The Heart of the Church

What is going on in the church world today is monumental.  If you have ever read anything I have written, please take some time to read and absorb the following.  Bottom line is…war is going on in the heavenlies.  (“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephes. 6:12)  Make no mistake there is a major conflict going on between the forces of good and evil.  The true center of the battle revolves around our eternity and the eternity of our family and friends, and, really, the eternity of the entire population of the whole world.

If I could somehow find a way to put my pastor’s heart in my hands, it would beat around the issue of the above paragraph.  This makes for an interesting conundrum.  On one hand, we eagerly desire the church to be a place of place of serenity and peace.  On the other, the scriptures clearly point to a scenario of conflict.  This is amazing.   Rodney King’s question, “Can’t we all just get along?” stands in crystal clear contrast to the words of Jesus, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?  No, I tell you, but division.  From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51-53)  Simply put, there will be no “happily ever after” until we reach the “ever after!”

It is important to make a major point right here.  The church can be a place of purpose and unity and peace…when the heart and passion of the church beats in unison with the heart and passion of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This understanding clearly gives every local body of believers clear options.  We can get onboard with the Great Commission, or, we can develop alternate commissions that may be at the same time honorable and off-target, resulting in exactly the conflict of which Jesus speaks in the above paragraph. 

This is not a difficult, or unusual, subject for this pastor to address.  It is, however, articulated with a great deal of risk.  Jesus and the New Testament writers were very clear regarding our need to submit to the eternal Commander in Chief.  Jesus, himself, said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:33)  Did you get that?  When the kingdom of God is at the top of your priorities and to-do list, your needs will be met.  But don’t miss the context, your needs will be met even though every day will bring its own set of troubles!

 Every editorial should have a good punch line or two.  Here is one…every body of believers (church) has to make up its corporate mind, every day and every moment, that the advancement of God’s kingdom will be their main business, function, mission, etc.  The local church that makes this choice will be both unusual and highly productive.  That is where we are headed and, today, it is apparent that progress is being made.  Let me give you a few examples.

Sorry for the generalities, but I don’t yet have permission to give specifics.  I can tell you this much—yesterday a treasured fellow worker in our church came into my office with a glorious pronouncement.  He mentioned the name of a man in our church who has confessed Christ as Savior.  Two things stand out to me.  One is that God is forever faithful.  He never gives up on anyone.  The other is that this guy’s life is forever changed.  He will hardly recognize himself and his motivations as he goes through the weeks and months ahead.  Pray.  Not kidding you, I danced (in my spirit!) when I heard this story.  It is the key hope of my life and ministry that such news will take place on a regular basis as we go into the future.

Last evening’s Celebrate Recovery (CR) gathering was noteworthy.  It was our rehearsal evening.  The ministry formally begins next Wednesday evening, March 3^rd.  Mind you, I don’t have addictions in my background, but this ministry has been of significant help to me, just in coping with life.  Have you prayed the entire serenity prayer lately?  God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. (Reinhold Niebuhr)

Not saying that this beautiful ministry (CR) has come together, so far, without lots of work, challenges and some mistakes.  Not saying that the future of this beautiful ministry will be unflawed.  It is entirely possible that this ministry will expose our church to people, things and situations that are radically different from the way we normally operate.  CR people are notably different and enthusiastic.  This would be a great place to note Nate’s testimony this past Sunday and his forceful singing and playing!!!  Multiply that times all the people currently involved and times all the people God will lead our direction, and we are in for a ride, a wild ride, a heavenly ride!  Last night we enthusiastically sang… THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

I’m on the road ...To recovery, I’m on the road To recovery, Step by step, Day by day, I’m on the road To recovery, Trusting God Along the way, Trusting God All the way, I’ve got a Friend I can talk to, I’m not alone Anymore, I’ve got faith That I can walk to, And a future Worth living for…

Just saying that “seeking his kingdom first” comes with powerful blessings, and, impossible challenges.  Challenges that only God can meet and overcome!  To highlight and punctuate our purpose last evening, a guy none of us knew came in last evening and stayed with us long enough to drink a cup of coffee and make some new friends.  Folks, there is more to come!  Lots more!

