The most recent edition of the Christian Chronicle contains an article by Erik Tryggestad on Churches of Christ within the United States who must deal with language.
A couple of items in the article stood out to me: Of all the Churches of Christ in the United States, only ten offer assemblies in three or more languages. Approximately 515 congregations offered assemblies in a non-English language.
Woodward Park got some attention in the article due to the fact that we have assemblies in four different languages at our building each Sunday. Add in the Downtown Church of Christ which holds their assemblies in Spanish and Woodward Park is directly linked to assemblies in five different languages each Sunday.
From Tryggestad's article: "Though greatly outnumbered, religious bodies comprised of multiple ethnic groups are more likely to grow than their homogenous counterparts, according to a 2005 FACTs update. Sixty-one percent of churches the study classified as “multi-racial” experienced significant growth in the past five years, compared to 31 percent of predominantly 'Anglo' churches.
Despite this finding, many churches don’t see reaching multiple ethnicities as a key to growth, said (Patrick) Odum, the Northwest church’s minister. 'The principle of homogeneity dominates much of the church growth literature,' he said, 'because it is simpler to grow a church that shares a basic ethnicity, culture and language.'
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Turning "Why?" into "What!"
I was hardly surprised yesterday when I checked my email and received a message in my inbox from Charles and Linda Jenkins. Charles and Linda live in West Virginia and have lived through losing a child. They lost their son, Jonathan -- a wonderful young man who I still think about often -- when he was just nineteen-years old.
Charles and Linda were conveying to me their sympathy, prayers and thoughts for Esteban and Christina Parra.
Charles and Linda and, as I've learned since Wednesday night, several other sets of parents in our family at Woodward Park have lost children. Some lost their child at birth. Others when their children were older.
That reminds me of God's infinite wisdom in creating the church as family. A family comes to our aid in times of suffering, grief and loss. Through the church, joys and sorrows are to be shared alike.
Today, we'll hold a Memorial Service at 11:00 AM to comfort Esteban and Christina in the loss of Mariana and Maricela. And in that memorial service, we'll be reminded that while we all struggle with the question of "Why?" the questions Scripture most often points our minds to are "Who?" and "What?"
Who? That's God. His sovereignty. His infinite wisdom.
And the what? That is what do we do despite the loss. In John 9, Jesus was questioned about the unfortunate man who'd been born blind. The disciples of Jesus wanted to know why? "Who sinned," they asked, "this man or his parents that he was born blind?"
Jesus's reply makes it clear that God on earth is not so consumed with answering our whys to satisfy our finite wisdom. Instead, Jesus points us in the direction of what: "Neither this man or his parents sinned," said Jesus. "But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
That's what we are called to do in our moments of deepest despair. Even though our humanity struggles to make sense of it all, it is clear that Jesus deems every circumstance as an opportunity for the glory of God to be displayed to a world often blind to God's activity in the world.
My prayer this morning is that through the memory of Mariana and Maricela's brief lives, Esteban and Christina can be strengthened with hope; the hope that despite their loss, the glory of God can be displayed for all to see.
Charles and Linda were conveying to me their sympathy, prayers and thoughts for Esteban and Christina Parra.
Charles and Linda and, as I've learned since Wednesday night, several other sets of parents in our family at Woodward Park have lost children. Some lost their child at birth. Others when their children were older.
That reminds me of God's infinite wisdom in creating the church as family. A family comes to our aid in times of suffering, grief and loss. Through the church, joys and sorrows are to be shared alike.
Today, we'll hold a Memorial Service at 11:00 AM to comfort Esteban and Christina in the loss of Mariana and Maricela. And in that memorial service, we'll be reminded that while we all struggle with the question of "Why?" the questions Scripture most often points our minds to are "Who?" and "What?"
Who? That's God. His sovereignty. His infinite wisdom.
And the what? That is what do we do despite the loss. In John 9, Jesus was questioned about the unfortunate man who'd been born blind. The disciples of Jesus wanted to know why? "Who sinned," they asked, "this man or his parents that he was born blind?"
Jesus's reply makes it clear that God on earth is not so consumed with answering our whys to satisfy our finite wisdom. Instead, Jesus points us in the direction of what: "Neither this man or his parents sinned," said Jesus. "But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
That's what we are called to do in our moments of deepest despair. Even though our humanity struggles to make sense of it all, it is clear that Jesus deems every circumstance as an opportunity for the glory of God to be displayed to a world often blind to God's activity in the world.
My prayer this morning is that through the memory of Mariana and Maricela's brief lives, Esteban and Christina can be strengthened with hope; the hope that despite their loss, the glory of God can be displayed for all to see.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Daddys and Daughters
Yesterday was tough. An emotional roller-coaster of a day.
