Mark Beeson

Worship Facilities EXPO and Conference

Long before the sun came up this morning I was sitting in my hotel room putting the finishing touches on my WFX Keynote address.  I'd already invested hours in prayer and preparation. My assignment was to tell the story of Christ's work at GCC and I wanted to wring every possible benefit from the moments remaining to me.

I live in the tension between God's call and my weakness.

No matter how prepared I am, I keep working on my messages until I'm finished delivering them.  Sometimes I wish I was smarter.  I wish I could finish my preparation, put the talk to bed and let go of it until it's time to stand and deliver. 

That'd be nice, but I can't do it.  My mind won't shut down.  I'm still turning words and transitions over in my psyche long after the text is prepared.  I try to conjure better ways to articulate my position.  I wonder if there isn't some clarifying illustration that will help people apprehend essential truth.  I pursue elusive analogies. I yearn for inspiration - not only for me but also for those listening to me. 

I have to work hard to do what God calls me to do.

So I stay up late.  I get up early.

If I was smarter it might be easier, but I'm admitting the truth.  If God doesn't show up when I preach, we may as well go home.  In fact, if God doesn't show up when I preach, I'm going home.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

 

Club Noma. You Gotta Go...

 

                                                                                           - Photo by Mark Waltz

When you think of Asian fusion restaurants you might imagine them being in cities like New York, LA, or Miami but there is one in downtown South Bend, called Club Noma.  You have no need to travel to Chicago for style, presentation and taste; it's right here in Michiana.

It’s a little bit Asian, it's a little bit trendy, and it's a whole lot of flavor.

Noma owner, Nat Buraprateep, is a participant in our GCC congregation. He's a solid business leader with a tremendous work ethic.  Many Saturday nights he doesn't leave Noma until 3 or 4 AM, sleeps a couple of hours and attends one of our services on Sunday. Nat adds good jobs, and great value, to our community.

Last week I took all the pastors with "Leadership Live" to Noma.  The whole experience was simply fantastic.  Nat hosted our group, and sacrificed a lot, helping me pay tribute to the pastors.

I couldn't be more proud of Nat. I was honored to stand beside him for this picture.

Want a recommendation for a very special evening?

Stop what you are doing, call some friends, and make your reservations for an extraordinary night at Noma.  Exotic delicacies and prompt service in a stunning environment await.  You won't be disappointed.

You Asked For It

 

Several have asked if I've ever taken a picture of a female Oriole.  A few stated they'd never seen one, or if they had, they didn't know it.  Males are so brilliantly painted that people usually recognize them, but the more muted females have apparently been unnoticed and undetected.

I took this picture before the clouds rolled in yesterday.

This is what a female Oriole looks like.

Northern Cardinal / Cardinalis cardinalis

The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of Indiana.

I was working this morning on the sermon I'm to deliver at the Women's Retreat when I noticed this female Cardinal. 

You may think I'm easily distracted.  I like to think I'm able to quickly focus on a vast array of assorted topics in rapid sequence.  All I know is when I stop typing and look up...I see things.  When I glanced up this morning, I visualized a picture of this bird and thought, "Well now, I can see the photo so I better get my camera and take it."

If you don't take the picture, it'll fly away.  Truth is...it'll fly away whether you get the shot, or not.  The question is, "Did you engage the opportunity while you could?" 

Life roils in the wake of your answer to that question. 

Opportunities come and go.  If you don't maximize the moment, it'll fly away.  In fact, the moment will pass whether you lean in to exploit it, or not.  The question is, "Will you engage the moment while you can?"

Today I'm busy.  I have a lot to do.  I've got my minutes all planned out (χρόνος/chronos), but I'm never sure when a God-ordained-moment-of-opportunity will occur (καιρός/kairos).

I plan to make the most of the opportunities God gives me.  I don't want today's opportunities to fly away without my notice. I want to make the most of each occasion.

What are you planning to do with the moments God gives you today?

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 says, "After looking at the way things are on this earth, here's what I've decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that's about it. That's the human lot.  Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift!

