Have we forgotten anything?

How do we connect to Christ? There is but one way, the Cross. The cross is the connection point between us and God. If this connection point is done away with, there is no other alternative.

Has the reality of the cross and our utmost need for it lost it's place in our Traditional, Emergent and Missional minds? Sometimes I fear this is the case. We're trying to figure out a way to get to God without the traditional church system, we're trying to lead people to Christ via their own "personal" journey but have we forgot to lead them by the way of the Cross? This video is interesting in considering that question. David over at "In Rejection of Mediocrity" has produced a video with this in mind.

The Maze of Life

Have you ever felt like life is just one big maze that you cannot find your way through? You know there is a way through this crazy thing but it seems there are countless dead ends...and you seem to find all of them. It would seem that just when you feel things are going right, you hit a wall. That job doesn't pan out, the relationship you thought was "the one", isn't, the health issue you're dealing with doesn't seem to be getting any better. You're overall outlook on the future seems to diminish a little more with every passing day. As a result, you find yourself simply meandering in the maze of mediocrity. You're tired of trying anymore. You’re convinced this life is as good as it gets. Ever had one of these days? Ever had one of these weeks, months or years? I certainly have. How do we get back on "track"? I want to give a few ideas that will help when life just doesn't seem to be working out for us.

I think the first thing to do is re-trace our decisions. Where ever we are in life, pleasant or unpleasant, may be as a result of a decision we made. If we're in a rather unsatisfactory place in our life, we may have made a poor decision. Everything we do as individuals is decision based. The down side to this is a bad decision will result in a bad consequence. Ah, yes, those pesky consequences. Don't you wish we didn't have to worry about those things? Well, we do. The really bad thing about bad decisions is that you don't get to choose the consequence that follows. The poor decision dictates the consequence. It would be nice to eat all the "junk" food I wanted and say, "My consequence is going to be health and wellness." But guess what, it isn't. The poor decision to eat poorly already dictates to me what will be the consequences of that poor decision. I'll be over weight and miserable trying to tie my shoes. :) The point is decisions should be carefully thought out in relation to the likely consequences to follow.

I understand that not all of our struggles in life are as a result of our own poor choices. Perhaps you're going through something right now that is the result of someone else’s poor decision. This can be a very difficult situation to work through; especially if that person is close to you. I think the thing we have to remember when someone else’s bad choices negatively affect our lives is to take a long look in the mirror. Yes it hurts and yes it's difficult to deal with but haven't we all been on the other side of this before? I mean at the very core of the matter rests the fact our bad choices sent Jesus to the Cross to die a substitutionary death that wasn't His to die. It was ours. The point is someone always pays for bad decisions. Ask God to help you forgive and to give you power to get through this ordeal...my guess is God will be there for you even if the other person isn't.

Then, preparation precedes blessings many times. I don't think this is always the case but I do believe that in many situations, we have to position ourselves for blessing. I guess this would run parallel to making good choices but I think there is another aspect involved. Keeping God in slot #1 in our lives is a good way to prepare for blessings. Jesus said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33
I believe God wants nothing more for us, His children, than to bless us by leading us to the fulfillment of our dreams. I think the prerequisite is that God does the leading. I have an "older" gentleman in my church that once told me, "95% of the time when people's lives head toward ruin, they've gotten in front of God." We've begun trying to lead God in the way we want Him to go rather than submissively following in the way He wants us to go. Are you following Him or are you trying to lead Him? Success and blessing comes to the follower.

What do you think? Any advice on this crazy thing we call life? Would you add something that has helped you in your personal struggles?

