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Archive for the ‘Community’ Category

Who’s the Church

Posted in Church, Community on June 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I once heard a gentleman leaving an uplifting worship service say, “We had church today!”  I knew what he meant but it made me wonder, “Does that mean we haven’t been having church all the other days?”

What is church to you?  Is it the hour on Sunday morning that we gather together to sing and hear a message from God’s word?

Or is it the steeple topped building on the corner?  Or maybe it’s the people inside that steeple topped building?

In a general sense, all these answers are correct.  But in reality, the church is the people who gather together.

Sometimes we gather to sing and listen, sometimes we gather to study and pray, sometimes we gather to serve others and sometimes we just gather to party.

The point is that the church is the people doing life together – sharing life together.

So the next time you say, “I’m going to church,” think about what that means and let it shape what you do there.

Be a blessing today!

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You – – Call 911!

Posted in Community, Leadership, Motivational on May 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Why is it that we can hear something and agree that it is true, but yet not internalize it or do anything with it?  Last night I had the opportunity to share with all the participants of the college mission trip in El Paso.  The primary point of the talk was this:  It is not about you, but it is personal.

Several years ago, I was certified in CPR and one of the things I remember is that once the situation has been assessed, the first thing you do is point to a person specifically and tell them to call 911.  Why is it important to do that you might wonder?  Because if you simply shout out, “Someone call 911!” it will eventually happen, but the indecision of the crowd will cost time and in an emergency, time is the one thing you do not have.  In other words, the natural response of those standing near will be to look around and see if someone else is going to do it.

Is it because no one wants to help?  No.  Is it because they don’t want to get involved?  Most likely not that either.  It is simply natural to hesitate and let someone else do it.

Our Christian walk is often just like that.  We know what we should do but it is just easier to wait and see if someone else will step up and take the lead or get involved.

What we have to remember is that it is not about us – but it has to be personal! We must serve others as if we do not matter, but we must live with the passion as if everything depended on us.

Take the lead and get involved today!

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The Reading Bus

Posted in Community, Hope on April 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Miss Kooki (Rosemary Peterson) is a 63 year old school bus driver in Florida who was about to turn in her keys.  The kids were unruly and she had reached her limit of putting up with the chaos.  She began to pray about what to do.  She was at the end of your patience.

She says God revealed an answer to her.  The next day, once she had all her kids on the bus, she presented them with her plan.  The following day they were to bring a book onto the bus.  After completing a book, each child would write a book report and submit it to Miss Kooki.  The students who wrote the most book reports would get prizes.

The plan took off!  Now the bus ride that used to be chaotic, loud and distracting is more like the serenity of a library.  The ripple effect has been the kids are doing better in their classes as well.  What a turn around – what a plan!  (You can watch more of her story at NBC Nightly News online)

Miss Kooki took a hopeless situation and filled it with a renewed sense of purpose.

Are you facing any hopeless situations in your life?  If so:

1) Take a step back

2) Pray about it

3) Look for something you can do to make things better (and don’t be afraid to think outside the box)

4) Then get busy doing it!

God created you for a time like this!

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Living and Loving By Grace

Posted in Community, Formation, Grace on April 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I read an article last night by John Ortberg, a pastor and author in California who often writes about the spiritual life (You can link to the article here).  In this particular article, John made a statement with which I am still wrestling.  He said that we as a church, teach people that we are saved by grace – we cannot earn our salvation.  However, we fail to teach how to live by grace.  The conversion process happens when we realize there is a gap between us and God and that we cannot bridge that gap without a relationship with Jesus.

But then, we proceed to try and live the Christian life, and it is not very far down the road that we begin to see another gap – the gap between the person we are and the person God wants us to be.  The problem is, we have conditioned ourselves to believe that this gap is on us to bridge.

Ortberg points out that we can not bridge either gap.  All we can do is humbly desire to be led by God’s Spirit and do what Jesus says to do.  But what does this look like?  The church has defined this “maturity” level as being committed to the church and the it’s programing.  The problem with this criteria is that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for having the same expectations.

Perhaps the real measure of spiritual maturity is how we love.  Do you love the Father and your neighbor as Jesus does?

Real spiritual maturity can be depicted in selfless love humbly offered with no strings attached.  And we can only offer this kind of love out of the abundance of love we have received from God as a result of our relationship.

Live by grace today!

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Instigator of Kindness

Posted in Community, Formation, Motivational on April 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Have you ever been having one of those days when nothing was going right?  You over slept, then got in the shower to realize there was no soap.  Then you got in the car to head off to work and  caught all the lights along the way.  Had one of those kinds of days lately?

We all have those kinds of days occasionally – that is a fact of life.

But in the midst of a day like that, have you ever had someone just simply smile at you and it brightened your day?  I hope you have had that experience.  Someone showed some kindness to you for no reason and it made you feel better.  In fact, many times it becomes contagious.  You later catch yourself smiling at someone else.

Today, I challenge you to be the instigator.  Someone in your path today is going to be having a rotten day.  Give them a smile or hold the door open for them.  It will lift their spirits.  And in the process it just might lift yours.

Have a great weekend!

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Clay In The Hands – Year One

Posted in Community on April 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Today marks one year since I began this ministry of sharing my thoughts here.  It is hard to believe that it has already been that long.  Today I thought I would share some things I have experienced along the way.

1)   As I knew from the beginning, it is impossible to have anything meaningful to say if my spiritual life grows stagnant.  In fact, that was one of the motivations for starting this blog – to keep my spiritual discipline in check.  I hope that at least a few posts this past year were meaningful and inspiring, but regardless, I can honestly say that my spiritual rule of life has been more consistent.  I thank you for the incentive.

