Prayer Team

Recently I have asked many people to join me in prayer as I enter a time of transition in my life. I strongly feel that my calling is in youth ministry. I do not feel that God has taken that calling away or has called me to another ministry. The question becomes, “Where does God want me to be?” “Who does God want me to minister?” It may require moving away. It may require that I become bi-vocational again (no this is not a sin).

I do know that it has been hard on me and Monica. We worry about the future.

Now the hardships I am facing are not life threatening. Being released from a job is not terminal. But I understand it is a hardship and I am unable to fix it myself. Through this experience godly men and women have rallied behind me and given me some great advice. One piece of advice has been to gather a team of pray warriors and allow them to give to God.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

I am looking forward to seeing how God uses the prayers of so many. I am encouraged that so many have positively responded back to me that they are honored to pray for me and Monica.

Comfort in Times of Need

I have been told recently to read through 2 Corinthians and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to me through this time of reading. I started with chapter one and I haven’t gotten past the 7th verse without having to stop and discover what is being said to me.

2 Corinthian 1:3-7 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Throughout these first verses I am reading over and over again the word comfort. In contrast are the words troubles, sufferings and distressed.

We face times in our lives when things occur that discourage us. Being discouraged takes the wind out of our sails. Times discouragement can knock us flat on our butts. When I face these times I do not want to do anything. I am not happy. I tend to moan and groan about my situation to anyone that will listen. I become unhappy.

What gets me out my funk? Encouragement. To have someone come along side and help me and to cheer me up. The Greek word for comfort is paraklesis which means to come alongside. The Latin word for comfort is cum-fortis, which means with strength.

As I am facing my times of trouble, those times when I feel alone and discouraged I know that I am not by myself. As I face times of testing, tribulation and trouble I know I have help. And when I am feeling my weakest I know that I can be strengthened.

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Mr Deity

I was shown this video by Katelyn, she was shown the video by her professor at Cal Baptist. Now the theology is a little off, but it is really funny. I would love to hear your thoughts!




Tell me what you think!!

Find the guy!

I decided to start the day for those of you that read this blog with something a little more lighter. Thanks Chris Campbell for sending me this!

Nothing is going to jump out at you - this is a real puzzle and yes, there is a man in the picture.

Doctors (I do not know which doctors) have concluded that if you find the man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds, your right half of your brain is better developed than most people. If you find the man between 3 seconds and 1 minute, your right half of the brain is developed normally. If you find the man between 1 minute and 3 minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and you need to eat more protein. If you have not found the man after 3 minutes, the advice is to look for more of this type of exercise to make that part of the brain stronger!!!

Tell me how you did!

A Time of Dark Isolation

Continuing through the book, Mother Teresa: Come be my Light, we see a deeply religious being living through a dark time of isolation in her ministry. Prior to being a servant to the poorest of the poor Mother Teresa heard Jesus say to her to, “Come, come, carry Me into the holes of the poor. Come be my light.” But after the ministry to the poor started Mother Teresa was herself in a time of darkness: isolated and separated from the felt presence of Jesus.

With regard to the feeling of loneliness, of abandonment, of not being wanted, of the darkness of the soul, it is a state well known by spiritual writers and directors of conscience. This is willed by God in order to attach us to Him alone, an antidote to our external activities, and also, like any temptation, a way of keeping us humble in the midst of applauses, publicity, praises, appreciation, etc. and success. To feel we are nothing, that we can do nothing is the realization of a fact. We know it, we say it, some feel it.

When I walk through the slums or enter dark holes—there Our Lord is always really present.

As for myself—there is but one desire—to love God as He has never been loved—with deep personal love.—In my heart there seems to be no other thing but He—no other love but His: the streets, Kalighat, slums, & Sisters have been places where He lives His own life of love to the full.


Mother Teresa’s desire was to satiate, satisfy the thirst of Jesus on the Cross: to bring souls to God and God to souls, despite her dark isolation.

Yesterday was a Good Day!

Yesterday was good. I got to enjoy the company of two of my former high school students. We meet after school at Starbucks and watched a small dog drink a green tea frappuccino. Afterwards we headed to BJ’s and enjoyed a couple Pazookis together, on the TV screen was American Gladiator!

I dropped them off at 5 and then headed to Corona High to watch a little volleyball, to watch another former student play. I saw a couple more former students at the game and around campus, it was great getting hugs from them and hearing that they missed me. The game was close, Corona always gives Santiago a tough time. But the girls did ok, I am not sure what the final scores were or who actually won.

The day ended with our weekly Tuesday Pizza Night. We have not gathered as a group for two weeks since I was out of town those past Tuesdays. It was great seeing everyone, a couple more high school students came by. I do not think any of them really understand what strength the group brings to me each week.

So my tank is full again and I am ready to get busy!

Read through the Bible in a year

I am starting a systematic time of reading through the Bible in a year. I invite you to come and join me. I would love to hear your thoughts on the passages we are reading through daily.

Today the passages I read through are:

Jeremiah 28-29:32
1 Timothy 1:1-20
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 25:17

The Proverbs passage is great!

Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house—
too much of you, and you will be hated.

I guess it was good that we left Amanda and Jonny's home and did over stay our welcome!

Oklahoma

This week has been filled with so much. We went to see Amanda and Jonny’s property as the grass was being mowed to be bailed for hay. They have 20 acres of land and many ponds surrounded it or nearby.

We went to see the Federal Building that was the target of the Oklahoma City bombing. It was a sad reminder of man’s ability to inflict violence and death on so many, including many children. I will post some pictures later.

Wednesday night the town paper came out. We raced to get a copy and read about the news of Lincoln County. Oklahoma is celebrating their 100 anniversary of statehood.

Yesterday I drove to the town of Perry to visit with some pastors and talk about churches and ministry positions. The town is old, and dying. I took some cool pictures on my cell phone that I will post later.

Last night we enjoyed a real farm cooked fried chicken dinner, with mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, rolls and pecan pie. Yummy! We drove by the high school football stadium on the way home. It was truly a Friday Night Lights, the entire town was at the game, unfortunately Chandler High School lost. I am sure the town will be grumbling about this loss today.

Today we are going to a parade in downtown Chandler, it should be a blast. The theme of the parade is the land run of 1889. I will post some pictures. It should be like the Placentia and Yorba Linda parades.

Tomorrow we are going to church. Afterwards we head to grandma’s for brunch with the family and then to see the property on quads.

"I am thirsty" Jesus

Mother Teresa gives some clear insight into the phrase “I am thirsty” that Jesus spoke from the cross in John 19:28. What was Jesus thirsty for?

Thirst is that physical characteristic that each of have when our bodies cry out for fluids, especially water. Being thirsty can be a painful reminder that we are missing something. We have to replenish our intake of water to survive. Without water we die.

According to Mother Teresa, Jesus was thirsty for us. Jesus’ pain in being thirsty is a desire for us to be a part of Him.

