run down of the weekend

This past Saturday we had our VBS. We did a Super Saturday. It was different from the last few years. I love the freedom to try new things. Our VBS Team really tries to put the needs of the kids first. We want them to have fun, make lasting friendships and hear the gospel in a real relevant way.

Despite the new approach we all have encountered obstacles to change? Folks make object to new ways of doing things because, well it is different. One of the thrusts of my ministry to youth is to contextualize the gospel in postmodern world and allow students to connect with the grand story of Jesus where they are.

My parents left on Friday. It was nice to see them. We are looking forward to getting to go home this Christmas. Until December.

In the meantime, last night I hosted a 6th grade parent introductory meeting in the youth group. It was a positive meeting. This group of parents are excited about helping out. I have like 25 new 6th graders!

Happy Birthday Kenzie

We’ve already had a party for her, but today is the baby’s first birthday. My parents have been in for the week, and well, little Miss Kenzie has had a good visit with nana and pop-o.

 Kenz just started giving kisses yesterday. Being a daddy is so cool.

6th graders and the Incredible Race

Sunday evening I sat with an exciting group of kids. The 6th graders. They have just entered the youth group and their enthusiasm is contagious. As I was sitting there with them I was encouraged by their singing. Their voices are still little boy voices, but they belted out the words to some awesome hymns. I wish our older kids were paying attention to them. They may learn something from them.

This week is our VBS. We are using some material from Standard Publishing. Our material is called the Incredible Race. We are doing a Super Saturday, from 9am-4pm. Our focus will be on Jesus and Paul.

I covet your prayers for this Saturday. It should be a great day.

Also, my parents are in town along with my brother and his girlfriend. We have had a good visit. Saturday we celebrated our girls birthdays. Rachel is now 3, and Kenzie is one on the 27th. But it was a lot of fun.

Early reflections on Kingdom Come: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of David Lipscomb and James Harding

I am currently on chapter five of this awesome book. I must say that this is one of the most refreshing reads I have undertaken in a while. John Mark Hicks and Bobby Valentine open the historical record to reorient believers in the 21st century to the perspectives of two 19th early 20th century spiritual giants. While this book details the kingdom theologies of two 19th/early 20th century church of christ preachers their collective teaching on the influence of the kingdom of God is breath of fresh air and protestants of all varieties will benefit from reading this work.

Harding and Lipscomb both believed that the kingdom of God was a present and future reality. The kingdom of God was/ is continually breaking into the world and one day at the 2nd Coming will ultimately be realized. In a day in age of ever increasing nationalism, patriotism and deism Lipscomb and Harding offered a different perspective. A perspective that saw God as an active force in the world today, intimately involved in the details of life, and the supreme king of the world, that even human institutions are subject to. For these two men, the kingdom of God was the sovereignty of God in this world and over the lives of Christ’s followers. Harding and Lipscomb lived their lives in the shadow of the 2nd Coming.

This book is a little bit of church history, a little bit of theology, challenging and offers an exciting possibility to live moment by moment in the kingdom of God.

Lepers, masks and the willingness of Jesus

I find myself re-reading and re-reading the Gospel of Mark. I began anew last night and immediately in Chapter one I was struck with the story of the man with Leprosy. Here is the text:

A Man With Leprosy  

40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

 41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

 43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44″See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Many of you are already aware the leprousy was a bad deal. This disease would force you away from the one’s you loved. In isolation the closest you got to others was yelling “cunclean” whenever they got near where you were sitting.

Notice in this text, the man with leprosy comes to Jesus. We aren’t told if this was in a public place, but the leper took great risk to approach Jesus. In addition to the big risk, the leper must have had great faith. How long had he heard about Jesus? Couldn’t have been very long, but still his curiousity and his desperation drove him to the feet of Jesus.

Notice how the man begs Jesus, “on his knees…” a sign of humility. I love the statement, “if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Not, if you get around to it. Not, if you feel like it. Not, when I am deserving enough. Just if you are willing.

I want you to consider the tension and the energy in the leper’s statement as we await a response from the Savior. We need to approach Jesus like this. Boldly, confidently, securely. “Jesus, if you are willing you can free me from _______________ (fill in the blank)! What would your request be this morning if you brought your need to Jesus? I know what mine would be. What is keeping you from taking that first bold step towards healing? Are you living in leper like isolation afraid of being found out for your secret sin? Or maybe you have had to leave home or other once important relationships and are unsure how your reception would be in a new crowd. Notice the leper doesn’t appear to be concerned about social norms. He doesn’t worry about the crowd’s reaction. He goes to Jesus and is only worried about his response.

