Incarnation

Wow! The hustle and bustle has been unreal this year. I cannot believe how busy things have been. So much seems to go on at any one moment. A party here, basketball practice, winter concerts.

All month long, I have been thinking about things I'd like to blog about like incarnation. I enjoyed preaching on the incarnate Christ and how we too are to be incarnate. Truth be told, I like to think of myself as missionally incarnate in my thinking. For those of you who aren't readers of modern books about issues relating to church; it basically means I see all of us as missionaries to the world in which we live and that church is not our escape but our anchor in the depths of the deep lostness of the world.

Today, however, I was reminded I still have a long ways to go in taking on that full way of thinking. I was reading some of Rick Warren's response to the criticism he has taken for agreeing to offer the inaugural prayer for president-elect Obama and for openly admitting that he loves the music of Melissa Etheridge all while participating in a muslim relations forum. Criticism has naturally followed, some from groups who are offended that a Bible-believing conservative would be allowed at the inauguration. The harshest criticism comes from those who think he is a sell out to participate with people who have an agenda that is not Bible-based.

I'm not sure I could do what he has done, but I hope that I can get to the point where I am more concerned about making a difference in a lost world than pleasing those who hide behind their church walls hoping for heaven on earth. Christmas really doesn't make sense. Could not the angels have asked why God would soil his name by taking on human flesh? Joining Christ means to join Him in all the lost places in the world, in places where lost people hang out and loving them right where they are.

It requires another type of re-birth in my life, to grow up all over again in my faith. Incarnation means, I will go to that length to reach those I can. Join me in incarnation!

Merry Christmas!

Midnight Shopping

Only once have I ever braved the early morning shopper thing. Waking up early to go shopping just lacks something for me. However the local outlet mall opened at 11:00 pm...now count me in for that. The benefit for me is that I got to sleep in on Friday morning while everyone else was out and about at 4:00 am. Not only that, I got to eat some Chinese food at about 1:00 am. To a night owl, that was fun and beat the socks off the early morning stuff.

I've often been amazed at the lines of people waiting to get into certain stores. I was even more surprised to find a line of cars backed up 2 or 3 miles on the highway. It made me glad I came from an opposite direction. I have to admit, the outlet mall found a great way to get to shoppers who don't like getting up early but don't mind staying up late.

I remember when I was little, nothing ever opened on Thanksgiving and store might open an hour earlier. I wonder what kind of insanity will exist when my kids are in my shoes. I'm sure it will look different then as well. Stores will continue to look for ways to get people to come pay them a visit.

For the most part, we do church the same way. We are always trying to market ourselves in such a way as to get people to come to us. We really don't know any other way, it is ingrained into who we are. Its not all ad or wrong; there should be something compelling going on in every church preaching Christ worth marketing.
In my mind, the problem we encounter is that we have become so marketing-minded that we have forgotten to be Christ-minded. We are to be a people who find more ways to go and less ways to draw a crowd. I think its funny how the crowd had to follow Jesus all over the countryside until they were tired and hungry. He wore them down with his actions and then they were able to listen and encounter a miracle of God's provision.

How about using our energy to get involved with lost people; how about wearing down a lost person with your loving involvement in their lives.? That's the skinny behind incarnation. God became flesh and dwelt among us. Be sure to give Christ this Christmas season.

One Good Hour

No I'm not talking about church, we all know I preach too long to keep us down to an hour anyway. I'm talking about an hour I spent not very long ago.

Rachelle had some time so she and I went and ran a few errands and gulped down some Chik-fil-a. I am reminded of the blessing of my marriage. I am a fortunate guy to have married such an incredible woman.

What I enjoyed was just talking about nothing. With the demands of ministry and parenting, it seems like so much of our talk is directed at some type of need to have a directed conversation. But at least today for one hour, we just enjoyed each other's company not for any other reason than we wanted to.

My Grandpa always talked about the "want to" of marriage. For my grandparents, marriage was a big want to. After 40 plus years of marriage they wanted to hold hands, they wanted to spend every moment they could together. I know they couldn't think of not having that desire in their lives. I have seen that same passion played in the lives of many over the years, and I have seen the other side.

How few of those broken marriages took time to enjoy one good hour with one another? If I had a challenge for any of you blog readers out there, it would be to take one good hour for no real reason and enjoy it with your spouse.

One man + one woman + one God + one hour is a perfect, can't miss recipe.