   

Dancing With Our Stars / Center for the Homeless

 

Sheila and I were hosted by Maribeth Roncz at the "Dancing With Our Stars" miracle auction for the Center for the Homeless.  I took my camera....and my wallet.

We raised $65,000 dollars for the Center's budget by pairing professional dancers with nine high profile celebrity Michiana stars.  Patrons gave $37 to cast each vote.  Every vote for a "star" brought money to the Center.

DC is one of our stars. He received 141 votes, and that's a lot of money at $37 per vote! 

He was captain of ND's football team in '04, President of ND's Fellowship of Christian Athletes and an NFL player prior to leaving professional football and accepting my invitation to be the Director of GCC's Student Ministry.  DC is my friend and comrade at GCC. 

DC danced with Amy O'Day, co-owner of DanceSport.  Their routine to the Blue's Brothers song "Soul Man" brought down the house and made a pile of money for the Center for the Homeless. 

I took this picture during their performance.

Before we drove home I asked for their help, so Amy and DC will be dancing their "Soul Man" routine during a weekend service sometime in the next four weeks.  You'll love it!

(By the way....if you'd like to hear about my trip home late Friday night, you can watch my report during this weekend's service at GCC.)

 

Baltimore Oriole / Icterus galbula

 

Cut an orange in half.  Hang it in a tree. 

The Orioles are here and they are easily attracted to feeder offerings of grape jelly, orange halves or sugar water (nectar).

I took this picture this morning.

Leadership Live 2008

 

                                                                            Photo by Jeff Myers

Day One of Leadership Live was great. 

Thanks for praying for the pastors.  I thought you'd like to see their faces.  We only have one more day together.

1 Peter 5:1 says, "I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it's like to be a leader, in on Christ's sufferings as well as the coming glory." 

When I'm This Happy I Can't See Very Well....

 

I'm really happy.

Today I begin a two-day-journey with my wonderful friends on GCC's Senior Management Team.  Tim Stevens, Mark Waltz, Butch Whitmire and Rob Wegner join me in an outrageous initiative.  We plan to pour everything we can into 24 pastors who've traveled to Granger. They've come to study with us.  They've got two days to glean all they can.   

Please pray. 

Churches across America will gain ground if we can serve their leaders well.  We're happy to help, but we believe more passion for Jesus is what most leaders desire.  If we can stoke the fires of faith we'll have served these pastors well.

It's going to be awesome.

I'm really happy.

 

Planting in Good Soil; Expecting a Good Crop

 

I've got a buddy who farms.  Vic is planting asparagus today.  It's a front-loaded effort; there's a lot of investment in the beginning but that effort has a potential twelve or thirteen year pay off.  He has a dream and today he is planting his hopes in good soil.   

Proverbs 20:4 says, "A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall."

I think of how I'm spending my time and effort, and based on what I'm planting now, I wonder how good my crop will be this fall? 

Watching Vic's efforts, I can't help but think about the harvest ahead.  Am I planting wisely?  Am I planting the seeds necessary to produce the yield I want?  Have I prepared the soil for the seed I'm sowing?  Am I looking forward to the day of harvest?  Standing with Vic in his field made me wonder whether I'm doing the work necessary to have a good crop.

The Bible has a lot to say about seedtime and harvest.

Proverbs 22:8 says, "He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity."

Hosea 10:12 says, "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love."

2 Corinthians 9:6 says, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

Galatians 6:7-8 says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

I was inspired by Vic's example today.  I want to be more like him.

Do You Ever Get Weary?

The Original Serenity Prayer
(Credited to Reinhold Niebuhr)

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

Adam Did Better Than Rafinesque

 

I photographed this little button buck near our house yesterday. If you look carefully you can see antlers beginning to grow.  A scraggly pelage and timid demeanor marked this young Whitetail.  Weighing about 5.5 lbs at birth I'd guess this is his first April without his mother.

He survived a harsh winter. Now he's on his own. 

Those antlers can grow half an inch a day, and they grow through the end of August.  They'll grow bigger each year until they peak when he's about seven years old.  The speed with which Whitetail antlers grow makes them one of the fastest growing structures in the animal kingdom.

