version of Oswald's excerpt:

Paul's idea of service is the same as our Lord's: "I am among you as He that serveth"; "ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

This is Paul's idea of service - 'I will spend myself to the last ebb for you; you may give me praise or give me blame, it will make no difference. So long as there is a human being who does not know Jesus Christ, I am his debtor to serve him until he does.'

The mainspring of Paul's service is not love for men, but love for Jesus Christ. If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and broken-hearted, for we shall often meet with more ingratitude from men than we would from a dog; but if our motive is love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men.

When we realize that Jesus Christ has served us to the end of our meanness, our selfishness, and sin, nothing that we meet with from others can exhaust our determination to serve men for His sake.

Or you could say:
living Life... loving God and loving others.

i am not my own

2009-11-04T12:01:00.000-06:00

I woke up yesterday with this thought ... ok, so it wasn't the FIRST thought after I woke up but it was definitely the one after that ... anyway, the phrase "your life is not your own" kept running through my brain. So, I looked it up to remind myself where it's actually found in Scripture:

Or do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.
So glorify God in your body.
(1 Corinthians 6.19-20)

I am not my own; my life is not mine to govern.
I was bought with a price; I was purchased, ransomed.
And I am now "in" my body; this means that which is "not my own" and was "bought" - both being the same thing, namely ME - is presently resident "in" my body but not eternally bound to my body (i.e. if I am "in", then I can be "out").

This would also mean I am not responsible for the CIRCUMSTANCES I experience. Though I am always responsible for MY CHOICES (the ones I make "in" the body), but NOT for the circumstances preceding or proceeding from those choices ... IF I am walking according to my understanding of God, His Word and His revelation to me thorugh His Holy Spirit.

(You may want to read that again...
AND, here's an example of what I'm getting at:
Think of the story of Joseph in Genesis. Josephs was not responsible for the myriad of circumstances he faced - both good and bad - but in all things he held himself accountable to his choices and was obedient to God)

So, here is the thought that developed, upon which I still ponder... so feel free to ponder with me:

Why am I HERE?
("here" referring to my current position in the space-time continuum)
If I am here because of OBEDIENCE,
then I should never pray for less suffering and more blessing, but for more FAITH that I might continue in my body, in obedience, for God's glory (and because He is trusting me to trust Him).
If I am here because of DISOBEDIENCE,
then I shouldn't be surprised by any suffering and should also pray for more FAITH that I might become obedient and therefore give God room to prove His love for me. (side note: it's hard to prove your love for someone when they continually walk away from you, except that they're always there when you turn around... God's cool like that).

FAITH
=
(God's stated promises + faithful character)
x
(our humble trust + coherent action)

anyway... whatever.

2009-10-29T15:45:00.000-05:00

These are two words we hear A LOT in today's colloquail conversations. They are the perfect way to blow off a comment, passively express your disgust in a person or topic, or insert yourself into a conversation to take it over. But recently, I saw them expressed in a letter being passed between two lovers:

lover 1 : thank you for loving me anyway
lover 2 : i'll love you whatever

Any one of us - or, all of us - could be lover 1.
Any one of us - or, all of us - could also be lover 2.
But, our amazing Heavenly Father is ALWAYS lover 2... He always loves us whatever may come, whatever we do, whatever the circumstance.

THAT is the kind of love we have received and as we have freely received, we are to freely give. And THAT is also our challenge as Christ-followers: to express the love and grace of God without any mixture of religiousity... to love in such a way as to remove all barriers to true friendship... to love in such a way that our beliefs are coherent with our behaviors... to love in such a way that we ooze Jesus everywhere we go.

Jesus loves me... Jesus loves you... and so do I.

If you didn't hear Steven Kirlin's message Sunday, click HERE!

God provides

2009-10-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

As I shared the story of Christie and I this past Sunday, I can only hope and pray that God used it to encourage couples, challenge individuals and remind us all that God provides.

I closed with 5 points but I fear they may have gone by too quickly, so I'm going to list them again followed with a brief comment.

1) Expect God to test you (Gen 22.1-2)
God doesn't test us for the sole purpsoe of showing us our weaknesses - that's what a bully does. God will often test us so he can prove himself to us: to show us the depth of his love, the consistency of his faithfulness and beauty of his intimacy.

2) Make a covenant investment (Gen 22.3-4, 6-8)
We, like Abraham, often make decisions as if we don't really believe God will deliver on his promises. To test this selfish tendancy, God established a thing called a covenant. God never intended to be a distant-giver; he wants to be an intimate-sharer. In other words, God wants us to have some skin in the game of our relationship to him (and for Abraham, God meant that literally).

3) Focus on promises, not explanations (Gen 22.5)
When it comes to walking by faith - and not by sight - it can be hard to stay focused. Logic, rationalization and feelings can become our worst enemies, and temptation will always seem to make more sense than faith. The best tool to fight this is to focus on God's promises... What was the last thing God told you? What promise did he reveal to you in Scripture? And how has he affirmed this with you in your prayer time?

4) Depend on God's provision. (Gen 22.9-14)
So many Christ-followers' last words are, "I just can't do this anymore!" AND THEY'RE RIGHT!!! God never intended us to do anything alone and their cry of desparation should actually be a shout of epiphany! Don't just sigh and say, "Well, it will be whatever God intended it to be." Depend! Expect! Bank on! Know! that you will fail if God doesn't provide.

5) Anticipate God's blessing. (Gen 22.15-19)
By anticipate, I don't mean be anxious or impatient but be confident in God's faithfulness. Any person can say they trust God but it is only those who truly believe that God's love is better than life whom God can trust in return.

a big (and common) mistake

2009-10-15T08:50:00.000-05:00

One of the most common and inhibiting mistakes believers make in their understanding of salvation and growing in their faith is looking at God through the lense of their own human experience (rather than looking at their human experience through the lense of God's character).

One of the facets of this mistake is the natural tendancy to think God can only do what we've seen him do before or what WE understand as possible (read that again and think about it). This a natural and even logical conclusion that applies to a large portion of our human experience; however, God is not bound to our human experience. On the contrary, God created and set in motion the human experience.

So why did He do it?

Here's my simple theology: I think God created our human experience for us to enjoy and share. First, for us to enjoy it with Him and second, for us to share with each other... and ever increasing "each other". The cool thing about these two dynamics is that they each play off each other. Enjoying this life with Him drives us to want to share our experiences with others (don't you enjoy sharing things you like with others?). And the best part of sharing is finding someone who has never experienced what we find so amazing and then watching them experience it for the first time. Isn't that fun to do? That kind of sharing, or a consistent sharing of such experiences (a.k.a. friendship), may just be what leads "others" to enjoying life with God, too.

feed me.

2009-08-11T15:28:00.000-05:00

A man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."

So, the Lord led the man to two doors, opened the first and motioned for the man to look inside.

In the middle of the room was a large round table with a large pot of stew set in the middle. The stew smelled so delicious the man's mouth began to water. The man also noticed the people sitting around the table were thin, almost famished in appearance. As the man studied further, he noticed each person was holding a spoon with a very long handle. The long handle made it easy to reach into the pot of stew but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The man felt compelled to go help the people but he was not allowed; he actually began to feel sick as he realized their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, "You have just seen Hell."

Then the Lord took the man to the second door and opened it. The man huffed and initially turned his head away as it was exactly the same as the first room! There was a large round table with a large pot of stew, which again made the man's mouth water. The people held the same long-handled spoons but this was where the similarities ceased. Here, in this second room, the people looked well nourished, even plump; they were talking and many were laughing. The man said, "I don't understand?!?"

The Lord replied, "It's simple, my son. The difference between the two rooms is not that one held people who were famished while the other held people who were well nourished, but that one held people who thought more of others than themselves."

stand... look... ask... walk... find.

2009-08-05T21:44:00.000-05:00

STAND at the crossroads and LOOK;
ASK for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is and WALK in it,
and you will FIND rest for your souls.

~ jeremiah 6.16 niv

We don't know much about stages of development in our instant culture. We have someone else make our coffee for us. We no longer have to wait to have our photos developed - not even an hour - for now we have digital cameras that deliver back to us the image, instantly. We don't have to wait to get in touch with someone - we can email them, page them, call them on a cell phone, instant message them this moment. We don't need to wait for our leather jackets or our jeans or caps to age and get that rugged look - they come that way now, prefaded, tattered. Character that can be bought and worn immediately.

But God is a God of process...