Turkey on the mind

I have been thinking about turkeys a lot the last couple of days. Yesterday, we made plans to get our turkeys for our church dinner. This morning, we put a new bulletin cover for our mini-sermon series for Thanksgiving: No Jive Turkeys Allowed. Rachelle and I have to decide between turkey or ham for the holliday. Personally, we both prefer ham but turkey can be really good as well.

My first turkey experience as an adult is a fond memory of not knowing what to do with the frozen bird. (Where was the food network when I needed it?) So I did all I knew to do and chased my young bride around the house with the turkey neck. Why do they even bother to give you the neck in the first place?

The first wedding I officiated was done for a young lady who grew up on a turkey farm. I've seen wild turkeys in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and California which isn't bad for a guy who doesn't hunt. When I bowl three consecutive strikes on Wii bowling, I get a turkey. We know that Ben Franklin wanted to make the turkey the national bird, and I guess by the way we act sometimes that would have been more than appropriate.

So turkey is on the mind...any point to this? Let me stretch my neck out for one...I often hear people ask why we don't eat turkey more often...it has been relegated to a Thanksgiving and Christmas meal. How often have I been guilty of relegating God to a "special occasion only Lord" in my life. I have tasted and I have enjoyed the goodness of God only to forget about for seasons of my life. In my mind, that makes me the turkey. Don't be a turkey, let God do His great work in your life this day and every day.

A Win

Hey the ads won't be all over television anymore for a while. Sadness and joy fill this day for most Americans. 62 million or so are happy; 55 million or so are sad. Some in the world rejoice, others are concerned about the possibility in a radical change of foreign policy.

I have read blogs today from friends about not over-reacting if it did not go the way most people of faith had hoped. I have had conversations with people who are certain this is the beginning of the end.

I know this...I spent time on Tuesday night watching Rocky II...the inspiring story of an underdog. If you have seen the movie as many times as I have, you remember that Rocky doesn't seem to want to fight the rematch because he doesn't have the support of his wife. Its only when she comes out of her coma and utters that word "win" that his heart gets into the fight.

I wonder how many times we want someone else to fight for us...a pastor, a teacher, a lawyer, a parent, a politician. We don't seem personally interested in a fight, and I don't mean a political fight unless you know you are called to such a task. I mean the fight spoken of in Ephesians 6...the fight against the unseen.

Jesus has drawn us close to himself and whispered to us, "WIN!" I am inspired to do just that. Winning begins with one person reaching one person. No president can help that or hinder that. No law can stand against the Spirit of God at work in a person' life. So no matter how you feel, remember to do one thing...win.

More on the Rabbit I Chased

Yesterday's sermon on the life of Samson led me to chase a rabbit ever so briefly: Samson is in Timnah, a Philistine stronghold checking out the ladies when one catches his eye and he decides she is going to marry him. He heads home to tell his parents who are less than thrilled.

Judges 14:3-4 (NLT) 3 His father and mother objected strenuously, "Isn't there
one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry? Why must you
go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?" But Samson told his father, "Get
her for me. She is the one I want." 4 His father and mother didn't realize the
LORD was at work in this, creating an opportunity to disrupt the Philistines,
who ruled over Israel at that time.

Verse 4 is so curious. Was Samson merely following God's will, and are we even right in talking about his poor decision-making process. I pointed out that there are 2 portions of God's will; one part is what God has pre-determined and the other part is what God permits. There are times I don't like either of the two because they don't go the way I had hoped. At other times, I find great encouragement in knowing that it is in God's hands I rest.

What we hate to acknowledge is that God permits certain things to happen in this world. We must face the consequences of a fallen world. We must face the problems associated with our decision-making. Samson is quite possibly history's worst example of how to live your life. His calloused approach to allowing God to direct his path led him down a difficult path and only through the grace of God did he finish well and complete his pre-ordained task.

As we go through this week, let us all consider the decisions we make in light of God's calling in our lives. Let us understand that God's plans for us are greater than we can see and let us draw to Him in utmost obedience. Catch the sermon:

We should do this more

How many times have I uttered or heard uttered the phrase "we should do this more often." Yesterday was one of those occasions. We joined with two other churches from our area for a joint service and festival. The attendance was fantastic, each church had a strong showing. Our worship was incredible. The chili and pie contests were tons of fun to judge, and the festival booths turned out to be a lot of fun for everyone.

