"Program complete . . . you may enter when ready."

The finishing touches have been put on the re-release of the church website. It is not in its finished state; but it is ready for public consumption. Check out the link in the sidebar, or if you don't feel like wandering that far with your mouse, just click this link right here.

The Family Circle is Complete!

One of the joys of raising a family is watching them reach important milestones. Our family reached a very significant milestone today.

When the phone rings and the voice on the other end is your eldest son (7 years old), your heart tends to flutter - especially when he says "Brother needs to talk to you!" Oh no, what went wrong?

Imagine my joy to hear my youngest son (5 years old next month) report "Guess what, Dad? I just asked Jesus to forgive my sins and make me part of His family. I am a Christian now!"

It seems that my oldest has been praying for his younger brother. Today he asked "When are you going to become a Christian?" Younger sibling replied "When I am ready." causing his older brother to ask "Well, are you ready?" After a few moments thought, the answer came, "Yes, I am ready today!" So two small boys knelt at the side of their bunkbeds and soon found their mother. "Good news, Mom! Our family is all Christians now!"

Just when one thinks life cannot possibly get any better, God shows just how wonderful HE can make life.

A Step back in Time

Tomorrow I have the extreme privelege of revisiting a former ministry. The pastor and people of Grace Baptist Church in Sonora, CA, have graciously invited me to preach as part of their "Shepherds' Conference." This yearly conference is a time when various pastors come and preach to the congregation. The emphasis this year is on pastors who have previously ministered at Grace.

I look forward to seeing the people and the ministry again. But the greatest aspect of the day will be opening God's Word again with these dear folks.

An update

Final touches are being put on the re-release of our church's website. Many thanks are due to the tireless efforts of Mr. Larry Vanerwegen, who is voluntarily taking on the "joy" of turning my design dreams and ideas into bits and pixels of Internet reality. Stay tuned for the Grand Re-Opening!

The Revolution will NOT be televised!

Please understand as you read that I am fully aware of the fact that I am a relative newcomer to the ministry scene. I am in my first year of the senior pastorate and have only served seven years prior to this in youth ministry. HOWEVER, my 24-year relationship with Jesus as my Lord and Savior gives me more than enough backing on the subject I approach today.

While in training (both undergraduate and seminary), I recall hearing again and again of the importance of knowing one's audience. This is good advice! Paul (Acts 17) first understood the background of his audience before addressing them on Mars Hill. In recent years, many companies and service providers have brought their unique talents to bear in ministry related areas. But what happens when the researchers do more than gather the data and report the trends? What happens when the pollsters begin making the decisions for you? Can the right data lead to the wrong conclusions?

The answer to the last question is a definite "yes" and is graphically illustrated in a recent book published by George Barna titled Revolution. In this treatise he shares insight into a growing crowd of 'revolutionaries' (his term) that will overtake the church scene in the next 20 years or so. These revolutionaries find spiritual fulfillment outside the walls of traditional church ministry; and have forsaken the local church to better identify with the Church (the global body of believers). Barna's conclusion is that within 20 years, Christians will only find 30% of their Christian activity taking place within church walls (down from it's current 70%). He uses this statistic and the personal experiences of others to advocate a serious shift in thinking - one that calls for believers to join the revolution and leave the local church.

Wait a minute! This is throwing out the baby with the bath water! Let's accept for a moment that what Barna is saying is true about current trends among Christians. If the next two decades will find believers spending less time within the church walls, this is not a reason to abandon the local church - it is a call to make the most of every opportunity those believers are in church! A shift in thinking needs to take place between the pastor's ears. He must strive to not only show the relevance of what he preaches and teaches, but show how that relevance must be acted out in daily life.

To be honest, much of Barna's book left me upset. One who had done seemingly so much to advance the cause of Christ is now advocating the abandonment of the church. To be sure, we cannot continue to minister to a 21st century culture with a 20th century model; but the solution is to change models, not abandon the product line completely. (A mixed metaphor to be sure, but I hope you understand the point.)

The revolution Barna predicts will happen. My prayer is that it will not happen as he sees it; but that we as a local church will realize that "church as it's always been" cannot continue.

Olympic-style living

This week has been spent trying to squeeze as much time viewing the Olympics as my schedule will allow (and sleep will permit). I am still not sure why I need to wait for 8 hours after the event to watch it on television; VCRs and TIVO were invented for a reason!

