This past Sunday was a difficult day for me. Not for the typical reasons you might think make a Sunday difficult for a pastor. Summer has set in and people travel, play hooky, go on vacation, etc…. That is not what made this Summer Sunday hard, though. It was Father’s Day. Big deal you might say; it happens to roll around once a year. But this year was different. This year my dad wasn’t here. This year, Father’s Day made me realize how much I miss him. I miss being able to pick up the phone and say, “Hey Dad, how are you?” I miss hearing him say, “Hey son, I am great. How are you?” This year, Father’s Day reminded me that that particular voice of reason and wisdom is no longer able to speak into my life. He won’t ever say his proverbial, “Son, let me tell you something.” This line normally led into some type of solicited (or unsolicited) advice.
Don’t misunderstand. Death is as normal in life as birth. I know that I and my family were blessed to have eighty-two years with my dad. My mom was able to celebrate fifty years of marriage with my dad. He was able to see, know, and take pride in all of his grandchildren. There were many more untold blessings in having him for forty-two years in my life. When I was a boy, he taught me life lessons like: responsibility, truth, integrity, and character. He taught me how to work. I realize that many people never have the chance to know their dad this way. Others never take that chance. So, I am grateful. Somehow today, though, my gratitude for the wonderful memories doesn’t change the fact that I just miss him. I know this - I am a lot more sensitive when I hear of someone else losing a parent. No longer do they have my sympathy. Now they have my empathy.
If you have lost a parent, you know what I feel. It takes the legacy that my dad’s strong shoulders have borne and places it on me. It was also Father’s Day for me. I have four daughters, and they made my day very special. So did their mom. I am so blessed by a wonderful, loving, supportive family who loves and looks to me now as the standard bearer. I love them dearly. Yet, even my role as being a dad has changed my life and my view of life. I now better understand my dad’s ways with me. I better understand how he must have felt all the years and experiences we had together.
Most of all, I think that it has taught me how God must feel about us as His kids. Now that my dad lives with Jesus, and I can’t see or talk to him for a while, I am grateful that I still have a Father to talk to. I still have a Father who cares and offers wisdom and guidance. 1 John 3:1 (NLT) “See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don't know God, so they don't understand that we are his children.” My God is the ultimate standard bearer. He stands steady and strong always. So, if you are in need of the strength of a Father today, give your dad a call. Tell him that you love him. If he is close enough, go see him. You won’t always have that chance. But if you’re like me, and you can’t pick up a phone or get in a car and go see your dad, then call out to your heavenly Father. He loves us more than we can imagine. I am grateful for the picture he gave me of that with my dad. I can’t wait to see them both!
Experiencing Grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 06/21/2007
When God gives you one of those days…you need to write it down. Saturday June 9, 2007 was one of those days! First of all, if you were outside, the weather was simply fantastic. In the second week of June it was like being in an air-conditioned room. The beauty and invigoration of the blue sky and warm sunshine were perfectly accompanied by a gentle breeze. As beautiful as the day was, there was an even more perfect picture captured on this day. Amid the thousands of people who made their way to Young’s Dairy Farm, there was a beautiful mixture that the masses may have missed; but God certainly didn’t .
It was the first effort of our Victory Project that we have attempted alone. We have participated in other projects, but this was “our baby.” Some kids have made bad choices, and others have been forced into unimaginable circumstances. Each has found themselves in the juvenile corrections system. Each of them are in need of a victory in their life. Several months ago, we began to ask God to give us a different vision for these kids. Saturday, this came to life. Juvenile corrections for us became Juvenile Connections. Ninety individuals comprised of kids, adult sponsors, and members of The Gathering came together for a day and an opportunity to connect. In these four hours, God was able to paint a mosaic of different racial, economic, and cultural differences into a mixture of fun, encouragement, and hope. It was a pleasure for me to watch with pride the members of The Gathering being the hands and heart of Jesus Christ. Business owners were hanging out with troubled teens. Suburbanites were caring for and caring about kids from the streets of the inner city.
Approximately 15 teams were formed between the kids, the counselors, and our folks. Anywhere from two to four kids were paired up with two or three different members of The Gathering. As they spent time together, had lunch, played games, and got to know one another, I was able to witness something you don’t see every day. One member of our team walked up to me in the middle of this day and said, “This is what it is all about!” The director of The Montgomery Juvenile Corrections Program: Building Bridges said to me, “I am so impressed by your people. Most groups that we participate with don’t get involved. Your people are for real. They mix with the kids and genuinely care.” He also said, “Some of these kids didn’t want to come to this voluntary event. When they heard The Gathering was going to be there, they wanted to come.” I am so proud of our church for being such caring and real people. I am proud of them for having a heart for people who are different from them. I believe our church is the perfect place for imperfect people.
