Once a quarter

Every three months.

Is that reasonable? To post every three months may be all I'm capable of doing. I want to do more, but I can't manage everything on my schedule well enough to promise more--or necessarily even that much!

The Kingdom is an exciting place to be, no matter where you live. But if you live in Northern New York, you may be aware that a handful of pastors and disciples have committed together to live in such a fashion as to threaten the enemy's powerful hold on people, institutions, even churches here.

• We will pray consistently, individually and together, that God will bind the enemy from specific people, places and powers; that He will break down strongholds of the enemy's power and influence; and that He will send laborers into fields ready for harvest, to claim for Christ souls that might otherwise be lost forever.
• We are asking God for, and looking for committed workers and equipped, dedicated soldiers to go into places to claim, secure and hold positions of strategic importance to the King. It is time to quit our prior positions of "maintaining" dying churches. It is time to assume a new posture of aggressive, calculated evangelism and spiritual warfare designed to lay groundwork for a new birth of the church in our time.
• Having already reached the limits of our feeble human abilities, we will advance on our knees. We will pray our way to success, by the power of the blood of Jesus' sacrifice.

Father, I beg you, please, give us our communities for Christ. Swell the numbers of believers and disciples in our churches. Bind the enemy away from us. Give us a season of peace among our members, a spirit of joy in the work of our hands, and a genuine, disciplined commitment to Christ among all our members. Make us like Him in every respect, such that we bless our world without hesitation or reservation. Take away our fear, our selfishness, and our doubts. Give us Your Spirit so that we are confident, capable and redemptive to our very core. Let it be so, by the power of the blood of Your Son's sacrifice, by the power of the name of Jesus. Amen.

Catching Up

Three months. That's how long it's been since I last posted to this blog. Just so you know that I know. I've had many things pass through my mind, blog worthy, but now lost to oblivion, because my discipline has been interrupted by activities, fatigue, sleep, and hopefully, some effective service.

Today my attention was captured by something I'd forgotten. The search for partners with whom to share ministry is often complicated by many things, but the most common obstacle is the future partner's lack of awareness of their capabilities and desirability for service. A friend reminded me of an old conversation wherein we discussed the competencies of the members of the body of Christ. People are developing at various levels at different times, often regulated by simple need and opportunity. Craig Groeschel describes four levels of (in)competency:

• Unknown incompetence: a team member doesn’t know what she doesn’t know.
• Known incompetence: a team member is starting to learn what he doesn’t know.
• Unknown competence: the person is starting to understand how to do her ministry role but isn’t really aware how good she is.
• Known competence: the person is becoming aware that God has gifted them for this specific role.

Serendipity may help folks "figure it out," but most folks would benefit from a more disciplined approach. I think it's necessary for us to encourage each other to take chances, embrace opportunities, and consciously push ourselves to grow. The Kingdom of God grows by the work of the Holy Spirit directing the willing hands of believers/disciples of Christ. Our hands increase their effectiveness as our competency grows in our service.

I hope you will welcome opportunities to serve, in various ways, in order to become the most competent disciple you can be. I pray we will all study, plan and prepare in order to become more competent at everything we are called to do. I pray God uses us well, and smiles upon the work of our hands. I pray our King and His Kingdom are blessed by our disciplined competence.

Rules & Regs & Doing the Right Thing

In a 2007 edition of the New Oxford Review, Dr. A. Patrick Schneider II, who holds boards in family and geriatric medicine and runs a private practice in Lexington, Kentucky, did a statistical analysis of cohabitation in America, based on the findings of a number of academic resources. Here are five conclusions Schneider draws from his studies:

• Relationships are unstable in cohabitation. One-sixth of cohabiting couples stay together for only three years; one in ten survives five or more years.
• Cohabiting women often end up with the responsibilities of marriage—particularly when it comes to caring for children—without the legal protection. Research has also found that cohabiting women contribute more than 70 percent of the relationship's income.
• Cohabitation brings a greater risk of sexually transmitted diseases, because cohabiting men are four times more likely to be unfaithful than husbands.
• Poverty rates are higher among cohabitors. Those who share a home but never marry have 78 percent less wealth than the continuously married.
• Those who suffer most from cohabitation are the children. The poverty rate among children of cohabiting couples is fivefold greater than the rate among children in married-couple households. Children ages 12–17 with cohabiting parents are six times more likely to exhibit emotional and behavioral problems and 122 percent more likely to be expelled from school.

