This has been a pretty tough year for those of us growing a little older…and refusing to admit it. The eighties were our decade. I remember the emotional blow I felt the first time I heard a radio station talk about the “oldies” and then saying, “We’ll be playing 80 minutes of the 80’s.” Wow…oldies? Yet the reality of life is setting in that time does pass forward. It stops for no one. This year already we have lost such icons as Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and most recently Patrick Swayze. For all of these people who were the envy of a generation for their good looks and good life, life has come to a somewhat tragic end. Michael Jackson was on top of the world as The King of Pop. Time and drug abuse brought his life to a strange and untimely end. Who would have thought that gorgeous Farrah, who sold all those bathing suit posters, would end up tortured and ravaged by cancer? The same goes for Patrick Swayze. He was the male heart-throb of his generation. And yet, he too would dwindle from a chiseled picture of health and muscle to a victim of this terrible disease.
I guess their passing has left me a bit reflective. James 4:14 (NLT) says, “How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone.” I heard tragically this week of a group of teenagers heading home from school when an accident took one of their very young lives. We all know the possibilities of this. We know we are not going to live forever, but we don’t really stop very often to think about it. Most of us don’t live today as though it COULD be our last. Most of us live as though life will go on and on and on. It won’t. So, take a moment to ponder today. Take a minute to reflect on your values and your investments. Are you living as though you will never die, or are you living in such a way so as to welcome death whenever it comes as a champion’s finish line?
Beauty, power, fame, and wealth will all fade away! From my melancholy reflections came a motivational thought. John, you don’t have forever. Get busy! Not busy for busy sake, but busy in the things that last beyond this life!!!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 09/17/2009
The kids are back in school. For all practical purposes, vacation season has come to a close, and many are returning to regular church attendance. I have to tell you, though, we have had some of the best weekend celebrations over the last four weeks that I have experienced in a long time. I just finished a series called The Heart of Worship. For four weeks, we took a look at what real worship is all about. It was great to have many of these things refreshed in my heart. God moved in visible ways on people’s hearts and created a wonderful spirit in our gathering.
Worship has been so abused by religion and man-made substitutes. Many have wrongfully confined worship to what takes place on a church campus for an hour or two on the weekend. Others have behaved both selfishly and stupidly fussing over styles and preferences of worship. I am so grateful for our people here at The Gathering. We are not wasting time having “worship wars” over petty opinions. No, I watched as we were able to have an honest and open dialogue on worship. I watched as people openly wept. Others laughed uncontrollably. Still others found joy in circumstances. All of us were provoked and challenged to dig deeper than the routines we have established. To move past the expectations and rituals of our culture, and seek God with all our hearts.
Oh, by the way, some of that took place at church, too! You see, I think the biggest reminder to all of us was that worship is not a song, or a style, or even a church service. All of those things can be done completely devoid of any true worship. Worship is a lifestyle of walking with God. Worship is a passion for an insatiable appetite toward an inexhaustible God. Worship is love and service and obedience and compassion and selflessness. Worship is when God moves to the center of YOUR universe. It has been sweet to reconnect in a new, fresh, and deeper way. I encourage you to check your connection. You may need to move some other things out of the way. It is worth it!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 09/02/2009
This past weekend our spiritual community once again met on a hillside. This hillside happens to be on the bank of an area park here in town. But for our purposes this hillside was transformed into sacred ground. For the third time now in our brief history, we have gone to this bank to paint the picture of life transformations. We celebrate a custom, a ritual, an ordinance that dates back to the time and example of Christ. As Jesus began His earthly ministry, He went to John the Baptist and was baptized. Immediately, the Holy Spirit descended on Him and the Father declared, “This is my dear Son with whom I am greatly pleased!” What a privilege for every Christ follower who has chosen this path to one by one walk into the water and emerge from it into a new life with Christ!