Others may have spent the day working on their yards, lounging by a pool, running errands, or just plain chillin’; but these wonderful people spent the day making a difference. Only Heaven knows what this day meant in the lives of these kids. Only God knows what a difference this might make in the direction that one of them chooses to follow. Amazingly, something as simple as a round of putt putt, a trip to the batting cage or the driving range, or sharing a sandwich can be a day that one of these kids never forgets. Some of our folks discovered you can have fun, and have an impact doing it. It just may be the day that starts a long-term investment in a relationship that alters a destiny. I want to say thanks to Monnie and a bunch of my friends. You are dream makers and you make a difference. Matthew 25:40 (NLT) “And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Way to go, Gathering…I am proud to be a part of you!
Experiencing Grace, John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 06/11/2007
Last week, I made a brief getaway with some friends on a fishing expedition. There were the usual bouts of laughter and relaxation that takes place whenever friends get together. We had some unexpected stress, though, in our return travel. We arrived at the airport to come home, only to find out that our plane had been delayed significantly by bad weather in Chicago. Since this was the last flight out for Saturday evening, I began to develop a small level of anxiety. I was scheduled to speak the next morning and it was already going to be a late night (make that early morning). Should I call and let someone know? After all, I would hate to throw it on somebody else on Sunday morning that I didn’t make it back and “Oh, by the way, you’re speaking today!”
You hear people say that nothing happens by accident. My friends and I believe that we know exactly why God delayed our plane. No, there was no crash or anything like that, but more like a divine appointment scheduled. We grabbed a bite to eat at one of the restaurants in the airport. It was at this point that we met Joy. A 21-year-old waitress who had to put up with our foolishness and teasing. Somehow, though, this created an environment for a deeper conversation. After the meal and after the silliness, we were able to have a much deeper conversation. Since it was late and the airport was quiet, Joy was able to stand at our table and talk with us for ten or fifteen minutes. These are ten or fifteen minutes that I will not soon forget. Much to my chagrin initially, one of my friends had identified me as a pastor to her. I have to confess, I hate that. Not because of being a pastor, but because of what it does to other people. All of a sudden, all of the weirdness of every negative stereotype comes screaming at them telling them to “run before it is too late!” Somehow on this night, though, it started a conversation with Joy.
Something about us seemed different to her. She began asking us questions about our church. As she did, we fell into the predictable routine of steering her to websites and business cards. It was at about this point that she opened up to us. She declared, “I am a Zen Buddhist.” I think she did this first feeling that we might be a safe group to tell that sort of thing. I don’t know, maybe she did it for shock value to see how this group of evangelical Christians would respond to such a revelation. Either way, there it was. Four Christian guys just hanging out with a Buddhist, having a chat.
We asked her how she had arrived at the conviction of being a Zen Buddhist. She said that she had searched many religions, and this was the place that she had discovered peace in herself. Interesting, we thought. But why Zen Buddhism? Not many people go searching on a quest for inner peace and joy and find it there. At least not many in the West. Then she told us that she had grown up in the home of Christian ministers. Her parents had been Christian pastors. She told us that her home had been anything but peaceful and joyful. In fact, it had been abusive. A harsh conformity to rigid legalities had been inflicted as well as enforced. Anger, screaming, beatings, all ironic enforcements of an adherence to Christianity. She had left her home an emotional mess. From there, her anger toward organized religion had led her to become an agnostic. After a number of sessions from professional help, she had made her quest that led her to Buddhism. She still doesn’t believe in God, but she does believe she has discovered the path to inner peace and joy. We thanked her for a meaningful exchange and headed off to catch our now arrived plane.
So what do four Christian guys feel like when they walk away from a conversation like this? I have to confess that I felt so sorry for her. I felt sorry that she had been abused as a child. I felt sorry that she had seen such a poor misrepresentation of Jesus Christ and His message. I wanted to tell her a hundred times how sorry I was that Christianity is so often represented this way! I wanted to tell her “thank you” for the gift of this conversation. I hope that somewhere along the way she meets at least one Christian who looks and acts like Jesus. I hope she sees that the authentic message of Jesus is one of real peace and joy. These are the very things He promised us. And, I hope that she comes to believe that Jesus was more than a prophet. I believe He is who He says He is. I don’t know, maybe she saw something different in us than the other Christians she has seen in the past. I can only hope. I want her to know that although I may disagree with her conclusion, I would never judge or condemn her. I also wanted to tell her that she is my friend. So, Joy, if you are reading this, I meant what I said. You are a very mature and special young lady. I do apologize for all the wrong done to you in the name of Jesus Christ. You are my friend. And, I hope to see you again someday! Maybe we can have another great conversation.
