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Archives For October 2009

You Contribute Nothing to the Plan of God

October 27, 2009 — 2 Comments

We contribute nothing to the plan of God.  Shocking, huh? I thought so too, when I first heard this statement.  Hang in there with me and let me explain.  We’re talking about contributing to God’s plan.  Of course we contribute to the work of our ministry teams, senior pastors, bosses, family, etc…  I’m asking if you really think you contribute to the plan of God.

First, let’s look at the definition for the word Contribute.

Contribute: To give something in order to help achieve or provide something.

Now, let’s look at the definition for the word Participate.

Participate: To take part or share in.

Interesting, huh?  Can you see where you really don’t CONTRIBUTE anything to the plan of God?   However, he desires us to PARTICIPATE fully.  Revelations 13:8 tells us that God established His plan before the foundations of the world.  There is nothing to contribute or add to His plan.  We instead participate in His plan.  When you believe that you contribute to God’s plan, you put yourself in some dangerous situations.

The Dangers of thinking you CONTRIBUTE:

1. We expect others to work for our contribution.

When we think that our actions contribute so much, we expect others to immediately  line up with what we are doing.  While we each bring our individual gifts to each plan, we need to understand that we are all participating in the same plan.  We have to allow others to participate alongside us.  Your way is not always the only way, and when we work with others through a perspective of participation in God’s plan we will value everyone’s participation.

2. We have a tendency use and abuse others.

When we think we are contributing to God’s plan, we begin to see others as pawns and tools for us to use for our contribution.  When we see every person as participating, we respect the thoughts and actions of others.

3.  We think God is waiting on our next move.

This is a dangerous place to be.  Many would never verbalize, “I have to hurry because God is waiting on ME to take action.”  However, we act as if God is depending on our next move.  Here’s some needed truth: God does NOT wait with baited breath for your next contribution.  He will move whether you do something or not.  Of course, he desires for you to participate and to use wisdom to know His next move and what He wants you to do.  But, he doesn’t sit in heaven “hoping” you do what he “needs” you to do.  Check out what Mordecai tells Esther in the Bible.  Esther is confronted with needing to save Israel.  Mordecai gives her some great advice.

Esther 4:14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

I do not want it to come from another place.  But I need to realize that it will if I don’t do what God tells me to.  Instead of wasting time thinking I contribute something to what God is already doing in the world, I should operate with an intense level of gratitude that the creator of the universe lets me participate fully in His plan for the world.

How does participating differ from contributing? Do you think you’re contributing? Do you think God could carry on perfectly fine without you?

Do you look at others as participating alongside you?

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To Know and Follow Hard After You

October 21, 2009 — 1 Comment

I had the opportunity, privilege, and pleasure to baptize my oldest son this weekend.  I’ve been asked many times, “As a Children’s Pastor, I bet you’re really excited to do this, huh?”  My answer is usually nice and cordial, but to be honest my excitement over my son’s eternal salvation has nothing to do with being a Children’s Pastor and everything to do with being his father.

From the time my son was in vitro, from those early morning hours of feedings, to the first steps, to the first bites of carrots, first soccer games, first words, first days of school and so forth and so forth; my prayer for him has been the very same.  I have prayed the words of a song that was popular around his birth.  They are the words to that song “One Pure and Holy Passion.”

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

It has been my prayer that when Ryan seeks after God he would find Him there waiting.  It has been my prayer that when confronted with his own inadequacies and faults, it would be the reaction of his heart to reach towards Christ.  It has been my prayer that when he admits his sin, believes in Christ, and confesses it with his mouth; that his next move would be to follow hard after Christ.

I often tell parents that most kids aren’t really in a good place to understand this until they are around 8 or 9 or even 10 or 11.  There is no hard, firm age for these things; but there are some things we can look for in our children to know if they are ready.  I encourage parents to not rush their children into a decision, and instead work to demonstrate living, active faith before their children.  I also encourage them to quickly reward the curiosity of their children with answers to life’s questions and questions about God, faith, and morality.

