My Last Day

Today is my last workday as a consultant for the two churchs in the Cinci area. I still have to preach for one of the churches on Sunday and attend a couple of meetings next week, but today is my last full day. So what now? I'm going to take some time off to spend with my wife and to take some time to seek direction concerning my future. I want to spend at least 3 mo.s out of ministry so I can be still and separate long enough to listen. Please pray for me. I don't do "sitting still" very well.

Shower the People

You can play the game and you can act out the part
Though you know it wasn't written for you
But tell me, how can you stand there with your broken heart
Ashamed of playing the fool
One thing can lead to another; it doesn't take any sacrifice
Oh, father and mother, sister and brother
if it feels nice, don't think twice

Just shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
Things are gonna work out fine if you only will
Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way you feel
Things are gonna be much better if you only will

You can run but you cannot hide
This is widely known
And what you plan to do with your foolish pride
When you're all by yourself alone
Once you tell somebody the way that you feel
You can feel it beginning to ease
I think it's true what they say about the squeaky wheel
Always getting the grease.

Better to shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
Things are gonna be just fine if you only will
Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel
Things are gonna be much better if you only will

Shower the people you love with love
Show them the way that you feel

You'll feel better right away
Don't take much to do
Sell you pride
They say in every life
They say the rain must fall
Just like pouring rain
Make it rain
Make it rain
Love, love, love is sunshine.
Oh yes
Make it rain
Love, love, love is sunshine
Yeah, all right
Everybody, everybody
Shower the people you love with love

How about we shower everyone with love? What if evangelism was taking advantage of every opportunity to shower people with love? A smile, a humble act of service, really listening, giving a gift are all ways that we can plant, water and harvest.

Moving Hangover

We moved on Saturday. A lot of people who said they were coming didn't and to make matters worse, we had a lot more crap than I thought we had. I was hoping to get everything in one load--It took THREE! Do you know that UHaul charges by the mile after the initial rental fee? I drove the Beast a total of 169 miles in my three trips at $.99 a mile. My Dad won the award for the most boob sweat. I wish I had a picture to share with you. My in-laws and one of the guys who helped us move (along with his wife and daughter) came back on Sunday to help unpack the boxes. I don't know what we would have done without them. I preached three services at Sharonville on Sunday. What was I thinking?

Cool Email from a Crazy Jesus Follower

(Our new location is right across the parking lot from a strip club, right in front of a tattoo parlor and a drug infested high rise. )

Hey Dan!
Linda Nieman from the conference here. We're getting ready to do what we call the "Great Sweep" here in Waterloo Iowa. That's where we all take a broom and a dustpan and a big garbage bag and proceed to clean up downtown Waterloo. We will be doing that on May 21. But I guess my big news is we are moving to a new church. We are in the same area just a different location. Our new location is right across the parking lot from a strip club, right in front of a tattoo parlor and a drug infested high rise. We will be located on the corner of Jefferson and W. 2nd street and W. 2nd street is where the prostitutes hang out. Praise the Lord, I just can't wait!!! Our first service will be June 5th. We're all so excited. Well, I guess that's all for now. Look forward to hearing from ya'all. God Bless You

(where the prostitutes hang out.)

A New Home

We closed on our new home on Friday, appliances were delivered on Saturday and carpet was installed yesterday. We'll be moving on Saturday. I can't wait for this new chapter to start.

A Nugget from Sunday

We worshipped at Sharonville on Sunday. They're on the tail end of a series on Patience. The last message I heard in the series was "Patience with the Unknown." I could relate to it way too well. The nugget from Sunday was the simple phrase, "You have to be willing to be patient with the people you serve." I'm not very patient. Thank God this a gift from God that comes from remaining. Maybe it's the remaining I need to get better at?

What does it mean to remain? Being still, being with, being in? I'm better at and I probably hide in the doing...doing work, doing ministry, doing my Bible study, doing lunch, doing relationships. Am I really hiding in the doing afraid of what I'll find in the being? Doing (you name it) can be an addiction that covers up pain/shame in our lives. So here I am at 32 looking at my life, reading books and seeing a therapist. I feel like I'm at the museum looking at a painting worth millions that looks to me like a Kindergarden handpainting fight. My head is tilted and I'm going, "Huh?" I used to blame my inability to be alone, sit quietly, pray for hours, etc. on my personality. "I'm an extrovert--a people person. I draw my strength from being around people. Being alone wears me out." Could it be that being alone forces me to deal with me and that's depressing and scary--exhausting?

So what would Shrek have me do? I know...talk to donkey! Just kidding. I hear God's good at puzzles.

Got an Answer?

Someone asked me today...

What are 20 - 30 something folks looking for today that the instituational church is missing?

Care to share your thoughts?

Hurt Begets Hurt

He walked in to the coffee shop as he does every morning. I was annoyed with him as I am every time I see him. I don't know him well, only that he and his family visited my church and decided not to stay. I took it as an offense. My church was my life and every time someone decided not to stay there was something wrong with me. Imagine the pain I've endured over the five year life of the church. That doesn't include the personal attacks and other baggage flinging that took place. But, the sad thing is that this pain is not a new thing. I've endured this kind of pain my whole life. My therapist, who I'm sure is a student of Shrek says I'm an onion (so are you). When I was a child like many folks, I suffered through some difficult experiences that created some bad spots. Have you ever reached into your onion bucket and grabbed an onion only to put your finger deep into a slimy spot? It's major nasty! That onion with the bad spot is not too different from an individual who has been through something difficult and it's not healed correctly. The bad spot bleeds over into the next set of layers. God wants to bring healing to those spots if we'll allow him. He doesn't want me to be pissed at people (especially for stupid reasons like chooosing not to stay at my church). A great learning for less than $2000.00! My apologies to the people I've hurt because of my hurt.