Book Review: CHASING DAYLIGHT

Due to circumstances beyond my control, this is later than I wanted it to be, but nonetheless - book #1 on the list I read this year on Study Leave:

CHASING DAYLIGHT

Author: Erwin Raphael McManus 259 pages Published by Nelson Books

Summary:

McManus is the pastor of one of the most impactful an influential churches in America today, Mosaic in Los Angeles, CA. I've heard him on CD and read another of his books, but this one is quite possibly the most impactful things I've read in the last four or five years. He uses the story of Jonathan, son of King Saul, taking his armor bearer and charging the Philistine army as the template for an exploration of seizing what he calls, 'the divine moment.' He walks through the idea in three parts: Foreshock, Epicenter and Aftershock, because the move of God through a divine moment is very much like an earthquake.

Seeing a divine moment and choosing to step into it are keys to initiating an impactful encounter with God. Taking the risk, even though there is no guarantee of success, is a deeper level of faith. Starting wit a belief in God's unchanging character, followed by acting on that belief is first level faith. As he puts it, "trust God and do what He said." Second level faith, according to McManus, is what happens sometimes when we are leaning into God's character in the first level, and He chooses to do something beyond our ability to comprehend. It's the miracle alongside the empowerment, the "way bigger than us" that runs along with the "bigger than what I've experienced before."

As Jonathan in the story acts while others sleep, he enters into the place where a divine moment begins. He inspires his armor bearer to come with him and then takes on the ridiculous odds of two men against an army. In that encounter, God shows up in many ways, others are inspired to join, and the battle is own by the Lord on behalf of the people. Jonathan simply is the catalyst for the greater move of God by listening and following the promptings of God. God joins Jonathan in battle after Jonathan joins God in starting something.

McManus uses many more biblical stories and some of my favorite Old Testament characters and New Testament quotes to wrap around the idea that we need to be on the lookout for God moments that we can step into with confidence - that that we will succeed, but that God has called us to engage - knowing that God is in charge and to follow him may not be the safest place to be, but it does make us more dangerous than ever. Faith is not having all the answers before you act; faith is hearing the promptings of God and acting in line with God's character so that, win, lose or draw, you have engaged with God in what Go has called up for your life. In the end, that's always a win.

I Wanted To Talk About My Study Leave...

I had the best of intentions to post my first book review from my Study Leave yesterday, and then again today, but the distance between my technical abilities and the demands of my technology have left me helpless. I can't figure out how to do this right now, and I don't have time to learn this weekend. There are bigger issues I'm chasing, so please be patient with me, and I'll get the book reviews and a summary of the Study Leave up here as soon as I can figure out how.

What has taken the focus of my attention? Three things:

• First, I started coaching my son, Mac, in football again. He's in 8th grade this fall, and we're back with the Lions. After matching the professional version of the Lions with an 0-for the season record last year, we hope to shock the world and make the playoffs this year.Mac has worked hard this summer to get ready, and after a week and a half of practice, the team seems to be coming together. I like our chances. I won't bore the non-football people with too many details, but I will give an occasional update here. I have enjoyed the connection this has made between me and my son as he's growing into the man of God he will someday be. Plus, a whistle is always a fun thing to have between your teeth!
• Second, there's an Elder Team meeting on Saturday. I'm looking forward to it, and I honestly feel like the way our church is going is a direct result of the attempt at being biblical in our governance. The Elders represent that in a major way, and I'm always glad to meet with them, pray with them, dream with them, and work to see God's best unfold at FBC with them. Can't wait!
• Third, I've been working on the beginning of the Beautiful series. It's going to be really good, I believe. I've been praying extra over it, because when a man talks to women about God's plan for women, it can get... uncomfortable. I'm praying for God to give me the words to say that will speak truth and love to the women in our community, and inspire them and the men that love them to lean into God more and more for direction, grace and all that He wants to give them. Can't wait to see where this ends up!

There you have it. I promise you'll get to hear about my Study Leave, but first, these pressing priorities have me focused. And I invite you to pray for all of this in my life, if you have a second.

