I know a guy who loves to run marathons. Marathons are grueling. They require stringent physical training (which is in itself a major commitment of time). To be successful, you must combine physical conditioning with strong mental preparation and a tremendous will. What is so attractive about it? For the most part, is the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment one derives from making it to the end. I think there is something very natural and good about this innate drive to push ourselves to the end of our limits.

Is there not something within us all that yearns to give all we have toward some great effort? Our most cherished successes are generally those that were the most demanding. I believe the call to follow Jesus is a challenge of such a nature. Living out the Spirit of God amid an evil world is a challenge of the highest order. Maybe, in our desire to emphasize the ease with which one can become a Christian, we have unwittingly under-emphasized the challenge of living for Christ.

I believe the gospel's appeal would increase if people could readily see the difficulty and challenge that living for Christ entails. People are not so much looking for something that is free and easy as they are for something that is real and powerful. Most people long for a challenge, especially one that is worthwhile. Deep down, we all know that nothing worthwhile in life comes without a cost. Jesus taught that a person must lose his\her life to gain it.

Revival begins in prayer. All that I am saying is predicated on the need to pray. Also, we need to think bigger thoughts. We must be willing to challenge ourselves deeply. We have accepted limits regarding how much we can give and what we can expect to accomplish. These limits did not come from God and are not reflective of God's work with His people in Scripture.

What are your thoughts?

One in the Spirit

This morning was a tremendous experience. It has taken me awhile to decide how to put it in words. So often, we speak of unity and of being one in spirit. There were 7 that met together this morning to pray for our congregation. It was a tremendous experience of unity. Hearing another praying for common needs and concerns is enlivening. I am more and more realizing that there is a dimension of faith that is best experienced in community. I am extremely enthused and optimistic about Sunshine's future.

God is all-powerful and He is not indifferent about the happenings of our lives. He still has a harvest to which He would send us. We need to pray and we need to pray together. Being an introvert by nature, most of my growth has come while being alone. If I want to practice my golf swing, I can accomplish so much more if I go to the range alone, than with someone. But Christianity is not analogous to golf. We need to pray alone, but we also need to pray together. I believe the Spirit of God was present with us this morning to unify us spiritually as we were physically.

We need to confess right now. We, within ourselves, do not possess what it takes to advance God's kingdom in our world. We need to seek God's wisdom and power.

Under Construction....Always

I thought this picture of our building from one of the VBS years was great for making a cheesy joke about our congregation being under construction. I hope we are always looking to be under construction in order to become better than we were "yesterday". ;)

To Go Along With Prayer & Share

I have been asked several times in the past if our church had people stand up and give their testimonies. I told them that the only time we have something like that is at our special Thanksgiving service but that the people are chosen beforehand to do this and it's always men.

I would like to see everyone stand up on a regular basis and get comfortable with sharing what God has done for them in their lives that day and/or that week, etc. We all need to hear what God is doing in one another's lives, especially when we are feeling particularly down. We need to remind one another with our daily life stories of how our God is alive and well and wanting to bless our lives with His greatness and power!

Let's add in testimonials on a regular basis as our sharing. There is great power and closeness that comes from sharing what God is doing, will do, and has done in each and everyone of our lives. Women have something to share as well as the men. For that matter, I would love to have the children stand up and talk about what God has done in their little lives in front of the congregation! Boy, do THEY have something to say?!!

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LISA!

Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday dear Lisa! Happy birthday to you!

Jennifer ;)

Leadership and growth

As with marriage or parenthood, there is no standard training program for becoming an elder or deacon. Those of us who assume such positions must, in a real sense, pioneer our own course. Adding to the complexity, are the varying approaches and manners each of us adopts. Imagine a group of guys, who are not completely comfortable in their positions and have developed divergent ideas as to how to carry out their roles. You have the makings of a Deacon’s Meeting. I’m guessing you have the makings of an Elder’s Meeting too.

I am sometimes amazed at how differently we look at the same things. What one deacon sees as strength another fears is weakness. What one thinks is top priority another sees as less significant. That is not to suggest there is controversy among the deacons. Quite the opposite, we get along very well. But we do struggle to work together in meaningful ways. We struggle because we have yet to arrive at a common understanding of what exactly we are attempting to accomplish as the Sunshine Church of Christ.

