Yesterday, after church, Kristi and I got in the car and drove 540 miles to Lubbock. This morning I have the privilege of officiating the memorial service for a dear friend and a great man – thus the reason for the drive.
About an hour south of Lubbock, we were granted the joy of watching the sun set as we drove. And then, for the next hour we watched the sky display the most vibrant colors of orange and yellow and gold. Then the stars began to become visible. I was struck with how much bigger the sky looks in west Texas. That is probably because one can see for miles on the south plains. (We lived in Levelland, west of Lubbock, for thirteen years – there is a reason the town is named Levelland)
As I have reflected on the breathtaking vistas last night, I am reminded of the psalmist’s words in Psalm 19:1-4:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
It is so true! When we pause and look around, God’s creation cries out in praise of His majesty and power. If creation, that has no speech, can glorify the Creator, how much more should we do so. May we find ways today to declare the glory of God in the way we live and the way we treat those we meet.
We are told this October is pastor appreciation month. But I want to say that I am truly blessed. I have been called by God to serve Him in the local church. I would be less then genuine if I said it is a glorious journey everyday full of reward and joy. It does come with some valleys and dark times. But Jesus is faithful and I am blessed to serve Him.
I am also blessed to serve with an amazing church full of loving and compassionate people. Each day we are learning to follow Jesus more closely together. And one of the most joyful parts of the journey is leading a staff team that loves Jesus and wants to serve Him. I am grateful.
This morning, Kristi and I awoke to this picture displayed on our front lawn.
Each sheep has a name of one of our staff team – with some extras for good measure. It is a simple yet creative expression of encouragement for me as their leader. I am told that my executive assistant fought the mosquitos at 5:00 am this morning to make such a statement.
Thank you for the gesture and even more for the opportunity to partner in ministry!
Last week, I had the opportunity to serve a group of Christian leaders who live in a different world than the one in which I reside. Week in and week out, I get up and get ready for the day. I then get in my Jeep and drive the 25 minutes to the church. I enter the office and sit down to work on the tasks at hand – meetings, planning, sermon and Bible study preparation, making visits to hospitals and homes – you know, the usual pastor stuff. I don’t remember an instance in my ministry where I felt that my life was threatened because of my faith or position.
Last week, the Proyecto Fortaleza team with which I serve, offered a retreat in Juarez, Mexico. Thirty-nine pastors and their spouses were in attendance for three days and two nights. Many were long-time friends who have attended one or more of our previous 16 retreats in Juarez. But many were first time friends. All of them had one thing in common, they pastor in a violent and difficult area. More than one shared that they have received threats to pay money for their safety.
As I heard their stories, I was convicted that while ministry can be difficult for all who lead, I really have no concept of the added pressure of living in such an environment. This was not the first time I have heard such stories but it was a vivid reminder of their commitment to serve Jesus in all circumstances. It was also a time of inspiration for me to take a look at my commitment to serve even when the way forward seems difficult.
As you think about how Jesus has called you to serve today, take heart and know that He does not call you to serve without equipping you to do what He asks. Also remember that no matter how difficult it may seem, you are not serving alone. There are brothers and sisters around the world walking the same journey. But even more comforting is the fact that Jesus walks with you every step of the way.
We just finished a sermon series titled, The Focus of Worship. As the title suggests, we spent four weeks looking at the subject and importance of true worship. One of the primary points of the series has been to help each of us understand what constitutes true worship. We tend to think of worship as music. We say things like, “I am headed to worship at church,” or “worship was really powerful today,” or “I did not get much out of worship today.” We have come to equate worship to a set of songs in a church service.
The reality is, worship is not about us but always about God. And worship is not a church service. I have said each week, “It is possible to have worship outside a church service – AND – it is possible to have a church service but fail to worship.” That is because worship is bowing down to the person who is God. When we let all distractions fade into a blur and focus intently and intentionally on Jesus, we are at a place of worship. When we focus completely, as best we can as humans, on who He is and what He has done, we realize Jesus is the only one worthy of our devotion, adoration and praise.
I firmly believe that when we come face to face with Jesus our only logical next step is worship. We recognize Him as God and ourselves as anything but God. We bow our desires and will to His desires and will. And we live our days as worship to Him.
Last week, I had the privilege of being part of a mission team to the Dominican Republic. Our church has sent groups in the past but we have not returned since the pandemic. So this was the first trip back since the summer of 2019. Several on the trip had been in the past. But there were a couple of folks in our group making the trip for the first time.
