The GREAT pastor

First, read this from John 10:7-11!

"I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (NIV)

Now the word "shepherd" in the Bible is sometimes translated "pastor." That means that Jesus calls Himself the "good pastor." I like to think of Him as the "GREAT PASTOR!"

He is always loving, always holy, always concerned for the spiritual, emotional, and physical well being of others, always looking to see where God is leading, and always faithful to take His people there.

Oh, that I might be a pastor in the footsteps of Jesus...

How Do You? (and other parenthetical thoughts...)

Carla, my wife (and bestest friend in the whole wide world!), and I were talking the other day. (Which kinda makes it sound like that is a rare occurence...not true!) I asked her this tough question that I now share with you. How do you plan for the future when you don't know what the future holds? How do you plan for tomorrow and still be faithful to today? Some wise words of Jesus (as if there were any other kind!):

Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NIV)

He makes it pretty clear that we are to live our lives faithfully in the moment. I'm down with that. (I say things like that to make me sound young!)

But, how do we prepare for the things of tomorrow that we really should prepare for? Cornerstone is at a very exciting time in our short history. Our attendance is up about 30% over last year. Our giving is up about 35% over last year. We are clearly a church on the move. Praise God...He is just awesome!!!

And yet there is this looming question of "where do we go from here?" We meet in rented space which we are rapidly outgrowing despite a recent expansion. Property in Cranberry Township is prohibitively expensive. What's a church to do? (Or what's a pastor to do?)

Any ideas from the blogosphere? I want to plan and I want to be an effective leader for the future of ministry here. AND I want to be faithful right now. The big question is HOW DO I DO BOTH? HELP! (Please comment, and feel free to use parenthetical statements in your response!)

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, am I busy this week! Lots going on...lots going on that's good!!! I'll blog later this week about some of the highlights. Sorry to be so blogfully absent of late! I promise...more tomorrow!

The role of a friend...

If you read this passage from Proverbs 27:5-6, you'll see how friendship is elevated to a new level for the Christian. Go ahead and read it. I'll wait here.


Thanks for coming back. Good stuff eh? Or should I say God stuff? God is showing us that as friends in Him, we need to be open and honest with each other even if it hurts. Why? So that we can be nasty and not care about others' feelings? No. In fact, it is for just the opposite reason.

If we are desiring to grow in our faithfulness and holiness to the Lord, it is tough to do it alone. We are often not the best judges of our own character and struggles. If we have a brother or sister in Christ who will be honest with us, in order to help us to grow, then we have a much broader picture of who we really are.

I appreciate my friends who will love me enough to be truthful with me. Thank you!

(PS: Is there something you've been meaning to tell me?!?!)

There's only ONE!

HowManyOfMe.com

There is: 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

SO glad to be HOME!!!

You know, I really love being a part of Cornerstone Church. I was in Chicago last week for a conference at Willow Creek. It was a lot of fun, mostly because I was traveling with some great friends. I laughed until I cried...several times! All these serious people are sitting around us in the conference and there Chris (who wrote a great review of the conference) and I are giggling like little girls with tears streaming down our faces. Oh well, lighten up world!

We had a great worship service yesterday. I just love being able to be ME! Our church is so neat in that we really are a "come as you are" kinda people. I had the privilege of preaching from Mark 2:1-12...one of my favorite passages. We were talking about how we who are in Christ need to be on the corners of the "mat" of our unsaved friends carrying them to WHO they really need....Jesus. It is just so good to be home. Can you tell I'm happy?!?!?

Off to Chicago!

This is my last entry until the weekend...I'm heading to Chicago. A few of my fellow pastor friends (yes, I do have a friend or two!) are going to a Conference together. I will miss you in blogland. If I get to a 'puter out there, I'll check in.

PS: I can't wait to preach this Sunday at Cornerstone. I will be sharing one of my favoritest passages: Mark 2:1-12. Read it....very good stuff. See you then!!!

A new challenge

A friend recommended the following blog entry to me this week. Please go there now and check it out, especially if you're a man or a woman!

This is really good stuff. It just reminds me that as the culture in which we live is ever changing, so we who are leaders must be constantly aware. And so we must be persistent in our pursuit of understanding. As a man, my soul resonates with much that has been written there, and yet I could not have authored it myself.

I thank God for those around me who enlighten me, who broaden my perspective, and who challenge me!

Sharing the Journey

I meet this morning with four of my UM pastoral colleagues for our twice-monthly breakfast. We spend time just sharing our joys, our struggles, our issues, and our Savior. We share resources, books, ideas, and encouragement. We share laughter, anger, sadness, and hope. We don't always agree, but we are always in unity. That is because we find our unity in Jesus Christ. I am blessed to have this circle of friends with whom I can share the journey.