Jesus wants me to tell you again…how much is the love He has for each of you—beyond all what you can imagine…Not only does He love you, even more He longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you. He love you always, even when you don’t feel worthy…

For me it is so clear—everything in Missionaries of Charity (MC) exists only to satiate Jesus. His words on the wall of every MC chapel, they are not from [the] past only, but alive here and now, spoken to you. Do you believe it?...Why doe Jesus “I thirst”? What does it mean? Something so hard to explain in words—…“I thirst”? is something much deeper than just Jesus saying “I love you.” Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you—you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him.

Jesus died on the cross and experienced the desperate needs of the poor everywhere. Jesus died alone. Jesus died feeling hated. Jesus died broken in spirit and in body. Jesus died thirsty. Not a thirst for water but a thirst for love, charity and sacrifice. Mother Teresa and the Sisters lived this out in their four vows of Absolute Poverty, Chastity, Obedience and Charity for the poor seeking to quench the thirst of Jesus.

The Saint of Calcutta

Imagine for 30 years God quits speaking to you. Prior to these empty thirty years God has spoken clearly about your call and purpose in life, but now loneliness. Imagine doing a job for your entire life and never asking for recognition. Imagine that you even ask that every letter you have written be destroyed. Imagine that the world knows you and recognizes your work but you wish not to be acknowledged.

I must admit, although most of you probably have figured this out, but I have an addiction. It may be hard for you to understand that a youth pastor is addicted to anything, but I am. My addiction may need severe intervention to overcome, I know that I cannot do it alone, it will take help from my friends, family and medical doctors.

I just started reading a book on the life of Mother Teresa (Mother Teresa: Come be my light: the private writings of the “Saint of Calcutta”). I have only read the introduction but I am already amazed at this wonderful woman’s life. Here is a woman that knew her call from God was to serve the poorest of the poor. Here was a woman that heard and knew God’s voice. But in 1961 she no longer heard Him.

With the grasp of her spiritual directors, she progressively came to grasp that her painful inner experience was an essential part of living out her mission. It was a sharing in the Passion of Christ on the Cross—with a particular thirst of Jesus as the mystery of His longing for the love and salvation of every human person. Eventually she recognized her mysterious sufferings as an imprint of Christ’s Passion on her soul. She was living the mystery of Calvary—the Calvary of Jesus and the Calvary of the poor.

I need intervention. Unlike Mother Teresa, I live for the recognition and the fame and the glory. In my life I need to be surrounded by people and need to feel that people love me. It is my addiction. I have overcome so many other addictions, but this one lingers. It may sound like nothing but consider the difference: Mother Teresa lived for God, Rick Ellis lives for self. Who would you like to be?

Mother Teresa wrote many letters and she did not want them to be used for her glory. Her life was lived out for God, not for herself. The letters and ultimately the books that would follow would focus on her and not the glory that was deserved of God. In one of her letters she expressed that the writers focus on the poor.

I am perfectly happy and grateful to God for what He gives—I [would] rather be and remain poor with Jesus and His poor.—I prefer to beg and struggle with little—let him write about “the work” and our poor and struggling people.—help me to pay for the schooling of our poor children and give the clever ones a chance in life.

I am only His instrument—why so much about me—when the work is all His. I hold no claim to it. It was given to me…

I have a long way to go to overcome my addiction. I pray that in the days, months and years to come I would deny more of myself.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

A New Generation's Response to Christianity

David Kinnaman, the president of The Barna Group, has written a new book titled unChristian. I am excited about reading through this book and have added it to my Amazon Wish List, if you feel compelled to purchase it for me. I have directly quoted much of what was written at The Barna Group in the article: A New Generation Expresses its Skepticism and Frustration with Christianity.

According to research by The Barna Group the Christian image has shifted substantially downward, fueled in part by a growing sense of disengagement and disillusionment among young people. This study also shows that those outside Christianity are less likely to view evangelicals favorably because of negative views of Christianity.

Common negative perceptions include that present-day Christianity is judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), old-fashioned (78%), and too involved in politics (75%) - representing large proportions of young outsiders who attach these negative labels to Christians. The most common favorable perceptions were that Christianity teaches the same basic ideas as other religions (82%), has good values and principles (76%), is friendly (71%), and is a faith they respect (55%).

Another view is that the church is anti-homosexual. The feeling is that Christians are so opposed to homosexuality that they demonstrate excessive contempt and an unloving attitude towards gay and lesbians.

This study also recognized that many young Christians hold these same views of Christianity. Maybe this is why we see many college students willing to leave what they once held dearly. To these Christians homosexuality is viewed as the biggest of sins. The study recognized that young people in the church and out had similar views of Christianity.

So as we tap into how Christianity is viewed I ask our older generation to evaluate ourselves. How do we view the issues that young people are concerned with? How are we communicating our values to young people? How are we embracing their values? Should we communicate those values? How well are we listening to young people? Do we really know what they are dealing with?

According to the study, older generations more easily dismiss the criticism of those who are outsiders," Kinnaman said. "But we discovered that young leaders and young Christians are more aware of and concerned about the views of outsiders, because they are more likely to interact closely with such people. Their life is more deeply affected by the negative image of Christianity. For them, what Christianity looks like from an outsider’s perspective has greater relevance, because outsiders are more likely to be schoolmates, colleagues, and friends."

I would love to hear your views. Read the blog before this one and listen to what this young person is saying. What are you hearing?

Expressed Frustration

Yesterday I read the following blog from a dear friend. I have not asked permission to use his blog in this article nor will I identify him. I have censored the curse words that he used but you will be able to figure out the words he used. This is the voice that many 16 to 29 year olds are expressing today. For you outside this generation, read this with an open ear and be willing to listen without responding.


I think I’m done with a lot of bull****....


So I'm thinking that I don't really want to follow the church anymore... I don't necessarily agree with what they have to say, pretty much at all. I want to clarify that I'm not pissed off right now, I'm actually in a pretty tranquil state of mind and just feel like sharing my thoughts.

I don't agree with what I have been taught for what is right and wrong necessarily... Everyone says that there is such thing as a conscience and use that as a crutch but to me it seems that it's just something that is in our subconscious that speaks to us about what we have been socially conditioned to. Try to tell me other wise, I would love to hear it, seriously.

"I like your Christ, but not your Christians." - Ghandi. I think I agree.

"Today, there are a total of 30,000 different religious views worldwide, out of those, FIVE THOUSAND of them are differing/bickering sects of Christianity. If that doesn't sound ridiculous to you, I don't know what should. The fact of the matter is, that when religion is taken too seriously, it **** EVERYTHING. It causes war, hatred, terror, ignorance, close-mindedness, and the inability for those under its spell to live their lives to the full extent. Most religions come with a built in story to instill fear in the hearts and minds of those who follow it. (i.e. YOUR GOING TO HELL YOU SINNER! WORSHIP ME! OR SPEND ETERNITY IN THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH!)"

