The Christmas Song of the Year

You have to hear the great version of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Casting Crowns. Read the story in the video link below.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt--150Y6Hf8ds/casting_crowns_i_heard_the_bells_on_christmas_day/

In Essence, How Was Your Christmas?

In a few weeks you will ask or be asked, "How was your Christmas?" Christmases are often measured by having or not having. Whether it is the child who got their wish or the parent or gave it to them, both measure the holiday by the presence of some physical thing. But the first Christmas participants had very little of what inspires a positive response to, "How was your Christmas?"

And yet will any of us be able to answer, "How was your Christmas," with, "I was overcome with emotion?" That is what the Magi said (Matthew 2:11). Will we say that each experience was something we treasured deeply in our hearts? That is what Mary said (Luke 2:19). Will any of us say that our Christmas was so meaningful that we told all our friends about it, astonishing them with our amazing Christmas experiences? That is what the shepherds did (Luke 2:17-18). And could any of us ever say of our Christmas that it was so monumental that we can now die, happy after the experience? And yet that is what Simeon said (Luke 2:29).

Such amazing responses have never been uttered over even the most pristine of Christmas celebrations. I think it is safe to say that if we are aiming for a 'perfect' Christmas, we are settling. The first Christmas is the standard, not one on a Currier and Ives picture or the cover of Martha Stewart Living. The first Christmas shows us the essence of Christmas.

There was no money but plenty of riches. The family wasn't all in but the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were there. There was no mention of food but an adundance of fullness. The accomodations were horrendous, but there seems to be a lot of comfort. Mary and Joseph not even being married yet, the relationships were not in perfect order, but love seems to fly off the pages. There was no money for a wonderful holiday show but could any thing compare with that angel choir?

I guess what I am saying is that we spend too much time, money, and worry over what delivers far less than the first people in the Christmas story experienced--and they didn't have any of the things we worry about. If, for you, Christmas is only going to be about what you have or don't have, what is right or isn't right then you are going to set yourself up for a disappointing answer to, "How was your Christmas?" None of those things were in place in Bethlehem and yet their Christmas experience blows all of ours away.

The difference in those who celebrated the first Christmas and us is focus. They had one focus and that was connecting with Baby Jesus. They were not worried about relatives, money, or poinsettias. Seeing him, being with him, worshipping him...that was and is all that matters. That is the essence of Christmas and the only measure of, "How was your Christmas?"

Go Wolves!

Congrats to the Buford Wolves on their second straight appearance in the Class AA State Championship Game today against Calhoun. It is interesting to me because when I started in youth ministry in Dalton GA I had kids in my youth group from Calhoun. They have a great program in Buford and many of our kids at The Crossing are a part of it so I am firmly on the Wolves side. They will play Calhoun at 5 today in the GA Dome...so Go Wolves!

Finding Your Way Home at Christmas

This Sunday begins the holiday season at The Crossing with the theme, "Finding Your Way Home at Christmas." In the first Christmas most of the prominent players were traveling. The Magi traveled 600 miles from Persia to Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph went about 70 miles from Nazareth, and the Shepherds traveled a few miles into town from the surrounding hills of Bethlehem. And One--one very important baby--traveled quite a long way from Heaven to be the main attraction of the Christmas story.

Like many people since then, Christmas had them on the road. They all felt some deep longing strongly expressed by the simple fact that they just kept going in a time when travel was very difficult. Eyes wide open, they were searching, needing, grasping for something real but invisible--something essential but intangible. They looked like they were on a fool's errand but the world's first Scrooges did not stop them. As with many Christmas travelers since, they were finding their way home at Christmas.

In our adult lives Shelli and I have never had a Christmas without a trip. Like us, most everyone feels a very powerful longing to be home for Christmas. Sometimes, in spite of long distances, bad weather, or very little money we would joyfully head for home. Nothing was more important than getting home.
At Christmas something draws us in a similar fashion to the Lord. This season just makes us feel the need to seek the Lord. We just need to connect with our Father and find the comfort and peace of being at home in His will. Maybe you feel as far away from God as the Magi or as close to Him as Mary and Joseph were. Regardless of your distance finding your way home at Christmas is about seeing the signs that light the way. Some who were close that first Christmas ignored the signs and missed out. Others who were far away, saw the signs and experienced the greatest of joys.

This holiday season God wants you to find your way home to a closer relationship with God. We will look at the signs God is giving you and regardless of where you are you will see each week how you can find your way home at Christmas.

The Privilege of Serving Shelli

Yesterday my wife Shelli had reconstructive knee surgery. One bad step on a tennis court left Shelli with a torn ACL and meniscus damage. From the time we left the hospital yesterday Shelli has been completely dependent on me for everything. For the most basic needs I have waited on her for everything. While there have been times of sickness over the years this time of recovery has been different. Since I am older now and have aging family members I can mentally time warp into Shelli and I's 'golden years' where one of us may be caring for the other. While no one can predict the future I can say that this little glimpse into a possible future has been a blessing. I am sure the heavy load that some care givers have is unimaginable and I don't mean to assume after one day of care giving that I understand. But I understand more today than I did yesterday.

For her comfort Shelli is camped out up stairs. This means I have had 100 trips up and down the steps (I need the exercise so no problem.) She is in a great deal of pain and that hurts me to see her suffer. She constantly needs something: water, pills, her phone, her computer, her purse, etc. There are the house chores that must be done-dishes, clothes, pets, kids, and so on. And I feel like all of this must be done with an unusually positive attitude because Shelli will feel bad if she thinks she is being a burden to me. Because she is so giving, not being able to give when someone else is giving to her is tough for her. But I don't want anything to be tough for her.

None of this is a complaint; just a reality check for me. What I now know is care giving is tough, especially when the other person is completely dependent. But I think I better understand how to handle the job of care giving. First, what makes it much more easy is the person you are serving. It is a privilege to serve Shelli. She has given me so much love and support over the years that it is nothing to serve her. Secondly, see it as your responsibilty. Serving her is part of my job as her husband; before God I pledged as much when I said, "I do." Thirdly, accept help any where you can. I have been so blessed by my small group and The Crossing family. Meals are being delivered, one of our ladies is coming to stay with Shelli during Logan's game Friday, and their have been numerous calls of support and offers of help. You need to be in small group if for no other reason just for the support of friends during tough times.

In closing I am feeling so blessed. I have a wonderful wife and no matter what happens in our later years I will be privileged to care for her. I have precious friends who partner with me for a purpose bigger than ourselves. I am surrounded by good things!

Full of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has quite an agenda if you are with my family. We really enjoy the day. We usually try to catch a little of the Macy's parade. Sometimes there is a last minute store run (if one is open). I might get drafted to peel some potatoes or slice the turkey. I might take some time to see what games will be on later and plan accordingly. Of course there is the dinner that will be a wonderful feast. After that I will probably help clean-up (unless I don't have to!) And then it is football and a nap. After which, it is football and pumpkin pie...after which it is football, leftovers, pie, maybe a movie, more leftovers, more football, until delirium causes us all to put another Thanksgiving to bed.

It has been quite a day...what a Thanksgiving! But in spite of all of its 'fullness,' my Thanksgiving has lacked something: thanksgiving. The challenge for all of us is to carve out some time to say thank you while carving our turkey. Oddly taking time for thanksgiving is low on the Thanksgiving agenda.

I am certainly in favor, both personally and profesionally, of what we all have been doing to celebrate Thanksgiving. We need to celebrate. I just think that being thankful is essential as a regular practice of our lives; and most especially on a day of Thanksgiving.