Love Wins

That's what is on my t-shirt today. I got this t-shirt last year when I, along with my youth pastor and some of the teenagers of Living Springs went on a weekend missions trip to Mexico last year. We'll be going again in just about a month. Love Wins was the theme of the outreach invasion. Every time I put this t-shirt on and I read those words, Love Wins, it puts me in a great frame of mind. When I'm wearing it and others see it, I notice they'll read the words, look up at me, read the words again and simply pass by. Others will say, I like your shirt. Whatever the case may be, Love Wins, gets your mind to thinking. If you're being treated badly, Love Wins. If your the recipient of hate speech, Love Wins. If you're sharing Jesus with someone who seems they couldn't be any less interested, Love Wins. If you are hating on someone today, Love Wins. If someone is getting on your last nerve, Love Wins. If your children are being *brats*, Love Wins. :) To live out our lives with this as our motto would go a long way in promoting peace of mind, relationships, positive attitudes and the list goes on.

So, if you're having a bad day thanks to someone or something else or even yourself remember, Love Wins.


p.s. Did I mention...Love Wins? :=)

Just thinking....

Monday I went to the hospital to pray with Kenneth, a man that recently began attending my church as he was having surgery to have his left leg amputated from the knee down. He's suffering from Diabetes.

After I came home from the hospital I began reading through my daily blog reads and found out that Colin, a blogging friend, was dealing with some very serious health issues as well.

Kenneth and Colin both gave me a great deal to think about. Here is a man that is loosing part of his leg and another that is seriously ill and they both are praising God, giving thanks, encouraging others, and concerned about others. This is the mark of a real relationship with Jesus because even in the worst of situations His joy still fills their hearts and His praise is still on their lips.

It makes me wonder why I complain sometimes when things aren't going just right for me. How selfish! Right? I mean there is so much going on out there in other peoples lives that it makes me ever wonder why I would even raise the "why" question to God. Kenneth, Colin and others like them are testaments to God's goodness and they are a true encouragement to us all!

What does a healthy Church look like?

Some interesting conversations are happening all across the blogosphere which lead me to this post. Discussions of Leadership, Consumerism, Slavery Preference and more have sparked a great deal of interest in me. Depending on who you talk to you'll get a variety of answers to this question: What does a healthy Church look like? I'm not going to pretend that I can be exhaustive on this issue but what I'm going to share will lend a great deal to the question.

Every pastor wants to lead a healthy, successful church that is engaged in doing the real work of God's Kingdom. I'm no different. We want to work with a church, not work for a church. There is a HUGE difference between the two. When a pastor feels like he is working for the church, he's just a hired hand that comes to church to share 3 points and a poem, makes people feel real good about themselves and disconnects until the next time. If the pastor feels he is working with the church, then he's enthusiastic about the participation level of others getting involved in what the work of the Kingdom really is.

Let's not forget what the real work of the Kingdom is: Reaching The Lost...that may not be too postmodern but it's what it is. :) Those that don't know Jesus. That's the real work of the Kingdom! Connecting people with Jesus Christ! If we're not doing that, what are we doing? Well, we're probably conducting nothing more that a social club with a sense of entitlement as it's over arching theme. Everyone feels they're entitled to this and that so they give their money and time to ensure that someone is there to give them what they are so rightfully entitled to. This is not indicative of a healthy church!

What does it take to become a healthy church?

In part, it takes a church of Thirds. Yes, Thirds. Not Turds. :=)

A healthy church should be made up of thirds.

If you have a pie and slice it into thirds, you obviously have 3 equal slices. No slice is greater than the other but they are all equal.

The Church in Thirds.

1/3 = Mature Jesus-Followers

1/3 = New Jesus-Followers

1/3 = Non-Followers. (This group is investigating what it's all about)

Every group has a place in the church (community) that is as important as the next. The mature followers are no more important that the non-followers. No one group stands alone in it's own identity but rather each group fits together with the whole to make 1 identity, the identity of the "church". Yes, the church must have "non-followers" in order to be whole. The church must be an all inclusive body. No one is left out and no one is over looked because everyone is needed to bring wholeness.

What does a church look like that is made up entirely of the first 1/3?
DEAD!! That's what. They're not duplicating themselves. They're not impacting their community or world. They are a candlestick that needs to be removed.

