What a strange feeling it was this past Sunday (Dec. 28th) to wake up at 9:00 a.m. and not already be at the Chateau Theaters having the band rock'in out and preparing to step forward and speak. Earlier this year our leadership team decided to "shut the church down" for one weekend. We wanted to go big before Christmas and then give everyone a break from the routine of Sunday mornings and let everyone relax with family.
It was strange not to be together with our church family.
It was good to just relax with my biological family.
What do you do with yourself on Sunday morning when you're so used to serving and leading at a church (not just Journey but other churches)? It's such a strange feeling. I times I felt really lost on Sunday... I really desired to be at a place of worship, with my friends. I sensed that I was missing out on something that day. I still connected with God personally throughout the day, but the family gathering, the love, the laughter, the tears of a tough week was missing.
I wondered.... "does anyone else miss gathering together to worship this morning as much as I do?"
I wonder now.... "will it inspire us, refresh our passion to serve, invest and gather together for God's glory?"
Or will it simply be a day off, a pointless day off?
It was worth taking off, it was good for me, my family, our leadership team. It was good to go big and then relax and simply be still with our thoughts and God. I just don't want to do it too often. It's hard on a driven person.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Post Christmas DIinner
WOW!
I can not go to bed until I express my thanks to God for empowering such an amazing group of people (Journey Family) that started early, stayed late, cook, baked, cleaned and served at our first FREE Christmas dinner. No ever hesitated as the storm rolled and the temps dropped and dropped. The commitment and passion to reach out to others in the name of Jesus was too strong.
Then the entire day went off without a hitch.
Sunday morning attendance was strong in-spite of the weather.
Then the Dinner drew between 150 -200 people over the course of the five hours.
Laughter, music, conversations and no blown circuits :)
At this time of year it's easy to coast. just go through the motions. I am so blessed to serve along side a church family that desires to advance not coast. To each of you I give my deepest thanks and sincerely pray that God bless you, surprise you as you did soooooooo many others and me today.
To my wife Cyndi, and my three daughters (Abbi, Sarah & Hannah) thank you for sharing me with others, and for you giving so much of yourselves as well. You four set the pace so often and endure so much as we move with God and risk.
May you all celebrate with me the joy of seeing the risk be worth it all.
What follows, I don't know yet. New doors for Journey are already opening for the summer. I do know, that this will only fuel the passion that is already within us to really reach our city for Jesus.
Merry Christmas... or Savior has come.... and dwells among us... he dwells in you my Journey family.
I can not go to bed until I express my thanks to God for empowering such an amazing group of people (Journey Family) that started early, stayed late, cook, baked, cleaned and served at our first FREE Christmas dinner. No ever hesitated as the storm rolled and the temps dropped and dropped. The commitment and passion to reach out to others in the name of Jesus was too strong.
Then the entire day went off without a hitch.
Sunday morning attendance was strong in-spite of the weather.
Then the Dinner drew between 150 -200 people over the course of the five hours.
Laughter, music, conversations and no blown circuits :)
At this time of year it's easy to coast. just go through the motions. I am so blessed to serve along side a church family that desires to advance not coast. To each of you I give my deepest thanks and sincerely pray that God bless you, surprise you as you did soooooooo many others and me today.
To my wife Cyndi, and my three daughters (Abbi, Sarah & Hannah) thank you for sharing me with others, and for you giving so much of yourselves as well. You four set the pace so often and endure so much as we move with God and risk.
May you all celebrate with me the joy of seeing the risk be worth it all.
What follows, I don't know yet. New doors for Journey are already opening for the summer. I do know, that this will only fuel the passion that is already within us to really reach our city for Jesus.
Merry Christmas... or Savior has come.... and dwells among us... he dwells in you my Journey family.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Misfit toys
During our series on a Christmas Family I referenced the classic movie, "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" and the island of misfit toys. A place where all the mixup up, dysfunctional toys go. The King of the island seeks these toys out, gives them a new home, with other misfit toys. They are all wanting to be needed, loved, valued and a part of a real family.
It's that what we all want, and yet we find it so hard to admit that we're all "misfits".
We're dysfunctional in someway.
The church has long been said to be a place where "anyone can come." "Come as you are with hurts, pains, and dysfunction." Yet the church often communicates shock, awe and rejection when the misfits really show up.
Shame on the church.
The King of Kings (Jesus/ God's son) came to live among us and bring us into his family. He came to us in our dysfunction... "come as you are." It's not God that is pushing people away...it's the church, us. It's those that find it hard to admit or remember that they were once a misfit toy as well.
I pray that this Christmas, we return to that simple truth, revealed by God.
"Come as you are."
Transformation will happen as you live in this amazing family and develop a real relationship with God.
But it will happen over time.
So I put a challenge out to myself, my friends, my church and the church at large.
Open wide your doors, let all the misfits and dysfunctional people come and find faith, love and hope this year.