Find a quiet place with nothing more to do than focusing on every blessing you have. Your blessings are God's fingerprints on your life. You can see where God has been in your life when you see how you have been blessed. Knowing God has been in your life especially when times are tough is important. Don't let another Thanksgiving pass without thanksgiving...it will be good to know God has been there too.

Leaving the Middle

Moses' journey from Midian to Egypt in answer to God's call to set Israel free was spiritual as much as it was physical. The bold man of God who faced Pharaoh in Exodus 5 is hardly the timid doubter of Exodus 4.

In his journey to Egypt he left Midian and the middle. Even the name has 'mid' in it. He left the moderation and compromise that had characterized his life for the clarity and commitment of total surrender to God. It is best seen in the strange text of Exodus 4:24-26. Moses' dramatic encounter with God reveals the compromise even one who was going to serve God was willing to accept.

To compromise is to ignore a principle for a perceived personal benefit. Moses was ignoring God's command to circumcise his son. His motivation, based on his wife's reaction, appears to be a desire to please her. What is obvious here is that God despises compromise.

And when Moses' began to live in complete commitment to God and run from compromise his doubts began to melt away and he became a confident man of God. Remember James 1tells us "a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." Live truly before God, run from compromise and see the confidence in you grow.

Go Buckeyes, Beat Michigan!

The third Saturday in November is always a big week for those of us from Ohio and Michigan as the Buckeyes and Wolverines square off for the greatest rivalry in sports. Often the national championship or at least a trip to the Rose Bowl was on the line. The buildup is often so big that it is difficult to win the next game. Of late the Bucks have gotten the better of the Wolves. In the 90's Michigan consistently won. Ebbs and flows have characterized the series even though only 2 games separate the teams over the last 90 years. So this is Michigan week and we Buckeyes are fired up and ready. Go Bucks!

I Love It When a Plan Comes Together

In the 80's a popular show called the A-Team featured a character who, after the successful completion of a seemingly impossible mission, would always say, "I love it when a plan comes together!" A week ago Sunday I talked about obeying the nudges God gives, which are sometimes small and sometimes as big as a burning bush. This past week I talked about how doing what God wants is often difficult to do, but that his plan always works. When we follow him both of us end up saying, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

The text we used was, Exodus 4:18-29 where Moses sets out for Egypt in response to God's calling to free Israel from slavery. Moses tells his father-in-law that he is going to go back to Egypt to see if any of his relatives are still alive. Does that sound confident to you? Is this a man on a mission, full of passion for God's call on his life? No, he sounds like someone who is filled with doubt. This is good news for me because--I have doubts, too. Moses was a super star believer...but he doubted. This passage leads me to one conclusion: When doing what God wants, it is normal to have doubts and imagine problems, because following God is difficult and foreign.

Here is a probable list of some of Moses' doubts:
a. Will they kill me when I show up?
b. How will Pharaoh react?
c. Will Aaron buy in to my leadership and accept his role?
d. Are the people still alive?
e. How will the people respond to my leadership?

In Exodus 4 God helps Moses' with all his doubts; but he did it because of vs. 20. In spite of his doubts, Moses,

“...took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey for the return trip to Egypt. He had a firm grip on the staff of God.”

The key is to obey and hold on to God.

We will never overcome our doubts, waiting for God to remove them before we act. God always wants us to have faith and take the first step for which he then rewards us. It makes following God stressful sometimes, but always exhilirating! God dealt with each of Moses' doubts but it was only after Moses dealt with his own unwillingness to trust God. And that's when the plan starts coming together!

Tribes

The word immediately creates an image. But for me a new meaning has developed in my thoughts thanks to the book by the same title. Tribes, written by Seth Godin has sparked a revolution in my thinking. The jist of Tribes is that lasting and substantive change can be best effected by a tribe: a group of people connected to each other, to a leader and to an idea. That 3 part description may be the best description of how the early church began. But in our day that kind of connection has never been easier because of technology and the ease of access and delivery of information. The Crossing is a tribe and we can make a huge impact!

The thing I like about this book is that it says anyone can be a leader. That is exactly what the Bible teaches us. While not written as a book neccessarily for churches I think it is a book that helps us to understand how to be effective in this day. I want to recommend Tribes to you.

Off the Chain, Exodus 3-4

Have you ever been bugged by God? You know that nudge that tells you God wants you to do something? It may have been as simple as apologize to your spouse or go to church; or as big as share your faith with you neighbor, serve God in ministry, or forgive your abusive father. It is uncomfortable when God nudges us, calls us, pushes us to do something we may not want to do. That is where Moses was when he saw the burning bush...it was one big flaming nudge.

Moses was comfortable in Midian. His needs were met, he had a family, and though he wasn’t exactly changing the world as a shepherd, he had something to do. But God’s call of Moses was not only about freeing others, but also about freeing himself from slavery. God calls us to follow him, to live a life off the chain--free from anything that holds us back.

Where does God want to lead us?
1. Off the chain of the past to the freedom of the future. (Exo. 3:11) Moses has a regrettable past in Egypt but God made him face it.
2. Off the chain of distance from God to the freedom of partnership with Him. (Exo. 3:13) Moses didn't know God but serving him would be a powerful tutor.3. Off the chain of fear to the freedom of trusting Him. (Exo. 4:1) Moses was afraid of Pharaoh but facing him would force Moses to trust God.4. Off the chain of weakness to the freedom of strength in God. (Exo. 4:10) Moses had a glaring weakness but God would show him that through his weakness God can really shine.
5. Off the chain of a meaningless life to the freedom of changing lives. (Exo. 3, 4) Following God is never as easy as staying where you are but it is a lot easier than the stain of a meaningless life.

Don't say no to the nudge. And don't assume it is only about others. The key God is handing you unlocks your chains too.

Congratulations President-Elect Obama...You Are In My Prayers

Though there are many differences I have on policy with Barack Obama, I am excited for him and his supporters. While never having issues with race myself (one of my best friends in HS was an Afr-Amer named, Evan Saunders) I am happy that those who have struggled against racism finally have a man they feel truly represents them.

It says something good about us when 130+ million Americans go to the polls civilly and elect their first black president by a strong majority. I know racism still exists in many places but hopefully this election will do a lot of damage to it. I know white people who are afraid of black leaders. Maybe President Obama can put their fears to rest. I know black people who feel there is always an inequity to overcome in life. Maybe this election will tear down any real or imagined wall of injustice in front of every person of color. Maybe this can be a new day when racists on both sides have no real argument.

My hope primarily is that President Obama will follow the path of President Lincoln at the end of the Civil War when his second term began. Some around Lincoln then wanted the Southern leaders tried and hung for war crimes. Lincoln knew that these former enemies were now his countrymen and with the war's end, the future of the country hung in the balance. He resisted the radicals on both sides as well as the intoxication of his own power to cast a vision of a peaceful, united country. His image of America was inspiringly illustrated in his second inaugural address when Lincoln said,

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

For those who are cheering today for President Obama it may seem, as with President Lincoln, that a great civil war has been won. And in many ways it has. Now President Obama has a great opportunity and a monumental challenge. Will he use his power to attempt to subdue his opposition? Or will he resist those who want revenge and power and do what is right for America as God gives him the ability to see the right?