What I am describing is not unique to our congregation. This lack of shared focus in leadership is common, not only in our brotherhood, but in other groups as well. We are not bad leaders. We are normal guys facing a great challenge. What we need to remember is that we are not alone and we have all the tools needed. It is easy as a leader, especially when you are working hard, to get the cart before the horse.

The leader of the Church is Jesus. He has promised that He would not leave us alone. Prayer is our avenue through which to petition our Lord for guidance and assistance. Dewey called a few of us together recently to pray for the needs of our youth. It was a powerful experience to pray with and listen to the prayers of my brothers. Just as we can grow in prayer as individuals, we can grow in prayer as a group. Each time we do this, we get a bit more creative, spontaneous, and personal. I heard that church leaders in Viet Nam have the custom of lighting a candle and praying until it burns out. Jim Cymbala, minister of the Brooklyn Tabernacle believes in prayer. He started with around 40 people who committed themselves to prayer. The congregation is now over 10,000. To this day, when he preaches, a select few gather to pray until he is finished.

I believe God has great and powerful blessings stored up for our congregation. We need to come together and ask Him to turn them loose. I truly believe that revival can happen in our day.

Abston Church of Christ

Ever hear of the Abston Church of Christ? Big place, as you can see from the picture...but not as big as it looks. This incredible edifice is built entirely of Lego bricks! The ABS in Abston stands for ABS Plastic...the stuff that Legos are made out of. I thought about putting this on B4B, but decided to post it here instead. I don't think the Abston CofC is part of the "brotherhood" since it comes equipped with a pipe organ. On the positive side, it also sports a baptistry :) Click on the picture to visit the artist's website, complete with a lot of pictures and commentary about this impressive endeavor.

Prayer and Share

I am totally enthused about the interest in our growth that seems to have sparked here in the last few days. There are many great ideas floating around and one thought that really caught my eye was Kristi's Prayer and Share. The title just oozes with richness. Would there be an interest in Sunday evening Prayer and Share sessions following a short singing, communion devotional? Or better yet, let the singing, communion come after the Prayer and Share.
We could take up written request and pray for them right then. We could take spoken request and pray about it right then. We could let people say their own prayers if they wanted. We could have some silent time in prayer. We could sing a prayer on occasion. I'm getting chilled at the possibilities available.

Growth continued...

One ministry that has always seemed significant to me is church camp. Many years I have gone to Fort Hill, volunteering a week to work with kids. Many folks from Sunshine have done likewise. I have always left the camp with the feeling that the past week was time well-spent. That is an important feeling for me because so many of my involvements did not seem worthwhile in the end. Reflecting on why camp feels so right has highlighted a dynamic that I think is relevant to our discussion on church growth.

The one thing that is unique to camp is that you commit to a week. After settling-in, you can easily give your undivided attention to the work of the week. Because of the up-front commitment of time, it is possible to get involved with the events with the kids. It is easier to be patient. And there is a tone set that reminds that all things are for the glory of God. During the week, it is natural to fall in love with many of the kids. You take pride in their achievements and mourn their disappointments. A wonderful, godly atmosphere develops. The key to all this is the dynamic of time. All of the staff have pre-ordained that this particular week is for camp.

The dynamic of time explains why during camp week I get deeply involved with the happenings of Isaiah Myers, then for the other 51 weeks of the year, I hardly interact with him. The other 51 weeks I have never decided that some of my time and resources are for him. The other 51 weeks of the year, I am dealings with the schedules, problems, and priorities of my own life. Though, I still have the same heart for Isaiah as I did during camp week, I am just so consumed with other stuff that no time will be found for him.

I am writing all this by way of illustration. It is impossible to make all weeks like camp week. We cannot ignore our schedules, problems, and priorities. BUT, sometimes we think we have no control when in fact we do. We are not helpless in dealing with the priorities of life. Change in our basic approach to living can happen. We have to be sufficiently motivated. The primary growth we need is a growth in love.

How often do we pray that God will increase our capacity of love for our brothers and sisters? If we all suddenly experienced a double-portion of love for one another, things would change. Please do not misunderstand my emphasis here. I am not attempting to create guilt. I am attempting to steer our thinking toward the potential of love.

