Month: April 2005

Today I am taking a few students to the mercy seat of the federal government, The U.S. 6th District Federal Courts. There isn’t much agenda to it other than seeing the courts in action. It should be interesting… I’ve been working on all my court lines like, “I object…. no, I object to your objection!” And “You can’t handle the truth!”

Nothing Special
As I was teaching last night [just hours ago] at Light Force, I was thinking in the back of my mind about this. (For those who wondered… Sometimes the mind wonders even in highly public communication time!)

I am such an “unspecial” communicator of the Word! I’m not really dynamic. I’m not real flashy. I rarely rehearse an entire talk. I don’t have compelling conclusions and I rarely manage the emotions of the hearer well enough. I keep to a simple formula and that’s it. In fact, I do just about everything “wrong.” My weekly formula rarely changes. I start out with a personal story. I quiz them about the context of the book we are studying. I read the passage, explain what’s going on… Often times just merely defining the words. Then I tell them the timeless principle from the passage at hand and a point or two of application. If I’m lucky, I remember to toss in a “cyclical” deal by finishing my opening story.

So what is so special?
Here’s the thing that gets me. Students are responding to my “everything’s wrong” style of teaching. As I was teaching Revelation 15-16 tonight, I was thinking to myself… “Man, I think I’ve basically read every verse of Revelation out loud over the past 4 months!”

Hmmm.
Last night, I concluded with the talk with a simple principle. I said… “True love confronts sin…” After the talk we had a little time of just hanging out and eating pizza. One of my regular students, a girl whom I really think is cool… But I see as utterly lost despite her coming to church her entire life… Came up to me and said, “What is sin?”

I thought to myself… “Are you kidding me? This kid has gone to church her entire life… How can she not know what sin is?” For almost a whole second I thought I was really a great teacher of the Bible. Then it hit me, “This student wasn’t brought along to this point by anything else than just the Word of God.” For whatever reason, the Holy Spirit chose that exact time when I was talking to illumine to her what sin is. As I helped her define that term in a way she could understand I came to this conclusion.

We think too much!
That’s it. Each week I spend 6-7 hours preparing a good message. But how long am I asking the Holy Spirit to illumine to my listeners what He wants to teach them? Honestly? Almost no time! A minute? Maybe two…

The reality is that God’s Word itself, when read, can change lives. I can’t explain it other than using the term “illumination.” God chooses to illumine to us His message at His time when we read His Word.

Why do we in ministry forget this? How could we?

The other day
A few days ago I posted about the Stewart family down in Louisiana who is trying to win a backyard makeover. Let’s just say this has been a rewarding thing to get on the bandwagon for.

When the Stewart’s posted their appeal on my favorite forum, I decided it was cool enough to get behind. How cool is it that a youth pastor could get his backyard pimped out? There is no way this guy could afford to spend that kind of money on a backyard… But he only had 8% of the overall vote, it looked helpless!

So I voted and started asking others to vote too. More than that, I asked people to spread the word, go the the KPLA website and vote for the Stewart’s. I posted my appeal here and a few people jumped on it. (Thank you to those who posted the link on your blog!) I also have been keeping the thread near the top of the forum boards. I’ve also posted a link to it our the Light Force website and sent out the link in my weekly newsletter.

What is so cool is that it looks like this family could actually win now. They are currently at 24% of the vote and tied for 2nd place. (1% behind the leader)

Bigger than the Stewart’s
To me, this has solidified in my mind that online communities can be real communities. When I read that in the book mentioned in my recommend area, The Search to Belong. It is true… It is a real community of people. We have problems, we have different things we are looking for, we have different levels of belonging… But it is just like real life! It is a real community.

Here’s an interesting point worth pondering. The Stewart’s have zero YS Forum credibility. They are fairly inactive in posting on the boards and I am pretty sure I’d never read many of ben’s posts before he made his appeal. But the Stewart’s are reaping the full benefits of belonging to the YS Forums. While not the most active, and like me… Not in the inner circle… People have rallied behind them to help them live a dream.

Done it before too
This isn’t the place to say all of the things that the YS Forums have done for each other. But this also is just the latest case of a group of very special people doing something very special for people they’ve never met face-to-face, never broken bread with, never shared much else than just factual information about their ministries.

I am proud to say that the YS forums are a part of me.

the vote
Today after church we had a surprise lunch for the new pastor and a brief business meeting. (The meeting was planned!) It was a big deal since we were asking the people of the church to support a very large remodeling, revamping, and updating project. Not suprisingly, this passed overwhelmingly.

the project
This will fix our existing building problems. A bad roof resign, a 60’s brick exterior, adding elevator, and redoing the staff offices will all get looked at. Also on the list is a major landscaping project. Why do this? I don’t think I’ve ever posted pics of our church… But it hasn’t changed much since they built it back in 1968. It’s your basic “function over form” design. Everything is blocked off and decidedly square. The only thing that isn’t square is the A-Frame sanctuary. To categorize it as ugly wouldn’t be true… But it is overly functional with no form.