As Joe and I were leaving following a couple of visits at Kaiser Hospital, we got a call informing us that Esteban and Christina Parra's two-month old baby girl had died.
Christina had a difficult pregnancy and the doctors were forced to induce labor very early. As a result, she gave birth to twins who were very premature. One died the day of delivery. The other, Maricela, had been in the hospital since the day of her birth.
Recently, the doctors thought Maricela was turning a corner. In fact, the doctors had told Esteban and Christina that Maricela might get to go home soon. She was beginning to gain weight and showing some amazing signs of progress.
But Tuesday evening, the medial personnel became concerned when they discovered Maricela had contracted an infection. Yesterday morning, Esteban and Christina had to make the very difficult decision to take their baby off all support systems.
Christina was baptized into Christ at Woodward Park several months ago. She has been incredibly faithful -- despite the health of her baby -- to Christ and to our church. In fact, last Saturday morning when we met downtown to feed the homeless, Esteban and Christina were two of the first volunteers from Woodward Park to arrive. Now, they are forced to deal with the double-dose of grief in losing not just one, but two babies in the span of two months.
On Friday morning at 11:00 AM, a memorial service will be held at Woodward Park to remember the short lives of Esteban and Christina's girls. My hope and prayer is that as many of you who are members at Woodward Park will be there to love and support Esteban and Christina through an excruciatingly difficult time in their lives.
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The painful experience of Wednesday has taught me how incredibly precious life is and how incredibly blessed Mandy and I are to have two beautiful, healthy daughters.
Several years ago, my dear friend Rick Treadway recommended a book to me that has been a go-to book for me since we welcomed Trae into the world. The book, She Calls Me Daddy by Robert Wolgemuth, speaks of the critical bond of the relationship between a father and his daughter(s) in instilling faith in them.
The other day, while browsing blogs, I came across this entry on Matt Soper's blog. Matt is the Preaching Minister for the West Houston (Texas) Church of Christ:
To fathers of daughters: Run, don’t walk to the nearest bookstore and buy “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: Ten Secrets Every Father Should Know” by Meg Meeker, M.D. This is a sobering, challenging, encouraging and inspiring look at the huge impact fathers have on their daughters. In a highly readable form, Meeker draws on sociological research along with personal reflections and case stories from her pediatric practice and her counseling with teenagers. Here is an excerpt from chapter one, entitled “You are the Most Important Man in Her Life”:
“Men, good men: We need you. We – mothers, daughters, and sisters – need your help to raise healthy young women. We need every ounce of masculine courage and wit you own, because fathers, more than anyone else, set the course for a daughter’s life. …When she’s in your company, your daughter tries harder to excel. When you teach her, she learns more rapidly. When you guide her, she gains confidence. If you fully understood just how profoundly you can influence your daughter’s life, you would be terrified, overwhelmed, or both. Boyfriends, brothers, even husbands can’t shape her character the way you do. You will influence her entire life because she gives you an authority she gives no other man… When she is twenty-five, she will mentally size her boyfriend or husband up against you. When she is thirty-five, the number of children she has will be affected by her life with you. The clothes she wears will reflect something about you. Even when she is seventy-five, how she faces her future will depend on some distant memory of time you spent together.”
Fathers, this will inspire you to be a devoted Dad to all your kids but especially to your daughters. So much of what we hear in society devalues the role of men and the importance of manhood. This book affirms men and embraces manhood. And make note: It’s never too late.
As Joe and I were leaving following a couple of visits at Kaiser Hospital, we got a call informing us that Esteban and Christina Parra's two-month old baby girl had died.
Christina had a difficult pregnancy and the doctors were forced to induce labor very early. As a result, she gave birth to twins who were very premature. One died the day of delivery. The other, Maricela, had been in the hospital since the day of her birth.
Recently, the doctors thought Maricela was turning a corner. In fact, the doctors had told Esteban and Christina that Maricela might get to go home soon. She was beginning to gain weight and showing some amazing signs of progress.
But Tuesday evening, the medial personnel became concerned when they discovered Maricela had contracted an infection. Yesterday morning, Esteban and Christina had to make the very difficult decision to take their baby off all support systems.
Christina was baptized into Christ at Woodward Park several months ago. She has been incredibly faithful -- despite the health of her baby -- to Christ and to our church. In fact, last Saturday morning when we met downtown to feed the homeless, Esteban and Christina were two of the first volunteers from Woodward Park to arrive. Now, they are forced to deal with the double-dose of grief in losing not just one, but two babies in the span of two months.
On Friday morning at 11:00 AM, a memorial service will be held at Woodward Park to remember the short lives of Esteban and Christina's girls. My hope and prayer is that as many of you who are members at Woodward Park will be there to love and support Esteban and Christina through an excruciatingly difficult time in their lives.