~ john eldridge, fathered by God

dude, it SO wasn't me

2009-07-02T14:28:00.000-05:00

I finished my book by Watchman Nee. Some amazing things in there and some humbling ones as I watched them play out in real time.

Nee said:
If you are simply a believer, you can act as you please, but if you are a member of the Body, then you must allow yourself to be limited by the other members... to be blended with other members... [because] the functioning of the Body is mutual. Every member has to render supply TO the Body, and fellowship and function IN the Body.

The Body of Christ that gathers and worships at wb is living out this reality more and more, and I believe the creative arts ministry is leading the way (not that I'm biased). With every Sunday morning, there is increased collaborative effort and stronger mutual interdependence upon one another. We are EACH rendering supply TO the Body (by cooperatively facilitating Sunday morning worship), while we ALL enjoy fellowship and friendship as we function the way God created us to IN the Body.

I'm seeing the beauty of limitation, the joy of living within my limitations. Stuart knows way more than me on the technical side of audio; Tod knows way more than me on the technical side of video; Therese offers a creativity, passion and organization to our drama ministry that otherwise was non-existent! And, they are each leading their teams whose members offer way more than me with respect to their individual functions. And Jeremy, the newest member of our lead creative team, has been collaborating with me and selecting Sunday morning music for the past 2 months!

In all of this, I have received more compliments and more encouragement over the past several months with regard to Sunday mornings ... and I give YOU the props EVERY time. For me, there is no greater pleasure or honor than to say, "Dude, it so wasn't me!"

You are blessing me with one of the most supernatural experiences in this life: seeing the Body of Christ.

stay

2009-06-23T13:45:00.001-05:00

You know, the vast majority of churches in America don't even get to celebrate 10 years with their pastor. That is so sad to me.

Too often Christians, pastors and members alike, leave their church (and it generally doesn't matter the reason) and steal from themselves the opportunity to grow in their faith and love with God and with one another. Just like any other relationship (e.g. family), there is generally more to gain for all persons involved by exercising the disciplines of humility, endurance and listening than by leaving.

This is something God has been teaching me (and I won't tell you how long he's been trying):

If I'm walking in the Spirit and sense a point of frustration, it's generally God's nudge for internal growth or external ministry. If I'm walking in the flesh and sense of point of frustration, I generally just make myself and everyone else around me miserable.

And as I type this, I'm remembering something I shared in my Father's Day message:

Because God is perfectly right, infinitely loving, absolutely holy, inexhaustibly patient and inexplicably merciful... and because, as our Heavenly Father, he is more interested in our holiness (character) than our happiness (temporary pleasure) -as is any parent - his discipline of us is always the very least it will take to get our attention and communicate our need. The very least.

God knows what we need. He knows when we need it. He also knows what it will take for us to receive it. (ouch)

are you a Christian or a member?

2009-06-08T16:32:00.000-05:00

Before you read this week's email, click HERE to read and watch last week's email. Very important...

So, I finished Craig Groeschel's book called "it" - what a great Kingdom, leadership, vision, fellowship, inspiring, affirming, challenging read! So, now I'm reading The Mystery of Christ by Watchman Nee and it's amazing how God is connecting "it", last Sunday (and if you still haven't read and watched last week's email, what are doing?!?) and Watchman's book.

Craig challenged his readers to celebrate what God is doing in other churches. Doing so reminds us that WE are collectively the Church, that WE together are the Body of Christ. Then, I read this in Watchman's book:

Being a Christian is something individualistic, whereas being a member is something corporate. Being a Christian is something one does for himself, whereas being a member is something for the Body. [Just as] there are many terms with opposite meanings, such as purity and uncleannes, holiness and commonness, victory and defeat, the Spirit and the flesh... In the same way, the Body is in opposition to the individual... Once a [person] sees the Body of Christ... he will no longer live for himself but for the Body.

At the inception of his "11" series, Dave said (and I believe he was quoting someone, just can't remember who), "There are two things no human being can do alone: get married and be a Christian."

Ponder this: If it was through the body of Jesus Christ that the fullness of God dwelt and was expressed for all humanity to see, experience and benefit, that we are called "the Body of Christ" must therefore mean we are the continuation of Christ's life and ministry here on earth (see Col 1.19, 2 Cor 5.20, 1 Cor 12).

One more: When you think of "the Body of Christ", does your mind think beyond wb?

The Body of Christ is not a doctrine; it is a realm.
It is not a teaching, but a life.
~ Watchman Nee

last sunday or lasting sunday

2009-06-03T14:57:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday was an AMAZING day! We "got to"... worship as a family of believers, celebrate our graduates (WAHOO!!), listen to our student pastor bring it (a.k.a. "deliver the sermon" for you old-school folks), witness the declaration of 5 people's love and commitment to Christ, and enjoy a meal of fellowship and unity (supporting our east Asia mission team).

Willow Bend was ROCKIN' last Sunday...
and not just because we turned up the volume, either!

Do you know what made these experiences so special? Do you know what can make these experiences more than just a "last Sunday" memory? Check this out...

In all the churches in all the world, we are the only church that had US worshipping together, THOSE graduates to celebrate, THAT Student Pastor to bring it, THOSE souls to declare, THAT meal to enjoy and THOSE servants going on mission.

We are the ONLY church in all the world who has YOU... and US! Now understand, we don't have a corner on any part of the church-market; there is nothing we DO better than every other church in the whole world. BUT, there is no other church who can do what WE do because no other church has US.

YET, Scripture teaches us:

But God has so composed the body...
that there may be no division... that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. ~1 Corinthians 12.24-26

We may be the only church with you and with us, but we are not THE only church. We are only one part of the Body; we are only one fellowship within God's Church. And just as no other church can do what WE do, we can't do what any other church does... because God has sovereignly and uniquely designed each member (each church) to collaboratively, collectively and cooperatively make up his Body, the Church; the Bride of Christ.

We had a lot to celebrate last Sunday. So, if Scripture is true, I guess that means the whole Body rejoiced with us. How cool is that?!?

Here are some pictures from our baptism last Sunday and a video from a local church (and pastor friend of mine). Let's watch and rejoice together.

Click HERE to watch and be prepared to be moved...

still reflecting * bling *

2009-05-28T18:09:00.000-05:00

I had a truly wonderful weekend with my family and a few very dear friends. It was so cool to see Camille and my brother's kids (Ty, Alyssa and JT) interacting now that they are all getting older. We celebrated my dad's 70th birthday (my mom bought him a Wii, how trippy is that?!?), we hung out, we went to the beach... we just enjoyed being together.

Family and Friends. Believe it or not, Verizon wasn't the first to market the idea. God was. And what I was reminded of this weekend ... or what I blessed by this weekend ... was the beauty of long-lived love.

The "very dear friends" I visited with were Gary and Sheri Webber (and their 4 kids). Gary is now the Sr. Pastor of the church he grew up in and we both interned in college. He and I served 3 churches together (the one he pastors now, one in seminary and another one between seminary and my coming to wb). As a result, we have seen A LOT of what I affectionately call "church crap" ... and have probably left a trail of it a time or two ourselves. But through it all, God's grace enabled us to hold on to our friendship, and as a result we have learned things about each other AND about ourselves that we otherwise may not have learned.

I believe the same is true with family. Long-lived love seems to be an endangered discipline. Maybe you, like I, have too many friends who merely endure their family visitations. Sure family can be annoying and sometimes even smell funny, but do you really want to challenge the Divine decision that made them your family in the first place? (count to 10 before you answer)

Which makes me wonder if the same could be said of church-life? Do we miss out on God's blessings, God's lessons, God's cool-sovereignty-thing when we bail on serving, leading or the church entirely? Just as folks run cycles in relationships and jobs, is it possible to run cycles within church-life, and dump our current church because it's just not fun anymore or to go date a younger and cooler church?
Long-lived love ain't easy but it may be one of the greatest tools God uses to create holiness in his children.

If I love God, I should also love others.
If I don't love others, I don't love God.
~ Craig Groeschel
(but I'm pretty sure Jesus said it first)

ponder these, you must

2009-05-27T19:08:00.000-05:00

Connected are these statements?
Hmmmm, if so, connected they are how? Reply, if you wish.
May the Lord with be with you...

Faith never knows where it is being led,
but it knows and loves the One who is leading.
~ Oswald Chambers

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
~ Paul, 1 Corinthians 6.18-20

We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.
~ some preacher I heard years ago... I'm sure I didn't think it up

the reVERBeration of life

2009-05-27T19:07:00.000-05:00

I know it's "early" for a patriotic post but this is more than patriotic.