The deer genus was given the name Odocoileus by Rafinesque in 1832.  The naturalist had found a deer tooth as a fossil in a Virginia cave, and it is thought that he was trying to name the animal "hollow tooth."  That should have produced the name Odontocoelus, but his Latin was poor so Odocoileus was the name that stuck.

Adam did better...

Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. - Genesis 2:19

Turkey Time

Indiana Turkey Season opens on Wednesday.

You can kill one bearded or male bird before the season ends May 11th - if you're lucky and hunt hard. 

This afternoon I was writing an article titled, "Preaching at the Intersection of Contemporary Living and Faith."  (No, I didn't pick the title.  The magazine editors did.)  I looked out the window, saw this hen and grabbed my camera. 

She's safe; her beau isn't.

This is free advice.   Do not walk in the woods gobbling. 

Yesterday Was Saturday

Saturdays are good days.

Many carve "family time" out of Saturdays.  We do the chores needing our attention.  We fill a few hours with errands, athletic competitions, yard work and anything on the "Honey Do List."  For thousands of us, Saturdays provide the needed opportunity to bring our friends to a weekend service. 

Yesterday was Saturday.

I don't know what you did with your "yesterday," but dozens of the students at GCC poured themselves out for the "Manowe Work Day."   They decided to make a lasting impact by leveraging a few hours against the disappointments faced by so many of our Five-Star kids.  They knew young students from our after-school-ministry would be showing up at Manowe this summer so they worked the camp into tip-top-shape.

Paul told Timothy, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

I photographed our young volunteers inside the Dream Center. They are devoted, passionate and loyal...and they are well led.  You can be very proud of the students at GCC. 

I am.

A Few Good Men

 

                                                                         - Photo by Nic File

It's amazing to see what determined men can accomplish. 

These are a few of the guys who worked today at Manowe.  With chainsaws roaring, they cleared forest and cut trails for the new low-ropes-course.  Every kid who goes to summer camp will benefit from the diligence and effort of a few good men.

I'm proud to serve Jesus beside friends like these.

Proverbs 2:20-21 says, "So—join the company of good men and women, keep your feet on the tried and true paths. It's the men who walk straight who will settle this land, the women with integrity who will last here."

   

What're You Gonna Do With Hard Times?

Welcome to real life - where the earth quakes and we suffer the impact of limitation, frailty or sin.  Confined behind bars defining the consequences of what Francois Fenelon calls, "certain unconquerable imperfections," we face reality and decide; we choose to surrender in despair, or profit from the pain.  The choice is ours.

Fenelon (offering spiritual counsel in the 1600's) suggests we find deliverance and freedom as we take our next step toward Christ. 

He had it figured out long before I did.  His advice follows:

"Bear with yourself in your involuntary frailties as God bears, wait patiently for His appointed time of complete deliverance, and meanwhile go on quietly and according to your strength in the path before you, without losing time in looking back; sorrowing over (your sins) with humility, but putting them aside to press onwards; not looking upon God as a spy watching to surprise you, or an enemy laying snares for you, but as a Father who loves you ... Such you will find to be the path toward true liberty."

If you've known trouble, or the heart-ache of disappointment, the services this weekend are for you. 

If you ever felt like you were trapped in troubled times, be present this weekend.

If you intuit the choices we make when we suffer will determine the consequence of suffering, come to GCC this weekend.

There is hope. 

DC's Blog

I captured this photo of DC and Brooke during our Food Drop.  DC is leading our entire student ministry at GCC.  I’m proud of him. 

I read some recent comments on DC’s blog.  Assuming people have made summary judgments with insufficient data, I’ve decided a bit of context might help people understand why those on my staff do the things they do.

I expect a lot of my staff.  I’m thrilled when you offer them support. 

Let me provide some perspective. It may help you pray more and criticize less.