------------------
The painful experience of Wednesday has taught me how incredibly precious life is and how incredibly blessed Mandy and I are to have two beautiful, healthy daughters.
Several years ago, my dear friend Rick Treadway recommended a book to me that has been a go-to book for me since we welcomed Trae into the world. The book, She Calls Me Daddy by Robert Wolgemuth, speaks of the critical bond of the relationship between a father and his daughter(s) in instilling faith in them.
The other day, while browsing blogs, I came across this entry on Matt Soper's blog. Matt is the Preaching Minister for the West Houston (Texas) Church of Christ:
To fathers of daughters: Run, don’t walk to the nearest bookstore and buy “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: Ten Secrets Every Father Should Know” by Meg Meeker, M.D. This is a sobering, challenging, encouraging and inspiring look at the huge impact fathers have on their daughters. In a highly readable form, Meeker draws on sociological research along with personal reflections and case stories from her pediatric practice and her counseling with teenagers. Here is an excerpt from chapter one, entitled “You are the Most Important Man in Her Life”:
“Men, good men: We need you. We – mothers, daughters, and sisters – need your help to raise healthy young women. We need every ounce of masculine courage and wit you own, because fathers, more than anyone else, set the course for a daughter’s life. …When she’s in your company, your daughter tries harder to excel. When you teach her, she learns more rapidly. When you guide her, she gains confidence. If you fully understood just how profoundly you can influence your daughter’s life, you would be terrified, overwhelmed, or both. Boyfriends, brothers, even husbands can’t shape her character the way you do. You will influence her entire life because she gives you an authority she gives no other man… When she is twenty-five, she will mentally size her boyfriend or husband up against you. When she is thirty-five, the number of children she has will be affected by her life with you. The clothes she wears will reflect something about you. Even when she is seventy-five, how she faces her future will depend on some distant memory of time you spent together.”
Fathers, this will inspire you to be a devoted Dad to all your kids but especially to your daughters. So much of what we hear in society devalues the role of men and the importance of manhood. This book affirms men and embraces manhood. And make note: It’s never too late.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Church Fires
Our neighbors at the College Church of Christ in Fresno suffered a blow during the night on Monday when an arsonist struck, igniting a fire just outside of their church building that did about $50,000 worth of damage to their facility.
Please keep them in your prayers today.
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Yesterday, an arsonist struck at Woodward Park, lighting a roll of toilet paper on fire in a women's restroom. The office staff reacted to a foyer filling with smoke by calling 911. The fire department personnel and fire investigators came to our building and did extensive investigative work in attempting to identify the source.
Fortunately for us, the fire did not do any significant damage to our building -- nothing near the damage inflicted upon the College church building.
Doug Baker, one of the ministers at College, came to our building when he learned the news of our small fire and expressed the blessings and best wishes of the College church for us. I greatly appreciated Doug's expression, as well as an encouraging email I received last evening from Steve Thurman.
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I hate the repercussions that fill my mind in the aftermath of the work of an arsonist. Safety and protection of our members must be valued, but our houses of worship cannot become enclaves where we wall ourselves off from the outside world in fear. I know the likelihood exists that we'll revisit some of our safety/security procedures as it relates to our facility...and I regret that. I know it is necessary but I still regret the reality of it all.
My hope and prayer today is that, in the future, the only fire affiliated with our church is the fire and smoke that rises from Cedric's grill as we feed the less fortunate!
Please keep them in your prayers today.
----------------
Yesterday, an arsonist struck at Woodward Park, lighting a roll of toilet paper on fire in a women's restroom. The office staff reacted to a foyer filling with smoke by calling 911. The fire department personnel and fire investigators came to our building and did extensive investigative work in attempting to identify the source.
Fortunately for us, the fire did not do any significant damage to our building -- nothing near the damage inflicted upon the College church building.
Doug Baker, one of the ministers at College, came to our building when he learned the news of our small fire and expressed the blessings and best wishes of the College church for us. I greatly appreciated Doug's expression, as well as an encouraging email I received last evening from Steve Thurman.
-----------------
I hate the repercussions that fill my mind in the aftermath of the work of an arsonist. Safety and protection of our members must be valued, but our houses of worship cannot become enclaves where we wall ourselves off from the outside world in fear. I know the likelihood exists that we'll revisit some of our safety/security procedures as it relates to our facility...and I regret that. I know it is necessary but I still regret the reality of it all.
My hope and prayer today is that, in the future, the only fire affiliated with our church is the fire and smoke that rises from Cedric's grill as we feed the less fortunate!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Band of Brothers
Give Lynn Smith a digital camera and a computer and she transforms into Michelangelo!On Saturday, Lynn met us at Woodward Park for some belated pictures of our girls in their Easter dresses. These are two of my favorite from the 80 pictures Lynn captured of our girls.