The big thing to me personally is the office space. There is no such thing as privacy at our church. Folks walk I in the door and the first office they come to is mine. This is fine when I am bored but it also means I get asked to do all sorts of things that would be better suited for the support staff. Signing for packages. Being friendly with visitors. Letting people in. Taking messages for an “ever vacationing” secretary, helping people bring things in the building or carry them out. The list never ends for the interruptions. I am a people person… So in order for me to get any work done sometimes they people need to be “out of sight, out of mind.” This will all get addressed as we’ll finally have a door keeping people out of the office wing. We’ll all get better looking offices, more practical for people and less storage for books. I long to have space that encourages creativity!

in other news
The honeymoon appears to be over for our new senior pastor. One of my students posted in this in her blog… If it has trickled down to a 17 year old… I am afraid it might get worse before it gets better. I can see I have more praying to do for our new senior pastor!

he is such a scumbag for all that he’s doing. i mean he’s a great preacher and all but i don’t think he is the right guy for our church at the moment. he can be out interim but not our permanent.

Wow!

Help fix this back yard!

I know I have some of the coolest readers in all the world. I am asking for your help. A friend of mine is trying to win a backyard makeover for his family. Transforming their backyard into a kid-friendly and entertainment-friendly yard would be a dream come true. But the fact is that on his salary, it’ll never happen.

Could you PLEASE go to the KPLC website and vote for the Stewart Family? [Poll is located on the left hand side of the page.]

Thanks for your help!

This is where I spent most of my day today. At Comerica Park, home of the 2005 All Star game. It was a good reminder that our new pastor is coming out of a world unlike the church in any way… he scored his law firms 6 tickets at the 2nd row behind the dugout.

The bad news was that the Tigers got beat by the red hot white sox 4-3.

Man, those were some nice seats. Too cool. I’m for certain never going to score like that again.

The youth group continues to roll on in a positive and loving environment. One of the things I am really proud of is that we continue to be content driven and not hype driven.

The vibe of the group has really been amplified in the last 6-8 weeks. Since we’ve been concentrating on making everyone feel like they are part of the family… Put that together with the church feeling better about yourself, and it would make sense that we are ready to grow.

In Other News

Tigers Game
Today me and the SP are taking a few guys to see a Tigers game. This is half schmoozing new people and half schmoozing old church members. As we put those two type together on purpose… We can only hope for a connection.

Grad school
I took an incomplete on my last class. The main problem is that I was too busy to care about a class that was such a waste of my time.

In my present class, I’m on fire about it. It is hitting areas that I can completely see as valuable to my current ministry. I’m passionate about equipping people for ministry so Equipping Strategies is right up my alley. It’s funny that the class uses tons of Sonlife lingo and support information without actually using Sonlife as the reference. OK, maybe I just think that is funny. Poor Sonlife, they give all the good stuff and get none of the credit.

It’s been a long time since I updated about the fund raising efforts. As of last Sunday we have raised about 92% of our $16,000 goal.

Up until recently, this has all come in small portions. There have literally been hundreds of people making small sacrifices to reach this one large number.

I know this isn’t a major campaign and I know we didn’t raise millions of dollars, but God did it for us and through us and we are excited about it.

The Story

A few years ago there was a star running back coming out of college. He had done the right thing, avoiding an early entry into the NFL draft after his junior year, he finished his senior year and graduated from a well known University.

As the draft day neared there was lots and lots of buzz. He had all the right moves and the right size and excellent speed. Since was a star in college it looked as though he would be a superstar in the NFL. The fact is… Career-wise he may have put himself in a bad position because he was so good. His talents had elevated him beyond the “good teams looking for the final piece” and into the part of the upper part of the draft that was reserved for the truly desperate teams looking for any talent…Even if it was just a spectacle that sold a few tickets.

As usual for those in the NFL Draft, he went to the combines, he impressed the scouts, and he did a lot of talking to GM’s. On draft day 2002 he was picked 2nd overall. He was excited, his new team was excited, and the fans were besides themselves. As the new season dawned everyone thought this was the beginning of a dynasty career.

It wasn’t to be. While the Running Back had been a man among boys on the grid iron of Division I football, he met his match in the NFL. He played hard and did well. But he wasn’t what everyone was expecting. Not himself, his coach, the GM, his teammates, or the fans. The biggest problem was not even himself… It was the Quarterback. The old cagey veteran QB saw himself as a passer and refused to hand off the ball to the Running Back more than a few times a game. The Running Back was disappointed, but he accepted his new role on the team. Afterall, this was a team sport and he knew it couldn’t be about him. After the 2002 season he reflected on his successes and failures. He had some solid numbers (lots of yards, some TD’s, but also some notable fumbles and miscues.) He was hungry for more. He wanted to see his team win. He knew it wasn’t 100% up to him, but he wanted to contribute to taking his team to the playoffs… Maybe even the big game.