Do you have this kind of support? Do you belong to some kind of small group? Who is walking the Christian journey with you? How can I help to hook you up with someone?

Psalm 133:1 "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" NIV

Do you hate your family? I know I do!

OK, now that I have your attention, let me redirect. First read this:

Luke 14:25-27
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (NIV)

Harsh words from Jesus. Does He really mean that we need to "hate" our families in order to follow Him? I don't think so. But what He does expect is that we put Him first. Always. No matter what. Over everything. Over every relationship. Period.

And that will cost us, because we cannot serve two masters. As a Christian, the call is to turn it all over to Christ. All of it. Even the things we hold the most dear. So, Lord, help me!

He's Back!

Yes, if you showed up for worship at Cornerstone yesterday, you'll know that I was curiously absent! That's because I was at the wedding of my cousin in Albany NY. I had a great time...traveled by car with my parents and older sister on the way up. It was neat to have the chance to reconnect with them (although they labeled me as obnoxious...can you believe that? How unfair!) Then I rode back with my twin sister and her husband, who also tried to abandon me along the highway somewhere along route 80. (I feel loved!) The wedding was great. It was held in a gorgeous Roman Catholic Cathedral in Albany. The ceremony was really nice...very "high and holy" and meaningful. I was blessed to be able to read Scripture in the service. The reception was at a beautiful country club with much good food! It was nice to spend some time with extended family members that I too infrequently see.

Now I'm back. And I'm happy to be...there is no place like home. I'm looking forward to a new week of opportunities after a weekend of true refreshment...

I'm in a pickle...or I am a pickle...or I am a cucumber, but I want to be a pickle...

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, God uses Paul to say this: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (NIV) My favorite way of understanding that is by looking at the pickle. If you cut one open, it is as green and picklish on the inside as it is on the outside. Why? Because it has been cooked in the brine. It isn't just dipped in there for a while, but it is salty through and through.

So I am the cucumber. But oh, how I long to be the pickle. I want to be so "in Jesus" that I look like Him on the outside as well as on the inside. I want to be salted with His presence, His love, His grace so much that my whole being is consumed by Him. I am struggling with only dipping myself in His brine, instead of being cooked in His glory.

Lord, pickle me today. Set me apart...from this world and into you...

Home remedies

I received this list from a friend...some very helpful advice!

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto! The blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget all about the toothache.

8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Jesus, Be the Center

Well Sunday is the last day of our Cornerstone message series entitled "Jesus, Be the Center." I am excited because the closing week is about Jesus being the center of Cornerstone Church. In the end, I am challenging us to paint a picture of what our ministry will look like as we continue to seek to put Jesus fully in charge. Whaddya think? What are some evidences of a church that is truly devoid of "the sinful nature." What will we the people, the ministries, the place look like as we let Jesus be "the Head" of our "body?" Any takers?

I need some Ephesians 6!

Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (NIV)

I need the shield of faith these days (see v16). I guess it is because God is doing so much good here in our ministry that I seem to be under attack. The flaming arrows are coming in every form, but there is only one defense: the shield of faith. Lord, I am believing in you, by faith, to forgive me, correct me, and to use me. May I put on your whole armor today and to stand strong. And in the midst of it all, please be the center of my JOY!

Feeling strong!

With each passing week I see more progress in my weightlifting. I made several strides this morning, doing 210 pounds on the pectoral fly machine and 180 on the overhead press. These were 20 and 10 pound gains respectively. I am enjoying my morning workouts and it fun to see the progress. I am up to 150 pounds on the bench press, only about 25 pounds from my goal. At this rate, I should be able to do that in 5-6 weeks.

Yet, I do not find my true strength in my morning gym workouts. I find my true strength in Jesus Christ alone. In our Cornerstone devotions for the day, we are reading Nehemiah 8:10. This is where we are reminded that having joy in the Lord is true strength. I am joyful. Today I am happy, but that is subject to change. I am joyful, though, which is NOT subject to change....only in the sense that it will grow. As I deepen my walk with the Lord and learn to trust Him more, my joy increases! As it does, so does my strength to face all that the world might try to throw at me today.

How about you...are you feeling "strong"?

Leadership

Here is a good excerpt taken from a colleague's blog:

Tasking focuses on WHAT. Coaching focuses on WHY. A good coach always explains the "why" behind the "what." If a person is only in tune with the "what", they will never catch the vision and purpose behind it and therefore will not be able to fully reproduce themselves and the type of culture that we value.