Revelation 2:5
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

What does a church look like that is made up entirely of the second 1/3?
Disorder!! No one is at a level of maturity to know what to do. Everyone is at the milk stage. None are ready to take on the meat. This group needs the first group to lead them into maturity. It's not the Pastor's solo act! It takes everyone to edify and built up new Jesus-Followers.

What does a church look like that is made up entirely of the final 1/3?
Hooters!! This group is not following Jesus. They're asking questions and their exploring the possibilities of following but they need time to digest some things. This group doesn't pretend to be perfect, they know they have hurts, habits and hangups, but at least they're honest about it. I mean, who among us doesn't have the 3 H's? Hurts, Habits and Hangups? This group may sit in our churches for a year or more before every taking the next step and you know what? It's OK.

I think in many modern churches today it's all about getting people down to an altar just 1 time. Somehow we've come to think that if we can get someone to the altar that their lives will magically improve with no more effort on our part to lead them and disciple them. I'm a fan of the altar and we have 2, one on each side of our sanctuary and at the end of every sermon, I give an opportunity to respond to the message. What I don't do is put all my chips on the altar. I know God is at work whether or not any come. I don't draaaag the service out waiting on someone to "make" a move. But the opportunity to make a public decision is always presented and never forced.

If a church has a good mix of these three groups, it is well on the way to becoming a healthy church. A church that is not so inward focused that they forget their is an outward importance. This kind of church is open and accepting of everyone that comes. There are no big I's and little U's in this Church. Everyone is equal and everyone is part of the family and we all help one another get a little further down the road on our journey of following Jesus!

This is the kind of church I want to be part of!

Which is better?

I heard someone say this the other day.

"I'd rather aim low and make it than aim high and miss it."

That's been on my mind today. Is it OK to aim low? I've heard it said, "It's better to aim for the moon and miss than to never draw back the bow." I couldn't agree more. I believe in aiming high, setting high goals, dreaming big and believing big. Conversely I believe in hitting the mark as well. If I have to aim low to ensure I hit the mark, it's still an accomplishment of great success, right?

I believe one's present reality must work conjunctively with the goal. For example, if my goal is to become a Dentist then going to an auto body school doesn't get me there. My present reality isn't matching my goal. I believe we must position ourselves for success and we do that with the choices we make and the actions we take.

So what do you think about this? Would you rather aim low and make it or throw caution to the wind and aim high with a high probability of missing. Or, for you, would it depend on what the goal (target) is?

Last year's resolution is still good, right?

Well, I've gone and done it. I've joined the local gym here in Bandera. Tonight was my first workout. I can barely feel my arms :) This is going to take some getting use to. I promised myself last year that I would begin working out again as it's been about 5 years since I steadily worked out. A year and a half ago a doctors visit revealed I had high blood pressure and at 224lbs, I was 37lbs above my "ideal" weight. When I stopped working out I was 191lbs, just 4lbs over my ideal weight of 187lbs. My goal? Get back in shape, reach my ideal weight and get off this blood pressure medicine! I know I can do it, it's going to take determination and dedication. Two things I have :) I realized how much over weight and out of shape I was on our recent trip to Colorado. I could no longer fit into my ski bibs and had to buy new ones. (don't tell anyone that!) :-) I know the oxygen is less in the higher altitude but my heavy breathing was more than lack of oxygen, it was excessive weight! I'm ready to do this and I'm going to get it done! Wish me luck :) I go back to the doctor for a routine check up on the 5th of February, I need to weigh less than my visit last year!

Doomsday Looming?

I read an article earlier today and thought I'd post on it. I'm intrigued by what I read coming from Iran and Iranian President Ahmadinejad. The president of a country about to go nuclear is confirmed as a very vocal believer in the coming apocalypse. Like Judaism and Christianity, Shiite Islam has its own version of the messianic return -- the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam. Shiite Islam believes that the coming of the Twelfth Imam will happen before America's next Presidential Election or some have been quoted as saying. After his U.N. speech in September of last year, Ahmadinejad was caught on videotape telling a cleric that during the speech an aura, a halo, appeared around his head right on the podium of the General Assembly. "I felt the atmosphere suddenly change. And for those 27 or 28 minutes, the leaders of the world did not blink. . . . It seemed as if a hand was holding them there, and it opened their eyes to receive the message from the Islamic Republic."