It was a great week of ministry! Our group built benches for a school, ministered to children at a school and then other in an orphanage through VBS and games. Some built a truss system for a home and walked away on Wednesday from a home that had a new roof. Overall, I would say the week was a powerful time not only in the lives of those to whom we ministered but also for the lives of our team members.
Sitting at lunch on one of the last days, I had a man from another group ask me how I measured the “success” of a trip as a pastor. As I considered the question, the word that came to mind was “impact.” The reality is, we are not called to be “successful” but simply to be faithful. And that is true of a trip to the Dominican Republic or a trip to the grocery store.
The unasked question was, “how do you measure impact?” I relayed an example to the gentleman that helped me know there was impact. The day before, I had asked an individual on our team, who was on this trip for the first time how their week was going. The quick response was “Great!” I then asked, “Would you ever want to come back?” Again, without thought, the response was, “Yes – next year!” Then the next statement gave me pause. The individual said, “I don’t need a new bedroom suite.”
As I dug into that response, I found that prior to this trip, the individual had been saving to buy a new bedroom suite but decided to use the money to pay for the trip to serve God and the Dominican people with our group. So what they were saying was, the money they would be saving over the next year would not be going toward a new bedroom suite but rather to pay for next year’s mission trip to the Dominican!
I rarely bring a lunch to the office. And when I do, often someone will call last minute and want to grab lunch. Many days I just don’t eat but then there are those days that I decide I’ll run out and eat something fast – either way, not a great idea. One of my “go to places” because of proximity to the church is Schlotzsky’s.
Monday was one of those days. It was a busy morning with Vacation Bible School and trying to get a handle on the week with evening meetings to plan. So once we dismissed the kids from VBS and the parking lot was once again sane, I decided to run to my spot for a quick sandwich and then back to the office to get ready for a big meeting that evening.
As I entered the line to order, I heard a little voice full of excitement coming from just over the half-wall that separates the dining area from the order counter. “Pastor Brian, Pastor Brian!” was coming from a little face peering over the wall. I turned to see Mae Mae (that’s what I call her) and returned the greeting with energy I did not realize I had at that point. She asked, “are you going to eat with us?”
While a lunch date with two little children and their parents was not in my regimented meal schedule, I said, “Well, are you inviting me?” She turned to her mom and with the approving nod, she turned back with a shriek and said, “sit by me, sit by me.” I don’t care who you are, there is no way to turn that invitation down!
After I ordered, I sat down between her and younger brother Boone and for the next 20 minutes or so, I had the most glorious time having multiple conversations going at one time. Mae Mae was talking, Boone was asking me questions, and I was visiting with mom and dad. It was quite stimulating and life giving. As I walked back to the Jeep when lunch was over, I thought to myself, that just made my day – possibly my week!
I tell that story to remind each of us that God is ready with moments that give us life. We never know where they may appear or what they may be but we need to be alert so we don’t miss them.
What moments will you make today? What holy moment can you offer to someone you meet?
Maybe you’ll be blessed with an impromptu lunch, sitting between a 4 year old on your left and a 5 year old on your right while visiting with their parents!
Yesterday, I continued the God-Sized Mission series with a sermon about living out our faith locally – right where we are. We have a tendency to read a passage like Matthew 28:19-20 and be inspired to go to other parts of the world to share the Good News and love of Jesus. That is certainly a part of the command to make disciples of ALL nations.
But a closer look at the way the words are used in those verses, teaches us that it is not an “over-there” kind of command. A better understanding is that we are to be making disciples “as we are going.” In other words, as we go about our daily lives, we are to reflect Jesus in all we do.
This does not start someday and some place, it starts this day and right here!
As a faithful Jesus follower, each of us is to be focused on living a lifestyle that honors Jesus. This lifestyle, along with the message we share, should inspire to and immerse others in the same lifestyle. How will you do that this day?
For us, we start Vacation Bible School this morning. We will have literally hundreds of opportunities to show the love of Jesus to children and their families right here in our building. I would say, in many ways, it will be easier to be on task this morning simply because our focus will be concentrated.
But what about the other days – the average, ho-hum, mundane days of our lives? It is on those days that our faithfulness and commitment shine through.
Today, in the mundane routine of your daily schedule, share Jesus.
A lifestyle of following him is a powerful message!
