Archive for September, 2009

Psalm 67.1-2 says,

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.”

Is the writer asking for blessing for God’s people selfishly? I think not. He gives the reason “that Your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” He is essentially asking God for blessing so that others might notice the blessed and return glory to the Blesser.

This particular invocation echoes the priestly blessing in Numbers 6.24-26:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

The idea of blessing – of receiving prescribed favor – from the hand of the Lord is an indescribably good feeling. It lifts the hearts and eyes of people off their present situation and implants a holy possibility within them. It makes a rebel pause with wonder, “If only that blessing could be real…”

The priests in Numbers had the authority of God behind the blessing.

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘Thus shall you bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them…’” (v22-23)

I recently heard of a campus ministry in the northeast who set up a “Blessing Booth” at a local event that celebrated wicca. They dressed as monks and offered a blessing and prayer for those in attendance at the event who stopped by their booth. Many thought it was a joke, but those that stopped and inquired and agreed to be blessed were then prayed for passionately and lovingly. A deep, fervent desire for that person to truly know and experience the love of God was prayed over their life.

Whether you agree with this ministry methodology or not, the greatest way that any person can be blessed is by knowing Jesus Christ as God and Lord of their life. By desiring that another person be truly blessed, you should desire that they fall truly in love with God through Jesus Christ.

The idea of blessing others is not asking for God’s favor in disregard of a person’s sinfulness. Rather, it’s in spite of a person’s sinfulness. It magnifies the love and grace of the Father. In such a way, the desired result is that by drowning a person in unmerited love and favor, they may learn to swim in faith.

So next time you are asking for God to bless you, remember that He delights to do so. Ultimately, His blessing comes so that others will regard the blessed and praise the Blesser. And when we pray that others might experience blessing, there is no higher blessing than loving and being loved by the One True God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

Sometime ago, I read Mark Buchanan’s book Now, Discover Your Strengths and took the StrengthsFinder inventory. I have discovered that it really helps to communicate with others in leadership arenas when you speak the same inventory “language.”

I’m posting my results here straight from the material just as an FYI:

My Signature Themes

Activator

“When can we start?” This is a recurring question in your life. You are impatient for action. You may concede that analysis has its uses or that debate and discussion can occasionally yield some valuable insights, but deep down you know that only action is real. Only action can make things happen. Only action leads to performance. Once a decision is made, you cannot not act. Others may worry that “there are still some things we don’t know,” but this doesn’t seem to slow you. If the decision has been made to go across town, you know that the fastest way to get there is to go stoplight to stoplight. You are not going to sit around waiting until all the lights have turned green. Besides, in your view, action and thinking are not opposites. In fact, guided by your Activator theme, you believe that action is the best device for learning. You make a decision, you take action, you look at the result, and you learn. This learning informs your next action and your next. How can you grow if you have nothing to react to? Well, you believe you can’t. You must put yourself out there. You must take the next step. It is the only way to keep your thinking fresh and informed. The bottom line is this: You know you will be judged not by what you say, not by what you think, but by what you get done. This does not frighten you. It pleases you.

Strategic

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path—your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.

Intellection

You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life.

Belief

If you possess a strong Belief theme, you have certain core values that are enduring. These values vary from one person to another, but ordinarily your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics—both in yourself and others. These core values affect your behavior in many ways. They give your life meaning and satisfaction; in your view, success is more than money and prestige. They provide you with direction, guiding you through the temptations and distractions of life toward a consistent set of priorities. This consistency is the foundation for all your relationships. Your friends call you dependable. “I know where you stand,” they say. Your Belief makes you easy to trust. It also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. And guided by your Belief theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out your values.

Achiever

Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself. And by “every day” you mean every single day—workdays, weekends, vacations. No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with you. As an Achiever you must learn to live with this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks, new challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your work group. It is the theme that keeps you moving.

I’d be curious what your results are if you’ve taken the SF inventory. And… if you think you know me… how do these results compare to what you know of me?