Unfortunately an assasin's bullet cut President Lincoln down before his conciliatory approach to reconstruction could be implemented. Without Lincoln's influence and political adroitness the reconstruction period spiraled into retribution and ugliness and lit the flames of racism still burning today (the KKK was born then). Ironically, President Obama, our first African-American president, may be able to complete some of the work of Father Abraham. Let us pray for him and support him as we can without abandoning our principles. Our prayers for him may be more vital than any contribution he has received. And let us love and accept our brothers and sisters on both sides of this election and make our new president's job easier.

Election Day Thoughts

I did my civic duty today for two hours. Long lines at the polling place tell us more people than ever care about this election. This also means that 4-8 years from now more people than ever are either going to be happy or disillusioned with their vote or with those who cast it. The victor better do well or the pendulum will swing in the opposite direction from their views. In other words all this energy better mean something good because today's big winner will be a huge loser down the road. And the country will be worse for it.

We need to pray for whoever wins because their job is going to be huge.

Losing the Grip

If God were running for the presidency what would his platform be? Based on Exodus 3:7-8 where we have been spending a lot of time, here isr you what God wants for you:
1. Freedom instead of bondage; “pry them loose from the grip of Egypt”
2. Opportunity instead of limits; “get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces”
3. Blessing instead of barrenness; “a land lush with milk and honey”
4. Responsibility instead of dependence; “the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite”

Having the Promised Land meant taking responsibility to conquer the land and all those "'ites" who occupied it. But the first responsibility was breaking free from the grip of the Egyptians. Many people have an area where they struggle spiritually or where they are in bondage. How do you break free from the grip of anything holding you back?

Guile must become honesty
Resignation must become defiance
Isolation must become teamwork
Pride must become humility

I shared with our congregation that I need to break free from the grip of food and how it affects me. So for me to break free in my diet, first of all there must be honesty instead of delusions about food. Secondly, I must have a defiant attitude that says I will not be be enslaved any longer. A defeated, resigned attitude will keep me bound. Thirdly, I cannot lose weight on my own. I need people to challenge me and help me. Isolation is my enemy...I get by with a little help from my friends. And lastly, pride will never allow me to have God's help. The Bible says God will, "Resist the proud but give grace to the humble." Pray, admit your weaknesses, and see how God will set you free from the grip of anything holding you back.

The Adoration Challenge

We had a good prayer gathering last night. We focused on our church, the needs of the country, and of our congregation. I came away extremely challenged to work harder at adoration in my prayers. Adoration flows from our heart like the words of a poet writing a sonnet. It is a natural effusion of the love we feel for God. It is entirely relational, intimate, and genuine.

Here is a wonderful example from Psalm 89 from The Message (a translation that seems to super-size adoration whenever it gets a chance), "God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you'll find nothing and no one quite like God. The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly. You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand, you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist. You own the cosmos—you made everything in it, everything from atom to archangel. You positioned the North and South Poles; the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you."

Those writing in Psalms or other passages of adoration were artistically adept. They worked at describing their feelings for God like a master chef searched for the perfect ingredients for a gourmet meal. I was challenged to do more to creatively to express my love, awe, and wonder of God.

Maybe you feel incapable of expressing your love adequately. Here are some ideas if you feel adorationally challenged. 1. Read a Psalm to the Lord as if it were your words to him. 2. Sing. Unlike singing to a lover, ability is not required. Just be genuine and, "Sing of his love forever." 3. Do something loving for someone else out of your love for God. Bless someone like God has blessed you. Give a special love offering. But do it all to show your love for God. Let's take the adoration challenge!

New Commercial

Check out the new commercial about The Crossing playing at the Hamilton Mill movie theatre before each movie. It could only be 15 seconds long. You can see it on the front page of our website (link below). Our thanks to C.Y. Smith, Brad Burks, and Chad Aukland for putting this together.

link

The Fun and Pain of Sacrificial Investment

Yesterday was a good case study on spiritual preparation. God was moving in our church. But so was the devil. There were technical issues, things were forgotten, people were late, our guest worship leader, Christopher Heidler spent Saturday at the hospital as his son broke his arm. There were probably some other things I don't even know about; I even think some of our people came to church just frustrated for maybe no apparent reason. I believe the enemy was at work.

But so was God. In spite of technical issues and a long Saturday, Christopher and the band were used big time by the Lord! I felt the presence of God all over me as I spoke. And there were at least two people who worked through major spiritual issues at the end of the service. And a family came because of the Breakfast on the Porch in Janine and Glenn Riches' neighborhood.

I believe good things happened because of the investment in prayer and fasting. This week two college students in our church told me they were going to join me in fasting for a breakthrough at our church...college students! I also believe 'bad things' happened because of the investment in prayer and fasting. All those problems Sunday came from somewhere. The enemy gets more active when he sees people praying and fasting. As long as we are operating in our strength, evil can relax. But when people begin to pray and fast, the devil knows God will get involved and he must also. And when we add bringing people to church with prayer and fasting, Hell gets really nervous.

The result is spiritual warfare at The Crossing and that leaves us with two options. Quit praying and fasting and just have church. (Man does that sound disgusting.) Or have more people join us in prayer and fasting for a breakthrough at The Crossing. (Man does that sound fun!) Besides, you don't want to be in a war zone and not be ready for battle.

When God works it forces you off the rail of just being a worker or a watcher to being a warrior: you have to be armed for the war and engaged in the battle or you will get taken out by it. Everyone, especially those in any ministry role, must come to church or to their ministry having prayed for that service or ministry. The Crossing is becoming a war zone and two worlds, the Kingdom of God and the forces of Satan, are colliding. The sacrificial investment of praying, fasting, inviting others, giving, and working hard on your ministry are the only weapons that win on the battlefield.

And we will win...something about the gates of Hell not prevailing against the church comes to mind. It may hurt but man is it fun!

If you have any ministry role at The Crossing, especially on Sundays I want to ask you to join my Partners in Fasting. Invite people to come, prepare the way through prayer and fasting. And let's have some real fun! Don't miss the prayer meeting at the home of Karl and Lisa Alspach tomorrow night. Contact me at rd@atthecrossing.org for directions.

Dead Ends or Living Beginnings- Exodus 3

For Moses, Midian had to seem like one. You may feel like you are in one...in your work, marriage, ministry, etc. Its a dead end. You have no place to go. You can turn back or just sit here and do nothing. For Christ followers, neither is an option. Jesus' last words were "Go". But many people feel stuck in a dead end in some area of their lives...what can they do?

Moses did three keeps: keep doing, keep looking, keep learning. First, unless you know it is wrong, keep doing what you know to do. Moses kept tending his father-in-law's sheep. That is what he had been doing. While doing so, he found a burning bush in the middle of his dead end. Keep doing.

Second, keep looking. Moses "saw" the burning bush. He literally kept his head up. His dead end had not permanently pushed his eyes to the ground in despair. To maintain a continual state of despair is somewhat atheistic...it says there is no God. Keep looking.

Last, keep learning. This difficult place is a learning place. There is something God wants you to know or get in this dead end that could not be acquired any other way. Ask what you are to learn in this dead end. Moses' ability to lead God's people out of slavery began in Midian. How could something begin in a dead end?

Keep doing, looking, and learning...that is how dead ends become living beginnings.

Holy Ground and Holiness

The, "Moses take off your sandals, you are standing on holy ground," passage in Exodus 3 is quite confusing to many. God is not telling Moses his sandals are dirty, remove them because I am holy; Moses' feet were just as dirty as his sandals. God's call to Moses is about relationship and submission.

