Generations

Recently at the 71st General Assembly of the Church of God, the primary theme was our great heritage.
We celebrated the fact that 120 years ago a few men gathered in the hills of North Carolina and laid the foundation for what would become a worldwide movement. We recognized and celebrated the powerful role that the Azusa Street revival played in empowering this great movement. We took time to honor the great pioneers of the faith who have sacrificed so much along the way to help build the kingdom of heaven. We also acknowledged some of the mistakes made along the way: legalism, racism, emotionalism and spiritual arrogance. We discussed the great need to raise up the next generation of pioneers and along the way I think many of us realized that the grand old COG now finds itself facing a dilemma that many churches are facing today. How do we honor and celebrate the past, yet plan and prepare for the future?
The issue of transition is always a touchy subject, whether it is in the world of sports, the business realm or the church. I witnessed this first hand at the General Assembly as I heard some of the younger crowd complain about the older style music and watched some of the older crowd sneer as a video was shown depicting some of the more unconventional church planting efforts that are taking place around the country. Needless to say neither one of these attitudes were cause for celebration.
These attitudes shouldn’t have been surprising because every generation seems to favor it’s own “stuff.” Each generation thinks they know it all and that their methods are best. There is no doubt that there have always been “generation gaps” so to speak. It is just a little harder to swallow when you see these attitudes in “Believers”.
Personally I find myself at a very interesting point in my life. I am middle aged, at 42. (I’m shooting for 80 then I am going to start slowing down a bit.) I am not over the hill but I am sitting on top of it. (This can be somewhat painful at times.) I have now been married half of my life. I have also been a Christian half of my life and I have been in the ministry half of my Christian life. In my walk with God I have been accused of being a legalistic conservative and a liberal backslider. So, from my middleman vantage point I can see good and bad on each side of the aisle. I admire the faithfulness and fortitude of the older generation whose dedication has brought us to where we are today as a movement. And yet I detest the legalism, denominational pride and haughtiness that at times they have expressed. I am inspired by the enthusiasm and openness of the younger generation and yet I worry about their willingness at times to compromise the basic truths of scripture in the name of relevance.
In the end what really gives me hope is the fact that I believe that the true born again believers of both generations share a deep love for Jesus. I believe that it was this zeal for Jesus that led some earlier generations to fall into vain traditions and legalist bondage. I also believe that many of those whom some would contend are living “too close to the world” are driven by a deep desire to reach their fellow man with the good news of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that I can learn from them both.


Ps 79:13
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. (NIV)

Re-connected!

I'm baaaaaak! I know what some of you are thinking, "I didn't know you ever left." I didn't actually leave I have just been having some "wireless connection" problems. Honestly, I still do not know exactly what I did that caused me to "lose my signal."
But whatever it was, my “error” severed my connection to my wireless source. After numerous attempts to “fix” the problem by means of my own computer genius,(quit laughing) I finally just gave up and started all over. I deleted all the old stuff and started all over. New!
Isn’t life sort of the same way? We commit errors along the way, that over time, have a way of “interrupting” the “signal” of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Try as we may, our own efforts to restore the connection fall short. Thankfully, when we come to our senses and we are willing to admit we can’t fix it ourselves, the grace of God shows up, deletes the old errors and lets us start again. New!
Man it feels good to get re-connected.

WOW!

Recently, in celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary, my wife and I spent seven glorious days exploring the Oregon coast and the Puget Sound area of Washington. Although we have traveled extensively across most of the continental United States we had never been to the Pacific Northwest. All I can say is “WOW!” Everything that I had heard about the beauty of this area was true. It seemed that everywhere we went, the wondrous beauty of God’s creative power surrounded us.
I was also struck by the irony that this part of the country is said to be the most under-churched area of America. How sad it is that such a great number people are witness to the splendor of His creation on a daily basis yet they have never met Him.
I consider myself a blessed man to have had the opportunity to see just a small portion of God’s artistry on this amazing planet that we call home. But I count it an even greater blessing to know the “Artist” personally. As a matter of fact I spoke with him today and all I can say is “WOW!”

Monster Movies

Recently we showed a short video at our church. However, due to a small technical glitch, the audio portion was not exactly in sync with the video feed thereby producing sort of an “old Oriental monster movie” effect. You remember those old movies, the ones where the overdubbing was just a little off. In our case the problem did not spoil the intent or effect of the presentation, but it did cause me to ask myself a question.
Do my words match my actions?
The book of Hebrews tells us that we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” and these witnesses are watching our “presentation.” We are also instructed to “lay aside everything” that might keep our motions from matching our words. The world is watching and they can spot a “glitch” a mile away.
Looking back, I realize just how cheesy and poorly produced those old monster movies really were. They make me laugh.
I don’t want my life to be a “cheesy old movie.”