1. I expect GCC staff to obey the greatest commandment of God.  I expect them to love the Lord and live in full devotion to Him.  John Wesley expected Christ-followers would ask each other, “How is it with your soul?”  This question requires a ruthless self-inventory - an analysis revealing the truth about your own spiritual reality.   Anyone engaged in productive life knows Wesley was right to insist the condition of our souls mitigates against the efficacy of our ministry.

2. I value passionate devotion to marriage and family.  Whether serving on my staff or not, I want people to date their mates.  Convinced quality time is the result of quantity time, I want people to make lots of time for family.  If you are married, no one is more important than your spouse.  If you are a parent, you are required to make the decisions that are best for your family.  I expect my staff to get their priorities right: God first, spouse second, family next…

3. I expect my staff to do their jobs.  I expect them to work hard.  God made three parts to every day and I expect my staff to work two of those three parts.  I expect them to deliver their best ministry effort and add value to our team.  They need a solution-orientation and courage for high-risk / high-reward ministry.  They need to play well in the sandbox with others.  I expect them to give more than they take, complement the efforts of their teammates, and help me build a healthy church. 

4. I’m persuaded a person can’t accomplish #3 (do their jobs with great attitudes) if they’re not devoted to #1 (seek first God’s Kingdom) and #2 (prioritize spouse and family over work responsibilities).  I’d rather have God’s people love God and love their families than work on my staff.  I pray this church will be led by men and women who put God first and value family over job, position or title.  GCC needs leaders like that; we should pray for such leadership!

5. I’m responsible to provide a context where high capacity leaders can soar!  If I can get the right people in the right positions of responsibility/opportunity they will lead us well, deliver a powerful witness of the Risen Christ, and model holy lives of full devotion to God.  We agree on the “what” of the mission and they figure out the “how.”  Great leaders deserve enormous opportunity.

6. I’m answerable for the development, training and maturity of my staff.  I don’t personally train and disciple each and every person on my team, but I am responsible to guarantee they have the time, opportunity and blessing required for their progress.  I fail them if I give them no time for renewal, no money for training, inadequate support or lack of opportunity.  If I fail them, I fail the people they lead; failing them weakens the church.

7. I want my teammates to take all their vacation, use their continuing education/training money and honor a Sabbath. 

So when the three leaders of our student ministry sacrifice time with family and friends to travel and study some of the most effective student ministries in America, I hope you’ll join me in thanking God our kids have leaders willing to do what it takes to learn from the best. 

The guys came home better than they left; they were informed, equipped and impassioned.

The two married guys gave their wives the first-fruits of their blessing.  With my full support they took their wives on vacation.  Though their work took them away from their brides for several days, they resolved to give their wives a wonderful holiday adventure upon their return.  I could not have been more pleased.  They modeled right priorities and God-ordained values. 

What our top youth ministry leaders did on their trip deepened their mutual trust and camaraderie.  These guys lead a huge ministry and carry a heavy load.  Their shared journey strengthened their team.

What the married guys did – taking their wives on vacation upon their return – modeled love and devotion rightly prioritized.  Their wives don’t have any question about their place of importance; they know their husbands esteem them highly and love them deeply.  Each is preeminent, unsurpassed in her husband’s affections.

I’m very happy with DC.  I’m proud of his leadership.  I’m proud of him. I'm glad he took his guys on the study trip.  I'm glad he took his wife on vacation.  I'm glad he's on our team.

I hope this little post helps those of you who seem confused about my expectations for my staff. 

Holy Friends

I've been with more than 500 United Methodist pastors for the last two days.  Anticipating 100 pastors in my workshop I ended up with about 250. 

I gave everyone of them a free copy of Tim's great new book (which they loved) and I gave them my best effort.  The bishop was happy after my workshop, not because I finished on time, though that helped, but because the workshop added value.  At least, that's what he said. 

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.  I think we helped a lot of pastors.

During one of the general sessions I heard one comment so good I'm passing it along.  Referencing the value of Christian community, Greg Jones, Dean of Duke Divinity School said, 

      "Holy friends challenge the sins we've come to love."

Amen.  I don't need help with sins I hate; they hold no appeal to me.  It's the stuff I excuse in myself that can derail my life.  I tend towards too much work, too fast a pace and too little rest. Great friends help me with that stuff. 