• Tasking focuses on a job well done. Coaching focuses on WHY it was done well. A coach explains WHY the job was done well. The impact of being specific in your praise towards someone else increases the impact more than we can imagine.
• Tasking sees people as a tool to get a job done. Coaching sees every opportunity as a chance to better others and to build relationships. The relational aspect is huge! Because........people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
• Tasking focuses on HOW the job was done wrong. Coaching always corrects by going back to the vision/mission.
• If we can help people identify for themselves where they went wrong or dropped the ball by bringing them back to the vision/purpose of the environment, the response will almost always be more positive. This can be accomplished by asking two simple questions: "Did we hit the target?" and "Why or why not?"

In these days where I am consumed with leadership, thank you Chris for some timely wisdom!

Against the Wind?

You remember the Seger song "Against the Wind." If you're reading this, chances are you do. Do you ever feel like that? Sometimes I wonder why it feels like living a faithful Christian life is like running against the wind. I know I feel that way as a pastor. There are so many agendas and so many issues. The church needs so much leadership and so much direction. People have physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs to be met. And sometimes it seems that at every turn, there is a battle. A difference in opinion or a difference in approach. A difference in theology or a difference style. And at those times I am tempted to sing "against the wind."

But NO! We don't run against the wind. In Christ, we have been set free. In Scripture, the Holy Spirit is often compared to the wind. So we run WITH the wind. And yes, we run in victory.

So what do we run against? Because the "against" part is undeniable! I believe we are running against Satan. And here is a Spiritual fact that may fly in the face of conventional wisdom: the harder and faster you run with the Wind (Holy Spirit), the more resistance you will face from Satan.

So, I will count it joy. Because I must be doing something right...otherwise, I wouldn't be feeling so much "resistance"...

The decaffeinated me - Day 2

Well, I'm still alive! More than that, I'm alive in Christ. Why is it that we are so hesitant to be obedient when in obedience is true joy. Didn't Jesus say something like that? Lemme see, check out John 15:10-11 where Jesus says: "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

Thank you Lord for the chance to be obedient in something small (or "tall", in Starbucks-speak). Help me now to be obedient in the big things (or "venti")!

OK, I gotta give this up...

...caffeine, that is. I got hooked on Starbucks. Great coffee, but man does it wire me. I am naturally a little wired anyhow (one of God's jokes!), but with those beans surging through my blood, look out. God told me loudly and clearly yesterday: STOP IT!

We at Cornerstone are in the middle of trying to place Jesus at the center of our very lives. We want Him to be the center of our salvation, our faith, our hope, our joy, our church. As I plod through our daily devotions over these past weeks, I am being convicted about letting the big and the little things be in the center instead of Jesus. I don't need caffeine to wake up to, I need Him.

So, I quit (again!) Please pray for me. You may also want to stay away from me for a few days! But I am clinging to the promise of God in Psalm 126:5 "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." The pain of no coffee might make me cry a little over the next few days, but ah the joy!

Which is more stressful....

....excellence (and subsequent "success"), or mediocrity? I enjoyed lunch with a good friend and trusted mentor today. It was a last minute "hey, can we meet somewhere and do lunch" kinda thing. I'm glad it worked out. One of the neatest things that came out of the lunch was the common feeling that excellence, and its natural product "success", brings with it greater stress than does mediocrity. Strange, isn't it? I mean you would think that when you strive for excellence and things are going well, you could sit back and relax a little. It seems as though at those times that one should be able to breath easier and rest in the moment of prosperity (in the purest sense of the word.) But NO! It seems that these times are those of greatest stress, pressure, and the feeling of a need to "succeed" or "perform" in even greater ways.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV)

Jesus, take my burden, and give me yours. Then help me to carry it...

Why don't pastors of "real" churches write books?

I think I'm going to write a book. I am tired of reading pastoral leadership books written by pastors who have churches with an average attendance of 60 million. Yes, I know the argument can be made that they know it all, and that is how they average 60 million people a weekend. But it never seems like they live in the real world. Maybe I'm naive, or jealous, or stupid, or worse yet, all of the above. But it MUST be easier to have all the right answers when you have 83 secretaries on staff. It MUST be simpler to find the right kind of leadership when you have a budget equal to that of Canada. It MUST be easier to produce a multi-media message extravaganza when you have producers from all of the major television networks worshiping with you. Am I the only honest one out there? Am I the only one to lament? Am I the only one who wants to read a book by a guy in a church of 150 who has real problems and who is honestly seeking to work through them? Am I the only one looking for real, practical answers to real, practical questions like WE face?

Church as a Team - Part II

So this book is great, right? Chapter 3 talks about how we are all just full-time ministers in disguise. You are a full-time minister disguised as a (insert your claim-to-fame here). Why? Well, who best to reach salespeople for Christ than salespeople? Who better to reach construction workers for Christ than construction workers? Who better to reach lawyers for Christ than fellow lawyers? Who better to reach stay-at-home moms and dads for Christ than stay-at-home moms and dads?