Monday Random

A thousand random thoughts in my head this Monday, just a few that you might be interested it:

• What a great Sunday! Our worship together was great, the responses and conversations I had afterward were great, and the energy and passion level was great! I miss you when I'm gone, and a Sunday like yesterday is a big reason why.
• Yes, I did say that I heard God tell me clearly during my Study Leave that I needed to let go of the 'comfortable Christianity' I've been taught all my life and grab on to Jesus. Being in the center of God's will isn't safe, it makes you dangerous, and I want to be dangerous!!
  
• I hear that the Children's Ministry was mobbed during the 11 am service! Tons of kids! How cool is it that when we hear God say we need to target Children and Students this year, we get a Sunday like this to remind us why? Yeah God!
• Vision Night was good, the best turn out for a meeting like that we've had in a while, and in attempting to over-communicate, I think we might have communicated. I'm glad we have people in our church family who are interested in the management of our ministry and want to show up to these things. No, they aren't always comfortable, but yes, they are important, so thanks to the 60 people who came!
• We will have to trust God for the ministry we will do, both the outcome and the funding of God's church are up to HIM, and that's a lesson we've been learning the last few years. Can't wait to see what He's going to do in HIS church this ministry year!
  
• And again, thanks to Terry Tharp for his year of faithful service on the Elder Team.
  
• Yes, we will open up nominations for elder this fall, so be praying!
• Glad we have a date for the New Orleans trip (Nov. 1- 7), and if you're wanting to go, get ready, it's going to be amazing! If you'd like to help someone else financially to be able to go, then let me know ASAP!
• I'm stoked about this next series, Beautiful, that starts Sunday. Can't wait to see what God wants to do in the lives of women in our church and in our valley. BRING A FRIEND!!
• God has been answering prayers all around us! I've heard about jobs, promotions, health issues and more where God has been showing up and making Himself known. Prayer works, so if you're praying about something and haven't seen the answer yet, KEEP PRAYING!! When you see God answering prayers around you, it's a signal that your answer is coming closer. Be alert!

I'm still in the process of connecting all the dots from my Study Leave, so I'll leave that for a later post, but thanks to all who were praying for me while I was working hard to hear from God. I'll start the book review posts on Wednesday.

Learning to Listen

I'm in the process of trying to look back over my recent Study Leave and work through the lessons God taught me during those weeks, and at the same time putting together a message on vision for the future for Sunday. We have Vision Night Sunday night at 6, which will be a bit of both: looking back over the past year and looking ahead to what God has for us in the future.

So I'm having an interesting time getting myself in the right frame of mind for today. I need to look back, look forward, and try not to miss what's in front of me today. And just when I got settled down with a cold beverage at Starbucks to figure out what I needed to focus on until football practice starts (yes, one more year with the Lions, I'll get to that later...), my phone rings.

An emergency! There's someone in need of a pastor. A spiritual 911 call, if you will. So finishing the sermon on God's future for FBC will need to wait. The reflection on all that I've heard and learned from God during this season of study will have to wait. The immediate need is to pick up the phone and do my best to offer the hope and peace of Christ in the midst of a serious struggle. At the end of the call, things are better, and now the ministry of help and healing can begin. It's at times like this I'm glad I'm a part of a church family that I can count on to help and serve, to bless and love other people.

I don't know about you, but one struggle that I face is choosing how to balance past, present and future in my life and my walk with God. I want to honor the past, to learn from it and reflect well upon it. I want to aim toward a better future, a closer walk, a more effective ministry in my life, too. But I live in this moment, this one minute in time, this short season that is so full of potential for good, for evil, for building up or for breaking down. What will I do in this minute that will make the best of the past and the future at the same time? Sometimes, that's a hard choice. Sometimes, that's an opportunity I miss. But sometimes, like today, God steps in and makes it totally clear: "It's not about you, Bill."

My past is past - I can hopefully learn from it, but I can't go back and change it, no matter how hard I worry.

My future is still in front of me - I can hopefully honor God with my decisions and continue to walk a path that brings a smile to His face, but I won't do that by worrying, either.

My moment is now - I can listen to the Spirit the best I can right now, and do the best I can with all that I have. That's all that God ever asks.

All along the way, I see that God is teaching me that if I'm listening to Him, trusting Him, leaning into Him, I'm going to be in the right place at the right time to be used by Him for His purpose and plan. That's what I'm learning, anyway.

