What should church be like?

Occasionally I hear something that gets me excited about what the church should and can be like. I heard a new song by my friend Kyle Matthews (gratuitous plug: Kyle will be in concert at Trinity Wed. December 10th, and proceeds from the sale of some of his cds will go to support an upcoming Mission Trip to Washington DC). Now, this isn't to say that it hasn't been like this for me. I've always felt welcome at church, and its always such a good feeling to walk into a place that knows me by name, loves me, and accepts me.

But I grew up a preacher's kid. Everybody knew my name, and wanted to see what I was up to...good or bad. Now I'm on staff at at church, and people see me in my various roles at church and know me and often show their love to me, for which I am grateful. However,I recognize that it isn't like that for everybody. I hope it isn't intentional, but it happens: people go unnoticed, people are shunned, and (whether real or perceived) some folks aren't welcomed as openly as others.

So a reminder like this song can serve to challenge us to be the church--as my church's vision statement says: "where all may be saved, healed, strengthened, and equipped to go into the world on active mission for our Lord Jesus Christ."


"You belong here" by Kyle Matthews
This is a dream I have, that there might be a place
Where before I cross the threshhold they recognize my face.
They've been expecting me, the table has been set,
My bed's already made, and they speak to me this way:

(chorus)
You are welcome in this family, you are wanted in this place
You have value to your maker that your past cannot erase.
There is room for all your searching, there is music for your soul.
There are shoulders you can cry on, and the strength to carry on.
You belong here, welcome home

What am I striving for, when this is in my reach?
Could I become the refuge some weary traveler seeks,
And as I let them in, will my life not be changed?
To give the love I long for, to be unafraid to say:

(repeat chorus)

I will throw the door wide open, run to meet you at the gate,
There will be a glad reunion, we have much to celebrate!
You belong here, welcome home.


Thanks be to God for God's grace that always runs to us and longs to give us a big welcome home. Pray that our church does the same for everyone.

2008 Marriage Retreat

I've been married for 15 months and have already experienced my 2nd Marriage Retreat. I'm not sure what that says about our marriage, but I do know that it says a lot about our church. That's a good thing!

I've come to realize quickly that a marriage can't be "fixed" by focusing on it just one weekend a year. Instead, marriage is a continuing journey that requires constant attention and care. The retreats that I have experienced through Trinity have reinforced our marriage in a very powerful way by offering special, safe time where new ideas and openness can lead to a more intimate, Christ-centered home.

On the first night as we concluded, we prayed that the hotel meeting room would become a sacred, holy space for our couples to really address our marriages secure in the grace of Christ. For me, I experienced a new way of understanding my responsibility to myself and to my marriage, which was a "God moment" for me.

There was a lot of fun and relaxation that went along with this weekend, but I thank God for the moments where I was challenged, and where I grew closer to God, recognized the impact of my thoughts, emotions, and actions on my marriage, and shared in some great personal time with my wife.

...and I got to see the Gamecocks win! What a great weekend! :-)

Pray that those who attended are challenged in the days ahead by what we learned together, and that out of this retreat comes a renewed daily desire for healthy relationships.

Sermon musings...

Ryan's sermon yesterday on "forgetting and remembering" got me thinking. The Exodus story of the Hebrews' grumbling tummies and God, once again, doing a wonderful thing to provide for them must have rang true in the day of Christ. Surely, the folks who were most drawn to follow Christ had some grumbling tummies as well. As Ray Stevens, the comic singer determined, Jesus, if he were alive today, would NOT be wearing a rolex on his television show!

Jesus would be found among those who are suffering, who are neglected, and who are grumbling because of their needs. Quite often our sinful human (I'd say more inhuman) response to those who are needy is "quit your grumbling and looking for a handout and get up and do something." Thank God that wasn't God's response to the Hebrews, and it wasn't Jesus' response to those who yearned for bread in his day. It shouldn't be our response today.

If Jesus would be found among the poor, the invisible folks that we really only see from time to time on the side of the road...where should we be? What in the world are we waiting for? Remember what God did...remember what Jesus did...remember what we're called to do.

Where two or more are gathered....

...then the God is present. These words have spoken to me powerfully over the past several months. You may know that I started a Tuesday morning men's devotional and breakfast this year; we meet every Tuesday morning at 7am at the church. I've had about 10 men who have joined at different times--some faithfully, others for a time or two.

This morning was like a few others I've had, where just me and one other friend showed up to pray. Realizing that this time is less about numbers and more about growth and fellowship, me and my friend read scripture, talked and shared our thoughts on the scripture, and prayed. Oh yea, we ate too! What a blessing it is to share in times like these with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Some have asked me "why are you doing this when at times just one or two folks show up?" Truthfully, I have gotten more out of this time than I have ever put into it. I have come to value those one-on-one (Jesus would tell me that it's a triad!) times just as much, if not more, as when we have a good sized group.

So I am thanking God for the way me and my friend laughed and shared in God's good grace today. What a fellowship, what a joy divine!

Rain!

We've all watched the flooding in Florida with an odd sense of frustration over their over-saturation in comparison to our dearth of precipitation. Thankfully I heard the soft patter of rain outside my window last night, and it is continuing through today. I felt like going out in my pajamas and dancing in the driveway!

While much of our farm crop is a total loss this year, but we do pray that grass and grain for animals is enriched this week with the rain, and that our water levels start on the road toward replenishment.