My full name is Christopher Albert LaRue. I was named after my grandfather, Sergeant Albert William Meyer, who was a member of Service Battery, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy near Kunu-ri, North Korea on November 30, 1950, and died 122 days later on April 1, 1951. His remains were not recovered.

Last night Camille rang a replica of The Liberty Bell in memory of her great grandfather and in proxy for "Granny", her late great grandmother. She was able to do this at a presentation made by The American Fallen Soldier Project, which is an amazing organization (website).

After she rang the bell, we were encouraged to touch the "shoulder" of the bell (see picture) to feel the reverberation. The bell's sound was intense and audible from a far distance; it's movement, after only one hammer strike, would last for up to 2 minutes.
This was a very moving experience: to see other families dealing with their recent loss, to see Camille ring the bell in memory of her great grandfather in proxy for her Granny whom she loved so dearly, to remember the freedom I enjoy was paid for by a family member I never met. The weight of these realities hung heavy and as the memory of that experience continued to echo in my mind and heart, God challenged me.

Are the sounds of my words and
the movements of my life
a continuous reverberation of God's love and grace?
Or do they clash and fall to the ground
inconsistent, lifeless and unremarkable?

Interesting how God saw fit to put the word "verb" (action) in the middle of the word "reverberation" (sound).

ambassadors (still)

2009-05-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

Jesus had the amazing ability to
be completely IN the world without compromising his love for God
or limiting his love for the world.

We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were actually making his plea to the world through us.

Do we get that?!?

cross-bearer (pt 3)

2009-05-27T19:05:00.001-05:00

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
and all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for everyone,
and there's a cross for me.
hymn, words by Thomas Shepherd, music by George Allen

This past Sunday we bore the cross together. Here is how I know:

I have to write to tell you how awesome today's service was. The message was spot on and the music perfect. Thank you ... (I know it takes a village to put it all together) ... for presenting an Easter celebration that was both uplifting and pertinent.
~ KG

Please pray for me to keep my commitment to have a closer relationship in following Christ and telling others about how wonderful God is in my life.
~ response card from Willie, who also rededicated his life

This is just a sampling of the feedback I've received over the past 2 days... there has been so much more.

God blessed us Sunday.
Easter is supposed to be us blessing HIM but our heavenly Father evidently couldn't help himself... and he blessed us anyway. He so loves to see his kids excited to worship, excited to serve, excited to be together. And what parent wouldn't want to bless his/her kids after being loved on? So how could he do anything less?

Our God is amazing.
Our family is blessed.
And our cross remains for there is still work to be done...

cross-bearer (pt 2)

2009-05-27T19:04:00.001-05:00

I stand at the cross and wonder.

I stand before the cross and fear.

I kneel before the cross and weep.

I pray before the cross and rejoice.

To know the cross is to know Christ.

To feel the cross is to feel Christ.

To gaze at the cross is to gave as Christ.

To carry the cross is to be a Christian,
and not until then.

God, forgive us.

The Cross, by Lois A. Cheney

cross-bearer (pt 1)

2009-05-27T19:03:00.001-05:00

You cannot make your own cross but unbelief is a master carpenter at cross-making. You do not choose your own cross but self-will would try to be your lord and master.

Your cross is prepared and appointed by divine love. Accept it cheerfully. You are to carry your cross without raising trivial objections. Do not be insolent, or trample it in vain glory, or fall under it in despair, or run away from it in fear. Take up your cross as a true follower of Jesus.

Jesus was a cross-bearer. He leads the way along the path of sorrow and you could not have a better guide. If he carried a cross, what nobler burden could you carry?

The cross is not made of feathers or covered with velvet... but the cross is not made of iron. It is a wooden cross and you can carry it because the Man of Sorrows knows its weight. Take up your cross and by the power of the Spirit of God you will soon be in love with it. Like Moses, you would not exchange the reproach of Christ for all the treasures of the world.

taken from Charles Spurgeon

friends

2009-05-27T19:01:00.000-05:00

Two quotes I had in my study notes but didn't make it to the message:

Nothing among human things has such power
to keep our gaze fixed over more intensely upon God,
than friendship for the friends of God.
~Simone Weil

If we stick together we can see it through,
'casue you got a friend in me.
~Randy Newman, Toy Story

Read them again...as many times as it takes for them to sink in. Seriously, read them again. Go ahead... ;-)

Thanks for being friends.
To me.
To one another.

'Cause if we can't be friends, why would we expect anyone else to want to be a Christian?

spiritual exercise isn't an oxymoron

2009-05-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

Many people you pass by today are in the midst of a 40 day spiritual exercise. And no, spiritual exercise is not some kind of oxymoron.

Right now, countless "high church" folks (Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, etc) are observing the season of Lent: a 40 day observance of fasting and prayer. The biggest thing Lent is known for is "giving up" something. Most protestants don't observe Lent (we would fall into that category), yet most protestants recognize the value of spiritual exercise, or spirital discipline.

As you look ahead at your life, "at what" are you looking? Many times, looking ahead has more to do with getting past some negative in order to do what we really want. You know the "God, if you'll just get me past this, then I can..." prayer? (yeah, I'm with ya)

We can sometimes be like the little boy who "gave up" fighting with his brother for Lent. Half way through, his father asked, "So, how's it going, son?" to which the son replied, "Great, but man, I CANNOT wait for Easter!"

Spiritual exercise is doing something different in your life to give God room to share something new with you, so when you emerge YOU are different.

Get it? God already has all things under his control - we don't need to pray for 'things'. Our prayer is that we - individually and collectively - will walk steady in his grace and trust in him. He alone is God and he is true to his Word.

when polyphonic was EVIL!

2009-05-27T18:59:00.001-05:00

There was a day worship music was a chant. Monophonic voices, without harmony and often without accompaniment. It was believed harmony was evil.

The chants were eventually incorporated into polyphonic music and over time, entirely new polyphonic compositions took center stage.

Music has always been a key component in worship and church life. In our life time we have gone from piano and organ to drums and electric guitars, from hymns in hymnals to brand new songs on screens, from suited ministers of music to untucked worship leaders. ;-)

I even served a fellowship where the pastor said the true worship of a believer is how he/she lives, not in the type of music he/she sings. I'm sure we woud all agree. But then he said we were starting a second service and the early service would offer traditional hymns and the late service would offer contemporary music with drums and guitars. How funny is that?!?

Pastor Dave said yesterday, "love is as love does." In like fashion, "worship is as worship does." Worship is giving something or someone worth and value. At the risk of sounding heretical, we "worship" those we love when we respect, honor and serve them over something or someone else.

And our worship of God is the same - we give Him worth and value and presence in our lives when we live the Christ-life, when we live according to the "praxis" of love we read 1 Corinthians 13 ... we worship Him.

There was a day when "Amazing Grace" - a traditional hymn in virtually every hymnal - was a NEW song. The first time it was sung by a minister of music, people in the pews sat and listened because they didn't know the melody and they didn't know the words and they weren't sure if they were going to like the song.

As the love song of your life is played, as you live your song of humility to THE Audience of One, remember there are listeners hearing your rendition of "Amazing Grace" (maybe for the first time, maybe for the 100th time). They may be unfamiliar with the melody, uncertain of the words, and they may even be trying to decide if they are going to like the song.

Worship is as worship does ... on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays ... every moment of every day. So play on!

i'm a dipolmat!

2009-05-27T18:58:00.001-05:00

Merriam-Webster says an ambassador is a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign and appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment.

2 Corinthians 5.20 says we are "ambassadors" for Christ, that God is making His appeal to the world through us.

God wants so badly for all His creation to know His love, forgiveness, grace and friendship. But how is a God who can't be seen or touched or audibly heard going to convince a living human being of all these things? By sending resident representatives for a special and temporary assignment; by sending us as His ambassadors.

Last Sunday was our highest attended Sunday morning in MONTHS! We could celebrate that but I would rather celebrate that we received response cards with some of the deepest needs I have seen in a while...and they weren't from newbies, they were from regular wb'ers.

We are not only ambassadors for Christ to a lost world, we are amabassadors for Christ to one another.

no hurry

2009-05-27T18:57:00.001-05:00

One barrier to full intimacy with the Savior is hurriedness. Intimacy may no be rushed. To meet with the Son of God takes time. We can't dash into his presence and choke down spiritual inwardness before we hurry to our one o'clock appointment. Inwardness is time-consuming, open only to minds willing to sample spirituality in small bites, savoring each one.

