We left from the church parking lot in Palm Coast about 7:20 Sunday morning (July 6) for YouthWorks in Chattanooga, TN. I’m driving the minivan with half our 12-member group and Mark is driving Godzilla, his huge green pickup truck, with most of our gear and the remainder of our team. He’s got CB’s in each vehicle so we can keep in touch. That’s right, good buddy, CB’s. Continue reading “YouthWorks Mission Trip (day 1): The journey”
This year’s mission trip adventure actually begins a few days before our departure for Chattanooga, Tennessee. After months of careful, deliberate and prayerful preparation, I called the van rental company (West Coast Van Rentals, Jacksonville, FL) on Thursday to confirm our Saturday pickup for Sunday’s departure. We have rented from them every summer since our first mission trip eight years ago. Never a problem. Until this year. Continue reading “YouthWorks Mission Trip 2014 (prequel): PB is not happy”
It’s been a week now since we finished up the annual Vacation Bible School at our church. As I reflect on those five nights, (we do a Sunday through Thursday evening program), I am once again impressed by the ministry energy and momentum generated by this effort.
This event pulls together nearly 100 volunteers from within and some from outside of our congregation, if you count the directors, station leaders, crew leaders, teachers, bakers, clerical help and donors. Those involved include most of our middle and high school youth along with young adults, parents, grandparents and seniors. Some who attended as children now serve in leadership. It is arguably the best fellowship and outreach we do all year, with the majority of children coming from outside of our congregation. Some in attendance deliberately vacation with grandparents the week of our VBS so they can attend!
The afterglow lasts for weeks. Old friendships are renewed and new ones forged. The songs play over and over in our heads. I can still hear the echoes of this year’s drums. Photo galleries and video clips flood Facebook pages. And rather than being exhausted when the week is over, we are energized. Before its over, we are already talking about next year. It is a week when we are at our best!
If only we could replicate this form of revival a few more times a year. In the fall, perhaps, as a new school year begins. Or after Christmas, when the busy holidays are past. I’m not sure what it would look like, but I know it would be very positive for our ministry.
I remember reading something in Henry Blackaby’s book Experiencing God about seeing where God is at work and then joining Him there. This is definitely one of those places to jump on board! I don’t know what it is about VBS week, but it is a rich blessing for us every single year.
A first-time worshiper guest threw that question at me on their way out the door last Sunday. No, I didn’t know what they were talking about either. But I’ve become the master of the follow-up question.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You didn’t use any notes when you preached.”
“Oh, he had notes,” her husband quickly added.
I chimed in, “Yes, I did have a few notes.” But then they were out the door.
Honestly, I did have a few notes. I usually have a sticky note on the page opposite my sermon text with some words to jog my memory during the course of the sermon.
How do I do that? Good question. Maybe I should start from the beginning. Continue reading “Just a sticky note”
How hard could it be?
Dad had cleaned out a lot of things in the house years ago. He had given away clothes, linens, craft and sewing supplies and lots of books after my mom died nine years ago. He moved out of his home of 48 years about six months ago, moving in with my brother. He took most everything of sentimental value with him. With an interested buyer on the line, it was time to finishing emptying out the house and get it ready for sale. By today’s standards, it was a small home, two stories with a full basement. Maybe 1,000 sq. ft. How hard could it be?
I had no idea. The biggest surprise? The number of bookcases in that little home. The books were mostly gone, but my brother, sister and I must have carried out twenty-five book cases and cabinets of various shapes and sizes. Some were antiques, some were cheap pressboard “some assembly required” pieces, and others were handcrafted by my dad. One-by-one we carried painted, stained, metal, laminate and plastic shelf units to the curb, where many were picked up by folks alerted to our efforts via Craigslist.
David Brooks' January 20, 2014 New York Times op-ed column The Art of Presence caught my eye the other day. It's definitely worth a read. As someone who often helps people and families through difficult times, his reflections resonated with me. I am constantly ecouraging my congregation to pursue an incarnational rather than an attractional style of ministry. In other words, be there rather than waiting for or trying to get someone to come to you.