This man is a certifiable lunatic bent on Israel's complete annihilation and America's total ruin. I happen to believe the Lord's return is imminent and I wonder if these events taking place around our world are largely overlooked by Jesus-followers and the Church as just another news story of little significance. What do you think?

We're being ICED in!!

South Texas is being covered with ice! This is a rare and unwanted winter storm around here. The last time a major winter storm of any kind was 20 years ago. I've been here 9 years and have never seen it like this. I live in a small town and we're just not set up for this type of thing. They're projecting up to 5 inches of snow on top of this ice which will certainly make things worse. Initially this would all be over by mid day tomorrow but now they're saying it may even be mid day Thursday.

Making up for lost time

Having been away so much before the end of 06' and after the start of 07', I feel like I've lost valuable time and I'm now having to play catch up. I almost feel that my New Year hasn't started quite yet. It feels like it won't start until Monday as I'll get back to everyday life and normalcy. My daughter will go back to school and I'll get back to my work at the church and my wife and 4 year old son will get back to their normal routine. I feel disconnected from everything. I hope that will change when I step onto the platform tomorrow morning to preach the gospel. I have missed that so much. I bet it will feel as comfortable as talking to an old friend or slipping into your favorite shirt. I envision taking a deep breath of relief as I take the platform tomorrow. I haven't preached in my church on a Sunday morning since December 17th of last year. :) That sounds so strange to me. I miss seeing all the faces of the people that God has given me to pastor and that I love so dearly. I miss shaking hands and giving/receiving hugs to/from them. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I think that is so true.

I'm ready to get back to work creating a dynamic year of ministry at Living Springs. I believe God is going to do incredible things with us this year. I'll be going right to work on a new series titled: WANTED as well as developing a new CONNEXIONS ministry. There is a lot of work to do but I'm rested and ready to tackle it.

....can't wait until 10:30 tomorrow morning!

Home sweet home

It's nice to get away but it's far better to come back home! We have been away for most of the last month and I feel I'm having withdraws of normalcy. Who ever said vacations were for rest and relaxation? While I do get rest (one day out of 7), it's always fast paced and tiresome. Going here, there and everywhere. Doing this, that and the other.

We had a really good time though. My daughter, Grace, skied for the first time and she did an awesome job! My son, Chase, loves trains so we took him to Durango, Colorado to ride the Durango/Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The train ride is a 5 hour round trip that takes you high into the mountains of the San Juan National Forest. The views are breath taking.

Here are some pictures of our trip :)

Gone Skiing

Be back next week. :)

Is the glass half full or is it half empty?

For me, this year is definitely going to be a "glass half full" year. I'm determined to focus on the positive side of even negative situations. I firmly believe there is a positive to almost any situation we face if we're strong enough to search for it. No doubt it's not always easy to see the positive side of things. Then there are also those times when I'm so mad or disgusted with something that the last thing I'm interested in is the positive. Are you that way sometimes too? Well, let's determine that this year it's going to be different. If you're a leader in your church or place of employment, highlight the positive things about those you work with or that work for you. You'll be sure to get more out of them that way. You'll even get more out of yourself that way too. There's something that happens internally to us when we speak positively to others. We feel better about ourselves when we help someone else feel better.

Health studies have even shown that recovery after surgery is notably better for optimists than pessimists; with greater risk for post surgery depression higher for pessimists. I was listening to Klove today and they had a news spot that reported optimists generally live several years longer than pessimists do. Optimism is simply the better choice for approaching life.

So this year, I'm going to accentuate the positive. It's easy to point out the negative, but it takes a special talent to extract the positive in many things.

