Accepting His Acceptance

I ran into a former member of my church today who left her husband to pursue the feelings she had been having for other women. Before she decided to leave she met with me concerning a comment I had made in the sermon that day concerning the empty lie of homosexuality. When we met together she said, "First of all, I know that you genuinely care for me. Second of all, I know where you stand concerning this issue--help me." We talked and prayed and in a matter of weeks she decided to test-drive this other lifestyle. As I was talking to her today, I asked if she would call or email me so we could talk about how she had been doing. She said, "You might be disappointed." To which I replied, "That's not my concern or interest. (Maybe a little bit) I just want to hear how you're doing." I genuinely wanted to show her the love of Jesus. The kind of love that accepts us just as we are, in our brokenness, shame and defeat. We have to accept his acceptance before we can ever get healthy in Him, which means we as the Church have to learn to demonstrate his acceptance before we ever expect anything more from the one we are trying to love into a relationship with Jesus.

Contents May be Freak'n Hot!

Today started out bad as I burned my hand with coffee and spilled some on my shirt, missing my stain-resistant shorts completely. Life's just like that I guess. I really wanted to try out the shorts and see if they really were stain resistant. Maybe tomorrow morning I will just throw the whole cup of coffee on my shorts and see what happens. The rest of the day went the same way as I chauffeured a Nigerian Pastor around who had no sense of time and the need for me to get to all of the other appointments that day. I kept praying, "God, help me to see this as he sees it." Nigerians see the present moment as the most important moment and all other moments are a response to the given moment. Get it? Got it? Good!

It's a Jungle Out There!

Well, it's been a blogging long time since I posted last. So much has happened and yet, I'm not sure I have the time to put the experience on paper. The great theologian Forest Gump once said that life was like a box of chocolates. I think he was close in color only. Life is more accurately like a big pile of poo! Some are small and hard, some large and soft, some are oddly shaped, while others seem to be be polished and formed to look like chocolates, but it's all poo! Over the weekend I managed to lose 20% of my congregation. How you ask? It's a long story. I've heard of addition by subtraction happening in churches. I hope this is the case. We're short on people and giving right now, but God is still God and I'm trusting Him.

What a day!

I had the great pleasure of having lunch with an old friend that spent 5 years serving with me in youth ministry. He's like a big teddy bear that weighs over 3 hundred lbs. We were on a mission trip to Jamaica one time and I was helping him climb up a cliff so he could jump out into the river, but he lost his footing and fell on me. I'm pretty sure we took out my guardian angel that day because all I got out of the deal was a bruised toe and butt cheek. Today he told us the story of how he slipped in pile of manure and dislocated his big toe and severely broke his leg. To make matters worse, he had to pee really bad! Now that's a bad day. Tonight I had a finance meeting that lasted 3 hours and I lost money in the deal. It's time to go to bed.

So many thoughts...

Last week my wife and I spent four nights at Glen Laurel Inn in Hocking Hills. We considered a trip to Florida, Cancun or someplace in the Carribean, but we decided we needed a "sure thing" when it came to our rest and recuperation from the past couple of months. Everything was perfect. The cabin, the food, the weather, our hikes--it all seemed like a gift for some weary travellers. I found myself thanking God over and over again for such an amazing experience. I was even more thankful for the selection when we arrived home and turned on the news to see the hurricanes ravaging Florida and other parts of the Carribean. We chose Hocking Hills over Aruba and it was a major good call!
While I was there I spent some time thinking about the design God has for my church. I wrestle with keeping the weekend service seeker sensitve because it's prime time for visitors or going more Spirit-driven because it's prime time for visitors. Will people be more attracted to an experience that they can ease into like a cool lake in July or something more dramatic and in your face that shouts of God's presense? I think it's both, but I don't have all the pieces together yet. I was leaning more towards the "ease in" approach while I was on vacation, but last night I went to the kick-off of a children's rally in Fairfield by David Walters and I watched as the power and presence of God fell on the place and children were touched in a mighty way as he called them forth to become a part of God's mighty army. The whole service was out there, but you could not miss the Big God in the middle of the service. I know God has it worked out. He knows exactly how he wants it. Teach me your ways O' God.

Setting Out

I've been thinking about this blog thing for a long time now and tonight I decided it was time. I'm setting out on this new journey of public journaling. Thinking out loud, live and in color, for all to see and comment if they so choose. Even as I do this I'm having second thoughts, "Do you really think this is wise? Giving people one more opportunity to critique your life? You already live in a fish-bowl, surrounded by people who dazzle in the hobby of lifestyle criticism--what are you thinking?" Here's the deal...I've stepped into a new place of self-awareness and understanding. I've come to a place where I can say to the "opinionator," "It's not about you!" While thinking to myself, "It's not about you either!" It's about God! My life is His. This life is His. I live each day seeking to honor and please Him with every thought, word and deed. Some days I do really well and others...Well, there's definitely room for improvement! I don't know why it took 32 years to learn this, but I'm thankful it didn't take 40, 50 or more. I'm thankful that God loved me through those 32 years and never gave up on me. He is an on time God that has purpose and destiny in store for me. I'm learning each day to trust his driving. Let the journey begin!