Being the Church

Yesterday, was a glorious day here at MHBC. Six teams gave presentations concerning ministries they implemented through a five week movement of service called Operation:Neighbor. The six groups were assigned the task of implementing a short term ministry initiative that would meet the needs of individuals whose needs are not being met in our community. Each team was given $400 to use toward the completion of their project, and told they had 5 weeks to complete the endeavor.
These groups, involving over 100 of our church folks, did the following short-term ministry projects:
*a fair for foster children and their families
*collected shoes for those without shoes and cleaned the yards of foreclosed homes to help beautify the neighborhood
*a car clinic to teach ladies in the area how to care for their automobiles
*an AARP driving school to help senior adults save on auto insurance and replenishing the church's food pantry
* a party for the parents that bring children to our child care center, a major painting job of the rooms that the child care center uses, and early morning coffee and pastries for the parents on their way to work
*a baby shower for five pregnant teens from a local high school

As I sat and listened to the reports through tears in my eyes, it hit me- this is what being a missional church is all about. Teams of people working together to meet specific needs in our context. I also realized that several significant things had been accomplished:
1. The love of Christ has been shared with those who are typically overlooked.
2. More people were involved in front-line ministry in these five weeks than in any other time of the year. Many of the usual workers participated, but so many more who are not involved became part of a team.
3. There was an amazing sense of unity behind the desire to please God by meeting the needs of others.
4. No paid Christians (staff people) were allowed to participate on the teams and it became obvious that God can use anybody, not just those who are paid professionals.

The common thing that we heard over and over from people went something like this: "I can't believe that a church is actually doing something to help the community."
Two conclusions: First, we know that we are making significant progress in connecting to our community. Second, it is a shame that a church is getting noticed for what should be normal activity amongst the body of Christ.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to experience Operation:Neighbor.

Taking Things for Granted

It is true for me, that I don't realize how good I have it until something is taken away. We are in the process of having new A/C units installed in the church building, so we are spending a few days without A/C. It just so happens that we are having near record high tempatures for the month of October, which means the building is HOT! I chickened out and went to a different part of the building to work, but I have been reminded how I take things like air conditioners for granted. This has caused me to stop, reflect, and be thankful for things that I commonly overlook as expected parts of my day: a car that runs, a seemingly endless water supply, a grocery store continually supplied with food, etc. So, today, it is the little things, that quickly become big things when lost, for which I am grateful. What is on your list?

"Cut me, Mickey!"

The month of September has been pretty lousy. So much so, that I feel like a prize fighter. I have been getting body blow after body blow after body blow, then before I realize it, I am face down on the canvas hit by a punch that caught me off guard. Oh I landed some good punches occasionally, but I was clearly down in the point standings this month. Then, all of a sudden, I find myself sprawled out on the canvas, woozy from a long fight, wondering what just happened. It is there on the canvas that I have to decide, "Is this fight really worth it?" "Is it time to throw in the towel?" "Do I admit defeat?" Or... do I crawl over to the ropes, pull myself up, catch my breath, and turn around and start swinging again?

As it turns out, I am pretty darn stubborn! Even when it seems like I have no chance to come back and win the fight, deep down, there is this great disdain for losing that makes me swing even harder than I did before. I might lose, but they will have to carry me out of the ring before I give up. Maybe I am stupid and stubborn, I don't know- but it seems to me if something is worth fighting for, I might as well fight to the death. September clearly kicked my butt and alas, I must admit defeat. But thankfully, this is the last day of September, so I live on to fight again, better prepared, better equipped, and more determined.

Here is my question- How do you react when you find that life has dealt a blow that knocks you onto the canvas? What makes you get back up? What passages of Scripture do you turn to? Who do you call to help you get up? How do you mourn your defeats? What advice do you have for others facing tough times? Just curious.

Criticism

I hate to admit it, but what people think about me really matters to me. So, when people criticise me, it hurts. Now, I know without any hesitation that some of the criticism I get is well deserved- in fact, it is probably not that hard to find faults in who I am and what I do. There are times that I am very appreciative of constructive criticism if I know and understand the heart of the one who gives it, but most of the time, that is not the case. Typically, though, I can be alone, think about it and accept it as constructive.

Sometimes, however, the criticism is ridiculous, rude, and unnecessary. For example, I am growing a beard, I don't know if I am going to keep it or not, just experiementing. Last night, someone told me that I look horrible and should shave it off immediately. My response was simply, "I am trying to look more like Jesus." That was not what I wanted to say, but those were the words that came out.

The question then is this- how should we, as followers of Christ, respond to critics?
Let me know what you think.