2)   One of the unexpected results of the last year has been the widespread reader base that has already emerged.  I have people all over the U.S. who find my ramblings from time to time and that has been an humbling experience for me.  The comments and emails have been enlightening and encouraging as you have shared what God is doing in your lives.  My prayer is that God will continue to use this ministry to touch even more folks – we are all on this path together!

3)  The overwhelming experience of the last year has been the encouragement I have received from you.  I began this ministry in an effort to minister to people in need of encouragement and inspiration – and I pray that has been the case.  But, as with any effort we offer up to God, the blessing has been mine.  I truly appreciate and am humbled by you, the readers.  Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts with me!

This has been a full year.  God has done some amazing things in people’s lives this year.  I pray as we move forward together into the next year of posts, that God will use this ministry to touch lives and that together we will grow in our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Thanks for reading!  Tell a friend!

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The Story We Live

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope on April 6, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I sat in a lecture last night and listened to an esteemed preacher discuss, rather prolifically, the importance of narrative and the way it shapes our character.  In preaching circles, “narrative” is a buzz word.  The idea is that each of us process information by understanding facts in the setting of a story.  When we read Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount that peace makers are blessed, in our minds we see someone making peace in a heated situation – a story emerges in our minds as we seek to understand the concept of a peace maker.  In other words, we process ideas in the form of stories.

But a deeper activity is happening as we seek to process information – we are doing so in light of our own story.  The experiences of our lives shape us and also shape the way we view information coming at us.

I realize this is a little more abstract than I normally get (maybe its being back on a college campus that brings it out of me) but here is what it all boils down to for you and me today.  God has made you who you are for a reason – through experiences, people who have impacted you and through the grace you have been shown.  There is only one you and God has a plan for you that only you can carry out.

Count it all joy then that God has created you complete with beauty and warts, quirks and strengths, burdens and joys to make a difference in this life.  The merit in your story is not in what you can attain or obtain but in the contribution you can make in the lives of others.  That is God’s plan – God’s meta-narrative.  Your story is a part of a larger story and your part can only be written and told by you!

Write a new chapter today as you impact others with hope and joy!

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He Is Risen

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope on April 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »

He is risen indeed!  That was the cry yesterday.  The last 40 plus days have been leading up to yesterday – Easter Sunday.  We spent last week remembering the tremendous sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us – the rejection, the beating and the death.  But the most important part of the Easter event is not the actions leading up to the day.  The most important reality of Easter is that Jesus didn’t stay dead.  He defeated death and rose again.

So often, we tend to leave Jesus in the grave.  We remember his sacrifice and we examine ourselves in light of that sacrifice, but we often leave with a sense of humble gratitude and that’s it.  Honestly, that is a part of what God wants us to experience.  But if we stop there, we miss the point.

Jesus is alive and well today.  Does that reality make a difference in the way you go about your day?  Or does your life reflect the assumption that Jesus is still in the grave?

He is risen!  May we live like we believe that today!

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You’re Welcome

Posted in Community, Grace, Missions on March 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I remember when the slogan became popular.  I was young but even then it made an impression of home and prompted thoughts of friendliness and being welcomed.

Tom Bodett had no affiliation with the motel chain, but was a voice that helped launch the chain into the forefront of the market.  But the ad-libbed slogan is what people remember (at least if you are my age or older).  Anyone know what I’m talking about?

Yep, you guessed it – “We’ll leave the light on for you!”

A very simple statement that communicates a world of images and has stuck with the chain for over 20 years.  I had not heard a radio ad for Motel 6 in years for some reason, but just this week I heard the familiar voice recite the familiar slogan on the radio.

All this got me to thinking about hospitality and providing a welcoming environment to others.  Leaving the light on sends the message of “We are ready for you and we want you here.”

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the church.  Is your church welcoming of others?  Do the individuals in your community know that they are welcome in your church?  Do you go out of the way to “leave the light on?”

But the focus on my mind today is a little more personal – a little closer to home.  How welcoming are you?  We talk a lot about showing people God’s love and grace and many of us do that regularly – but on our terms and our time frame.  What about the inconvenient drop-in to your office or to your home?  When you are in the big middle of a huge project, how inviting are you to someone who needs to talk?

God’s call on us as followers of the Way is to show love and grace as a way of lifestyle, not as a project we do on “Outreach Night” at the church.

My prayer for each of us today is that we will be welcoming and inviting to those who need us.

I have done this before, but I want to make the invitation to you again.  If you need to talk or just simply want prayer for a need you may have, my email is to the right – please feel free to contact me.

“I’ll leave the light on for you!”

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We Have a Winner!

Posted in Community, Motivational on March 29, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Today is the day!  And we have a winner!  For those of you do not know what I am talking about, last week we had a little drawing.  Last week I reviewed Francis Chan’s new book and study video, Forgotten God.  To make it interesting I promised to give a copy of the book to one lucky winner.  It was a lot of fun.

And so today, congratulations are in order for Barbara Pinner.  I will be emailing you today Barbara to make arrangements to get the book to you.

For those of you who did not “win” this time, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the book the next time you are in a bookstore.  All of us could stand to be reminded of the power of the Holy Spirit that is ours if we are followers of the Way.

A word of warning about the book (you might want to check out my posts last week if you haven’t already), do not pick it up and read it if you are not willing to be challenged.

I pray each of you have a truly blessed week this week.

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