Once again, God gave us absolutely perfect weather. Like a biblical picture, over 200 people gathered on the sloping face of this hillside as one by one eight different people shared their stories and faith journey to Christ. With an ancient and biblical artist brush, Christ then would paint the portrait of life, death, burial, and resurrection to new life! Finally, Bob, who is eighty-four and on an oxygen tube…who cannot be submerged, shared how he had recently come to find Christ through the death of his wife. Gently, we poured water over him as he giggled with joy!! This week we were transported over 2,000 years back in time. And God blessed the journey.
As we watched the sun explode over the water and God just plain shows off with a breathtaking sunset, we experienced peace. We broke bread together. Our children ran, laughed, and played. We visited with one another. We were a community. And for that day in the park, we were a part of the invisible, universal, greater community. We were a part of the celestial tie that binds us together. We were the body of Christ!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 07/30/2009
There is a saying that sits on my desk. It is one of my favorites. It is a quote of someone who I admire and consider a hero. Mother Teresa said, “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle…I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.” I know with the down turn of the economy, the uncertainty of times, and the cloud of heaviness of our days, many are feeling the painful effects and results in their own personal lives. I talk every week with people who are experiencing the weight of painful circumstances. There is a weariness that results from carrying these concerns. Weariness carries with it the constant nagging and pull of giving up or giving in to the burden.
Perhaps there have been times in your life (as there have been in mine) where you have had the proverbial argument with God of His estimation of your endurance capacity with that of your own. He always seems to think more of us than we do ourselves. The truth is, if we could remove all weight, all obstructions, all encumbrances, we would. He does not! I have come to know that God teaches us of our ability to stretch, to grow, and to deepen from going through times when we would otherwise seek an exit door. More often than not, He is not going to provide an exit from the economy, job insecurities, or personal stresses. Instead, He is willing to walk us through them.
Our choice is the journey. We can walk through the weight of life and carry the load. We can live with weariness and a depressive outlook. We also have a choice to take a broader perspective and see God at work in life and in us. Paul walked with God and went through many adverse circumstances. He wrote about it in Philippians that is often characterized as the book of joy. Sixteen times Paul uses the word joy in four short chapters. Through great travail came the richness of unbelievable and indescribable joy. You and I get to choose. Choose wisely…it determines the nature of the ride.
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 07/16/2009
I love Summer. Cooking out, trips with the family to the pool, vacations, shorts and flip flops. Oh yeah, I left out the best part of all…No snow and your skin doesn’t hurt from below freezing temperatures. Can you tell that I am biased toward Summer? It is an age thing. I am told that old people don’t like the cold. What’s that?…you’ll have to speak up; I can’t hear you. Summer is just more laid back. Whether it is the weather, people’s schedules, or the outdoor activities, people are just more relaxed around Summer time.
Here is a caution, though. Don’t relax your relationship with God. We tend to allow those other great tendencies of Summer to creep into our spiritual lives as well. We are not as committed to be alone with God, not as committed to hearing from Him in His Word, not as committed to our spiritual community. Shorts and flip flops are great for relaxing, but we have to be careful about a shorts and flip flop approach to God in our lives! Take some time to spend with Him. Watch the sun come up or go down and just reflect on Who did that! Take a walk by yourself on a vacation and reconnect with Him. Encourage someone going through a tough time. Serve somewhere around you to meet a need. You might be amazed how hot your spiritual heart gets from ramping things up just a bit.
Don’t miss what I am saying. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with down time. Most of us don’t get enough of it. Relax! Enjoy your time and your family and friends. Just don’t chill out your spiritual life in the process.
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 07/09/2009
This past weekend I shared a message with our folks about “words”. Our words are powerful, reflective of who we are, and timeless. Although we use a lot of throwaway chatter, God tells us we are responsible for every word we utter. I talked about how church people are often among the worst. We bless and praise God in one breath, and in the next paragraph we slaughter others with our words. Gossip, slander, divisive and destructive words plague the church unlike anything I have ever seen. Blogs turn cowards into zealots, small groups can become fodder for fueling ungodly conversations, and thoughtless words do, in some cases, irreparable damage.