Intimacy with Christ comes from entering his presence with inner peace rather than bursting into his presence from the hassles of life. A relaxed contemplation of the indwelling Christ allows for an inner communion impossible to achieve while oppressed by busyness and care.

Holy living is not abrupt living. No one who hurries into the presence of God is content to remain for long. Those who hurry in, hurry out.
~No Hurry, Calvin Miller

Are you in a hurry this Christmas?
For that matter, are you in a hurry any given day?
How often do you use the word "busy" or say "I'm sorry, but I really have to go?"

Do you ever blow off your boss? (probably not)
But do you ever blow off your spouse? your kid? your friends? your God?
Who is more important? (think before you answer that)

Are you in a hurry this Christmas?

when was the last time you...

2009-05-27T18:56:00.000-05:00

...invited someone to your home for dinner or dessert?

...brought something freshly baked to your neighbor (or just said HI to your neighbor)?

...invited your pastor over your house?

...invited someone to church?

...intentionally made someone smile or laugh?

...gave someone a big hug and whispered in their ear, "I love you."

...did something to help someone without being asked or without them noticing?

...listened to someone's story and offered to pray with them (on the spot)?

...introduced yourself to someone you didn't know at church, then asked if you could sit with them?

...prayed for your ministry leadership? (can you name each pastor and elder?)

christmas presence (little play on words there)

2009-05-27T18:55:00.000-05:00

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. ~luke 19.10 Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve. ~matthew 20.28 I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ~john 10.10 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. ~john 1.14

These are significant verses to me because they speak of why Jesus came. The final verse shares what I believe to be the most significant reason: he came to be with us.

I remember learning as a young pastor that one of the greatest ministries is the ministry of presence. I was coached to push aside fear, uncertainty and even other commitments in order to simply be there when people needed a pastor and friend. Being unsure of what to say and do is natural but not being present precludes any opportunity to say or do something. And sure enough, it didn't take long to see the amazing and supernatural effect of simply offering my presence, even if only for a few moments.

We, the Church, are the substitute flesh and blood Body of Christ on this planet; we are Jesus (with skin on) to this world. That means it is each of our privileges to seek people that they might find Him, to serve others that they might be blessed, to share life that others might be inspired...to be present.

Isn't that why we join churches and groups, plan parties and socials...to be with one another?

Presence is powerful and often speaks louder and more poignantly than our words ever could.

So, as you consider your gifts this year, be sure to remember your greatest gift just might be your Christmas presence.

Jesus in, through and even AS

2009-05-27T18:54:00.002-05:00

Jesus said he came to serve. So, the closest thing we can do to be like Jesus is serve.

EACH of you serve our Lord and give of yourselves through the faithful use of your gifts, skills and all that makes you "you" week-in and week-out. By doing this you also serve your church family and our guests.

Thank you for being Jesus to them.

EACH of you also serve me. You encourage me in ministry, in life, in love, in family, in faith, in staying on the journey, in ways you will never know or see (or probably understand - I can be a little quirky, so I hear).

Thank you for being Jesus to me.

When we share a glance, flash a smile, offer a hug, recognize an entrance, offer a word of encouragement, say "thank you"...it's more than Jesus being in us or working through us. As odd as it sounds, it is really Jesus as us.

It's our eyes and our smile they see, it's our arms they feel, it's our voice they hear. Of course, we know it's only by God's grace we can do anything - but all they know is YOU did something.

Thank you for doing something.
Thank you for being Jesus.
Thank you for being you...because no one does "you" any better than you! ;-)

Camille and I are going to see my family in Florida (Tue-Sat). Wahoo!!! I pray that each of you has an amazing week of giving thanks!

'tis the season to be

2009-05-27T18:54:00.001-05:00

Next week is THANKSGIVING! Wahoo!

I can't tell you how much I have to be thankful for...there is so much. And let me tell you, this email is not some manufactured "wahoo" kind of email - it has taken me the past few weeks to get through a very difficult emotional funk. I know...me? Emotional? (be nice)

I am SO thankful for my God and best friend; without you, Lord, I would be nothing.

I am SO thankful for my precious princess, Camille; there's nothing better than snuggling up with her, eating popcorn and watching "Phantom of the Opera"!

I am SO thankful for Willow Bend; without this church family I could still be wondering and wandering! You guys keep me hopping and I love it!

I am SO thankful for ALL the friendships I have through the years; from high school, from previous churches, my pastor, this team, the newly deepend friendships through my involvement with children's ministry transition, the old willow benders and all the new (and still to come) willow benders.

The list could go on and on... my parents, my brother, my past and MY FUTURE!

God is amazing and the coolest thing I've discovered about Him is that in all of his infinite-greatness, He really enjoys the simple things... like sharing life with His kids.

Spend some time this next week looking for ways to thank Him. And while you're at it, look for ways to thank your spouse, your kids, your friends, your co-workers, your pastor (let's all rush him after service!)... just be thankful. It could revolutionize your life!

just remember to breathe

2009-05-27T18:52:00.001-05:00

Folks, there's a lot going on in the life of the wb right now... a lot. Maybe there is a lot going on in your life right now, too?

You know what though?!?
God is still in control! How cool is that?!?
I know, I know...it's crazy isn't it?!?

No matter how much the world throws at us or - to be honest - how much we throw at ourselves, God is never caught by surprise.

We'll never hear God say, "Oh crap! I didn't even think about that!" Nope, not from my God!

And you know what else?!?
No matter how much we learn and how much experience we gain, there are just a very few things that are life-worthy-sturdy. Everything else in life rests on these, one way or another.

*ahem*
Here is my life-worthy-sturdy list:
1) God is in control (I know, I already said that)
2) God loves me
3) God has a plan that includes me
4) Though His plan includes me, it is not always about me (but He still demands my obedience)
5) I GET to walk with Jesus and follow Him wherever He leads... sometimes we're in the mountains, sometimes we're in the valleys and sometimes somewhere in between... but He's always with me... always.

There's a lot I don't know but these are the things I do know and that I refuse to let anyone or anything take from me.

You might even hear me say,
"Oh crap! I didn't even think about that!"
But my heavenly Father just chuckles and says,"LaRue, you trip me out! But don't worry, I got ya covered."

And how cool is that?
What a great God and what a great family, ya know?

Life is good.

stewardship

2009-05-27T18:51:00.001-05:00

Pastor Dave spent the month of September on stewardship and in light of current financial trends, I think we need to evaluate our stewardship as a lead-worshipers.

A steward is a person who manages another's property or financial affairs. As members of the Body of Christ, we are stewards of God's property and financial affairs here on earth. And part of our stewardship as members of the Body of Christ includes stewardship as members of Willow Bend.

If you keep up with your bulletin, you are somewhat aware that we have met our monthly budget only 4 months this year. As a result, by the end of September we had dipped into our savings for over $35k in expenses.

My personal focus is to get out of debt. I designed a budget plan and asked God to help me achieve his best - being debt-free. But, I realized I was not being faithful in the amount I was consistently giving to the ministry of wb. How can I ask for more of God's blessing if I'm not being obedient to what He has already asked me to do? Do I reward Camille for her disobedience? Don't think so (ask her).

Not only that, I wasn't being very cheerful about giving either!

So, I increased my tithe and started giving cheerfully and consistently, according to what God spoke into my heart, and turned it into a form of worship and faithful trust of His promise of provision to me. And you know what? Life didn't get any easier! BUT, God's economy of giving and receiving continues to amaze me because the bottom line reality is this... I'm not in need.

Are we being faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us (which is everything, by the way)? Are we being faithful & cheerful givers?

These are questions I am asking myself as a man, a father, a member of wb and as a pastor (in that order). I'll be talking to some of you over the next few weeks about some changes I'm considering in the CA Ministry to keep us faithful stewards.

It may cost us a little bit of comfort but I would much rather be obedient.

plastic is OUT!

2009-05-27T18:50:00.001-05:00

A long-time friend of mine from the high school days is now a wife, mother and custom photographer (and blogger). She has such a sweet spirit and I want to share one of her latest entries and photographs. This is from my friend, Heather:

One of my favorite things in the world is when my girls picks flowers for me. I think it's because I vividly remember walking around the block to pick flowers for my mom when I wanted to express my love for her.

Emily, my youngest daughter, loves dandelions; I love how excited she gets when she finds one. Yesterday, she brought two dandelions to me as if they were the most cherished posessions on earth.

