Shirt Size Big, Hat Size Small
Just in case I was thinking that I was really smart, or if anyone else was, just in we have proof otherwise. We decided that we were going to try to go to another church this past Sunday morning. We had talked to some people and there is a relatively new church not far down the street from our house. Cool. I looked at the web site. Cool. It's called Journey of Hope.
So Sunday morning comes around and we head to church. We walk in and it feels a little wierd, a little wrong. We take the kids to their classes, sit down in worship and just kind of take in the scene. As I'm looking around I just realize that this is not a Nazarene church. (After spending my life in them, I just kinda know.) I lean over to Carol and said, "I don't think this is the right church." My always faithful and supportive wife says, "Sure it is. It has to be. You looked it up on the web." We look at the bulletin and sure enough. I had taken my family to the wrong church, "New Journey Church".
Apparently the church we were trying to go to is just a bit further down the road and over the interstate. That's your public education dollars at work ladies and gentlemen. Good reading skills. Follows direction in class.
But wait there's more...
I had a meeting today in Cleveland. We fly out in the morning, return in the evening. No problem. Except that when my palm synced with my work computer, all my appointments were pushed to an hour later. So when I looked last night at what time my flight was supposed to leave it said 7:20am. Oops. While I'm still assuming that I don't have to be there until about 6:20am, so I head out the door. Then I see these red and blue lights in the rear view mirror, surely not for me, WRONG! In keeping with a tradition by law enforcement officers across the nation, whenever I move I must be welcomed in the first month by a state trooper with a ticket. Kansas chose this morning to welcome me!
So then I'm driving to the airport and get a call from Dave, "hey, we're boarding the plane." oh yeah, you're boarding the plane... AAAHHHHH! So somehow I made it to the airport and it looked like I would make it in the nick of time... but no! Security decided that I looked like a threat of some kind and pulled me out to check me. After they discovered that I was indeed not a terrorist threat and allowed me on my way (I think it's the facial hair), I made it on the plane, just barely. Now that's a way to start a day.
I r smert and souport publik educashun.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Dome to Arch
We spent some time yesterday previewing some of the sites in St. Louis for District Leadership Conference in September and of course for NYC in 2007. I walked on the Rams new turf in the dome and toured the "belly" of it. Then we walked all over the city ending at the Arch. It was a good day, but very tiring. We ate lunch at the "9th Street Abbey", an old church that was converted into a restaurant, complete with stained glass. It was kind of neat, but awkward, because it was a church that had closed.
We met some great people who we will be working with at the hotels and convention center/dome.
I now this for sure, I often feel way out of place and like I'm not the perfect fit for this job. But I also know that God has called me here and so I am learning and growing into the role. God help me to know what's best and that I am not alone.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Telling Stories. Throwing Parties. Making Friends. Giving Gifts.
These are the ways that Andrew Jones (Boaz Project) describes his ministry and I love it! Here are some of my thoughts/responses to that.
Telling Stories
I just love this language and it flows out it so many ways in everyday life and ministry. From evangelism to teaching/preaching to friendship this language and mentality just flows in life.
Those of us who grew up in church have long been told that in order to “evangelize” others we need to memorize this formula, or these steps and these few verses, or these spiritual laws. But many of us have balked at this because we don’t ever just present an argument or rationality to our friends. That’s what commercials are for. And if there is something that we believe that much in, we take our friends with us to see it and tell them the stories about it. The idea of just telling our stories is something we all do anyway among our friends and so the permission to tell the stories about how God is working in our lives, in our strengths and weaknesses, is so refreshing. There is nothing to memorize here. There are no select verses to memorize, except those that have touched us so deeply that we know them, there are no spiritual laws to argue or prove, there are only our experiences to share. This is how God has touched me. This is how I saw God change me through this. This is how I met someone and did this with them and God was somehow in it. We can’t be wrong in telling our stories, because they are ours. We can’t be wrong in explaining to someone how God changed us, because we are the only ones who really know. This flows better too in the course of all our conversations, in the flow of our normal relationships, in the contexts that we live.
Those of us who have been in ministry that is “professional” in some way have been used to teaching or preaching in certain ways. We take classes on it. We go to conferences and workshops on it. Most of these teach us to find within a text 3-5 main “points” or concepts that we can draw out and show people. These are answers to the many problems of life and are centered mainly on myself and how my life can be better. Often everything else in the service and in the sermon itself are secondary to these points or concepts. If you think about most normal North American worship services they are gear up for and point to the sermon and the points. The stories and jokes and even the Scriptures themselves are secondary to the points. But if we were to change our paradigm from teaching/preaching points to telling stories, we would approach everything differently. Instead of pulling out three points that I can apply to my life, I would try to find myself within the story of Scripture itself. What is God trying to do in this story? What is God trying to do in me through this story? The focus moves from me to God. And the pressure is much less too. Can you imagine trying to hit a home run each week with 3-5 effective points that will change someone’s life and answer all their questions? Isn’t easier to be honest about the story, to tell the story, to struggle with each other about the story and where we find ourselves in the story… and it’s a story that has already been written and proven living and active!