Tapping the kaleidoscope.  If you could look into the hearts of several people in our church, you would see multitudes of children.  When I started this editorial with words about a “war in the heavenlies,” it seems crystal clear that the prize in this war is both the future and eternity of our children.  I do not have the communication capacity to say how much our children are at risk.  We have the most precious and beautiful children in the world in our church.  Did you know that some of them do not know the fundamental basics of living for Jesus?  Several are at a loss as to how the Holy Bible is put together.  Recently I explained the commandment, “Do not commit adultery” by saying that means we are not to participate in sex before marriage or go outside our marriage to have sex with someone else.”  Thank God for Christian parents and thank God for the church backing up the good lessons the kids are learning at home!

Stay with me.  Sunday afternoon, it was my privilege to introduce seven 5^th and 6^th grade boys to my “Jesus Park.”  (By the way, that park is getting close to being operative, even nice, pretty, and all that!)  In some ways it makes little sense for a sixty-two year old pastor who had taught Sunday School, shared a message in the worship service and having a meeting at 5:00 PM and another one at 6:00 PM, to go the extra miles with these kids.  But, let me tell you that in regards to kids we are going to reap what we sow.  And, don’t forget that we will reap what we sow.  We will reap more than we sow.  And, we will reap for a long time after we sow!  Is it worth it to invest the time and energy to…sow good stuff?  You bet!

There are several other ministries in our church that reflect God’s top priority.  Pastor Adam and the teen workers and several key teens are praying and paying the price.  Women’s ministry just completed a powerful, well-attended, Beth Moore series –When Godly People Do Ungodly Things.  The People Encouraging People Sunday School class gives every indication of seriously addressing Matthew 6:33.  Love what I see!  Chuck Dunnavant’s new Christianity 101 SS Class could not be more timely.  I encourage everyone who wants to get a grip on our basics to attend.  The class begins March 7^th.  Time and space does not allow me to describe other ministries on track to make a big difference in the lives of people.

With all of the challenges we have faced, I have to tell you, I really like the prospect of our church to benefit from being fully engaged in this “seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness first.”  When (and I believe we are making fabulous progress right now) our priorities reflect His priorities we have every reason to be optimistic about every area of our lives.  Friendships will deepen and the core of our friendships will revolve around…who we can add to our friendship circles!  Our kids will thrive in every way, especially spiritually, as we put Jesus in first place in our lives.  God makes great promises to people who put Him first in their finances.  As far as I know, there are no areas of our lives that are untouched by this great principle…seeking His kingdom first!

Heroes

Well, my greatest heroes are Divine and family.  At this time of the year I am especially thankful that, “God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son!”  My life has been forever changed by personally meeting Jesus on a Sunday night in August of nineteen sixty-five.  He has been my constant companion and guide for just over forty-four years.  Constant means constant.  Not to say that I haven’t varied in my level of devotion to Him, but I have not one doubt that He has been totally true to His commitment to “never leave me.”  What a Great Hero!

My dad is a hero to me.  He did leave me, in the winter of nineteen seventy-three after suffering severe complications to an earlier heart surgery.  Dad was average in nearly every regard.   Whenever I’m around anyone who knew him, I always press for more information.  It is good to have my memories affirmed, challenged or enlarged.  No one that I know of describes him as extra-ordinary in any way, except in his praying habits.  To this day, people where he pastored will comment about his intense commitment to prayer.  I don’t consider myself in his league in this regard, but, no doubt, prayer is important to me because it was so incredibly important to him.

On the other hand, my mother, who is also one of my heroes, was quite extra-ordinary in several ways.  She was very much like dad when it came to commitment to praying.  I had one solid week with her about three months before she made her final and ultimate “getaway.”  That week will always be one of the highlights of my entire life.  We talked up a storm for the entire week, but in a style that was totally unique to mom, we started each morning off with “devotions.”  She would read or have me read from the Bible and a devotional magazine, “Come Ye Apart,” and then we both would pray.  Often she would add tears to the intensity with which she prayed.  I could only dream of being as prayer-focused as my mother.  She is one of my heroes and I miss her like crazy.

