We had another great Leadership-Team Meeting today... It's all starting to click as we can see the goal coming more & more into focus. It's great to hear the heated, passionate debate by passionate people who are united by a common goal: to make fully-devoted followers of Christ!
Don't misunderstand me... We're still a long (VERY long) way from that goal, but each day we take another step and move that much closer to the prize before us! (Did I mention that we're still a long way off?) Every time we meet, I can feel the momentum building, the expectation rising, & the excitement increasing... We really are on this journey together, & it's amazing to see it all happening!
One day, we're going to look back at all of these lunch meetings & say, "Remember when this all started... Back around the tables in the Fellowship Hall? Wow! Who would've ever thought it would lead to all of this?"
Next month we will be taking a HUGE step forward as we begin presenting our discipleship process to the church for the first time... I can't wait to see the excitement build as the vision explodes in their hearts & they "get it." This is what CLC has been waiting, longing, & hoping for!
This truly is the journey of my lifetime (& for generations to come!), & we're walking it out the only way we can... One step at a time.
It's hard work, but it sure is fun!!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Power of Faith
Now, hold on a minute! Before you go thinking that I'm gonna write some blab-it-&-grab-it, name-it-&-claim-it post here... Not THAT Faith.
My Faith.
Faithy Waithy.
My sweet, loving, compassionate, 6-year old Faith. My daughter.
Faith is so tender-hearted & compassionate that she will talk to anybody (& everybody) who looks like they might be in pain, suffering, or sadness. Once she was in the mall when someone in a wheelchair rolled by right next to her. You could see her expression change as she reached out & rubbed their arm as they went by. She definitely has the gift of compassion!
I have watched Faith over the years melt even the hardest-looking faces into a pleasant smile. She really is amazing!
Just the other night, we were visiting a movie set where the lead actress (who is not known for being super personal) was portraying a ghost & had make-up on her eyes to look like tears of blood. When they finished shooting the particular scene, she came & sat in a chair right by Faith. Faith looked at her and said, "You're beautiful!" (Not the word I would've chosen, for sure... Especially with "blood" coming out of her eyes.)
You should've seen the reaction: This girl totally melted! She scooped Faith up in her arms & they loved on each other for the next several seconds.
THAT'S the power of Faith!
I've seen her do that over & over again to people with a kind word, some genuine compassion, & a willingness to love someone without conditions. To Faith, there is no such thing as an unlovable person.
I am sure of 2 things: 1) that Jesus is smiling & 2) that I am envious!
My Faith.
Faithy Waithy.
My sweet, loving, compassionate, 6-year old Faith. My daughter.
Faith is so tender-hearted & compassionate that she will talk to anybody (& everybody) who looks like they might be in pain, suffering, or sadness. Once she was in the mall when someone in a wheelchair rolled by right next to her. You could see her expression change as she reached out & rubbed their arm as they went by. She definitely has the gift of compassion!
I have watched Faith over the years melt even the hardest-looking faces into a pleasant smile. She really is amazing!
Just the other night, we were visiting a movie set where the lead actress (who is not known for being super personal) was portraying a ghost & had make-up on her eyes to look like tears of blood. When they finished shooting the particular scene, she came & sat in a chair right by Faith. Faith looked at her and said, "You're beautiful!" (Not the word I would've chosen, for sure... Especially with "blood" coming out of her eyes.)
You should've seen the reaction: This girl totally melted! She scooped Faith up in her arms & they loved on each other for the next several seconds.
THAT'S the power of Faith!
I've seen her do that over & over again to people with a kind word, some genuine compassion, & a willingness to love someone without conditions. To Faith, there is no such thing as an unlovable person.
I am sure of 2 things: 1) that Jesus is smiling & 2) that I am envious!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
It's the Little Things... The REALLY Little Things!
I got a pretty good bit of feedback on my message today, but not the kind I normally get.
No, indeed...
I like feedback. I love feedback. I need feedback. I thrive on feedback! Fortunately for me, I've learned over the years, how to keep both positive and not-so-positive feedback in perspective. In a desire to help me stay humble, someone once told me, "You're never as good as people say you are. But, you're never as bad as they say you are, either."