Living together as husband and wife is marriage. Period. Simple as as that. Men who "trick" women are just as evil when they do it without as license as when they obtain a license from the government. I know the government provides certain guarantees to women when they register their marriage with the state, which is really decent, since they tax you according to the registration, but the fact remains that dishonorable behavior is dishonorable behavior.

Men and women have been entering into partnerships since the garden. There was a snake in the garden then, and there are snakes around still today. Women need to choose carefully a partner who is trustworthy. The success and prosperity of the household, the security of the children, the stability and health of the future rely upon the discernment of the people involved--particularly the women.

But the fact remains, the snake in the equation is the person or persons who selfishly pursue their own interests at the expense of others. Christians have not so learned Christ. When we follow Christ, He leads us to love as He loves--holding the other's interests above our own, seeking the blessing and benefit of others at our own expense, forgoing our own pleasure for the benefit of others. When we give ourselves away, sacrificing self, redeeming and lifting up others, we are most like Christ. In so doing, we put ourselves in the optimum position to bring blessing and prosperity to the entire house. Ultimately, our greatest potential for blessing is never found in what we can take from a given situation. It is found in the hand of a loving God who gives every good and perfect gift, freely, from above.

When we love, bless, and live honorably, faithfully with each other, we are most like Him.

Walking the Garden Path

Following Christ can be very exciting. Following Christ can be a little scary. There simply is no way that I can, in good conscience, tell you that it will always be easy to be a faithful disciple of Jesus.

Ask Peter about his experiences. Ask him if he was scared the night Jesus was arrested. Ask him if he worried what the religious leaders thought about his violation of Jewish traditions and laws. Ask him if it hurt when he was stoned, beaten, and ultimately crucified. Ask him if it was worth it.

I believe our choices are simpler today, and our risks are not as great, in this country. However, the teachings of Christ still require that we give ourselves away in the fashion He did at every moment leading up to and including Calvary. How we manage this life's resources and assets entrusted to us, how we relate to others, what we do with our time, etc., all are areas of discipleship that demonstrate the Lordship of Christ.

Religion often over simplifies the Christian life to a series of rules, dogmas, and rituals, all of which are designed to focus our attention on Christ. But it's easy to make the religious exercize the focus, losing the focus on Christ altogether. It's really important to remember that our actions are supposed to grow out of the relationship with God. And similarly, our actions should draw us closer to Him. But it all starts with the relationship. And the relationship is like any other--communication is key.

The easiest part about following Christ is the time we spend just being with Him, talking to Him, listening, just being. And if we stay there, we might think it will always be easy to know what to do, and to do it. But remember, the disciples were with Jesus the night He was arrested. Even though they were walking right alongside Him, they were scared, confused, and at least one of them struck out violently with a sword. The sweetest thing is that--even in that stressful moment--Jesus just fixed it, miraculously healing Malcus' ear. I don't really like being scared and confused, but I'd love to have been there.

As we walk together with Christ and the family of disciples here, there will be moments of fear and confusion. It's inevitable, because we have an enemy who will confront us. We will likely screw up, individually and collectively, and Jesus will have to fix it. I don't really like being scared and confused, but I really have to be there. And I want to be there with you.

Family at Work & Play

Saturday was a huge day for Calcium Community Church. I love the sound of family when they work together, play together, and just spend time doing stuff.

Saturday, we were family. We worked together, painting much of the walls and ceilings in the new building. We played together, painting and laughing and eating and just having a good time being together.

Our family gets pretty loud. We can be a little chaotic. We can tolerate a lot more of the noise and chaos than I thought! As a result, we can accomplish more than I thought.

I think we may be ready to try some really ambitious things.

Think about it. Pray about it. Get ready.

The Joy of People

One of the greatest joys I experience routinely is the joy of people that God sends to me. What once seemed a wonderful serendipity has become a fairly regular treat. I am blest to look up from work from time to time--computer dazed, snow shovel weary, study eye bleary--only to find that God has sent me a visitor! I LOVE IT! People come looking for information about the church, wanting to talk faith or religion, maybe needing directions or a word of encouragement or just wanting to share a piece of their history with the church and community.

Regardless of need or motive, it's always a blessing to meet new folks and share a moment of conversation and communion. The Spirit in the believer thrills to the rhythm of the Spirit resonating in another, and our day is brightened.

To each of you, I say a hearty "thank you" for sharing life in the moment. May our Lord bless you for being a warm, friendly, stereotypical (?) New Yorker!

Better

So, I still have the sinus thing, but I think that's just part of the permanent condition of this fallen man. Generally, I feel better. My headache is all but gone. I'm dizzy, but not falling over or nauseated to the extent I was for the last couple of weeks. I still don't know what it was, but I really am not that interested in knowing, anyway.