I don't know if I like that necessarily either...

I pretty much think that not really anybody knows what the fuck they are talking about...

"There are alot of good things about 99% of the religions out there and most of them have nothing to do with the actual religion. The support and help that the community can give a person who is down on their luck or the shoulder's to cry on that some people just don't have without them. Religions are just like Fraternities or Secret societies or even the birthday club at Baskin Robbins. They all provide benefits of being part of something larger than yourself. And most importantly, a sense of belonging and helping another person."

I think the worst part about it though is that half or more of the people in the church don't even really think about these things. They don't see other perspectives and it makes me wonder a lot of things....

So..................

I'm doing my own thing, and im pretty happy and excited right now.

P.S. (I'm not saying I don't believe in Jesus)

I just don't believe in bull**** teachings anymore


And I still have TONS of respect for some people who have had an influence on my life (most of you know who you are, some might not), just because your a Christian doesn't make me not respect you, if thats what you got out of this

GL on your individual journeys my friends


Tomorrow I am going to talk about an article written at Barna.com: A New Generation Expresses its Skepticism and Frustration with Christianity. I encourage to read through this article. A great book to read is They Love Jesus but not the Church by Dan Kimball.

Living in Yesterday

Today I was watching the morning news when Beaver and Wally Cleaver were guests. Wow, I remember watching these guys on TV when I was little, man they are old! I loved to watch Beaver get into trouble. What made the show fun was watching an era, even before my time, when it appeared there was nothing but innocence. No bad words, no stealing, no bad tempers, no car chases and no moms working outside the home. Kids obeyed their parents and the parents never had to say “I love you.”

Tomorrow night I am going to my high school reunion. I have been out of high school for 30 years! It was so long ago. I am sure that some would look back at the 70’s as a time of innocence too. But like the 50’s when Leave it to Beaver was on TV, it was not as innocent as we might like to think. We were involved in much of the same sin issues our students in high school face today.

There are many that love the past. If the had their way they would be still living in the past. Some were the jocks or the cheerleaders in high school and those were their glory days (great Bruce Springsteen song!). For some those days were the highlights of their life. Nothing great has happened since high school. They might not even have something to look forward to.

We cannot live our lives in the past. We have moved on, forward if you will and the past is past. Nothing we can do will ever change the past. We do have control of our todays and we can be involved in our tomorrows, but what about our yesterdays?


Is today only a reflection of our yesterday?

Late Night Conversations

Last night I got to hang out with about 50 middle school students at Citrus Heights Friends Church. It was fun. Andre has some cool toys for the group. They have a ramp and a couple bar for grinding for the skaters. The church just set up a basketball court outside that looks great. Andre loves hardcore music, so does his kids, and they pump it out into the outside gathering area.

Many of the kids from camp ran over and gave me an incredible hug. It was great feeling their appreciation and love for me. It kind of makes this place a second home and I know that it will be just as much fun tonight with the high school students.

The evening ended with some quality time with Dom, the high school pastor and his wife Cala over desert. We got to talk about ministry and life and how to train up and recruit leaders. It is amazing to me that parents want the best for their kids but sometimes fall short. Are we as parents willing to get involved with the spiritual formation of our own kids?

We have kids involved in sports, sometimes multiple sports at one time. We push for great grades, anything less will not get you into a good college. We allow our kids to be involved in any other activity that they are excited about: band, dance, motorcycle riding, etc. All these things are great. But are we as parents spending quality time with our kids? Do we sit and just talk? Do we have dinner around a table and spend time together as a family? Do we talk about the Bible, God, Jesus and our relationship with Him to our kids? If so, how frequently?

Deuteronomy 6: 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. [6] These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [8] Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. [9] Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

If you are following the shema, the verse above, doing all those other things are great. If you are following the shema youth group becomes unnecessary, except to gather with a group of brothers and sisters in the Lord. You do not need youth pastors if you are following the shema, the parent becomes the pastor.

In the days of Jesus there was no separation of spiritual life and work life, or school life, or sports life, or home life. It was all connected. Spiritual life was connected with every aspect of the daily coming and goings of the family. Your spiritual life dictated how you conducted business and how you raised your family.

Thankfully for a large group of youth pastors, parents are not following the shema. Thankfully for a large group of youth pastors, parents are not allowing their spiritual life to exist with their “regular” life. So for a large group of youth pastors we have job security and late night conversations about doing ministry will continue.

Road Trip: Off to Sacramento

Tomorrow morning, at around 4am I am heading north. I am excited about my trip and reuniting with a group of junior high and high school students at Citrus Heights Friends Church. I know it will be a great trip. Look for my posts about my trip, if I can find a free Internet coffee house.

TP: An Act of Love

This is what I woke to this morning! Thanks Katelyn, Hayley and Brett, I feel the love!

Last Day

Well today marked my final day at West Community Friends Church. It really was an amazing day. The students put together a memory/scrapbook for me. The book was presented at both services in front of the congregation. The students came up and laid hands on me and prayed over me. The act of creating this book said so much about their love for me. It has touched my heart deeply and I look forward to reading all the comments. I know I will need Kleenex.

During second service I was given the opportunity to speak. I challenged the church to look at the high school students that were gathered with me in the sanctuary, over 45 high school students were there. For a church of just over 300 this is an impressive number (over 30 middle school students were at first service). This is the future of West Community Friends Church. If the church wants to be relevant to the current and future culture these students need to be embraced, challenged and utilized.

After church services the congregation put on a cake party in my honor. It was nice and the cake was fantastic. Sally always decorates the best cakes and bakes the best cookies; I am going to miss her treats. It was nice saying goodbye to all the families that came.

Finally we all ended up at Sami’s home for a party with over 50 students. What a great time to talk and hold one another. It was great. There were some tears but it was the memories that were being cherished. I am proud of these students and of their spiritual growth, I think we call this discipleship. They are ready to take on the world and the church. I am going to be their biggest cheerleader.

Katelyn, I know that you did a lot of the planning and organizing for this day. I am proud of you! Thank you for making my last day the best!

Tomorrow I will post the message from 1 Corinthians 15:58 that I gave to the group today.

Melancholy Day

I have been attempting to write daily on my blog. It is my hope that I can read more and write more. Today though I did not accomplish much reading or writing.

Last night was my last midweek night with my high school students. It was a great night. About 20 of us started with dinner at Miguel’s. For the past month I have really enjoyed our shared meals together. Nothing to me says more about community, and family and church than a shared meal. Our time together was nice and we had a great time of worship, thanks Jeff! But there was something about last night that we all felt. It was the sense that things were not going to be the same next week. The sadness in the youth room was felt by everyone. There were a lot of tears.

Today I have feeling melancholy. I received some great emails and potential job offers but last night’s sadness lingers.