We began a new series last Sunday titled, “God Sized Mission.” The foundational idea for this series is that God’s church does not have a mission as much as God’s mission has a church. The point to understand is that God’s mission is to redeem humanity and Jesus created the church to carry out that mission by making disciples.
The marching orders each of us were given before Jesus ascended are very clear. As we go about our daily lives, we are to be reaching others for Christ by the way we live, the way we love and the words we use. We are to make disciples who, in turn, make disciples. We are to do that by immersing new believers in the lifestyle of abiding with Jesus and we are to teach them to hold on to all that Jesus has taught us.
The mission of the church is clear – it is stated in the Great Commission. The way we go about carrying out His mission is often unique, dependent on our context. Most churches will never appeal to all people. Each church needs to realize her make up and strive to be faithful to who she is called to be. However, we must never get so caught up in being unique that we forget our mission.
Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20)
As you are going about your day today, how will God use you to make disciples?
I have been thinking about purpose for a while now. Questions like, “Am I effectively living my calling?” and “Am I helping our church move forward?” have been on my mind and heart.
This reflection has led me to take a fresh look at the mission of the church. This Sunday, we will begin a new series looking at God’s desire for our church and churches in general. The foundational understanding that will ground each sermon in the series is this: God’s church does not have a mission as much as God’s mission has a church.
So many churches get bogged down in trying to define their mission. To be sure, each church is unique in the way God’s purposes are fulfilled. We all need to be clear in what God intends.
But scripture is clear in that God’s desire is the redemption of mankind. Jesus came to earth with the mission of making forgiveness and eternal life possible. His basic purpose was to offer himself as the sacrifice for all sin in order for redemption to be a reality.
That is still God’s heart and desire; saving humanity from itself – from sin. God’s plan in this endeavor is to use the church to bring this mission to completion. So the mission is the redemption of mankind. The church is the plan to fulfill this mission.
The next time you think about the mission of the church – I challenge you to instead consider that God’s mission has a church.
Have you ever taken a wrong turn? Now days, GPS and the maps on our phones can help prevent such a thing – when they are accurate. But growing up when I did, those tools were not available. The good thing is, I grew up in west Texas and I learned that towns are typically laid out in a grid pattern with streets going north and south and then cross streets going east and west. If you missed a turn – or turned the wrong way, you simply “made the block” as we would say and come back to the site of the mistake and choose differently.
That served me well in the barren geography of west Texas. But the first time I tried to navigate a town with a river running through it, all common sense went out the window. There was no “making the block”. The next turn might take you in a totally different direction. And without a clear picture of what direction to go, it was easy to get farther and farther from where one needed to be. It finally came to a decision of either continuing to meander around until the destination was found or simply turn around and backtrack.
Our lives are like that. It is so easy to take a wrong turn and continue to get farther and farther away from where we need to be. When we think about turning back, the distance we have come seems insurmountable – too great to make it worth even trying to get back to where we took the wrong turn.
Yesterday, one of my readings was in Acts 11. The chapter recounts Peter’s being called before the leaders in Jerusalem to give an answer for why he went outside the Jewish faith to share the Gospel. I encourage you to read the story and what led Peter to step outside all that he had been raised to believe to take the good news to a Gentile. After giving his reasoning, we are told in verse 18, “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even the Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
As I have reflected on this idea of repentance being offered to even someone like me, I have thought a lot about what repentance is and what it means. The act of repentance is best understood as turning around – literally a 180 degree turn. If you are going one direction, repentance means turning back and going the complete opposite direction. This is our choice. When we are told that God has granted repentance that leads to life – that means he accepts our turning back. But we have to do the turning!
Here is the beauty and blessing of the repentance that God grants – when we turn back to Him, He is right there. Regardless of how far off track we may have gotten. No matter how far down the road we may have wandered or all the side streets we may have explored, when we decide to turn back, there is no ground to make up to get back to where we need to be.
That is grace!
The psalmist says in Psalm 139 that no matter where we go, God is there. If we go up to the heights or down to the depths, God is already there. When we decide to turn back to him, we don’t have to first correct all the mis-guided steps or wrong turns to get back to Him – He is already there.
HE IS ALWAYS RIGHT THERE!
So today, if you feel you have taken a wrong turn in life and you need to get back on track, know that God is waiting for you to simply turn around toward Him.
Turn around and find peace today – turn around and find hope!
Just my musings about life as a Christ follower honestly and humbly seeking to be molded into what Christ wants me to be as a husband, father, minister and person.
Clay in the Hands 