What Are The Obstacles to Church Growth?

The polar opposite of an "obstacle" to church growth is a "leader" committed to it.

My nephew Isaac Hunter is such a leader.  He's a young pastor and his church is experiencing phenomenal growth.  I picture Isaac (with his oldest child) on this blog post because it clarifies the truth; his priorities, his purposes and his values are well ordered.  God first.  Family second. Church leadership after that.  If you get lost in the verbiage below just look back up at this picture of a great pastor.  His priorities give him the potential to lead a growing church.

I believe leaders enable, or hinder, the growth of the church. 

When Steve Beard interviewed me, he asked, "What are the largest obstacles to church growth?"

Here's my response to Steve's question:

Lack of vision. When the leader has no vision it is impossible to call people to radical sacrifice for a worthy goal. No one offers talent, time, energy, and support without good reason. The vision is the reason, and where there is no vision people won’t align their resources and collaborate. Confusion is a barrier to growth; clarity brings focus and ministry intensity, and that yields a great reward.

Weak leadership. When leaders think they can’t do the right thing because someone might become angry, they betray the mission. Our churches are surrounded by people living without Christ, and without hope. The pastor who won’t lead a congregation through a process to introduce a new song or a new teaching method (to reach new people) because some lady in the third row complains, “That’s not how we do things here,” has mistaken kindness for weakness. The kind thing to do is to offer Christ to the masses. The weak thing to do is to defer to a few critics and, in so doing, condemn their neighbors to an eternity without Christ.

Confused leadership. For too long pastors have believed they are appointed to a local church with the assignment to pray, pay, and get out of the way. The insidious belief that local churches lack the power and responsibility for transforming their surrounding communities makes congregations impotent. United Methodist pastors are appointed “in charge” and when they degrade their responsibility to mere “fundraiser for the denomination,” the butterfly effect sends ripples across the entire church.

Once people sense the local church exists merely to raise funds for the corporate denomination, they feel like spectators rather than players. Such confusion about the role of the local church (and the people in it) topples the first domino in a cascading failure that degrades a denomination from “mainline” to “sideline.” This is a hands-on society comprised of individuals who’ve lost trust in institutions; people today want to do it themselves. There is a deep pool of volunteers with the desire to personally experience meaningful service. They know they only go around once in life and they want to drink deeply of the adventure…not send money to someone else so they have all the joy.

Instead, they will divvy up their offerings among the various organizations bombarding them for money. As that happens, the tithe is pulled from the local church, God removes his blessing, and the local church becomes a pale shadow of the biblically functioning community scripture describes. Congregations become sick and stop growing. Healthy grows.

The local church is the front line of the United Methodist Church’s ministry delivery system. When local church pastors take seriously their vows to reach their communities for Jesus Christ, growth becomes more likely. When denominational officials ask local pastors to report the number of baptisms, conversions, and social-action initiatives, before they ask whether they paid their apportionments in full, local pastors will begin to shift their priorities from funding ministry elsewhere to ministry success right there—right where they are!

On the Record - One Answer to One Question

 

I've been thinking a lot about your questions and comments regarding my hour with United Methodist pastors next week. 

I was recently asked, "What is your model or vision for discipleship?"  I thought of our strategies in student ministry. I thought of our Wesleyan manner of helping kids live in methodical holiness and disciplined love.

Here are my thoughts on discipleship.

No one ever drifts to greatness. Want to be a great musician? Methodical practice is required. Do you long for athletic prowess? You must train, and train methodically. Building a great marriage, a great family, a great friendship or a great career requires the ongoing discipline of methodical effort. Wesley had it right; the methodical practice of scriptural holiness is the way to maturity.

Just as God calls us into community, Wesley called his “awakened” to live in community. Iron sharpens iron and Wesley knew the best strategy for discipleship included the honesty (and sharpening effect) of Christ-centered friendships. At Granger, we embrace that pattern. Our vision of discipleship resonates with the inevitable results found in the synergistic power of collaboration and community.