Tonight I went to the Santiago High School football game to watch some of my girls perform with their color guard team at halftime. They did an amazing job and I am very proud of them. But that only builds on my sadness. I know I will be at fewer and fewer of their games, dramas and halftime shows.

Sunday approaches and I know that it will be filled mostly with more tears. I would love it to be a time where we celebrated the accomplishments. But I know it will only be filled with the realization that we will soon be separated and that change is coming.

My hope is that tomorrow I can write about those accomplishments that we achieved as a youth group. This group has been the best and I would love to share why I love them so much!

See You At The Pole 2007

I have a real love—hate relationship with See You at the Pole. I love to see so many students take the opportunity to meet at their flag poles along with their friends to pray. I love to see their courage as they demonstrate their faith in front of their peers, many who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I love that it is student led. I love to see the creativeness of the students and the spontaneity.

But I hate that it is so early in the morning!

I have to get up around 5:30 to shower and get ready to be at the first flag pole by 7. The sun is not even up that early. I arrived at the first school (Corona High) ten minutes early. I saw three of my students hanging around the pole, but I decided to relax in my car, listen to the radio, drink my coffee and pray for a great day.

The day was great! At Corona High many of my high school students (around 15 students) came out to pray for their school along with about twenty other students. They gathered around and lifted up some incredible and powerful prayers to God, asking for safety, asking for revival, praying for the teachers, the staff and the administration. It was awesome.

I left Corona High and headed out to visit my first junior high (Corona Fundamental Intermediate School , CFIS). When I arrived there a large group of junior high students were already circled around their flag pole and singing Father Abraham. You have to love these students. They were so joyful about the day that they demonstrated it through the music they were singing. Every time a student joined the circle the students would clap and cheer and demand the students introduce themselves and tell what church they were from. They did an awesome job. There were about 6 or 7 students from my church at CFIS and about 40 other junior high students.

The last school I visited was Raney Middle School. Raney starts later in the morning than the other junior high and high schools in Corona: 8:55. This means that the students did not need to arrive to their flag pole until 8:15. I started my wait across the street at 7:45 with my coffee that was now cold. Nothing screams stalker more than a middle aged man parked in a car across the street from a middle school. I sat in my car for almost an hour.

Finally, at 8:45 a group of five girls from my church approached the flag pole. We had less than ten minutes to pray. It was short and sweet but it was still good that the students there were able to pray for their school.

I am praying for all schools, that Christian students will love others in the way that Jesus loved the world. That they would demonstrate through their love that we are all created in God’s image and that He wants to reconnect with everyone. Don’t stop praying for your school.

I would love to hear about other See You at the Pole stories.

See You At The Pole

The Giving Kiosk

Recently I have heard of a new way to encourage giving by the church, The Giving Kiosk: and ATM type of machine, placed in or near the sanctuary, that accepts your giving. Now I am not going to get into the theology of giving and if Jesus ever commanded us to give or not, but I do recognize that most churches need the finances from the giving of the congregation to survive. Budgets are written and proposed each year that limits spending based on the previous year’s giving and the current trends of growth of the church. Most churches have a mortgage, utility payments, salaries, ministry needs and many other expenses that have to be addressed yearly. It is my hope that all churches use a portion of their received gifts in ways that help their community, the world, missions, and any other group that is making a difference for Jesus and the Kingdom of God.






We live in a culture where the economy dictates what we spend and how and where we spend our money. We live in a time where many homes are being repossessed by banks. Interest rates and creative financing have put people in a corner where their only way of keeping on top of the bills is walking away from their homes. Gas prices continue to climb and we are slaves to our cars. We work miles away from our homes and walking to work would be impossible. Mass transit is not even an option any of us want to consider. This past week we have heard on the news that the US dollar has dropped in value allowing others to come into the US for deals because their dollar buys more. I thought that was why many went to Mexico. Lastly, salaries are not rising to meet the cost of living.


Realizing that we are facing some difficult times giving to the church has dropped. Budgets are not being met and budget cuts become the necessary course of action. Churches become creative in ways of meeting their budgets. Fundraising, golf tournaments, concerts, guest speakers, workshops, car washes, bake sales are just a few ways that some churches raise money to offset expenses. It is funny though that the people targeted for these events are the same people sitting in the pews. Other methods of giving have been online giving: a secure way of giving from the safety and convenience of your home pc. And if you use your credit card you can earn frequent flyer miles!


For most of us giving is a part of our act of worship (2 Corinthians 9:7) as we cheerfully give back to God a portion of what He has blessed us with. We bring to this offering to God and to His storehouse (Malachi 3:7). I am afraid if we are looking for a reward or convenience for our offering we are missing the point of sacrificial giving (Luke 21:1-4).


One pastor who uses these giving kiosks was quoted as saying, “We're just trying to connect with the culture and that's how the culture does business. It's more than an ATM for Jesus. It's about erasing barriers.” It is funny that this would be his concern instead of reaching those in the culture and inviting them in.

What is Love?

Have you ever wondered about love? We use the one word to express our love for our wife and tacos. I would die for my wife but would I die for a taco? So what does love really look like? How do I know I am love?

In the Bible two Greek words are used to describe love, agape and phileo. Phileo is love for one another, as in a friendship held in high esteem. Sometimes friendships are built on shared interests. Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love. Hydrophilia is an attraction to water; bibliophilia is a love of books; and philosophy is a love of wisdom. So maybe tacophilia is how I should describe my love for tacos.

There are two other Greek words for love not used in the Bible: storge and eros. Storge can be best described as the love a parent has for their children. Eros is the sexual love a man and woman have for one another. Eros is where we get our word erotic.

Agape is the unconditional love one has for another. It demands nothing in return. Real charity does not happen unless agape love is involved. Agape love is a choice. We can display our agape love for God or we can display our agape love for the world (2 Tim. 4:10, Matt. 6:24).

God displayed His agape love for us by sending His son to die on a cross for us:
1 John 4:9-10 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Marriage should be built on agape love. Our love for our spouse needs to be selfless and looking for nothing in return. Countless times I have done a project for my wife only because I wanted something in return. “I did this for you because…,” does that sound familiar?

In Ephesians 5:25 men are instructed to love (agape) their wives as Christ loved (agape) the church. It goes on to say that Christ gave Himself up for her, the church. Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for us. Therefore for me to truly demonstrate my love for my wife I need to be willing to sacrifice (to give up something I value) for her without looking for something in return.

For an even clearer picture of what agape love is read 1 Corinthians 13. May your agape love for God and your spouse be one that never fails!

Moral Filth

Today I was doing a Bible study with a group of junior high students after school.  It is a great time of eating cookies and drinking sodas in a park across the street from their middle school.  We get together every Friday afternoon, it is one my highlights in my busy week.  We are currently reading through James.

