Notes from the Trail

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You may recall a few months back that I shared about co-authoring a unique project in which the proceeds go to childrens charity. Well, the book was released as an e-book today, and you can preorder hard copies of it online as well.

It involved 236 marketing professionals who blog from 29 states throughout the U.S. and from 14 other nations from Australia to the Ukraine - and me (that’s 237). Variety is the international children’s charity which will benefit from the proceeds. If nothing else, snatch a hard cover book, and I’ll autograph it for you! Oooooooooo! ;) (Just remember, your cash is for a great cause!)

Background

The book has an unusual story behind it, involving online connections between people around the world who have never met each other.

Drew McLellan, who heads an advertising agency in Des Moines, writes a blog online. Drew’s Marketing Minute is among the 25 most-read marketing blogs, and a regular reader is Gavin Heaton, who works for global software giant SAP in Sydney, Australia. Heaton writes a blog called Servant of Chaos.

Nearly two years ago through a chance online conversation, McLellan and Heaton decided to invite fellow bloggers to participate in writing a book about conversation and how it impacts us in marketing, in business and in life in general. “Blogging, after all, is about conversation,” McLellan said.

More than 100 bloggers from the U.S. and eight countries responded by contributing essays on conversation. The book, published in the summer of 2007, earned $15,000, all of which was donated to the international childrens charity Variety.

“Gavin and I were overwhelmed with the response,” said McLellan “Almost as soon as the first book was published, we heard from bloggers asking when the next book would be published so they could contribute essays.”

The Age of Conversation 2 will be available as a downloadable e-book beginning October 28, at a cost of $12.50, of which $10 will be contributed to Variety. Also, orders will be taken for a limited number of printed books in hardcover ($29.95, with $6.04 to charity) and softcover ($19.95, with $8.02 donated to charity).

Purchases can be made online at http://stores.lulu.com/ageofconversation. More information can be seen online at www.ageofconversation.com.

Tom Elliff, one of the VPs at the International Mission Board, is preaching this a.m. He’s speaking on the role of the Holy Spirit from John 3.

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. (John 3.6-8)

Elliff expanded on this passage by sharing some thoughts about the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was operative in the work of salvation and compared the work of the Spirit to wind. This is one of Jesus’ first teachings about the third person of the Trinity. Elliff said that the wind/Spirit blows…

• persistently - It never stops.
• providentially - God controls the direction and force.
• principally - The Spirit operates according to God’s will and guidelines.

“What has scared us away from this subject is we see so much that is inane and stupid - this glitzy, glamor boy Christianity - that people of integrity avoid it.” Elliff goes on to urge us to know, relate with and be directed by the Spirit. 

Nicoemus said in verse 9, “How can these things be?” Jesus was a little perturbed, it seems, that one of Israel’s religious leaders didn’t have a clue about spiritual rebirth and the work of God’s Spirit. Elliff acknowledged that much about the Holy Spirit is mysterious.

Speaking of the mystery of the Holy Spirit, Elliff said -

1. It removes pride. No one knows how the Spirit works, nor can we command Him. Elliff urged us not to dispense with doctrine (right teaching) about the Holy Spirit saying that doctrine is to life what the skeleton is to the body. It gives structure. He commented that he’d seen numerous “exciting” movements that were supposedly the work of the Spirit but in the end faded away because there was no substance or truth to them. He said that “spiritual” people can many times become prideful, thinking they have a lock on the Holy Spirit and His expression but that God will not be controlled by man.
2. It removes presumption. We think that when we’re ready, the Spirit will move. Or that when we do x, the Spirit will move. Not the case! How dare we presume that God must show up when we give Him permission. Of the current ebb in the Southern Baptist Convention, Elliff warned of the attitude that when we “fix” things that God will show back up. That’s a dangerous presumption. He said it’s like a turtle on his back on a hot highway. We may not be able to right ourselves when we want to.
3. It removes procrastination. If we don’t know where and when the wind blows, then when God speaks, we better obey then! Scripture says, “Seek Him WHILE He may be found” and “TODAY if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.” The people of Israel who were to be led into the promised land chose at first not to go in. When God sentenced them to wander in the wilderness, they had a change of heart and tried to enter the land but were resoundingly defeated. We must respond when God speaks and on His terms. Elliff said,”People grow old when their regrets exceed their vision - regardless of their age. Regrets are sown in the garden of procrastination.”

He concluded his message by quoting the theme of the 2008 state convention, “If you’re going to succeed at ‘Reaching Gen X now,’ don’t forget to rely upon the Holy Spirit.

In spite of the plethora of Ps - which normally distracts me when a speaker relies upon forced alliteration - I really enjoyed this message and am hoping to get a CD of it.

For those of you who know me, I’m sure there will be a grin stretching across your smarmy face right about now. I’m heading to the annual Arkansas Baptist State Convention - voluntarily. For eight years as a campus minister, I was required to go. For the past five years, I had no desire to go.

However, since Journey aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention in January - a very prayerful and strategic decision for us - I’ve been earnestly enjoying the extended network and blessing of working intentionally with like-minded churches and leaders. 

Every October, the state denomination gathers around the city of churches that give the most to the convention (ooops… a little sarcasm entered there) and holds its annual meeting. Many times it can be a snoozer. At other times there are fireworks shot off by those who love to shoot off at the mouth. All the time, however, there is genuine fellowship, laughter and renewal in the corridors, restaurant booths and coffee shops surrounding the convention. It’s as if we have to host a protracted series of self-important meetings to manipulate pastors and leaders into gathering - and then the good stuff happens outside of the meeting as friendships are made and renewed, broken hearts are mended, encouragement is passed and tears are shed.

This pastoring thing is hard - if you do it right. The toll of carrying responsibility for the spiritual growth of people is mentioned by Paul. In addition to all the physical torment that the apostle Paul suffered, he mentioned the incredible spiritual burden of seeking to lead a group of people into intimacy with Christ Jesus.

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11.23-28)

Perhaps it’s one of the most unnoticed responsibilities of spiritual leaders in the church today. As God’s called representative, we are responsible and empowered by God to bring His church to maturity in Christ. The joy comes when people are led there willingly - when they are hungry for holiness, for God’s Word and for witness in the world. The toil and pain comes when they embrace the things of the world rather than God and correction, rebuke or confrontation enters the picture. Yet the minister must not shy away from such things. The New Testament is replete with instruction about leading people to maturity and even dismissing them from church fellowship if need be.

And so at meetings such as this, you run into a lot of hurt, sorrow, and confusion. It’s amazing to hear about pastors who have been beat up and cast aside, who have been attacked and vilified, and whose personal and family lives are at the end of their proverbial rope. They come from all over - ostensibly to a meeting because they “should” - but in reality, they come for hope, help, and in desperate longing for just one ear that will listen, a mouth that will pray for them, and a heart that identifies with where they are.

I’m looking forward to how God will work in leaders’ lives over the next few days - and in mine. Please be praying for this group of outstanding shepherds as they gather. Pray for their encouragement, vision, and strength to continue serving the Lord of Hosts and His Church.

This a.m. we had a massive rummage sale at Journey - or as Jeremy says it, room-age. Whatever, we sold a bunch of just, well, junk. The whole “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” should be “one man’s junk is still another man’s junk.” Yet folks trickled through all morning, buying, eyeing while we were sighing.

We may have been a little ambitious with 10 dozen donuts, two pots of coffee, two bags of donut holes, and 2 gallons of generic, Wally-World citric juice. We had thought to provide breakfast stuff for early morning shoppers, but we found that most were extremely focused on, well, junk. 

They entered with eyes down, sifted through mounds of clothing, suitcase, old computers, etc. and then left with a few things in their arms. We rummage salespeople had a welcoming and hospitable environment for them, including music to set the ambience. Yet, they were more interested in… you got it, junk.

There were actually a few who left without buying anything, which I find highly offensive. It’s like our junk isn’t good enough for them? How dare they… ;)

All the proceeds are going to Journey’s ministry fund, and because we have so much left over, it looks like we’ll be trying it again next week. I was told numerous times this a.m. by females present who here shall remain unnamed that I should have put the rummage sale in the paper.

I had assumed that since MonticelloLive.com has 5000-8000 pageviews per day that would be sufficient, but I was corrected frequently with the rationale that “garage sale people don’t read websites for their junk information.” Dang. I think junk people need to be more high tech. I mean, there’s Microsoft products to consider, right?

In addition, the whole experience makes me think about what we focus on in life. The rummage sale is kind of like our spiritual lives. How many times are we paying attention to junk when the Lord longs to provide nourishment, wonder, and music for our lives? Meanwhile, we wander through life, eyes down, focused only on what we think we need. Most of the time our myopic desires result in the acquisition of junk that will only gather dust in our souls.

With all that said, stay tuned for Rummage Sale 2 at Journey soon…

Here’s a nice website that encourages you to pray for the nations: PhotoGenX.com. Mission statement:

The vision of photogenX is to use photography as a tool for cultural transformation so that issues such as gender based injustice will be issues of history instead of the future.

HT: Kiki Cherry