One of my friends Sunday said to me, “Boy, you really hurt my feelings today.” He was joking about how direct this message hits home. I told him, “That’s nothing. I hurt my own feelings today!” I cringe to think of some of the words I have used. Some of the mistakes that I have made in my speech and the concentric circles of influence that may come through those words. On the other hand, there are times that my words have lifted others, offered hope, provided needed instruction, and set someone back on the right path.
This week, think before you speak. Words matter! Try to avoid some of the usual habits of our lesser nature that provide opportunities for the enemy to discourage or even divide. Think of how your speech might be seasoned (like salt) with grace. Think of how you can lift someone’s spirit, cast a vision for them, declare a new destiny. That is a powerful thought. Good and evil…both should not come from the same mouth.
The last thought I will leave you with is that God indicates this is one of the most sure-proof ways we indicate the condition of our relationship with God. Angry, jealous, bitter, negative, cutting, and destructive words are not in His vocabulary. They shouldn’t then be in ours! If we can control our words, the scripture says we can control every other aspect of our spiritual lives. If we don’t, we are like a city whose walls are broken down. Bless God…but bless others, too!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 06/25/2009
Life is tough and filled with one obstacle after the other! Just about the time you get everything pulled together, it seems another challenge presents itself. I have discovered that life is an effective teacher of two things…humility and persistence. Humility comes in realizing how little control we really have over our own lives and destinies. Persistence is the stuff that sees you through when you feel like giving up.
This past weekend, I officially entered mid-life crisis. Over the last two years, I have really turned my focus toward getting healthy. Diet and exercise have changed my focus and my attention. Because of this, I decided to enter a triathlon. Never mind that I had three weeks to get ready for it…I knew I was in great shape and could conquer what was in front of me. In fact, I got greedy. Twelve years ago, I competed in this very triathlon. I finished the half-mile swim, eighteen-mile bike, and four-mile run in just over two hours. Two hours and two minutes to be exact. Never mind I am twelve years older and that I trained for three months the last time…I knew in the shape that I am in, I could beat two hours. This is where the humility comes in. I started the swim which is in a lake, not a pool; and about five hundred yards in, I began to hyperventilate. That simply means you have so amped your body that you cannot slow your breathing enough to catch your breath. From a lack of oxygen, your muscles begin to seize up. I am panicked thinking I am going to have to stop before I even get started. While my pride was wounded, I was able to get my mental focus back, right myself, and complete the half-mile swim. I went on to complete a decent bike and run considering how little time I had prepared for this.
There was no breaking of the two-hour goal. In fact, I added seven minutes to the previous attempt (most all of that in the lake J). However, I finished! Two hours and nine minutes. While my pride had endured the humiliation of being reminded of my age and over-confidence, my heart learned again the power of persistence. You just keep pushing through when you feel like giving up. One of these days, you will cross the finish line! Galatians 6:9 (Msg) “So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.”
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 06/18/2009
This week I was surprised! I have a friend who is a pilot. He asked me to go to breakfast one day this week, so I agreed. He picked me up and as we were driving, he suggested the name of a restaurant for breakfast. I told him I was sure it would be fine but that I had never heard of it or never been there. It was at this point that he immediately turned the wheel of the car and swerved into the airport. He told me I had never heard of it because we were going to fly there. Now, I am very sensitive to things like this because I am very prone to motion sickness. Breakfast is so unappealing if you feel green. He was aware of this, though, and took great precautions to make sure that I wasn’t getting sick.
I have to tell you; it was great fun to do something so out of the ordinary like this! We took off and headed to a nearby city, about a 30 or 40 minute flight. Once we were in the air, I was reminded, as I am any time in an airplane, of how different things look from a “bird’s eye” view. This was even more fun, though, because it was sights with which I am quite familiar. As we flew over the terrain, I spotted one landmark after the other that I recognized. These were buildings, places, and locations, many of which I see daily from my car or driving down the street. Some of them were places where I shop or work or live in and around. It is completely different to see them from several thousand feet in the air.