My your home and churches be an island of refuge for the misfits of the world, not those who think that they have it all together.
I'm a misfit. I admit it. Welcome to the island of misfit toys called Journey church.
It's that what we all want, and yet we find it so hard to admit that we're all "misfits".
We're dysfunctional in someway.
The church has long been said to be a place where "anyone can come." "Come as you are with hurts, pains, and dysfunction." Yet the church often communicates shock, awe and rejection when the misfits really show up.
Shame on the church.
The King of Kings (Jesus/ God's son) came to live among us and bring us into his family. He came to us in our dysfunction... "come as you are." It's not God that is pushing people away...it's the church, us. It's those that find it hard to admit or remember that they were once a misfit toy as well.
I pray that this Christmas, we return to that simple truth, revealed by God.
"Come as you are."
Transformation will happen as you live in this amazing family and develop a real relationship with God.
But it will happen over time.
So I put a challenge out to myself, my friends, my church and the church at large.
Open wide your doors, let all the misfits and dysfunctional people come and find faith, love and hope this year.
My your home and churches be an island of refuge for the misfits of the world, not those who think that they have it all together.
I'm a misfit. I admit it. Welcome to the island of misfit toys called Journey church.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Special blog for 2009
I just published a new blog for our first discussion series of 2009.
ELEPHANTS IN THE CHURCH.
I want your help in exposing and discussing the "seen" but never discussed big elephants with our churches.
Jump over to.....
http://elephantsinthechurch.blogspot.com
and enter a whole nee conversation. Then as we begin this new adventure on Sunday, January 4th... come back again and again to respond and add to the elephant talk. Don't be silent about it... get excited we're going elephant hunting in 2009.
Let the fun begin.
ELEPHANTS IN THE CHURCH.
I want your help in exposing and discussing the "seen" but never discussed big elephants with our churches.
Jump over to.....
http://elephantsinthechurch.blogspot.com
and enter a whole nee conversation. Then as we begin this new adventure on Sunday, January 4th... come back again and again to respond and add to the elephant talk. Don't be silent about it... get excited we're going elephant hunting in 2009.
Let the fun begin.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Family Christmas
As we launch into our December focus on "Family", I am hit by the fact that my family is not near us again this season.
Our closest family is in Iowa, where Cyndi is from. My family is scattered across the world from Colorado, to the former USSR.
So for us (me) as we explore "A Family Christmas" it has a different twist than some might think.
As great as biological family is to many, my church and spiritual family is actually more important.
The family of Journey, and family of church planting pastors that I know mean so much to me. They are my focus, my support team and where I feel loved and needed. Being a part of such a diverse family wonderful and challenging at times. But they are my family. I have picked them, and they for some unknown reason have picked me. It's almost a magical thing to be included in such a family.
Such it is with God. God invites us to join into his family. His family filled with forgiveness, hope, love, joy, long suffering and much more. God personally came to dwell with us, and blend his family with my family. Once together it can't be separated!
For those that read this blog and are a part of my Journey Family... you'll never fully get rid of me. Family is family. Thanks for giving me a family that I can not live with out. You all are near and dear to me and my biological family. May nothing ever separate this amazing growing family that we share in Christ.
Yes it's a mixed up family... but it's my family and I love it!
Our closest family is in Iowa, where Cyndi is from. My family is scattered across the world from Colorado, to the former USSR.
So for us (me) as we explore "A Family Christmas" it has a different twist than some might think.
As great as biological family is to many, my church and spiritual family is actually more important.
The family of Journey, and family of church planting pastors that I know mean so much to me. They are my focus, my support team and where I feel loved and needed. Being a part of such a diverse family wonderful and challenging at times. But they are my family. I have picked them, and they for some unknown reason have picked me. It's almost a magical thing to be included in such a family.
Such it is with God. God invites us to join into his family. His family filled with forgiveness, hope, love, joy, long suffering and much more. God personally came to dwell with us, and blend his family with my family. Once together it can't be separated!
For those that read this blog and are a part of my Journey Family... you'll never fully get rid of me. Family is family. Thanks for giving me a family that I can not live with out. You all are near and dear to me and my biological family. May nothing ever separate this amazing growing family that we share in Christ.
Yes it's a mixed up family... but it's my family and I love it!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
First snow
Today marks are first real snow of the season. Not the slush stuff, but real snow. So tonight in honor of the first snow... we begin go rearrange the house, put up the tree, and decorate. It means this is the start of Christmas cards arriving in the mail and feeling ok with that, plus the Christmas cook season has officially started as well. Yum yum.
The count down to our big Christmas dinner is officially rolling as well. Less than 20 days. Wow is that fast approaching.
Pray, pray, pray.
The count down to our big Christmas dinner is officially rolling as well. Less than 20 days. Wow is that fast approaching.
Pray, pray, pray.
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