Meet Malawi

This was one of my all time favorite Sundays. (And not just because I didn't have to preach).

Today at the Launch, we got to hear from our Meet Malawi team. All but 2 of the 13 team members who went to Malawi were able to be with us. They took turns each sharing significant aspects of the trip. We saw pictures, heard songs, listened to stories, and shared in the vision for what God is doing in us and through us. We celebrated communion using cups, bowls, and baskets that were made in Malawi. And we affirmed together the relationship of mutual encouragement we will be developing with the church in Lisanjala, Malawi. We took up the offering Malawi style (which meant we kept taking it up all service long!) We even imitated Malawian worship by having our longest service ever!

It was impossible to miss the energy, passion, and transformation that the Meet Malawi project is creating in our midst! (It was REALLY visible during the video clip of Tim Jefferson dancing!)

If you missed it and you'd like to hear the stories for yourself, look over on the right column of this blog. Under Sermon MP3's, just click on the link that says Malawi Presentation. After it loads, it will begin to play automatically.

Extra special thanks to the Malawi team for sharing today!

I love books that shake my world...

here's a quote from a book I'm reading right now:

The word missional theologically means "to be sent," so leaving is where living like a missionary really begins. Leaving isn't just about going overseas. It's about replacing personal or Christian activities with time spent building relationships with people in the surrounding culture.

Have you ever considered that, as followers of Christ, we are all called to LEAVE??? (see above)

Like I said, shaking my world. I love it. Let me just say loudly and clearly, as a pastor, if any of you folks who belong in our church community feel like you need to STOP coming to our church activities because you want to spend more time building relationships with those around you (relationships in which you can "incarnate the gospel") then know without a shadow of a doubt that you have my full blessing. I'd even say you are on the right track!!!

Stay tuned for thoughts on HOW we go once we decide to "leave"...

A lamb among wolves

In Luke 10, Jesus says that he is sending us out like lambs among wolves. What do you think it looks like for us to live as a lambs among the wolves? (Or on the other hand, what might it look like for us to live instead as wolves among the wolves?)

Best answer wins a prize.

CS Lewis quote...

This was the quote on the screen Sunday during the sermon.

He works on us in all sorts of ways. But above all, he works on us through each other. Men are mirrors, or carriers of Christ to other men. Ususally it is those who know Him that bring Him to others. That is why the church, the whole body of Christians showing Him to one another, is so important. It is so easy to think that the church has a lot of different objects - education, buildings, missions, holding services … the Church exists for no other purpose but to draw men to Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any
other purpose.  - C.S. Lewis

I have Mere Christianity in my office if you'd like to borrow it.

Somebody just told me that....

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. I had no idea.

Interestingly, it wasn't someone from my church that told me. Hmmm.

This is a great experiment...

My question is...are there any implications from this study about the way we do church?

What do you think?

Good stuff

"We shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God, for, beholding His greatness, we realize our own littleness; His purity shows us our foulness; and by meditating upon His humility we find how very far we are from being humble" ... Teresa of Avila (1515)

This week's sermon...

We had some technical difficulties this week and the sermon recording somehow didn't quite work. So if you are looking for the sermon to prepare for your small group, you'll need to read the manuscript.

Here it is:
Heroes: Week 4 - The movement

Heroes series intro:
I want to again thank our friends over at Granger who gave us the outlines for this series.


So last week, we heard a little teaser report from our team that went to Malawi a few weeks ago. And there was something in there that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. Christy Hurt shared her prayer with us, the prayer that she said over and over leading up to and during that trip. She prayed, “God take care of my family. And God change me.”

That just blows me away. Christy is at the top of her field as a law professor. She’s got a great family. And here she is asking God to change her, to grow her. Christy had this sense that God was beckoning her forward into something more. To become something more. Jesus, change me.

Tell me I’m not the only one for whom that resonates. I would bet that there are a host of us, who have felt that at one time or another. We wanted to turn our feet towards god and step in that direction. Maybe we were on that path for awhile. Felt close to God, close to the call he had for us. God seemed close at hand.

Maybe you remember some of the decisions that got you off the path. Maybe wrong decisions, or maybe simply chasing after the wrong things. Somehow, you got off the path. And instead of screaming down the highway journeying with God, I chose another direction and now I look around and just sort of feel like I missed it.