Last night, watching the men's free-style skating competition, I got into a discussion about the "new" scoring system being used at this Olympiad. The skaters are attempting increasingly difficult maneuvers - which is good; but they are not able to complete them - which is bad. However, they are being scored in a manner allowing them to receive credit for the portions of the element that were completed - which is good for the skater, but bad for the sport. By following this logic, all a skater need do is attempt 3 or 4 quad-jump combinations and hope that they can stick the landing one of them. The scoring will credit them for all that they actually accomplish and they should walk out with a medal. The folks in the stands and at home will watch them slide across the rink on their posterior; but hey, they tried right? What's next: giving out medals for how the athlete wishes they had skated? Absurd, you say? Quite right! We ought not award medals on an "outcome based" formula. If the skater cannot complete the element, then the element has not been done.

Apply that logic to life and living, and especially to the Christian life. Please follow my logic through to its conclusion before passing judgment on it. I am not saying we ought not attempt great things, nor am I saying we should only stick to what we know we can do. What I am saying is this: When we allow our lives to be lived in a way that states "Oh well, I guess I couldn't do all that. Give me credit for trying." it smacks others of falseness and hypocrisy. Let me reduce this to absurdity. If I promise to lead the singing on a Sunday Morning; but leave after the opening hymn - I don't get credit for leading one song, I get (rightly) accused of not leading the song service. Until it's finished, I have not done it. If I only give the introduction to my sermon - I haven't preached. (Again, don't misunderstand; some sermons take a LONG time to introduce and I have sat through some 45 minute introductions before. I am talking about just telling a story or two for 8 minutes and calling it a wrap)

The Christian life is more important than an ice skating competition. We need to "score" it much more differently, too. I am afraid, though, that too often we grade on the Olympic scale. Folks will fail and fall, best laid plans will not be completed as planned, injuries occur, the great plans may not materialize as planned when planned. However, is the public arena the place to try out "something new"?

Are we ready?

A friend has been challenging my thinking lately. He is part of a church that is re-organizing and trying to reach out in new and meaningful ways to his community. Amid all the questions of "How will we...?" and "What will we...?" he is challenging church members with the question "Are we ready to...?"

Are we ready to see things drastically different from what we have always known?
Are we ready to see a great influx of new faces, cultures, backgrounds?
Are we ready to accept folks as they are while we lovingly show them what God wants them to be?
Are we ready to reach out to those everyone else misunderstands and wishes "would just go away"?
Are we ready to accept the skateboarders as a ministry opportunity instead of a nuisance?
Are we ready to grow?

These are great questions. Ones that should be asked and must be answered. One cannot assume that everyone will come to the same conclusion on these matters. But, as a church seeks to reach out to its community, they are necessary questions to be asking.

So now I am asking them of myself! Some of the answers I already have; some I am still working on answering.

What other questions might be asked in this context? Are we ready to . . .

I'm one of THEM now!

Back in a former life (ok, really just a few months ago, when I was a pastor primarily to young people) there was a phrase that many in my professional circles liked to use: The Jones Memorial Carpet. This term was coined, I believe, by the late Mike Yaconelli; it represented the "sacred cows" and limits placed on youth ministry. Many youth workers could and can regale you with tales from their ministry where something wonderful happened; only to meet with the ire of the church family because, in the process, The Jones Memorial Carpet was soiled.

I often laughed at the concept of the JMC, largely because I was blessed to be involved in churches where ministry took precedence over the condition of the room or the resulting aftermath. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't leading marauding bands wielding grape juice-filled Super Soakers through the sanctuary. I was, however, allowed the opportunity to make messes and repair the aftermath without incurring the wrath of "the Jones family" who had donated whatever it was that got used in a less-than-what-they-had-intended fashion.

All that changed two months ago.

Now I'm "one of the Joneses."

When a family member passed away recently, much was made by members of their immediate family about how the estate would / should be divided. During the course of the last few weeks these same members are discovering just how generous Loved One was to their church. This person was very giving of their finances and time to the cause of Christ's church - too much so, if you ask certain people. After finding out that a substantial portion of the estate would be given to the church, there was much grumbling about how the church should have to earn it, show appreciation for it, erect something to honor the gift, etc. Interestingly enough, the last project this family member contributed towards was, you guessed it, new carpeting for the main auditorium. There were family members who attended the memorial service for Loved One "just to see what kind of carpet [donation amount] gets you these days."

