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We arrived home late Saturday evening after an eventful flight from Dallas to Portland, via an unscheduled stop in Denver. The flight from Louisville to Dallas was uneventful, but the next leg of our journey was, to be blunt, scary. About 2/3 of the way to Portland someone on the plane developed serious health issues. The flight attendants asked for a doctor (no, I did not offer my services- though my degree was near at hand so I could demonstrate that indeed I am a doctor...). The doctor who treated the passenger indicated that his/her condition was serious enough that we needed to land as soon as possible. That meant Denver. The descent into Denver was unlike anything I have ever experienced on an airplane. Imagine the most violent amusement park ride- a bumpy and jerky roller coaster - and you have some idea of what our descent felt like. Later the pilot called it a 'dive' into Denver. But, as you can see, we survived. I wish I could offer some profound spiritual insight- but I was too scared to do anything but pray and offer quiet strength to my lovely, frightened wife.
After coming home Sunday was a good day- capped by a graduation party which included many friends from far and near (thanks again to Don and Carol Reeves who drove down from Corvallis).
Monday at 4:00am I woke up feeling as though a freight train had hit me. A head cold-that lingers through even today (Wednesday, Dec 16) with little or no sign of improvement.
Again, I wish I had some significant spiritual insight---something that would warrant ooh's and aahh's from my fellow travelers along the life God has called us to. What I do have is a strong and powerful word of encouragement. God is faithful. God is good. God is at work. God is...there really is nothing more profound than the fact of His presence and power!
Merry Christmas!

Frustrations and Fumings

The past couple of Sunday's have been interesting. You won't find any audio of the messages- due to ongoing construction the computers have been down and not quite ready for Sunday's. I have been a little (no, scratch that, a lot)overwhelmed. And, to be quite honest, I've missed the sense of wonder and awe that needs to chracterize genuine worship. Now, the problem is not the church, it is a problem in me. But enough of that- -. A busy week. This evening I am in Vancouver, WA for a meeting tomorrow of new Exec Board members of the NWBC. Drive home tomorrow, take Cindy out for birthday dinner. then Tuesday, meet with some men in the church at 6:30am, pastor's for breakfast at 7:30am, then a day in the office, a full Commission on Children and Families meeting at 5:30pm. Then, Wednesday we leave early in the am for Louisville, KY where Josh will join us and I will graduate from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry degree. Then home on Saturday, and a very busy two weeks till Christmas.
Now, to my real challenge. First, I have to learn how to 'go with the flow' when things don't go according to schedule or plan. My flexibility is limited at best. Secondly, I have to find a way to reconnect with a sense of awe and wonder at who God is, what He is in Jesus, how the Spirit works, so that I can do more than lead worship, but so that I can worship. Second, as leader I need to look at structrual issues as to how our church can more effectively reach our community. Newcomers are rare- yet we live in a highlu unchurched community. We have the best gift- life in Christ- that has ever been given and yet, too often our church feels like an enclave for the saved, a place where we can be comfortable. There is value in that, but...sometimes I feel our comfort gets in the way of what our genuine function is. Third, I am trying to build accountablilty into my life- that I desperately need. As a single staff pastor I have grown far too accustomed to making sure everything gets taken care of...except me. I need to delegate- and give authority with the assignment. I need to focus on what our church's core values and dreams are all about.
That's a big agenda. So, let's aim for the prize, forgetting the past, letting go what was and learn to live focused on what God is doing- bringing us to completion and maturity in Christ.
Help me, hold me accountable. I'll help you...together we will be what God has called us to be!

Is it already Sunday again?

Each Saturday evening I go through a little ritual- I stand in front of my closet and wonder, how did it get to be time to get ready for Sunday again? Didn't I just do a Sunday? This week I inserted a variation- how did it come time for Thanksgiving again? Didn't we just have Thanksgiving? Oh, that was last year. Time passes- whether we are having fun or not.
As I listened to the heavy rainfall last night and early this morning I began to wonder...just what effect do my words Sunday after Sunday have? I know God has promised that His Word will always accomplish it's purpose (see Isaiah 55:11). But there are days and weeks I wonder if I'll live long enough to see God's Word bring the fruit I long to see.
Then, I read the book of James this morning. And what did I read? James 5:7-8"Therefore brothers, be patient. . . see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains? You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts because the Lord's coming is near."(HCSB).
So, it is Sunday again. It is thanksgiving season once again. I will patiently wait for God's promise to be fulfilled.

Prophets and Pastors

Tucked away in the Old Testament book of Hosea is a declaration of God that I'd never paused long enough to see before. "The LORD brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, and Israel was tended by a prophet" (Hos 12:13). Interesting. When I wonder exactly what it is a pastor does some days this is a reminder that though God could act independently of human agency, He chooses to reveal His presence, His purpose, and His power through humans like, well, me! Yes, God set His people free from the Egyptians by His mighty hand, but Moses was His chosen instrument through which He revealed Himself.
This statement is a reminder that God still desires for men and women who will willingly place their lives in between God and His people- individuals who will wait to hear from God, individuals who will speak accurately the things of God, and people who will listen carefully to the heart of the people to whom God has called them. May I be that kind of prophet. May God continue to 'tend' His people through me!

