Archive for September, 2005
Pastor Candidating
“Interviewing” a Pastor Candidate has got to be one of the most bizarre spectacles we have created in ministry. We are in the middle of one right now.
On one level – it’s ridiculous. I mean most of us pastors are posers anyway. We fly by the seat of our pants, we’re trying to trust God, we’re too busy to be a mystic, and we have a huge need to be liked by other pastors. (Are engineers this way?)
On another level – it can be awesome. If someone chooses to be vulnerable enough to…well, disagree. Can someone pound on the table and say – “I don’t know if this job is for me but I do know that relevancy, authenticity, small group ministry, edgy worship, and communal leadership are such core values to me that they HAVE to be part of the culture I move to.”
Maybe it’s not those values – but if you don’t know yourself well enough to know what you want….maybe you shouldn’t move. maybe you should figure that out first – then go on the journey. Maybe.
Then again, maybe not. I’m just rambling.
Another Perspective on Fastbreak
Here is Wayne’s (a volunteer) perspective on Fastbreak. Good stuff…
or in the words of Wayne – powerful.
Sunday Morning
I leave the retreat this morning about 8 to head to church to preach. That normally gives me plenty of time, our service doesn’t start till 10.30.
Unless of course your computer that runs powerpoint crashes at 10.10. Then you got issues. Fortunately, the service was about silence and fasting. Pretty stinkin’ funny now that I think about it.
We scramble to get a laptop hooked up. I build the entire slide show for the service in like 4 minutes. Hard to believe Jesus had such a successful ministry without projectors and powerpoint.
Good retreat. Already starting to hear from moms and dads about how good it was for their kid. Looking forward to see the healing God brings out of this.
By the way – posted some pics here of the retreat.
Sat Night @ Fastbreak
Students just came completely amped tonight. Worship just took off. I could even finish the last two or three songs, just choking up like crazy. Students kneeling at their chairs or standing up on them completely engaged with God, clueless to anyone or anything else around them.
What a night. Life Group time was powerful. Coaches are confirming that God’s breaking down major walls within the Life Groups. The silence that so often keeps us in bondage is being broken.
Finally get to bed at 12.30 with sounds of middle school girls singing the “Name Game” in the hallway.
Saturday Afternoon @ Fastbreak
Saturday Afternoon
Morning session was great – Robert really set the table for our Life Groups. I’m starting to hear some of the cool stories. Right now – they are stories of hurt and frustration. Stories of being misunderstand and ignored. It’s the best reason in the world to work with students to see these stories get transformed…to see Love have the final word.
It also mind blowing at how young people get wounded. It’s amazing how screwed up adults can screw up a student’s life and God still heals and pulls off a miracle in spite of it all. Again – the best place to see God do miracles – in the lives of students.
My kids are out here. It’s the first time I’ve ever brought them to a youth retreat…I know, 15 years of student ministry and this is the first one. It’s been a mixed bag.
I can’t fully engage and focus on students like normally – because I’ve got a 7 and 5 year old around. BUT – some of students love it. They love playing and wrestling and laughing with them.
The other thing is this – while my kids have a vocabulary that most kids their age don’t (ie – suck, crap, bites, what the heck, rolling of eyes, etc.), they get to see and hang out with teens who are trying to follow Jesus as best as they can. There is no way to put a value on that. Yes – I’ve had to explain some things to my kids that most parents of 7 year olds don’t “get� to explain. Yes – there are some words and phrases that I wish they did not know.
But I wouldn’t trade that for the influence a Zack, Noel, Derrick, Anna, Kayla, Turner, Daniel, or Holly, Nikki, or Morgan, Christine or a hundred other names that I could put down. Wouldn’t even think about trading that.
Thank you God for a weekend to remind me of that. It’s worth it.
Friday @ Fastbreak
My journal notes from Fastbreak this weekend
Friday night
First session went well. Robert Upshaw did a good job. The worship was a good start – Scott Fitzgerald came in and did worship for me at short notice. I was going to do it but this last week was crazy, so I punted. Smart decision on my part. Humbling – realizing I can’t do it all, but smart one. Scott was a huge help and to do it on short notice shows his servant heart.
At Grace retreats we do something a bit different…instead of “worship response� time, I send them off to their life groups to talk about what God was/is doing inside them.
Teens first of all process things better out loud, talking it out. Second of all – it allows us as mentors to ask questions, prod, or challenge.
I haven’t heard from our coaches yet to hear what is going on but it looks and feels good. Actually, I can’t believe how unbelievably tired I am. The crazy week has got me and I’m going to bed.
Keep the ring, TO
Hey, TO. Keep the ring, just give the money anyway.
Oh, I forgot. You held out because you didn’t make enough to feed your family.
Game 1
Ever wanted to know what John Elway or Dan Marino or Jim Kelly could have done on a complete team?
Watch Tom Brady and the Patriots.
He is going to win more Super Bowls than any quarterback alive. After last night‘s dismantling of the Raiders, anybody got any more questions as to how they are going to miss their cordinators?
Granted – it’s one game and the season is long and the AFC is tough this year. But they looked impressive last night.
And it’s always a great start to the season when the silver and black loose!
Retreat Week
This is one crazy week. Lot’s of meetings, lots of logistics, lots of phone calls and emails, crank up my worldview class this week (actually 2 of them), retreat this weekend, sermon, Camber’s first T-Ball game.
I’ve got my place reserved at Oasis for next week.
And the discipline I’m focused on this week – silence. That’s funny, isn’t it? Pretty durn ironic, if you ask me.