GPS Devices. Ours is called Maggie (Magellan). It was really helpful when we moved here, until we realized that everything is square here - not the people, the roads, I mean. How many of you ever think you know better than computer lady and go straight instead of turning right? Wives, you can answer for your husbands. We just decide, I’m going my own way. Initially, computer lady...she’s upset. Go back. U-turn. But we refuse, we drive on. I said turn, turn. Then after awhile, we realize computer lady was right. Our first instinct is to just go back to where I missed the turn. I’ll go back to where I made the mistake and from there I’ll get back on the right path. But computer lady knows better. Knows I’m so far from where I missed the turn, that it would be better if I just started where I am. Instead of me going back to where I messed up, computer lady says, “Recalculating route.” Ok here we are. In this together. no going back, better off if we just figure it out from here. Start where you are. This is our reality. Can’t go back. Can only start from right here where I am right now.

I’ve talked to alot of people who have this sense that they missed a bunch of turns in life. People who tell me there was a time when they felt close to God and were excited about following Jesus. But they just missed it. Now, they look around and feel like they are pretty far off the path. And they want it back. They long for that sense of purpose and joy they got from following Christ, but how do you get back on the path. How do we get back to what I had when I was 17?
You can’t go back. You’re old. You’re not there anymore. You are here. We all, every day, have to just start where we are. Can’t pretend all that didn’t happen. You are totally different, different knowledge, skill sets, relationships, wisdom from lots of mistakes. Time to recalculate the route from right where we are today.

That’s the beauty of the whole Jesus story. Whenever we realize we missed our turn and we’ve gotten off track, Jesus is right there waiting for us, saying “I can work with that. Let’s recalculate your route. I’ve got some great things for you to do.”

So, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO ASK GOD TO RECALC MY ROUTE???

Paul in Acts 16 - There is this story about a possessed slave girl. The story tells us that she has an evil spirit that helps her tell the future and her owners were making money off her. didn’t care about her. cared about the money they made off her. And she’s following Paul and Silas screaming out, “these men are servants of the most high God who are telling you the way to be saved.” For days, she did this. followed them screaming that over and over again. And then, this is one of those great understatements in the Bible. It says Paul was in great distress. He can’t stand it any more. She’s driving them crazy. And through the power of Christ, Paul sets her free. The woman goes from being an overwhelming inconvenience to being a divine interruption.

This story brings up so many questions for me. Like, why didn’t they just set her free the first time they saw her? Why did they let this go on for days. Maybe because they were in a hurry. Had a plan. Somewhere to be. Something to do. She wasn’t a part of their chosen route.

Well the story goes on. She is set free. The evil spirit in her is gone so she can’t prophecy anymore. Owners outraged at loss of their income stream. They have P and S thrown in prison. Jail? For setting this girl free? If I’m in Paul and Silas’s shoes, I’m saying that’s it. I’m done. That’s the last time I try to help you out God. When I set off on this journey this was not the destination I had in mind. Paul & Silas could have said, well, wrong turn. Journey over. I’m done. But they don’t

Paul says, Lord I’m here. These are my circumstances. I didn’t plan to be here but here I am. Where do you want me to go from here? Recalc. my route.

In verse, 25 they are sitting in jail & what do they do? Pray and sing and worship. Everyone else listening, well yeah, captive audience. Kind of like church sometimes. Suddenly there is this earthquake, doors open, chains fall off. Guard about to commit suicide if prisoners escape. P&S says stop we’re all still here. He’s amazed. He listens to their story and asks what can I do to be saved. They tell him about Jesus - about how he died so that we can be forgiven and can live life abundantly right now.

Because Paul and Silas repeatedly allow God to recalculate their route, this man and his whole family come to faith.

God take care of my family. Jesus change me.

God is calling us simply to cooperate with him and stand against injustice cruelty poverty brokenness.

Shamma in 2 Samuel.
This was their pattern, cruel, evil, resulted in hunger and poverty. Philistines would come and steal their harvest. this year as every year, they would come and the israelites would flee. except for one. His name was Shamma
He holds his ground. he beat back the phils. he said NO MORE. no more injustice.


David same thing in 1 Samuel. Every day Goliath comes out and mocks the people of God. And David says, NO MORE. Living Bible - "don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of it". 