What counts is what gets me well! I know that God built healing into the system, and for that I am truly thankful. I know that old friends and old memories are like balm for the soul, and I am blessed to have some of the very best. I am also blessed to have some of the very worst memories anyone can imagine, which brings me to rehearse the amazing grace of God and His people. Coupled with the prayers of the saints, I can hardly stay sick forever! All of this results in a spirit rekindled, and a body delivered from the grip of illness.



I am, like every believer and disciple of Christ, reborn and renewed, being constantly re-made in the image of Christ. The Spirit within us grows stronger and we look, act and live more like Him all the time! We are delivered and become deliverers like Him. There is healing in the voice and touch of Christ's followers. You heal me, and each other. And I am thankful.

No Super Pastor

There is no such thing as a "super-pastor." But if there was, I'll bet he never gets sick. I, on the other hand, do. My head hurts, I'm dizzy, and sick at my stomach--products of living in the fallen state of a corrupted world. And I don't mean New York.

I pray for the return of the King, and the full redemption of all of creation. 'Til then, I pray we all get well soon.

Not a Sick Fan

I'm not a fan of illness. I know that God built healing into our systems, and that rest is the key to activating that system. Consequently, illness sometimes seems to me a self-indictment for not paying attention to the necessary discipline of rest. I think I have run past the limits so often and for so long, that I require more rest than is normal for most, and I find that a little embarrassing. But the reality is, I need to rest as much as it takes to heal my body to wholeness. Period. Thanks for your prayers, and understanding.

Learning Jesus

Following Jesus means alot of things, but the baseline has to start with learning about Him.

We all learn in a variety of ways. I enjoy reading, because I can analyze detail, going back to reread things that prompt me to think. I also like listening to the stories of Jesus' life, work, miracles, etc. My grandfather used to tell stories, and somehow, to me, the stories of Jesus are just golden. But maybe the most invigorating learning process for me is experiential. When I am engaged in purposely "living the life of Christ," I am constantly in conversation with God. I want to do my best to think like Christ, act like Christ and just BE, like Christ.

I think the benchmark for learning of Christ is to examine the historical, biographical record of His life, which is found primarily in the 4 "gospel" books of the Bible--Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. When read like a novel, the story is gripping. When read by a devotee, a lot of detail jumps out. When scrutinized, the normal inconsistencies and unique idiosyncrasies of a very special life become the "stuff" of criticism as well as inspiration. The criticisms can become faith challenging, or they can become the very confirmation of our faith that Jesus was somehow, supernaturally, both God and man. The record appears imperfect. Yet, somehow, I am inspired to believe the imperfections are perceptual. I may never understand the perceived conflicts, this side of heaven. But I realize that any life held up to scrutiny will often hold surprises, paradoxes and conundrums for the studious observer.

Having read the stories of Christ over and over, listening to more sermon and stories than I can recount, and engaging in flights of fancy identifying with the principal character, I find myself, at 50 years of age, still fully consumed with the idea that I can--I should--be like Him.

The experience of sharing life with someone changes us. I share my life with Christ. I am changed. I understand, because I try to understand, His thoughts. I see how He lives, and I am inspired to live like Him. I see how He died, how He gave himself away for others, a sacrifice, and I am moved to think new thoughts about the value of my life, and how it should be spent, not just consumed.

When I was a child, I read the biography of Francis Marion (a.k.a. "Swampfox"). I wanted to be like him. He was smart, a skilled rider, well liked, and a man of principle and conviction. I liked those things, and thought him worthy of my emulation. When I read the story of Jesus, I knew nothing else, no one else, ever even came close. This was the life to model. This was the man who changed lives, my life, forever. The Spirit made it possible for me to experience Christ, personally, in a way I never imagined possible. He still does.

And I'm still learning.

I'm listening.

Sometimes I'm just really aware that repetition is the only way we'll actually hear and learn something. And when repetition comes our way, it's probably a good bet that God's trying to tell us something important.

Lately, the recurrent theme seems to be "if you'll take the blame for the failures, you'll likely take the credit for the successes."

Sounds reasonable. On the face, it's sounds like an accountability lesson with rewards promised for the guy willing to "take it on the chin for his mistakes." But when I talk to God, over and over He tells me it's really a lesson about arrogance and pride.