Thanks.
I think.
Anyway... Feedback...
The feedback I got today was good, actually, but just so unusual that I'm not sure how to take it.
I was talking about selfishness using some less-than-savory-traffic habits to get everyone thinking in the direction that I wanted to go. I went on to share how God calls us to put others first & pointed out that we are, by nature, very selfish. I put out a challenge to be selfless by celebrating the success of others & shared that when we do, God will increase our influence in their lives. In spite of the fact that I kept forgetting my points (Grrrr!), it seem to go pretty well.
That's where the feedback comes in: NO ONE mentioned the message! At least, none of the meat of it! Instead, I got kind of a "confession-on-the-fly" from people fessing up to all of their rude & selfish driving habits.
(I'm chuckling as I write this because it was pretty funny, really.)
One person even called and left me a voicemail immediately after leaving the church saying that they had just committed one of the "cardinal sins" I mentioned... I don't think his conscience was really bothering him all that much about it, though: he was giggling way too much to be repentant!
So, I'm glad people heard the message today. Or not.
No, indeed...
I like feedback. I love feedback. I need feedback. I thrive on feedback! Fortunately for me, I've learned over the years, how to keep both positive and not-so-positive feedback in perspective. In a desire to help me stay humble, someone once told me, "You're never as good as people say you are. But, you're never as bad as they say you are, either."
Thanks.
I think.
Anyway... Feedback...
The feedback I got today was good, actually, but just so unusual that I'm not sure how to take it.
I was talking about selfishness using some less-than-savory-traffic habits to get everyone thinking in the direction that I wanted to go. I went on to share how God calls us to put others first & pointed out that we are, by nature, very selfish. I put out a challenge to be selfless by celebrating the success of others & shared that when we do, God will increase our influence in their lives. In spite of the fact that I kept forgetting my points (Grrrr!), it seem to go pretty well.
That's where the feedback comes in: NO ONE mentioned the message! At least, none of the meat of it! Instead, I got kind of a "confession-on-the-fly" from people fessing up to all of their rude & selfish driving habits.
(I'm chuckling as I write this because it was pretty funny, really.)
One person even called and left me a voicemail immediately after leaving the church saying that they had just committed one of the "cardinal sins" I mentioned... I don't think his conscience was really bothering him all that much about it, though: he was giggling way too much to be repentant!
So, I'm glad people heard the message today.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Patience, Perseverance, & Promise
There's a great scene in Lord of the Rings where Gollum is debating with himself about killing Sam & Frodo in order to take the Ring. As he begins to get excited about the thought of having back his "Precious," he reminds himself, "Patience. Patience, My Love."
That word, "patience," has been going through my heart & mind a lot lately, along with 2 others: "perseverance" & "promise." I have been thinking about these words in terms of their relationship to time... Patience is exercised during a time, perseverance is exercised over a time, & promise is realized at the end of a time.
Anything we do that is going to endure is going to take time (far more of it than I am comfortable with, by the way). Pregnancy is 40 weeks... Building a house takes 4-6 months... Graduating High School takes 18 years... College take 4 years... You get the point. But the key to realizing the promise that awaits any accomplishment is to be patient moment by moment and to persevere over the course of time.
So I've decided that I am going to be patient right now (That's funny: all I've been given is right now, anyway!). As each "right now" becomes a "back then," my patience becomes perseverance, which will in turn produce the promise I am longing for.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day
You know what? I've got an awesome Dad! I remember growing up that when people would ask me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" that I would answer with the typical little-boy answer... Something like, "A linebacker in the NFL," or, "A fighter pilot," or something else equally grandiose.
But in reality, all I wanted to be was a Dad. One like my Dad. One who was always there. One who always rooted for me. One who always pushed me to do my best & be my best, but always there to encourage me when I fell short of my own expectations. One who showed me what it meant to be a man. A real man. A man who put his family before his own interests and desires.