Next time... throwing parties
These are the ways that Andrew Jones (Boaz Project) describes his ministry and I love it! Here are some of my thoughts/responses to that.
Telling Stories
I just love this language and it flows out it so many ways in everyday life and ministry. From evangelism to teaching/preaching to friendship this language and mentality just flows in life.
Those of us who grew up in church have long been told that in order to “evangelize” others we need to memorize this formula, or these steps and these few verses, or these spiritual laws. But many of us have balked at this because we don’t ever just present an argument or rationality to our friends. That’s what commercials are for. And if there is something that we believe that much in, we take our friends with us to see it and tell them the stories about it. The idea of just telling our stories is something we all do anyway among our friends and so the permission to tell the stories about how God is working in our lives, in our strengths and weaknesses, is so refreshing. There is nothing to memorize here. There are no select verses to memorize, except those that have touched us so deeply that we know them, there are no spiritual laws to argue or prove, there are only our experiences to share. This is how God has touched me. This is how I saw God change me through this. This is how I met someone and did this with them and God was somehow in it. We can’t be wrong in telling our stories, because they are ours. We can’t be wrong in explaining to someone how God changed us, because we are the only ones who really know. This flows better too in the course of all our conversations, in the flow of our normal relationships, in the contexts that we live.
Those of us who have been in ministry that is “professional” in some way have been used to teaching or preaching in certain ways. We take classes on it. We go to conferences and workshops on it. Most of these teach us to find within a text 3-5 main “points” or concepts that we can draw out and show people. These are answers to the many problems of life and are centered mainly on myself and how my life can be better. Often everything else in the service and in the sermon itself are secondary to these points or concepts. If you think about most normal North American worship services they are gear up for and point to the sermon and the points. The stories and jokes and even the Scriptures themselves are secondary to the points. But if we were to change our paradigm from teaching/preaching points to telling stories, we would approach everything differently. Instead of pulling out three points that I can apply to my life, I would try to find myself within the story of Scripture itself. What is God trying to do in this story? What is God trying to do in me through this story? The focus moves from me to God. And the pressure is much less too. Can you imagine trying to hit a home run each week with 3-5 effective points that will change someone’s life and answer all their questions? Isn’t easier to be honest about the story, to tell the story, to struggle with each other about the story and where we find ourselves in the story… and it’s a story that has already been written and proven living and active!
Next time... throwing parties
Friday, August 19, 2005
Office Space
While I am very NOT used to the corporate life, I have been fully indoctrinated as of late. I feel a bit like I've been transported to the world that I only used to read and laugh about in Dilbert comics. It's not really that bad, but sometimes you just think... uh, is this REALLY happening?
(Before I continue, if you have at all been wondering if I'm ever going to post some thoughts, as promised long ago, on "telling stories, throwing parties, making friends and giving gifts" that should begin tomorrow, if you haven't, then this is only a commercial!)
For example... I've been officially hired for a "temporary" position that will last over two years. Therefore the space that they've transformed into my office has been labeled temporary as well. In this same time that they've hired me, but before we moved into the office, they announced that in two years time they will be moving headquarters to another location. Pay attention, here's where it gets batty - we cannot hang anything on the walls of the office because its a temporary office and therefore we cannot alter the space or put any holes in the wall. In the words of my good friend and Jedi warrior, David Rebello, "Nice!"
Or this one, we had an all office lunch today. All of the NYI office staff were invited out to lunch. Before we went they gave us some options from which to choose so they could pre-arrange things. No problem, I understand that I think. So when we got to the restaurant they didn't seem to know where the orders we had faxed were. They tracked down the sheet and brought it out to us, but they had clearly not prepared anything ahead of time, etc. So instead of just going around and asking what each of us ordered, we had one person look at the list and try to figure out what each person had ordered. So he would ask you, did you order the number 5? yes you'd say, then he'd tell the waiter, "he ordered the number 5." And so on. Hmmm. (But I do not want to be down on the lunch or on going out to lunch. It was a good lunch with good people and I'm all for offices getting together for good and fun times... and if it happens to be paid for by them I would count that good too!)