Soulmates

On this date, twenty years ago, two hearts truly became one......forever.
To be continued...

Blessed!

There is an old song that tells us that we should “count our many blessings”, but were I to have attempted that yesterday I would have needed a calculator. Along with a calculator, an industrial sized box of Kleenex would have also come in very handy. You see yesterday was Pastor Appreciation Day at our church and my family and I were truly blessed by our congregation. Let me give you a brief recap of my Sunday.
My day began with rare opportunity to sleep in a little later than usual. Once I arrived at church all I had to do was sit back and be blessed. The praise team rocked, I cried. Pastor Skip preached a great sermon, I cried. Then they showed a video filled with our people telling me how much they appreciated me. I laughed and cried. The children gave me handmade cards, I cried. The teens gave me more cards, I cried some more. Pastor Skip’s wife, Alison presented gifts to my daughters, Katie and Hannah, they cried. Next, Allison presented flowers and a lovely gift to my wife, Kim. Allison cried, the girls cried, Kim cried, and guess what, I cried again.
At the end of the service I was given a brand new guitar, a generous offering and a lot of hugs. I…uh …. (see above emotions). After a great lunch with friends complete with watching my beloved San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks I headed home with my lovely wife and my awesome daughters. I am truly a blessed man. Thanks guys.
Oh yeah, I finally quit crying.

Rights or Wrongs?

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is marching or protesting in hopes of receiving some sort of right that they supposedly deserve.
Let me say right up front that I am so thankful that we live in a country where we are free to voice our opinion in public without fear of retribution and we have the opportunity to work to make our county an even better place to live. It just seems to me that some are calling for rights they already have.
First we have the illegal immigrants marching for the right to become American citizens and calling on Congress to pass new immigration laws. Correct me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that we already have an immigration process in place whereby a person can become an American citizen and I am pretty sure that breaking the law to get here is not the first step in the process. I don’t think we are having this discussion because of a lack of laws but, rather, a lack of Iaw enforcement. I think most people understand the desire of these immigrants to find a better life in this country and I for one hope we can find a way to simplify and expedite the process of becoming a legal citizen. After all we are all descendants of immigrants. I think what bothers most Americans are those who demand a right that they have not earned. Don’t demand a right to become a citizen simply ask for an opportunity. As a Christian, I, of all people should understand the concepts of mercy and grace, but I also understand these are not things I can demand.
Next, we have some radical homosexual groups pushing for “Gay Rights.” Hey, if anyone wants be “happy” in their private lives that is their business, just don’t try to pass a law to force me to say it is ok or teach my kid in school that having unnatural sexual relations is an “alternative.”
Then there is the Hollyweird crowd crying out for the right to film themselves cussing and getting naked. Wait, they already have that right, but now they want the right to transmit their so-called “art” into our homes so our kids can think it is normal to cuss and get naked. I thought that was what HBO was for, so that “adults” have a place where they can pay good money to be cursed at and mooned. Didn’t I read somewhere that when we grow up we should “put away childish things?"
If the “artists” of our day are not talented enough to “express themselves” without using dirty words and flashing I really wonder if they are “artists” at all. If saying four letter words and going around half- naked is the mark of a celebrity then we have we got some “superstars” walking around the malls of America.
I could go on but I think the best thing I can do right now is exercise my “right” to pray. Oh wait, is that the ACLU at the door?

“Man” of God

Last week I was called on to handle an impromptu question and answer session before a very distinguished and important audience. Even though I had received no advance notice I considered the opportunity a great honor and I relished the challenge. The setting was perfect and although the venue was rather dark, the glimmering lights above gave the whole evening sort of a surreal feeling.
The questions were tough and they came in rapid succession. The topics were varied and wide-ranging. We discussed the creation of the universe, the fall of mankind, the infiniteness of eternity, God’s amazing plan to rescue a lost and dying world by sending his son Jesus to die in our place. We talked about God’s love for us, His plan for our lives and the imminence of his return. We talked about heaven and what we will do when we meet there one day.
At times I wondered if I was in over my head as my mind searched for the right words. I struggled to keep my composure as the weight of my task and the importance of the evening became clear. I knew that there might never be another night like this, a night so perfect, a night when I would have the undivided attention of such an important audience.
My heart raced as I felt the presence of Holy Spirit leading and directing my answers as only He can. I knew I was getting through. Lives were being changed! It was an amazing evening, a minister’s dream, a night I will never forget.
That night in my backyard, under the bright lights of heaven, looking into the big brown eyes of my youngest daughter, Hannah, for a few fleeting moments I experienced what it feels like to be a real “man” of God.

Resurrection Monday?

