Attitude Change

Sundays come and Sundays go. In the past I tended to look at them as just another work day. Oh sure, I enjoyed the times of worship and the teaching and fellowship but it was work. I was on the clock and doing my job. Over the past several months my attitude has changed. Yes, it is still part of my job but I am excited to be there to celebrate what God is doing in our lives as a body. One of the reasons for the change of attitude has been the fact that we have had so many baptisms lately and many more are coming. We are seeing followers of Christ, some for a few months others for many years, desiring to be obedient to Christ's call to be baptized. Every single one of them have said that they are doing it not because because it is a prerequisite to salvation, it's not, but rather that this an opportunity to let people know they are Christians and also because they want to express their love for Christ by being obedient to what He commands.

The idea of being obedient out of love for a person is something that I believe is sorely lacking in our society. Too often we are obedient because we have to. We are obedient because we don't want to be punished or disciplined. Thank you to my dear brothers and sisters who are being obedient out of love.

Thank you for helping me to change my attitude about Sunday mornings. I do not want to be there because it is my job, I want to be there because of my love for Christ. I want to be there because it is an awesome opportunity to celebrate, honor, and glorify God with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Peace

Life at times can get so fast paced that one loses track of time. That is the way this summer has been for me. I cannot believe that my daughter starts first grade tomorrow. I look at her and have a hard time believing that she is my daughter. I mean, it seems like yesterday that I was holding her in my arms for the very first time. Just minutes old, all wrinkly and pink trying to find her thumb so she could suck on it. Now she is a confident and courageous young girl. As a family we went bike riding today with the final stop being the beach. I watched her walk out into the crashing waves laughing and hollering "woohoo!" and I am a bit overwhelmed by how fast she is growing up. My encouragement to anyone who reads this blog is to enjoy every moment and do not allow yourself to become so busy that you don't have time for family. It goes by too fast and you will find yourself wondering where it went.

Peace.

Wish I was in the woods.

I just got back from a family vacation which included officiating my baby sister's wedding and three and a half days of camping in northern Wisconsin. When we arrived at our campsite deep in the woods I realized I had no cell coverage. At first I felt helpless and a bit naked but by the end of the day I loved it. When we packed up and left for home I was jolted out of vacation mode when my phone began to ring. I was wishing I was back in the woods.

Our society today is so dependent upon technology that it is a little bit scary. What would we do without cell phones, laptops or gps's? There are times when I long for the days before we carried around electronic umbilical cords. Sometimes I feel that technology makes people unwilling or unable to make decisions on their own. Instead they place a phone call only to apologize for bothering you on vacation or your day off. Let people have their time. Very few things are so urgent that one can't wait until the next day or week.

I know it may sound like I am complaining but I am more reflecting on our society and how it has changed so dramatically over the past 10 years.

Had a great vacation but I am glad to be home.

Peace.

Back in the Saddle Again...

Well, I am back in the office and although the trip to Challenge was great I am glad to be back. Not leading worship for almost three weeks was good but it was tough. I had the itch to get back to it when I got home. Sunday was a good day. Worship service was wonderful as we celebrated the Lord's Supper and continued our series on "Going for the Gold." It is good to be home. I will share more later.

Peace

Challenge Is Over

The week in Salt Lake City at Challenge '08 is over. It was good week and I believe God was honored and blessed. There were approximately 5,500 teenagers at the conference and everyday they were challenged to take a step in their faith walk with Jesus. Even though I am a youth pastor and I have attended many events like this I am always personally challenged myself. This week was no different.

One cool thing that happened wasn't super spiritual but it was super cool. We made an attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records record for the world's largest Kazoo band/choir. Check it out.



Peace

"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" James 2:15, 16

I was crushed tonight. I sat and listened to a man pour out his heart about how the church has failed to love the unlovable and my heart was crushed. As the church, as evangelicals, as people who say they love Jesus we too often fail to love people. We expect them to look like us, to wear the right clothes, to talk the right way, to live the right kind of life and then we will love them. We fail to love them just as they are.

One of my favorite hymns is "Just As I Am." "Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou bidst me come to Thee, o Lamb of God I come. I come." The reason I love those words so much is because I know that I was a terrible person that did terrible things yet Jesus saw beyond that. Jesus saw beyond the filth and muck of my life. Jesus bids us to come to him just as we are. "Come unto me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. Why then, do we not do the same? Why do we shy away from those who do not look like us? Why do we shun those who are from a "lower" societal status? Why are we afraid to step out of our Christian ghettos and go and love the world?

I pastor in a town of about 35,000 and my heart breaks for the lost. I am desperate to reach those who have been rejected and forgotten by the church. Our church does some good things that make a difference but they are "projects" that come along once a year and we seemingly forget about the need until the next year rolls around and we start planning the project again. I want to live out a life that lives and breaths brokenness for the community 365 days a year. I want our church to get beyond "projects" and make it our life.

I beg God to break our hearts. The words from a song we sang tonight are my prayer. "Let me not be blind with privilege, let me see the pain and suffering" With trembling I pray, God give me eyes to see the people around me as you see them. Give me a heart that breaks as your heart breaks for them. Give me arms that will hold them as your arms holds them. Give me love that will love them as you love them. Help me to be obedient and faithful to do what you have called me to do.

Help the church to make that their prayer. Help the church to show radical generosity of love. Help us to live out what we say we believe.

We Made It

Well, we finally made to SLC after a total of 34 hours behind the wheel, three hotel stays and a whole lot of sore behinds. Glad to be here and looking forward to a great week.

Chow