I do like the people I work with a lot, so I praise God for that everyday. God is at work here there is no doubt, my prayer is that he would somehow use this goofy short white boy for his Kingdom. Cuz' he's the only one who could.
While I am very NOT used to the corporate life, I have been fully indoctrinated as of late. I feel a bit like I've been transported to the world that I only used to read and laugh about in Dilbert comics. It's not really that bad, but sometimes you just think... uh, is this REALLY happening?
(Before I continue, if you have at all been wondering if I'm ever going to post some thoughts, as promised long ago, on "telling stories, throwing parties, making friends and giving gifts" that should begin tomorrow, if you haven't, then this is only a commercial!)
For example... I've been officially hired for a "temporary" position that will last over two years. Therefore the space that they've transformed into my office has been labeled temporary as well. In this same time that they've hired me, but before we moved into the office, they announced that in two years time they will be moving headquarters to another location. Pay attention, here's where it gets batty - we cannot hang anything on the walls of the office because its a temporary office and therefore we cannot alter the space or put any holes in the wall. In the words of my good friend and Jedi warrior, David Rebello, "Nice!"
Or this one, we had an all office lunch today. All of the NYI office staff were invited out to lunch. Before we went they gave us some options from which to choose so they could pre-arrange things. No problem, I understand that I think. So when we got to the restaurant they didn't seem to know where the orders we had faxed were. They tracked down the sheet and brought it out to us, but they had clearly not prepared anything ahead of time, etc. So instead of just going around and asking what each of us ordered, we had one person look at the list and try to figure out what each person had ordered. So he would ask you, did you order the number 5? yes you'd say, then he'd tell the waiter, "he ordered the number 5." And so on. Hmmm. (But I do not want to be down on the lunch or on going out to lunch. It was a good lunch with good people and I'm all for offices getting together for good and fun times... and if it happens to be paid for by them I would count that good too!)
I do like the people I work with a lot, so I praise God for that everyday. God is at work here there is no doubt, my prayer is that he would somehow use this goofy short white boy for his Kingdom. Cuz' he's the only one who could.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
The Bus I never rode...
Things are moving along. Jahred and Meg started school and we live pretty close. They sometimes walk with their mom to school. That's just like me when I was growing up. Our school was right down the street. Because of this, I never rode the school bus. The only time was on field trips. Now that I'm "all grown up", I'm riding the bus. Here's a picture of the bus. But I start by getting on a short bus. I don't wear a helmet or anything though. Today my short bus was running late (our driver is not so good - she forgets the route a lot. Today she forgot a turn and had to go around a block), so I missed me big bus like in the picture. Therefore, I was a little late to work. I'm starting to figure it all out though. Man am I dumb.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Some VERY important updates
It has been a while since I've really filled everyone in on some of the greatest and best moments of our move thus far. A lot of gloom and doom lately, so I wanted to share some other things with you all.
First, today... I rode the bus to work which was fine, but I tried to get on the right bus- but going the wrong way - at my connection and so I was a bit late for work. No big deal though. I learned, but it was a bit humorous to me. Thanks to the nice bus driver for getting me in the right spot.
Second, and you won't believe this one even though it is true, on our move out here we had to stop at this truck stop/gas station off of I-70 just west of Indianapolis so that the fine truck of moving love would stopping beeping at me because it was below a 1/4 tank. As I'm standing there pumping gas, who would come out of the station with a soda in hand but none other than the world famous Rupert from Survivor! So I'm checking him out and saying to myself, is that really him? but of course it was because no one else in the world looks like that all the time. So I call Carol, who was in the Eurovan parked down a ways, and tell her. Now it should be noted that Carol is also a HUGE Survivor fan and was quite excited. She tries to casually "drive by" and see him, but once he saw me get out my phone he got in his car with his friends and then pulled away. I tried to get a picture with my phone, but it would not come out because I was too far away. So we saw 31 other yellow Ryder trucks on our move and had one Rupert sighting... awesome.
Third, you have to see this to believe it. I was visiting this church on Sunday night and saw this sign in the foyer outside the worship space. There has got to be a story behind this. Somewhere there is a proud youth pastor who knows that this sign exists solely because of a game he played one night. Brilliant! I do not have any signs in Bel Air because of me. A couple policies perhaps, but no signs. Bummer.
It has been a while since I've really filled everyone in on some of the greatest and best moments of our move thus far. A lot of gloom and doom lately, so I wanted to share some other things with you all.
First, today... I rode the bus to work which was fine, but I tried to get on the right bus- but going the wrong way - at my connection and so I was a bit late for work. No big deal though. I learned, but it was a bit humorous to me. Thanks to the nice bus driver for getting me in the right spot.