Like many pastors I spent the last couple of weeks focusing on plans and preparations for Easter Sunday morning. My goal was to proclaim the glorious truth that “Jesus is alive!” The focus of the entire day was to be “Resurrection!” My task was to lead people through the Garden of Gethsemane, to give them a seat at a mock trial, to walk them down the lonely Via de la Rosa, to help them feel the weight of the cross as they climbed Golgotha’s slope, to share the gloom of history’s darkest Saturday and the joy of eternity’s most glorious Sunday morning. I longed to help each man; woman, boy and girl discover the power of the empty tomb for themselves.
Did I succeed in getting the message across? Truthfully, only God really knows, but, judging from the smiles and comments that I heard after the service I think that everyone was in agreement that “Jesus is alive!” As a matter of fact, I have found that the majority of people in America don’t have a problem with Jesus rising from the tomb on Easter Sunday morning, it is allowing him rise in our hearts on Monday morning that is the real test of our faith.

"Important" Things?

I am sorry that I haven’t written anything in the last couple of weeks but I have been somewhat preoccupied with “life stuff.”
You know the things I am talking about: my awesome God, my wonderful wife, my precious daughters, my true friends. These things seem to take up so much of my time that I don’t have very much time left over for the really “important” things like blogging and watching sports on TV.
Oh well, a man “has got to do” what a man “has got to do”.

Proud Dad

Atlanta- March 1,2006 - The National Society of High School Students(NSHSS) today announced that Christian Academy of America student Katie Franklin has been selected for membership. The Society recognizes top scholars in the nation and invites only those who have acheived superior academic excellence. The announcement was made by NSHSS Founder and Chairman Claes Nobel, Senior member of the Nobel Prize family.
Katie was also selected to be part of the 2006 class of Who's Who Among American High School Students. This is her second consecutive year to recieve this honor.
She also has a cool hat!
Oh yeah, did I happen to mention that's my daughter! Way to go girl. You are awesome! I quess you just take after your old Dad.
(at least when it come to hats, that is)

God's Team?

This weekend the church that I pastor had a golf tournament.
We had a great turnout and I think I can say with confidence that everyone who participated had a great time. It was a great way for our men to get to know each other a little better and to make new friends. Despite the fact that I was royally duped into teeing off with an exploding golf ball by a large number of co-conspirators that I formally called “friends,” I was truly blessed by the whole experience. The fact that my team won the tournament also helped to ease the pain of my humiliation. (Guys, I told you that God has a way of evening things out)
Now I will be the first one to tell you that I am not a very good golfer. In fact the thought has crossed my mind that God might have actually created the game of golf for the specific reason of keeping me humble. If that is true, His plan has worked superbly. Having said that you may wonder how I ended up on the winning team. It is simple, I was a winner because I was part of a winning “team.” You see we had four man teams and the format of the tournament was “best ball." That means that on each hole every man would hit a shot and then we as team would choose the best shot and then we would all play from there. So, if just one of us could hit a good shot it would save the whole team. Time and time again someone on our team would come through in the clutch.
We really didn’t have a “great golfer” on our team, just four average guys pulling together and doing their best. When we needed a good drive some one would deliver. When we need to sink a long putt someone would step up. When someone would hit a good shot we all rejoiced. When someone flubbed one we consoled them. It didn’t matter who got the glory, it was all about the team.
On a beautiful Saturday morning four ordinary guys with different skill levels from varying backgrounds laid aside all their differences, egos and personality quirks and for a few hours became a team and they got the victory.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all Christians could do the same thing on Sunday morning.

My “Basketball Season”

Our lives are made up of seasons. Just like the weather seasons, each season of our lives has its pros and cons. Winters snow is beautiful but it can also be treacherous. Springs promise of new life also brings the dreaded allergy alerts. Summer offers beaches and vacations but also promises blistering heat (fellow Texans know that I mean). Autumn colors are a spectacle but nevertheless a prelude to death. So are the seasons of our lives, each containing promise and problems, perks and pitfalls.
This past Sunday afternoon I experienced some of the perks and the perils of my current season of life on the concrete slab of a local park playing my beloved game of B-Ball with a great group of (younger!) men from my church.
First let me clarify that I still consider myself a “young man” at 41 years of age. My sweet wife assures me that I am actually getting better with age. (God forgive her for lying because I think she actually believes this fabrication.) Yet even with all of her encouraging words I cannot help but wonder if I am in the twilight of my “Basketball career.” I know, I know many of you did not even know I had a “career” but let me assure you that all of us men do. They exist in the arenas of our minds where we are always victorious and always the hero.
In previous seasons of my life, sports, especially basketball, has often been a source of welcome relief from the mundane requirements for daily survival on this planet. For a few fleeting moments I could leave the playing field we call the real world and step into a different realm where “on any given Sunday” it was a very real possibility that I just might make that great pass or hit that perfect fall away jumper to clinch a victory for my team. Is there any greater feeling? My wife doesn’t understand the lure of such things but most men know what I am talking about. And so, with visions of past heroics floating through my mind I was lured away from the comfortable confines of my usual Sunday evening nap.
I hit the court with same enthusiasm and desire to win that I have always possessed but right there is where any similarity to my former glory days ended. The “problem” at this stage of my life is that although my mind still knows what to do my body has decided to rebel and just say no! Luckily, one of the “perks” of this season in my life is that when my body refuses to do what it is told and therefore leads me into a situation where I am unceremoniously drilled into the concrete, the opposing drillers are quick to rush to my aid and they are genuinely concerned if I will ever rise again. Thanks guys.
Every season has it’s own special charm. Life would get boring if things never changed. I think the key is just being able to find the good in each season that rolls around. Sadly it seems that my “Basketball season” may be coming to an end.
Oh well there is always “next season!”