Thankfully, my girls got their mother's good looks!
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Last night, Joe and I were in Lynn's hometown of Dos Palos for the monthly Area-Wide Men's Fellowship hosted by the Dos Palos Church of Christ.
They fed us scumptuously: Tri-tip with chili, salad and desserts that were to-die for.
But the spiritual feast overwhelmed the physical nourishment. Gary Villamor, formerly of Woodward Park and now the preacher for the Dos Palos church, gave a riveting devotional message. Gary talked about his own journey of faith and lessons he's learned about discipleship along the way. It was a poignant reminder to all of the men of the need to model Jesus in our homes, our churches and our communities.
On the fourth Monday of every month, men from Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Dos Palos, Los Banos, and perhaps other churches in the central valley meet to share a meal and to share in strengthening one another. As I experienced first-hand last night, these gatherings are a band of brothers with the primary aim to strengthen one another, as iron strengthens iron.
The next gathering is set for May 21 in Merced.
Monday, April 23, 2007
A Super Saturday
Head Chef Cedric Rowe of Woodward Park mans the grill. The burgers and hot dogs he cooked watered the mouths of all the servers and the folks in line.
Mandy and Lorry Boe get all the fixins' ready to serve. Tori worked in between them all morning long placing the cheese for the burgers on the plates.
A glimpse of some of the homeless from Fresno in line to receive their lunch.
Another view of the line working through. About 300 people were fed.
On Saturday morning, about 30 from the Woodward Park Church of Christ met in downtown Fresno to feed the homeless from tent city and those who live near the Rescue Mission and the Poverello House.
Mandy, the girls and I joined the group and it was a heart-warming experience. We were able to meet and interact with many different people who, for one reason or another, have been displaced. The faces you see in the pictures are those who have been pushed to the margins in our city, whether by luck, circumstance or poor choices.
Our purpose wasn't to judge their plight but to serve their needs. In the introduction of Jesus's ministry, he opened a scroll to Isaiah 61.1-2 and proclaimed, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor."
For some, we were able to speak good news. We were able to witness to the difference Jesus can make. For others, it was simply the meeting of a basic need, nourishment, that provided their Saturday with a ray of good news.
I'm grateful to be in Fresno and grateful to be a part of a church with a heart for the less fortunate. In the past, speaking of the justice of God in benevolent acts was very theoretical.
In Fresno, it is very real.
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As I mentioned in my sermon yesterday, one of the discoveries I made was how depth relationally is built among brothers and sisters in Christ who share a common passion. Simple acts of compassion, when done in community with other brothers and sisters, not only helps the needy but strengthens the bonds of fellowship in a tangible way. Shared compassion has a way of developing relational depth and appreciation within the body of Christ that is unlike many other fellowship avenues.
To learn that lesson first-hand and to know that my daughters learned from the experience as well is something I cherish.
As I shared with the church on Sunday, my heart is convicted by the need to take the church to those in need of hope. When I was in Lubbock in January, I was touched by the efforts of the Greenlawn Church of Christ. A Wednesday night Bible class had committed to move their Wednesday night class to a city park in the poorest section of Lubbock for the express purpose of being salt and light to the less fortunate. From that one endeavor begun last fall, several baptisms and untold contacts have been made. Kingdom seed has been sown and the kingdom has grown.
I'm thinking the area around Ventura and G Street in downtown Fresno is ripe for the same type of ministry...the same type of outreach.
For those of you from Woodward Park, plans are already underway to go downtown again in May and duplicate our effort to be salt and light by spending a Saturday feeding the homeless. Many of you responded to me privately of your desire to be a part of the next effort -- whether by your personal presence in service or by donating to offset the cost of the food. I do hope you will continue to pray for this ministry and plan to be a part of the next opportunity to serve.
It just might be the most valuable mission trip you ever experience!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Thank You
A-Rod: 10 HR's, 26 RBI's. 14 Games. Multiple walk-off game winners. Is 74 in doubt this season? Could A-Rod one-up Bonds' chase of Aaron by chasing Bonds' single-season home run record?
Regardless of where Bonds ultimately lands in career home runs, his stay at the top is almost guaranteed to last much shorter than Hammerin' Hank's because A-Rod and his 474 career home runs are sure to break Bonds' record (provided he stays healthy for the duration of his career).
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Speaking of sports, on Thursday afternoon, Maple Creek Elementary held their annual 3rd Grade Track Day. Mandy, Tori and I went over to cheer on Trae. She competed in the Long Jump, the 100, and the Mile.
