What Church Should Look Like: A Community on the Go

            At Shiloh, I have been noticing a positive trend that gives me great joy.

            Recently, a woman told us she wanted to be a part of our church. I would like to tell you, it was because of my marvelous preaching. That was not case.

            A few years ago, this lady was living in an apartment complex and the power went off. It was at night, so darkness enveloped her living quarters. She heard a knock on the door. Lisa Beasley, one of our Shiloh members was there, with some candles in her hand.

            “Here,” she said. “I thought you might be able to use these.” With those words, Lisa entered in and served.

            At that time, the woman was a single mother with two teenage children. In a stressful time, Lisa physically and spiritually brought light into her home.

            Jason Smith was at work a while back. He became acquainted with a young man experiencing challenges in his life—as we all do.

            Jason shared Jesus with the young man; he shared with the young man, from his Bible, about how to respond to Jesus. And the young man did! That relationship is growing, and now others in our church are getting to know this new Christian and sharing God’s word with him.

            I can’t help but think this is the way it should be.

            I love our church building. People from all over the Tyler area are using our building every day. Many are not part of Shiloh. Some are not Christians. I hope people continue to use our building. However, even if everybody in the area wanted to use our building, we could not bring them through fast enough to match the growth of Tyler’s population.

            So, we, at Shiloh, go out.

            The last thing Jesus told His disciples was—go.

            We remember that we are ALL missionaries.

            There is a sign, Shiloh family members pass under, on the way out the door. It says, “You are now entering the mission field.” And we are.

            Sundays are great. I love being with our community of faith and, together, entering into the presence of God. Nevertheless, like Jesus told three of his disciples, we have to leave the spiritual mountaintop and go into valley where the people are.

            Sometimes, they are in difficult places. God is not present where they are, so we take God there. We take with us beauty, and light, and wholeness to face up against the ugliness, and darkness, and fragmentation the Evil One has brought into their lives.

            We minister to them. We serve them. We look for opportunities to put in a good word for Jesus—the epitome of all that is good.

            On Sundays, I believe having five hundred people leaving Shiloh in this way—Tyler will be a better place. And God’s Kingdom will expand.

Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. I would like to see how many had Connecticut, Butler, VCU and Kentucky for their Final Four Brackets. This is why I have never filled out an NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket. I will stand behind what I wrote last week, “I have a feeling we are going to hear the name of Brad Stevens (Butler’s coach) this time every year when major schools are looking to hire a new coach.” All of this notwithstanding, I am predicting Connecticut to win the National Championship next Monday night.

2. I hope Baylor wins the girls’ National Championship. Look out for Connecticut in the girls’ bracket as well.

3. TIME had a fascinating section in their issue last week. It’s called TEN IDEAS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD. One article was titled “Fix the Deficit? We can Do That?” As you might imagine, that caught my attention. Here’s a link: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2059521_2059686_2059682,00.html

4. I just finished my series on Revelation. Never have I been so concerned about a series and it turn out so well. I’m glad I preached Revelation.

5. I have become a fan of Timothy Keller. He is a preacher who lives in New York City. He has written several thought-provoking books. His latest is on the gospel of Mark entitled KING’S CROSS.

Heavenly CPS

            I want you to imagine a nightmare scenario. Imagine Judy and me adding a baby to our repertoire of four kids! (If you don’t know me, I’m fifty, Judy is … well, Judy is my wife, and we have four kids ranging in age from 8-17.)

            Now, picture Judy and me placing the bulk of our attention on our oldest daughter, who is a high school senior. We dialogue with her constantly, listen to her every whim or complaint. We do all we can to make sure she is happy and doesn’t rebel and leave our family.

            Meanwhile, after the initial excitement over the birth of our baby, we pay less and less attention to it. Even though some attention to our oldest daughter is important (helping her in her transition to college, for example), logically, we should understand she has entered a state of maturity that demands less concentration. Instead, one would think it essential to demonstrate more care and concern for the baby than our oldest—or even our other three children.

            All humor aside, I want you to picture in your mind something truly awful. Let’s say Judy and I neglect our baby so much, the child becomes malnourished or even terribly ill. Unfortunately, since we are so occupied with the desires and concerns of our oldest, we neglect our baby.

            Granted, it is easier to minister to our oldest child in a lot of ways. One would be communication. Our daughter can tell us how she is thinking and feeling. Indeed, she has the confidence to seek us out.

            Babies, as you know, can’t communicate well. Sometimes something can be wrong with them, and the parents have a difficult time diagnosing the problem.

            To society, however, there are no excuses. If Judy and I neglect our baby and the symptoms began to show, CPS will come calling.

            Here is my point—inspired by months of study in the book of REVELATION. Too often in churches, we preachers (and I definitely am including myself), elders, staff, ministry leaders, and members, place the bulk of our attention on the “older children” of the church. I don’t mean senior citizens; I mean those who have been in Christ for a number of years.

            We focus our sermons on the mature Christians. We plan our worship according to what mature Christians are thinking. We listen to mature Christians, who seek us out to give opinions and feedback. We organize our congregational families around the needs, and wants of mature Christians. Meanwhile, too many of us are not paying enough attention to the spiritual babies.

