Network......

I had an interesting experience this week that was a graphic illustration of how the Body of Christ is supposed to work. I contacted a friend of mine who lives in Florida, but is involved in a mission in India. I was doing some research which I hoped would increase our effectiveness among the poor in Kenya. I was directed to a group who have designed a very efficient and every inexpensive adobe oven for use among indigenous people in South America, and who have published a very helpful document complete with design and fabrication instructions which was distributed in Uganda. Having obtained the proper documentation which came as the result of a virtual global journey, I forwarded the information on to my good friend and co-worker in Kenya who promptly told me that this would be very helpful information for some indigenous people he knows - in Sudan.

Over the years as my involvement in various projects around the world has expanded, I have noted a pattern. The church works best when instead of each doing his own thing we learn that we're all doing God's thing and that what one learns is not for him to guard as a private possession - but it is a gift for the Kingdom.

Next, I hope to take a design for a water filter in Brazil and pass it along to a friend in Massachusetts who will put it to good use in Sudan. Wow! This is fun!

Heritage

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

The good looking guy in the photo is my middle son Andrew, and that lovely young thing he is holding in his arms is Eliana Jordyn, his first born child. She was born this morning at about 1:10 a.m. (Elvis' birthday, but we're hoping that one thing has nothing to do with the other). It was about as perfect a birthing experience as a young couple could have and Eliana is bright and alert and healthy as far as we can tell right now. We have also discovered that she loves being in her Dad's arms - Andy's a big guy (6' 5" 300 lbs. +/-) and so it must have been a pretty daunting sensation for the little tyke when he wrapped her up in his arms.

We're pretty much all about family, believing in recent years what we did not know in our younger years - that the family is the center of what God is doing in the earth and that it is through families that the Kingdom of God is best expressed through those watching. We have begun to teach our families that building a strong church does not necessarily build a strong family, but establishing strong, spiritual families will in fact build a strong church. We have five children and 7 grandchildren - with another due in July and every Sunday we can look around and locate them all - most of them somehow actively involved in the ministry. (Eliana doesn't have a job just yet - but soon..........). I don't say that to brag, rather as an awe struck statement of praise to the grace and mercy of God who has blessed us with more than we could possible deserve or even hope for.

I ache so badly for parents whose children have turned their backs on God. I cannot imagine that pain and I grieve for them. At the same time, I rejoice for little Eliana because I know she will not be hidden from the deep mysteries of God, but that her mom and dad will speak them to her in her rising up and in her lying down. Our godly heritage will live, long after Barbara and I have gone from this life - our heritage will live and our reward will flourish. For that today, I am profoundly grateful to the Living God, the God of all Flesh, the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob and the God of Michael, of Andrew, and Eliana!

Reshuffling the Deck

You know when you play cards - I have fond memories as of kid living in pre-Disney Orlando of our Friday "Rummy Parties" - you play a hand and then, the deck moves to the person to your left to shuffle and deal the next hand. You get different cards each hand, but they're really the same cards, reshuffled and redistributed.

This past couple of weeks we've had a particularly great time in our ministry as we have seen several persons come to faith in Christ. One fellow in particular has been coming in to our weekly soup kitchen for months now. He has no faith background at all. Over the months he has shown a real interest in the gospel, the Christian life and the faith community. He came to his first church "service" ever on Christmas Eve for our annual Candlelight Communion Service. He was very impacted and as a result was introduced to Christ the following Sunday morning by the director of our Mercy Ministries. He will be baptized on February 1st - a brand new member of the family of faith.

In fact, we will baptize at least 12; perhaps more on February 1st and that is exciting. Its exciting because that is the way the church is supposed to grow - by birthing new family members. In discussing this, and a variety of issues among ourselves as a local Pastor's fellowship we are painfully aware that most church "growth" in America is not generally the result of new births - but rather a continual reshuffling of the same cards over and over again as people - "believers," move from congregation to congregation for a variety of reasons - most of them poor reasons.