Experiencing Grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 05/31/2007
Jerry Falwell died this week. You had to know what was coming. One headline said, “He Rallied Some, Divided Others.” Another headline wrote, “The Face of the Religious Right Dies.” I am not sure if they were celebrating or not. Whatever you thought of Jerry Falwell, you had to think something. Hardly anyone was neutral when it came to Falwell. Like most of us, I think he was a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. No question, he took a stand for religious values in America. He led Thomas Road Baptist Church to great accomplishment and founded Liberty University, where today some 27,000 students are being educated. He had influence and the ear of most of the recent presidents of the United States. He was a frequent “expert” guest on many of the talk shows as pertinent issues would come up. I believe that Jerry Falwell in his own way served God the way he felt led to do so.
I started wondering this week, though. With all the talk of The Face of The Religious Right, what does the face of Christianity look like? Certainly different people would answer that question differently. Perhaps different individuals or different groups would suggest one of their leaders. Maybe it would be a political powerhouse like Falwell, or maybe it would be a compassionate activist like Mother Teresa. Some would certainly offer Billy Graham or Robert Schuller. Either way, it would be from our vantage point. No, I think we should use moments and phrases like this one to go back to our gold standard. The face of Christianity is Jesus Christ. He is the only true representation and the only one there ever will be. All the rest of us are imitators.
So, what was the face of Jesus? Would anybody recognize Him today? I doubt sincerely that He would come and dive into our systems of organized religion. He wouldn’t be one of the redeemed, self-righteous know-it-alls that claim to be following Him. Matthew 11:19 (NLT) “And I, the Son of Man, feast and drink, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of the worst sort of sinners!' But wisdom is shown to be right by what results from it.” Just a thought … why is it that sinners were drawn to Jesus, and yet today they run from His followers? We have turned Christianity into something it was never intended to be. Church is not a place for self-righteous snots to come and strut how much better they are than others. It should be a hospital for sinners. That is if we are at all interested in the true face of Christianity.
I received a kind, gracious and encouraging email this week from someone who said they were so grateful and excited to be a part of The Gathering. When they gave the rationale for such a statement, the person said, “You guys are real. There is no pretentious
façade.” They went on to say they were grateful to have such a warm, loving and safe place to worship. While I am very grateful for such a gift of words, I know that my face certainly doesn’t look like His yet. How about you? Does your life reflect the face of Christianity? A good way to test this question is this…do broken people run to you or from you?
Experiencing Grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 05/17/2007
Life is sometimes thrilling, sometimes hard, sometimes just plain weird. Recently, I had one of those weird days. In the middle of the busyness of a routine day, tragedy struck. A friend of mine walked in and asked me to help him break the news to his family of an unexpected death. As I made my way to the house, I thought about how unpredictable life can be. Most all of us seem to subconsciously think we will live forever. And in some way I think this inadvertently causes us to take life for granted. We just believe we’ll live to be ninety-nine, go to sleep one night and just not wake up. The truth is I plan to live a long time, but I don’t know if I will live another week. James 4:14 (NLT) “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.”
As I sat there with this grieving family, they were wrestling with the questions we all do at a time like this. Why did this have to happen? Why did this have to happen now? What are we going to do? You offer the comfort of God’s presence, but we all seem shocked by the obvious. Death, whether we think appropriately timed or not, is as natural a part of life as birth is. We just respond differently.
Grieving is a normal, natural part of our human experience. And I honestly
believe that when we grieve, God grieves with us. One member of the family looked at the children and said, “You know, this ole world is something else…some good, some not so good.” This made an impact on me. It is so true. One minute, you can be busy minding your own business, and the next high-jacked by the unknowns in this life. I walked out with a sense of sobriety about life. There was a heaviness to the moment.
Literally within a couple of hours, I drove to another part of town where I attended a wedding I was to perform that night. These people knew nothing of the first group. As every wedding should be, there was an air of celebration of life and love. People were smiling and laughing and enjoying the environment of a party. What a contrast from where I had just been. I felt a little weird at first as I walked in and smiled back at these happy people.
