Eternally Present

Recently, I have been listening to the dramatized version of  “Screwtape Letters” produced by Focus on the Family.  There is one scene that hit me and seems to play in my head over and over again. Screwtape is encouraging Wormword to keep his patient thinking of either the past or the future but never the present. The present is the only point the patient can be in contact with the eternal. Screwtape directs Wormword to tempt his patient to think of the future and all the hypothetical possibilities he may face; in this the patient will attempt to stand up under pressure from events which will probably never happen. Screwtape makes it clear that the present is the most dangerous place for the patient to settle his thoughts because there he connects to God.

I have been seeking daily to live in the present and enjoy the day God has given me…whether it be filled with laughter of children, crying of children, smiles around the office, frowns around the office, hard work or leisure. Whatever the day may bring I am seeking to live in the present because it is the only place I can connect to all the resources God has given me to thrive in the world. There are lots of challenges to living this way; everything is pointing us to tomorrow or next week or next year. As I practice daily living I am filled with an overwhelming sense of Christ. Christ meets me in my daily need and daily anxiety…and promises to be with me if tomorrow should ever come.

If I am ever to be a person who is fully selfless and loving my neighbors it will be because I have died to ‘tomorrow’ and live fully in the present with the Christ. I can only love with the love of Christ and he gives me his daily manna of love to share with Mari, Madi, Ava, Claire, Adler, and you.

A great talk for anyone who leads a team

Questions to consider

• Can you lead with less control or a different kind of control?
• Must “control” be a zero-sum game?
• Is there joy in leading by helping other people tell their own stories?
• Is leadership only about technique or is it more about meaning?
• Are we using team members, employees, or students as instruments for our own ends or are they viewed as partners, where their development is a central consideration for us?
• Is not leadership also about creating the processes, structure, and conditions that allow team members to perform autonomously? Can you still be “in control” and let people be/feel free? Can the structure create the conditions for that freedom?

**Questions taken from presentationzen.com.

enzymes and such

Over the past few weeks the men’s group I lead has been discussing a few verses in 1 Peter 4:12-19. It seems that much of Peter’s letter to the brothers and sisters in Asia Minor is about suffering and standing up under persecution. It is clear that Peter is echoing the words of Jesus in this letter, particularly Matthew 5:10-12. In studying scriptures like 1st Peter I grow even more convinced of God’s inspiration of the scriptures. As Peter is encouraging these early Christians to stand up under the persecution they were facing he uses a strategic word to awake them to God’s detailed involvement in their lives. In verse 19 he writes, “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good (emphasis mine).” He could have referred to God as the “faithful Father” or “provider” however, I believe he chose “creator” on purpose. Could it be that Peter, living in the first century and with his limited education, knew through the Holy Spirit that the world around us was designed by a creator who was in the details? With modern science we know that the created order sits on razors edge. It is the culmination of countless details falling right in place to make our bodies survive and our planet habitable. Peter draws upon the image of a creator to encourage these followers of Jesus to trust that creator and continue to do good. It is our inclination to believe in the midst of suffering we have been abandoned by God but this strategically chosen word reminds us that He is right in the middle of all our suffering working and leading us to do good. 

twins

I have not sat down and wrote for a while because the greatest news that I could ever imagine has taken place in our lives and it has not settled in yet. Marianne is pregnant with twins and that is amazing. When we lost the last pregnancy due to it being tubal I had great pain and we both were not sure we ever wanted to go through another pregnancy but God had other plans. Don’t get me wrong we played a part in it as well but his sense of humor is truly amazing. I am working steadily on pushing anxiety and stress out of my life over this pregnancy because I do not want to be living inconsistently with what I preach and believe. So we are enjoying this ride God has placed us on because he is the author of our lives.

It is amazing what the Father is teaching me through this. Central is in a bad way with finances and it is going to take courageous and massive faith based leadership to lead her to healthy place. I would think this would have me stressed to the end but for some reason I got very little personal anxiety over the church. I guess it is like our lives…he is the author of Central’s story and I am a character in her story and will play my role in the way he leads. I know that the coming weeks and months will be hard as we restructure as an organization but anything worth having or doing is going to be hard. I am praying for my own leadership and fortitude and toughness so I will be able to withstand the challenges which face us. Truly what a crazy world our world has become but none of this has caught the father off guard and could it be possible that for this reason I was called to Lawrenceville…I hope so and that hope is enough…for now.

Thanks for reading.

no hotdog for him

How can it be that much of what we do in Christ’s name and for God’s glory we do as if God is a spectator in our little screwed up world we are trying to manage? I am growing convinced that as we lead in a local congregation we do so without really believing that God is active in all situations. Don’t get me wrong when something good happens in our ministry we are quick to say this is God moving in our lives and in our ministries but when negative things happen we somehow think God is absent or just watching us flounder in our efforts. This is weird but I think pride for me is more of a problem when things are not good as opposed to when things are good. When something truly incredible takes place I am quick to say, ‘this is God and it has nothing to do with me’. But, as soon as things take a negative downturn I am wondering how I can control it or fix it. Immediately my pride kicks in through the avenue of worry and anxiety causing me to believe that somehow I am responsible for the outcome. The fact of the matter is, if the positive things in God’s church are not about me or because of me then the negative things that inevitably happen are not either. If God is sovereign then he is sovereign over all or nothing. If he is in control then he is moving and working in all things for his glory. Whether it is comfortable, enjoyable or even painful for me does not figure into the equation.  As in all situations I am simply responsible to show up and pursue living like Jesus with a reckless abandon. I am learning that God is not in the stands with a foot long hot dog watching me try to lead His Church. No he is our captain on the field leading us to victory for his glory, honor and fame.

entering now

I have been putting off blogging because it was just the hip thing for so long and I wanted to make sure I actually wanted to be a blogger and just not be caught up in the crowd. I think it is time. Possibly because I have entered into a discipleship counseling relationship and it is causing me to reflect more on my efforts to follow Jesus. Possibly because ministry demands a place to release some thoughts and ideas about what God is doing.  Possibly because I believe people might read my ramblings. Possibly because there is a major change coming to my family, (more on that next week).

I am lead pastor of a local congregation but I am not a church planter which at this point you probably just clicked away. Good-bye. I am leading a local church in Lawrenceville, GA named Central Christian Church which has been in existence since 1984. I love the people there and I believe God is going to do something cool with us. I have been leading Central for almost 2 years now and it has been a blast so far.

So here goes I am finally going to do it, I am entering now.

I want to be desperate for the Father but I am not…I’m on the edge though.