There are some reasons for laying the foundation for this “blog.”  Stay with me.  My wife, Colleen, is one of my heroes.  Very few people know this about her, but she has been under amazing stress for the past four months.  During these months she has given tremendous leadership to Children’s Ministries at our church, taken care of her horses and our other animals and has been my good wife all while trying out for a part-time job at a local medical organization.  There are some aspects of trying out for this job that have pushed her to the limit, but I have watched her responses and I give her and A+ for rising to the occasions!

And, I’d not like to leave Josh, Jamie and Alex out of this.  They are my heroes because I love them so much and watch their lives pretty closely and they are growing in their love for each other, the people around them and for their Lord.  My inclusion of them in this “blog” isn’t incidental.  Josh works full-time for a major bank.  Jamie works full-time for a major hospital and Alex gets my attention and respect because she is doing a great job of growing up while keeping a schedule that I never dreamed of when I was her age (8).

Now, let me take just a few paragraphs to land on what motivated this writing in the first place.  Last week I received a call from a voice from my past, “Pastor Wes Smith?  Is this the Pastor Wes Smith who used to pastor in Anchorage, AK?”  The caller went on to identify himself as the son of a preacher man who had pastored in Fairbanks, AK.  The pastor was Vern Lewis and to say that Vern and I had become good friends would be a dramatic understatement.  Our friendship was one of those that got started like it had already existed for years.  Though he was over twenty years my senior, the subject of age never came up.

What created our near instant friendship was our mutual love for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.  We prayed together.  We discussed all kinds of different ways to reach people for Jesus and worked together both in his church in Fairbanks and mine in Anchorage to see what we could do to build bridges for people to come to Jesus.  His wife, Betty, was a most delightful lady who often “endured” the extremes of our openness to church growth methodologies!

Vern retired in about 1985 from the pastoral ministry and moved to Oregon.  In 1987, I accepted a call to pastor in Oregon.  A few months after I arrived at my new pastorate, Vern and Betty showed up.  Though they could only be there on Sunday mornings, I could always count on them, knew where they would be sitting and had deep confidence that they would be praying for me, supporting and believing with me that God was on the brink of doing something significant.

The reason I received the call last week was because Vern received another call and had left us quickly to…meet his Lord in glory.  His son, Steve, wanted me to know the news and wondered if I would consider coming down to Oregon to share the message at Vern’s memorial service.  Without a doubt!

Vern was one of my ministerial heroes and I wrap this up with sharing with you the three things I liked about him the most.

First, Vern was totally committed to spiritual productivity and fruitfulness.  When he retired, he didn’t really retire.  He looked for ways to serve people, in the Name of Jesus!  Up until his last days he was the “minister-in-residence” at his retirement center.  I have no doubt that when Vern drew his last breath here that in his first breath over there, the first words he heard were, “Well done!”

Second, Vern was not a legalist.  He had every reason to be.  He looked pretty serious even when he wasn’t.  His background and training leaned in the direction of severe conservatism.  It wasn’t that he compromised in Biblical principles, it was just that he knew that people were people and that they needed someone to love them more than they needed someone to judge them.  There is an inside story to this that is too early to tell yet, but Vern’s love was epic not only in his churches, but also in his family.

Third, Vern loved me.  That seems to me to be monumental…to have a hero who loved me!

I have several personal heroes.  All of them are with Jesus, some here, some there.  Know what I mean?  What a privilege to share the journey with people who are progressive pilgrims on the road to God’s great heaven!

Over the past few days I have been in some cyber dialogue with some good friends from, actually, around the world.  Sometime out there in the future, I will quit saying how impressed I am with the immediacy of such communications, but for the time being I'm still very impressed that I can connect with fellow Christians at the push of a button!  Most of the guys I've been chatting with are from here in the United States, but Hans is from Holland.  Makes no difference.  I receive the message from Hans just as quickly as the message from Craig up in Marysville, north of Seattle.

We've been talking about how so many things in the world are changing and if the church wants to stay relevant and connected with people, we must be willing to change many of our methods and ministries.  Everyone agrees that our message must not change, but the ways that the message is presented must be in a continual state of flux!