So, I'll get back to the sermon, the Vision Night, and the Study Leave evaluation later. The need to serve Jesus by taking that phone call was now. And in God's great plan, the rest will work itself out, too, if I will just listen.

Back From Canada

Today is the first day back in the office after my Study Leave, and after the trip North to officiate Chris and Natalie's wedding. I'll give a better accounting of the Study Leave (short version: it was AWESOME!!), and my book reviews starting next week, but here's a quick look at the trip to Canada:

What an amazing weekend! I met some great people, reconnected with some folks I had not seen in a while, and was blessed over and over by the folks I got to hang out with up in Victoria, B.C. Here (in no particular order) are the highlights:

• The time spent with my daughter, Rachel, was great. We talked about all kinds of things, and had some great conversations about spiritual issues as well as all the 'kid' stuff that she enjoys. We walked around Victoria, and she was a total trooper almost the entire time. She was amazing in her perseverance for a 9 year old, spending the entire day on Saturday getting ready, being photographed, walking through the service (she was a flower girl), then standing for MORE photos, and then dealing with the reception. It ended up being a 13 hour day for her, and she handled it like a champ! We ended up taking a well deserved Pedi-cab back to the hotel after that.
  
• The wedding was wonderful! From the rehearsal to the reception, the events seemed to go off with nary a hitch. Natalie and Chris' friends and families were great about getting everything together, and there was enough fun for everyone. The service itself was only marred by the pastor forgetting to get the microphone figured out. (my bad...) Natalie looked radiant, Chris was devastatingly handsome, and the Spirit of God was very evident. It was a blessing to work with Pastor Gary and Paul Austin on the service, and all of it was holy and reverent, including the laughter.
  
• Signing the documents in the service was new, but we managed to get through that without any hiccups. I've never seen that done, nor even heard of it before, but apparently, in Canada, that's a part of the service. As the old saying goes, the job's never over until the paperwork is done, so I guess we had to get the job done!
• The food at the rehearsal dinner was incredible! Macaroni Grill is now on my list of places to look for in any city where I travel. They just kept bringing bowl after plate after dish... I was going to need help getting out of the chair!! So good, thank you Boblit family for hosting us!
• The food at the reception was UNBELIEVABLE!! Here's all you really need to know: after I EXCITEDLY put the big scoop of the FOURTH salad on my plate, I was thinking, "What else can they possibly have?" The answer: EVERYTHING!! The food was beyond words. I've never uttered this phrase before, but it seems appropriate: I can't wait for the next bowl of Mango/Pepper salad! (for those of you who don't know me, I'm not a 'salad' kind of guy, if that tell you anything about this spread!) Thanks to the families for that amazing experience!
  
• I was so proud of the FBC folks who were there, seemingly everywhere, helping, serving, blessing Chris and Nat in so many ways. Just making the trip up was a blessing to them, and they were humbled by having so many come from their church family. Way to go!
• My first ever live webcast. The folks who saw the wedding live online said it came across great, even if it was a little blurry. Looking forward to seeing more of technology and ministry connecting people like that. It was cool!
  
• Getting across the border with a child is easier if you take a letter from the spouse that's not going with you. Turns out that once again, listening to your wife pays off in the long run! Beth had a letter drawn up and notarized that got me through customs in a flash with Rachel. Others were not so lucky...

All in all, a wonderful trip. Can't wait to get back and take Beth to see Victoria, it was a beautiful city. Can't wait to get back in the saddle around here and catch up on all that God is doing at FBC, and can't wait to see what comes next! Keep praying for Chris and Nat as they make their way down the West Coast to a wedding, a California reception, then on the the honeymoon, then back here for the first chapter in their life together.

Short Week...

This week is going to be very short and very long at the same time. I've got today, tomorrow and part of Wednesday to get my life in order, then drive to Boise, get a hotel, wake up Thursday, get on a plane, fly to Victoria, BC for a wedding, all with my beautiful daughter Rachel by my side.

See, she's the flower girl (a job she's had some experience with, I might add), and it' s very important that she be there. I'm doing the wedding, but if there's no flower girl... well, let's just not go there.