Last Thursday and Friday I was privilged to facilitate a meeting of county officials designed to update a comprehensive plan for services offered to children and their families in Douglas County. Several thingks are striking about this group of county and state officials- some elected officials, and some social service professionals-
1. a common commitment to outcomes. Everyone in the room for those meetings really wants to provide the best and most effective opportunities for children and their families. Both days we struggled with how to assist families in overcoming the culture of poverty and hopelessness that threatens many families in our communities.
2. a shared vision of a better future. Everyone in the room wants to see a community where everyone thrives, where every member of the community is valued, where everyone is able to offer their unique contribution to the whole.
3. a clash of values. The challenge comes when well-meaning professionals- all of whom have a great deal more experience than I have in the social service realm- seek to apply limited dollars to what is a growing problem.
The discussion was honest and pointed, but all was done in a civil and respetable tone of voice. As a pastor- a veteran of thirty years of Baptist business meetings at the local church level, the associational level, the regional level, and some limited exposure to national denominational level business meetings- it strikes me that even good people with well meaning and well intentioned ideas will disagree about some of the most basic of issues. The challenge is not to force everyone into agreement, but to create a climate where people are free to discuss their differences and where people appreciate the differences between them rather than acting from fear and anxiety.
I overheard a suggestion that intrigues me- what are the parallels and constrasts between our culture and the culture of the nations of Israel and Judah during the monarchy and period of divided kingdoms? What leadership lessons can we learn? What spiritual principles can we appropriate and apply? Interesting questions that I hope to explore as I have time...

Monday...Monday

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours with our church's leadership team and finance committee. We are in the beginning stages of developing our 2010 budget. To begin, I asked four questions: 1. What would a guest attending for the first time say our top two priorities as a church are? 2. What kind of church do we believe God wants us to be? 3. To be that kind of church what kind of pastor, leaders, and members do we need? and 4. Are we willing to make the necessary changes?
There was a rousing discussion of the first question. Interesting observations from those who attended. The second and third question need some more work. On Nov 15 I'll meet again with our leadership team and discuss those questions. Part of the answer we talked about yesterday involves focusing on our small groups. I believe that we will engage with people who don't know Jesus most effectively at that level- not at the level of our 11:00am morning worship service. Part of our challenge is to revitalize and reorganize our small groups into viable outreach and ministry teams where unsaved, unchurched and dechurched (that's a term I read in an interview with Perry Noble recently) can become engaged with the gospel. So, lots of work ahead. Changing my role is hard. I struggle almost every Sunday with the desire to be the funnel for all information about what's happening in this and that family's life. I struggle with wanting to be in control so that everything happens orderly and efficiently during the morning worship service (which always seems to fall apart no matter how hard I try to manage and arrange things....)
Of course, changing the role and assignment of our leaders will not be easy either. Asking them to think differently about their small group/class will take some time and create some adjustment issues. Fortunately a group has been appointed to begin working on defining what it means to be a member of our church. Another group will soon be working on how to effectively greet everyone who drives in the parking lot and walks in the door.
So, change- in the weather, the leaves are dropping, the temp is dropping, and the rain will begin to fall...- change is the only constant in my life! Thank God for His unchanging nature!

Leaders Lead...

BEing part of the Pastor Cluster groups in the Northwest Baptist Convention is providing me a refreshing look at the role of a pastor. Yesterday's presentation by Carter Shotwell of LakePointe Church in Rockwell TX was a fascinating overview of a process they use in their church for involving people in adult Bible study groups. I have yet to digest all the information Carter shared, but one piece has stuck with me all through the night and into this morning. He made the statement, Leaders lead. They don' do. What struck me is how easily I fall into the pattenr of doing. Something is broken, I fix it instead of enlisting someone else who is better qualified and has more time. A project is stalled and instead of helping the leader move his or her project forward I pcik up the reins and move the project forward. That is not the job of a leader. Whenever I fix that broken piece or move someone's project forward, I deprive them of a chance to learn and to serve. I have to learn to lead- to someitmes let things be broken until someone else steps us, to allow projects to stall (and heaven forbid maybe even fail) so that others can learn from their experiences.
Delegation has never been easy for me. As a single staff pastor I have grown into a jack of all trades but master of none. As I grow older I want to learn to delegate, to give others the joy and experience of acting. I want to lead- to dream big dreams, to vision projects that require faith, to focus on issues that demand more from me and those around me. In other words, being a leader means finding the direction, charting the course, and staying true to the vision of the organization.
Writers write, singers sing, and leaders lead!