Our best practices for discipleship are rooted deeply in Wesley’s model for advancements made through methodical community disciplines. Determined followers of Jesus, routinely gathering for prayer, worship, service, study and accountability experience dramatic growth in a remarkably short time. At Granger, we envision discipleship as the consequence of similar life-on-life experiences.

We help every person at Granger do five things:

1. We want everyone to have friends who follow Christ and be a Christian friend. We launch new groups for new people every month.
2. We want everyone to serve at least once a month. We offer an easy “first serve opportunity” – called 2nd Saturday – to help everyone get involved.
3. We want people to read their Bibles on a regular basis. Every weekend message is accompanied by a daily devotional guide that helps people consider the scriptures each day.
4. We want every person to invest in the lives of others and invite them to church. We make every weekend a safe place for newcomers to the experience a dangerous message…that just might change their lives.
5. We want everyone to worship God. We constantly reiterate the value of doing the next right thing. We teach everyone to take their next step toward Christ…together.

If you don't know what you want...you're drifting.

Homage

On the 2nd Saturday of each month we bear down.  Yeah, I know.  "Bear down" is what the Doc says as labor intensifies and birth is immanent.  "Bear down" calls for focus, hard work and resolve. "Bear down" directives carry the implicit hope of new life. 

2nd Saturday is all about new hope, new life and new beginnings.  2nd Saturday is when GCC's "bears down" and delivers.

Here's an homage to everyone in labor, to all who carry hope - toiling to bring "up there down here."

Well done GCC, well done.  This morning you delivered the goods!

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.   (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

I've been asking this question...

I've recently been asking people this question,

"Did you accept Jesus into your life, or did you give your life to Jesus?"

What Would You Do With 60 Minutes?

 

If you could speak next week to 100 United Methodist pastors for 60 minutes, what would you say to them? 

According to the United Methodist Church's latest annual State of the Church Report, one-half of all United Methodist churches have fewer than 55 people in attendance each week.   Only 1% of the 34,892 United Methodist churches have a worship attendance of more than 500 people.  41% of U.S. United Methodist churches did not receive a member by profession of faith in 2005. 

The United Methodist presence in the United States today is the same as it was in 1820.  And, if trends in aging and membership losses continue at their current rates, the church will shrink to its size at the time of the first Christmas Conference in 1784.

Mike Coyner, Bishop of the Indiana Area, gave me 60 minutes – one hour of opportunity – to speak to 100 pastors about next generation ministry.  New ministry strategies might prove helpful for new ministry initiatives. 

Maybe I’ll suggest new initiatives to reach a new generation.

When I am building a team to accomplish a worthy goal (and since Wesley said, “Do nothing on which you cannot pray a blessing,” it would be a ridiculous exercise to engage an unworthy goal) I look for people who love to win.  If I can’t find any of those, I look for people who hate to lose.  We need to find leaders who do not need our help.  These are the potential-laden pastors we must help. We need to give these pastors more support, praise assistance and freedom to innovate.  When we start feeding what is growing the harvest will increase.

Stats on our recent decades of decline indicate we are not reaching new people, young people, ethnic minorities or Emergents.  Our Church is comfortable and many like it the way it is.

There are many reasons for pastors to launch new efforts to reach new people.

1.  We are losing our culture and our heritage.  America is in moral decline.  Fewer people worship the Lord Jesus.  The accepted vernacular of our contemporary culture is base, crude and degrading.  Blatant acceptance of behaviors the Bible labels “sin” has the fearful wringing their hands and the emboldened reveling in bold, lewd license.  Welfare entitlements weaken the general public, diminish productivity and pull our culture towards a socialist redistribution of wealth that undermines Christian generosity and the Protestant work ethic.  So, there is a cultural reason for pioneering effective new ministries.