Baseball season is just around the corner. I can't wait. Go Yankees! 

My "List"

I love it when a plan comes together. I feel a little sense of pride when my day or my week go according to the plan that I have conceived.
Now I am not one of those people who have their every waking minute scheduled on their day planner or Blackberry but I do begin each day with a mental checklist of things I hope to accomplish. To some, my “list” may seem to be filled with mundane and frivolous tasks and events, but it is my “list” and “my world” depends on it. Therefore, when my“ list” is interrupted it is a serious event indeed.
Nevertheless, interruptions are bound to happen when you live on a spinning ball with a billion or so other people who also have their “ list.” Now granted, some interruptions are just “life happening to us.” But quite often it seems that rude and inconsiderate people greatly contribute to my frustrations. I have found that these types of interruptions must be endured with a simple rolling of my eyes and a deep inner assurance that had they known who I am and how important my “list” is these people would have surely re – arranged their “list” so as not to interfere with my “list.” So I take the high road and forgive them.
Oh yeah, there is one small problem with my “list” for the day. It doesn’t always match God’s “list” for my day and when I periodically consult Gods “list” I very often find the names of those rude and considerate people.

Reality Check

There are two kinds of reality. There is actual reality and then there is television reality. I am a true fan of actual reality and try to spend as much time as possible there. It is the TV version of reality that worries me. Please bear with me as I explain.
It seems that there are many out there in TV land “Who Want To Be A Millionaire.” They have tired of “The Simple Life” and have opted instead to get in “The Amazing Race” to see who can capture the great “American Idol” of fame and riches. In spite of what their “Nanny” told them about “The Worlds Most Dangerous Catch” these people seem to have gotten “Lost” on “Temptation Island.” No “Dirty Job” is too degrading for these people as they seek to fulfill their dream of “Dancing With The Stars” in their “Cribs” on “Laguna Beach.” “The Contenders” throw the “Fear Factor” out the window of their “Pimped” rides as they head off to see “Dr 90210” to get their “Extreme Makeover” with hopes of looking like “America's Next Top Model” when all the world really wants to know is “Can They Sing."
Now I may just be an “Average Joe” that needs to be “Overhauled” but I am afraid many of these “Survivors” will one day suffer a “Blowout” and find themselves in “The Real World” when they realize they have been “Punked."
After spending a few of my precious evenings watching them I feel like “The Biggest Loser.” Where is Dr. Phil when you need him?

Take a "Mulligan"

Life can be rather tricky at times. On our best day we still “see through a glass, darkly.”
If you are like me you often find yourself in need of a second chance. You see, just like the Apostle Paul, I have a desire to do the right thing but so often I find myself missing the mark. It is in these times that I am so thankful that through the grace of God I can get a “do over” or a “Mulligan.”
This is not something that I take lightly. Because I realize that a holy and just God cannot simply overlook or ignore my “bad shots.” Sins carry a price tag and someone has to pay.
Thank you Jesus for taking so many “strokes” off my score!

From Joy to Sorrow

I, like so many others awoke this morning to the tragic news concerning the miners in West Virginia. Just last night I had wept tears of joy as I listened to the voice of "Geraldo" describe the joyous scene at the Sago Baptist Church as the families and friends of the trapped miners celebrated the apparent miraculous survival of their loved ones. I can only imagine the devestation they felt when they received the sad truth.
It was just a few years ago that we all sat glued to our televisions watching another story of trapped miners in Pennsylvania. That story ended with the miraculous survival of the miners.
In both instances people came tegether, prayed, and asked God for a miracle. In both instances I prayed and asked God for a miracle. The first time we walked away rejoicing, this time we walk away weeping. The question we always ask in these times is why. I am a pastor. I am supposed to know the answer. I don't.
There are some things that I do know though.
God is good. He can be trusted even when we do not understand it all. This life is short at best so we must "live" while we have life. When you know Jesus even death is a victory!

It is official I am now a blogger! More to come.