Encouragment
Got this email today:
Hey Grant & Rowland (I mean, Dudes … sorry),Yesterday was a really special service. Thank you for taking the time to prayerfully consider how to present the discipline of prayer.
Grant, I really appreciated your honesty re: the struggles you have in prayer and in your time with the Lord. This hit home with me. It helped to put some words to one thing in particular that I struggle with in my prayer life.
Rowland, the extended time for prayer/reflection was a critical piece of the service. I’m so glad we didn’t have some really good instruction and then leave w/o an opportunity to reflect and put it into practice.
What a neat email. Especially given how we structured the service and really asked folks to engage outside their comfort zones.
I shared some disconnected thoughts on prayer then just invited us all to just do it. There really isn’t a lot to learn. Just do it.
So we had a prayer canvas station, a letters to God table, a Katrina table, the front steps were covered with bread and juice cups for communion while prayers of saints were scrolling on power point.
We just gave space for people to connect with God. It is was rich.
Katrina – I’m ok
Cool concept. I don’t know how helpful this will be – seeing that most of the region doesn’t have power.
But I love the idea. Spread the word.
Ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbins – chocolate chip – with magic candles that don’t blow out. That was quite funny.
The finished product – a pink french poodle name Poodle with a silver sparkle outfit, cellphone, and microphone.
In exchange for the passy – we go to “Build-A-Bear.” What a cool place for a kid. Here Cayden is stuffing her new stuff dog…a pink french poodle.
My Dad – the hero
That’s my dad in the front (article here). This is when he was in Mobile. Now, he’s just outside of Gulfport, Mississippi. I got to finally talk to him yesterday for a few minutes.
It was really good to hear his voice. He’s got about 9 more days before FEMA rotates him off for a week to recharge. The 17 to 20 hour days are long. There are complete towns in Mississippi that are gone. Nothing but slabs and poles.
BUT, dad did say that the people in Mississippi have been wonderful to them. They haven’t had any of the looting/vandelism/security issues that they’ve had in New Orleans.
When he gets a chance – he’s going to send me some pics.
Awkward Silence Isn’t
“Awkward silence” isn’t.
It’s painful, harrowing, dreadful, and sickening…but it’s not awkward.
A LIFE Group setting only compounds that feeling. Everything is quadrupled in silence. Sniffles, giggles, breathing, ….fears, hopes, doubts….the voice of God…maybe?
What scares me about silence? Why is it so uncomfortable? Why do we avoid it so much? Why does it seem to be so important in our journey to encounter Jesus? What keeps me from doing it?
Plus we are dealing with fasting – what do these two have in common? Why is fasting even on the list of “must” practices? What value does it bring?
As leaders, how can we utilize silence “for good, not evil”? Is there a place for silence in Life Group?
Lot’s of questions…not many answers.
What’s Little Rock like?
24,000 refugees hit Arkansas today. That’s on top of those who are already here. How will LR respond? Hard to say.
We have the highest percentage of “confessing evangelical” population. That’s right, world. 1 in 5 people in Little Rock claim to be followers of Jesus.
We are also the world’s meanest city to homeless people.
I wonder if those two stats mean that we have the largest population of posers, fakes, and Pharisees…
Quiet Long Enough…Katrina Unplugged
Bush is getting a beat down in the media. And you know what? He should. I’m not going to even try to defend him and his administration. He did everything right after 9/11. He’s pretty much been absent in this. And leaders can’t lead if they aren’t present.
That budget surplus? I think you’ve got your project on where to spend it.
But the media is missing two other huge scapegoats.
The Mayor of New Orleans. How in the world does a city the size of New Orleans not have a disaster plan? If they do have one, why weren’t they using it the 4 days before the storm hit? Why is he down there now screaming into microphones? Why didn’t he do that days before the storm? Why didn’t he exercise his municipal powers BEFORE the storm by using city buses and school buses to evacute the sick and the elderly THEN?
The second one is the governor of Louisana. I’m a former Army soldier, was in the Reserves and National Guard. Why didn’t she activate them BEFORE the storms? ALL of them? When shots were fired, why wasn’t martial law declared, the Guard sent in and the city taken over?
We aren’t hearing a loss of command and control in Mississippi and Alabama – so is that Bush’s ‘fault’ too?
My dad is a retired fireman/paramedic in Alabama. He’s working in Gulfport right now, he works for FEMA. When Hurricane Dennis came through earlier this summer and Hurrican Ivan last year, he made a comment to me in passing that at the time – I didn’t even think about it.
He said to me – thankfully this didn’t Louisana. I had no idea what in the world he was talking about so I didn’t even bother to ask him why. I think I know why now.
Good News: More churches are parternering to help victims than ever in history. God is gift wrapping people to us to minister to. Time to quit ranting and go serve.
Conspiracy of Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
I like Raisin Bran.
I like raisins plain – for the most part. Have to be in a mood for them.
I loved the California Raisins.
I do NOT like raisins in my bagels. They look like flies, first of all, and I just can’t handle that kind of thing early in the morning.
Cooper doesn’t like them either. Neither does Cayden. Camber’s taste buds change every few hours, often in the middle of a sentence. So her opinion in this matter has no weight.
So why are they in the house? Why is it that every time I go to eat a bagel – they are the only ones left? (That one is easy to answer – because nobody likes them and hence – they don’t get eaten…or ate…whatever.)
Amy commented this morning – “It’s a vast conspiracy, Grant. When you’re not around, I tell the kids to eat all the food that you like and only leave the kind foods you don’t like.”
Which of course would explain everything.