            I am glad there is no Heavenly CPS. Can you imagine? Heavenly case workers taking neglected spiritual babies from one spiritual home and placing them in another—offering someone else a chance to give them the nurturing and care they need. 

            Or, maybe there is. Maybe that is where all the spiritual babies have gone.

            Maybe that is why so many of our churches are spiritually infertile.

            Excuse me, I haven’t heard anything from my spiritual baby in a while; I need to go check and see if everything is okay.

Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. I am ashamed to say I have still not gone out and purchased the new Rob Bell book. I’ve got to do that this week--and read it.

2. Saturday was the day I sprayed the house and yard for bugs—always an ordeal. But I did get to catch the end of the Pittsburgh-Butler game to see who advances to the Sweet 16. What a finish! I’ve never seen a guy foul underneath his own goal, after a free throw, with virtually not time left. I have a feeling we are going to hear the name of Brad Stevens this time every year when major schools are looking to hire a new coach. Butler has 4200 students. Amazing.

3. With Netflix’s growing instant play library, I’m starting to wonder why I keep so many DVDs around. 

4. I finally got around to reading last month's TIME Magazine’s cover story on the young generation of leaders seeking freedom in the Middle East. Maybe this is a time to be truly optimistic about the future there.

5. Congratulations to Diann Preston’s ETCA girls basketball team for yet another honor. My daughter, Haleigh, joined Samantha Phillips in making First Team on the TAPPS All-State Basketball Team. Jenny Munoz was selected to the Second Team. Hayley Robertson was named as an Honorable Mention. Samantha, Jenny, and Hayley Robertson are all juniors and will return next year. If I may indulge in a little parental pride, I have been grateful to see Haleigh named to First Team All-State in both volleyball and basketball this year.

Memories of a Great Trip

Last week, my daughter, Abby, and I spent the week touring Washington D. C. and the surrounding areas. We did so with her eighth grade class. As I told my congregation yesterday morning, sure signs of mid-life crisis are shaving your head, growing a goatee, and chaperoning a class of eighth graders on an eight-day trip. Actually, the students were marvelous.

There were various things on our excursion that moved me; one was seeing the Capitol for the first time in 38 years. I thought of all the great presidents, who made a trip to the House and spoke to Congress.

I thought of 1917, when Woodrow Wilson came to declare America's entrance into the Great World War; Franklin Delano Roosevelt, arriving on December 8, 1941 and asking Congress to declare war upon Japan; the afternoon in April, 1961, when John F. Kennedy announced to a joint session of congress that we would go to the moon; and so many more.

An event that impacted me also was seeing George Washington's bed, in his and Martha’s bedroom, and being told that it was there that he died in 1799. It was easy to be transported back, in my mind's eye, to that time over 200 years ago. Standing only a few feet away from that bed, I could see the sick hero; I could imagine him taking his last breath. It felt like I was there when the great man’s spirit left this world.

At Monticello, I was struck by the genius of Jefferson. The man truly possessed restless intellect. That intellect blessed a nation and a world.
Because my dad fought in the Korean War, I was touched by the Korean War Memorial. We were there at night, so it was not easy to see. Yet, looking closely in the darkness at the sculpture of the soldiers marching in formation during that war, I was able to connect with my father.

We watched the House of Representatives in session as they voted on three or four amendments. It was fascinating to see people, who I have been watching on television for a number of years.

Our congressman, Louis Gohmert, took us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Capitol Building after hours. For me, the emotional sight in the Capitol was, believe it or not, the spot, where the bodies of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan lay in repose, while thousands of mourners filed by. Again, I could easily imagine those crowds passing by the flag draped coffins.

Washington at night is brilliant. At the Lincoln Memorial, I could have sat for hours at Lincoln's feet, while the spotlight shined brightly upon his image; meanwhile, in the distance, the Washington Monument and the U. S. Capitol were glimmered under the lights. I felt such tranquility.

It has been almost 38 years since my last trip to Washington, D. C. I hope it is not 38 more years before I travel again.

Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. Caught the final U. S. Hockey team goal and their overtime battle with the Canadians. Like most people, I was too proud of our team to be disappointed.

2. I’ve started reading the book SWITCH: HOW TO CHANGE THINGS WHEN CHANGE IS HARD on my iPhone. It is by Chip and Dan Heath. This ultimately may be one of those momentous books you are fortunate enough to come across occasionally. I am biased, because the authors’ have given words to lessons I have intuitively learned. Still, this is an amazing read so far.

3. I am grateful to have a new MacBook Pro laptop computer at my office, along with a 23 inch LG monitor purchased from Overstock.com for a $150. These should keep me functioning well the next few years. I feel like a kid does with a new toy: I can’t wait to arrive at work and play with it—I mean learn how it operates.

4. TIME had a fascinating article on Secretary of Defense Robert Gates a couple of weeks ago. My favorite line was this one from Gates himself: “I always used to tell people that Texas A&M football caused me more stress than any job I've ever had. And they always thought I was exaggerating." He was not.

5. If you are interested in my photos of Washington, check out my Facebook page.


Have a great week!