As usual, I came away from this with a fresh perspective of how different God’s view of our lives is from our own. We get so used to or so caught up in our traffic patterns of life, or in seeing things around us, that we stop appreciating how special they are to us. While we become entangled with the affairs of this life, God must look down and oft times laugh at our preoccupation with the immediate. He sees so much more the plans for our lives. He sees the greater scheme while we putter down the road conditioned to our surroundings. As I was able to this week, I would encourage you to ask God to help you to see things differently. Maybe, you can even get a glimpse of your life from His perspective. I promise you, it is a completely different point of view than most of us see. It just might change your outlook of where you are today!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 05/21/2009
Well, this uncommon grace is easy to write. The last few days around Easter have been extraordinary at The Gathering. For those of you who have been at the last three services, you know what I mean. For those who missed one, or don’t know what I am talking about, we surrounded Easter with a series called HEALED! The premise is that the same power that existed in Christ, who brought life, hope, and healing wherever He went as He walked the earth as a man, still exists today. We listened to three extraordinary life experiences.
First, Jeff from our own church shared about a life of addiction. Alcohol, and ultimately drugs took their toll over decades of abuse that led to depression and self-destruction. Powerfully, God took over as Jeff reached up with whatever power he had left. God changed his life! For over three years now, he has been clean and sober. He has discovered the feeling of God’s peace and joy in the place of substitute highs and lows.
Easter brought Robin Giles to us from Brooklyn Tabernacle via Atlanta. What a beautiful lady and a beautiful spirit! Robin grew up in Ohio and suffered incredible abuse as a child. Her anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness led her to many self-destructive places. The incredible story of her deliverance, and the freedom of her granting forgiveness, led to a powerful journey of peace and the experience of grace.
The pinnacle was this past weekend. Wow, what an incredible story as Jonathan Ervin, a friend of mine from childhood, shared his journey. Growing up as a pastor’s kid, he could share with no one his confusing thoughts of same sex attraction. Through the highs and lows of his journey, he received the devastating news of his contraction of the HIV virus. Now in full blown AIDS, he is what his doctor describes as a walking miracle. He was told two years ago that he had six months to a year to live. He is the picture of health on the outside as God has protected his life and empowered him to share this absolutely incredible story of God’s redemption and forgiveness.
All of these stories stirred us deeply to know and appreciate the fact that God’s undeserved and unbelievable love knows no limits. No matter who you are. No matter where you have been. We all need healing. Because of a bloodstained cross. Because of an empty tomb…we can all be HEALED!
Experiencing Grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 04/23/2009
Last night, I met with some people to do a make-up class for our church’s Membership Class. I am blessed to be a part of those meetings as new people bring fresh perspectives. I take the time in this environment to explain to others what our church is about. The fact that we are different from the average church. We focus heavily on being the kind of hearts and the kind of people that Jesus would feel comfortable being around. In other words, not Pharisees. I am currently doing a series on the 5 Stupid Things Churches Do. To be honest, I had to think pretty hard to narrow it down to just 5. I have been around the church my whole life, and I have seen some pretty stupid things. The sad thing is that most people would agree with that. They poke fun at it, laugh at jokes about it, even talk about it in others’ churches. Yet, they seem to be completely blind to the practice of it in their own lives and/or church.
One of the couples who was there was so excited. They talked about their son coming to our church for the last couple of months. They told us that he hadn’t been in any church for any reason for 25 years! He missed the other weekend and he said, “I really hate that I missed church. I really do like this church.” Wow, what a great celebration. Sunday morning, another mother stopped me and, grinning from ear to ear, told me how her son, who has been quite far from God, commented to her how much he loves our church. Finally, yet one more mother came up to tell me that her son hasn’t missed the last four weeks after being out of church for years. He left the church when a pastor scorned him for his tattoo.
Here’s what I am saying. I am so glad to be in a place where the spirit is such that people like this feel welcome and accepted. That’s it. They feel accepted. Not judged, or rejected, or scorned by a bunch of hypocrites doing stupid stuff. Playing church games and putting plastic around those games is about “us” and not about God’s Kingdom. The truth of this is that God is using different. And a different group of people are responding. Come to think of it…it is kind of like reading the Bible!
Experiencing grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 03/19/2009
Page 2 of 9 pages < 1 2 3 4 > Last »