But my son has proven to be an exception.  Ryan is the most thoughtful, deep, profound, inquisitive, and reflective 7 year old I’ve ever been around.  I know, I know… it’s my son and I’m biased.  But I’m telling you, there are not 7 year olds like my son.  He’s just in a different place emotionally than most 7 year olds.  He’s different.

When he began to ask questions about faith, it wasn’t from a “What do I have to do to be like others?” or “I want to be baptized, what now?” perspective.  It was more from a “Why would someone pray to Jesus?” and “I’m thinking this sin in my life might be a problem, Dad.”  His mother and I diligently answered his questions, but never put the question back on him.  We would answer and leave it til another day.  Eventually the questions became more and more frequent.  One night after an exhaustive journey through Romans, he was really struggling with a decision.  I told him to just think about what he knew, and I would be here if he needed any help.

After a half hour of thinking about it, he approached me and his mother to ask, “I need to tell God my mistakes, and tell him I believe.  I believe all these things about Jesus and I need to tell him.”  I told him to go ahead and pray, and without putting words in his mouth he prayed for God to forgive him of his sins, and told Jesus that he believed in Him.  He did it all on his own.  He was taking the first steps towards following hard after Christ, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

You can see more of what we did after Ryan’s Baptism to celebrate his decision, and the impact of so many other people in his life on my wife’s blog at http://www.lostinlaundry.com/2009/10/were-widening-circle.html.

She summed it up perfectly:

My prayer is that as my kids grow, these people will be around to give them the same messages I’m giving, but in a different voice and from a different perspective.

Thank you Lord that in the short time we’ve lived in Lubbock, you’ve made us a part of a spiritual family. Thank you for these people who love and influence our kids toward loving You. Bless them Lord, and keep providing opportunities for authentic relationship.

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Why I Sponsor a Child with Compassion International

October 19, 2009 — 2 Comments

For my wife’s birthday this March, we sponsored a child through Compassion International.  Manuu lives in India, and is very close in age to my oldest son.  We know that he lives in a very rural area of India, and his mother is unemployed and his father is sometimes employed as a farmer.   We have worked hard to make Manuu a part of our family by teaching our kids about where he lives, and what his life may be like.  (See the India Family Night…)

I don’t know if I’ll ever meet with Manuu.  I know he can’t actually read the letters we write to him, but I know that by making my monthly support to Compassion International I am helping in some small way.

When I watched this video from the Catalyst Conference, I started thinking that my help might not be so small after all.  Maybe it can make a difference.  Jimmy Wambua from Kenya met Mark, his Compassion Sponsor of 19 years, for the 1st time on stage. It was an unbelievable moment (Jimmy begins to share at minute 3:45).  Take the time to see the impact that Mark had on this young man from Kenya.

Take the time to visit Compassion.com and see what you can do to support a child.

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Child Dedication Service and Follow-up

October 15, 2009 — 2 Comments

childdedicationfinal

The ceremony/event/service(whatever you want to call it) where parents are recognized and children are “officially” dedicated isn’t much different than years past.  We have a slide show that shows a picture of each child, with birth date, scripture verse (selected by their parents), and a meaning for the child’s name.  We asked parents to email us this information in the two days immediately following the dedication class.  We will help parents with the verse and name meaning if they don’t have anything specifically picked out.  This is always fun, and where we get most of our oohs and ahhs during the Dedication ceremony. :)

These slides are displayed on the main screens as I read their names and they approach the stage with their child and any additional family that wants to be on stage.  With families on stage I give a 60-second recap of what the parents have done by attending the class, and making this great commitment to spiritually lead their children.  I also exhort the congregation to support these families with their prayers, words, finances, and service. I remind the families that their children are receiving a small Bible as a gift, and it is their responsibility as parents to help the truths of this Bible to come to life in front of their children.  I will then ask that our Senior Pastor come up and with the support of the congregation pray over these parents and their children.

Each family is given a gift bag that includes the book Revolutionary Parenting by George Barna (this is usually my recommended book for those with small children looking to start good family habits,) a small decorative gender-specific children’s bible, and of course a teddy bear.  Why a teddy bear?  I don’t know, except its what has always been done. :)  Somethings just don’t need changing, right?