So if we are to reach our world for Jesus, it takes us all. The author (Wayne Cordeiro) maintains, and I agree, that pastors don't ofter reach many people for Christ. And, that isn't our calling. Our calling is to lead a congregation of full-time ministers-in-disguise to reach people for Christ!

Have we lost sight of that? Are we really doing church as a team, or are we paying the pastor to do it for us?

Doing Church as a Team

I am just starting to read that book, and I've got Barna's "The Power of Team Leadership" on the "right after I finish reading this one" list. What is a team? What makes a team truly a team? What are the differences between teams and committees and task forces? How does one choose effective team leadership? I'm open to dialogue on this...any takers?

Now that'll preach!

Acts 17:24-28
24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.'" (NIV)

What are you doing today to "live and move and have your being" in Jesus Christ? Prayer? Are you in the Word? Are you worshiping Him in your daily activities? Are you involved in a group of fellow Christians who help you and keep you on the straight and narrow?

I love you....th!!!

Last night I began our first home group meeting with the 10th-12th grade youth from Cornerstone. We met at my home for a Bible study based on the series I'm preaching entitled called "Jesus, Be the Center". I am once again blown away by the maturity, the honesty, the love of life, and the desire to love and serve God of our youth. They don't read this blog...unless I txt it to them! But if you're reading it, thank Jesus today with me. Thank Him for our youth...for their inspiration and their witness. Might we truly realize His words when He said "unless you humble yourselves and become like little children, you shall never enter the Kingdom of heaven..."

Come to Jesus..

A great song by Chris Rice with these lyrics:

Weak and wounded sinner, lost and left to die,
O raise your head for love is passing by
Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus and live.

Now your burden’s lifted, and carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain
So sing to Jesus, sing to Jesus, sing to Jesus and live.

Like a newborn baby, don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk, sometimes we fall
So fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus and live.

Sometimes the way is lonely, and steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain
Then cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus and live.

Oh and when the love spills over, and music fills the night
And when you can’t contain your joy inside
Then dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus and live.

And with your final heartbeat, kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace and laugh on Glory’s side
And fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus and live.

Fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus and live!

This is to be sung in our worship service this morning as a part of our message kick-off: Jesus, Be the Center. The song will preach...is He the center of your everything?

I'm going up to the mountain to pray...

OK, maybe not literally. But today is another day that I have set aside for prayer and vision. I am getting out of the office and heading to one our beautiful local parks to spend some time with the Lord. I need to hear Him and to walk with Him for a while. Sometimes I get so busy in the urgent stuff that I don't make time for the really important stuff. Cornerstone is a church with a developing vision. We are getting a handle on exactly where God is calling us and how we're supposed to get there. If that is to happen, then I must make sure it is a priority in my leadership. My rules are: no palm pilot (too distracting!) - no cell phone - just a legal pad, a pen, and a Bible. As I sense and hear the Lord speaking, I simply enter into written conversation. Thank you Lord for a beautiful day...for a beautiful creation...and for being One who seeks to speak and to be heard.

Who's the greatest?

Cornerstone's devotions today are taken from Matthew 18:1-5 which you can read HERE. Jesus is faced with a problem typical even today: Who is the greatest? There seems to be an obsession with that in our culture. Who's the greatest football team? (Steelers, of course!) Who is the greatest singer on American Idol? It shouldn't surprise us that this can spill into the life of the church...who's the greatest? Jesus gives an interesting, and challenging, answer. The greatest is the most humble. It is a strange paradox, and yet one which speaks the heart of God. He goes on to challenge us about being hospitable to the "least" of those around us. The disciples were obviously struggling to become great by hanging out with the greatest. But Jesus turns the concept on its head by simply stating that one becomes great by hanging around with the least.

Lord, thanks for challenging me. May I be great in your Kingdom today only by your grace. May I be great by spending my energies and time with the least, the last, and the lost. Forgive my snobbishness, my pride, and my judgmental heart. Free me up and pull me down to greater humility...

Happy Labor-less Day!

How was your Labor Day? What did you do? I had a very relaxing and very fun holiday weekend. Here are the highlights:

• I played through my entire bluegrass repetoire on guitar...
• I played several games of Scrabble with Carla...
• Yesterday, I lifted at the gym, went for a 5 mile hike with Carla and Shadrach, went for a 6 mile bike ride, and a two mile run...
• I went to my favorite music store in the free world: Acoustic Music Works...
• I cooked on the grill several times...
• I just relaxed and had fun!

And now, it is good to be back to start a new week!