Catching Up On Life, Part 1

No, I haven't been ignoring this, I just wanted the madatchurch.com post to be up for a good long while as the billboards went live. I just want to say, they look great, and much thanks to Tawna for her amazing design: this is the only web address I've ever seen that actually looks angry!

So let me catch you up on a few things from this past week:

• Sunday was amazing! I was so excited about the message, but after our worship singing, I was feeling like the Spirit was going to do something, and then the message changed! I have to tell you, that doesn't happen to me very often. It was still about the Toxic Emotion of Envy, but somehow, that ended in a message on evangelism. We have to share Jesus with people, it's life and death, because issues like envy can and will kill people. I was not expecting that, but apparently God was!
• Momentum is shifting. As a former athlete, I've been in games where you could feel the momentum shift from one team to the other. It feels like the momentum is shifting in our church. People are getting excited, feeling encouraged, and inviting friends. On Sunday, I talked to a woman who had come for the first time just the week before, but was so touched by God that she brought a friend with her the very next week! Both of them were fired up about what God was saying to them, and so was I!
• I am loving the 10 Minute Party! When the idea was first floated, I was worried that no one would come. Whether it was the idea of being in a room with a real, live pastor, or the inability of people to mentally get past the barrier of going up the stairs toward the Family Room, I just didn't know if this was going to work. BUT I'M REALLY GLAD TO BE WRONG!! Not only have our regulars respectfully given space for this to happen, but the folks who've invited their friends have brought people to say Hi, and other guests have just made their way up to see me. It's been great, and big props to Stacy for bringing this idea for us to try!
• I got on an airplane after church Sunday and went to Post Falls to a training event. I am one of a group of pastors in our ABC Northwest Region that facilitate mentoring groups, and we get together twice a year for training and connection. It is always a great time for me, a real encouragement and recharge for me. More on that later, but it was good.
• I changed planes in Seattle (I know, but I managed NOT to buy any Seahawk gear while I was there, a major self-control win for me!), and when I got off the plane, the first thing I hear is the CNN story about the pastor that was shot during worship at his church that day. I'll be honest, that messes with me. I've been a little off all week. I know we have security plans in place, and emergency evacuation plans, but I think that praying for safety in our church and community would be a good idea, too. And we should pray for that church as well. I don't want this to sound arrogant, but I think it would be really hard to see your pastor get gunned down in the middle of the sermon. I hope it never happens to you (or me!), so let's pray for our brothers and sisters who are living this tragedy, okay?

Okay, that's part 1. I'll get some more up here once I get my message done for Sunday. I'm totally hyped up for this week for two reasons. One, I think that this is a message God wants to burn into my heart, and other people are going to be uncomfortable hearing it (I'm uncomfortable hearing it as it comes together!!), so I can't wait to see what happens. Second, I think it sets us up for the madatchurch.com series really well. I hope you'll come hear what God's up to!!