I have read through James a thousand times.  But today God showed me something I have read over and missed.  Isn’t that amazing how your eyes see something new in the middle of familiarity?  

James 1:21 says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

Today moral filth became visible to me.  Do you see it?  What is moral filth?  Moral is the ability to know or sense right and wrong.  Filth is something dirty, foul, disgusting, and unclean.  So what is moral filth?  It is something that is ok in the world’s eyes but unclean in God’s eyes.  Abortion is ok in the world’s eyes.  Premarital sex is ok in the world’s eyes.  Astrology is ok in the world’s eyes.  Most pornography is legal.  Greed and covetousness is ok in the world’s eyes.  But all these things are not ok in God’s eyes.

Verse 27 is a bookend for this idea: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Don’t get polluted by the things that the world says is ok.  Seek truth through the Bible and live for God!

Stages of Grief

Stages of Grief


Psalm 46

[1] God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.

  [2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

  [3] though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.
        Selah

  [4] There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.

  [5] God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.

  [6] Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

  [7] The LORD Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
        Selah

  [8] Come and see the works of the LORD,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.

  [9] He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
    he burns the shields with fire.

  [10] "Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth."

  [11] The LORD Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
        Selah


On Jan 17, 1994 Southern California was awakened at 4:30am to a fierce earthquake.  This was the first major earthquake under an urban city in Southern California since 1933.  This was the Northridge earthquake and it was a magnitude 6.7.  57 people died and 9,000 people were injured.  Over 20,000 were left homeless.


The Earthquake lasted between 10 and 20 seconds.  The shaking from this earthquake was felt as far as 85 miles away.  


The scoreboard at Angel stadium had to be torn down because of damage it sustained during this quake.  11 major roads had to be closed due to the damage from the earthquake.  25,000 buildings were damaged.  


When we face grief we are shaken, sometimes shaken to the core.  The actual event may only last but a few seconds but there is a lasting effect.  And there is damage.  Once the shaking has settled we must survey the damage.  


In our lives we will go through the grieving process way too frequently, we face grief everyday.  When we enter into the process we want out as quickly as possible.  Some are capable of getting through the process quickly while others may take longer.  Some prefer to go through the grieving process alone and others may require and desire that they grief in the company of others.  I do not have a pill to magically get you through the process.  But realizing there are steps may help you get through the process faster or with less anxiety.  


In my life I have my moments of grieving:

A broken 7th grade relationship
Cut from baseball team
Missed promotion
Columbine in 1999
CW Perry’s death in 2000
The 911 attack in 2001


Some times the thing that drives us back to church is because we are grieving.  People have come because they are experiencing a deep, fundamental grief, remembering losses that had caused them deep and transforming pain, and anticipating perhaps the finitude of their own lives.  Death, pain, and suffering are a part of every person's life and it is this search for answers that throws us into the embrace of God.  What is there beyond all this?


Types of grief
Divorce, separation, breakup
Unfaithfulness
     Missed opportunity, promotion
     Financial Crisis
     Empty nest, children moving away
     Health crisis
     Death


Psychologist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed the five stages of grief

1. denial


2. anger


3. bargaining


4. depression;


5. acceptance

A simple example of this is:

Imagine that your car has broken down and the battery is dead.  

DENIAL --- What's the first thing you do? You try to start it again! And again. You may check to make sure the radio, heater, lights, etc. are off and then..., try again.

ANGER --- "I should have junked you years ago." Did you slam your hand on the steering wheel? I have. "I should just leave you out in the rain and let you rust."

BARGAINING --- (realizing that you're going to be late for work)..., "Oh please car, if you will just start one more time I promise I'll buy you a brand new battery, get a tune up, new tires, belts and hoses, and keep you in perfect working condition.

DEPRESSION --- "Oh God, what am I going to do. I'm going to be late for work. I give up. My job is at risk and I don't really care any more. What's the use".

ACCEPTANCE --- "Ok. It's dead. Guess I had better call the Auto Club or find another way to work. Time to get on with my day; I'll deal with this later."

In Judaism, the first year of mourning is broken down in five distinct phases:

1. The first phase is the time between death and burial


2. The second phase is the three days that follow, when the family is given space to grieve privately


3. The third phase is called shiva , a weeklong shared mourning with family, friends, and community members


4. The fourth phase (which includes the shiva) is a 30-day period after the burial, in which the bereaved person eases back into life


5. The fifth phase is the remembrance of the first anniversary of death, at which time the headstone is placed, and things return to normal, relatively speaking

I like to use the acronym SARAH to help us deal with disappointment and grief.  


Shock and Sadness

There is a disbelief that this has happened.  You ask questions of why? How? What could I have done?  You walk in a fog, disconnected to the world.  It feels like a dream.  

In John 11 we read about a man named Lazarus who was sick and dying.  His sisters were concerned for his welfare so they sent for Jesus to come and heal Lazarus.  Unfortunately Jesus does not arrive in time and Lazarus dies.  

Finally Jesus does arrive.  Lazarus has been dead and buried for four days.  They were at a time of shiva.  The community has come to help the family in their grieving process.  Jesus notices the sorrow that Lazarus’ sisters are going through.  Jesus sees the mourners gathered to comfort the family and Jesus is moved.  This was probably the closest thing to a family Jesus had away from his own family.  

In verse 35 we read and see Jesus’ humanity and that even Jesus grieved, “Jesus wept.”


Anger

Anger becomes the next step in the grieving process.  Anger happens in the grieving process for numerous reasons.  Plans are changed.  Life is different.  People are disappointed or embarrassed by the situation they have been thrust into.  

There are feelings of bitterness, rage, or hatred.  Uncontrolled anger can lead to hurtful words and physical or psychological abuse.  It becomes a reactionary time.  Think back to 911, people wanted revenge quickly.  President Bush was quoted on September 14, “This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger.”

Going back to John 11 did you notice that Lazarus’s sisters were upset?  Both Martha and Mary tell Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Our frustrations can even turn towards God.  Our disappointments and embarrassments are attributed to God.  He let me down.  We stop blaming ourselves and blame God.  You may ask, "Where is God in this? Where is his love? His powerfulness? His compassion? Is this really God's will?"

In Job we read about the death of his family, the loss of his business, and his health under attack.  For you and me we would say the worst or the end had come.  His wife’s anger rages and she tells him to curse God and die.

     Listen to Psalm 22, do you hear Jesus’ anger on the cross?

          (1) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?

(12) Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.

I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.

I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.

They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.


Wrapped up in sadness, shock and anger are depression, denial and bargaining.  All of these stages require time to enter and exit from.  Sometimes the person grieving will return to these.  Anniversaries are notorious for prompting memories of a loved one or of an event or a missed opportunity.  But we are constantly on the move towards recovery.


Reflection

At the top of my bell curve I have reflection.  Notice it is at the top of the curve.  We have the opportunity to stay on the side of sadness, shock and anger, depression, denial and bargaining or we can move forward into acceptance and happiness.  