What are your thoughts? Am I being too simple? Am I crazy for thinking that a revival is possible here?

A spin on growth

I am still thinking about the possibilities of growth in our congregation. Generally, we are all thinking of growth as an increase in our numbers. Of course, we all readily acknowledge that there are deeper and more meaningful aspects to growth than simple attendance figures. Recently, many have focused meaningful effort on our youth. The Spirit Club has become a reality. Coordinated youth activities for the pre-teens is currently being renewed. A tutoring program is coming soon. These developments are encouraging and I hope we all will find ways to support them.

The most common metaphor employed by Scripture to describe the Church is family. We naturally think of God as our Father and we are His children. That relates us as members of the Church as brothers and sisters. I do not think that we have fully embraced the total essence of this powerful metaphor. There are most definitely great displays of brother/sisterhood within the Sunshine family. But, I am concerned that some are overlooked. I'm not suggesting wrong-doing here, but rather, a lack of a lovingly aggressive right-doing.

We have brothers and sisters in need. There are members of our family who suffer alone. Why are we blind to these needs? There are two reasons that come to mind. First, we are generally too preoccupied with our own problems to aggressively assess the needs of another. And secondly, the needs of our brothers and sisters are complicated. There are no simple or quick fixes. We look for simple or quick fixes because we feel the pull to return our attention to our own problems. So really both reasons stem from the same situation, preoccupation with the self. The metaphor of family challenges us to think in terms of the community, not the individual. This is not the way of the American middle-class.

Can we grow in love for our brothers and sisters? Love is the only thing that will motivate us to rethink our basic approach to daily life, so that new possibilities might emerge. Can we become like the early Jerusalem Church described in Acts 4. They shared everything and no one was in need.

If we are to grow as a family, it will come primarily by humbling ourselves in prayer before God. There are no simple solutions. The problems many of our brothers and sisters are dealing with are complex. This ministry is not something one can do on the side, but rather must emanate from a deep and abiding relationship with the Father. Are we willing to challenge the assumptions we have adopted about povery, personal boundaries, co-dependency, etc?

Let me know what you are thinking?

Who are we anyway?

A while back, my neice got a new swing set/play gym and an Amish man came out to the house to put it together. At the time, if you asked my neice who came to the house and put her swing set together, she would tell you "It was the Momish". We all laughed at this thinking how cute it was and how kids hear things differently, yet pick up on a great deal. Well, this whole thing with the Amish has had me thinking. Everyone knows an Amish person when they SEE one. Why is that? Mostly because of the way they are dressed and probably a few other things. So, I was thinking. If a Christian came to put the swing set up for my neice, how would we know it?

This really concerns me because we are suppose to be different than the rest of the world. Not just the way we look but the way we talk, and behave. I remember a time in my life telling my parents that I wanted to be an Amish. I always remember hearing stories of how these people would all come together and build a barn, for example, for one of their neighbors without pay or anything. Just simply because they saw a need and took care of it.....ALL of them.....together. This made a huge impression on me at a time when my soul was still lost. Where were the Christians? Are they doing these things for one another or are they too busy grumbling about "the barn needing built"?

Just some thoughts.

Today

This morning I decided to create a personal blog to start sharing what I've learned from God in my day to day living. I hope to sit down each night and post about what I've discovered and learned from that day along with any insights that may come to mind. I think this will be a wonderful exercise for each of us to practice. What I mean by that is, making it a point to go through your day looking for God's lessons and blessings in our life. Then journaling about them each day. I think it would be great to share these things with each other and not only that, but to be able to go back over our previous posts and re-experience the blessing/lesson. This would be incredibly helpful during those days when we are feeling a little down and the world is trying to keep us there.

If you would like to visit my newest blog where I plan to start this venture, here is the address:

http://onedaywhileliving.blogspot.com/

I really encourage you to create your own. Especially you girls out there! I'm starting to look bad on my other blog with links to nothing but the guys' blogs. I like men, but I don't want people to think I like them too much. You know? ;)

The State of the Congregation

There has been a lot of buzz lately about Sunshine growing. The focus of this energy has been on the number of kids we have coming up through the ranks. Of course, this blog has already tackled the issue of building a new facility. There were mixed responses regarding building plans. I am wondering what other thoughts you might have about the current state of the congregation.