So, does every cloud have a silver lining? I think so.

Avoid Dumb Mistakes Christians Make

Whitney Hopler has contributed the following "dumb mistakes" to Crosswalk.com. What are your thoughts on some of these? (Please overlook the format...I can't seem to get it to work properly.)

* Dropping out of church. Don’t be one of those Christians who is missing
in action. Make sure you’re participating in worship services and other
church activities regularly, so you can keep growing and others can see
that you’re serious about your faith.

* Chronically complaining. Rather than focusing on the negative, ask God
to help you to see the positive. Make it a habit to notice your
blessings, thank God for them, and think and act in positive ways. Ask
God to help you be content, peaceful, and joyful –– no matter what your
current circumstances. Whenever you have a problem with particular person
or group of people (such as church leaders), go directly to them to work
it out rather than just blabbing about it to others. Try to encourage
other people on a regular basis, through kind words and actions.

* Taking without giving. Instead of taking everything the church has to
offer without giving anything back, commit to volunteering your time and
energy to help out in at least one of your church’s ministries. Know that
contributing however you can –– even in small ways –– will make a big
difference in your congregation.

* Misbehaving. Be sure to practice what you preach. When you say you
believe something, yet act in ways that are inconsistent with that
belief, you become a hypocrite who turns people away from the faith. Ask
God to help you life every part of your life with integrity. Don’t
participate in any activities that you’d be embarrassed about if other
people in your church knew you were engaging in them.

* Winning people to the church rather than to Christ. Remember that the
reason why you’re trying to reach people with your faith isn'’t simply so
they can join your church –– it’s so they can have a relationship with
Christ. Focus on Him, whether or not the people you’re reaching end up
worshiping in your particular church or not. When you discuss your
church, make sure you’re not giving people unrealistic expectations about
what to expect there. Recognize that just joining a church won’t
magically make people’s problems disappear. Be honest about the fact that
church, like any other place, has some difficult and unpleasant people
and that the church someone joins isn'’t always going to be like it is
currently, because change is inevitable. Emphasize that Christ (not the
church) is the way, the truth, and the life.

* Living below the level of your beliefs. Be alert to sins that can slip
past your spiritual radar and become part of your daily routine. Reject
materialism by refusing to waste time and energy on pursuing things God
isn'’t clearly calling you to pursue. Reject worry by trusting that God is
in control, even when you’’re under pressure. Reject superiority by
praying for a humble heart. Help your church become a place that presents
God’s whole message instead of watered-down, seeker-friendly principles.
Get to know the Bible well, and be ready to speak from Scripture rather
than pop psychology when talking with others. Stay connected to God
through daily prayer, and give Him your heart anew each day to stay close
to Him.

* Speaking above the level of your knowledge. Be careful about saying
more than you truly know. Resist the temptations to analyze people,
explain suffering, spread rumors, or believe everything you hear. Take
the time to think before you speak. Ask God to keep you from doing harm
through your conversations and help you do good through them instead.

* Hopping from church to church. Realize that there’s no such thing as a
perfect church. Rather than constantly searching for a church that can
serve you better, decide to serve your current church. Ask God to give
you the motivation to become committed and involved. Remember the
blessings that come from a long-term commitment to one church: a sense of
belonging, a sense of accomplishment, discoveries about yourself, lots of
meaningful relationships, and a powerful witness for Christ. Start giving
your time, energy, and money on a regular basis to contribute to your
church’s work. Join a Sunday school class or small group to build
friendships with others in your congregation. Understand that there are
many biblical commands that you can’t fulfill if you’re church-hopping,
such as: being devoted to one another, serving one another, building
yourselves together, teaching and counseling each other, building each
other up, leaving peaceably with each other, encouraging and warning each
other, confessing your sins to each other and praying for each other, and
living in harmony with one another.