I was proud of her effort. She did take the red ribbon in the 100, finishing second in her heat of girls.
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Today is Blog Post #502. I was planning a big celebration of blog #500 but it happened to fall on the day after the Virginia Tech tragedy and that sad event commanded my attention.
Nevertheless, since beginning this blog back on February 25, 2005, I have tried to be diligent in journaling through this blog for the sake of my girls. I'm glad so many of you are blessed by what you read here, but ultimately, this labor of love is for my girls. Thanks to modern technology, this blog is periodically being bound into book form as a future gift for Trae and Tori.
Writing five days a week is a blessing...and a chore. Some days, the creativity flows. On other days, the creativity lags.
But through it all, God is good. And so are all of you who drop in daily. We're knocking on the door of 50,000 visitors since I started tracking the traffic here.
So today, let me simply say, "Thank You." Thank you for your emails. Thank you for your encouraging notes. Thank you for some spirited debates via email this blog has generated. Thank you for the occasional gifts that arrive via my Amazon wish list. Thank you for your passion for truth, for genuine discipleship and for living in the image in which you were created.
Have a blessed weekend! See you back here Monday morning.
Regardless of where Bonds ultimately lands in career home runs, his stay at the top is almost guaranteed to last much shorter than Hammerin' Hank's because A-Rod and his 474 career home runs are sure to break Bonds' record (provided he stays healthy for the duration of his career).
----------------
Speaking of sports, on Thursday afternoon, Maple Creek Elementary held their annual 3rd Grade Track Day. Mandy, Tori and I went over to cheer on Trae. She competed in the Long Jump, the 100, and the Mile.
I was proud of her effort. She did take the red ribbon in the 100, finishing second in her heat of girls.
---------------
Today is Blog Post #502. I was planning a big celebration of blog #500 but it happened to fall on the day after the Virginia Tech tragedy and that sad event commanded my attention.
Nevertheless, since beginning this blog back on February 25, 2005, I have tried to be diligent in journaling through this blog for the sake of my girls. I'm glad so many of you are blessed by what you read here, but ultimately, this labor of love is for my girls. Thanks to modern technology, this blog is periodically being bound into book form as a future gift for Trae and Tori.
Writing five days a week is a blessing...and a chore. Some days, the creativity flows. On other days, the creativity lags.
But through it all, God is good. And so are all of you who drop in daily. We're knocking on the door of 50,000 visitors since I started tracking the traffic here.
So today, let me simply say, "Thank You." Thank you for your emails. Thank you for your encouraging notes. Thank you for some spirited debates via email this blog has generated. Thank you for the occasional gifts that arrive via my Amazon wish list. Thank you for your passion for truth, for genuine discipleship and for living in the image in which you were created.
Have a blessed weekend! See you back here Monday morning.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Creating Community
So did any of you see my darling bride on Dancing with the Stars last night? Thanks to the generosity of Shelley Lane, who happens to have a cousin who works with CBS in Burbank, Mandy and Shelley were privileged to be in the audience for last night's episode of Dancing with the Stars.
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Based on a recommendation from my co-worker Joe, I read Andy Stanley and Bill Willits's book Creating Community: 5 Keys to Building a Small Group Culture. The first-half of the book was especially intriguing to me as they discussed community and the necessity of relationship within a healthy church. "Some want to belong before they are willing to believe" (95) and "we want to do ministry in the context of relationship in communities, not on committees" (87) were two of the more intriguing insights from the book.
Early on in the book, they cite a passage from John Ortberg in his book Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them that speaks of the necessity of human relationship in sustaining faith:
"What is striking is that the Fall has not yet occurred (speaking of Adam prior to the creation of Eve). There is no sin, no disobedience, nothing to mar the relationship between God and man. The human being is in a state of perfect intimacy with God. Each word he and God speak with each other is filled with closeness and joy; he walks with God in the garden in the cool of the day. He is known and love to the core of his being by his omniscient, love-filled Creator. Yet the word God uses to describe him is 'alone.' And God says this aloneness is 'not good.'
Sometimes in church circles when people feel lonely, we will tell them not to expect too much from human relationships, that there is inside every human being a God-shaped void that no other person can fill. That is true. But apparently, according to the writer of Genesis, God creates inside this man a kind of 'human-shaped void' that God himself will not fill.
No substitute will fill this need in you for human relationship. Not money. Not achievement. Not busy-ness. Not books. Not even God himself. Even though this man was in a state of sinless perfection, he was 'alone.' And it was 'not good'" (30).
Stanley and Willits conclude their discussion on the need for meaningful, deep relationships within the church this way:
"Living life without meaningful connection is not good because it's not what God intended for us. Isolation tends to bring with it devastating relational sicknesses. But it's also not good because we were created for relationship. Living life alone does not accurately reflect the One whose image we bear" (34).