What are some of your thoughts about where we are and where we are going? What should we develop? What should be retired? Who do you think is the best looking deacon (forget that one)?

Some late coming thoughts from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Yesterday, I led the invocation for SOMC's Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon. Prior to the event, I pulled up a copy of MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech for review. As I read the words, I was moved by the message afresh. MLK, the Civil Rights Movement's greatest leader, is known as an inspirational orator and for promoting nonviolent opposition. His words were powerful. They shaped a movement that changed our nation. What struck me, in re-reading his speech, was the degree to which his words were rooted in biblical themes.

Bill Gnade has written an excellent post on Martin Luther King, Jr. In it he refers to MLK as a theologian. He writes about this national holiday, "It is a holiday celebrating the liberating power of the Gospel,..." Please take the time to read it.

In our thinking about reaching out to the needs within our congregation, we should remember that the power is God's. The best we can achieve is to align ourselves with His will. When our goals and priorities align with His, we can expect the Spirit to move within us. God is very much at work in our world. We should seek, as a congregation, to join in the work.

The conceptual leap from MLK to congregational benevolence may seem to be lacking an appropriate transition. I relate them by the theme of liberation. The gospel is a message, infused with power, about liberation. The Civil Rights Movement reflects a dimension of that liberation. As we address the needs of others, we too are engaging in the work of liberation. Of course there is no greater liberation than that afforded to us by the cross of Jesus Christ, liberation from the wages of sin.

Grape Juice Musings

Today I was drinking a glass of grape juice and was thinking how good it tasted when suddenly I thought about communion. It was kinda' weird because I kept gulping this stuff down and this isn't what I do during communion. I thought for a moment about how happy I was that we don't have to drink real blood and then took another big gulp of juice.

Has this ever happened to any of you while drinking grape juice or maybe eating a cracker?

I know this post is weird but I figured no one else was posting anything today so I might as well. My posts are usually pretty strange and this kind of thing may be just what you're looking for during a day of boredom at work.

Hello?

"Knock, Knock..."

[no answer]

"Hello?"

[faint delayed echoes: ....ello, ello, ello...]

"Anybody there?"

[crickets chirping]

"I know you're out there...lurking..."

[silence]

Casting Crowns

Casting Crowns is coming to the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 26. Thought we might get a group together and go if anyone is interested. Tickets are not on sale yet, but will probably be in the next week or two.

Terry's Next Vehicle

I saw this stretch Corvette and immediately thought of everyone's favorite youth minister. And of course I just had to share it with everyone...

:P

Sunshine XML Feed

Hey folks, You might have not have noticed the little button right above the links that says XML Sunshine. That's our XML feed.

I don't know if any of you have discovered XML feeds yet, but it's terrific for keeping track of new postings on the blogs! I've been playing around with it today and discovered that I can track everyone's blog here (you didn't know you had a feed, did you?) and be notified within 10 minutes every time somebody posts something new on any of the blogs. It sure saves a lot of browser clicking. The only thing it doesn't track are new comments...darn.

All you need to do is download an RSS/XML reader and install it, then add the URL's for the feeds of the blogs you want to watch. Those abbreviations may sound a bit complex for the HTML impaired among us, but after you've done a couple of times it's a no-brainer.

I'm already tracking the Sunshine blog along with all of mine, Jamie's, Scott's, Jennifer's, Tim's and Zoe's. To find the URL for your blog just go to the Settings control panel and look under Feeds. It's normally the URL for your blog plus a slash and ATOM.XML. Here's a link to a free RSS/XML reader that's simple to install and use: RSS Reader

History sucks...I thought

I received a solid biblical education growing up in the Sunshine congregation. I feel blessed and am pleased to see that tradition continuing with today's youth. One difference, the significance of which is debatable, is that I was given a basic knowledge of our restoration history. By restoration history, I am referring to what is now called the Stone-Campbell Movement. My understanding was indeed cursory. I knew something of Stone and Campbell and knew that we held to baptism, weekly observance of the Lord's Supper, and non-instrumental music in an effort to uphold "the ancient order of things". I understood that we honed-in on the book of Acts to ascertain the "pattern" of New Testament Christianity. I also understood that we interpret Scripture based on the principles of: 1) direct command, 2) approved example, and 3) necessary inference. These fundamental principles that stem from our religious heritage were ingrained in me. What I lacked was a broader understanding of the religious and historical factors that contextualize these beliefs within the scope Christendom.