I’ve been a fantasy football coach since 1992. One of my best friends on the planet – Mitch Bettis – and I have been in a league together almost every one of the past 17 years. Funny thing is I got married in ‘92 as well. So two great things happened that year. I’ve won four fantasy football championships in my lifetime. I rarely win arguments with Carolyn. But that doesn’t stop me from trying…. Just kidding, honey. Really.

This past weekend was kickoff weekend for our league, and it featured an epic father-son struggle. You see, Sam is in my league, and the random schedule generator pitted our teams against each other this weekend. We talked smack back and forth to each other this past week. I made fun of his girlie team, and he made fun of mine. We both offered other teams trades in an attempt to position our teams for the win.

On Sunday, the battle began, and when the smoke cleared Sunday night, I was winning by 20+ points. But he still had the Patriots defense left to play… against the Buffalo Bills. I was sweating it. Luckily, I had to go to Richmond on Monday, so I wasn’t in the house for the Monday night games. I didn’t want Sam to see me chewing my nails and bemoaning my inevitable defeat to Darrell Cook.

I watched in butt-clenching agony as the Pats swarmed Trent Edwards for a devastating sack in the final seconds as Buffalo attempted to comeback from the Pats’ astounding comeback. The final gun sounded. The players exited the field. The Pats emerged victorious in a nailbiter, one-point contest, 25-24. And so did my anemic team – 145-144.

I haven’t talked to Sam today, but I’m getting my victory dance and speech ready. I will do my best to be humble and to model for my loser of a son what a great fantasy football coach I am…

I read this week in Psalm 65 about the designer line that God has unveiled on the runway of the earth:

You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.. (v11-13)

I meditated on the colorful and descriptive language that Poet-King David used to describe the scenes he had so often feasted upon ocularly. Phrases like “overflow with abundance… hills gird themselves with joy… meadows clothe themselves with flocks… valleys deck themselves with grain…” all speak to the magnificent excess of praise that the Father so worthily receives from Creation. Who hasn’t been overwhelmed with a scene of unspeakable natural wonder? My family had the opportunity earlier this year to view Mt. McKinley from a distance, and it was simply stunning.

To consider how God has so carefully and beautifully adorned the created world is one thing. To drink deeply of His careful consideration of our lives is another. We tend to doubt His awareness of our needs and concerns. We tend to drink too deeply of worry and anxiety’s wells.

Yet Jesus – perhaps in reflecting of the majestic truths in places like Psalm 65 – reminds us in Matthew 6:

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6.30-33)

Visions of creation’s clothing should encourage us for the Creator’s care. The valleys have nothing on us. While they are decked with grain, we are robed with salvation. If we neglect to praise Him for His love; however, Jesus hinted that the Creation will grow noisy with praise. (“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19.40)

Let us rejoice in the clothing of creation. Its fashion line hints at the abundant love of the Father for those who trust in Christ Jesus.

Yes, I resemble that remark. I love how the dad chuckles after the son tells him to stop twittering so much.

This particular post has been percolating in my head for a long time. I kept waiting for inspirations of majestic verbiage in order to craft an appropriate entry. I wanted people to read this sublime creation and weep in amazement. Unfortunately, I’ve now decided to simply dash off a few words before a small town in Arkansas feels forgotten and unappreciated.

First.. the before and after pictures:

Before

After

The first picture was taken for our first Christmas photo in Monticello, Arkansas. It was the winter of 1995, and Carolyn and I were thrilled to be making a new town our home. We’d arrived in southeast Arkansas via Dallas, Texas after graduating from seminary. That summer and fall we feel deeply in love with college students as we served and ministered alongside them at the University of Arkansas at Monticello Baptist Collegiate Ministry.

The second picture was taken last December, 2008. You’ll notice the two large appendages on the front of our bodies. We call them our kids – Sam and Adelyn. When we moved from Monticello in July of this year, it marked 14 years since we’d arrived. So much had changed. So much the same.

There were two life segments for us in Monticello. Our first 8 years were invested in extraordinary days of laughter, sorrow and life transformation on the campus. Our second 6 were joyfully hard, celebratory days of faith adventure through Journey Church.

This is not a post about all that we learned and experienced. It’s not an entry about what. Rather, it’s an entry about who.