I love to give God thanks and praise for the victories. Success seems to be His "middle name." He's very good to me--and all of His children. We know that every good thing comes from God. And we want to give Him praise for the successes we enjoy. But there are times when our experiences require adjustments many of us can only describe as failures. We are willing servants of the Almighty, all-knowing God, who sometimes calls us to service that to us may appear fruitless. Because we can't see the future of the larger picture, we can't know the part our sacrifice plays. The significance of our role may seem small or, worse, huge--and embarrassing--when we perceive failure.

But the truth is, when we sign as disciples of Christ, we are called to follow Him to a cross. His greatest success surely looked like a failure to most onlookers of that day. I'm willing to give Him credit for the successes. I know full well that He is able to do all things. I know that if I am able, it's because His Spirit lives within me, enabling & empowering me. By the same token, I must be willing to give Him credit for the failures, trusting that, although I may never see the other side of the failure, it plays a role in the development of my "reasonable service" and His Kingdom.

Success? Failure? I'm OK with that. Or I will be.

The Nature of Relationship

We need each other. We need to be needed, as much as we need others. In fact, some counselors suggest the greatest human need is the need to be needed. Commonly called "the search for significance," most of us find great satisfaction in the relationships we build and maintain with people we genuinely care about.

It shouldn't be at all surprising that we so highly value relationships. We were created for relationship. God created us for fellowship with Him. He recognized the longing within man for relationship, and created a help-mate for him, from him. We really are connected to each other, and to God. Our innermost longings can only be satisfied in relationships. And our greatest, aching, innermost longing is for God. Our search for significance is really a search for Him.

Some worry the search is in vain. Some fear that the search is futile, contending "there is no God." But Jesus said that everyone who keeps searching will find. The garden story, at the very beginning of the Bible, tells of God searching for Adam & Eve, after their sin. I believe the life and sacrifice of Christ is the ultimate story of God searching for us. He wants a relationship with us. We need only reach up to Him. He's already reaching out to us.

We were created for fellowship with God. He gave us the capacity to participate in relationship with Him, in an intelligent, loving fashion. As a result, we have the capacity, also, to participate in relationship with other people. In fact, the capacity to love and be loved, to hear and be heard--or perhaps better stated, to understand and be understood, to accept and be accepted, are perhaps the most common and important human traits.

While most of us search for interpersonal relationships to meet our needs, many are unaware that the single greatest fulfillment available in human experience is found in a personal relationship with God. Many find it completely normal to talk to ourselves, but may find it a little uncomfortable for others to know they talk to an invisible, quiet God. Like the discomfort of conversation with someone you just met for the first time, or perhaps that of a first date, the only way to make it work is to just do it.

Talk to God. Take the chance of not knowing what to say. Take the chance that some may think you're psychotic. Take the chance that He will hear you. He will listen. He will care. He will respond.

Age and Sloth take their toll

Happy Birthday to me and anyone else born on January 15.

It's not hard for me to believe I'm 50 years old today. I feel it. Hard work makes me tired. Muscles, unaccustomed to repetitive use, cramp and knot, reminding me that I have become soft, as well as old. I think, perhaps, a disciplined regimen of physical exercise truly is called for, so that I might slow the advance of debilitating disorders of sloth. I hope Christian friends and family will encourage me and hold me accountable to the commitment.

What is a difficult for me to accept, is learning to slow up a little. My mind races and dreams like a teenager. My heart is still stirred by visions of love, hope and justice. How can you slow the desire to change the world? I'm not convinced it's possible. And frankly, I'm not sure I want it to be possible.

I think maybe it's still "better to burn out, than it is to rust."

But I also believe it's possible to discipline myself to burn maybe a little longer, a little brighter, a little hotter. Wish me luck.

The March to the Sea

I thank God for people like Os Hillman, who write things that might not be popular or appear reasonable to many, simply because they are following their sense of the Spirit's leading. People like this are often criticized for "not being very smart," because many see no sense in going a direction not commonly taken, or that doesn't appear to lead directly to the goal.

In a recent devotional from his book "TGIF (Today God is First), Os talks about the path God chose for Moses and Israel to follow on their departure from Egypt. The route most everyone chose to travel in those days went to the north and east, generally close to the Mediterranean coast, and more directly toward the goal of the Promised Land. Moses followed the course God provided, leading directly to the deep, southern waters of the Red Sea.

So crazy does this seem, that most scholars find the course described in Exodus as "nonsensical" or incomprehensible, and believe it was simply written from some ethereal, spiritual perspective--not real or true. The Israelites thought it crazy at the time, too. Certain that Pharaoh's armies would kill them all, they complained loudly about the stupidity of their leader.