The only comment uttered was why don't we do this more often? It's the same comment I say after hanging out with friends or going to do something I really enjoyed. How great it was to see our church people sitting with friends and acquaintances from other churches. We shared one common interest and goal yesterday...to celebrate Christ.

Last night, my wife asked me if we were planning to keep our "budget date" this Thursday where we plan our spending for November. Her thoughts on the matter, "we should do this more often." It is a a one purpose meeting...to make sure we are on the same page financially which is even more important given the state of the economy. It ensures we are on the same page and our relationship is better for it.

It is a good reminder that when we come together with one clear purpose, we have one heartbeat and we are always left saying, "why don't we do this more."

Have a great week.

Tough Sermon

Sunday was a hard Sunday, the message for the week weighed heavily upon me and it proved to be a grueling task. When I was finished, my feet and back hurt in a way they never have before. The honest confession is that 3 months ago, I penciled in the story of Jepthah, but wasn't sure I wanted to do the story.

Last Monday, I began working on Samson and planned to skip Jepthah. There are sevral challenging stories in the Bible, but this one is between a father and daughter.

Judges 11:29-40 (NASB) 29 Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon. 30 Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, "If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, 31 then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering." ... 34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back." 36 So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon." 37 She said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions." 38 Then he said, "Go." So he sent her away for two months; and she left with her companions, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. 39 At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her according to the vow which he had made; and she had no relations with a man. Thus it became a custom in Israel, 40 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.

There is just so much wrong in this story...to go from having the Spirit of the Lord upon himself to sacrificing his daughter to the pagan god of the very enemy he had just defeated. After travelling for years on a job, I know who was always the first to greet me when I came home...two girls running to the door and gripping me as tight as they could. Certainly, as a wandering rebel, he had been greeted at the door on numerous occasions by a loving daughter. He knew exactly what kind of deal he was making when he made his vow. Add to that Leviticus 27 shows how he could have paid 10 pieces of silver to redeem her, and my hot head gets the best of me.

So there is my dilemma, in one way, I want to sing the praises of God's chosen deliverer, in another, I want to render him as an obsolete foolish jerk. It's hard to deny the Bible touches our human emotions, and I can honestly say mine were touched. Over the course of 40 or so years, I have seen many sacrifice their family for something. I have seen people with the hand of God on their life turn away from God. The sad relaity I have seen is that there is nothing good from such things, so what do we do?

Our best response is to stay near the cross of Christ. Take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), crucify the sinful nature, (Romans 6:6), and allow Christ to live through us (Galatians 2:20). Tough message, tough words, but what a gracious God.

Creativity Counts

The scared little kid in the picture is one of my two wonderful daughters. Cori recently won an award at our local Red Robin restaurant for creating their winning burger in a contest. She called her burger the "Super Fresh Salad Burger" and the poster behind her is on the door of the Red Robin praising her victory.

I remember the night my two creative chefs put their minds to creating the absolute best burger possible. It was exciting to watch their minds churn and listen to their questions as they settled in on their ingredients. Both did an excellent job, and Cori was fortunate to win a gift certificate and get some recognition. We are proud of both girls and happy for Cor's award.

I was thinking about rewards and awards the other day as I prepared a memorial message for a dear saint. I referenced in her message the parable of the talents. The story where two of three took their resources and on behalf of the owner managed to double his take. The two of them received those wonderful words of praise: "Well done good and faithful servant." One thing about doubling anything is that it takes creativity. We often reflect only upon those words in relationship to our faithful use of the gifts God has given us, and many times fail to reflect on the creativity needed to accomplish that task.

In a world where there seems to be so few lines of distinctions and a clear voice of reason and faith is so desperately needed, the creative are the hope of our future. I hope people of faith will filter into the more creative elements of our culture in the movies and media. I pray that we will continue to see a new generation of songwriters with a heart for the Lord. I hope and pray that God will help tap into what creative juices I have. How great it would be to have a double impact on the world around me.

Creativity is not always received without criticism, but nothing new ever comes without someone with a creative desire to blaze a new trail. So if you ever think that you are stuck in a box, get outside of it a do something creative. Create a new small group or a new friendship with a neighbor. Create a pictore slide show to go along with your favorite song of worship. Rewrite Psalm 23, to say "the Lord is my ___________" share it with your friends. Let the juices flow because creativity counts.

