Nothing Old, Everything New
Written on 11 May 2007 by beau“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” This is the old saying that if followed on her wedding day is supposed to bring a bride a lifetime of happiness. This phrase came to mind recently as I was looking through some old books at my grandparents’ house. My grandfather was the son of a Reformed Minister and there are still many of his books from his pastor’s study at their house. There were many commentaries, study helps, and devotionals. I picked one up called, The Meaning of Faith by Harry Emerson Fosdick and saw that it was published in 1917.
As I began reading, I realized how most of the books that I find myself reading are brand new books, ones published within the last few years. It reminded me of the warning that comes from David Hansen in his book, The Art of Pastoring. (Published in 1994, just for the record.) He talked about how his predecessor’s library haunted him because it was only filled with books about the latest church and ministry trends. There certainly is nothing wrong at all with reading the most recent books, there are lots of folks today that have some significant things to say. But my fear is that we have lost our balance. Instead of reading something old AND something new, we often times end up reading nothing old AND everything new. It’s as if we only believe that our contemporaries have anything meaningful to say about the Bible. I think we are doing ourselves and the people that we lead a disservice when we ignore 2000 years of church history and the writing that resulted from it.
Have you read anything more than 10 years old lately? How about 50 years? 100? 200? Would love to hear about some older writings that have impacted your life. As I work my way through Fosdick’s book, I will let you know if I some across any hidden treasures of truth.
The Life You Were Meant To Live
Written on 8 May 2007 by beauWe have started a new series in C4 on Tuesday nights called The Life You Were Meant to Live. We are looking together at the abundant life that Jesus promised His followers in John 10:10. Are we really experiencing that life the way Jesus intended? Or are we just waiting around till we get to heaven?
John 17 provided a great deal of help as we discovered what the eternal life that Jesus promised is really like. We also talked about how MUSIC and STORY help us to think about our relationship with God. ARE THERE OTHER ANALOGIES AND ILLUSTRATIONS THAT HELP YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? Any other thoughts or comments on this week’s message?
A Self-Centered Culture
Written on 29 April 2007 by beau 
The morning message this past Sunday at Calvary Church was entitled Learning to Fly. Pastor Miller brought a great challenge from 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 about balancing the Fear of God and the Love of Christ. He contrasted the old life (living for self) with the new life (living for Christ). At the end, he encourgaged everyone to be on the look out this week for the things that we see and hear that tell us to focus on ourselves and not Christ. It is not hard to make a case that the culture wants us to focus on ourselves, but I am not sure if I ever take the time to really think about how that happens.
So whether you heard the message or not, I would love to hear from you on the things that you see around you this week that tells you that you are the center of the world. If we compile a good list, we can be sure to share that with Pastor Miller.
Opportunity Knocks
Written on 23 April 2007 by beau
This is a phrase that we sometimes throw around when someone experiences some good luck and it is also a pretty bad 1990 movie starring Dana Carvey. No matter what it makes you think of, I believe that OPPORTUNITY is something that we can and should pray for. I have been reading through Visioneering by Andy Stanley, and he suggests that we often tend to pray for miracles but what we should be doing is praying for opportunity. He says that this is the difference between being a dreamer and being a visionary. Dreamers just want things to be different, but a visionary sees himself making a difference. Stanley uses Nehemiah as an example of someone that has a vision. “He wasn’t expecting God to do something independently of him. He was looking for an opportunity to work alongside of God.” (p. 32) Made me think about Paul in his letter to the Colossians when he asks them to pray that God would open a door for His Word to be preached and when the opportunity presents iteself, that Paul would present the Gospel clearly. It is interesting that Paul didn’t pray for people to be saved, he prayed for opportunities to share the Gospel because he was the very one that said that the Gospel is the power of salvation. (Romans 1:16-17) Have any visions that you are praying about? Any opportunities that you need to ask God for?
Blame Game - C4
Written on 18 April 2007 by beau
Tuesday night at C4 we continued the SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE as we looked together at how we play the BLAME GAME. Check out the Drink and Flow Blog to comment and interact about this message . . .
Perspective
Written on 16 April 2007 by beau
C4 is the young adult ministry that I am a part of at Calvary Church, and we are continually encouraging folks to consider spending some time overseas in another culture. Too often young adults are in such a hurry to settle down, find a job, get married, and live out the American dream. Why not experience another culture why you still have the opportunity? One of our former interns took that challenge seriously. He is known to us all as Timmy J. but he is affectionately known to my 2 and 3 year old as “trouble.” (He is the one in the grey shirt.) He spent the fall of 2006 in Cambodia. His most recent blog entry gives us all a glimpse into how our PERSPECTIVE can be changed just by spending a few months overseas. I never would have thought that Central Market could be such a window into the rest of the world. Check out his thoughts and let us both know what you think . . .
Let’s Network . . .
Written on 15 April 2007 by beau
I was first challenge by this seemingly obvious concept a few years ago when I heard Tim Sanders speak at a leadership conference. Now it seems like lots of folks that are truly serious about ministry are humbly willing to share anything and everything with others. Maybe the days of comparing and competing ministries are behind us - at least I hope they are. I am challenged by those like LIFECHURCH.TV, Larry Boatright, and so many others who are pushing the conversation forward and helping build the church by connecting and sharing what they are doing. I confess that I sometimes have a hard time even talking to the other young adult pastors in our county about how we can connect and work together. I am thankful for the ways that others out there are challening me in this area, and I to look forward to how God’s church will continue to move forward as it networks with itself.
Come to the Table
Written on 9 March 2007 by beauNo matter where you find people gathering, they are usually doing it around a table. Coffee shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and even at home, people gravitate towards the table. More times than not, food and drink are part of the lure, but most of us come because of our God given desire for community. So as technology moves forward, is it possible to gather around the proverbial table in cyberspace? My hope is that virtual community will never replace our times with one another around the table, but I am excited to see the potential for sharing thoughts, ideas, beliefs, etc. with those that I may never have the chance to meet face to face. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say as we come to this table . . .