God said "keep moving" even though the Red Sea was in front of them, blocking their path. It just didn't make any sense--at least, not from any human perspective. We know how the story worked into the miracle, with God making the way for deliverance through the waters that ultimately swallowed Pharaoh's army. But the fear, anger and doubts of God's people at that time remind me that the miracles of God don't come because of our faith or anything we do. Miracles happen because God is God.

We're not usually at the place where God is doing God things. Because we think it's not cost effective. Because we don't think it makes sense to go south, when the "straight" route is north. Because we think it's easier to do what we want. Because we don't like to be uncomfortable. Or lonely. Or poor. Or . . . whatever. But when we listen to God, do what He says, go where He leads, and just generally follow His instruction, we increase the probability of being exactly where He is doing the things we call miracles. Right in the middle of the fear and doubt. When you think there's nowhere left to turn. When you're scared out of your wits, ready to just die.

I don't think God intends faith to be just for adrenaline junkies. But I do believe He does what He does in places and times many are unwilling to be. Faithfulness is required throughout the mundane hard march to the place God calls us, even when we don't see the logic and want to complain about the insanity of it all. We don't even have to understand what God intends. We just have to be crazy enough to keep marching to the sea.

At the End of a Long Day. . .

Sundays are commonly marathon days for pastors. Today was a marathon day. Only 14 hours after beginning, the "work day" is slowing to an end.

It might sound like a complaint, but trust me, it's not.

There is nothing more satisfying to me than doing the thing that I was created to do. And I honestly believe I was created to be a pastor. I get tired, like everybody else, but I sleep soundly, knowing I invested every ounce of myself in the thing to which God called me.

A wonderful church, great people doing the things God has given them to do, Bible studies, the new youth group, plans and dreams for the future, thankfulness for the things past. It simply doesn't get any better than that!

If I haven't said it lately, or in your hearing, let me say it now: I am thankful to God and His church for the privilege of being exactly where He called me to, doing exactly what He's called me to. I am, among all men, very, very blest!

Stellar Performance?

Five star hotels are constantly critiqued based on a comprehensive list of things that evaluate how effectively they meet the needs of their guests. The assumption is that the guest paying the bill has choices, and can stay wherever they are most likely to find the level of excellence they choose. While many older hotels don't make the list, for a variety of reasons, some do. The age of facilities is not nearly as big an obstacle as the "good enough" mind-set that balances costs of improvement against the perceived probability of profit. Believe it or not, working toilets and showers in the rooms are the "insurmountable" obstacle to many making the list. Cleanliness and safety are disqualifying factors for others. Obviously, the list is more than restrooms, clean sheets and doors that close and lock, but those, to me, seem pretty basic. They might not get you five stars, but you surely won't get the stars without them!



A couple of Christian businessmen have co-authored a book (Stan Toler & Alan Nelson, "Five Star Church") based on the premise that churches must constantly keep in mind that our number one goal is to serve God and others. Their premise prompts me to think what God might consider 5-star service. We forget too easily that members and attenders are not "the customers" of the 5-star church. We serve the One True God, Who deserves our very best. Every week, we pray, inviting God to come into our midst and receive our worship and praise. He is the one who evaluates our performance as Christians and as a Church.



If we follow the example of His Son, we'll serve our One True "Guest" best by giving ourselves to Him, and others, in sacrificially loving ways. Jesus said that our judgment would be found in the answers to the questions "When did we see you hungry or thirsty...destitute, a stranger in need of clothes or a place to stay...sick...in prison or bondage...?"(Matthew 25). Jesus said when we bless others, meeting their needs, we are doing it to Him. It is our reasonable service, worship. These are the basics toward becoming a 5-star Christian and Church!

Wind and excitement

We have tornados in Kansas. NNY has snow. So, yesterday, with all of the snow melted off of NNY and temps w-a-y above freezing, the wind picked up to near Kansas speeds. Shingles and roofs were passing Toto on their way over the rainbow. A Canadian trucker likely got right with God on the international bridge over the St. Lawrence river when a gust blew his truck over, taking out part of the guard rail and prompting thoughts of baptism. Our house shook like a pentecostal prayer meeting.

I picked up shingles from our new building in the neighbor's yard. There was vinyl siding and assorted debris to occupy my early morning scedule. Then around 8 am, guys showed up to repair the roof damage. They will be very busy over the next several days repairing roofs in far worse condition than ours. We are missing only a handful of shingles and ridge cap.

Although folks on the south side of the tracks lost power, and tree limbs fell (flew!) everywhere, the temps unseasonably mild, and there were no casualties.

We are so blessed.

Some days I get to be a pastor

Some days, I get be a pastor. Some days, not so much. And I like it like that.