I usually put the flowers my girls pick in a little plastic cup, mainly because of the size ratio. But yesterday it occurred to me the size of the gift was in relation to Emily's heart, not the flower.

I decided at that momemt to start using the nicest vase I could find for all of the fresh-picked-for-Mommy flowers. It doesn't matter anymore if they fit or not.

I pray I might be like these tiny little flowers in a big vase. I am so small and weak but my heavenly Father is my vase. He makes me beautiful, He sustains my life and makes my smallness great. He can even take a weed like me and make me something to behold.

Thank you, Heather.

I pray we each learn to place our lives in the crystal vase of God's Spirit rather than the plastic cup of this temporary world. Even more, I pray we see each other as the fragrant Bouquet of Christ.

interdependence

2009-05-27T18:49:00.002-05:00

Right after writing about spiritual gifts, Paul wrote:

...just as the body is one and has many members,
and all the members of the body,
though many, are one body,
so it is with Christ...
...God arranged the members in the body,
each one of them, as he chose...
...if one member suffers, all suffer together;
if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ
and individually members of it.
~ 1 Corinthians 12.12, 18, 26,27

The ability to be many, yet one, is a supernatural kind of thing. God's math is other-worldly, to say the least, and two of His most beautiful manifestations of this supernatural math are marriage and the Church.

Marriage is described as "one-flesh" - two people that supernaturally become one. The Church is described as "one body" - many members, each with specific and necessary functions, yet one body. This is interdependence. No member can function independent from another member, yet no member can function completely dependent upon another.

We have the amazing privilege to experience, learn and model this supernatural interdependence every Sunday morning. We need each other because there is not one thing that any ONE of us does that ALL of us aren't somehow connected to.

I have seen many of you on many occasions serve one another in order for the team to make it through a Sunday - that's interdependence, that's being Jesus. Even this past Sunday, Debbie left her seat to serve Cherie as the computer demons reared their ugly heads! Props to BOTH of you - and ALL of you - for serving one another. THAT is what the creative arts MINISTRY is about.

When one struggles, we all struggle together.
AND...when one rejoices, we all rejoice together.

And so it is with Christ...

synchronize

2009-05-27T18:49:00.001-05:00

The word "synchronize" dates back to ~1624 and means "to occur at the same time" or "two or more processes that depend upon the occurrences of a specific event". In 1929, the word was used in a shortened form, "sync", with specific reference to the synchonization of soundtracks and pictures in the movies.

If life were only that easy to synchronize. Think with me for a second . . .

God is not bound by or influenced by what we know as time. When He looks at creation, He sees all; things we would call past, present or future He sees and knows as now (Jer 29.11, Ps 139.16). Jesus' death on the cross occured at a specific moment in time yet his sacrifice was for all sin, all humanity, all creation. Though I had yet to be born and exercise my free will, my sins were included in His grace. And, at the very moment I recognized God's existence and gift of salvation, I was transformed and made anew though no outward (or inward) disciplines and patterns had been changed.

So, if this is all true, it begs the question if WE are bound by time? If today we are redeemed and perfect children in the eyes of our Father, are our lives bound by time?

No, we're not but we are influenced by time and this is where we depart from being on the same plane as our Creator. Though I currently live a life that is eternal, I still count hours, days and years. Though I am cleansed, my feet still get muddy (John 13.10).

The challenge for us is to synchronize our spiritual eternal reality with our physical temporal situation as they are both dependent upon a specific event.

Remember, we are not human-beings having a spiritual experience but spiritual-beings having a human experience.

Think about it.

labor day

2009-05-27T18:48:00.000-05:00

Do you know what year Labor Day was originated?
Do you know what year Labor Day was declared a federal holiday by congress?
Do you know why you labor?

Let's employ some logical thinking skills... everyone have their thinking cap on?

First, think about what you do that makes you labor. Then ask, "Why do I do that?" Then ask, "Why do I do THAT?" for each thing you do until you reach the ultimate cause of your labor. This could be a pretty interesting exercise!

Here, let me share one of mine.
I labor around my house. So I asked myself, "Chris, why do you labor around your house?" To which I replied, "I labor around my house because I plan to sell it next year and want to get top dollar for it."

So, this means I am putting more labor into getting rid of my house than I was to keep it for myself. How crazy is that?

What are some areas you labor? Do you labor in your walk with Christ? Do you labor at work? Or how about your marriage? With your kids? In your friendships? Do you labor paying your bills?

Labor is an unfortunate reality of life. Actually, it's part of God's curse on humanity as a result of the fall. I guess from that perspective, labor is the constant reminder that we need God.

Ooh, hang on...so, why do we labor?

remembering curtis (pt 2)

2009-05-27T18:46:00.000-05:00

I'm home.

Curtis is in heaven.

I got to sit on the couch and love on my daughter.

Troy and Kim got to pack the bedroom of their son.

Doesn't make sense, does it? At times like this there isn't much to say other than "I love you." There isn't much to do other than just be there. And how blessed am I that I was able to do both. Thank you for giving me that honor.

This is the Body of Christ. This is the fellowship of believers. If one member suffers, we all do. If one rejoices, we all can.

Even if they go to another church. Even if we have differences. Even if we struggle with their personality, their spouse, their humor, their lifestyle.

We get love. We get to stay in this. Together.

What are we but former targets of the stones we are so often tempted to pick up and throw. How can we see each other or anyone as brother or sister unless the Lord removes the plank from our eyes? What can we offer - what do we have to offer - other than the grace Jesus has offered us?

We are the flesh and blood substitute of Jesus on this earth. The Son of God works in us and through us; He even works as us.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Gal. 2.20 esv

remembering curtis

2009-05-27T18:44:00.000-05:00

From The Confessions of St. Augustine:

I tell you a great marvel. Amazement seizes me to think that men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the mighty billows of the sea, the broad tides of rives, the compass of the ocean and the circuits of the stars. Yet they ignore the wonder found in themselves.

One of my most beloved friends, Troy, lost his 15 year old son Tuesday night due to a head trauma.

As much as this news broke my heart and threw me into a mixture of sorrow for him and the humblest of gratitude for the life and health of my daughter, I know Troy knows the wonder of God in himself and even more, in the unparalleled blessing of being a father to his son, Curtis.

There is so much we pursue, so much we assert value upon and therefore assume necessary to achieve; yet God still holds all things finite in his infinite hands. Regardless of our perspective or belief system, he remains Creator and we remain created. It is he alone who is in control, whether we agree with him, appreciate his choices or even like him - he remains God.

Life and death demand we face such truthful realities, superimpose our life over them and be transparent enough to see the result.

If faced with the decision to sacrifice your job or your spouse, your home or you child, your hobby or a deeper intimacy with your spouse - which would you choose? Or, maybe I should say, which DO you choose?

If your spouse, child, friend or anyone you dearly love was snatched from this life and your world, would they know everything they were to learn from you? Would they have experienced the wonder of God in you? The love of God from you? The grace of God as you?

Curtis did. I have no doubt about that. He knew the God of his father and he learned the character of God through his father. Curtis was in wonder of his dad and the God his dad served, but Curtis never wondered about either.

salt, anyone?

2009-05-27T18:43:00.000-05:00

I'm in a bit of a contemplative mood this day. Could be for several reasons, of which I will spare you the mind-numbing details. I find myself meandering through the "why's" of me, ministry and associate pastor-ship - I know, a bit weird but hey, that's what I do. So, this email will a bit more like a stream of consciousness - or as Jill calls it, blogesque. ;-)

My desire is not to expand church activity but for us - the Body of Christ - to join together in God's tangible ministry to our church family and beyond.

My intent is not to write emails for exercise but to connect, communicate, laugh and spur us all on to good and better things in Christ.

My passion is not to coordinate volunteers but to serve with fellow disciples of Christ who are growing in their understanding of God's love for them, God's grace in them and God's ministry through them.

My hope is not to ask people to do things for me or for a Christian organization, but to share in the blessings of our amazing God as we serve one another according to the gifts and callings He has sovereignly placed in our lives and woven together in our families and church fellowship.

Lofty? Idealistic? Unrealistic? Maybe.