It seems to me that these things are rarely, if ever, discussed in our Jr. High, High School, and adult classes. Occasionally, while teaching a class, I ask a question related to our heritage. I have yet to find anyone who has a clue as to what I am referring. I have mixed feelings about this reality. On one hand, that we are not indoctrinating our youth in narrow traditional thinking is a good thing. On the other, that many in our fellowship have a limited understanding of from where it is that we have come, is a bad thing. Time spent studying the Stone-Campbell Movement might be better spent reading the Bible directly, some might say. Yet, anyone who would decry the value of history is surely a fool. How can you divorce our understanding of the Scriptures from the religious context that has shaped us?

I am of the position that a deeper appreciation of our heritage is a good thing. I am wondering how all of you feel about it? Or if you have ever given it any thought? Many times I have been asked why we do what we do? Those are great questions. The answers can not be given in 25 words or less. Why did the Hatfields hate the McCoys? The real answer lies in a developed understanding of the context out of which the feud emerged. So it is with us.

Is it OK that so few find such a contextual understanding of our beliefs relevant?

Taking The Wind From The Sail

Only makes you wonder, what if??? 2006 Here we come.

Changing Our Looks

The other night I was experimenting around at ScottyG'sPlace and changed the template to one that I've seen used at other sites. I really like it... check it out. I was wondering if anyone would have any objections if I made some changes to this blog site also. The main thing I like about the different template is that the page is screen wide and therefore the posts require less scrolling.

There is a danger in changing your template though, you have to copy all the html scripting we've made on this template and paste them in on the new one.Your thoughts?

Devos

We had the teen devo at our house tonight. Man those guys are a blast. I'm always amazed at how much understanding they have. We dove in pretty deep tonight, talking about the Word being living and active, a double sided sword, dividing soul from spirit, bone from marrow, we did a little fencing. Hebrew 4.
We could use a few more houses for devos - hint, hint! It's really very little trouble to host one. These guys would eat pizza til they turned green. If your kids are grown, you'll appreciate the memories a devo will bring. If your kids are younger, they'll be thrilled to have all the teens come over for a couple hours. How exciting!!
At Sunshine, we are blessed with a great bunch of kids (all ages). I think this is a result of a great bunch of elderly who have been looking to the future and seeing it come for some time. I'm excited about our upcoming year and all the blessings we will see if we look to the Lord.
I'm posting a few pics from last years youth rally.

Satan And The Christian

Jason's Book Club (better than Oprah's)

I have been reading a really good book, The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ by Jeff W. Childers, Douglas A. Foster, Jack Reese. The title explains the gist of the book. I have read many articles and books along these lines and find this to be one of the best. I will share one idea from the authors that I find especially helpful.

The authors give a good overview of the disciplines and practices associated with biblical interpretation. Specifically, they address the major influences that have impacted biblical interpretation within our restoration heritage. The case is made that we are all interpreters, and we are not fully objective in our reading of Scripture.

Having established a context for discussion, the authors suggest the principle of appreciating the core of Scripture. The core being the gospel. The gospel, most specifically, being the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We should formulate our thinking about all other teachings of Scripture in relationship to its core. Our priorities in emphasis should correlate with proximity to the core. They argue that this is exactly what the Apostles did as they dealt with the various issues that confronted them in ministry.

This principle has great utility in helping us maintain biblical integrity as a congregation without becoming church focused, rather than Christ focused. My post over-simplifies these issues as well as the authors insights. I highly recommend the book. Its not difficult reading, although its helps to have some background in our restoration history.

The book provides a concise overview of how we, the non-instrumental CofC, came to be. They are honest but not critical of our unique history. They call the reader to recognize both strengths and weaknesses of our heritage. I believe those who have been turned off by the call for change will find this book non-offensive. I hope some of you will take time to read it.

Have a good day!

