This week has been a blur!
Monday we spent the “day off” working on the basement at our house.
Tuesday I spent the day preparing to speak to the BCM at WKU, which was a blast!
Wednesday and today have been slammed as we have been relocating our offices [to the welcome center] to provide more space for our kids.
So, as you can see, this week has been a blur!
I will try to post pics on Monday of our new office space.
Have a great weekend!
Last Sunday at MCC my friend Jon Hunt sang a song called “King of Wonders.” He sang it beautifully, and the words of the song have hit me like a ton of bricks. If you have never heard the song, then check it out below.
Often in the Hebrew Bible, God reminds the people that he is “the God who brought them out of Egypt.” Egypt was a place of slavery and oppression…a place where they cried out to God for liberation.
And God brought them out.
Again and again he reminds them to remember all that he has done for them…because if they lose their awe and wonder for who God is and what he has done, they might end up in another kind of Egypt.
This song served for me as that reminder. How often does being a Christian just consist of going through the motions? How many times do we show up and sing words and affirm sermons…yet there is no wonder, amazement, or awe for who God is, what he’s done for us…or what he’s doing in our midst right here, right now?
My prayer for us is that we will remember and return to awe and wonder and amazement. That we will not take for granted all that God has done, but we will celebrate it and be so amazed at his grace and goodness towards us.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. [Deuteronomy 8v10-18 TNIV]
Last night at MCC we hosted Shaun Groves in concert. It was great to have him here and he sang some really great music. It was also great to have the opportunity to hear more about Compassion International, which is an organization that is helping free children around the world from poverty.
After the concert last night people from MCC sponsored 24 children! 24 children who have now been given hope…not just in a spiritual way, but also in a tangible, physical way!
As Shaun shared his stories with us last night, I was again reminded of the Exodus story [which we talked about yesterday morning.] God always hears the cry of the oppressed…and he always responds…and he always invites people to join him in his work!
I am so proud of you MCC! Thanks for joining the God who hears the cry!
If you would like more information about Compassion, or you would like to sponsor a child…click here.
I often hear people discussing how bad the world is. And they have a point. There is no shortage of violence, hate, suffering, and pain in the world. The sad part is the people I often hear talking about how bad the world is are Christians. Followers of the crucified and risen Christ. People who trust that the tomb is empty. People of the New Creation…who celebrate that through Jesus God is beginning to heal, rescue, and reclaim the world he created and called “good.”
And I also hear Christians saying other things. Things about other Christians. Things that tear down and do not build up. Things that bring division and not healing. I hear them sometimes coming out of my own mouth. Why do we do this? Why do we have such a hard time loving others?
We wonder why the world struggles to love? Maybe because we, those who claim to know the Source of love, who claim a relationship with a God who is by definition love…maybe the world struggles because we struggle.
There is a quote attributed to Augustine of Hippo that I have found helpful in my own struggle with my attitude. This quote reminds me that I can love and even have fellowship with other Christians…even if we disagree.
“In essentials, unity,
in non-essentials liberty,
in all things charity [meaning love].”
There are certain bedrock truths. There are some things that are left to interpretation. But love must shape our conversations about all of them.
I think this connects to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13, being gifted or sacrificial or right…without love…is nothing.
Maybe Burt Bacharach is right.
So, for your listening pleasure, please enjoy Australian singer Ricki-Lee singing, “What the World Needs Now.”
We are so excited to have Shaun Groves in concert this Sunday night at MCC! This concert is free and begins at 7pm. If you would like a preview of Shaun’s music, then check out the video below.
Hope to see you Sunday night at 7pm at MCC!
This Sunday at MCC we are continuing the “Whole Story” series by looking at the story of Abraham. In Genesis 12, Abraham is called by God to be the “father of many nations.” God promises to bless him, so that he can in turn bless others.
I have been reflecting on this idea of calling and being blessed-to-be-a-blessing, and I think Frederick Buechner got it right when he said:
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
With that in mind, what is your calling? It could be in a religious environment, a school, a hospital, at home with the family…it can really be anywhere your gifts, passions, and others needs meet.
You may remember me asking you to pray for a couple of friends last week. I appreciate all of you who have been praying for them, and I thought that I should probably give an update. [ If you missed the post, click here to catch up.]
Jacob, the little boy I asked you to pray for, is doing better. He got to come home toward the end of last week, and his situation was not as bad as they thought it would be. Thanks so much for praying for Jacob and his family!