It wasn’t to be. At the end of the first season the quarterback made a big deal about “this punky kid who always wants the ball” and demanded that the Running Back be traded. So, in less than a year, the Running Back was traded and sent to another team.

Now this next team was on the rise. In the 2001 draft they took a QB high in the draft and in his first 2 seasons his arm had carried them deep into the playoffs. Sure, he made mistakes, but he was a winner. The team loved him and he loved the team. Together, the Running back and the young QB were a powerful duo. Everyone was besides themselves as they entered the 2003 season. Immediately, the QB’s arm combined with the Running Back’s skills elevated this team to the stratosphere. They blitzkreiged the football world with their abilities and they dominated the games. The fans were happy, the owner was happy, the GM was happy, the coach was happy, the QB was happy, and the Running Back was happy. Halfway into the season the newspapers were alive with talk about “a new dynasty” and that it wasn’t a matter of “if” these two would lead their team to the Super Bowl Championship, it was a matter of how many Championships they would win together.

It wasn’t to be. About halfway through the 2003 season the QB was hurt badly. His leg was broken so back and his neck was hurt that the young QB was left with no other choice but to retire. The team was devastated. The fans were besides themselves. While they still came to the games, they hardly cheered. The Running Back was hurt by the loss of the young QB. He kept saying to himself “Why me? Why can’t I just be on a winning team?” The coach and the GM managed to keep the Running Back’s head in the game. While the team lost a lot of games that year… The Running Back had a phenomenal year. They put the ball in his hands and he didn’t disappoint. For the rest of the 2003 season they didn’t win a game.

As the 2004 season neared, the team was still left without a QB. They had hoped to bring in a QB just like the last guy… One who could inspire the team to victory and impress the fans with his playmaking ability. The GM and the coach looked to free-agency to replace the young QB. In fact, at one point they thought they had superstar. They offered him a contract, the Running Back was excited about it. It looked as though the team would soon be back to it’s winning ways.

It wasn’t to be. The free agent superstar walked away from the deal and went back to his old team.

The 2004 season was terrible. While the Running Back had a solid season, he had a hard time hiding his disappointment. He knew that his skills and talent could only take his team so far… afterall… He knew his place as a running back. He couldn’t be a QB and he wasn’t the coach or the GM. Things got so bad that he considered retirement. Retirement after only 3 years? That wouldn’t be retiring… It would be quitting! He even thought about changing positions.

After a disastrous 2004 season, despite a less productive but solid season in the NFL, lots of injuries and lots of infighting, the team couldn’t wait to leave camp at the end of the year. The only good thing about the tumultuous season was that the 2005 NFL draft was looking good for the Running Back. He knew that the #1 pick would assure them a talented QB.

Draft day came and just as expected… A fresh new QB was selected. This one had plenty of talent too. The Running Back was excited as the 2005 season neared. He thought to himself, “Finally, all of the nonsense is behind me, now I can get back to running the ball and helping my team win. The pressure is off of me… We can share the pressure.”

It wasn’t to be. Early in the season, despite some great wins, the Running Back wasn’t happy that he wasn’t getting the ball like he was used to over the last 2 seasons. He was still productive, but it wasn’t the same. He kept thinking to himself, “Use me to open up the passing game.” But the QB and the GM and the coach had decided to pass the ball first and only run when needed. Instead of the “featured back” the Running Back could see that the mood had changed… “They want me to be a utility back!”

This spent the Running Back spinning emotionally. He knew he could be a superstar. He knew it was merely a matter of getting the ball in his hands and making things happen. It was humiliating to think of himself as a just a utility back. While he was still the starting running back for an NFL team, he had to deal with lost dreams and aspirations of greatness. While this new QB might lead them to the Super Bowl, the Running Back would never be the MVP as a utility back. The Hall of Fame… Forget about it. His dreams are over.

It just wasn’t to be. To make matters worse, after a few games the coach, QB, and GM pulled the Running Back aside. He knew it wasn’t going to be a good time. He just felt it. The young QB talked. (Who lets a rookie QB talk?) He said, “Now that this is my team [who gives a rookie the team?] I think we don’t need a running back anymore. Heck, I think you were a wasted trade, if I were here we wouldn’t have taken you.” Then the GM went on to explain that the team had decided that since the rookie QB didn’t need a running back anymore, maybe the Running Back should think about becoming a wide receiver, or a clipboard carrying back-up QB.

This is where our story ends. With the Running Back, in his jersey, on the sidelines holding a clipboard and wearing a headset. The Running Back thinks to himself, “Do I need to be traded, do I need to quit, or do I just swallow my dreams and take the stupid clipboard and be happy that the owner still writes me a check?” He calls the signals and a tear runs down his face.

Football is life.

For longtime All Blogs fans, it is known that I have whined about the plain boring old template for quite a long time.

So tonight, I finally busted out the color wheel and picked some new colors. It’s just a modification on a standard blogger template, but fun nonetheless.

Let me know what you think!