Second, and you won't believe this one even though it is true, on our move out here we had to stop at this truck stop/gas station off of I-70 just west of Indianapolis so that the fine truck of moving love would stopping beeping at me because it was below a 1/4 tank. As I'm standing there pumping gas, who would come out of the station with a soda in hand but none other than the world famous Rupert from Survivor! So I'm checking him out and saying to myself, is that really him? but of course it was because no one else in the world looks like that all the time. So I call Carol, who was in the Eurovan parked down a ways, and tell her. Now it should be noted that Carol is also a HUGE Survivor fan and was quite excited. She tries to casually "drive by" and see him, but once he saw me get out my phone he got in his car with his friends and then pulled away. I tried to get a picture with my phone, but it would not come out because I was too far away. So we saw 31 other yellow Ryder trucks on our move and had one Rupert sighting... awesome.
Third, you have to see this to believe it. I was visiting this church on Sunday night and saw this sign in the foyer outside the worship space. There has got to be a story behind this. Somewhere there is a proud youth pastor who knows that this sign exists solely because of a game he played one night. Brilliant! I do not have any signs in Bel Air because of me. A couple policies perhaps, but no signs. Bummer.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
"Normal" Day
Well we had a "normal" day in our new home. We didn't really have anything to do, anywhere to be, etc, etc. It wasn't so great to be honest. Not because we are always wanting something to do, but because it was a bit of a reminder that we don't really have any friends here yet. It was tough. We miss our Maryland friends very much. So, I'm writing this, not so much for people to feel sorry for us, but just to be honest about where we are. I know that many are praying for us and we feel their prayers and God's presence. Enough being a bummer...
This afternoon I went to get my haircut and couldn't find a real barber shop open, so I had to go to "Great Clips" or something. So I had some strange woman cut my hair. It's just weird. And she didn't do a very good job. But I feel lighter.
Well we had a "normal" day in our new home. We didn't really have anything to do, anywhere to be, etc, etc. It wasn't so great to be honest. Not because we are always wanting something to do, but because it was a bit of a reminder that we don't really have any friends here yet. It was tough. We miss our Maryland friends very much. So, I'm writing this, not so much for people to feel sorry for us, but just to be honest about where we are. I know that many are praying for us and we feel their prayers and God's presence. Enough being a bummer...
This afternoon I went to get my haircut and couldn't find a real barber shop open, so I had to go to "Great Clips" or something. So I had some strange woman cut my hair. It's just weird. And she didn't do a very good job. But I feel lighter.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
I Love the DMV!
I'm trying to think of the things that I love, I mean, really love. There is my wife, my kids,... and waiting in line after line after line at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Go to this office and wait in line for your Driver's License - how fun! Now go to this place and have your vehicle inspected - Yee-haa! Now go over here and wait in line for us to call your number, have said number called only for them to tell you to go sit back down and wait for another person to call said number - the excitement only builds. Finally have your number called after much waiting, sitting, staring at strangers while on uncomfy seats - WHOOO HOOO! Add to that, every stop includes and special little ceremony where you get out this little book you have and write some things on a page and sign your autograph before tearing it out and giving it to them while adjusting some other numbers in the same little book - this is a party waiting to happen!!!
I think that my tiredness might be causing a new level of cynicism and sarcasm.
Tomorrow I'll start working on not complaining anymore for petty things in my life.
I'm trying to think of the things that I love, I mean, really love. There is my wife, my kids,... and waiting in line after line after line at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Go to this office and wait in line for your Driver's License - how fun! Now go to this place and have your vehicle inspected - Yee-haa! Now go over here and wait in line for us to call your number, have said number called only for them to tell you to go sit back down and wait for another person to call said number - the excitement only builds. Finally have your number called after much waiting, sitting, staring at strangers while on uncomfy seats - WHOOO HOOO! Add to that, every stop includes and special little ceremony where you get out this little book you have and write some things on a page and sign your autograph before tearing it out and giving it to them while adjusting some other numbers in the same little book - this is a party waiting to happen!!!
I think that my tiredness might be causing a new level of cynicism and sarcasm.
Tomorrow I'll start working on not complaining anymore for petty things in my life.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
God's Involved Here
While I'm feeling quite overwhelmed at my position and the growing realization of what all this job entails, I'm realizing something else that's really great: God is already at work. While I believe that is true everywhere, it has been awesome to discover it here as we work on NYC together. From the people that he has brought together to the kinds of ways that we are connecting in the vision for the event, to the little coincidences (moments where you say, "It's almost like there's something else out there helping us"), we know that God is here. How awesome!