I am trying hard to maintain a sense of balance with family on the one hand, and knowing what I know about ministry on the other. A large part of me wants to say "But look at what can be done in this room, now that it is carpeted! Look at how effective ministry can be - and [the dearly departed] made that happen!" But it would be pointless, because that carpet - in their eyes - has dollar signs for its pattern. They don't understand the reasons their loved one gave; they don't know the One their loved one was demonstrating love towards; they just see a carpet as a "lasting" tribute, and they know that it will be a fleeting memorial at best.

Where am I going with all this? I think the response I should have had back in my youth ministry days was one of thankfulness to the Jones family for letting me in the room with their "carpet" (even though it may not have been actual carpet - you know what I mean, right?). Maybe I should have written them a note, explaining to them how glad we were to not only enjoy the carpet, but explain that the wear and tear - and even stains - were also a fitting tribute to their loved one.

Now that I'm "one of the Joneses" through no fault of my own; that's how I want to proceed in the future.

Contact lenses and salvation?

Yesterday, February 1st, was a monumental day. The beginning of the month marks the time when I change my contacts! I began this habit so that I will remember when it is time (was it the 14th of the month, or the 23rd? No. It is the 1st!).

Each month I marvel at how easily the contacts go onto my eye; and the clarity they provide for my sight. No matter how much I scrub and clean my old lenses, they have to be replaced each month; and each month, I can tell the difference between a new pair and the old. Psalm 51:10 - 12 was ringing in my thoughts yesterday after I put my "new" lenses into use.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

How often do I allow myself to relive the joy of when salvation was brand new? The fact "all things have been made new" does not always bring corresponding feelings of the "joy of Your salvation." This may be due to many factors; but could it be simply the fact that we just don't remind ourselves?

Putting a new set of lenses on my eyes reminds me of just how good the new pair is. God, today, keep me mindful and aware of just how good my salvation is compared to the life I lived before!

New Year Resolutions

There is something cleansing about the month of January. Opening a new calendar, staring at all the blank boxes filled with promise and unseen opportunities, feeling the exhilarating rush of anticipation at all that can be accomplished in a NEW year, one is often tempted to set goals, list expectations and begin the process of completing those tasks.

Then comes the month of February. Many of January's promises and commitments have been tossed aside, written off as the overworked imagination of fancy. The one or two items still on the list are often given half-hearted attempts at completion - more to keep from admitting total failure than to actually accomplish the goal. Maybe February is too late; perhaps the items on the list were abandoned in mid-January.

Is all lost?

No.

But it all needs to be restarted. That's right, totally stopped, rethought, reworked and then restarted. So take your list of "resolutions" and put them down
and
just
walk
away.

The fact of the matter is that you will never keep them anyway. Your own strength is far to feeble to accomplish anything of value. This is a job for not super-human strength, but for superior to super-human strength. The goals you would like to set for your life need to be filtered through the sieve of God's thinking.

Try it! Does God want you to [here's where you fill in the blank with what you want to accomplish this year]? How will that make you more like Jesus Christ? How will that influence others to desire a relationship with Him? Face it; God probably does not want you to quit your job to go to all 162 baseball games of your favorite team. He may not even desire for you to go to the gym 6 days a week. Get His perspective on your resolutions - then revise them accordingly!

Now you are ready to restart! "But," I can hear you say "this list looks so hard!" It may very well be the most difficult task you have ever faced! That is exactly why you were never meant to accomplish it on your own. Ask God for His divine help, strength, guidance and direction. Enlist others to hold you accountable, pray for you, rejoice at your progress and weep at your setbacks. Don't expect everything to happen overnight. The only things that happen overnight are FedEx deliveries; and, unless you work for FedEx, God doesn't expect you to deliver FedEx results!

This is a new year. There are still 354 days left to accomplish great things. Ask God to determine what great things He would like for you to accomplish this year; and then ask His help as you move toward accomplishing them.

You came from Heaven to earth . . .

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.

Not a startling revelation; but one that has grasped me in a profound way. As a child, I was counting the days, hours, and minutes until the arrival of Christmas. The usual "first snow" in the Novembers of my Pennsylvania youth brought the realization that Christmas would soon be here.