Sometimes It just Hits Me

I spent a great deal of time studying the life of Gideon last week preparing for the first of two sermons on his life in our series through Judges. As I sit here on Monday, I am re-thinking through the message. The words I emphasized in God's response to the future, but presently questioning hero still echo in my mind.

Judges 6:11-14 (NLT) 11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat beneath the oak tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash had been threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!" 13 "Sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, `The LORD brought us up out of Egypt'? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites." 14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!"

Go with the strength you have. If there ever was a need to link the Go's in the Bible together, it is now.

Genesis 12:1 (NASB) 1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you;

Joshua 1:9 (NASB) 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

1 Samuel 16:1 (NLT) 1 Finally, the LORD said to Samuel, "You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel. Now fill your horn with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my new king."

Matthew 8:13 (NASB) 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Luke 10:2-4 (NLT) 2 These were his instructions to them: "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields. 3 Go now, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Don't take along any money, or a traveler's bag, or even an extra pair of sandals. And don't stop to greet anyone on the road.

Luke 14:23 (NLT) 23 So his master said, `Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.

Acts 5:17-21 (NLT) 17 The high priest and his friends, who were Sadducees, reacted with violent jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 "Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!" 21 So the apostles entered the Temple about daybreak and immediately began teaching. When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council, along with all the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought for trial.

The statistics from a recent poll are mind numbing. Though it was not compltely scientific meaning its margin of error is greater than 5 %; it nonetheless has made a mark on my life. It suggests that of those people classified as senior adults, over 65% of them can identify as having a personal relationship with Christ. The next generation was almost half, the next over another half was cut. By the time we get to a generation of people born after 1984 and were at least 17 years of age, only 4% of them could identify themsleves with a genuine faith in Christ. (Thom Rainer's research).

Think about that. Was there more faith in Gideon's day than in our day? Those numbers have left me a little staggered and somewhat downcast. I find myself a little less brave and unsure at times, and yet we have God's charge to his deliverer, "Go in the strength you have." That is our sole responsibility to go in whatever strength we have. Why? Because He is with us, just like He was with Joshua in following Moses, just like he was with Samuel as he approached Bethlehem to annoint David as king. God is with us when we go in simple faith like the centurian did. God is with us when we go into the hedges and backroads. God is with us when we open our mouths.

Our God of motion! None of us knows what lies down each road, but we do know this...God wants us to Go.

Have a great week on the go!

Climbing Higher

What a beautiful hike we had in the mountains last week. The splendor of the fall colors never cease to amaze me. Rachelle, the girls, and I decided to hike up a trail I hadn't been up in almost 20 years. I felt like I hadn't exercised in almost 20 with the challenge of moving up the side of a mountain.

I think the greatest part of a nice hike is the change in perspective. We all need it from time to time. I don't know where I would be if it were not for the mountain top experiences that helped shape and re-shape my perspective over time. Obstacles just don't seem so imposing when you rise above them.

One of the great tragedies of getting older is that we miss out on too many mountain experiences. We lose out on opportunities to give our faith a fresh perspective. We need to get to the mountain every now and then. Its an important climb. Every climb takes us higher than our challenges and obstacles into the very center of the power of God.

Psalm 104:31-32 (NASB)

31 Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works; 32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

The decent will likely be a quick one back to the valley and the challenges, but to be able to face them with a power from God...not much could be better. Get out and find a mountain and experience the presence of God.

Have a great week.

Peach Tree

When we moved into our house last year we were excited to have a Peach tree with fruit on it. We love peaches and to have a very nice tree is great. Last year I did some pruning on the tree and as the peaches finish ripening this year, the results are undeniable.

The branches of the tree are overwhelmed. There is so much fruit that the branches are a bit stressed. I've been able to go and throw out the rotten fruit early. I've been able to toss the half bird-eaten fruit, and I am looking forward to a lot of peaches.

We recently started a class for people where we take a big look at John 15. John 15 is the passage where Jesus tells us he is the vine and we are the branches. We read that if we remain in him we will bear much fruit, after all it would be absurd to think of a detached branch being able to produce fruit. On the challenging side of the discussion is the talk of pruning and destruction that the caretaker of the vine goes through to keep the vine healthy.

God is our pruner, and while I am convinced that the tree doesn't have any feeling when I cut off a branch, I feel differently about those things God prunes in my life. It hurts to have an unhealthy part of yourself cut off, but my health requires it. There is simply no way to be pruned delicately...so God prune me, break me, heal me, make me fruitful.