Reflection gives us the opportunity to stop and survey the situation.  We have endured an earthquake of emotions.  What is the lingering damage?  Am I recovering?  Am I still angry?  Can I move on with my life?  Have I forgiven others?  Do I need to ask for forgiveness?  

In Jewish tradition there is a mourner’s prayer called the Kiddush.  After a great loss like the death of a spouse or a child, you might expect a person to lose faith in God, or to cry out against God's injustice. Instead, Judaism requires a mourner to stand up every day, publicly, in front of 10 adult men, and reaffirm faith in God despite this loss.  The theme of the Kiddash is the greatness of God.


Acceptance

Now acceptance does not mean that life has returned to its former state.  In the case of someone dying, acceptance does not bring someone back to life.  Acceptance does not get you a promotion.  Acceptance does not rebuild the Twin Towers.  

Acceptance begins the stage in our lives when we can move on.  Our lives have changed and we must adjust.  It is about acknowledging the loss and learning to live with the loss.  

     We may need to grant forgiveness to someone who has wronged us

     We may need to ask for forgiveness from someone we have wronged

We may need to show repentance from a sinful life we have lived that might have led to our grief.

Read 2 Samuel 12:13-22, David was willing to accept God’s judgement


Happiness or joy


     What does happiness look like after grieving?  How about sleeping through the night?  
How about remembering a lost one with a smile?  How about the willingness to date or fall in love again?  

Happiness can be the reality that our loved ones are being cared for by God.  

Revelation 21:1-4  

Consider the prodigal son story.  A father has allowed his son to leave the family unit.  He grieves the loss of his son.  He waits daily at the window for his son’s return.  Finally after months, or years, of waiting his son returns home.  The son has lost everything.  But the father is overjoyed as he is reunited with his son.  

Happiness is realizing that we need Jesus to get us through our times of grief.  Happiness is realizing that Jesus got us through our time of grief.  Happiness is realizing that Jesus never leaves us.  


Philippians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.


James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.


We are growing.  In the process of grieving we grow.  We grow in our faith.  We grow in our knowledge of Jesus.  We experience spiritual maturity.


Support groups are everywhere to help people who are grieving.  It is part of God’s plan that we help others who are grieving.  Remember the third phase of mourning?  Sitting shiva is where family, friends and the community would come together to share in the grieving process


There are some in our church who have recently had a loved one die, they need your to sit shiva.  

There are some in our church that are sick, they need your to sit shiva.

There are some that are facing divorce, they need your to sit shiva.

There are some that are facing financial hardships, they need your to sit shiva..

Some are grieving the situation our church is going through, they need your to sit shiva.


2 Corinthians 1:3-7  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.  And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Youth Ministry

Today was a happy day and a sad day. Isn’t it wild how in one day you can experience both feelings?


This morning I called one of my college friends/students and asked what he was doing today. I needed to check out a beach for a planned 8th grade retreat. I had never been to San Mateo campground and wanted to see how far from the beach it was and what the campground actually looked like. The campground looked like a great place for a bunch of 8th graders. Turns out it is a long walk (hike?) to the beach.


We figured we were at the campground let’s take a walk to the beach. What made the hike awesome, despite the distance, was the time of conversation I had with Brett (my college friend/student). He is an amazing young man with ideas and dreams on what church should look like. We shared different ideas, asked questioned and just enjoyed each other’s company. When it is all said and done maybe that it was church should look like: sharing ideas, asking questions and enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes it is awesome doing youth ministry!


After my trip to the beach I went to the memorial service of a young lady. I did not know the girl personally but I had seen her around. She had a great smile that was infectious! A letter was read by a young boy that did not know her but sought her out at school just to see her smile. It seems that it always made him feel good, especially when he was down. Many of her friends were in my former youth group. They spoke glowingly from the platform of this beautiful young girl and her love for others and for Jesus. It made me sad to watch as students that belonged to my former youth group mourned the passing of this young lady. Even though I was there for them at the memorial service it felt like I had let them down. I wouldn’t be around to help them through this. Sometimes doing youth ministry can really suck!


I am thankful that I was able to leave one church to work at another on good terms. The students were sad to see me leave (and I was just as sad to leave) but are very welcoming when I am around. My home still gets TP'ed by my former students. Sometimes doing youth ministry is just weird!


Lord help me to be the best youth pastor I can be. Help me to see the good in all situations. Continue to use and grow me.

Martin Luther King Jr.

In one of my classes this semester I was given the assignment to read Martin Luther King’s letter from the Birmingham jail. I must confess that I had never read this document before. When I was in elementary school, and junior high this was not history. This was current affairs, but growing up in a predominately white suburban neighborhood this seemed miles and miles away. It could have happened on a different continent. We were isolated, purposefully or accidentally from the events.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

Have we gotten any better at exposing ourselves and our culture to affairs of injustice? The world has gotten smaller, not larger. We have the abilities and resources to act, not just in times of natural disaster but anytime there are a people oppressed.

I had always wondered why the protest marches and sit ins? Why not just negotiate? Dr. King makes a great point in his letter, because it builds tension. Later he writes that freedom is never given willingly be the oppressor.

Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides-and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist.

But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that an men are created equal ..." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we viii be. We we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremist for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime---the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jeans Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

I wonder if Dr. King were still alive today would he be happy with the progress. Is life better for the oppressed? Are inner city neighborhoods on an equal playing field with white neighborhoods? What should we be doing? What should the church be doing?

Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a non segregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago.

But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who 'has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of Rio shall lengthen.

When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leader era; an too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.

Further into his letter Dr. King talks about the church rejoiced at the opportunity to stand firm for their faith.

There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators"' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide. and gladiatorial contests.

One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

I look forward to the day when everyone will be accepted as they are for who they are. May the love of Jesus compel us all to reach the poor, lost and oppressed. These poor souls are our neighbors. Jesus says love your neighbor as yourself. Again the world has gotten smaller, our ability to help has grown, has our willingness? Is the church willing to help or turn away?

Read Dr. King's letter from the Birmingham jail

Spreading the Gospel

I have been so blessed to have met so many people who devote their lives to serving the Lord. Many are involved in missions. I enjoy getting letters from them filled with their successes, hardships and prayer requests. My grandmother loved when her church would have missionaries come and visit. She would call or visit with me and tell me all that these missionaries had seen and done. I really think she wanted to be a missionary. Although she never became a missionary in Africa or any foreign land, she was a missionary to many of her children and grandchildren. If it were not for her influence in my life and her relationship with me I might not have become a Christian myself. Thank you Grandma!


Today I got a letter from an acquaintance in Africa, Simon Guillebaud. This young man’s life was influenced through his relationship with his grandma. It is a rich legacy that he is a part of. Simon works in Burundi, a very volatile area in Africa. Watch Hotel Rwanda for a history of what happened in that area.