There comes a point where we say, that’s enough of that. so were gonna do something about it. We’re done with it. You know what I hadn’t planned on this. I’m surprised, but I’m in a community with alot of needs, and its gotta end. So God recalc my route.”

God take care of our family.
Jesus change us.

God wants justice humility mercy kindness. We’re just trying to help with GOD’s agenda. We as a church are committing to do something about the brokenness we see around us. We are committed to setting people free through the power of Christ. We’re going to do something about it. But it’s going to require all of us standing together. Each of us saying, God take care of our family. God change us.

God I wasn’t planning on this, but recalculate my life.


Do you remember Peter? 3 times Peter denies Christ. WAS on course, but makes a big mistake, gets way OFF course. That could have been the end for Peter. God didn’t want peter done. didn’t want him out of the race. jesus comes to Peter and says let’s recalculate your route from right where you are lets go.

Acts 2 - Peter stands up and preaches in the same community where he had not that long ago denied Peter. He preaches about the saving love of Jesus and about being set free by the power of Christ and 3000 people say I want that too.

God take care of my family.
Jesus change me.


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Look at pledge card. help out in these areas, ways to be a hero. plug in, do what I can right where I am. add value, increase our carrying capacity, etc.

Find an area where you’d like to be a hero.
lord heres where I am. I think I can help with this.
I think I can get involved right where I am and start cooperating with you and making a difference. I’m ready, God. Ready to do my part to bring the light of your love, your grace, mercy, compassion to those who don’t realize how much they matter to you.

Now if you look at this pledge card, you’ll notice that all these boxes are things in here. Scott haven’t you been telling us for 2 years that God wants us out there? Yes I have and yes He does.

Let me explain it this way. How many of you have heard of the 80 / 20 rule? Usually it means that 20% of the people do 80% of the work right? Well, we’re gonna take the 80 / 20 rule and mix it up a bit. Because our goal is 100% of us playing our part and being the hero. The 80/20 rule for us, is gonna mean this: We want every single person who is a part of our fellowship joining God in His mission.

And we want you to spend 80% of your energy doing the thing that you were made to do. 80% doing the thing that gives you life and purpose. The thing that makes your heart come alive. But even a hero has to take the garbage. We want you to give 20% of your energy towards doing the things that help us take care of one another. 20% towards the things that help us increase our carrying capacity, our ability to care for and love more people. 80% towards what brings your heart to life.
20% towards what helps the

Here’s the beauty of it. In the Kingdom of God, even the 20% can make an eternal impact. Jane Bernthal comes in here sometimes on Sunday mornings and makes this tables look great. When I’m in charge of it, the tables are lucky to get the cross set up. When she adds her touch, I can just feel the creative spirit of God weaving through here. And somebody comes for the first time and may not even consciously notice the tables, but definitely notices the spiritual feeling the candles help create and Jesus uses that moment to grab hold of that person’s heart. Jane is using her God-given gift of creativity and offering her 20% towards decorating the tables and it matters.

Here’s another side to it. Some people’s 20% will be another person’s 80%. Some of you might sign up for helping in children’s Sunday School and you’re doing it because you just know somebody needs to. That’s great. But some of you, look at these kids on Sunday morning and you just feel the Spirit of God tugging at your heart to pour into those kids. You were made for that. When you watch people like Patty Farthing talk to a 7 year old, you’re seeing Jesus at work. It’s beautiful.

Here’s how I filled mine out.
This may confirm your notions that something’s not quite right in my head, but I like middle school kids. I think they actually like me. I love hanging out with, goofing off with, and talking about Jesus and real life with teenagers. So I checked “youth ministry” and I wrote “Junior High please” on the line. And I’m volunteering on Wednesday nights at junior high youth group and I’m loving it. We’re having a blast.

I want to ask you this morning to find your 80. It may be found taking care of the family. Or it may have nothing to do with Sunday mornings. What’s your 80?
But I also want to ask you to find your 20. Even a hero has to take out the trash sometimes.

God take care of your family.
Jesus change me.

Jesus help us change the world

And for my next trick...

This is the 200th post on my blog.
As such, I'm celebrating by posting an updated suggestion for our sign in the cornfield outside Barkstall.

Thought for the day

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction."