July 3, 2008

My family and I are taking a few days away for vacation. We are in Colquitt, GA visiting my parents for a few days. This small town is like a movie set. Small town square. A small theatre where they have some live plays. Population 1750. We just witnessed the Fourth of July fireworks launched from the city park.

Mom and Dad moved down here after the First Baptist Church in town called Dad as pastor. Quite a story over the past couple of years since his coming as pastor. The church has doubled in Sunday School attendance and tripled in worship attendance (now over 350 average). The church hosts an annual wild game dinner (big hit in these parts) that draws upwards of 750. This small church in a tiny town in South GA (life gets no slower) has baptized 77 new believers (it will be 82 after this Sunday) over these couple of years. The majority of new believers are adults. How did it happen? Relationships.

The Pastor (Dad) goes to breakfast at the local hangout where many of the town's leaders have breakfast every morning. While building their trust and their respect he began to share the gospel with them and one by one several of these city influencers have come to Christ. Most of them long past an age most of us would have given up on them.

Oh yeah, did I tell you this new pastor in town (my Dad) will be 69 years old in November? Think retirement from Kingdom work is an option. I don't think so :-)! I have been challenged again in seeing all God is doing in a sleepy little town in a church that most would have considered hopelessly bound by its past in a cycle of status quo.

No matter your age and no matter how long it has been since you have sensed a fresh touch from God, it is not too late.

By the way, I will be preaching at FBC Colquitt this Sunday. Pray for me and for the church.

Deadliest Catch

I have no idea why, but I love the Discovery Channel's show Deadliest Catch. I don't watch much TV any more anyway, but it's fascinating to me to watch guys who love what they do so much (or the lure of fast money) they would put their lives on the lines every season to catch King Crab in the Bering Sea. I actually have NO desire to ever do what these guys do. I've always enjoyed learning new things so maybe that is it. This video is a little something about how waves are formed at sea ... through the eyes of some of the craziest or bravest guys I know on TV.

This post won't be the favorite of many of you, but some will enjoy this video. And some? ... Well, you will become a fan just like me :-).

Speakers remorse and Sundays

I don't know if you have ever experienced "buyer's remorse". It is the feeling you get when you have purchased something (especially something expensive) and you get away from the store and something like guilt sets in. You feel like maybe you shouldn't have bought it ... or maybe you should have bought the blue one instead of the green one ... or maybe you should have added one more option ... or ???

Anyway, there is such a thing as speaker's remorse. I get it almost every Sunday. It is that feeling of "I should have said it differently" or "I should have added this" or "Why did I forget to say that?" or "I should have thought about this other thing to put in there" ... you get the idea.

Sundays almost always bring speaker's remorse. I have talked to other Pastors about this. Some of us are more afflicted with this than others of us. I used to think it would subside the older I got and the more I spoke. It doesn't.

I wonder if Peter or Paul ever experienced it. I think Jeremiah probably did ... poor guy.

Praying for the Pastor

I will never forget the first time I met him. He was a guest that Sunday morning at the church I served as pastor in Marietta, GA. As he was leaving that morning he introduced himself to me, told me his daughter and son-in-law were members of that church, told me he was from out of state but would be visiting from time to time with his family members, then he asked me how he could pray for me. I suppose I gave him some lame answer. He looked at me and said, "No, I want to know specifically how I can pray for you in role as pastor of this church".

Well, I don't often have this kind of clarity this quickly, but two words came to mind. I firmly believe they were prompted by the Holy Spirit on the spot. The first word was "wisdom". While at LifeWay, I found myself facing big decisions every day. But for the most part they were business decisions. Seldom did I find myself needing to make a decision of how to counsel or how to respond to an individual life situation of someone I had responsibility to shepherd. I seldom felt as though eternity hung in the balance for someone based on what I said or how I responded. It was not my role to be spiritual advisor or guide. However, as a Pastor, I find myself in that place almost daily. Wisdom is needed.

Because of the role of shepherd (particularly the protection of the flock for which I have responsibility) I also need "courage". This was the second word the Holy Spirit brought to mind that day. When leading a group of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and opinions, I know this may come as a surprise, but they don't always agree. There are also times when persons must be confronted due to any number of reasons (leaders practicing immorality, false doctrine being taught, gossip, slander, and the list goes on). Change leadership always requires courage ... and change is about the only constant we have these days.

So, when you wonder what you might pray for your pastor (here at ClearView) or in your church wherever you are, these two would be a great start.

A chance to help

There are many things in life that cause me to ask "Why?". One of those was just after coming to serve as Pastor of ClearView just over a year ago.

I had met them several times during the period of time I was interim pastor at ClearView. The thing that impressed me was the consistent smile and joy in their eyes. Terry and Carmen Thompson were so unassuming, but such an encouragment each time they spoke with me.

Just over a month after becoming Pastor, I got an email sharing that Carmen had been in a horrific accident. You can read the full story here.

I would see Terry and Carmen again in Louisville where Carmen was rehabilitating before coming home to Franklin, TN. Despite all the physical and emotional pain brought on by the accident and the resulting paralysis, you can still see the smile and the joy in her eyes. Not to say Terry and Carmen have not had their down times over the past year ... they have. But there remains an inner joy reflecting an obvious relationship with our Lord.

As you might imagine, this event changed their lives in many ways. One of the areas impacted is the financial burden this adds to these newlyweds. You have an opportunity to minister to them in this way this week. There will be a benefit concert (Amy Grant will be appearing) this coming Tuesday night at The Factory in Franklin, TN. For more information click here. Then click on "The event".