God knows that I can only handle so much of anything for so long, before the fatigue factor begins to take its toll. My mind is not capable of sustaining long periods of analysis or problem solving, my patience begins to wear thin (especially with people whose foibles, failings and general weaknesses remind me of my own) and I need to sleep. If I don't get adequate sleep, my mouth begins to betray my humanity at such a level that most people (especially church folk!) find me totally unacceptable.

So I hope for periods of sleep and rest, among a reasonable variety of experiences.

I AM He is; You are. Active Faith

Christianity is an activist religion, if I dare use the word religion in association with Christianity.

Christianity is all consuming faith, resultant of the relationship that develops between God and the disciple. The Holy Spirit of God is welcomed into the life of the believer, and the believer is completely transformed by the experience--weak become strong; fear becomes courage; weariness becomes excitement; joy is found in the work the leads to the victory that consumes what once was a spirit of defeat. The poor become filled with the richness of the Kingdom, and the sick find their strength renewed in the healing power of Christ.

Such experiences beg to be shared! How can one experience joy and not show it, share it? How can one receive forgiveness and not be moved to forgive? How can one receive so much and not want to give?

Our experiences in Christ move us to act. Faith is a verb. We doubt that anything can be done to overcome the evil in the world, until we encounter Christ. Filled with the experience, we realize that the power to overcome evil is within us. We can do as Christ has done before--we can give ourselves to the liberating cause, investing ourselves, all we have and all we are, in the cause of defeating the evil, setting the captives free, paying the debts of our brothers, salving the wounds of our sisters, making a new world in the midst of what has for too long been the enemy's domain.

The Spirit that lives within the believer is the Spirit of Christ Himself. He is love, He is grace, He is healing, He is sacrificing, He is power, He is the Son of God. "To all who receive Him, He gave power to become sons of God." He lives within you, and He is all those things. Therefore, you are too.

Believe.

Act.

Building Progress

With the drywall hung, it's now up to the tapers and finishers to do their part. We anticipate their arrival Friday. It'll probably take the better part of a week to finish, then we'll hope to paint, trim, hang doors and fixtures and cover the floors.



It's gonna be tight, but we're still hoping to dedicate the building in February.



Pray with me.

Proud

I know, it's probably wrong and dangerous to say "I'm proud..." But the truth is, I couldn't be more proud than I am when people take seriously their commitment to the King and His Kingdom, and are willing to take chances, stretch their limits, and try to do things maybe they've never done before--maybe things no one has done before!

Sunday was one of those days! Betty began leading our adult Bible study, Andrea Peck began leading a new adult class for 30-40 year olds, and Rachel Sutherland met with me and Kyle Totive to make plans for a new youth group. (Our youth plan their first mixer to be this Saturday at 7 pm, at the parsonage.) Mike Tunstall and Ruthie Rafus were both primed and ready to serve as deacon of the month. Ruthie won the race to the pulpit, and is serving this month; Mike will serve next month. Both excited and willing to serve!

People willing to serve, willing to lead, willing to work and live a little beyond their comfort level, making sacrifices and doing things that require them to think and pray and maybe even sweat.

People doing things that are important to our King, His Kingdom and the life of the church.

I couldn't be happier, more thankful for my brothers and sisters! Ask me if I'm happy to be part of Calcium Community Church. Aren't you?!?!

"I see the grass growing in your path..."

In his book "Chazown," Craig Groeschel (pastor of LifeChurch in Oklahoma) tells the story of African Christians who, when the gospel first came to them, valued prayer above all "religious" disciplines. They actually built private prayer huts, with each Hut set apart for just one person, and the path used only by that person leading up to its door. If someone neglected the loving discipline of prayer, grass would begin to grow on the path. The straying brother or sister's best friends were the ones with the courage to say, "I love you, and I see the grass growing on your path." In other words, I love you enough to correct you. You are not doing what God has called you to do.

Given that prayer is our direct-connect to God, the method whereby our entire success as a disciple of Christ is realized, the importance cannot be overstated. Prayer is the lifeblood of the believer. It is the moment of private worship, wherein we lay ourselves before our almighty God, paying homage, honor, and respect, in the small fashion we can. It is the source of our wisdom, to be able to see things through the eyes of God. It is the source of our strength, to be able to endure, persist, and to accomplish all things, up to and including the impossible. It is the source of our power, to be able to call into play the mighty God Who can, when we cannot. Prayer is Christianity. How can we neglect so important an endeavor? And yet, we do.