My grandmother never got to go to Africa physically but she sent tons of money, support and prayer to the missionaries there. Her only request was that the Gospel be spread. Many of us may never get to go to Africa but we too can help spread the Gospel through our support. Below is a letter I received from Simon sharing a part of his past and his prayer for the future of his ministry. I pray that we can help Simon spread the Gospel.

Dear amazing cyberspace community!

It blows my mind what has come out of this email network, from the very first day I arrived in Burundi. It was 23rd January 1999. It was my first email ever from Burundi, I had found an internet café, and wrote to everyone I knew who had email access (about 50 contacts at the time) highlighting my need for a computer. That morning, a friend in London had woken up and prayed: "Lord, I've got this computer I don't need. Who do you want me to give it to?" He logged on and got my message requesting a computer!!!

The following weekend, I made my first evangelistic trip with the Scripture Union team upcountry. It was a disastrous outing with four breakdowns, so we missed most of the meetings. I returned angry and discouraged that so many people had missed out on hearing the gospel simply because we did not have a vehicle which worked properly. SU was in debt, but had huge potential to be used for God's glory. So I sent out an email asking for prayer for two things: i) to get SU out of debt, and ii) to buy a truck for evangelism around the country. In response to that email, I envisaged $25,000 coming in over the following month. What happened? A cheque for $8,000 arrived, earmarked specifically for a vehicle, and over the coming month $25,000 came in. God answers prayer.

I could go on, but the above are just two examples of how many of you have been caught up in this exciting adventure of seeing God's kingdom come in power in Central Africa.

This is not a prayer letter, but an update and a further call to arms. Do not bother reading further if I am barking up the wrong tree.

I returned before Christmas from a fundraising trip to the United States in time for Zac's birth (he's a little beauty, by the way, extremely loud both ends!). The fundraising was for Scripture Union to build a conference/training centre which will generate funds and make SU self-sustaining. I would love you to pray into that, and do click here so that you can really understand in more detail the vision and purpose of what we are aiming at visit: "http://www.greatlakesoutreach.org/building_project.html". This is GLO's biggest immediate project.

I am anticipating the following request being relevant to only 1% of you, which would be c.75 people. I have always seen part of my role as envisioning, inspiring, and challenging people to dare to believe that casting their all on God is the safest risk, the most exciting adventure, and the most logical step to take if Jesus is who he claims to be.

As our work has expanded so dramatically over the last seven years, I have been getting sucked into activities which are neither in line with what I have been gifted to do, nor ones which I can get myself excited about. I am an evangelist, a pioneer, and out in Burundi my role has become progressively more and more to identify the best people and empower and enable them to achieve their dreams for Christ. I am not good at fundraising or project-proposal writing or being a businessman - in fact I hate those things, whilst recognizing how crucial they are! But I often meet people who offer me their skills and want to be more involved. The time has come to formalize this and maximize the potential. I want to invite any of you who feel your skills could be used for God's glory in Burundi to become, if you like, GLO Associates, or Regional Reps.

Many of you are far too busy and tied up with other things; but others are itching for more involvement and this could be for you. This could mean just a couple of hours a week. Your roles would be a mixture of networking on GLO's behalf, maybe coming out and seeing the amazing stuff going on so can you 'sell' what we are doing, enlisting more pray-ers for the work, writing to trusts and grant funds, doing local fundraising, you name it, let's do it! That would enable me to be freed up from what is not the best use of my gifts or time. If that's you, I can't wait to hear from you.

Burundi is one of the most exciting places on the planet right now. We are seeing peace come after twelve years of horrific war; there is a deeply-committed Christian President leading the country; the churches are growing fast, and there is a new move towards unity; I am one among many Christian nutters, dangerous people who are willing to lay down their lives for the Prince of Peace.

So, amazing cyberspace community, let's rock Burundi and take this to a new level! Thanks to everyone for their prayers, which underpin all we do. God bless you all. Have a dangerous 2006,

Simon Guillebaud

Visit Simon’s web site and see what is happening through his ministry. If you can help financially great! If you have access to ways, thoughts and ideas to help support this ministry email Simon or me. Let’s help spread the Gospel!

What are you longing for?

From my sermon on January 1:

I was lent a book by one of my Tuesday Pizza Night friends. The book is titled, “The Holy Longing” and was written by Ronald Rolheiser. In this book he examines three people and their spirituality; Mother Teresa, Janis Joplin and Princess Diana. I want to examine two of these lives.


Mother Teresa’s purpose in life was to please God by loving the unlovable. All of her energy and time was dedicated towards helping the sick. In the end I am sure that Mother Teresa wished she could have done more, saved more people, increased public awareness, raised more money.

Janis Joplin was a spiritual woman as well. Unfortunately Joplin’s energies were not focused on God, they were hardly focused at all. Her time and energy went in all directions and eventually created a life of excesses in performances, drugs, alcohol, sex, and through all these excesses she neglected a time of rest. She was always on the go. Joplin ended up dying at the early age of 27.

Janis Joplin wrote a song called "Mercedes Benz" that reflect the excesses she enjoyed and desired to have:


Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
I’m counting on you, Lord, please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?


Mother Teresa was able to focus on one thing, not many. Janis Joplin could not focus on the one thing. Like many of us we want to be focused on one thing but we are drawn to feel every sensation that is experienced by all sinners. Choosing one thing means rejecting many other choices.

Consider that getting married to one person means rejecting many others.

Having a baby requires us to focus on one and to give up other personal focuses

And praying means that we have to miss TV or visiting with friends



For many of us we will never be a Mother Teresa or a Janis Joplin. We will never be fully focused on one thing like Mother Teresa: God and the poor. We hopefully will never have the opportunity to enjoy all the excesses that Janis Joplin did.

You may be saying to yourself, “Rick I cannot be a Mother Teresa and I am definitely not a Janis Joplin. Can’t I just live somewhere in the middle?”

I will admit that it would be very hard to be as dedicated as Mother Teresa. But, she did set an example for us to follow. She was not divine, therefore we can become like her.


In the book of Revelation we read the words of Jesus to the church of Laodicea:


Revelation 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! [16] So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. [17] You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.


Jesus says either be a Mother Teresa or a Janis Joplin but don’t be in between.

Generation

On Friday night, January 13, West Community Friends Church has been given the rich honor of hosting Generation.

What is Generation?

Generation is a collective group of Christian High School and Middle School students worshiping Christ together. There is no one demoninational representation at Generation. Just students sharing, enjoying and loving each other and Jesus.

On this night we will enjoying a time of worship to start the evening. After that we will be watching Invisible Children. If you do not know about this organization you should see their movie. You can also get information at invisiblechildren.com. They are sending someone out to answer the students questions. I have viewed this movie, and I know the students will have tons to ask.