Why do we keep our shoes on? Pride, to cover the imperfections of our feet. (God says, give me your imperfections.) Safety, to protect our feet from harm. (God says, why do you need protection from me?) Distance, when we don't feel accepted as we are. (God says, I accept you as you are.) Our plan, because we have somewhere to go. (God says, your plan does not compare to mine.)

None of these were acceptable if Moses was going to connect with God. Nor are they for us. In fact they are the enemy of our personal holiness. As long as pride, a preference for safety over submission, a willingness to keep distance between us and God, and any idea that we actually have a plan other than God's is a part of our lives we can never attain the closeness to God that actually creates holiness in each of us. There can never be holiness in us until there is closeness to God. Take off your shoes, immerse your bare feet in the holy ground of closeness to God, and feel God's holiness become your own. It won't come any other way.

The Upside of Down Times

Times are tough. People are losing jobs. Worry and fear abound. What should we do? Amazingly...celebrate!

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4

Undoubtedly, this passage is a head-scratcher if you are hurting right now. But as my old pastor friend used to say, "It's in the Book for some reason...I guess 'cause it's true." The Bible is written from the perspective of One who knows how your situation is going to end. The Bible looks at life like I do a DVR of my team when I know they have already won. I can relax because I have no fear of losing.

In tough times we all may live without something. We may face difficult transitions. We may be pushed to our limits. But we will not lose. In fact, we win according to James 1 and a bunch of other passages. There is an upside to down times.

Here are a few upsides: 1. Your real Christian life shows up in tough times. If it is good then you will have greater influence and be admired by others. If it is bad you will be able to see what needs improvement with a clarity you could never have in good times. Understanding yourself more clearly is worth a lot. Coach Woody Hayes said (I will give you the G-rated version), "Nothing cleanses your soul like getting the crap kicked out of you!" Cleansing our souls, getting rid of false notions is a liberating by-product of tough times.

2. Your real friends turn up in tough times. In the good times friends benefit from your blessings. But when you have needs you see who is with you only because of you. A friend who loves us unconditionally in the tough times is truly a gift from God.

3. The really valuable things in life light up in tough times. As the things we thought were important fade, the really valuable things light up. In some recent challenges, my sons have been a great source of wisdom and encouragement to me. They are really valuable in my life and have become more visible in difficulty. There are so many things we focus on but really only a few matter and in the toughest times the most valuable things--faith, family, friends--light up.

Things may be down right now, but you don't have to be!

Devotional Thoughts- Psalm 37 "Follower's Remorse"

I have been very blessed of late as I have studied Psalms. The thing I like best is the honesty. No matter how he was feeling, David told God about it, even if it was critical of God. I mean it's not like God doesn't know anyway right? I guess David said it because it helped David to release the problem to God.

One of the problems with which David dealt, was the apparent success of those who were not following God. What made it worse were the challenges he was facing in spite of his faith...why should he suffer for God when those who did not live for God were succeeding?

The Bible is so relevant to the things we face. I think some people feel this way more than they would admit. "Why should I pay my tithe when my neighbor gets a new car when he doesn't pay his?" "Why should I share my faith at work when those who could care less about God get promoted while I stay at the same level?" Are you having Follower's Remorse? Are you living for God but feeling your blessings do not equal the challenges of living for God? Could it be that those who do not live for God are making it even worse for you? David in Psalm 37, gives 10 steps for those who may be struggling with Follower's Remorse and those who seem to succeed without living for God.

1. Don't focus on them...they will fall.
2. Find security in God...they have none.
3. Keep company with God...He will make you feel good.
4. Tell God how you feel...they have no one to turn to.
5. Quiet down before God...don't worry about others.
6. Control your anger...God will deal with them.
7. Don't worry about their threats...God isn't.
8. Be morally strong...it overcomes every other strength.
9. God is watching you...in bad times, you'll be fine.
10. Don't worry about those who have become your enemies for no reason...they have made themselves God's enemies.

Live with the end in mind. These people are not home yet...when we get home, we win!

Tough Times Survival kit

With billion dollar government bail-outs, failing banks, gas station lines, and the political turmoil of an election year life is somewhat stressful these days. I can imagine that some of you are feeling the squeeze right now. I prayed today that the Lord would give me insight on what to do for everyone. I want to offer you a Tough Times Survival Kit.

TTS Kit item # 1:
Funnel worry energy into prayer energy. Phil 4:6-7 says, "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

In tough times it is essential that you keep yourself emotionally fit. Worry eats away at your emotional strength making coping difficult. In addition the worrier often hurts their relationships as worry makes you challenging to be around if not down right mean and nasty to everyone. Worry also hinders your ability to see things clearly. Clouded by worry, your mind sees only problems instead of possibilities.

TTS Kit Item # 2:
Act on what you can do. So often the challenges we face cause us to not take action on what would help us deal with our challenges. Don't let what you can't do keep you from doing what you can do! In the midst of the darkest moments of the Civil War when it looked like the north could not win, Abraham Lincoln said, "I refuse to surrender the game, until every card is played...and I have a few more cards." We all have some cards we can play. In Proverbs 13:3 we read, "Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off."

There are probably some cards you can play. Work more if you can to save more money or pay off debt. Reduce spending. And here is a big one...Come to Casey Graham's Rethink Money event this Saturday at Mill Creek HS! There are some things you can do...do them.

TTS Kit Item # 3:
Be good to those in need. In Psalm 41 we learn, "Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health."

I mean, even if it were not good to be good to the poor it does appear that it would be wise to do so. But so often we get a "ride-it-out" mindset in tough times where we refuse to share with others. It appears from Psalm 41 that the only way to really guarantee we will be OK in tough times is to care for others, and earn God's favor. The tough times may outlast our savings but they will not outlast God.

In short we can survive tough times if we will pray instead of worry, act instead of wish, and give instead of hoard. Who knows, we may even thrive instead of just survive!

Blessed Contradictions

So that I would not become too proud of the wonderful things that were shown to me, a painful physical problem was given to me. (Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7)

Recently I have been contemplating what I call blessed contradictions. They are things that seem bad, but they really are good. Paul was given a 'thorn in the flesh' to keep him on the ground and free of arrogance. Casey Graham told our church Sunday his grandfather committed suicide over financial pressure. But now Casey leads an organization focused on giving people financial freedom. These are blessed contradictions.

The thing is, I think many of us see the bad things in our lives as only being bad things. The difficulties, the struggles, the pains...they could not be a blessing much less a gift from God (as Paul described his thorn.) We tend to have a very black and white view of life. We find it very difficult to imagine the bad stuff potentially being the good stuff. So the bad stuff and often the God who allows it get a bad rap.

In our world, having a flexible and patient perspective on the bad things is rare. But I think as Christ-followers we must take at least a wait and see attitude about everything that seems bad--if not, a positive faith that what is bad will be made into something good. Jesus said in John 16:33,

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

I am reminded of the story of the butterfly striving to break free from its cocoon. A well-meaning boy enlarged the opening in the cocoon to make it easier for the chrysalis to emerge. Finally the butterfly was free of the cocoon. But instead of flying away into joyful emancipation, the butterfly made a few feeble flaps of its wings and then laid down in death. Because the butterfly did not have to struggle to break free from the cocoon, the muscles necessary to fly were never developed. In an effort to free the butterfly the boy had killed it all because he saw something that was really good as being something bad.