What is it about the fruit that is so awesome...I know my peach tree produces incredible white peaches. I know that a grape vine produces grapes. So does that mean that a Jesus vine produces little "Jesuses." We read in Acts that at Antioch, believers were first considered Christians, or little Christs. Apparently the description fits. So we are left to think about the fruit hanging on the vine. What's there? Is the fruit plentiful or is it sparse? What pruning needs to take place in your life?

Have a great week!

21 and the Judges

Rachelle and I watched the movie 21 which is based on a true story of some brilliant colleges students who take Vegas for millions with their ability to count cards.

The main character, Ben Campbell is a shy, poor, hard-working student who sees no way to go to Harvard medical school apart from a scholarship until he is asked to join a team of card counters. Weekend trips to Vegas begin to change Ben; while he said he would quit when hed had enough for college the allure of money and the fun of being a person he had never been become too much.

The movie is really about a guy who loses himself. I think that describes the Israelites in the time of the Judges. They get lost in who they really are and who they are created to be. The Judges were far from perfect, but they were available to be used by God so that God could communicate His desires with the inhabitants of the Promised Land.

Looking at the Judges and their availability for God will be our primary task through our series, but for a moment think about how easily we lose ourselves. The Bible teaches us that we are made wonderfully and have a purpose. But there is competition for our identity... I think that's what Jesus said to His disciples:

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Matt 16:24-26 (MSG)

We lose ourselves when we neglect and forget about all that God has done for us. God demonstrated his grace by sending these judges to remind people of His power so that they might find their identity in Him and not in their own efforts.

Stay focused, stay alert, and never lose sight of who you are.

BIG WEEDS!!!!

We had to get ready for service on our property this weekend since we meet out here on Labor Day. It was amazing how the weeds had taken over our parking lot. When you need an axe to knock a few of them down, they're big. The deer, rabbits, and prairie dogs are all desperately sad that we took away some of their safe home so we can once again park for services.

The rock that covers our parking lot, has been down for quite some time, but over time the rocks has broken down and wind has blown dirt in and the rock gives ways to more and more weeds all the time. Naturally some weed protection is going to have to be in our future.

My first thought s about the parking lot was a bit of sadness; why don't we put more effort into taking care of the weeds around our pavilion so we can use it more until we are on site permanently. But...and you know there's always a double take with me; think with me about something. Churches were never made for parking lots. Sure we are going to take care of ours, but the point is that we weren't created to park; we were created to be people on the move.

We have one control in our faith life and its "drive." In the Great Comission (Matthew 28:19-20), Jesus says its the "go" gear. In fact, the literally reading always assumes the community of faith is on the go making disciples. The best part about our parking lot, is that we leave it and go home...we leave it and go to work or school, we leave it and hang out with our friends. Maybe the really big weeds are just reminders that when we are on the go we are doing the right thing.

Anyhow, when your back hurts and the mower is out of gas there's something else to think about. - Alan

What About Fame?

Rachelle and I each have what we would consider an above average super-famous relative. Mine is Robert Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution. Rachelle's famous relative has songs and folklore to go along with his famous persona... Davy Crockett. I have to admit, John Wayne never played Robert Morris in a movie, but both hold an amazing place in our nation's history.

For Rachelle, our visit this summer to the Alamo was a special experience. Out in front of this one time mission just to the right in our picture, Davy Crockett met death in a battle for Texas Independence. He wasn't even a Texan, but fought for their freedom. Certainly, the word hero is an adequate description of his life.

Robert Morris, on the other hand, didn't die in a great battle. In his time, he earned the title "Financier of the Revolution." At the time of the Revolution, he was a very wealthy man, but in personal sacrifice he gave all he had for the success of the young nation and died penniless.

Fame certainly has a price to it. On the one hand, who would not want the accolades of the masses that accompanies an 8 gold medal Olympian, but its that other hand, constant photography, every move dissected, every failure magnified and every success minimized. It's the price of fame.

Jesus knew that price all too well, the cheers and the jeers...the joy and the sacrifice. We climb our ladders hoping to be famous, if not in the whole world, at least in our company, school, or circle of friends. We want our names to mean something. John, the Baptizer, said it best though; "He must increase, I must decrease."

Zacchaeus never got that until something amazing happened. Its not that Jesus offered to come dine with him, the real turning point came when Jesus uttered one word..."Zacchaeus..." (Luke 19). To know that Jesus knew his name...what else could ever matter? What other pursuit could replace that moment of awareness?