----------------------
Based on a recommendation from my co-worker Joe, I read Andy Stanley and Bill Willits's book Creating Community: 5 Keys to Building a Small Group Culture. The first-half of the book was especially intriguing to me as they discussed community and the necessity of relationship within a healthy church. "Some want to belong before they are willing to believe" (95) and "we want to do ministry in the context of relationship in communities, not on committees" (87) were two of the more intriguing insights from the book.
Early on in the book, they cite a passage from John Ortberg in his book Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them that speaks of the necessity of human relationship in sustaining faith:
"What is striking is that the Fall has not yet occurred (speaking of Adam prior to the creation of Eve). There is no sin, no disobedience, nothing to mar the relationship between God and man. The human being is in a state of perfect intimacy with God. Each word he and God speak with each other is filled with closeness and joy; he walks with God in the garden in the cool of the day. He is known and love to the core of his being by his omniscient, love-filled Creator. Yet the word God uses to describe him is 'alone.' And God says this aloneness is 'not good.'
Sometimes in church circles when people feel lonely, we will tell them not to expect too much from human relationships, that there is inside every human being a God-shaped void that no other person can fill. That is true. But apparently, according to the writer of Genesis, God creates inside this man a kind of 'human-shaped void' that God himself will not fill.
No substitute will fill this need in you for human relationship. Not money. Not achievement. Not busy-ness. Not books. Not even God himself. Even though this man was in a state of sinless perfection, he was 'alone.' And it was 'not good'" (30).
Stanley and Willits conclude their discussion on the need for meaningful, deep relationships within the church this way:
"Living life without meaningful connection is not good because it's not what God intended for us. Isolation tends to bring with it devastating relational sicknesses. But it's also not good because we were created for relationship. Living life alone does not accurately reflect the One whose image we bear" (34).
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Virginia Tech Tragedy
Western Virginia is one of the prettiest places on the face of the earth. During our years in West Virginia, several travels to the south took us through western Virginia. On two occasions while traveling in western Virginia, we stopped off at Blacksburg.Blacksburg, Virginia is postcard pretty; a hamlet of hills and hollars that has to be one of the most beautiful spots on the earth during autumn.
So how can a spring day on the university campus located in Blacksburg turn so tragic? How can the beauty of the Blacksburg typography fade into the darkness that enveloped the quaint Virginia Tech campus yesterday?
I couldn't help but think, as I watched the gripping coverage of yesterday's tragedy, of the families most deeply touched by the heinous act.
This morning, as I'm sure you already have, remember before the Lord the families most affected. Remember the classmates who witnessed unspeakable horror. Remember a campus wrapped in grief. And remember, give your own kids an extra-special-long hug this morning when you drop them off for school.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Miscellaneous Monday
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" -- Jackie Robinson.
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I loved Dodger Stadium. Located in Elysian Park east of downtown LA, the ballpark oozed tradition with a retro feel. Where else can you get live organ music, mixed with an illuminating message board/scoreboard rimming the lower level?
Two giant murals of Jackie Robinson were fixed to each end of the grandstand (over 60' tall) and were awesome tributes to the man who broke the color barrier in baseball.
As for the game, the Dodgers smoked the Padres 9-1.
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When we returned from LA Saturday evening, I checked my sitemeter to discover an influx of visitors from the U.K. I did a little checking around to discover Colin Adams, an associate pastor with the Charlotte Baptist Church in Edinburgh, Scotland, had picked up my blog post on Friday about providing preaching opportunities for the next generation of preachers.
Thanks, Colin for the link and thank you to all those from the U.K. who dropped by to visit.
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This quarter, I have had the blessing of teaching our teen class at Woodward Park. Frankly, I'm not sure I've heard another group sing as beautifully as our group sings. Their singing each Sunday morning before our class together is a sweet melody that is sure to please our Father.
Last night, the teens had their monthly Sunday evening devotional and since I was not preaching due to an Ethiopian Mission Report, Mandy, the girls and I attended the teen devo. There must have been 70 people there and once again, their singing just blew us away. Mike led an excellent time of reflection preparing our teens for the arrival of our new youth minister, Paul Cartwright and his wife, April.
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"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4.25-32).
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I loved Dodger Stadium. Located in Elysian Park east of downtown LA, the ballpark oozed tradition with a retro feel. Where else can you get live organ music, mixed with an illuminating message board/scoreboard rimming the lower level?
Two giant murals of Jackie Robinson were fixed to each end of the grandstand (over 60' tall) and were awesome tributes to the man who broke the color barrier in baseball.
As for the game, the Dodgers smoked the Padres 9-1.