Who loves you enough to point out the overgrown paths in your life? Who will hold you accountable with your New Year's resolutions--with your resolve to follow Christ, above all else? Is there grass in your path?

With all your heart, soul, strength and mind

The basics of Christianity are pretty simple and straightforward--Jesus is the Christ, the son of the one true God, whose sacrifice covers the sin of any who will follow Him as faithful disciples. He calls us to follow Him, keeping His commandments, living as He lived, living as He lives within us. His commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. His example: Do not condemn people--not even the guilty. Be gracious. Give yourself completely for the redemption of others. Giving is the reward (nothing is more fulfilling).


The basics are simple and straightforward. They are also virtually impossible. The Holy Spirit of Christ living in us makes us like Him, making it possible to keep His commandments. We do the discipline, but using His power, His strength, having His mind. But how?


We ask.


If we ask, He makes us new. Not just once, but every time. It's called prayer.


We were created for fellowship with God. Christians are creatures of prayer, by prayer, for prayer. We cannot exist without it. We cannot persist without it. We cannot even come close to the standard, except by prayer, putting us in close proximity with God where we are changed. Again, and again, and again.


Prayer is the conversation we have with God. But it's so much more. It's the secret to the Christian life.

When all else fails? Pray?

There is a stream of thought that contends problems or troubles are the gift of God designed to call us to prayer. While I suppose anything is possible, it is my humble opinion that such an image of God seems to put Him in the company of dysfunctional father figures who contrive circumstances of difficulty for their children out of their unhealthy "need to feel needed."

I'm not sure I like the idea, although my liking or not liking makes it no more or less true. I prefer to think that a more reasonable explanation of problems and troubles is that they are the product of the poor choices we make as a result of our fallen condition, especially when we are out of fellowship with God. To the extent that we become less wise for not spending time with God in prayer, the likelihood of trouble increases. Therefore, it might be easily understood that our not praying "brings about trouble."

But the truth of the matter is, that "in this world you have trouble," and not just because we fail to pray without ceasing. This world is fallen, corrupted by sin, and is the domain of Satan, who is the author of trouble and chaos (confusion). Until such time as the King returns, the Prince of darkness currently rules this world. That is why we still pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Jesus has already overcome the world, and lived the example whereby we can, as well. The Spirit that lives within the disciple and follower of Christ is the holy Spirit of Christ Himself. The Spirit of Christ makes it possible for the believer to become like Christ, to live like Christ, to think God's thought after Him, and to overcome the world with all of its troubles, problems, confusion. The mystery of the faith is that those who follow Christ, claiming the power of the blood of His sacrifice, are indwelt by His Spirit, taking on His nature and power.

While some generations of believers have discounted this truth, sadly, missing out on the blessings of victorious living, there has always remained a remnant of faithful believers. I pray this generation will see the return of the King. But times of trouble continue to increase, and will continue to increase. We simply cannot be christians, living the christian life without the presence and power of His Spirit within us. I long to be completely possessed by my Lord, living in the strength of His indwelling.

While it is true that troubles often drive us to our knees in prayer, and for some, only troubles will call us to prayer, the scriptures teach us that we can be in a constant attitude of prayer. We can live continually in the awareness of His presence, taking advantage of the mind of God that is available to us all the time, not just "when all else fails."

Drywall!

The work on the building continues, with the drywall crew having now completed hanging the upstairs, the walls in the basement, the restrooms and the ceilings on the main level. Taping upstairs and the basement has also begun today.

Although "everything takes longer than you think," the progress is reasonable and steady. Soon enough, we will be hanging fixtures and getting ready for paint, carpet and finish. We're still hoping for a dedication service in February.

I've got these dreams.....

The start of the new year is a good time to dream dreams for the future, and to see visions of what might be. I hope everyone has dreams for what Calcium Community Church might become and do. I hope you share them with me and each other, so that at least some of the dreams become reality. Here are some of mine:

I dream of the day that CCC becomes relevant to the lives of the "lifers" in our community. There are folks who've invested their lives in this community. I want our church to be completely invested here, too. This dream includes ministries designed to meet specific needs of people who live here all the time, including:

• hosting community events
• making our facilities available for things like weddings, funerals, elections,
• food distribution,
• after school care,
• and a jillion other things you've thought of that I haven't.

Comment and share your ideas.

I dream of CCC becoming the most relevant church for military personnel and their dependents living in our area. This includes meeting specific needs of those posted here, as well as those whose spouses and families remain here while they are deployed elsewhere, such as:

• Support groups for military wives
• classes geared to marriage improvement, surviving deployment and homecoming
• managing money on military pay
• childcare, mothers' day out, sanity ministries
• regular prayer vigils for safety and peace

I dream of CCC being home for more people than there is room to contain in multiple services.