This was no ordinary wedding, though. For me, this wedding was special. Both the bride and the groom had discovered a brand new relationship with Christ in their lives within the last several months. Not only were they marrying with hope for their future, but they were also marrying with the hope of God now being involved in their home. They were my brand new brother and sister.
And there it was. The moment I guess I had been seeking. To just know whether you are laughing or crying, whether it is a celebration or a broken heart, God is there! So whatever we are going through in this life, I for one am grateful for the presence of God in all of it! Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Experiencing Grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 05/10/2007
Lose hope, and you more than likely lose your grip. One of the tasks that we have as followers of Jesus Christ is to offer hope to people who seem to have run out of hope. Too many churches are camps for the members. Every desire and every want is expected of the collective effort. I believe from reading scripture that Jesus cares about and gave the bulk of His attention to those who were near the breaking point. He was a distributor of hope to help in the times of brokenness.
Now, we are talking about the serious stuff here. Not the pie in the sky, spiritualized, soupy stuff, that Christianese is notorious for spitting out. Too often, Christians tend to spiritualize life into phrases or clichés. No, this is a sincere hope. This is a solid, confident assurance that God is in control and that I can trust Him completely.
One of our team members recently made a visit to someone who is at the end of a rope. For confidentiality, I won’t give a name or a lot of detail. However, I will tell you that the person was in jail. And I will tell you that through the conversation, we discovered this individual to be a pretty tough case. Yet, it seems that God delights in the big ones, because He alone gets the credit for these breakthroughs. This individual, who has to maintain a pretty tough demeanor, became misty-eyed when he was reminded that God loved him. Where a chemical dependence and a whole lot of bad choices had left him in absolute despair, he regained a glimmer of hope, just in knowing that God loved him. We know this not only by his reaction in that moment, but because he later told his family he hadn’t felt this much hope in a long time. A turnaround of perspective from a simple conversation that clarified a reason to hope.
It is a powerful thing when you believe in the future. Optimism is one thing, but a true belief is something altogether different. I have found in my life, and those that I have crossed paths with, that hope provides strength to face tomorrow. It is the rock that holds us in the storms of life. Thus a life verse for me comes to mind…Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NLT) “For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. [12] In those days when you pray, I will listen. [13] If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. [14] I will be found by you," says the Lord. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land." Thank God for the way He restores hope to the broken heart, and how He daily offers hope to each weary pilgrim.
Experiencing Grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 05/03/2007
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit in a staff meeting. On an impromptu impulse, I asked everyone at the table to take a minute, and share what was going on in their areas of responsibility. They could share victories, struggles, needs, problems, or successes…whatever. They just had to share what they thought others in the room needed to hear and know about their part in our journey.
And so we were off. One by one, we went around the room and began to talk about our plans, our needs, (there are endless needs in a church family) and our celebrations. Incredibly, the power of our passion and commitment didn’t lessen the needs, but somehow made them seem more like opportunities. But it was the celebrations that made these brief moments special. Each person was able to talk about what they were seeing God do in their areas of responsibility. This was real stuff. Not the usual canned phrases of church people. We were individuals moved and motivated by what we were seeing, what we were hearing, and what we knew God to be doing.
We began to talk about how genuine community was breaking out in small groups all through our church. People felt safe, and so they were being transparent with each other. Tremendous struggles were being shared and others within those small groups were helping shoulder the load. Impenetrable bonds were developing in people’s commitment to one another. Others talked about truly seeing God provide for needs. (So often, it is nothing more than organizational resources) There was no mistaking these circumstances. This was God making sure He got the credit.
I guess the thing that moved us most though was how God still changes lives and destinations. Some of the staff had the chance to walk with Jesus as about a dozen of our folks reached out through The Victory Project last weekend. Those who were there had the chance to hang out with teenagers that are caught up in a system that intends to rehabilitate them. In the end, we were the ones who came away with the rewards. (and the burdens) We met one sixteen year old this weekend and his story broke our hearts. He had lost his mom and older brother within weeks of each other. He is looking for a home and looking to make sense out of this world. What do you do? Well, we’ll dry our tears and go put our arms around him. Just maybe we can lighten his load a bit.
Another friend will be walking out of jail in a couple of days. And since he has recently started a relationship with Christ, he will walk out a new person. Another lady lay on her death bed and thank God, she met Jesus this week too. She now knows where she is headed. The depth of these and other stories like them brought most of us to tears. These were the good kind though. The kind you cry and say, “thank you God for letting me be a part of something so special!” These are the moments you live for.
Experiencing Grace,
John
posted by The Gathering's Leadership on 04/24/2007
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