What are you looking at in your life right now that you think is bad that is actually good? Don't take a shortcut around it. Seek God as Paul did and try to understand what is going on. Paul refused to quit praying until God either took away the thorn or helped him understand why it had to remain. And you may find out that what you thought was really bad is actually a blessed, blessed contradiction.

Real Financial Heroes and ReThink Money

I know a lot of people are struggling financially. What are going to do about it? Don't miss Casey this week at The Crossing. Check out this video...its pretty good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33OE65bNclc&NR=1

Losing Your Luggage

I lost my luggage for the first time on an overseas trip this week to Argentina. In travels to Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe that had never happened to me until this week. In the past I tried to sympathize with those who lost their luggage but I never knew what that was like until now. I had to wear the same clothes for 3 days. I had to borrow/buy toiletries. I had to wonder what those who saw me each day thought when I again had on the same blue shirt. There is just something comfortable about having your stuff regardless of it´s quality. I was in a foreign place and I did not feel at my best.

Sometimes I think life is like that. We are in a place in life where we want to be at out best but no one is catching us at our best. You know that first impressions are lasting and yet you are not able to make a good one. Your luggage contains your identity in your clothes and in some ways your security. In reality you are left to depend soley on your own personal security. How secure are you when you lose everything in life on which you are depending? Losing your luggage can be a good thing because it is one way you can check your own personal security.

Oneness and The Fall

So far we have seen that oneness is part of the nature of God, was sown into the fabric of creation, and was in reality the very purpose for creation. But the fall of man turned the idyllic oneness of the garden upside down. In fact the loss of oneness is the most visible and immediate casualty of the sin of Adam and Eve.

Clearly God’s vision for creation was for man to be one with God and with others. Man is made “in our image” which, as we have already shared, is an image of God’s oneness. And when you look into the future when Jesus prays on the eve of his death oneness is still God’s vision for mankind.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:20-21)

Oneness was the plan from the beginning…and from Satan’s viewpoint oneness was and is, therefore, the target. All of the serpent’s attacks are relational in nature. He does not talk of how beautiful and appealing the fruit is but implies that God is unfair and selfish.

But the snake said to the woman, "You will not die. God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree, you will learn about good and evil and you will be like God!" (Genesis 3:4-5)

In effect Eve is told that God is depriving you of the very thing that makes him so special. The serpent calls into question God’s love and his character and therefore the foundation of their relationship with God. Eve, now thoroughly tempted eats of the fruit and gives some to her husband. Temptation is spreading and the conduit is relational—Eve wants to be like God so she disobeys, Adam wants to please Eve and he disobeys.

The result is instantaneously catastrophic on the oneness of the Garden.

Then, it was as if their eyes were opened. They realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made something to cover themselves. (Genesis 3:7)

The innocence and intimacy they knew were shattered. Suddenly, walls went up between them and things like trust, confidence, and freedom went out the door. They would never be the same again

And then the sound of foot falls in the Garden replaces the peace they had always known with terror…God is walking in the garden! Like teenagers in trouble they scramble for cover while clumsily attempting to hide their nudity from the other.

Then they heard the Lord God walking in the garden during the cool part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said, "Where are you?" The man answered, "I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid." (Genesis 3:8-10)

The first really sad words ever uttered in the world were said by God, “God called to the man… ‘Where are you?’” I am sure God could have given us Adam’s GPS coordinates. God’s question came not from a confused mind but a broken heart: Adam, where are you...we were so close…we were one…where are you? And thus a painful Christian bumper sticker was born…If God seems far away, guess who moved?

It would be impossible to overstate the loss Adam and Eve must have felt. That beautiful triangle of oneness that existed between God, Adam, and Eve is gone forever. Blissful memories of life in the Garden almost certainly amplified the biting pain now gripping their hearts. And to further illustrate their brokenness, Adam blames Eve and God and Eve blames the snake. Long gone are sentiments like, “Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” Adam and Eve…tattered and pathetic, like the makeshift clothing they wear.

Sin is anti-oneness. Whatever brings us together sin tears apart. Whatever creates a bond between us, God and others, sin counters and compromises. God’s plan is oneness. Satan’s plan is the destruction of oneness. And so the eternal conflict of the universe is being waged on the battlefield of oneness. Thankfully, God’s plan cannot lose. Next time we will see that even God’s punishment is bringing about a new, albeit lesser, oneness between God, Adam, and Eve.

Oneness and the Creation, Part Two

Last time we discovered that God created all the animals to find a suitable companion for Adam. But because no companion could be found among the animal kingdom, God's passion for oneness inspired the creation of Eve.

“So God took a rib from Adam while he slept and made Eve.”

God makes Eve from Adam’s rib. She is born from his own flesh. She is born of God’s oneness with Adam...alive and vibrant because of their partnership. This is a point to consider…does a wife have more spiritual life as her husband has more oneness with God?

Now coming from him she is destined to be one with him; from his side, and by his side. Adam seems to understand this when he offers the first recorded piece of romantic poetry, “You are bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”

And in Genesis 2, Moses, the author of Genesis gives interesting insight into what we might call the progression of oneness. We are born out of the oneness of our parents and as we grow we enjoy a meaningful level of oneness with them. But God has planned for the human race to experience an even greater level of oneness with another, a “suitable companion” just as Adam did. In Genesis 2:24-25 we see the ultimate expression of intimacy and oneness.

“Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh. The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked but they felt no shame.”

One should leave their parents because the level of oneness you achieve with them could never equal the oneness available with the suitable companion God has for you. Being ‘bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh’ the suitable companion is the perfect person with whom you can become one. Clearly, the purpose of marriage is not children, sex, or lower taxes, but oneness. And every aspect of marriage is made more wonderful by the level of intimacy and oneness of the couple.

This is the oneness of the creation walking hand in hand with God and with each other…a beautiful triangle of intimacy. Unfortunately that oneness is shattered in Genesis 3 by the introduction of anti-oneness: sin. Next time we will look at Oneness and The Fall.

Oneness and the Creation, Part One

As oneness is in the nature of the Creator oneness should also be evident in the Creation. The harmony of ecosystems and all created things is well established. Our focus however is the oneness of the crown jewel of God’s creation, mankind.

Genesis 2:6-7 shows the creation of man as a caring, personal act where ‘God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul.’ God is no creation machine; his hands lovingly form and shape the man…His breath brings him to life. It is intimate, face to face, hands on. Literally God’s oneness with man gives him life.

And as Adam comes to life he becomes one with God. All his needs are personally met by God. (Gen. 2:8-14) Adam and God have a mutual work project in maintaining the Garden of Eden. (Gen. 2:15) And then God gave man boundaries with which to frame his life by forbidding him to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

But in spite of all that—God is his friend, his needs are met, a beautiful place to live, meaningful work, and, loving boundaries—God said something was not good (and that was after two chapters of, “It is good,”.

“It is not good for man to be alone.” –God, in Genesis 2:18

The very first negative statement uttered in the history of the world was about mankind’s need of oneness. And God is so concerned about it he takes the initiative to provide Adam with a “suitable” helper. By the way, suitable would seem to mean one with whom Adam can enjoy oneness; oneness is the measuring stick.

Now notice an amazing passage in Genesis 2:18-20:

“So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn’t find a suitable companion.”

Did you ever see that because I didn’t until recently? Because of man’s aloneness God made the animals. All the animal kingdom exists today because God wanted man to have a companion! I find that to be an astonishing truth. We have dogs and cats (and every other animal) because God wanted Adam to have oneness with someone other than him. And because God is passionate for oneness and no companion could be found among the animal kingdom, God makes Eve. We will talk about her next time.