Now I have 4 beautiful little girls of my own; 1 waiting for me in Heaven & 3 that I get to spend time with... If their dad is 1/2 the man that my dad was (is), then they're going to have a great example.
Hosanna, Faith, & Leili: I love you, my sweeties! Micaiah, Mommy & I will see you one day.
Thanks, Dad. I love you!
But in reality, all I wanted to be was a Dad. One like my Dad. One who was always there. One who always rooted for me. One who always pushed me to do my best & be my best, but always there to encourage me when I fell short of my own expectations. One who showed me what it meant to be a man. A real man. A man who put his family before his own interests and desires.
Now I have 4 beautiful little girls of my own; 1 waiting for me in Heaven & 3 that I get to spend time with... If their dad is 1/2 the man that my dad was (is), then they're going to have a great example.
Hosanna, Faith, & Leili: I love you, my sweeties! Micaiah, Mommy & I will see you one day.
Thanks, Dad. I love you!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
What Just Happened???
Have you ever been going along--minding your own business--when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you get blindsided by something completely unexpected?
That happened to me last night. Several of us, really. We were just finishing up our prayer service (which was absolutely awesome!) & I noticed a commotion in the foyer. I walk out to see 2 Sheriff's deputies walking in with two ladies. I introduced myself & asked them what was going on & the ladies informed me that they were from OCS & were there to seize custody of one of the children that had come to church that night.
I wish I had words to describe to you how violated I felt. I'm the Senior Pastor of this church. I am LEGALLY responsible for the things that happen here. But no one from the state even had the courtesy to let me know they were coming.
When I asked why, the OCS workers' response was, "They're our kids once the judge signs the order... We have no choice but to come and get them."
At church? In front of everybody? As if it's not hard enough on the kids & the family already, you want to violate what should be the safest place for them?
Even today, my head is still spinning. But you know what's really scary to me? That many of our fellow Americans really believe that the government is the answer to our problems. The same government that can't deliver a letter on time for less than 42 cents... And we're going to trust them with our health care?! I wonder what it's going to take for us to realize that the only government that will ever truly be reliable and protect its citizens is the government established by Jesus Christ Himself.
The longer I live, the more my heart cries, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus!"
That happened to me last night. Several of us, really. We were just finishing up our prayer service (which was absolutely awesome!) & I noticed a commotion in the foyer. I walk out to see 2 Sheriff's deputies walking in with two ladies. I introduced myself & asked them what was going on & the ladies informed me that they were from OCS & were there to seize custody of one of the children that had come to church that night.
I wish I had words to describe to you how violated I felt. I'm the Senior Pastor of this church. I am LEGALLY responsible for the things that happen here. But no one from the state even had the courtesy to let me know they were coming.
When I asked why, the OCS workers' response was, "They're our kids once the judge signs the order... We have no choice but to come and get them."
At church? In front of everybody? As if it's not hard enough on the kids & the family already, you want to violate what should be the safest place for them?
Even today, my head is still spinning. But you know what's really scary to me? That many of our fellow Americans really believe that the government is the answer to our problems. The same government that can't deliver a letter on time for less than 42 cents... And we're going to trust them with our health care?! I wonder what it's going to take for us to realize that the only government that will ever truly be reliable and protect its citizens is the government established by Jesus Christ Himself.
The longer I live, the more my heart cries, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus!"
Sunday, June 8, 2008
E3: Encounter | Experience | Emulate
We had a great Leadership Team meeting today! It seems that we are all beginning to feel our discipleship process coming together & today we took a couple of HUGE steps in that direction!
We know that Jesus has called us to make disciples, and we are moving closer & closer to having a process in place at CLC that facilitates the growth Jesus intended. This is exciting to be a part of... Watching God work in the hearts of our leaders to accomplish His will in our church & community. I am SO thankful that I get to be a part of this!!
Our process at CLC is called E3 & it consists of 3 steps:
Keep the vision before you.
We know that Jesus has called us to make disciples, and we are moving closer & closer to having a process in place at CLC that facilitates the growth Jesus intended. This is exciting to be a part of... Watching God work in the hearts of our leaders to accomplish His will in our church & community. I am SO thankful that I get to be a part of this!!