I'm looking forward to spending some time, just the two of us, hanging out, goofing off, etc... before football season starts and her brother's schedule dominates my life. I'm coaching the defense for the Lions again this year, and Mac is fired up for his eighth grade year. We're going to have a better season than last year, and Mac has been working out all summer to get ready. Kid is ripped. It's scary.

But this is going to be a crazy week. I probably will not be able to post again until after the wedding, flight home, drive back from Boise. So feel free to pray for us, for Chris and Natalie's wedding, and for Rachel as she does her very important job.

Can't wait to go do this thing, and can't wait to get back and share some vision at Vision Night on Aug. 16. Don't miss it!!

(Not) Alone Time

I'm sitting in a Starbucks (naturally) in Sun Valley, finishing up four days of alone time with God. Cathedral Pines, our ABC church camp, is up the road from here, and they have a cabin they let pastor's use for just this sort of thing. I got here Monday and have had a great time with no distractions, no cell service, and no internet access unless I roll into town.

God used this time to speak some important things into my heart and give me some important perspective. I feel like I've been in a valley in my life, a struggle for clarity, a time of playing defense instead of offense spiritually. I've felt disappointed in myself over many things, and disappointed in the circumstances I found myself in, whether of my own doing or someone else's design. I've used the Billy Graham quote multiple times: "Mountain tops are for vistas, but the fruit is grown in the valley." So getting away to the mountains, I was hoping to catch a view of the fruit, if any, that has been growing in the valley.

God is faithful. There has been a lot, and it was surprising to see some of it. Some was not the kind of fruit I like, but totally what God wanted to grow in me. Some of it, while not overwhelming in it's size or abundance, was what I wanted, and it left me wanting more.

I'll sum it up with a verse that I didn't really look for in my quiet times, but was hoping to find. While reading other things, other books of the Bible, other books (reviews to follow over the next couple weeks here, stay tuned), it was a podcast of an Andy Stanley sermon that put it front and center for me this week: Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

I realized that I have spent a lot of time and energy trusting in what I've learned from God, the gifts He's given me, and the experiences He's allowed me to have (or walked me through), but somehow, I've forgotten to trust in Him. I'm leaning on all the gifts, not the Giver of the gifts. I'm trusting the wisdom He has given me, and I totally blew it when it comes to trusting Him.

So, after apologizing to God, I'm here to apologize to you. I'm sorry. I will do better. God is bigger than just the gifts He gives, and I need to trust Him more. Pray for me.

Exciting Developments!!

Last night Karl and I had a great meeting with Coop and Penny Cooper, our coordinators for the Financial Peace University classes. They were excited about a Dave Ramsey Simulcast coming up in September, and we spent an hour looking at the details to see if we could host the event at FBC. Looking at this event, it will require some faith, yet it's very doable, so we said we were going to say a 'prayerful yes.' It would be a live webcast of Dave doing his Total Money Makeover, and it gives us as a church the opportunity to introduce more people in our community to all things Dave Ramsey, including the FPU class. Pray with us, there's an upfront cost, and we would be required to sell tickets, but I'm jacked about the potential of this becoming reality. Could you imagine our Worship Center full of people being set free from financial bondage on a Saturday in September? Pray early, pray often, and let us know if you'd be interested in being a part of this opportunity!

After that exciting conversation, talk turned to New Orleans. Penny and Coop went in March and worked with some friends from Indiana on a mission project. The folks in Indiana have invited us to go along when they send a team this fall, probably the last week of October (maybe the first week of November?). I've been praying for the chance to go, and now, it's becoming a reality. If you're interested in going, we want to send a team. We'll get the details out as soon as we have them, but save some vacation time (a week), some money (about $900-1000), and pray a bunch. I'm going, and I'd love for you to come on this adventure with me, or maybe help someone else to go if you can't make it yourself. The need is still great after Hurricane Katrina, and we'd be helping share the light of Jesus, one act of service at a time.

I love hearing people bubble up vision and watching as it starts to take shape in God's hands!! These are two of the pieces of what God wants next in the life of FBC, and I'm glad for leaders like Penny and Coop who see what's not there yet, then pray and work until it starts to happen.

Time Alone With Jesus

The best thing about Study Leave so far has been the daily, unhurried time I've been able to spend in reading my Bible and praying. It's been a wonderfully refreshing time each day. I've taken the approach that I need to slow down, not try to hurry through and check this off my 'TO DO' list each day, but take some real time to reflect on what I read, and then write out a prayer based on what I heard from God. It's been really good for my heart and my mind to connect to the heart and mind of God each day.