Those days were literally a lifetime ago. Now twice as old as I was then, living at the opposite end of both the country and the climate scale, I can't depend on weather conditions to signal Christmas' impending arrival. Other events are vying for my attention. The "big countdown" now seems to focus on "how long until payday?" or "when is our next big church function?"

Here's what a friend of mine wrote as his Christmas prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

It's that time of year again, isn't it?
The time of year when we sometimes struggle to say "Oh wow! It's THAT TIME OF YEAR!!!!" with any excitement.

By now, the musicals are done, the cards are mailed, the parties are planned, the worship preparations have been set, and the planning for the new year is underway. So now, we actually have time to reflect on our own lives at this time of year.

And then it hits us.
It hits us about the family member who is struggling.
It hits us about the loved one whose seat will be empty this Christmas.
It hits us about our financial struggles.
It hits us about bad memories we associate with what should be a joyous occasion.
It hits us about employment (or lack thereof) situations.
It hits us about how this season drains us so quickly.
It hits us about recent work issues.

Lord, we answered Your call.
We strive so hard every day for you. In all this madness and surrounded by all these hurts in our lives, help us to dig.

And find the joys.
And to constantly be thankful for them.

Let there be peace where there is strife.
Let there be consolation where there is grief.
Let there be healing where there is pain.
Let there be light where there is darkness.
Let there be hope where there is despair.
Let there be joy where there is sadness.
Let there be You.

And thank You for letting us be Yours.

Thank You, Father.
Thank You for all that we have.
Thank You for all that we are.
Thank You for all that we are going to be.

And thank You for the Son.

See, it's not about the bank account, the number of presents under the tree, the presence or lack thereof of decorations, the number of dishes weighing down the banquet table, the family members (or lack thereof) around the room.

It’s all about smelly shepherds surrounding a musty manger in a tiny town. It’s about two tired travelers witnessing the birth of a baby boy. It’s about the miracle of seeing the tiny fingers of a newborn and realizing that those hands formed mountains and valleys and described the course of rivers with those very same miniature fingers. It’s realizing the voice that would summon the power of heaven and command the dead to raise back to life was the same voice gurgling and cooing at the sight, sound and smells of a feeding trough. It’s becoming fully aware that the eyes that watch over Israel, that “neither slumber nor sleep” are now closed in the fitful rest of an infant. It’s about God having kept His promise!

And this weekend has been set aside to commemorate that birth.

Forget running to the malls, the shops, the outlets, the airports and bus stations. Those wishing to be fully prepared for this holiday season should run right to the manger and find there reminders of what has been provided.

So, I’m off to prepare for Christmas. I’ll meet you at the manger.

Moving

"Man, you've got to hate moving right around the holidays." was the response I heard from the man servicing my van recently. After telling him about my upcoming move to Hayward, he started listing all the troubles a person could encounter while moving - especially during the holiday season.

It wasn't long before I began agreeing with him. Really, who wants to put aside all the celebration preparations, miss out on some gatherings or parties, just to be inconvenienced with the packing, sorting, loading, unloading, transferring, etc. of a move?

But wait! That's exactly what took place this season. Jesus left heaven - the site of phenomenal praise, celebration and gatherings - to endure the inconveniences of relocating to earth.

Isn't that also what took place with Mary and Joseph? They set aside their plans for an upcoming wedding and an impending birth to travel to a city on the other side of the nation - and became part of the history of the holiday we now celebrate.

Moving during the holidays? I can't think of a better way to celebrate and commemorate the season!

A healthy diet

Yes, I realize I am writing about diets two days prior to Thanksgiving. But you will be pleased to note that I am not talking about the food you eat or don't eat during this week.

I came across this quote recently: "It is the responsibility of every pastor to ensure that his flock is being fed the proper diet consisting of one ingredient - God's Word." While I have long known this and readily agree, I was struck by something I had never bothered to consider before. A diet with only one ingredient in it depends crucially on that ingredient. That means that as a pastor, it is imperative that I prepare a diet for my flock carefully.

The impact and application of this thought is staggering! I need to carefully select my ingredient to fit the dietary needs of my flock. Notice that the choice is based on need and not preference or taste. While the collective needs differ from the individual needs, I must prepare my ingredient so that the maximum nutrition is gained for the entire flock.

How often have I settled for the spiritual equivalent of cheese doodles and neglected the One Ingredient that was really necessary for my spiritual health and development? How often have I presented a meal of cheese doodles to my flock? May God help me to never do so!