But if I ever grow complacent - if I ever lose my saltiness - then please, fire me. Really, I mean it. (then again, a preemptive conversation might well be appreciated)

I cannot accurately or fully express to you how much I truly love serving the Lord AND how grateful I am that I get to do it with each of you.

perceived images

2009-05-27T18:42:00.000-05:00

St. Augustine, when writing about his memory, wrote this:

[Here] is a picture of that great harbor of the memory, which has numberless secret and inexpressible windings, where things are kept tobe brought out at need. Each enters in by itsproper gate and is laid up. But it isn'tthe things themselves that enter in,just their perceived images, for thought to recall.

Perceived images...there is a lot of truth to that, isn't there?

Experiences, by nature, are subjective and are therefore remembered as "perceived images" rather than objective truth. A very important thing to remember when it comes to how people remember their last experience with you... or your church.

stump the old man! (answers)

2009-05-27T18:41:00.001-05:00

So, how did the old man do? How did YOU do?

Here are the answers (but you will need to refer to last week's email for the questions).

1. He should choose the room with the lions - if they haven't eaten in 3 years, they're dead.

2. The woman is a photographer and "shot" a picture of her husband, developed it (held it under water) then "hung" it up to dry.

3. Charcoal.

4. We were looking for yesterday, today and tomorrow.

5. The most used letter in the alphabet, "e", does not appear in the pragraph.

stump the old man!

2009-05-27T18:40:00.000-05:00

Here are 5 questions to stump your old man (or anyone else for that matter)...

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and grey when you throw it away ?

4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday?

5. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious as to just how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so ordinary and plain that you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is highly unusual though. Study it and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching!

Work on your answers and I'll fill you in next week!!!

i'm done!!! (oh...)

2009-05-27T18:39:00.000-05:00

Do you remember graduating high school...I'll wait to give you a moment to think back. ;-)

I remember. I remember family, friends, ceremony, parties and feeling free!

It was much the same when I graduated college: family, friends, ceremony, parties and feeling free!

It was much the same when I graduated seminary: family, friends, ceremony, parties and feeling free!

Why do we feel free (or maybe why did I feel free)? I would assume it is because after attaining a new level of achievement, we anticipate a new level of freedom or reward. Seems logical. But what was that thing our parents always said?

With new freedoms come new responsibilities.

Yeah, nothing would ruin a happy moment better than parental statements like that, right? But that admonition was real and good and timely, because when I graduated all wanted was to be free and do nothing! At least for a little while. Didn't I earn it?

I find myself in that same mental process after God blesses me in life, even at the ripe old age of 35. I work hard at something, I pray and seek my Heavenly Father's wisdom and the counsel of my spiritual family, I walk through a ceremony of intentional thougt and decisions then experience the amazing grace of His hand moving in me and around me. Sometimes it's slow and difficult, and sometimes it's fast and obviously clear. Yet, after HE chooses to bless me (and it is HIS choice), I still find myself thinking I earned some new freedom or reward. Am I alone here? I sure hope not.

So, God - in His infinite wisdom and borderline annoying sense of humor - reminded of when His eldest child spoke of this. Wanna know what He said? Go get your Bible and read Luke 17.7-10.

Talk about being humbled...

walk around the block(head)

2009-05-27T18:32:00.001-05:00

I just got back from walking around my block. Not my neighborhood, but the block of life in which I live. Ever have God take you for a walk around your block?

This is what happened: I've been facing a fairly big life situation that spills over into several arenas of my existence. I've been doing pretty good at acknowledging Him rather than leaning on my own understanding and have even been holding myself accountable by seeking wise counsel. Yet, obstacles were still presenting themselves and I just wasn't sensing peace; but I knew God was trying to show me something. I just couldn't see it yet, so my heavenly Father decided to take me for a walk.

On this walk, I was still processing, discussing and even pursuing; however, God put some "unexpecteds" in my way to jolt my brain, to get me out of my mental rut. As we continued to traverse familiar yet somehow new terrain, these "unexpecteds" started to impact my thinking and served to remind me (or teach me) of Him. It's not that I was wrong but that God wanted to share this leg of the journey with me, to reveal to me that my better was still short of His best.

As I said, I just got back from one of these walks and God was so amazing and faithful. Imagine that. This walk was about a 9 month walk - pretty big block, huh? But you know what? God is an affirming God. Each step I took was received with affirmation. Not affirmation like, "God job, son!" but affirmation of HIS best, even in the aftermath of my worst. If my step was in line with His best, He affirmed with peace, joy, sometimes tangible blessing and always with the opportunity for another step. If I stepped off-center to His best, He still affirmed but used difficulty, frustration or confusion to slow me down.

I'm learning more and more to enjoy walking around the block with my Lord. It's a lot better than be a block-head.

oh to be a beggar

2009-05-27T18:31:00.001-05:00

Passing through the streets of Milan, I observed a poor beggar. Evidently he had a full belly that day, for he was laughing and joyful. I sighed and pointed him out to the friends around me.

We were burdened with all the sorrows of our frenetic lives. We were goaded by our ambitions to keep up. While I worked I drug along the baggage of my own dissatisfaction, which was only feeling heavier. We hoped one day to arrive at the same state of joy that beggar was showing in front of us. He had obtained, with a few coins he had begged from others, the same state of satisfaction I was planning to gain by many a toilsome turning and winding.

It was all the joy of temporary comfort. What the beggar had gained was not the true joy, but it was just as real as what I was trying to get with my ambitious plans. Certainly he was happy and I was anxious. He had no fears, while I was full of them.

If the beggar had asked me whether I would prefer to be in his merry state or my own fearful one, I would have answered that I would rather be merry. On the other hand, if he asked whether I would rather be a beggar like him, I should say that I would choose to be myself, even though worn out with cares and fears. But was that poor judgment? Was it the truth? Shouldn't I prefer to be like him? I had more knowledge than he but no joy in all my pursuit.

This new understanding was a bone-cracking blow from the club of Your correction. Certianly it makes a difference where a person finds joy.

~ from The Confessions of St. Augustine

innocent vs. not guilty

2009-05-27T18:29:00.000-05:00

This morning in my small group Bible study we were asked the question, "What does the declaration of 'not guilty' found in Romans 3.22 mean to you?"

Romans 3.22 now God says he will accept and acquit us - declare us 'not guilty' - if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. (TLB)

One response was "freedom" and another was "I'm not innocent but I have been declared 'not guilty.'" And another was this, "God's willingness to do everything necessary to cover my sin is like Him saying to me, 'I love you too much to be without you.'"

God says that to all creation - I love you too much to be without you.

God says that to the entire Willow Bend fellowship - I love you too much to be without you.

God says that to you - I love you too much to be without you.

And the amazing privilege we have is to allow that love - His love - to flow into us then through us so we can say to one another - I love you too much to be without you.

excellence (for who?)

2009-05-27T18:28:00.000-05:00

As we continue to give our best and serve our church family and Heavenly Father, I want to remind you of the awesome privilege we have to serve and the equally awesome responsibility we have to be lead-worshipers in all we do, especially from the stage.

We strive for excellence but not for excellence's sake. Listen to the words of Augustine (written ~400AD):

I have observed that a portion of the people will be suspicious of truth and [refuse] to accept it, unless it is delivered in a sophisticated and exuberant presentation.

I was saved from the speaker's charm because You, O my God, had already tuned my ear to truth in wonderful and secret ways. I believe You taught me, so that I could discern what is the truth...

From You I [have] learned that nothing is any more true because it is eloquent. Nor anything any more false because it is explained through inelegant lips.

I have seen people caught up in excellence, including me. I have seen people distracted by poor preparation and poor execution, including me. What I have never seen is God unable to work despite either. And what I have always seen is the amazing grace of God able to penetrate the heart of a true worshipper - whether that worshipper was standing on stage or sitting in the congregation.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
~ Colossians 3.17

We are lead worshippers to an audience of One.

i am subject (to change)

2009-05-27T18:25:00.000-05:00

You light my candle, O Lord my God.
You cast a beam through my darkness.
You gave us of all that You are, and You are the true Light.
You blaze the way before every human that walks the earth.
In You we see no shades of gray.
In You are seen no shadows of change.

I pressed toward You, and was pushed back that I might taste of death. You resisted my haughty spirit. But what could be more conceited, than that I had the strange madness to imagine that I could be what only You are? That I was subject to change should have been obvious. I wanted to change...But I preferred to argue that it was You who were subject to change instead of me.

- The Confessions of St. Augustine

maundy thursday?

2009-05-27T18:24:00.000-05:00

In the Christian liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) is the holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Disciples.