--------------------
When we returned from LA Saturday evening, I checked my sitemeter to discover an influx of visitors from the U.K. I did a little checking around to discover Colin Adams, an associate pastor with the Charlotte Baptist Church in Edinburgh, Scotland, had picked up my blog post on Friday about providing preaching opportunities for the next generation of preachers.
Thanks, Colin for the link and thank you to all those from the U.K. who dropped by to visit.
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This quarter, I have had the blessing of teaching our teen class at Woodward Park. Frankly, I'm not sure I've heard another group sing as beautifully as our group sings. Their singing each Sunday morning before our class together is a sweet melody that is sure to please our Father.
Last night, the teens had their monthly Sunday evening devotional and since I was not preaching due to an Ethiopian Mission Report, Mandy, the girls and I attended the teen devo. There must have been 70 people there and once again, their singing just blew us away. Mike led an excellent time of reflection preparing our teens for the arrival of our new youth minister, Paul Cartwright and his wife, April.
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"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4.25-32).
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Glory of Preaching
I'm juiced. Pumped. Psyched. This afternoon, Mandy and I are joining up with two other couples from Woodward Park for a journey to Los Angeles. Tonight, we are going to catch the Dodgers/Padres game. David Wells (0-0, 2.70) will toe the rubber for the Padres against Dodgers' ace Derek Lowe (1-1, 5.73) at 7:40 PST.
One of my many quirks throughout my ministry life has been a propensity to schedule my travels around baseball season. Doing so has afforded me the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus in many neat places and catching a game at many wonderful stadiums.
Tonight, I get to add another stadium -- a famed and historic stadium at that -- to my list. Tonight, it's all-you-can-eat Dodger Dogs and baseball at venerable Dodger Stadium.
I'm pumped!
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Last night, I had the wonderful privilege of filling in for Randy and John who teach our 3rd-6th grade boys on Wednesday nights. They've been studying the life of David but I wanted to talk to them about the glory of preaching.
When I was a kid, I developed an interest in preaching. As I grew, that interest grew also until I determined to go to college to learn skills, service traits and study habits that would allow me to serve God full-time to the best of my ability.
That growth came despite the fact I was rarely offered the opportunity to preach in my home church. The preacher in my home church during my teen years was an older gentleman with a kind heart who seemed to have little interest in sharing the pulpit. Consequently, young guys like myself had to search for neighboring churches to try our hand at preaching. Thankfully, in my life, the Johnson Street Church of Christ in my hometown of Benton always gave me an open invitation. To this day, I consider their investment in my ministry to be one of the dearest gifts in my life. The lessons I learned from their preachers, Willie Hill and Cedric Finley, continue to influence my thinking and my ministry.
I write all that for this purpose: very early in my ministry, I determined that the pulpit where God granted me the opportunity to preach full-time would always be open and available to any young men desiring to try their hand at preaching. Anytime one of our young men shows an interest in preaching, I will help them prepare and practice and will allow them the opportunity to preach their sermon on the Sunday of their choosing.
So, last night, I simply tried to fan a potential flame in the hearts of those young me. Maybe one day (soon), one or more of those guys will seek me out wanting to preach.
I'm praying for that to happen.
The future of the church depends on good men willing to forgo more financially lucrative careers in other fields to commit their lives to the glory of preaching.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Out of the Mouths of my Babes
Each Wednesday, Mandy spends a couple of hours at Trae's school volunteering. Yesterday, Mandy was helping Trae's teacher with an upcoming Mother's Day project when he relayed to Mandy a funny story from the day before.In Math, Trae's class has been learning about "profits." Her teacher has helped them understand that if a person buys something for one price and then sells it at a greater price, then that person has made a "profit."
Well, that isn't what Trae first thought of when the word "profit" was used by her teacher. Trae raised her hand and said to her teacher, "I thought profits were only found in the Bible!"
Not to be outdone, little sister spent the 180-mile drive to the Sacramento Airport on Tuesday by singing to us. Tori was singing all of her favorite songs from Bible Class: Blue Skies and Rainbows, Noah Built the Ark, the Lord's Army, Jesus Loves Me, etc.
When it came time to sing a few bars of "Jesus Loves the Little Children," Tori put her own unique twist on the second verse that says, "Jesus Died for all the Children."
Tori's version? "Jesus diapered all the children."
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Jesus Way
It's Wednesday and for Trae and Mandy, it's horse-riding day. Since coming to Fresno, we've been especially blessed with a host of new, dear friends who love our family as if we were their own.
Among our new friends are Gary, Wilma and Kelly Holcomb.
Wilma judges Quarterhorse and Reigning Horse shows all over the world and has routinely sacrificed her time to teach Trae her way around horses. Trae gets to help out around the Holcomb's barn, receives training on handling and riding from Wilma, and then gets to ride. Without question, among Trae's best friends in California are Reggie, Buzz, Mister and Ginger.