Honoring veterans

This weekend has been deemed "Veteran's Weekend" (or Remembrance Weekend in Canada) to honor those who have laid their lives on the line for their country.

Our family is privileged to number several of our members in the ranks of national service. An uncle in the Marine Corps (ret.), a cousin formerly in the Air Force, and another uncle in the Navy (served in WWII) give us cause to stand proudly with those who defend our nation's honor.

I spent a major portion of the day Thursday touring the USS Hornet (CVA-12). What an amazing vessel filled with history. I left in awe of the men who served aboard her, the women who helped build her, and the nation that this grand ship defended.

But what of our other veterans? What of those who rose, not in defense of a country, but in defense of their faith? This Veterans' Remembrance Weekend, I propose we reflect on those listed on The Memorial Wall in Hebrews. Those of whom "the world was not worthy" but who lived their lives as examples of faith.

Names like Samson, Abraham, Jephthah, Moses, Gideon should echo alongside Luther, Calvin, Wycliffe, Wesley, Ketcham, Jones, Sunday and ahead of MacArthur, Washington, Pershing, Patton, and Nimitz.

To any veterans reading, Thank you! To those of you reading who have defended the faith, Thank you! May we all be veterans in the "good fight".

But they are . . .

How many times have I heard from either my children or the children of others "But they are / were ..."? It is easy to validate one's actions by comparing them to anyone OBVIOUSLY 'worse' than one's self. But when the measuring standard is God's holiness, who really measures up?

What does it say about God when He takes someone 'doing worse things than I' and uses them to correct me? Is this a demonstration of some divine masochistic delight? Hardly. When God chooses to use anyone - be they 'good', 'bad', or 'ugly' - it is His sovereign choice to do so. None of us merit anything of worth from Him.

The next time I need to be corrected, may I have the right attitude: one that praises God for loving me enough to correct me; and not the attitude that criticizes and argues about the agent He uses to correct me.

Come ye Thankful People, Come!

Fall brings its unique charm to the Bay Area. Gone are the leaf-burning, smoke-filled autumns of my Pennsylvania youth. Banished are the fantastic flaming displays of foliage of the Northeast. In their place comes the crisp brisk mornings around the San Francisco Bay and the luxuriously warm afternoons. Rain is hinted at from time to time, but usually showers are the only resulting precipitation. Snow is unheard of at this elevation!

What better month to have set aside as one of thanksgiving! And truly there is much for which to be thankful. God's direction and provision continue to amaze and impress me. He has glorified His name above all others in recent months; and by Thanksgiving Day, a new ministry will have begun - thanks to His provision. Health and safety have been provided in abundant measure over the past 12 months. Loved ones were protected while in harm's way; activities were "routine" instead of "casualty laden." Even in the Homegoing of loved ones (2 in our family since last November), God graciously provided grace, strength, peace, comfort, and above all HOPE that there is more to living than just this lifetime.

But, as we pause to reflect on the agrarian harvest holiday, what of our own harvesting efforts? Have we been faithful in our own corner of the field, laboring for the Master and being about His work? What sheaves have been borne out of our bearing the precious seed with tears to our own community? Yes, God gives the increase; but we are to be planting and watering.

God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied!
Come ye thankful people, come! Raise the song of Harvest Home!

Righteousness or Round Table?

"The risks facing contemporary teenagers bear solemn testimony to the church's ineffectiveness at addressing adolescence. Youth look to the church to show them something -- Someone -- capable of turning their lives inside out and the world upside down. Most of the time we have offered them pizza." - Kenda Creasy Dean, in The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry

I have not read Dean's book, so I cannot speak to the totality of its teaching. However, this quote hits the nail on the head. We as "the church" have spent too much time making folks comfortable with their faith instead of shaking their lives apart and showing how Jesus can rearrange the broken pieces and make a life of significance out of it. Have we created a hunger and thirst for righteousness? Or have we only created a place of comfort, entertainment and complacency?

"In the beginning"

This is my online journal as pastor of Fairway Park Baptist Church in Hayward, California. I plan to use this site to "think through" material I find while researching for sermons, articles, discussions, etc. Feel free to watch my brain at work. Better yet, contribute your own thoughts on the subject at hand.
Readers of my Xanga website are more than welcome to join in the conversations.