On this day four events are commemorated:

the washing of the Disciples' feet by Jesus Christ
the institution of Communion at the Last Supper
the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot

The celebration of these events marks the beginning of what is called the Easter Triduum (or Sacred Triduum). The Latin word triduum means a three-day period, and the triduum here is the three days from the death to the resurrection of Jesus.

For Jesus and his followers, a day ended and a new day began at sunset, which is still the case in the modern Jewish calendar. The Last Supper was held at what most consider to be the evening of Thursday but what was then considered to be the first hours of Friday. The annual commemoration of Maundy Thursday thus begins the Easter Triduum of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. Collectively, these days of special devotion celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ, which are the central events of biblical Christianity.

So there ya have it...

but he was not there

2009-05-27T18:22:00.000-05:00

...then I was told, "Go, stand in the sanctuary in expectation before God. God will pass by."

The band played a rocking tune, complete with a rippin' electric guitar solo; then they played a magnificent love song to God, but God wasn't in the music.

When the band was finished, the preacher got up and delivered an amazing sermon, with heart-wrenching imagery, but God wasn't in the presentation.

Then people walked to the front, knelt and prayed, and they led the congregation in communion. It was beautiful and captivating, but God was not in the ceremony.

After communion, there was a moment of silence - kind of an awkward transition, if you ask me - like the people on stage weren't sure what to do for a second. And in that moment I heard a gentle and quiet whisper.

The quiet voice asked, "Tell me, what are you doing here?"
-adapted from 1 Kings 19

Our response to that question is critical as it just might reveal what we really believe about God. Are we looking for a worship-fix? A sermon delivery worthy of being on TV? A ceremony that flows flawlessly?

God may choose to use music, a sermon, a ceremony. He may even choose to use something we would never expect.

Or, he may not.

Either way,the question remains: What are you doing here?

Will our worship ever allow Him to be enough?

FAT tuesday

2009-05-27T18:21:00.003-05:00

This past Tuesday was Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday which begins the liturgical season of Lent. "Liturgical" simply refers to the church calendar which consists of the cycle of seasons within the Christian church.

The season of Lent is the 40-day season of fasting and prayer that leads up to Easter for the purpose of preparing the believer for the annual commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The 40 days is representative of the time Jesus spent in the desert where he was tempted by Satan.
Lent is primarily a season of self-denial, as in "What are you going to 'give up' for Lent?" The irony is that rather than discerning what to "give up" for Lent, I fear many people decide what to "hold on" to.

Fat Tuesday is French for "Mardi-Gras" and is the day set aside to indulge the flesh prior to denying it - it is also called "Shrove Tuesday" and "Pancake Day". Fascinating, isn't it?

Though I realize some of us (including me) were not brought up in a liturgical environment nor do we attend a church that observes the liturgical calendar, I wonder if we still hold personal observances of Fat Tuesday and approach spiritual disciples in a backward and ironic way.

Paul warned Timothy of people who will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, who will live in a form of godliness but are actually denying its power (2 Timothy 3.4-5).

And Peter challenged the church to live in the freedom of Christ but to not use that freedom as an excuse to do less than our best for God. Instead, we should, in our freedom, strive to live as servants of God (1 Peter 2.16).

let me die

2009-05-27T18:21:00.001-05:00

Not really...I recently started reading "The Confessions of St. Augustine" and it has been pretty cool. So, this week I thought I would simply throw a quote your way and let you meditate and ponder its theological and life-practical significance.

In his article entitled "Confession of the Greatness of God", Augustine wrote:

Oh, have mercy on me and tell me,
O Lord my God, what You are to me.
Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
Say it loudly enough that I may hear.

Behold, Lord, my heart lies exposed before You.
Open the ears of that heart and say unto
my soul, "I am your salvation."

After You have spoken,
allow me to quickly grasp You.

Hide not Your face from me.

Let me die, so that I will not only die.

light bulb days

2009-05-27T18:20:00.001-05:00

There was this afternoon in Georgia when I wanted to change the headlight light bulbs in my truck to those new fangled super bright light bulbs. Long story short, it took me almost an hour and absolutely ruined my day! It was so amazingly frustrating!

A couple days later the Holy Spirit replayed that event in my mind then promptly reminded me of a verse:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not
common to man. God is faithful and he will not let
you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the
temptation he will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.

I was quite humbled when I realized the best I had to offer my God that day was changing a light bulb. How pathetic is that, right? Then the Holy Spirit chimed in again and said, "LaRue, God knew the best you had to offer that day was changing a light bulb, that's why He picked that day for you to change the light bulb."

Wow. How cool is that?

So, when you have a light bulb day (or if you have a day with a "real" challenge) remember that the challenge you are facing isn't catching God by surprise. Nope, his grace is sufficient for even that.

remember when's (w/ roc larue)

2009-05-27T18:19:00.001-05:00

Do you ever get caught up in "remember when" talks with friends or family? It can be so much fun and sometimes, so embarrassing! It happens every time I go home for a visit. This past visit was no different...except for one thing.

I took my dad out for dinner one night for the primary purpose of getting him to share stories. He didn't know that was my goal which, of course, made it much easier to achieve. The fascinating part was that I didn't realize how much I would learn nor did I realize how much it would mean to him.

As he told stories of playing with people like Eddie Cochran and Carl Perkins (and others whose names I never remember), meeting Sammy Davis, Jr., playing at the Apollo, his band "Roc LaRue and His Pals" being the house band at The Wagon Wheel (located at 45th and Broadway, just off Times Square), meeting numerous movie and music celebrities, being on TV 6 nights a week and the radio several days a week, having a hit #1 single in a large portion of the northeast market and on and on... I found myself thinking, "Wow, do you believe this? My dad did all of this?!?" But the truly amazing part to me was that as he retold these stories, even HE was saying, "It's still hard to believe this really happened."

God is the perfector of the "remember when" talks! You can find them throughout the Bible - people recounting the infinite vignettes of our Lifestory Crafting God.

Have you ever had a "remember when" conversation with Him? A conversation where you remember back to some of the amazing (and embarrassing) stories of your life and journey together?

There is a story in John 11 where Jesus and Martha are having a fairly intense discussion. Martha is esseentially saying "Remember when you did all those amazing things for all those other people? Why didn't you do it for me? For Lazarus?"

Do you remember Jesus' reply? "I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this?"

Take time to reflect and "remember when" with those you love...including Jesus. Then take some more time to anticipate, to become confident in the God who has proven his faithfulness yesterday will prove it again as He walks with you today.

And tomorrow.

Do you believe this? Pretty amazing, I know!

even if only a few

2009-05-27T18:16:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share a quote with you that I shared at our elder/staff breakfast last weekend.

When I get to heaven, I don't want to watch Jesus spew my sheep out of his mouth. No, I'd rather have a select few behind me and be able to say, "Jesus, these are all I have left but they are crazy in love with you. They sacrificed all of their lives to serve you."
~ Francis Chan, Teaching Pastor at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA

This quote could be misunderstood to say we can neglect those we feel are less-spiritual or who are less inclined to rise to our perceived level of maturity or expectation. That would be an unfortunate interpretation.

Or, we could understand this quote to convey the reality that God graces us with countless people as we live our lives. Each of those persons is just as valuable as every other person. It's in this amazing equality that God supernaturally creates a unique bond with some. Why? How? Who? I don't know but I've experienced it and hope you have, too. The easy ones to recognize are those that become our spouses or children, parents or siblings. But God also creates this supernatural bond with others we work with, live near, play sports with, go to church with or simply walk by. As we live life - loving God and loving others - His Spirit invades the specific friendships and specific moments to accomplish amazing things.

Here's a simple example: I currently have hundreds of people I am living life with. Of those hundreds, there are somewhere between 200-300 that are associated with Willow Bend, just over 50 who are interested in Creative Arts, almost 30 who are engaged with Creative Arts, about another 28 engaged in my Life Group (including children), about 12 in ministry leadership roles with me, another 9 in church leadership roles with me, about 3 in serious man-friendships with another handful of men in strong friendship, about another 15 that are physical neighbors of mine, about 30 or so people I am blessed to maintain friendships with through my life/ministry travels, 1 personal pastor (who also happens to be our Sr. Pastor), and 1 daughter.

That's a lot of people (and some of you have even more than I). Yet, in all of these friendships, there are few I have sensed God's special annointing to walk with in a unique and beautiful way. Does that mean all the rest are somehow less important to me? or not worth my time? or don't get returned emails or phone calls? Not at all. But it does mean I strive to honor that which I see God doing in me and around me. It means I believe and trust completely that God is a God of organization, not chaos, which translates into my understanding that what He puts in my life to do and experience will fit into a 24-hour day, a 7-day week...my lifetime. If all that I am attempting to do - assuming I am even seeking God's direction for my life - cannot be reconciled into a 24-hour day or 7-day week, then I am not honoring His purpose in me for me or His purpose in me for those He has sovereignly placed in my life.

