Greetings my fellow sojourners. It has been a couple of weeks. The activity along the path has heightened and I am yearning for rest. Maybe this weekend. Why is it that we find it difficult to take a sabbath rest? What is so urgent that it must always be done now? I live too much this way. As I type I am looking out the window anticipating today's snow flurries wondering where did this year go? I am past much of the cancer worry. The doctor has told me no radiation at this time which I praise my Lord for. He responded favorably to all of your prayers. Yet I feel such a loss of time. Where did the summer go?
I think this rapid pace of life that we live along the path is wearing us out and down. Yet when we are required to wait we appear almost inept in handling it. We don't like it and when we get it we are quick to seek the activity again. I envy those who find rest easy. Today my son and his wife are on their second day of waiting for the birth of their adoptive son and have been told you will have a third day coming as the induction will not happen today. I know the platitude about God's timing (which is wonderfully true) but when your heart is full of anticipation and some anxiety it does not bring much comfort. Please pray for them and for Myer their soon to arrive son.
I guess we must all learn to wait, rest, find peace, and trust God. I thought I had a day to work in solitude but have remembered two meetings that I must attend this afternoon. OK I thought about rest. Does that count?
See you on down the path, after a break I hope.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Speeding on the path
Greetings from Indianapolis where I will be attending with my wife and friend Elaine the Externally Focused Church workshop. Today we had the blessing again of hearing Shane Claiborne at Indiana Wesleyan University while on the way to the EFC workshop. He is an amazing individual and if you haven't read his book "Irresistable Revolution" you need to. It is powerful and convicting. It will make you ask "How many of my Christian friends are really walking in the way of Christ?" (I have a link to the Simple Way at the bottom of my blog.) I suspect you will feel a bit judgmental as you realize that compared to the radical revolutionary Jesus that answer is sadly no. So that is why we are picking up speed on the path.
In the midst of a world that is seeing that all of it structures are a house of cards we stand in the midst of an eternal kingdom that even Hell cannot prevail against. We have been given the golden moment in time where the Kingdom can shine bright as a true beacon of hope. I write this while listening to news pundits debate the good and evil of the days stock market's record gains. I have a 401K from my years in business but I do not trust in it and am rather pushing more for God's people to live by His economy. In this we are moving faster to establish Wild Goose Ministries from our home. It is a ministry that will serve the poor and homeless by giving them safety, education, spiritual formation, and hope. God is bringing all things together and it is wonderful what is happenig. I cannot wait to tell you what is accomplished in the name of Jesus as we move through this process.
I am really not wanting to "speed" as it implies a lack of discernment but the days are clicking off quickly and yes, in terms of my faith I want to walk with reckless abandonment living right on the edge where I experience the fulfillment of faith but the world would view it as foolishness. I feel that if you are placing any hope and confidence in worldly systems or people it is you who is foolish.
Well it is only 22 days until the election and I personally see no one to vote for. I have even checked alternative candidates and could not find one. So I have decided to vote for Jesus. He has never failed me and knows more than anyone. He is not troubled by the world's circumstances and is anxious to come claim His bride. So I will move quickly down the path to get things done for the kingdom that God has called me to do and trust that He will keep me to the end.
Accelerating through the curve of the path.
In the midst of a world that is seeing that all of it structures are a house of cards we stand in the midst of an eternal kingdom that even Hell cannot prevail against. We have been given the golden moment in time where the Kingdom can shine bright as a true beacon of hope. I write this while listening to news pundits debate the good and evil of the days stock market's record gains. I have a 401K from my years in business but I do not trust in it and am rather pushing more for God's people to live by His economy. In this we are moving faster to establish Wild Goose Ministries from our home. It is a ministry that will serve the poor and homeless by giving them safety, education, spiritual formation, and hope. God is bringing all things together and it is wonderful what is happenig. I cannot wait to tell you what is accomplished in the name of Jesus as we move through this process.
I am really not wanting to "speed" as it implies a lack of discernment but the days are clicking off quickly and yes, in terms of my faith I want to walk with reckless abandonment living right on the edge where I experience the fulfillment of faith but the world would view it as foolishness. I feel that if you are placing any hope and confidence in worldly systems or people it is you who is foolish.
Well it is only 22 days until the election and I personally see no one to vote for. I have even checked alternative candidates and could not find one. So I have decided to vote for Jesus. He has never failed me and knows more than anyone. He is not troubled by the world's circumstances and is anxious to come claim His bride. So I will move quickly down the path to get things done for the kingdom that God has called me to do and trust that He will keep me to the end.
Accelerating through the curve of the path.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Where do we go now?
Well the lab results are back and they look good. My assumption is that the cancer has been removed or at least controlled, but I have not met with the doctor yet to be told for sure. Nonetheless I am really moving into a higher gear in ministry. The new challenge is to determine exactly where God is leading me and Sharon. I have read some incredible authors lately, Frank Viola, Shane Claiborne, Ravi Zacharias, and others and am in the midst of rethinking church. I had the opportunity to meet Frank Viola and when I told him that I pastored a traditional church he suggested that I needed to just walk away from it as it would lead to nothing but frustration. Interestingly Shane calls the frustration a gift. I respect these men and their thinking but walking away from people I love is not easy. And me simply leaving leaves everyone else in this traditional way of "doing" church and may never help them move to actually "being" the church. So I am left with the challenge to help move our gatherings to a more organic existence. What is really wild is that I am not wanting my brothers and sisters to compromise their dogma; I am asking them to lose it! I have this vision of us living and functioning like Jesus. Call me crazy but I think it can happen.
Our community of Charlotte, MI is wanting to become the most generous community in the country. It has generated a most interesting dialogue as we explore questions like what does generosity look like, and how will we know when we get there and how will this be sustained with our children and the generations to come. Talk about God giving us a golden opportunity to shine as His people this has to be it. I am just frustrated (like Frank said) in that the community of believers are not seeing it. I proclaim it but no one seems to be really interested. So now what God?
There seems to be interest in a building project at the church so Sharon and I are thinking some residence facilities for the homeless (instead of a bigger sanctuary). Or maybe we continue to move outside of the church and its traditional inhibitions to establish a mission. It is a decision that generates great excitement and unbelieveable headaches as I feel the tension. If you have any thoughts I sure would appreciate you passing them on. It's like stopping at the gas station to get directions. You are my person behind the counter pointing out the window. I am paying attention and the path calls.
Meet you at the next fork in the path.
Our community of Charlotte, MI is wanting to become the most generous community in the country. It has generated a most interesting dialogue as we explore questions like what does generosity look like, and how will we know when we get there and how will this be sustained with our children and the generations to come. Talk about God giving us a golden opportunity to shine as His people this has to be it. I am just frustrated (like Frank said) in that the community of believers are not seeing it. I proclaim it but no one seems to be really interested. So now what God?
There seems to be interest in a building project at the church so Sharon and I are thinking some residence facilities for the homeless (instead of a bigger sanctuary). Or maybe we continue to move outside of the church and its traditional inhibitions to establish a mission. It is a decision that generates great excitement and unbelieveable headaches as I feel the tension. If you have any thoughts I sure would appreciate you passing them on. It's like stopping at the gas station to get directions. You are my person behind the counter pointing out the window. I am paying attention and the path calls.
Meet you at the next fork in the path.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