The Oneness of the Creator

If Oneness really is the dominant theme of the Bible than it should be seen from the beginning of the written word if not before it. And Oneness should be a trait visible in the very nature of God. In the opening three chapters of Genesis (which forms sort of a mini-Bible, sharing many of the basic tenets of the Gospel,) Oneness is a dominant theme.

It is important here in the beginning to define Oneness. Wikipedia defines it as, "the quality of being united into one." So, 'oneness' is having the quality of 'one', though comprised of more than one thing. Oneness is multiple pieces being united so perfectly they function as one instead of as multiple pieces. With that definition let's look at Genesis the Oneness of the Creator.

We see the multiple forms of God as expressed in the trinity at work in creation. In Genesis 1:1-2, from the CEV,

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water."

We see God creating and God the Spirit hovering, as a mother does her chicks, over the creation. We know from Colossians 1:16 that God, the Son was with the Father and was in fact, the creator:

"Everything was created by him (Jesus), everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities. All things were created by God's Son, and everything was made for him."

So the 'God' of Genesis 1, 2 is depicted as Oneness; the Father, the Son, and the Spirit as One are speaking, creating, and caring for the creation. And if there is any more doubt about Oneness in the creation, in Genesis 1:26, we hear God say,

"Let us make human beings in our image and likeness."

"Us" and "our" leave no doubt that God as Oneness is the creator of everything. So according to Genesis, God existed as Oneness and created the world as Oneness. God is oneness. And the beauty and wonder of creation is a testament to the power of Oneness.

Genesis 1:26 also shows us clearly God's plan for creation which we will discuss in the next article, the Oneness of Creation.

The "One" Truth

I will never forget the dicussion in my Biblical Theology class in college. Part of our work that year was to define and defend our view of the "center" (the main point) of the Bible. What appeared easy quickly became agonizing. Narrowing so much--the entire Bible--to one word is difficult. One word excludes so many others or includes too many more. What would you say? Some said holiness (logical and and maybe a little political in a holiness college). Others said, love, or mission, or life. One really smart person said, God...teacher's pet!

I felt good about love. Afterall the most famous verse says, "For God so loved..." But now it seems a little too nondescript...right up there with God. Maybe I am the teacher's pet. Or maybe it was just too broad of a word. Now that a few years have passed I see a better word: one.

Now maybe that was not the word you were thinking of but I find it powerfully descriptive. I know the Bible is like a diamond--you see one image while I see another. But as I continue to look in the Word I see, "one" everywhere. Not just as a word but as an idea, sown like the destinctive, defining thread in a tapestry. One is the picture of two or more things that join and function as one. One as defined in the word is big, powerful, and beautiful.

The truly defining characteristic that God shows from the very beginning of creation is that he is relational and desires us to be one with Him and one with each other. This is the "One" truth and I believe it is the center of the Bible.

This idea has become so big to me that I am going to continue to write about it in this blog for a few weeks. This may even evolve into a book. Needless to say with the direction The Crossing has recently taken, The "One" Truth is about as relevant as any discussion we could have. So how's your oneness...with God and others. If One is the center is the one thing we have to get right!

The Relational Discovery

Our board, staff, and small group leaders recently took a journey of self-discovery called Church Intentional Design. The result was amazing clarity about what our church is and maybe more importantly, isn't. What we are is listed below in the Way of The Crossing. But understanding what The Crossing isn't may have been more exciting for me than anything else.

For years, I have focused a lot of energy on making us relevant musically, keeping the messages culturally connected, and making sure outsiders "got it." I am now of the opinion that those efforts, however well intentioned, did not match who we were/are. Now I do not believe in being irrelevant, especially to new people. But our best way to touch them is through relationships not through worship relevance. Anyway, people are looking for friends with whom to take the journey of life. The cool thing is we can do that.

The thing that now drives me is making sure new people are getting connected with others and that those who are not new are growing in the relationships they have. The messages and the music must move us all closer to one another and to God. We analyze each gathering based on its relational value not whether it impresses anyone new or old.

That is why we can have a Sunday like July 6th where the primary focus is on people getting to know each other. Almost all of the spiritual growth that occurred in the New Testament happened in a relational context (in a culture by the way that was much more relationally oriented already.) Being Western, we are much more separated from one another than any NT culture was. In fact, in spite of the "strangeness" of a Sunday like July 6th, (we had food and did some intentional relationship development through games) I think a few more Sundays like it would do us a great deal of good.

Simply put, many of us are just not used to an emphasis on relationships. Getting to know other people better and becoming more connected to each other hardly seems as important as hearing a sermon or singing a worship song. But think of this. In Jesus last prayer to the Father before going to the cross he prayed for one thing primarily...let them (his disciples and all those who come after them) be one! When he could have prayed for anything-spiritual growth, faith, preaching power, you name it-he prayed that they would be relationally strong.

I have begun to believe that something monumental has occurred. I believe we have seen something foundational at The Crossing...we'll call it the Relational Discovery. We will be exploring it and expanding on it a lot over the next several months.

A Day In Children's Church

This past Sunday I got Pastor Karl to speak for me so I could lead Children's Church. Shelli came in and helped me with music. I learned a few things that might help us with the kids in the future. They said it was good (shew!) so I asked them what made it good. Here is what I learned.

First, they are smart so you better work hard to make it meaningful. They can tell when something is not put together well. Second, make things interesting because they are not easy. They have been exposed to some pretty outstanding things and they have sophisticated, highly developed senses. They loved the music. It had high energy but also some meaningful worship songs too. They loved going outside and seeing an illustration relevant to the lesson. (We looked at weeds in the grass as an example of anger: it is something that takes root and robs us of spiritual life.) They loved the "Pastor R.D. Dollars" I made to purchase things from the candy box I had. (I took dollars away from them to demonstrate that when we lose our temper we lose more than our temper.) Thirdly, I realized that they have spiritual needs and need God's work in their lives. They are very aware of their needs and want God to help them. At the end we prayed for them personally to be strong in the specific ways that each of them gets mad. One asked God to help them when they don't get want they want at the store. Another prayed that their anger would be under control when they lost a ballgame. It was truly a meaningful time. And I left feeling as if I have been in just as meaningful a time of ministry as when I preach on Sunday mornings to adults.

This has prompted me to challenge everyone to get involved in Children's Church. Janine and Glenn are so gifted but they need our help and they will help you. We have great curriculum that will show you exactly how to be effective with the kids. You can be a part of the big things that are happening with those "little people." Contact Janine at richesg@bellsouth.net or call the church office at 678-546-5355.

The Way of The Crossing

Years ago those who followed Christ were said to be following, "the way of the cross." That statement summed up what it meant to be a follower of Christ's: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him. What does it mean to follow Christ at The Crossing? What is the way of The Crossing?

At a recent gathering of board, staff, and small group leaders we meant for the purpose of discovering our Church ID or Intentional Design. After almost 8 hours we decided some things that we could call, "The Way of The Crossing." Read this and see if it does not resonate with your heart like it did ours.

The Way of The Crossing

The Crossing is a relational church which inspires people to grow in God.

We give people a place to belong. We intentionally build relationships with them to welcome them into relevant, Spirit-Led, transformational experiences where they can grow in God.

We will doggedly fight to establish, build, and maintain relationships with local families and individuals who need community; to model and encourage authenticity; and to say yes to well-led, relevant, and inspiring events that connect people to each other and bring out the best in them so they want to give back.