I dream of CCC being a stronghold of faith, a place of refuge, a welcoming, friendly family that recognizes we are all sinners, no doubt despicable in someone's eyes, but forgiven, loved and accepted by God and His people here--no questions asked, no one excepted.

I dream of CCC becoming the most confident body of believers, given to hospitality and teaching, so that everyone in the area knows, if you want to be loved, if want to know about God, if you want answers to the complex questions of life, CCC is the place to be!

I dream of CCC being the more permission giving, risk taking, living out loud congregation anyone here has ever seen.

Snow?

As if to prove the point, it's really been snowing in Northern New York. I've heard all the horror stories, not the least of which is the cause of our current building project (roof collapse under snow load? C'mon, that's just something they write about in the code to scare you into building it right, isn't it?). I've also heard the Global Warming stories that say winters are milder now, and it doesn't really snow until February now.



Well, I often complain about the apparent time warp here, that leaves me incapable of accomplishing ordinary things on ordinary timelines. But I know it's not February yet, and it just keeps snowing. The flurries on the first day of the new year piled up to at least several inches or more. I plowed in the morning, when it looked like the radar showed it about to stop snowing. I plowed again in the afternoon, when I thought surely it was finished. I went to bed with at least a couple more inches on the ground, knowing I'll have to get up early to plow so that someone can get to the doctor and so that meals on wheels can access a driveway, etc. And now they say the high tomorrow won't make ten degrees. Please.




But seriously, it's no big deal. It's just weather. The snow, the cold, the warm ups and crazy thaws before the freezers--no big deal. Wonderful people, honest work, high hopes and expectations are what really count. I'm happy to be where God puts me, in Missouri, Kansas, Northern New York or where ever. Trusting God for the outcomes, for our families, for our successes and failures, no matter where we are, is what really matter.

The New Year Tradition

Every new year, most of us consider our current situation and try to balance it against some ideal we've formulated for ourselves. It's a way to measure progress--or lack thereof--and helps us determine what adjustments might bring us closer to the mark. The new year is also a good time to consider the validity of our ideals, that is, are they still compatible with who we truly want to be. I'd like to offer a couple of questions to consider for 2008.

• If I win the mega-lottery this year, what will I likely do with the wealth?

Jesus said "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." That's King James English for "follow the money." Or in other words, what you do with your money says more about your values/what you value than whatever your mouth might be saying.

• If I didn't have to work for a living, what would I do with my time?

Money isn't the only currency we spend that might lend some insight into our values. In fact, given our cultural predisposition to "gainful employment," and the time it consumes every day of our lives, our use of precious free time might give a clearer view of what we treasure than any other standard.

• Is my life and living consistent with what I say "I'm all about?"

The scriptures encourage us to "let your yes be yes and your no be no." It's called integrity. It's the reason we spurn liars and honor truth-tellers. It's also the source of guilt and stress for many of us, as we try to balance our consciences against our mouths and conduct. When we confront someone whose anger or "presence" we find intimidating--or at least influential--do we state our position simply, or do we quietly concede, consenting to their values at the expense of our own. Disagreement doesn't have to mean violence. Argument hasn't always been a negative term. A simple statement of disagreement may actually open the door for healthy discussion. We are instructed to "be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us" so that whenever the opportunity arises, we might change our world with our conversation. Moreover, regardless of our potential as a change agent, we preserve intact our integrity and conscience.

• Is my job representative of my values, or simply a means to an end?

Most of us work for a living. Some of us carefully chose a career based on a set of criterion. Perhaps more of us took a job because it's what was available at a time we needed work, with a paycheck being the principle and possibly lone criteria. If the job is not consistent with your internalized value set, it can be an ongoing source of stress. By the same token, if it meets your financial needs and you are comfortable with using it as your "marketplace" for the free exchange of ideas, it might actually be a source of joy. Remember: Life is too short to spend in tight shoes or a bad fitting job.

• If you are a Christian, does your life reflect the presence of Christ within you? Is it obvious that you serve the King and that His Kingdom is more important than yours?

This is also an issue of integrity. People living in agreement with their purpose/s, typically find greater joy and sense of fulfillment than not.

Investing yourself in the cause you believe in most strongly is never a mistake. Never let someone else second guess what is your passion. By the same token, it is always appropriate to take time to take stock of yourself to determine what needs to change, what merits strengthening, and what gives you pause to smile with satisfaction that you are "Right on track!"