2.  Big government assures individuals they are less and less accountable for their own condition.  Whatever the problem, the government is blamed and the government is expected to fix it.  This unbiblical transference of responsibility – away from the individual – conditions people for projection, blame and the exemption-of-self from all responsibility.  We will all stand before the judgment bar of God and give account.  We are answerable to the King.  If we allow the people for whom Jesus died to believe they bear no responsibility for the condition of the lives and souls of their neighbors, we have failed them!  If we have any compassion at all, we must offer the life of a Christ-follower to everyone!  In so doing, we give every woman and every man the opportunity for a life of purpose, meaning and fulfillment as they participate in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  There is a compassion reason for launching new ministries.

3.  Jesus said to “Go make disciples….”  How’s that for a reason to initiate new strategies?  There is a Biblical reason for sharing best practices so we can make new disciples of Christ.

Pastors need hope - and good reason - to intercept entropy with courageous and faithful ministry.  That's what I plan to offer. 

What would you do with 60 minutes of opportunity?

 

I Admire People Like Ted...

1 John 3:10 makes it pretty easy to figure out which people we should admire, emulate and trust. 

"Here's how you tell the difference between God's children and the Devil's children: The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't love brother or sister. A simple test."

At our last Men's Retreat hundreds of guys make commitments to practice righteous ways.  We put our vows on a huge cross as a sign of our determination to keep doing the next right thing.  Ted was there with me, declaring his commitment to live for Christ. 

He is still living strong.  I'm proud of him.  He is still serving Christ...though we made our commitments months ago. 

I wonder how the rest of the guys are doing...

Pyrrhuloxia - A Rare Sighting

 

Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) are found in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and on south into Mexico. Their stubby yellow bills are shaped more like those of parrots, in contrast to the triangular bill of the Cardinal. These birds are opportunistic feeders eating beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, seeds and berries so they seem to tolerate drier and more open habitat than Cardinals.  They consume cactus fruit and are particularly fond of the desert Christmas cholla.

Pyrrhuloxia sightings are uncommon in the USA.  As I photographed this bird, I realized it was the first Pyrrhuloxia I've ever seen. 

What a wonderful work of God!

Every day I've shared this Arizona adventure with Sheila, God's works have amazed me.  I've been astounded by the endless stream of our Lord's creativity. His power are great.  His extravagance is matched only by His Love.

Flying home from Arizona to rejoin our congregation, my spirit resonates with the psalmist's...

"Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got— Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. 

God's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! 

Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. 

His miracles are his memorial— This God of Grace, this God of Love."

                                                              - Psalms 111:1-4

Sheila's Mom and Dad

Several have asked about Sheila's parents. 

"What do they look like?'
"How long have they been married?"
"How do her parents put up with you?"
"Why do you go see her folks every year?"

I'll say this about that.

I started dating Sheila when she was 15 and I was 16.  Sheila's mother loved me (why she did, I can't fully grasp) so she has always made me feel valued.  Sheila's father was the first to stand and speak when I was declaring my intent for ministry and needed someone from my local church to testify to the efficacy of my calling.  At our wedding Sheila's dad entrusted his first-born daughter to me.  Her parents were ready to help Sheila when each of our three children was born.  They modeled a life of Christian devotion and piety.  They loved our children and demanded the best from each of them.  They helped me through my parent's divorce.  They stood by me at the grave of my father. 

They had my respect because of their role and they earned my respect because of their lives.

Here we are with John and Elly McNichols (the parents of my beloved bride, married 56 years and still together and serving Jesus) at the bottom of Canyon de Chelly near the White House Ruins. 

I'm honored to carry their trust.  I'm determined to live so they never regret giving their daughter to me.

My Response to Your Comments on My 3PM 4/4/08 Post

I'm really amazed at the results achieved from just a few sit-ups. 

Thanks for asking about the effects of working out.  Your comments encourage me...and since I'll probably need to do a few more sit-ups to keep from losing my gains, your support is important.

I think my Arizona tan helps too.

Vermilion Flycatcher / Pyrocephalus rubinus

Male Vermilion Fycatchers perform a fascinating courtship display.  Puffing out their feathers, they ascend fifty feet or more into the air, singing and hovering with rapidly beating wings.  With a slow fluttering flight they descend and swoop back to their favorite perch...having thoroughly impressed area females.

This knowledge causes me to wonder what women are looking for in a man. 