I'm doing an extended quiet time each day, and how much of that I can take with me past Study Leave remains to be seen, but I'm reading some Psalms each day, a chapter from the Book of Acts, and then three or four chapters from Paul's letters. Here's my thinking in this:

Psalms are prayers, written in song lyrics, like poetry and praise songs. Many times, when I am feeling the pressure of ministry, I like to go back to Psalms and see how King David and the others who wrote these amazing lyrics talked to God about their lives and struggles. I'm strengthened by their resolve to trust God for rescue and redemption, even as they confess sin and acknowledge their need of God's love and forgiveness. It's a good place to go for inspiration and the reminder that it's not always easy, but if it's for God, He's always watching, waiting to give whatever is needed, just in the nick of time.

Acts is the story of the first Christ followers as they took the words of Jesus seriously and went into the world to do what He told them to do. It's a complacency busting book. These unschooled, 'normal' people took what they had seen and heard from Jesus and simply told people, did what the Spirit led them to do, and watched as tens of thousands of people in the very city where Jesus was crucified become followers of this martyred rabbi. They didn't sit back and watch, they engaged and followed the Spirit's leading. While miracles and amazing growth followed them, so did persecution and attacks. It's a reminder to me that this isn't supposed to be easy, it's supposed to be hard, and it's supposed to grow. The two go together, because Jesus suffered to save everyone. That means everyone can and needs to be saved, and it will require suffering.

Paul's letters are clear lessons to the church about life in Christ. We all need to be reminded of what God has said to us, and Paul was dealing with all types of issues in his different churches. Frankly, nothing much has changed in 2000 years when it comes to human nature, so we have all the same issues today - gossip, disunity, people not listening to the clear teaching of God's word, folks chasing after personalities rather than chasing after Jesus, the list goes on.

As a Christ follower first (before husband, father, pastor, friend, etc...), I need to be reminded over and over about these issues, from God's love to His plan for the church to the specifics of obeying what His word has laid out for us. If you have a regular time with God each day (you don't have to spend as much time on it as I am right now), I pray it will continue to be a source of strength for you. If not, why not start today? Start with a single book, like Luke or John, and take a chapter a day (it's not about coverage). Ask God to show you something from what you read, then read and reflect on it for a minute. Let God speak to you, and He will.

Keep praying, God is showing me some great stuff during this time. I'm feeling my heart fill up and my batteries recharge.

Blog Milestone: 100 Posts

Not that it's any big achievement to start a blog and prattle off 99 opinions/ideas/musings, but here we are at post 100. I originally set out to try to increase communication and let folks have a glimpse into the heart and mind of one pastor in S.E. Idaho. To be honest, the results have been surprising on many levels:

Tracking software lets me know that this blog has been read in many of these United States (Idaho, Tennessee, Oregon are always the top three), and in several countries around the world. Imagine the surprise of seeing London, Brussels and Japan show up on the map. The latest surprise: Brazil!! Who knew people in Pelotas would be interested in Roof Crashing. :)

Sometimes, as I have been learning about this type of communication, I've apparently insulted, hurt or bothered some people. That was never my intent, so if that is you, I'm sorry. I'm learning. Turns out, as a human being, a sinner, saved by God's grace, I've got some work yet to do in my life. I may not get it right in the future, but I'd sure love it if you prayed for me. Turns out, God's still at work here.

For all the miscommunication and missed-communication, I've really enjoyed this medium. I've been able to share some lessons as God was teaching them to me. I've been able to share some of my journey as I've seen good things happen, like baptisms, and tough things, like doing funerals for close friends. I've been able to update folks on my study leaves and vacations (two DIFFERENT things), and talk about what's coming up in the life of my First Baptist family.

Folks have commented on my posts, which I always enjoy. Interaction is part of this medium, and I enjoy it. I do moderate comments, but it's rare that I reject a comment. As you can imagine, talking about sex in church drew the most comments!