As the rain falls, be reminded that God cares deeply for us and knows each of our dry spots well. May we feel God replenishing us in a special way this week.

Sunday

I've been leading a group of our young adults on Sunday Mornings during the Sunday School hour as we have gone through Rob Bell's Nooma video series. This past Sunday we watched a video called "Sunday," where Rob challenges us to not view our faith as empty ritual, but instead to find the meaning and purpose in what we do.

His ending challenge to us was that our church should be a group of people "whose hearts are beating more and more like God's." God doesn't want the ritual without the relationship, or our presence without our true worship.

What would that look like? Well, this week at Trinity we lost a saint who exemplified just that, a person whose heart continued to beat more and more like God's, right up until her death. Montez was a retired teacher, and a saint of Trinity. She was indeed a lifelong learner, one who would often bring newspaper or magazine articles to my desk asking me my opinions on different theological issues or incidents in our world. I was always amazed by her interest in my opinion, and I was equally blessed and challenged by her understandings of Biblical insights and their impact on daily life. She was a person who came to church each and every day to grow, to be challenged, and to worship her God with and through her whole being. There are many stories that could be shared of her faithfulness, I encourage you to seek them out and share them in the coming days.

Trinity has known much grief this summer, and this is another time where we will bring our sadness with us as we return to gather as the church. However, mixed in with our grief is a hope and peace that comes through a relationship with Christ, and that peace is strengthened when we stand and worship God alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we be challenged to not be roadblocks to God's kingdom, but instead to be a guide and a companion as we journey together with Christ, as our hearts continue to beat more and more like God's. We grieve the loss of friends like Montez, but we thank God for their testimony of faithfulness and vision.

I Am Yours....

I've enjoyed being able to travel with our Youth Choir for the last few years while they have gone on their tours. We have had some wonderful, special times together as we have shared music and God's love, and each year I come away impressed with the energy and commitment of our young people, and also secure in the knowledge that the future church is in good hands.

This song is one of my favorites that the Trinity Youth Choir has sung in the past, and the visual imagery is quite powerful. I've not seen a presentation like this before! Take a moment to watch the video attached and be blessed by this powerful reminder that despite our struggles and shortcomings, we belong to God, and that is all that matters!

Turn up your volume!

In my studies for July 6th,

I've been researching differing viewpoints on what it means to be a Christian and an American. Wow...there a lot of wildly different ideas about what Jesus meant when he said "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s."

So I will be studying and praying and attempting to discern what God would have me share with you on the 6th about how our faith in God interacts with our lives as American citizens. Pray for me as we walk that journey together. I have a feeling that this sermon might be a bit different than what you've heard before. Who knows....maybe not!

...did I mention I'm also connecting it to gathering around the table for Communion? Ought to be interesting, if nothing else!

I'll leave you with a quote from a song by Christian musician Derek Webb (formerly of the group Caedmon's Call)

A King and a Kingdom
My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man.
My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood.
It's to a king & a kingdom.

Back in the saddle again...

Well folks, after a week of vacation with the family, a short two days back in Seneca, and then a conference in Memphis, Tennessee, I'm finally back in the office for a few days. It feels good to be home. After my trip to Orlando and back with the Youth Choir I'll be mostly done with my summertime trips.

I will try to update this more regularly with information now that most of my time away from the office is over. I'm really looking forward to what this blog entails.

Keep in mind that much of what this becomes is dependent on you...how you respond and join in the discussion.

I think for now I will try to post information a few times a week, and maybe do some type of devotional or discussion topic once a week. We'll see what happens. Be on the lookout for that in the next day or so. Until then, read something from this website: www.ethicsdaily.com

Bad way to start a blog!

Just when I've gotten everything set up on here, it is time for our family's bi-annual vacation. I look forward to sharing with you more when I return.

I am thankful for the opportunity that Trinity gives me to get away and relax with my family. I will pray for you while I am gone and look forward to being back with you. But not too soon... :-)

Here goes something...

...although I'm not sure what! When we decided to update our Trinity website and make it more user-friendly and informative, I jokingly said to Jessica and Ryan, "hey, I can write a blog!"

So here we are. My hopes for this blog are somewhat tempered by the fact that I really don't know what this will become. I imagine that I will use this medium to share some important information with those within our church family who are internet junkies like myself. You'll find links to other blogs and websites that discuss issues relevant to who we are and where we are going as a fellowship of faithful friends.

You may read something you really agree with. You may read something that you don't care about or need to care about (ask Kristen, I am the King of useless knowledge!) Sometimes, you may read something I write or link to that you disagree with. We'll discuss the holy and the mundane, the controversial and the boring, the serious and the silly. Whatever your response and opinion, I hope that what you find on this page will encourage you in your daily walk with God, and challenge you to new growth, thinking, and interaction with others.

One of my favorite theologians, Fred Rogers (of Mister Roger's Neighborhood) said that the most important ingredients of education are: knowing that we're valued, and being with people who want to share with us something of this world that they love. So, I'll be sharing a bit of my passions with you, the people of Trinity, and beyond. I encourage you to respond, bounce ideas and thoughts back at me. I hope this becomes a conversation, not a monologue.

Oh yea, don't hold me accountable for my grammar and spelling. I'm still figuring out spell check and editing on this! Bear with me!