The other person we’ve been praying for is Sue Deweese. Sue passed away this past Friday. Sue was a kind, caring,wonderful person. She was always concerned about others, and along with her husband Allen, she was a dedicated and faithful part of our church. Please continue to pray for her family as they grieve her loss.
Thanks again for joining me in prayer for these families.
How can I pray for you?
This has been a soggy summer. We have had lots of rain in the Bluegrass State over the past couple months, and yesterday may have been the hardest downpour I’ve seen in a while.
We bought our first home this year, and it has an awesome basement. I love relaxing down there. It’s cool and dark…the perfect nap situation if you ask me.
So, last night Carla and I were preparing to watch a movie in our wonderful basement. The rain was really coming down. We usually don’t sweat it because of the sump pump that keeps us nice and dry. Then, a noise came out of nowhere. It sounded like water running behind the basement walls. I moved some things to check it out…and everything was dry.
Then we went into the garage to check out the sump pump situation, because it was running constantly. To my surprise, the pump pit was overflowing with water! We came back in just in time to see water rushing in from all four corners of our basement! Did I mention that we do not have flood insurance [yet]?
We began picking things up off the floor…and panicking a little. All told there was close to 3 inches of water standing in our basement floor.
After a couple phone calls, seeking advice, at around 8:30pm, several people from our church showed up to help us out. As quickly as the water came, it left.
Now we are drying the area with a really big fan.
I kept thinking last night how grateful I was to have so many people show up to help us out…during a bad storm which was causing minor flooding throughout our town. People left the safety and comfort of their dry homes to help us get a handle on the situation.
We are so thankful to everyone who helped us out last night…because it was getting deep!
Hey everyone! Hope you had a great weekend.
I have a couple of friends who are having a rough time right now, and I would love for you to join me in praying for them.
Here’s a little info:
Jacob Dockery, his parents, and older sister are part of our church. When I first moved here, about 4 years ago, Jacob was in the hospital a lot, and even had surgery for stomach issues [which is a major simplification of the issue]. When I first met Jacob, he was fighting for his life.
He has been doing much better, but is now sick again…and back at the hospital. The tests are looking good, and this is not a life-threatening situation. But, he could still use your prayers!
Also, please pray for my friend Sue Deweese. Sue and her family are part of our church, and they are great people. She is in the hospital after suffering several strokes, and is in ICU. She is a very sweet woman and I know her family would appreciate your prayers for her and them.
In “Our Greatest Gift, a Meditation on Dying and Caring,” Henri Nouwen said:
“Jesus lived less than forty years; he didn’t travel outside his own country; the people who knew him during his life scarcely understood him; and when he died, only a few of his followers remained faithful. In every respect, his life was a failure. Success had left him, popularity had dwindled, and all his power was gone. Still, few lives have been so fruitful; few lives have affected the thinking and feeling of other people so deeply; few have so profoundly shaped future cultures; few have influenced so radically the patterns of human relationships. Jesus himself referred constantly to the fruitfulness of his life that would only become manifest after his death.”
Too often, the way I would describe success would be in conflict with the way Jesus did/does. The life and death of Jesus is the exact opposite of the way our culture tries to define success.
Nouwen also said:
“The real question before our death is not, How much can I still accomplish, or How much influence can I still exert? but, How can I live so that I can continue to be fruitful when I am no longer here among my family and friends? That question shifts our attention from doing to being. Our doing brings success, but our being bears fruit. The great paradox of our lives is that we are often concerned about what we do or still can do, but we are most likely to be remembered for who we were. If the Spirit guides our lives—the Spirit of love, joy, peace, gentleness, forgiveness, courage, perseverance, hope and faith—then that Spirit will not die but will continue to grow from generation to generation.”
Doing is important. The world does not need more people who simply sit around and theorize about all the things that need to be done, and how if someone would just do it, then world would be a better place. We must put our faith into action.
But, if we want to do something that lasts, then it must come from a place of being. From people who have been radically changed by the power of God at work within us.
I can be a success and leave nothing good or positive or long term behind.
To be honest, I often pray for, dream about, and obsess over success. The truth is, however, if I am not the kind of person God is calling me to be…any success I may experience will end with me. When we allow God to make us into the people he wants us to be…our lives will continue to bear fruit, to influence, to do good, even when we aren’t here.