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Last week, I received in my inbox from Amazon a notice of Eugene Peterson's new book The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way. This book is the third in his ongoing conversation (the first two books are Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places and Eat This Book).
In The Jesus Way, Peterson takes on the advent of consumerism within the contemporary church head-on. I'm just getting into the book, but I can tell from the first chapters that it is classic Peterson -- rich, meaty and timely.
Here's a couple of snippets to whet your appetite:
"Jesus is an alternative to the dominant ways of the world, not a supplement to them" (2).
"The North American church at present is conspicuous for replacing the Jesus way with the American way" (5).
"We cannot pick and choose ways and means that are more to our liking. The popularized acronym WWJD ("What would Jesus do?") is not quite accurate. The question must be, "How does Jesus do it" (8)?
"The way Jesus leads and the way that I follow Jesus are symbiotic. And this symbiosis is not treated with sufficient seriousness and depth in the Christian community of North America" (8).
"Ways and means that are removed or abstracted from Jesus and the Scriptures that give witness to him amount sooner or later to a betrayal of Jesus. In this kingdom-of-God world, the person that we follow is the primary shaping influences on the person that we become (emphasis mine), Christians follow Jesus" (15).
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Grammy's Visit
For the last three weeks, we've been blessed to have Grammy here for a visit. My mom was here for Trae's Spring Break and for Easter Sunday. It's been a blast having her here!We've enjoyed the snow at Shaver Lake, a tour of San Francisco, the central coast, the to-die-for pie at the Sea Shanty in Cayucos, the annual Cayucos Puppy Parade, Easter egg hunting, numerous trips to Target for goodies, and a whole lotta love. My girls are blessed to have the Grammy they have and we thank God for sending her to us for these three weeks.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Spring Break
Hey, if the kids can get out for a week, then I can take a week off from blogging. What with mom visiting, the start of baseball season, a little turkey hunting, a lot of ministry, and a big Easter weekend ahead, I think I'll take the rest of the week off...blogging that is.
See ya Monday!
See ya Monday!
Monday, April 02, 2007
Diamond Notes
Don't forget to pray for all the Woodward Park'ers down in Mexicali, Mexico over Spring Break. A contingent from Fresno is down there helping with the first-ever Vacation Bible School our at mission church.
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Florida versus Ohio State. Who's your pick?
I've had Florida v. Ohio State since the beginning of the tourney, with Florida winning.
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I love the Pacific Time Zone. Big sporting events are always over before bedtime out here.
Tonight, though, I'll have the tube trained not on the NCAA Hoops final but on the Rangers season opener with the Angels (ESPN-2, 7:05 PST). Can't wait to see Michael Young, Hank Blalock and Tex swing the sticks again!
Last night, though, I did find one drawback. After a wonderful day with God's family at Woodward Park, culminated by a counseling session, I arrived home to watch the Cardinals/Mets season opener.
It was over.
Thankfully, I had DVR'd the game and was able to watch it quickly last night. Just hearing the voices of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan was like balm on a wound. It's amazing how slow those 6 months without baseball seem to pass. But now, with the opening of the season, all is right with the world again!
Here are my picks for the '07 season:
AL East -- Yankees
AL Central -- Indians
AL West -- Angels
AL Wild Card -- Red Sox
NL East -- Mets
NL Central -- Astros
NL West -- Padres
NL Wild Card -- Phillies
World Series -- Yankees over the Mets in a Subway Series.
----------------
Florida versus Ohio State. Who's your pick?
I've had Florida v. Ohio State since the beginning of the tourney, with Florida winning.
----------------
I love the Pacific Time Zone. Big sporting events are always over before bedtime out here.
Tonight, though, I'll have the tube trained not on the NCAA Hoops final but on the Rangers season opener with the Angels (ESPN-2, 7:05 PST). Can't wait to see Michael Young, Hank Blalock and Tex swing the sticks again!
Last night, though, I did find one drawback. After a wonderful day with God's family at Woodward Park, culminated by a counseling session, I arrived home to watch the Cardinals/Mets season opener.
It was over.
Thankfully, I had DVR'd the game and was able to watch it quickly last night. Just hearing the voices of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan was like balm on a wound. It's amazing how slow those 6 months without baseball seem to pass. But now, with the opening of the season, all is right with the world again!
Here are my picks for the '07 season:
AL East -- Yankees
AL Central -- Indians
AL West -- Angels
AL Wild Card -- Red Sox
NL East -- Mets
NL Central -- Astros
NL West -- Padres
NL Wild Card -- Phillies
World Series -- Yankees over the Mets in a Subway Series.
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