* Fighting among yourselves. Do all you can to work conflicts with other
Christians out peacefully. Understand that church feuds lead to disaster,
because: church leaders are distracted, church members not involved in
the feud are discouraged, God’s work is disrupted, the community’s
seekers are disenchanted, important beliefs such as forgiveness are
disregarded, the congregation’s testimony is discredited, and God Himself
is dishonored. Remember Christ’s statement that believers’ love for one
another will prove to the world that they are His disciples. Help create
a calm and loving culture in your church by obeying church leaders,
confronting troublemakers, refuting heresy, meeting hurting people’s
needs, suppressing legalism and modeling grace and kindness, discouraging
arguments, and forgiving sinners.

* Missing golden opportunities. Don’t overlook the mundane moments in
life when opportunities to share the Gospel suddenly materialize. Seize
opportunities that arise at the grocery store, PTA meeting, bank window,
gas pump, ball field, or anywhere else God nudges you to witness to
someone. Know that some opportunities, if they are missed, will be lost
forever. Understand that God will give special opportunities to those who
are committed and prepared, so make sure you know Scripture well.
Recognize that some opportunities are much larger than they first appear,
and that on opportunity is too small or insignificant. Understand that
some opportunities bear immediate fruit for the kingdom. Remember that
the goal of every opportunity should be to lead people to Christ, rather
than to a church program. Ask God to give you the passion you need to
seize the opportunities He brings your way.

* Settling for mediocrity. Don’t believe that the quality of your work
doesn'’t matter when you volunteer in ministry, because you’re not a
professional. Realize that excellence matters, because: God loves
excellence, the Bible commands it, and people respond to it. Ask God to
give you the courage to make decisions for excellence. Decide to serve in
your areas of giftedness. Invest the money necessary to provide excellent
services, programs, equipment, etc. at your church. Thoroughly plan and
prepare for events. Persevere and work hard, trusting that your best
efforts are worthwhile.

* Allowing wolves to live among the sheep. Watch out for spiritual wolves
(troublemakers) among the sheep (faithful people) in your congregation.
Confront gossips, liars, caustic critics, legalists, and power-hungry
manipulators. Realize that they can be deceptive, but will eventually
reveal themselves by how they act. Don’t be afraid to call evil what it
is –– evil. Don’t allow people to destroy others in your congregation
through their bad behavior. Confront them, all the while remembering that
your goal isn'’t to shame them, but to bring them back into a right
relationship with God. Don’t be afraid to follow biblical principles for
church discipline whenever you need to do so.

Our loss is Heaven's gain

I received a phone call last night saying a gentlemen in my church had suffered a heart attack and was being transported to a hospital in San Antonio at 11:00p.m. last night. The news didn't sound good and I rushed to the hospital to find that my good friend Virgil Williams had gone home to be with the Lord. I was extremely saddened but remained as strong as I could for the family. The last thing the family needed was for their Pastor to go to pieces. After several hours at the hospital with Virgil's family and friends, I returned home at 4:00a.m. this morning. I hadn't had a good cry until I got to my office about 12:00p.m. today and I just sat down and cried for the loss that many of us are feeling through Virgil's death. It was so fast and unexpected. I still have to remind myself that he really is gone. Of all the men in the church I pastor, 2 men, without fail would give me a hug every Sunday morning; Virgil was one of them. I'll miss his hugs on Sunday morning. I'll miss his humor, authenticity and all around good nature. He was truly a one of a kind.

You will be missed my friend...

2Cr 5:8 We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Tag!