Our process at CLC is called E3 & it consists of 3 steps:
- Encounter Christ... Through worship & the message in our weekend service.
- Experience Christ... Through relationships with others in a small group.
- Emulate Christ... Through serving in the church & building relationships with those outside the church.
Keep the vision before you.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Lord of the Rings
We had some friends over yesterday for a Lord of the Rings marathon. Jen bought me the 3-box , extended-version set, so it takes about 13-14 hours to watch it all, but it's a blast!! We've done it twice now & I can't wait to do it again!!
The Lord of the Rings is my favorite movie of all times (in case you hadn't guessed that already), & every time I watch it, I'm amazed at the depth of life that they captured. My favorite Shakespeare prof. at the Naval Academy, Doc White, once said that the difference between Shakespeare & other writers was that they all captured a glimpse of life from one aspect, but Shakespeare captured life itself. That thought has always struck me, & I think that's why I love LotR so much... It seems to do the same!
One of my favorite exchanges takes place between Frodo & Gandalf in the mines of Moria. Frodo is lamenting his burden of carrying the ring & says to Gandalf, "I wish the ring had never come to me... I wish none of this had ever happened!" Gandalf replies (& this is awesome!!), "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All that is left for them is to decide what to do with the time they've been given."
There is more truth there than I'm comfortable with!
So... What am I going to decide?
The Lord of the Rings is my favorite movie of all times (in case you hadn't guessed that already), & every time I watch it, I'm amazed at the depth of life that they captured. My favorite Shakespeare prof. at the Naval Academy, Doc White, once said that the difference between Shakespeare & other writers was that they all captured a glimpse of life from one aspect, but Shakespeare captured life itself. That thought has always struck me, & I think that's why I love LotR so much... It seems to do the same!
One of my favorite exchanges takes place between Frodo & Gandalf in the mines of Moria. Frodo is lamenting his burden of carrying the ring & says to Gandalf, "I wish the ring had never come to me... I wish none of this had ever happened!" Gandalf replies (& this is awesome!!), "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All that is left for them is to decide what to do with the time they've been given."
There is more truth there than I'm comfortable with!
So... What am I going to decide?
Sunday, June 1, 2008
It Sure is Quiet around Here (For Now)!!
Jen & I took the girls to Tallahassee this weekend & met my folks there. The girls went back with Grampa & Honey for two weeks, and whoa! is it quiet around the house!!
We had a good service today... Worship was really good (I'm so proud of the way Jen leads us in worship... She is really coming into her own as a worship leader), we baptized 3 people, & we had some time with Dave & Shirlene Reddout. The altar call, though, was pretty... quiet.
I keep hearing different people share how God is moving in their life & how they feel an expectancy that God is about to break loose in their lives & in our church... I can't wait to see that happen!! There is a day coming when EVERY altar call will have lost people coming to know Jesus as Lord & Savior, getting healed & set free!! Where every baptism ceremony has 15-20 people... Where people are hearing the call to serve Jesus with every gift & ability He gave them.
And when it starts... LOOK OUT!
Yeah, it's pretty quiet around here, but God promised us He would send the fire and the rain... Either He's going to do it, or He's a liar. My God is no liar.
We had a good service today... Worship was really good (I'm so proud of the way Jen leads us in worship... She is really coming into her own as a worship leader), we baptized 3 people, & we had some time with Dave & Shirlene Reddout. The altar call, though, was pretty... quiet.
I keep hearing different people share how God is moving in their life & how they feel an expectancy that God is about to break loose in their lives & in our church... I can't wait to see that happen!! There is a day coming when EVERY altar call will have lost people coming to know Jesus as Lord & Savior, getting healed & set free!! Where every baptism ceremony has 15-20 people... Where people are hearing the call to serve Jesus with every gift & ability He gave them.
And when it starts... LOOK OUT!
Yeah, it's pretty quiet around here, but God promised us He would send the fire and the rain... Either He's going to do it, or He's a liar. My God is no liar.
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