We Will Change the World by Loving People, One Life at a Time!

Now are we perfect at this yet? No, but we are just getting started. But everyone needs to know that this is what we are and through this matrix we will make every decision. We are a place to belong and become...that is the way of The Crossing!

My Nephew AJ Wellman Speaks at Pastor and Son's Funeral

A few weeks ago I told you about my sister Mindy's pastor and son, Forrest and Preston Pollock who were killed in a plane crash. My nephew AJ was an inseparable friend to Preston. AJ is the middle kid in this picture. Here is a link to an article about the funeral.

http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/8875.article

The Power of Ownership

In this discussion about making what matters, matter in a church it is essential that we talk about how the attendees feel about the church. The fact is their feelings and the resultant contribution they make will determine the impact of it.

For years churches have labored to engender strong feelings in people for their church. Two things have been emphasized: assimilation and membership. Assimilation is simply the process for creating more and more connection between the attendee and the church. It is the church's version of matriculation. And then membership is seen as the goal of assimilation. When they join, the conventional wisdom is that they are completely assimilated.

There is an inherent weakness that I have seen played out over and over again. The number of members a church has hardly represents how a church is doing. Members are among those who quit coming, leave for another church, never serve, never give, cause dissension, etc. Churches have attempted to resolve this by making membership more clear and the requirements more heavy. This does not solve the problem because members still do what they want to do. Apparently being a member does not generate the kind of passion and commitment that one would think. I do not really believe the problem is membership however--I think the problem is assimilation.

First of all I don't even like the word, assimilation. It reminds me of the Borg from Star Trek. Who wants to disappear into a cold, lifeless machine as some invisible cog? I think we have incorrectly looked at assimilation as mostly relational. If they have friends at our church we see them as assimilated. But having a friend in an organization does not create a passion for the organization. It is simply a playground.

Now people certainly need friends and the church needs the people to have friendships too. But this does not directly advance the organization. If those friends however share a passion for the church and that passion is focused on certain common goals and vision then you have something truly powerful.

I think real power is found when people feel not like members or even partners, but like owners. The way someone treats a rental car or house vs. their own car or house illustrates the difference. The transition that must occur to really see people acting with great commitment and passion is get people not to feel like they belong to the church but to feel like the church belongs to them. Let's talk about how we can do that in the next few days...the power of ownership.

Questioning What Matters: Followers

We discussed the realities of leading in the church on Tuesday. Today we will discuss following leaders to do what really matters. We mentioned that in the Bible leaders sensed God's direction, informed the people of the direction, and the people then had to follow the leader. In most cases that is exactly what happened.

In our world, following is a more challenging reality than in days gone by. Now people are well-educated, experienced in leadership arenas themselves, and carrying a somewhat jaded perspective of pastors. The pastor used to be the smartest/most educated person in the room. He/she used to have respect just because of their title. And most of the people either were not in leadership arenas or if they were, they were not as aware of the skill leadership requires. This is not to blame the people but to state the realities of leadership in the church in this era. People have to be much more wisely led by pastors than they used to be.

But for any person, following is not easy especially if you are a leader yourself. Most of us from birth have wanted to do things our way and discard the leadership of others. How can we follow today when following is difficult and pastors are not as easy to follow as they used to be? I think it begins with understanding leading/following accountability. I believe leaders will have to give God an account of how they have led their followers. But followers will also have to give God an account of how they have followed. Once we know that we will be judged by God it makes those involved with leading and following take it much more seriously.

Secondly, understand that God, like a great general intends to take you into harm's way. Your pastor is not your general but the lower ranking officer leading your specific regiment. God is the general and your pastor is just leading you where the general wants you to go, and quite often that will be some place where sacrifice or risk is involved. The leader in spite of their outward appearance is scared too. The problem is not in being led some place scary but being led someplace that isn't scary. Because it is a risk it is probably of God. Or at least one quality that all of God's plans seems to have is risk. Accept and expect your leadership to take you some place risky...it is usually the only place worth going.

Last, accept your leader's humanity--God has. Even though they have heard from God they carry the message, as Paul said, "in earthen vessels." Mistakes happen. But not nearly as many as when prayer happens. How are you praying for your leader...or are you praying for your leader at all? Are you praying for me...I need it! It is amazing how people feel about me when they have been praying for me. Somehow, at least to them, I am a better speaker, leader, counselor, friend, etc. because they have been praying for me.

In spite of all their weaknesses and flaws, God has chosen your leader. He knows them better than anyone and yet he chose them. We would not want to find ourselves fighting against God and yet we may well be doing so if we are not following our leader. And the exciting thing is that we can make what matters, matter when leaders lead like they should and followers follow like they should.

Questioning What Matters: Leaders

Unfortunately I have been denying my own point because this blog really matters but I have not been posting enough. Hopefully you like the new look. I have just been so busy that I got behind in my writing. I am still talking about what matters (see previous article.)

Today I have a question for you: how do you know what matters? This is challenging because everyone has their own ideas. It is hard to make what matters matter if those who have to make what matters matter don't agree on what matters...if you get my drift. We have to agree on it or we will always be questioning it or working with less motivation because we have not agreed on it.

It may be different in the corporate world but there is really only one way it works in God's business. In biblical instances, the leader got what matters from God (ie. the direction they should go, the mission they should have, etc.) who shared it with the people who accepted it as their own and the people and the leader then moved forward to accomplish it. There was no vote, no ballot, no list of various choices, no parliamentary procedure or moved, seconded, and approved. Joshua heard from God, "You and all these people, enter the Promised Land." He told the people and they entered the Promised Land. Seems easy enough, right?

But there are two distinct challenges that make it tough. The first is the leader following God and the second is the people following the leader. This article will focus on following God as a leader. We will talk about following leaders tomorrow.

It is not easy to follow God as a Christian leader. First, what God asks you to do will be scary. The sooner you accept that fact, the easier scary will be for you. God repeatedly told Joshua, "do not be afraid," words he must have needed to hear. Christian leadership is always scary. If it isn't, you are either taking the wrong/easier road or you never really heard from God about what was the right/difficult road.

That illustrates another truth about following God as a leader. It is often vague. No wonder we are afraid--we are just not sure; but we feel the people need us to have no doubts. So often we are afraid of our people and what they are going to do or say if we fail: will we lose our jobs? will they leave the church? etc. But here is a rock solid truth about christian leadership: To lead people well, you to have to love them...but to lead them where God wants you to lead them, you have to be willing to put them and you at risk.

The very best way not to question yourself overly is to make sure you have marinated your decision in three areas: The Word, prayer, and wise counsel. Look for confirmation of what you think you should do in these areas. God will speak and more clarity will be given. And clarity is the antidote for questioning. Tomorrow we will talk about followers.

So How Do We Make What Matters, Matter?

After positing this thought on my blog yesterday I have taken some time to think about it and have become convinced that there is one essential first step. In God's Kingdom a leader is called to a role and God gives that leader a vision for that role. That vision in its purest form flows from what the leader feels passionately in his heart. If he crafts a vision from what he has heard from other churches or learned in conferences but not from the inspired feelings of his soul he does not have a vision that will inspire others or is even from God. The person God made that leader to be has a set of experiences and corresponding passions that is the prerequisite for the job God has called that leader to perform. To deny the passion and create a vision that does not flow from that passion is to be irrelevant in that role. It is like a great pitcher who is trying be a hitter. He was called there to pitch.