If you think of us pray for us and for the students who we are trying to reach, change and love with Jesus! Check us out at www.waterfirewind.com.
Commercial over.
While I'm feeling quite overwhelmed at my position and the growing realization of what all this job entails, I'm realizing something else that's really great: God is already at work. While I believe that is true everywhere, it has been awesome to discover it here as we work on NYC together. From the people that he has brought together to the kinds of ways that we are connecting in the vision for the event, to the little coincidences (moments where you say, "It's almost like there's something else out there helping us"), we know that God is here. How awesome!
If you think of us pray for us and for the students who we are trying to reach, change and love with Jesus! Check us out at www.waterfirewind.com.
Commercial over.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Stop mocking God
This post comes out of some discussion with my brother, Kevin, (thanks bro for great conversation!) about a verse in Romans 6 where Paul talks about living like we've been brought from death to life. The question of discussion is, "do I live as though I were once dead, but now am alive?"
This also ties into a conversation we had on our High School mission trip a couple of weeks ago. We were sharing stories and some of the stories were more "dramatic" stories of death to life than others. These stories left some of those who had never "strayed too far" wondering if their faith or their relationship with Christ would be stronger or better if they had also done similar things. While I do believe every one has to find his/her own way, I also believe that the reason some of us feel like we haven't ever "strayed far" is because of this talk that some sins don't really matter or at least not as much.
I think the clarifying point for me is that we have all sinned. To trivialize "smaller" sins is to mock God's grace and his holiness. We do this all the time through teaching people that little "white" lies are no big deal, cheating is okay, obesity and gluttony are fine, hospitality is an option, etc, etc. I want to be clear that I'm not trying to lean back into legalism, but I do think that there is something to be said for realizing how far we are from God and how far his grace extends even to those of us who have grown up in the church and not really gone crazy with drunkness, orgies and the like.
For me when I begin to realize how far I am from God's holiness even when I'm trying, it makes me realize how great his love truly is for us, how far his grace extends and how much his Spirit can change us - from the inside out. This kind of life of embracing God's grace to me leads us to freedom and far from the fear that seems to dominate our culture, our decisions and our futures.
This post comes out of some discussion with my brother, Kevin, (thanks bro for great conversation!) about a verse in Romans 6 where Paul talks about living like we've been brought from death to life. The question of discussion is, "do I live as though I were once dead, but now am alive?"
This also ties into a conversation we had on our High School mission trip a couple of weeks ago. We were sharing stories and some of the stories were more "dramatic" stories of death to life than others. These stories left some of those who had never "strayed too far" wondering if their faith or their relationship with Christ would be stronger or better if they had also done similar things. While I do believe every one has to find his/her own way, I also believe that the reason some of us feel like we haven't ever "strayed far" is because of this talk that some sins don't really matter or at least not as much.
I think the clarifying point for me is that we have all sinned. To trivialize "smaller" sins is to mock God's grace and his holiness. We do this all the time through teaching people that little "white" lies are no big deal, cheating is okay, obesity and gluttony are fine, hospitality is an option, etc, etc. I want to be clear that I'm not trying to lean back into legalism, but I do think that there is something to be said for realizing how far we are from God and how far his grace extends even to those of us who have grown up in the church and not really gone crazy with drunkness, orgies and the like.
For me when I begin to realize how far I am from God's holiness even when I'm trying, it makes me realize how great his love truly is for us, how far his grace extends and how much his Spirit can change us - from the inside out. This kind of life of embracing God's grace to me leads us to freedom and far from the fear that seems to dominate our culture, our decisions and our futures.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Hit the ground... running
We've certainly hit the ground. And I'm certainly running. I feel both of those. Overall things are going well though. Our NYC office is together. I hired two assistants and they both are sharp. I think it will work out well. They both come out of the Billy Graham crusade work, so they have large event experience.
Our family is doing pretty well. The kids are starting to just bug at each other, but that's expected with all the transition. They are starting to try to open boxes on their own in search of toys - needless to say that is not so good.
We appreciate your continued prayers. My parents should be here tonight and so that will be a big help!
We've certainly hit the ground. And I'm certainly running. I feel both of those. Overall things are going well though. Our NYC office is together. I hired two assistants and they both are sharp. I think it will work out well. They both come out of the Billy Graham crusade work, so they have large event experience.
Our family is doing pretty well. The kids are starting to just bug at each other, but that's expected with all the transition. They are starting to try to open boxes on their own in search of toys - needless to say that is not so good.
We appreciate your continued prayers. My parents should be here tonight and so that will be a big help!
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