The temptation is to distance yourself, assuming that they need space or time or that there's really nothing you can say or do. It turns out that showing up makes a powerful statement in itself, even if you have little to say. Don't wait. Just go. Be there.
That's what Jesus did. He shows up in our world. Now while He comes with a message and miracles, His presence also speaks volumes. We could never go to Him. Not when we are sinners and He is holy. But He can come to us. He still does. He comes and speaks to us in His Word. He still comes with gifts of grace in the sacraments. And that communicates a powerful message of love.
“My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart” (Proverbs 4:21 NLT).
When I read these words this morning, I began to wonder just how deeply God’s Word penetrates our hearts. My immediate thought was, “Not very. Not very deep at all.” If that’s true, then my spirituality is embarrassingly superficial. God’s Word just skims the surface of my life. I may do what He says, but one doesn’t have to give much thought to obedience. I may trust His promises, but I can go for an entire day without them coming to mind. I can dig deep and find all kinds of fears, doubts and regrets inside myself. How can God get a foothold in there, deep in my heart?
As I pondered this question, a few images came to mind. One was from Ezekiel, where the Lord declares that He will replace hearts of stone with hearts of flesh (Ezek. 36:26). I can understand the need for that. It’s very hard to penetrate stone. I’ve tried. Even with a masonry bit and a large drill, it takes time to make a hole for an anchor to hang up a shelf in the garage. I can penetrate flesh much easier. I’ve done that, too, as the assortment of cuts on my hands attest. When God’s Spirit brings us to life, our hearts become penetrable once again.
Next, there is the promise from Jeremiah of a new covenant God make with his people, writing His law on their hearts (Jer. 31:33). That new covenant comes when God forgives, a promise fulfilled by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, the blood of a new covenant. Our Lord’s words no longer skim the surface when we eat and drink His body and blood. The reality of His grace indeed find room within us, replacing the fears, doubts and regrets with forgiveness, life and salvation.
As I thought of and wrote about the above, I’m amazed and thankful that these images surfaced. Obviously God got through to me somewhere and somehow. I guess I’m still learning just how deep His love is (Eph. 3:18).
The Sunday before last, a vacationing pastor worshiped with us along with his wife and two grandsons. I thought I recognized him and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the visitor card he filled out.
Later that week, I got an encouraging email from him unlike any I’ve ever received. After introducing himself, he complimented me on my preaching, including a summary of the message with direct quotes that were meaningful to him. I rarely get feedback like that, and I can’t say enough about how much it meant to me. I plan on giving feedback like that the next time I get some time off and get to be in the congregation.
Thank you, pastor, for reminding me about the awesome power of encouragement!
Today I began my sermon with a challenge. “Picture in your mind the most unusual person you’ve ever seen in a worship service.” After a few moments, I shared a few images that had popped into my mind this past week. A pair of Mormon missionaries, a lady with a bird’s-nest hairdo (complete with robin’s eggs), and a suicious looking young man in a long black trench coat. The challenge set up the arrival of the wise men – foreign astrologers – who showed up to worship Jesus and are now honored with a day in the church year, Epiphany. Definitely not your typical worshipers of the king of the Jews.
Now on a post-nap Sunday afternoon, I’m wondering what a typical worshiper looks like. Since the gathers to worship in just about every language in every corner of the world, anyone should be able to fit in. Since Pentecost the worldwide Church has the multicultural look of heaven recorded by John in Revelation.
Yet as I look around on a Sunday morning, I will surely see someone who looks out of place. Someone with a different idea of what it means to worship. So one with a different idea of what is attractive. Someone who has different values. Someone who thinks I’m different. (So what’s with the black shirt and white plastic neck thing?)
And I will be challenged to live the Epiphany reality that my Savior is their Savior, too.
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