I am honored to have such great men in our family tree, and I have no doubt we will continue to debate the merits of the greater ancestor, but I am beyond honored to know that Jesus knows my name.

School Daze

What? I'm not old enough to have a child in middle school. Never mind some of my friends from college have kids ready to start college. Never mind that I know all the words to the themes from Gilligan's Island and the Flintstones. Something doesn't seem right about this.

Sure I'd like to say this is all about my feelings for my oldest girl knowing that I have to do this again next year with my other, but in reality, its all about me. It was easy to preach about parenting yesterday. I remember the first time I broached the subject as a pastor; I had no child of my own, and I know people looked at me with a sense of "just wait, buddy." In the middle of it all, it is easier to seem like more of an authority, but today I sit here with myself in a little pity party asking myself if I really want my girls to grow up. I'm no authority; I struggle with it as much as anyone.

I want the best for my children. I want them to pursue God above all other life pursuits, but putting one into middle school reminds me that my control has diminished greatly. I'm left with one word for the day...influence. John Maxwell has always stated that leadership is influence. Control begins to give way to influence. What type of influence am I on my children? It is time to find out if the preacher has the ability to lead in his home. I hear those same people, "just wait buddy."

Okay I love Numbers...But Why?

I am a numbers guy. I was always good at math, well above average if the truth be told, so its one of those funny things that God did to allow me to have a role where my primary role is to use words. I have never outgrown my love for numbers especially with sports. I pay attention to things like magic numbers in the standings and other things that many overlook.

I was told a long time ago to not worry about the numbers, and have had a long standing rebellion against such thinking. Numbers are all over the Bible (including the book bearing the name). We know Jesus had an inner circle of 12. On one occasion he fed 5,000 men, another 4,000. In Acts we have a number of 3,000 as being added to the church. These are just some of the prominent numbers we find.

Our issues with numbers lie in the fact that we like to embellish them. Basketball players are always listed2-3 inches taller than they are. For taxes we make less money than we claim, but when we tell others its more. Churches are the same, the numbers are always puffed.

David T. Olsen in his book The American Church in Crisis takes on the embellishment that has plagued the churches. If he is right, 4,000 new churches start every year 3,700 close every year. In his estimation 6,900 new churches are needed every year just to keep up with the population much less reach the lost already counted.

Other stats suggest that out those born after 1984 only 4% or so will come to faith in Christ. That's a decrease from in excess of 60% just 2 generations ago. Sadly, the numbers don't lie. While we have celebrated record budgets and buildings, while we have seen the birth of the mega mega church, we have seen little life change in our part of the world.

Perhaps numbers will once again help us. The first of all numbers is 1. Its the first whole number. Until we are whole in Christ, no other number matters. 1 is the number of persons it takes to be filled with the indwelling presence of God who can radically change 3,000 lives in one day. One is the number of persons we should be thinking about touching with Christ. After all, I learned 1 comes before 2 long before I knew anything else about numbers. Start with 1. - Alan

Relationships

So, I sit here thinking about a wedding I am officiating this weekend and a new sermon series we begin next week about relationships.

Rachelle and I just celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. My oldest daughter begins middle school. Matt, our youth minister, is moving to a college position states away. Some other friends form Colorado are leaving for Oklahoma. Relationships, like life, are always in a state of movement. The years move along, people move away, but the constant in our life is a need for relationship.

When God molded humanity, he did so in His own likeness. The meaning of that has everything in the world to do with relationships. Now we all know how badly we fail at relationships. Adam blamed Eve for causing problems in their relationship. Cain blamed Abel for his own insensitivity to his relationship with God. Not much has changed from the very beginning. We fail, but must never give up.

Think about the popular saying: "It's not what you know, but who you know." I hated that statement at one point, but the reality is that there is a great deal of truth to that. Relationships matter; relationships move us; relationships change us.

Some of my most important relationships are with people I would classify as "unbelievers." I think the time I spent outside church employment working with a large company taught me that. Most of my life had been sheltered around believers...a life totally opposite from the example of Christ. While Jesus had an inner circle, He built relationships with those who were far away from faith. A pursuit of a relationship with God always takes us into places of need.

One of my favorite songs is Switchfoot's Dare you to Move. I love this part of the song:

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before

So I too dare you.

-Alan