So, what was Jesus’ response to the leper’s blod faith? The text says Jesus was filled with compassion, and then Jesus does what this man had not experienced in some time. “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man” (1:41). Isn’t that just like Jesus though, willing to touch with compassion our hurt and our pain. Jesus is portrayed throughout the gospels as one who enters into the point of other’s pain to rescue them from that pain. Those without leprosy did not touch those with the disease, so for Jesus to touch a diseased man such as this, Jesus is revealing his identity. Maybe for years this man wondered if God would show up to his rescue, He did.

Notice what happens next, to answer the man’s curious statement earlier about the willingness of cleansing, Jesus tells the man and reminds us that he is willing. I need this reminder this morning, for I too have a problem one that I have wondered over the willingness of Jesus to make me clean. I rejoice at a story like this, and I long for the touch of the Savior and the words, “I am willing…be clean” (1:42), Notice the flight of the leprosy, “Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured” (1:43).

We all are like lepers in some way. We have a sin problem. Yours is different than mine, but still we live in isolation from others, from the community of the redeemed because of the shame of our sinfulness. We attempt to mask our pain with busyness all in the name of religiousity. May we remove the masks reveal our leprosy and invite Jesus to enter into our pain. He is willing, you know!

Off the mountain into the valley

I knew it would happen, but I didn’t know when. I feel a little like Peter after seeing Jesus transfigured before him and James and John. After the transfiguration, after that great spiritual high they had to come down the mountain. The view is always amazing at the top, the air a little sweeter, and troubles seem so far away.

But, start the descent down and trouble lurks at the foot of the mountain. Over in Mark 9:14, “When they came to the other disciples…” I believe this implies that they came down the mountain. Anyway, when they came down they encounter a crowd angry with the disciples because the nine couldn’t heal a boy possessed by a demon.

I wonder what Peter, James and John thought. They had just witnessed the most incredible moment of their lives and now they are back in reality and facing an angry crowd.

We have moments such as this. Times of great spiritual triumph. These vicotrious times could last days, weeks, months or even years. But one thing is certain, we must all come down off the peak and enter the valley.

A couple of observations about the valley in comparison to the summit. Notice the summit is not meant for permanent lodging. The valley is a place of accomodation, a place lush with vegetation. The peak is a place of rocks, a place that is not easily reached. The peak is a place of triumph. Pardon the pun, but the valley is a downer. See, I would choose the summit any day over life in the valley. But one can only survive for so long on the summit. I wish it wasn’t so. Even though the valley is a place where we enter back into reality, we need these times.

Last week, coming down from the summit of Mt. Rinker, I lost my footing a few times and landed on my back side. Isn’t that the way our journey with Christ is. We have marvelous moments, but we also have rough places. Places on the path, where rocks or other things trip us up? I have entered such a place.

Trek stuff

This year was my first year to go on Wilderness Trek. For those of you unfamiliar with Trek, let me offere a brief explanation:

Day one: travel day

Day two: get your gear, and rest

Day three: rapelling and hike to low camp

Day four: hike to high camp

Day five: solo day (3 hours of you and God)

Day 6: summit day and hike back to high camp

Day 7: hike out, banquet and final devo.

Day 8: travel day

I have never experienced anything like this before. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. All the pain, the discomfort and the rain was worth it.

There are so many similarities between our time on the trail and the Christian journey. Two comparisons I think stand out the most are # 1: we need each other. We can’t do Trek by ourself, and likewise in our journey with Christ we need each other. # 2: We have to have the right gear for our time on Trek, and likewise we too have to be equipped with the right gear on our walk with Christ.

Back from Trek

Trek,

 We climbed Mt. Rinker in Colorado. 14 of us from church, braved the altitude, weather, and hiking and made summit on Wednesday July 13.

Here are a few pictures:

 

Wilderness Trek

It’s time. July 7-14 is our Trek week. Pray for us while we are gone.

July is for birthdays

Here is a picture of our girls. Kenzie is the baby will be one on July 27th and Rachel turned 3 yesterday. I can’t believe how fast they have grown. It seems like yesterday that Jen and I moved across country to head to Oklahoma with a 4 week old little girl. My how time flies.