Others have used my blog as a jumping off point for other reading. I like and even endorse the names you see linked here, but I can't be held responsible for everything they say. I link to people who inspire and challenge me, but I'm not in charge of what other people write. I'm not trying to be these people, nor am I trying to emulate or defend them. I try to make it a habit to learn and be stretched by different parts of the larger body of Christ. Read them at your own risk.

I don't have a good measure of how 'successful' this blog has been; I think it's too early to tell if this has been a help or a hindrance to God's kingdom. The number of people reading has steadily gone up, from barely 100 at first to over 600 per month now. The number of people who comment on posts varies from post to post, and the number of people who reference it when they are mad at me varies from month to month. If this has been a help to you, let me know. If not, let me know why not. In the meantime, I'm sure there will be more to say, and thank you to each of you who read it. May God bless you and make you a blessing, with or without this blog's help.

Blockbuster Series: UP

Number 2 in the series, number one at the box office - Pixar's UP is the next from the amazing folks (backed by Disney) that bought us The Incredibles, Cars, A Bug's Life, and many more great stories, well told.

What I Saw: at it's essence, UP is a buddy movie, the unlikely pairing of Carl Fredrickson, a 78 year old retired balloon salesman, and Russell, the 8 year old Wilderness Explorer Scout. They find themselves thrown together on a great adventure to South America, and in the process, find that they need each other more than either one could have guessed. 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us that "the hand cannot say to the foot, 'I don't need you.'" As followers of Christ, we cannot say to each other, "I don't need you." We don't get to tell other people that they are not a part of what God's doing in and through our lives. We need each other, even the parts that seem less important are very necessary in the plan and purpose of God for each of us. Don't believe the lie that says, I don't need you.

Okay, that's what I saw in the film, what did you see? Post a comment and let us know!

Begining Study Leave 2009

Today is my last day in the office for a while, as I will be on Study Leave starting tomorrow (July 13). I will be out until Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Here's what Study Leave is about: when I came to Pocatello in 1996, my contract included a sabbatical after 6 or 7 years of service. A sabbatical is usually a three to four month break from the daily work of pastoring to get refreshed, refocused and maybe even do some retooling (a class, some seminars, etc...) to come back stronger and ready for the work of ministry. Not a lot of pastors get sabbaticals, because most don't last past the five or six year mark of their ministry in one church.

For a number of reasons (I won't go into all the details here, but feel free to ask me sometime), the church leadership and I were not able to work out a sabbatical after seven, eight, or nine years. Some folks were concerned that three or four months of me being gone would cause problems in our ministry, so a compromise was reached. Instead of one long sabbatical, a shorter break more often was proposed. A four week break to study, recharge, refocus and prepare for the upcoming ministry year was created.

We've been doing this for a few years now, and have learned a few things about this process:

• First, we have published the 'agenda' of the Study Leave so that folks can see what I'm going to be doing during my time away. (available outside the church office)
• Second, here on the blog, I'll update folks each week with what's going on, and later publish reviews of the books I'm reading.
  
• Third, we've come to understand that because not everyone receives this kind of a benefit in their job, we in church leadership need to do a better job explaining it to people.

The staff and Elders are available for any emergencies, and I will be in contact with them should an emergency arise that would require my attention. Last year, the study leave was very helpful, and I'm especially looking forward to this one. I am particularly in need of some space and time to pray and think about all that God has done, is doing, and wants to do next here at FBC Pocatello, and I am very grateful to the Elders, staff and other leaders who are able to let me take that time and keep my focus on Jesus.

We are about to turn a corner, both as a church family and as a pastor/church relationship. I'm going to finish my 14th year of being the pastor here, and it can now be said that we've been in a long term relationship. I've lived here longer than I've lived anywhere else in my life, and I believe God wants to do something great in and through this church family. There have been and no doubt will continue to be struggles. I'm learning, I'm trying to grow as a Christ follower and as a leader, and I see signs of growth in our life together. God wants to see us continue to be a part of His movement in this valley, and there are productive days of ministry yet ahead.

This is a time that should be celebrated!! For the sacrifice of giving me up for four weeks (and really, it's not about me around here, its about Jesus, so its going to keep going just fine), you're going to hopefully get back a rested, focused, and ready-to-lead pastor in return.

Why are these people smiling?