I am so thankful for the group of youth pastors in the Corona, Norco and Riverside area that are willing to bring their students to this night. I will post pictures and thoughts on this night.

Band-Aid

Recently I viewed a disturbing video of the damage caused by hurricane Katrina. Follow this link to view it. Be ready to be moved!

Wednesday night we talked about band-aid compassion. Sometimes we do things to help others that appears we are helping the situation. For example you don't walk up to a guy ready to jump off a building and just hand him a phone number to suicide prevention and tell him they can help him. You have to get under the jumper's skin and help fix the problem. You have to find out why he is there and what is troubling him. You have to talk him down.

When Jesus healed people He got to the root of the problem. Imagine you were living at the time of Jesus. Also imagine that Jesus just happened to leave to get a Slurpee at 7-11 (middle school illustration). A blind guy comes up to you and asks to be healed. What do you do?

Some of the responses from my students ranged from "I would go get Jesus" to "I would tell the guy that Jesus will be right back." But when I asked what could "YOU" do for this guy, they understood the challenge. They knew they couldn't heal him but they could do something.

"I could learn his name," "I could ask if he needed food or water," "I could pray with him," and "I could talk to him," these were the responses I got from my students. Bringing it home, I helped them understand that they might not have the opportunity to go to the Gulf States to help but there are things they could do to help. Send money, food, pray, encourage, etc. In a real sense I could get to know their names. I could get them food and water. I can pray with them. I can talk to them.

Doug Fields has an opportunity just like that to help local churches in that area too. You help financially a church or youth group and you are given a contact there to communicate with. An opportunity to ask them, "What can I do for you?" An opportunity to not only help but to know them, by name! This is what our youth group will doing. To learn more follow this link.

Finally I wanted the students to see that it sometimes goes beyond just giving food to help the homeless shelter. It goes beyond just giving clothes to the Salvation Army. And maybe it goes beyond prayer. God asks us to get involved, one on one.

Matthew 25:35-36

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.Â’


Thanks to Group Publishing for this lesson on Band-Aid Compassion
"Understanding God Together: 13 Bible Studies for Youth Ministry"
God is Compassionate

Change

This morning I went outside to get the morning paper to see quite a commotion going on outside. In front of my home was an unfamiliar car. There seemed to be many people passing by my home. But then I noticed that there were many children in these groups of people. All of these children sharply dressed.


It is kind of funny, I feel bad that I forgot what day it was. Many parents consider today a holiday, even though it is not on the calendar. For many years I too would dress my daughters in their best clothes for this special day. But this year is different. This year none of my children were going to be experiencing this type of first day of school. All of my children have graduated from high school. Currently one of my daughters is attending college to earn her nursing degree.


This year I didn't have to rush over to Mervyn's to buy pretty dresses and matching socks. This year I didn't have to rush off to Staples to buy backpacks, notebooks and pencils. This year I didn't need to rush to Vons to buy lunch stuff.


In a way I don't miss it. I am excited to see what happens next. Many things have been happening in my life and my family's life this year. Some of these things are exciting and some of these things suck. I have made some life long friendships and I have broken relationships. I have gotten to marry couples and I have watched couples break apart. I have laughed this summer and I have cried more than I ever have this summer.


But I look forward to where God is leading me. There seems to always be a new adventure.

What I Learned at Camp

I love camp. I am fortunate enough to get to go to camp a couple times each summer. I am a youth pastor.


Each year prior to camp we look for ways to bring the kids closer to Jesus. We attempt to get the best bands we can for our times of worship. We try to find the best speakers to challenge the students to check their relationship with Jesus. Sometimes we do a great job, sometimes we miss.


At camp we also have plenty of games to entertain the kids. You figure we have to fill 6 days. Kids would be bored out of their minds if we just let them try to entertain themselves all day and night. We play night games like Bible Smugglers and Counselor Hide-n-Seek. We even have a talent show! During the day we have field games and a mud pit. All great ways to keep everyone busy and entertained.


This year we tried to kick up the spiritual aspect of camp, at junior camp. Junior camp is a camp for 4th through 6th graders. Usually we have speakers that do their own music and have their own props. It is an elaborate production. We wondered if junior campers could handle a deeper message.


This year I was the speaker at junior camp. This year we had a worship band similar to the ones we have used at junior high and high school camps. It was an incredible success. The kids met the challenge and ate it up. It was so great to watch little guys worshipping on their own. They did not need to be taught, they knew how to worship.


Lesson learned. Never underestimate the ability of a person, regardless of their age, to worship God.


At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 11:25

Mormon Temple Visit

Today I was given a unique opportunity to go on a tour of the newest Mormon Temple in Newport Beach. The temple will be closed to the general public after August 20. Tours are still available if you too want to see the temple.


There was so much to see and write about; hopefully I can do a good job describing what I saw. As you can see in the picture, the temple is a large building. The tour guide said that the building was constructed of the best building materials available. It must have been incredibly expensive to build. I am finding it incredibly hard just to build a wing of classrooms at my church.


One of the first things we saw at the temple was the baptismal font. The font is a beautiful thing. Steps lead into the font, the water was clear, the font was full and ready for a baptism. Below the font were 12 full size oxen. The oxen were in groups of three facing in four different directions (north, south, east and west). We were told the twelve oxen represent the twelve tribes of Israel. It turns out that baptism is very important to the Mormon faith. Baptism, in the font, can be done for those that have died, ensuring their place in heaven (as long as the dead recipient is willing).


We were also told about the custom of changing clothes before entering the temple. All people, men and women, must change from their worldly clothes and put on white clothes. Their pants and shirt are white. Their shoes and even their tie are white. All of this whiteness signifies purity. When I read in the Old Testament I see times where Moses would tell his people to go and consecrate themselves before the Lord.


We were allowed to visit many of the rooms inside the temple. We went into the Ordinance Rooms where much of the teachings of the Mormon faith are done. Another room that we entered was the Sealing Room. In the Sealing Room a bride and groom are married (sealed) together for eternity. Finally we entered into the Celestial Room. This was room was all white with gold trim. There were no outside interferences, the windows were frosted. The ceiling was very high. The tour guide said that there would be no talking in this room, but offered us the opportunity to pray and listen to God in this room.


Each of these rooms was higher in elevation than the previous. We climbed toward God as we reached the Celestial Room. We were told that God lived in these temples, just as He lived in the tabernacle that Moses was instructed to build. It is here in these temples that we can commune with God.


There were so many things that disturbed me while on this tour, but I just wanted to focus on the building. But it is incredible that after August 20 no one outside the Mormon faith will be allowed to enter this building. As a matter of fact you must also be in good standing with the church to enter the temple. After visiting the temple we ended up at Mariner’s Church. While there I visited the student ministry building. Here I was able to walk the grounds and enter buildings without worrying about my standing in the church. The church was open to all who wanted to enjoy. May we all consider the openness of our churches and may our doors be open to all.