In Dr. Seuss’ classic The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, readers were delightedly engaged with a town called Hooville. He had another book-movie in which an elephant heard a Hoo. In both, it was the small people in the story that made a difference in the life of the central characters. In the same way, Monticello’s people made a lasting and transforming difference in the life of a young couple who became a family in their midst.

There is no way that I could ever begin to name names for the Hoos in Monticello who shaped, contributed, helped, loved, and made our lives full and our hearts grateful over 14 years.

College students

From former students who now have families of their own to students we were just meeting (in Poland of all places) when we left, we have been abundantly graced with the joy of relating and having deep friendship with collegians. They gave to us so much more than we could ever give to them. Here are some things that they gave us: open minds, generous hearts (even when they had empty wallets!), time, babysitting, strong backs for home projects, cars when ours were in the shop (or later when a scooter was impractical because of weather or errands), practical jokes, late nights, video games, Bible studies, memories, friendships, trust, esteem, pictures, and male pattern baldness (at least mine, not Carolyn’s – and yes, I blame it on the students!).

To the students of UAM – past and present – that were/are in our lives – and even some that have passed on, thank you. We are forever changed and grateful because of your partnership in the gospel and in the dailyness of our lives. We’re so humbled by your ministry and friendship that shaped us and loved our children as they grew in your presence.

Members of Journey Church

In 2003, a handful of folks sat around in our living room on Jefferson Street, praying and listening to me share the dream for a new church in Monticello. That small group multiplied many times over, and though Journey was in some ways still small when we left, its people and its influence in the kingdom of God were huge in our lives.

There were those that stepped out of Journey along the way – some moved to other towns; others became disenchanted. With each loss, the Lord led others to step in and continue to help lead the church in its mission to be an authentic, though imperfect, expression of the kingdom of Christ. For those who persisted and trusted and loved and kept the vision, we are so grateful.

To the members of Journey, we love you so dearly. You cried with us. You laughed with us. You allowed us to be your family, even as you became part of ours. We remain astounded by all that the Lord Jesus did in our lives together. We constantly reminded one another that it’s all about Him, and you pursue that truth with tenacity today as you seek the next leader for your vibrant congregation.

To our other heart-friends in Monticello

Besides our family at Journey, the Lord also provided some amazing friends and encouragers in Monticello. Sam and Adelyn grew up with many of your kids. Others stepped into our lives – or were led – by what seemed coincidence. Yet to this day, we are confident it was Providence.

You blessed us so consistently and treated us with such respect. We were constantly encouraged by your smiles, hopes and prayers. With all the ups and downs of church life, health issues, kids, and existence, you were there for us. We tried hard to be there for you as well, but we still wonder if we were truly able to give even half as much as we received.

To the people of Monticello, the ones we shopped with, bumped into occasionally, acquaintances and even strangers…

Your infrequent presence in our life did not endear you any less to us. The atmosphere of Monticello, its people, its personality, its laid-back-ness… we are so appreciative of how the people of Monticello treated us. We loved being able to wave at you as you passed us in cars and have you wave back. We loved that you still prayed at Billies and Pirates games. We loved that Wal-Mart was not a store but a social gathering.

The county fair, Rough and Ready Days, church activities, school events, sports schedules, yard sales, an entire town dressed in camo in the fall, wonderful Christmases, down-home Thanksgivings, hell-hot summers… Through it all, the people of Monticello were there to smile, to help, to share and to impact this Noble couple who in their midst became a Noble family.

Thank you…

Small town nestled in woodland pine

Bustles and hustles during hunting time

Friendly waves at county fair and city square

Didn’t cease though eyes upon a scooter stare

At a small college misnamed U Ain’t Much

Our hearts were lavished by students’ touch

They served and sang, drove and flew

To extend Christ’s gospel to home and pew

Friendships made through thin and thick

Whether birth or death, health or sick,

Gave us joy and helped us stay

Faithful & grateful in the Way.

As fall crowds cheer on reds and blues,

Hunters clean their guns and stir their stews

County fair defies tornado’s messing

One family from afar reflects on blessing.

From misty valleys and cool hollow

Nobles think fondly of Monticello.

This thing just makes me laugh… Are you a butt dialer?