This is my family, and they are smiling because they were serving Jesus at the July 4th parade. I'm the guy in the glasses. I tried to stay out of the way... NO! I helped direct traffic at the park and handed out water to those folks that came to us.

Beth sang on the float with our praise team. She brings her gifts whenever she can in music, and loves to lead people into worship.

Mac handed out water bottles in the Old Town area at the beginning of the parade rout. He told me later that he saw 20 of the people he invited out to Caldwell Park actually show up for the free hot dogs and to hear the band play some more.

Rachel (she's the one with all the paint) sat and painted faces from 9 am until almost noon. She carefully put fireworks and smiles on the faces of children all morning. Look at her concentrate!




So, why were we there? Two reasons: first, we love Jesus, and we love Pocatello, so we wanted to serve Jesus by serving Pocatello. Second, we as a family hold serving God as a high value. We want to bring our gifts to the table whenever we can. We don't believe in watching as the move of God goes by, we believe in pitching in and being a part of what God is doing.

I am SO PROUD OF MY FAMILY!! But here's the best part: they were four of well over 100 people who showed up as a part of the First Baptist Family!!!! We gave out close to 3000 bottles of water, several hundred hot dogs, more Popsicles than I can count, and multiple thousands of smiles. One of those smiles, I'm pretty sure, was on the face of Jesus.

Blockbuster Series: STAR TREK

The first in this year's Blockbuster Message: Star Trek.

The restart of the venerable franchise resets the original characters with an edgier, deeper tone. But the key pieces are there: the multi enthic, multi national, multi planetary crew, led by James Kirk, the aggressive captain, Mr. Spock, the logical first officer, and Dr. "Bones" McCoy, the ship's doctor.

What I saw was: all the diversity of the crew, especially the bridge officers, all come together to make the mission work. It takes all of the different gifts, different perspetives and different talents to function together in order to see the mission be successful. It's the same in the Body of Christ. Romans 12 says we all belong to each other when we belong to Jesus, and we all need to bring our best gifts to the table to see the mission (the Great Commission mission) succeed in our valley.

Okay, that's me. What did you see? Post a comment and share the spiritual themes you saw in Star Trek.

The Big Idea

We finished The Man Series last Sunday (more on that later), and now we're getting ready for two of my favorite pieces of Summer: our July 4th Reach-Out event at Caldwell Park, and the Summer Blockbuster series.

July 4th means a parade, and thousands of people lining the streets to cheer, clap and get candy. Let's face it, parades are about candy. You could run dump trucks full of cow manure down the street, and if the drivers are throwing candy, there would be a crowd of people, holding their noses and running for Laffy Taffy. So because there's a ready made crowd, we're going to bring Jesus to the people there. Our band will be in the parade, playing the same kind of rocking worship music we do on Sundays, and we'll have dozens of volunteers giving away water, Popsicles, and smiles before and during the parade. Then, afterward, free hot dogs, face painting, and more smiles, with an appearance by the band, all at Caldwell Park. If you still want to volunteer, come to the training at Caldwell Park Friday at 6:30 pm and we'll get you hooked up.

The Blockbuster series is always fun for a couple reasons - one, I love Jesus and I love movies, but since they don't make a lot of movies about Jesus, the only way to combine the two loves is to talk about the spiritual themes in the big summer movies. We've done this for years now, and it always sparks great conversations. That's the other reason I love this: it gets people talking about and looking for Jesus in the culture. God is trying to reach the people of our time, and movies are the storytelling medium of our modern culture. No matter how jaded, cynical and secular the entertainment industry gets, the story of God's love for people, His plan for people, and His redemptive love creep into story after story on the big screen.

I love it when someone comes up to me and starts telling me what they saw in a movie, the spiritual themes, the Jesus moments, the love and grace undercurrents they felt while watching some big budget film. What you see in there that connects to God's story is just as important as what we talk about from the platform. And it's a great way to start a spiritual conversation with unchurched friends who see the movies. I get stories all the time about folks who say, "I was talking to my friend about this movie, and I told them about the sermon, and we talked for an hour..." If God can use a donkey, He can certainly use a movie to share His grace with people.

Here's my favorite website to use to start the conversation: Hollywood Jesus.com

So this year, feel free to let me know what you see in the movies you're watching. And share the stories of how God used the Blockbuster conversations to open doors for the Good News.