Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't begin to say enough thanks for all that I have been blessed with. On this national day of giving thanks all I can do is simply say, "Thank You Lord for your continuous, overwhelming love!"

Occupy What?!

The Occupy Wall Street movement continues to make headlines for various reasons. Most of the time it's because someone from within that movement has done something they shouldn't have, a group has moved to block traffic or the "host" cities have grown tired of spending thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of dollars to clean-up, police and ensure peace in the camps and surrounding areas.
While it may very well be that you agree with the premise of the movement there are a multitude of ways to show your dislike for the direction our nation is moving. Interestingly, as I listen to the "Occupiers" I'm still somewhat confused as to their cause...there are complaints that corporations are evil, war is unjust, education should be fully funded, Congress should be disbanded and various other crys of "injustice". It's quite possible I wouldn't even pay attention to the whole thing except for the 15 minutes of fame that the media continues to extend for these protestors.
What I do like is the concept of spreading the message. If, as Christians, we would be as willing to make a public statement as the Occupiers have been then the message of Jesus just might catch on. Oh sure, we'd risk being branded as "weird, strange, out-of-touch" and other such things, but people would at least hear the words. I'm not one that advocates moving on to others property, hindering the flow of traffic, business and government in order to get my point across. But I am convinced that unless and until Christians are as willing as other groups to stand up and proclaim the gospel we are failing at our primary task.
Perhaps we will one day take a page from the lives of people who have chosen to make a particular cause their life-focus. Perhaps, one day, we too will become convinced that the only Occupy Movement that is really worthwhile is the one that allows Jesus to Occupy the Hearts of All Men!

Appreciative Inquiry

I've been doing a lot of reading about a strategy for organizational change called Appreciative Inquiry. While it's not new to the corporate world it seems to be rather slow in catching on in churches. The premise of AI is that all organizations have some positive things going on. By capturing the spirit of those positive things the organization should be able to move forward much more quickly without spending so much time, energy and money on putting out the fires of "problem solving." As I've read the case studies and poured over the concepts I've been struck by the simplicity of the concept. But I've also begun to see some of the Biblical basis for this change strategy.
Jesus' introductory discourse (Matt 5-7) is built on the concept of highlighting successes. The Beatitudes as we call them, are pronouncements of blessing because of the attitudes and actions of those who receive the blessing. The basis of the gospel message is one of recounting the victory of Jesus' over sin and death with an eye toward our own similar victory (1 Cor 15). The entire letter to the Hebrew Christians is filled with stories of the successes of Christians and was written for the specific purpose of showing the strength of an enduring faith in Jesus Christ.
As I continue my journey toward the educational pinnacle of a Doctor of Ministry degree, I am looking forward to employing the principles of AI in helping the congregation I serve to become a highly evangelistic, productive body of God's people. With His help, our memories and the sharing of stories we will do just that.

Fall is in the air

Our move from East Texas to Maryland is complete. Of course, every move brings changes that are rather obvious...new house, new routes to learn, new church familes to meet and new regional "worldviews" to name a few. One change that we often forget about though is the climate difference. When we left Texas we were in the middle of an awful drought. The daily temperatures were still rather summer-like and there was no real relief in sight. We arrived in the D. C. area to steady rain, temperatures that were some 30 degrees less than what we had been experiencing and leave that were beginning to make their wonderful color known.
As I've observed those differences I've been reminded of God's amazing work of creation. Each year it plays out for us all over again. The seasons bring their unique perspectives of life, the terrain shows off the mighty hand of God in the rising and falling of hills and the streams and rivers exhibit the power of the Lord to provide all that we each need on a constant basis. The reminders that I am experiencing right now take me back to the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 1 when he wrote, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse."
That's right...nature reminds us that God exists and that we rely exclusively on Him for our very existence.
I pray that as Fall sets in whereever you live you will be able to be reminded of His providing hand, His unmatched power and His amazing love.

Another Beginning

This coming Sunday, October 9th my morning sermon will be entitled, "New Beginnings". In this 2 lesson series we'll explore some of the opportunities we've been given to start all over again in light of the new ministry we have begun with the Silver Spring church. Inmy research for that lesson I opened the Christian Chronicle online and read the story of a new sister in Christ. It's always thrilling to hear of the new birth of another of God's children but this one was different...this babe in Christ is 108 years old! That's right, she was baptized at the age of 108!!!
When she was born electricity hadn't reached very many in our nation! She was only 42 years removed from the Civil War. But at that advanced age she came to understand that it's never too late to start over again. The lesson is clear and simple...in Christ Jesus, every person is new, every morning is amazing and every opportunity presented is another new beginning.
My prayer is that I will NEVER waste a single new beginning as I try to show my great God how much I love Him and appreciate what He has given to me...a new beginning with an awesome ending!

A Heart to Work

The last half of Nehemiah 4:7 records, "the people worked with all their heart." Taken out of context this could be a confusing statement. But when you consider it in the story of Nehemiah it becomes a powerful reminder of what God's people are capable of doing when they make the choice to work side by side in service to God and each other.
The wall of Jerusalem had been destroyed several decades earlier. Under the leadership of Nehemiah the people had undertaken the monumental task of rebuilding the wall, both as a means of protection and, possibly more importantly, as a psychological reminder that their Capitol City was once again a vibrant, important place. We can't begin to imagine the hardship these folks endured in order to accomplish the task. What we can understand though is that they had a desire to see this project finished...they had a personal stake in successfully rebuiling this wall.
The statement at the end of chapter 4:7 tells us how important it was to them. They poured themselves into it. They sacrificed to make certain it was completed. They set aside things that were important in their lives in order to accomplish this unified mission.
As their leader, Nehemiah understood the importance of relying on the power of God to get the job done. He knew they would get discouraged and that there would be opposition. But he also knew that God had brought him to this particular place to accomplish this construction project so he showed the people the power of God by leading them through the process.
There are many lessons that can be gained from a close study of the book of Nehemiah. There is none more important though than to see the power of a unified body of believers allowing the strength of God to push them far beyond what they ever imagined they could do. It's time for Christians in the 21st century to learn that lesson and put it into practice.

Answered Prayer

It never ceases to amaze me, even though I really shouldn't be surprised, when the blessings continue to roll. We continually read of how faithful God is in fulfilling His promises, taking care of His people and answering prayers, but the truth is, we find ourselves somewhat taken aback when those blessings, care and answers are aimed squarely at us.
Over the past several months I've been on my knees on a constant basis asking the Lord to lead me where I can be used the most effectively. We've agonized over doors that opened and then shut, doors that never opened we wished would and even doors that we had no idea were there. We've listened as He has allowed us to peek through windows of opportunity and then watched as He pulled the blinds on them.
Just over a week ago the final door opened and we were allowed to step through it. Our continued prayer has resulted in a difinitive answer. The funny thing is...I was surprised when that answer came. I was relieved, overjoyed and yes, surprised. I guess it's really not funny at all...odd is a better description. After all, I claim to believe in the power of prayer so why should I be surprised when He answers? Some would say that's the "human" response and I suppose they are right. But prayer is a faithbased understanding of God's amazing work in our lives. It allows us to open ourselves to His voice, His leading, His plans and be grateful when He blesses us with obvious answers.
Now, as we follow His lead we will work at being honestly open to further answers and blessings as He sends them our way.