I look at the Bible and discover what the woman in the Song of Songs says about her interests....

My dear lover glows with health— red-blooded, radiant! He's one in a million. There's no one quite like him!  My golden one, pure and untarnished, with raven black curls tumbling across his shoulders.  His eyes are like doves, soft and bright, but deep-set, brimming with meaning, like wells of water.  His face is rugged, his beard smells like sage, His voice, his words, warm and reassuring.  Fine muscles ripple beneath his skin, quiet and beautiful. His torso is the work of a sculptor, hard and smooth as ivory.  (Song of Songs 5:10-14)

Well now.

I would write more on this blog entry but I have to go now and do some sit-ups.

Ground Dwelling Cuckoo Bird / Geococcyx californianus

 

Last night I called the New Community. 

I encouraged everyone to use their Bibles when Jason taught, and I celebrated the release of Tim Steven's new book POP Goes the Church.  I love GCC!

I told the crowd I was taking pictures of bird in the Coronado National Forest so I thought you might enjoy seeing this Greater Roadrunner. This avian wonder was running around me so I laid down and shot him at ground-level.   

He was as intent on me as I was focused on him.  Apparently this bird was studying me (as much as a bird-brain can engage disciplined observation).  He stayed near and I remembered a passage in the Old Testament reporting God once sent birds with provision for His prophet Elijah.

The birds brought Elijah bread and meat every morning and evening, and he drank water from the stream.  (1 Kings 17:6)

God sent Ravens to Elijah. 
He sent this Roadrunner to me.
I'm passing the beauty of God's creativity on to you. 

Awesome.

Spring is Here.

Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone!

Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world's a choir—and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet arpeggios.

Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms.

                                                            - Song of Songs 2:11-13

Original Blog

This is what a Canyon de Chelly blog looked like 1,000 years ago.

Return of the King

 

Eventide, and with all fast asleep I fired up my Zune for “Return of the King.”  What better to do with this time to redeem it, than join the Fellowship of the Ring, and share in the burden of young Frodo Baggins.

I thrilled with the story.  The plot was engaging.  I felt my heart race as the battle was raging.  This Hobbit wears mithril, carries a dagger named Sting and is befriended by Aragorn who soon will be King.  Frodo gets stabbed by the witch king of Angmar, the wound never completely heals – as much spiritual as physical – and Gollum deceives him pretending to serve. 

That’s how it went until late in the night when Eowyn fought the evil Nazgul with all of her might….and chastised him.

“No man can kill me!” he swore whirling his mace.  Countering “I am no man!” she stuck her blade in his face.  As she spoke evil perished with a thrust of that sword; it shriveled and melted like darkness in light; putrescence departed and fled from her might.

I prayed for a while. 

I thought of my life. 

In the midst of the mêlée I thanked God for my wife.  She is “no man” and she fears none.  She’s a courageous warrior.  When the battle is won I’ll look to my side knowing she had a big part in all that’s been done.  She wields the Sword of the Spirit and uses God’s Word.  Rumor has it, “Satan fears her,” (in case you’ve not heard).

But the battle’s still raging; we’ve dark mountains to climb, and teammates are needed in our quest for the heights.

God, send warriors willing to push back the night! 

With all our friends who stand strong and fight, we want more and more who’ll do what is right.  There’s no time like this time, and no place like this place, so tie into a harness and take up some slack; we’ll ascend to new places and never turn back.  Our King presses forward and we’re right on His track.

We’ll get up this mountain and carry His light ‘till “up there is down here” and the whole world is made right.

I look forward to that day. 

Until then, climb with me…and we’ll fight together.

Ever Felt Like You're Being Watched?

While kicking around the back of the Hubbell Trading Post I had the feeling I was being watched.  It was weird, like every move I made was under the scrutiny of a watchful eye. 

This horse was tracking my every move.

Hmm.  Seems we're being watched at all times, even while taking pictures in remote regions of Navajo land in northern Arizona.  Guess we'd best be on our good behavior at all times.

Paul told Timothy, "Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

How is the example you're setting?