We may - and I hope we do - touch the lives of thousands upon thousands of people with even the smallest of godly compassion and truth. I also hope we capture the hearts of some, even if only a few.

there's no "i" in church

2009-05-27T18:13:00.000-05:00

I've been given a awesome privilege: I will be officiating the wedding of one of my former students next weekend! Wahoo! Her name is Shelly and her beaux is Martin. She was in my youth group when I was youth pastor at Trinity Baptist in Farmersville, TX, during seminary. I just had the chance to reconnect with her over coffee yesterday...we hadn't seen each other in almost 10 years! Cool stuff!

For a while I had some promo's in the bulletin that started with "Life is Better with a Friend" and it's true. Church, when you reduce down, is about friendship. It's not about the Sunday show or "building the program"; no, it's about living in friendship with those whom God has placed in our lives. Then, the benefit (or the fun part) is that we GET to do ministry together, we get to touch people's lives and we get to see God do amazing things in US and through US.

There's no "I" in church...(I know, cheezy)...but it's still true. It's because of God's amazing grace that WE even have a life to live and that life only becomes abundant when it WE realize it's not about ME...it's always about US: Jesus, our biological family, our extended spiritual family and those who are yet to be born into this life WE know and enjoy in Christ.

That's what makes performing Shelly's wedding so cool...I pastored her from 1994-1997, trying to be the great youth guy. I look back and think, "I was SO clueless then!!!" (not that I'm totally with it now, either) But listen to this, she told me she always imagined me performing her wedding. Wow, me?!?

Farmersville wasn't about me at all. It was about us - me and some 40 or so kids, journeying through life, hoping we could figure it all out. We didn't figure it all out - by far - but God gave US what WE needed.

And He still does.

2009-05-27T18:10:00.000-05:00

In my Life Group last week we read Ephesians 2.19-22 - the part where Paul writes about us being fellow citizens and members of the household of God. He draws this word picture of a house where the foundation is the apostles and prophets (those who were called to the unique task of proclaiming God's truth pre-Jesus); then he writes that the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple - and this temple is held together by Jesus, the chief cornerstone. We discussed how WE are the household of God. We are being built TOGETHER into the very dwelling place of the Spirit of God. And "we" is not just "me" or "Willow Bend" but all who call upon the name of the Lord. We were humbled as we realized this truth is so much bigger than we live.

We then read Acts 2.42-47 which is a beautiful and quite practical picture of the Church (i.e. the household of God). This early church didn't have Willow Creek or Saddle Back to model themselves after. So, they did want seemed good and fun. They devoted themselves (mutually and together) to reading the Bible, inviting each other over for dinner or dessert, and praying together. They even financially supported one another - talk about being transparent! As a result of their service to one another, the Scripture says two things happened: first, they had favor with "all the people"; second, "the Lord added" to their number every day those who were being saved.

These passages have continued to roll around in my head and heart. Please allow me to share with you some of the things God has been saying to me...again...yet as though for the first time:

1) The household of God is huge.
I am a part of His household but only one part. Do I celebrate that huge reality?

2) Jesus is the chief cornerstone.
He is the One who gives me life, ability and wisdom (or at least thoughts). Do I live for His glory and honor? I mean really?

3) The saints loved spending time together.
The fellowship of these believers was more about sharing life than pulling off a program. Do I love to share life with those who live in the same "room" with me in the household of God...beyond Sunday morning talk and responsibility?

4) God is the only One who can and will give increase.
As a result of serving and loving one another, the Lord gave them increase. Do I see God's increase manifest in my life? my family? my ministry? my church?

just a jacked up dad

2009-05-27T18:08:00.001-05:00

In the early chapters of Acts we read of the church committing themselves to loving God (prayer and the Word) and loving others (taking care of each other’s needs and sharing the Good News). The result was that “God added to their number daily”.

Here’s the dichotomy of heavenly increase: God is the only One who can increase our “number” yet He will only do it as a result of our individual and corporate obedience. In other words, God doesn’t need our human efforts to accomplish His eternal purpose but He loves us so much that He wants us to be involved in His work.

It’s kind of like what happened today. I had an envelope to put in the mail; sure I could have walked to the mailbox, inserted the envelope and raised the little red flag all by myself but instead I asked Camille to do it. Was I being lazy… well, not entirely but I knew Camille would enjoy being asked to do something for her daddy (like raise that little red flag), especially since she has learned that when her daddy asks her to do something and she does it quick and well, it makes him happy and he lavishes his love on her (yes, I can “lavish” my love, thank you very much). Now, if that’s how it works in my kingdom – and I’m a quirky, frequently jacked-up punk trying to figure out what the heck life is all about – how much more will it work in our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom.

my chest feels funny

2009-05-27T18:00:00.000-05:00

As told by Christie, Camille's mom:

We were listening to a Jeremy Camp CD and he was singing the phrase:

Every time I'm on my knees
Pleading for Your strength
I will find You there

Camille asked, Mommy, why is he singing about bleeding?

He's not, Baby. He's singing "pleading."

What is pleading?

Pleading is when you ask for something that you want really badly.

Oh. (pause)

What is he pleading for?

(trying to figure out a way to make this a teachable moment, I replied)
He wants Jesus to come into his heart.

(with near indignation, Camille quickly contested)
Why is he asking for Jesus to come into his heart if Jesus is already there?

Well, Sweetheart, Jesus wants to come into his heart but Jesus won't until he asks Him to.

(pause)

Hang on. (Camille bowed her head and began to move her lips silently, then popped her head up and said) Ok!

Puzzled, I asked, OK, what, baby?

I asked Jesus into my heart.

Utterly amazed, I said, You did?!? Wow! I/m so proud of you!

Camille gave a big grin followed by a brief moment of silence.
Mommy? My chest feels funny.

Curious, I asked, It does? How does it feel funny?

With smirk and silly tone, Camille answered, I think Jesus is walking around in there!

I honestly don't know if Camille fully understands what asking Jesus into your heart means. I do however earnestly pray she continues to grow in her understanding of His love and grace.

I share this with you also to remind us that God is so involved in the details of our lives that He can even use a misunderstanding to open a door, touch a heart and occasionally rock a world.

So, what are you pleading for? Or maybe I should ask, Does your chest feel funny?

when was the last time you were touched?

2009-05-27T17:45:00.000-05:00

Willow Bend is my church family and serving with you is my joy.

We are all individuals and therefore we all have opinions, expectations, personal histories and our own lives to live. Behind all our individualities, however, there is a core of our humanity that is much the same.

Do you remember the story where Jesus healed the leper by touching him? It's very likely that leper hadn't been touched by a human in years because he was an outcast, unclean. Can you imagine what that must have felt like? To live your life, day in and day out, and never feel the compassionate touch of a friend? Whether someone's pain is their fault or not, to be IN pain physically or emotionally and be pushed aside as insignificant is brutal.

Unfortunately, I fear we all can relate to that leper. I bet everyone reading this email has experienced feelings of abandonment, being cast out, ignored, even considered unclean. I know I have and to be honest, sometimes I was the one doing the pushing. What;s amazing is that as I look back and replay these moments and seasons in my life, I can see specific times when God heard my cry (or yell) and reached out to touch me. There are a couple times when it felt like He stopped the whole world to focus all of His attention on me. I know He didn't, but that's how He made me feel.

Important.
Valuable.
Clean.

Can you imagine how it must have felt to have the first compassionate touch in years be the touch of Jesus? A touch that would heal you... completely?

I wonder how many people might visit Willow Bend feeling like that leper?
I wonder if there might be some in our church family who feel like that leper?

As we go about our lives, we have the amazing blessing of being the compassionate hand of Jesus to those who come across our paths. Watch and listen.

My life was greatly impacted by someone who took the time to stop and touch me. His name is Jesus.

this is how it's gonna go down...

2009-05-27T17:44:00.000-05:00

I've been writing "blogs" for several years in the form of weekly emails to my creative arts team. I am going to sift through them and pick the ones that I believe are better - better being a relative term, of course - and post them here. That's all I know at this point...

2006-12-11T18:55:00.000-06:00

Just getting set up...