Variety

Thank you for all your comments on Blank Mind. I was so excited to see all the varied backgrounds and influences you told about. It puts me in mind of the new testament church, a mix of Jewish, Greek, and Romans coming together for a single belief and a single cause. Just think about that mix. Jews with Gentiles, pagans with Romans and Jews. I do believe that God has united His people as a varied group for a reason, to learn of Christ together and to learn how to look at Christ through the eyes of people with different backgrounds. Didn't Paul spend a lot of writing doing just that very thing?
We can't erase our backgrounds. God put us just where He wanted us and He brought us together to worship and serve Him as one. He taught us to love each other and to share that love with those in the world. So I say what a blessing each and every one of His children are and I praise God for our variety.

Help with my blog?

I don't suppose anyone has figured out how to add music to a personal blog? I would love to maybe add music to Zoe's Adoption blog at some point but I don't know if that's do-able. I did find smilies to put on our blog posts but I just can't get them to work on here. :(

Praise Him All Ye People

This morning, on my way to church, I began noticing the faces of the people who were going the opposite direction on the highway. The mouth of each driver looked like it was singing. Very few people I passed were not singing. I was comforted by this sight realizing what Sundays mean to so many of us.

As I think more about those few people who were not singing, I have to wonder if they even know what it is that they're missing out on. My mood was set right for the whole rest of the day at the sight of people giving praise to God. All of this happened before I ever even walked through the doors of the church building! God is so amazing! He can touch us and receive praise from us wherever we are. The only time it gets better, while here on earth, is when we all get together and do it all at once!

Oh how wonderful!

Blogdigger: CofC Group

I have shared some e-mail correspondence with Milton Stanley. He has a very good blog entitled Transforming Sermons. I've linked to it before. He offered to include us in the search group, Church of Christ, on the Blogdigger site. I asked him to go ahead and do so. Check out the site here. The site is very useful if you want to peruse blogs of a CofC affiliation. You can do specific searches within the group. It is a great way to check-out what others are doing and thinking within the our brotherhood.

I hope you are having a good day!

Happy Birthday, Jason!

A little humor

Food

On the lighter side, when would you like to have the next fellowship dinner?

Blank Mind

Sometimes I wish I could do the impossible. I wish I could forget everything I ever learned about the Bible in Sunday school. I wish all the influences from my upbringing were gone and my mind was a clean slate as far as the God is concerned. Then I would like to set down and read the Word with no preconceived ideas or prejudices. I wonder where I would end up?
Of course this is impossible, but do you think I could make it back to where I am today? Would I be a lost cause or an open mind listening only to God? Would I be the same, better or worse?
Just curious, but do you think it could be possible that we think we know God better than we actually do?

A New Year - A New Paradigm

Awhile back, my grandfather made a church related statement to me. He then asked if I agreed or disagreed. I could not figure how to accurately formulate my response. Underlying my grandfather's statement were values and presuppositions that I did not share. Though my grandfather and I share much, we are currently functioning within different paradigms. In order to answer his question, a larger discussion about disparate values and assumptions inherent in his question was needed. The difficulty of that conversation far outweighed the significance of the original question, so it was dropped.

I see a similar communication gap emerging at Sunshine. It's no different from tensions discussed in many books, university lectureships, and a host of CofC blogs. The tensions stems from larger issues not specific to us at Sunshine. Two terms that signify this struggle are postmodernism and emergent-church. What is postmodernism and the emergent-church? Nobody knows...yet. What we can know is that the reigning paradigm, modernity, is deteriorating, and new approaches to thinking are emerging. Postmodernism is a catch-all term meaning anything that is beyond modernity. Eventually some approaches will win-out over others, and a clearer definition of this new paradigm will be possible.

I'm writing in hopes of stimulating an open, upfront discussion about these issues, as they apply to our family. As I said previously, we are not embarking on this journey alone. These issues are not unique to us. We can benefit greatly by "educating ourselves" in how this paradigm shift is being addressed within the larger CofC. Books, journals, lectureships, etc., are available. If we were taking a vacation to an exotic location, we would gladly consult with one who had previously been there. We would not blindly follow their itinerary, but the information gained would greatly enhance our own plans.

I believe the gap between where we are and where we are going is not so great. What do you think?