A New Office= Big Change

For seven years, I have used the same space for my office. A space that has been comfortable, convenient, and a consistent part of my life week after week after week. Last Thursday, I moved upstairs, directly above my old office to a new room that will be my home away from home. In the process of this move, I have discovered several things about myself and about life.
First of all, I have realized that deep down I must be a slob. After seven years of storing, filing, and stuffing things in my office, I discovered that in that time span, one can create a huge mess, or at least I can. It was embarrassing to see all of the trash bags that I filled with things that should have been discarded years ago. I even found some chocolate golf balls (yes, I said chocolate golf balls) that were at least 6 years old. I have no idea why I was saving them, because normally they would not have lasted 6 minutes.
Secondly, I have been reminded that life is a trade-off. My new office is great in many ways. It is larger than the old one. It is brightly painted and cheery. In fact one of the walls is my favorite color- orange. It is also amazingly quiet and allows me plenty of time for deep reflection, uninterupted prayer time, and focus. On the other hand, my new office is like being in an isolation booth- it is almost creepy at times. Thus far, I treasure the moments when people come to see me- quite unusual for an INTJ. I no longer have a private rest room, and I can already tell that I am eventually going to dread walking up and down the stairs. Life really is a trade-off.
Thirdly, I have been reminded that staying the same is much easier than change. Not better, just easier. I guess that is why it is so hard for us to gravitate toward something new-we become incredibly comfortable with what we know and with what is familiar.
So, if you have a chance, come by and check it out- I would enjoy the company.

It Goes Too Fast

This year marks the 25th anniversary of my high school graduation. Tomorrow, my son graduates high school. How the heck did that happen? I remember, as if it were yesterday, gazing through the window at Hillcrest Baptist Hospital in Waco with a goofy grin on my face thinking, "that's my boy!" I remember Josh learning to walk by chasing after a cookie that someone was holding in front of him at church. I remember... I could go on and on. What is really amazing to me though, is the fact that I look into his eyes and I see that the little boy has become a man. Don't get me wrong, he still has a whole lot to learn about life, but he has become a man.
I have always heard how hard it was to parent teens, but I must honestly say, he made it a piece of cake: he is considerate, compasionate, generous, loving, and content. He has been a joy to parent.

I can't wait to see what God is going to do through his life. There has even been some talk of ministering to the poor in a third world country, who knows. But this I do know, Josh, God has something really cool planned for your life and I pray that you will reach your full potential in Him. Don't let anybody tell you that you can't or that your dreams are impossible. I pray that you will seek God everyday and that you will find the godly woman that God has picked for you. I also pray that your family will change whatever part of the world you will call home.

Please know that your Mom and I are here for you, we love you, and we are proud to call you son. You are awesome. Congratulations!

Children are Expensive

$200,000! That is what the projected cost of raising a child born in 2007 would be when that child reaches the age of 18. This is based on the "typical" middle income family. That number seems a bit low to me, but let's assume that it is correct. What could you do with an extra 200 grand? Imagine the possibilities: a new house, a traveling adventure, a better retirement. If you have multiple children then- imagine.

The truth, however, is that we as parents are making an investment. An investment in the future. Not only are we investing in the possibility of being grandparents, but really we are investing in the future of our world. Imagine the possibilities: what if your child is the one who grows up to find the cure for cancer? what if your child becomes president of the United States? what if your child is the school teacher who changes in a positive direction the lives of hundreds of children? what if yours is the child who saves lives of those in a burning building? what if yours is the child who finds a way to thwart starvation in our world? what if your child is the one who starts a non-profit that changes the future for millions of people? what if your child grows up, gets married, and is a great spouse and parent and impacts those in their nuclear family?what if your child takes the greatest news in the world, that Jesus loves them, to a place that has never heard before?

I guess $200,000 is a small price to pay for changing the world.

I also hope they remember this investment when they pick my nursing home.

Family

This past weekend, I performed the marriage ceremony for my niece and her new husband. As a part of that event, my wife's family from Texas was here to participate in the festivities. It was an awesome time of connecting with some folks that we love very much. You see, I am fortunate in that I even have a great Mother-in-law. As fourteen of us spent hours together in our home, I was reminded how important family is, and how important people are. Specifically, I was reminded how significant those closest to us really are. Throughout our life time, we don't really connect closely with that many people. We, of course, know a lot of people, and have many that we would consider friends, but when it comes to those folks that come into our homes and really feel at home and we still feel like it is home while they are there, the numbers become quite small. In their book about relationships, concerning those individuals that feel at home, Will Miller and Glen Sparks call it Refrigerator Rights. Those with refrigerator rights are the folks that come into our homes and open up the frig without asking permission. When you think about it, those are the most significant people in your life. I hope that you will recognize those people in your life and treasure them as a precious gift. I know I do (as long as they don't drink all of the milk).