I have sent out a follow-up survey to parents that went through the steps to dedicate their children, and I hope to be compiling their thoughts for future adaptations.

What would I like to see changed?

I would like to do more things at the actual dedication ceremony to bring more light on our parents and the commitment they are taking to spiritually lead their families.  Things beyond my control will have to change, but stranger things have happened.

I would like to do something more celebratory for our families.  I know of some churches that hold special celebration services for people to invite friends and families to.  This is a cool idea, and something we will be working towards.  If you do this, please share your ideas!

I would like to create a more personal gift for the families that have gone through the Dedication process.  I’ve loved the things that Ned Gable did at his church with their Dedication book.  (A+ Nedgible!)

I’m still thinking through how to connect this dedication process with the other family moments I identified.  How can I tie in Child Dedication with Baptism and Salvation moments?  How can I help parents stay open to parental encouragement and learning?

I looking into offering the class on two different dates to keep the number lower, and create a more intimate classroom setting.  More is not always better.  I also think that offering an identical class on a different week night, might open a door for families that couldn’t attend the Wednesday night class option.

I would like to offer this same 80-minute talk over a few 5 weeks.  I think it might make a great parenting seminar type thing.  I’m not sure there will be interest, but I’m going to just keep the idea on the shelf in case it happens later.  I am teaching the class for our school’s parenting night, so that’s a bonus!

Overall I think that for our first go-round with Child Dedication changes it went well.  There are some reading this that think everything I’ve done is super lame; but we had to start somewhere.  We went from a do nothing to doing something pretty well.  There is tons of room for improvement, but with this small victory under our belt I will working to evolve this event into even greater things for our parents and children at Trinity.

So here are my questions.  What do you do at your church?  Where are the holes in my plan?  What would you suggest to add more meaning and takeaway for parents?  Is there something I did that you like?  Do Share!

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My U2 360 Concert Experience

October 14, 2009 — 2 Comments

About five years ago I was reintroducing myself to the music of U2.  I knew there was some more meaning behind the music than I was getting, and needed the U2 101 class to really appreciate them more.  I knew of a guy running a blog at www.bagofnothing.com who was a MAJOR U2 fan, so I emailed him asking for some song recommendations from U2.  In about a weeks time I instead received a package in the mail full of U2 music, with a song list and reasons why each song meant something to him (and everyone else as well.)  It was a powerful way to learn new music, and it began a love affair with the music of U2.  Keith and I have become good friends since our first online conversations, and while I don’t live in the same town as him, work the same type of job, or have much in common besides being the same age; I’d consider him a good friend.  He would be welcome at my house anytime.

Now fast forward to Sunday afternoon when I get a phone call from him asking if I’d like to attend the U2 concert with him on Monday night.  His wife was under the weather and unable to attend. :(

Did I ask where the seats were?  NO!  Did I ask if he was serious?  YES!  I confirmed that I could leave town for a few days, and then made my plans to race to Dallas for the concert.  I met Keith at his house, where he also let me sleep after the concert and drink one of his Cokes (such a nice guy, huh?)  We hung out with his wife for an hour or so, then headed to the show.

We got there early enough for us to get the full Cowboys Stadium experience and to grab our seats.  Our seats.  Oh boy, our seats!  They weren’t actually seats.  Keith had gotten RedZone tickets, which enabled us to stand right next to the catwalk and stage area.  I freaking stood 5 feet away from Bono and the Edge at a U2 concert!  I watched the Edge play the guitar lick from “Where the Streets Have No Name” from 5  feet away!  This stage was ginormous, and was a technological marvel.  I can’t begin to describe this stage, so I won’t.

Thanks to Keith for making a dream I didn’t know I had come true.  This easily makes one of my top 10 lifetime experiences, and I owe it to a buddy who thought to call me when his wife wasn’t able to make it to the show.

And yes.  I’m posting the pictures and really lame videos to rub it in.  I am not above that.  Sorry.

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