They've either been offended, corrected, or disciplined; or have become bored and need a change - and so they leave that terrible church and poorly qualified pastor to attend a "better" church. Sad thing is, it doesn't take too long before they get offended, corrected, or disciplined and the deck is reshuffled again. Sometimes when I'm playing cards, I see the same card come through my hands several times. You know when there are a limited number of players, the cards don't have that many places to show up. I know, I've had some of the same "Jokers" come through my hands for the second and even third time. In our group we affectionately call this the "Bi-annual Pew Shuffle."

Now I realize there are some real and legitimate reasons for moving from one congregation to another; and not everyone who transfers to another church is doing so for a carnal reason. I appreciate it when someone new comes to my church from another with serious considered reasoning. I also rejoice when someone leaves my church for another with the same serious, considerations. I struggle in my flesh with it - but I have decided to rejoice. However, these are usually the exception rather than the rule. If we are not birthing new lives into the Kingdom, but spending year after year reshuffling the deck - the church is not growing and the Kingdom is not expanding - we're simply redistributing the same old cards over and over again.

Why do I need a savior?

At our church we conduct our monthly Communion services "thematically." By that, I mean that we plan and entire year of Communion services around a single set of themes. For instance, one year recently we focused each communion meal around a different aspect of the character of the Father. I think it helps people to actually "think" about things rather than to veg out in a pew until the preacher gets done with whatever axe he might be grinding.

In 2009 we are focusing the entire year of Communion services around the theme, "Why?" Tomorrow morning we will be asking (and I hope, answering) the question: "Why do I need a savior?" When you think about it- its actually a pretty interesting question and I am intrigued by the distinct possibility that not too many people are ever truly confronted with such a question. I know that at some time and in some place, I asked Jesus into my heart and received Him as my Savior. But I have the nagging doubt that many, if not most evangelical American Christians don't really comprehend why they need a savior in the first place.


A MAN FELL INTO A HOLE.....
My son (who is also my associate Pastor) and I met the other day to discuss the Communion service for tomorrow. During the course of our discussion we ran across some interesting ideas, quotes and illustrations. The first one was a nice little video piece from Bluefishtv called "A Man Fell into a Hole." Its a modern parable which shows a man who has fallen into a hole from which he cannot escape. A number of persons come by and offer a variety of solutions for his situation from improving his karma to deeply committed religious activity - after which, he remained in the hole. One person came to the hole, dropped a rope down, climbed down the rope and carried him to safety.......a savior. Ah, Everyman was his name- we have fallen into a hole and we can't get out.

WE ARE NOT JUST IN THE DOGHOUSE....
The second fresh idea came from John Piper who is by almost everyone's estimation one of the better theological thinkers of our day. He said in a recent sermon - "We were not in the doghouse, we were in the morgue." When we are in the "doghouse" with our wife - all we have to do to get out is to behave better; correct our mistake, apologize for our thoughtlessness - buy flowers and candy - and remember to put the lid down. But you and I were not in the doghouse with God - we were in the morgue! To get out of the morgue requires more than an apology - it requires a Savior; One who can and will restore us to life. When you and I were "dead in trespasses and sin - we did not need reformation, we needed resurrection.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF THEOLOGY.....
Some time back I was listening to Haddon Robinson on the radio. Someone asked him to relate what was the most important theology to him. I was surprised at his answer, but stunned at the simplicity of it. To the question he replied simply, "The total DEPRAVITY of man." He went on to say that when you understand at the most basic level that man- all men - is totally depraved; that there is absolutely no capacity for good in him - it really affects what you believe about everything. It is only when you fully accept your own depravity that you fully appreciate the generosity of the Savior. Prior to this revelation there is a subtle temptation to belive that if I just live a little bit better, if I try just a little bit harder - I will be better. Somewhere, deep down inside there must be a little smidgen of "good" that I can draw on.

Even as I type these words onto my computer my flesh is rising up against them. TOTALLY Depraved! I'm a Pastor for heaven's sake; a spiritual leader, an elder in the church. How can this be? I may be all of the above and more. However, what I truly am at the basest part of me is a man who fell in a hole and could not get out. I didn't just apologize my way out of the doghouse; I was dead in my sin and by the grace of God (not the goodness of Gantt), was made alive again. I am a depraved individual in a race of depraved men who now wears the robes of righteousness placed upon me by another - a Savior.