I've been tagged by Jamie Swann who was tagged by John Smulo who was tagged by, well I don't know. I really think John invented this game :). The rules of this game are, once "tagged", you then share 5 things about yourself that others may not already know. I've never been tagged before so I'm enjoying this little game. For those readers who know me well, I bet I may surprise you with some things you don't know about me. :-)

5 things about me:

• I am the 6th child of 7 and coming from such a large family, I really feel blessed. Life hasn't always been easy for us but I have no regrets.
• I think I could have been a professional fighter. Having trained with 2 of my brothers in TaeKwonDo for several years, who still teach it professionally, I love to fight and consider myself a good fighter. I love the feeling of a well connected hit, nothing like it!
• I live in the "Cowboy Capital" of the world but am not a Cowboy. When I say, I'm not a Cowboy, I mean I don't Rodeo. I have the boots, hats and Wranglers, but real Cowboys Rodeo, right?
• My wife and I became the Lead Pastors of our first Church in 1998 when we were only 25 and have experienced many successes that few "first time" pastors enjoy. This January 25th will mark our 9th year. This is not a testament to us but rather it is a testament to God and his goodness!
• Up until this past fall, I hosted my own game server for Call of Duty 2. I built -=SNIPERFIRE=- from the ground up and it remains one of the best servers in all of CoD2. The server is now managed by the various members who all joined my server since it's inception in December of 2005.

There it is, there are bound to be some things listed that even those who know me well didn't know :). In keeping of the tradition of "tag", I now tag 5 people.

• Donny from Donny's Ramblings
• Colin from Darkening Glasses
• Dave from Passion Australia
• Heather from Wineskins for Discipleship
• Jared from Finite Calls Infinite

If you're tagged here, I didn't just pick names out of a hat; you are someone I would be interested in hearing more about. :) So, TAG, you're IT!

Welcome 2007!

Well, my family and I just got back in town late last night and we're already gearing up to leave again. Several months ago I booked a winter vacation for us to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We love Pagosa and try to go on a trip there every winter. However, having just been away for 10 days, I wish I would have planned this next trip with more time in between. We had a great time visiting with my family in Alabama over the Christmas Holidays. Unfortunately there was a Stomach Virus floating around and everyone in my family was sick for some of the time with the exception of my wife. I think my wife not getting sick was God's blessing because if she would have caught it, I don't know what we would have done. She was the nurse that we all needed :) This unforeseen sickness delayed our return trip by two days so it puts even more pressure on us as we try and get ready to leave again on Thursday.

2007, I look so forward to this year with an anticipation that I can't recall in recent years. I truly believe this will be a great year of harvest for Living Springs Church. This year we will embark in new and creative ministry like we've never done before. We'll try new things without the fear of failure because we realize experimentation leads to discovery! We'll experiment and discover effective means of presenting Jesus to our community with relevance and purpose. The first sermon series that we'll be branding this year will be "WANTED!" It's a sort of spin-off from my sermon late this past year titled: Becoming a Messy Church. We're going on a search for all those that feel helpless, unwanted, unloved and hopeless. We're going to get "invitational" with messy people. Jesus invited people to himself, regardless of their problems or their past. We will do the same!

2007 represents a full year of uncharted territory and I'm eager to begin blazing a path all the way through it!

Are you? What are you most looking forward to this New Year?

Won't be posting to my blog for several days...

We're going out of town until the 30th. So, if you post a comment and I don't reply, please forgive me. I'm not trying to be rude. :) Have a Merry Christmas everyone and God Bless you!!

"Consumerism" Revisted

Last week I promised I would offer the positive aspect of consumerism as it relates to the Church and people. To many, there is no positive side to this. I think there is. I guess the first thing that we need to look at is, what does this word "consumerism" mean?

Consumerism is defined as: "the promotion of the consumer's interests".

You and I being the "consumers".

So if I understand this correctly, the grievances expressed over consumerism relates to the idea that the church has become to closely aligned with a capitalistic and consumeristic society in the way it "markets" itself to society. The other wrench in the wheel is the idea that the church has somehow become nothing more than just another distribution center of goods and services that self seeking people use for their own gain and advantage.

While I don't deny that there are some truths to these thoughts and that some of the church marketing that is going on today seems a bit extreme and that there are people who aren't truly interested in giving their lives in service to God but would rather just keep taking and getting from God and the local church, I think some of the ills toward "consumerism" is too extreme as well.