So the first step is this: discover what matters to the leader. What do they feel in their heart that they are called there to do? What is their passion and what should our organization do with them to achieve it?

I want you to know that I am called here to inspire people to become passionate followers of Jesus Christ. I am really not that interested in anything else in the church world. I want to see our people at The Crossing bringing people to our gatherings and see those new people inspired to follow Christ passionately. That is what matters and that is the most important first step.

So now our task is to figure out how to make what matters, inspiring people to become passionate followers of Christ, matter!

Making What Matters, Matter

The point of my blog article on all the natural disasters was that we can so easily get off track on things that are not what matters. The famous Steven R. Covey quote applies to business and ministry...the main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.

It begs the question, what really matters? What is the one indispensible focus that we cannnot do without? Or better stated what is thing those around us most need? I am convinced it is the message of Christ and the transformation that comes from following Him.

I will talk more about this tomorrow. We need to openly dialog about what we need to do make what matters, matter.

Sad News

I am so sad to tell you that Pastor Forrest Pollock of Bell Shoals Baptist Church and his 13 year old son Preston were found today in the North Carolina Mtns at the site of the plane crash that took their lives Sunday afternoon. Please remember his wife and children as they cope with the loss of a husband and father and a son and brother. I am sure this will cause such brokenness in that congregation as well. Thankfully they are with the Lord now and the congregation can rejoice in their lives. My sister Mindy and her family attend the church. Pastor Pollock's son was my nephew A.J.'s best friend. I know God can heal them all.

Pastor and Son Missing

I just wanted ask all of you to pray for Pastor Pollock of the Bell Shoals Baptist church in the Tampa area. He was piloting a plane with his 13 year old son that has apparently gone down in the NC mountains. My sister Mindy and her family attend the church. Here is a link where you can get updates. http://www.bellshoals.com/pastor.

Massive Tragedy and What Really Matters

No words can describe the horrors experienced by the people in Myanmar. The hurricane (called a cyclone in that part of the world) may cause 150,000 deaths by next week and 4 times that number are injured, homeless, and destitute. In China this morning an earthquake caused at least 5000 deaths and who knows how much physical, financial, and emotional destruction. And right here in GA and in other places across the country several people have been killed, wounded, and left homeless. One family in one of our sister Churches of the Nazarene in Central GA was killed today by a tornado.

In the last few years we have seen more of these occurances in more different ways than I can recall. Katrina is still fresh in our minds nearly two years later. The War on Terror has taken the lives of a few thousand of our countrymen and women. Certainly the Iraqi people have suffered even more. The 9/11 tragedy continues to haunt us and the world with soaring gas prices. Tsunami's, hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, wars, famines, epidemics...the world seems to be convulsing.

When you do the math on the tragedies since the new millenium the information is staggering. With all the warfare, famine, epidemics, and natural disasters combined more than 5 million people have died since 2000. Unfortunately the size of the number hinders our ability to feel it. That figure includes nearly 1,000,000 children. There are some areas where entire cities were annihilated. Many homes experienced the deaths of the entire family including extended family. The 5 million deaths have created another 500,000 orphans. The world is suffering and dying.

Now don't misunderstand. I am not trying to depress you, get money from you, or make you feel bad for what you have. We are blessed to be Americans. Here is my concern. The churches, ours included, get so caught up in so many dumb things when there are people around us and around the world that will not wake up in this world tomorrow. Something tragic will be fall them and instantly a whole group of people will be swept into eternity. And based on their walk with God they are either in heaven or in hell, forever.

These massive tragedies should remind us that nothing else matters except helping people find God and become Christ-followers. God, help us to get our eyes on the people around us who need you. We cannot stop tragedies in this world...but we can make sure it does not also become a tragedy in the next!

New Beginnings and Letting Go

This month last year was a very painful one for me. I was letting go of my firstborn son Landon as he was graduating from high school. Believe me when I say it was very difficult. I actually had moments of just plain weeping at the thought.

I don't know why honestly. I was still going to be seeing him. He was only moving a few miles down the road to Norcross. I could call him anytime. It was just the idea I guess that he was not my little boy anymore. Now he had not actually been my little boy for a long time. In fact his desire to grow up had been strong from birth. There were many difficult arguments last spring prior to graduation because he was so ready to move on to the next phase of his life. And yet I weeped openly at his graduation. Letting go for his new beginning was not easy for me. I know many of you can relate because letting go of a child is part of your past, present, or future.

But you know it is probably a good thing some transitions are forced on us like graduation: we may not let go without it. This would prompt an unhealthy situation where the child won't grow up. Or on the other hand it could cause a situation where the child breaks away only by force or even violence.

But letting go is essential for the process of life to continue. I have often wondered if birds cry when they force their young out of the nest. God has instilled an instinct in them to make the transition possible but that doesn't mean the birds don't cry when they do. I wonder if the young birds cry too; how could their parents be so mean. But in the end when the young are soaring on the wind, building nests of their own, and securing the future with new hatchlings the parents aren't weeping then. I wonder then if birds smile...not just the parents but the young too.

New things are never easy but almost always necessary. God has designed natural changes into creation and given animals instincts for it. Certain patterns of life like graduation create the need for change in our own lives. So change is not our enemy--though it oftens feels like it is. That is why we need God to help us with letting go.

He truly understands the pain...letting his son come to earth knowing what he was going to be facing there had to painful beyond our comprehension. And yet he did it. But I think he saw something in the future that helped him let go...he saw you and I soaring, freed from sin, and living for him. And then God smiled in spite of his pain and let his son go. May God give you the ability with any change to see the beautful future awaiting you after the change. May God help you let go.

New Beginnings and Chocked Wheels

Whenever you are pushing something heavy any little thing can slow down your momentum. If you are trying to push a car a small rock in front of the wheel can slow you down or even stop you completely. That is why as you get started with the thing you know you need to be doing (fitness, dieting, giving, ministry, etc.)realize that there will be things that can slow you up and kill your progress...if you let them. Before you get started it would be wise to get any unnecessary thing out of the way that might slow you down. It is hard enough getting started let alone trying to overcome something that has the effect of chocking your wheels.

If you are attempting to follow God in doing something, realize that the Enemy knows he can make things challenging for your progress with just a small stone. Don't let anything stop you from doing what you know you should do. Unfortunately, people can be a hindrance to what God wants you to do. How often did someone try to stop Jesus from his work? Even an insider like Peter, brought on Jesus' chastisement for standing in the way of what God was doing. People, more than any other thing, were hindrances to Jesus...they are likely to be for us too.

I remember a story told by my senior pastor, Floyd B'Hymer when I was a youth pastor. As a gifted saxophonist, Floyd earned a full scholarship to the University of Kentucky. But after God spoke clearly to Floyd in a church service he knew his mission would be souls not saxophones. This call to preach meant attending Asbury College instead of a free ride at UK. Floyd was shocked to see his mother throw herself down on the bed in a childish tantrum, instead of congratulating him for following God. She was a fine woman of God, but because of her desire to see her son become a star musician she was fighting the work of God in his life. But soon she accepted what the Lord was doing and found great fulfillment in Floyd's ministry.

So often people can fight God's work in our lives. They may sound like they are concerned for us when they are really thinking of themselves. Don't let anyone, even someone who is close to you, chock the wheels of God's work in your life. In the end it will be better for everyone involved, yourself included. But more than anyone, the Lord will be proud of you because like Jesus, you didn't let anything stop you from following God.