I like what Mark Batterson says, "The Church has the greatest story ever told and the greatest story deserves the greatest marketing." I agree with that.

Here is what many churches advertise....

Some churches advertise relevant preaching/teaching, exciting contemporary worship/traditional worship, youth and children's ministries and the list goes on. What's wrong with this? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

One of the greatest agents of advertisement was John the Baptist. He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

When John Baptized Jesus in the Jordon River another great advertisement took place, this is what happened.

Mat 17:5 "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Talk about advertisement overkill! That was some kind of "display" just to say, "Hey! This is my son, I'm happy with him and you should hear what he has to say!"

Wow, did God strike a deal with Hollywood to pull off this huge theatrical display? I'm afraid that many today would minimize this event as just another advertising campaign to cater to a consumeristic society. They would be wrong or would they be right?

Why did Jesus come to this big ball we call earth anyway? Well, if I believe the Scripture, it was to "seek and to save that which was lost". To identify with them the realities of who God is, to make known to the average person the person of God. If this is his prime objective, should ours be any different? Of course not. I think we can all agree on that. How does this objective get carried out and what does it look like is the real question at hand. I think the honest answer is, it looks different to many people depending upon where you are, geographically and demographically.

A Jesus Follower in China has to "advertise" or promote the gospel in a manner that is different than I would do here in South Texas. A little closer to home, Pastor Phil, Pastor of The Gathering posted on his blog "One Big Sorry Church". During the week of Halloween events, they made signs and posted them, advertising a "confessional booth", this wasn't an ordinary confessional booth like you might think. No, it was a booth where you would go in and not confess, but be confessed to. Apologies were made to those who came in for the many failings of the people who misrepresented God and His church. It was creative advertisement and a well thought out marketing plan that really got the point across. But, given the difference in his demographics and mine, and the meaning behind the "confessional booth", it fits much better there than it would here. People here would simply miss the point of it.

My point is, consumerism has to take place where ever we represent God and His church. Remembering that consumerism means: "the promotion of the consumer's interests".

If you have an interest in Big Macs, then McDonalds is going to advertise and market to that interest and promote the product that you are interested in. If you are interested in a new Ford Pick-up truck, then Ford Motor Company is going to advertise and market to that interest. If you have an interest in God, then the local church is going to advertise and market to that interest. There is nothing wrong with this and it's quite acceptable in fact.

Jesus was in such demand that he often sought secret places and quite times where he could withdraw from the crowds who were so interested in what He was advertising. Jesus was advertising a new way to look at God, a new way to approach God and a new way to touch God. He presented God as approachable, touchable and vulnerable. This was a new marketing plan that the religious didn't understand and quite frankly fought against. Jesus said things like, "Come and dine, Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Jesus offered peace, hope, love, forgiveness, healing, deliverance, food, sight, hearing, friendship and a host of other things to those who came to him seeking something they so desperately needed.

It would appear that Jesus was the most used, taken advantage of, under appreciated person that ever lived. Very few came to Jesus and offered Him anything. By far and large, they came to Him expecting to receive from him. The thing that is astonishing to me is that Jesus never complained about it. He never says, "Why can't you people leave me alone? You're all like a bunch of leeches that suck the life out of me! You're interest in me is based solely on what I can do for you or give you!" Those are things I would likely have said though :)

Why didn't Jesus say things like this? Because that is the reason He came....He came to give, give to whomever would be willing to receive. Churches and those people in churches should be the same. Give and be willing to give every time someone is in need. And churches should and must market and advertise their church/ministry so that those interested can readily identify with them and benefit from what is being "advertised".

Just my humble thoughts on it.

A simple Christmas poem...

Charity begins where interest ends,
Having little interest but in giving,
Removing self from self, that there be space
In which a much-loved guest might feel at home.
So might one find delight, though ravens rend
The unembroidered fabric of one's being:
Miracle of unrequited grace,
A wave of wonder welling up from stone,
Singing as it breaks of selfless grieving.