I'm amazed at how friends can talk their way through difficult things and come out still being friends.  There were times in our conversations where you could just feel the tension in the air, but with some further explanation or backing up and rewording a sentence or subject, we were able to discuss vital, important issues and still keep the friendship!

It's important to remember certain things about communication these days.  Before the days of the internet, things were communicated in two basic ways.  One was in formal writing and the other was spoken.  I'm saying this because I want to say something and it's important for me to remember that in a few minutes I will hit the "post" button and what I will say will be a permanent part of that cyber proclamation!  We used to say, "Be careful what you allow into your brain.  Once it's in there, it's in there."  Now we say, "Be careful what you send out into the interent.  Once it's out there, it's out there."

So, in the interest of confidentiality...the name is changed to protect the innocent.

I once had a dear friend, a lady who worked on the same staff.  We shared work responsibilities and we shared friendship.  Then something happened.  To this day, I do not know what.  Things changed.  Our conversations turned business-like and at a particular point ended.  If you had been a part of my innermost circle, you would know the sadness of that break in friendship.  I felt deep sadness.

Cutting right to the chase...the Lord, I really do believe, caused two encounters that lady over the subsequent years that just could not have been coincidental. Stay with me.  The nature of ministry is that it is conducted in settings where people feel differently about different things.  When that began to dawn on me and I knew that I would have to make some decisions about how I would relate to people who disagreed, sometimes dramatically (specially chosen word!), it was apparent that if I did not take a constant "high road" that I would live my ministry in the context of distance and disagreement.  So, as a very young pastor I determined that people may walk away from me, but I would never walk away from them.  I have no control over other people, but I do have control over me!

Have I been perfect that this?  Probably not.  But, I have always asked the Lord to help me in this arena.  That ministry lady who was a friend and then who was so distant for a few years, is now my friend again.

The most beautiful thing that Jesus focused on was...love.  "Love one another.  By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another."  When we are at our best, we are loving and forgiving and building bridges with each other.  When we are not, the reverse is true...we have trouble convincing the world that we are His disciples.

This is one of the things I love best about Jesus and one of the things I love best about being His disciple...the depth of friendships and the restoration of friendships.

Have you ever thought about the limited “wiggle room” in Christianity?  It seems like people are either in or out.  Rarely do we ever talk about someone who is on their way in or on their way out.  To be honest, haven’t you run across people who are more committed to the ways of Christ than they are to the community of Christ?  I have and it makes me think that the way is broader than some of us, who have been around Christianity for a long time, make it seem.  On the other hand, haven’t you seen people who are present in body, but who seem to be absent in spirit or soul.  I’ve watched people for years; in fact, I’m a bit of a “people watcher” by profession.  It’s fun to watch and to learn more by just watching!  You don’t have to say a word.  Just watch.

Lou and Sadie Rouse are two people from my childhood that none of us Christians could understand.  They were the most generous people you could ever imagine.  There was a time when they took my family under their care and blessed Dad with employment and the rest of us with food from their garden and gifts from their abundance.  But when it came to church, their answer was always a kind and gracious refusal.  They didn’t get worked up about it.  In retrospect, when it came right down to it, Lou and Sadie had a great love and respect for Jesus, but they couldn’t quite figure the church out, so they stayed away.  I’m light years from advocating for “staying away,” but I do have some understanding of what they were going through.

Okay, this is my blog and I know you can respond, but it’s in my heart right now to be truly honest with you.  So, I can’t write the previous two paragraphs and not expose some of my heart.  My honesty says that the Church was/is intended to be the repository of the Holy Spirit.  Part of the plan for the Church was for us to…continue the ministry of Jesus Christ. (John 14:12-14)  When we are at our best, the love of and the ways of Jesus Christ flow like a magnificent river.  When we are not, the river analogy becomes problematic.  We can be a creek.  We can be stagnant water serving as a breeding place for annoying, disease-ridden insects.

During my unoccupied moments today I’ve been considering what keeps me following Jesus and what keeps me trying to both continue his ministry in the midst of the illustration of “river” and “stagnant water”?  This is deeper than I usually communicate, so I hope you will read slowly.  Smile.

There is a man in our congregation who is a good example of what keeps me believing.  He has been a Christian since he was a young man.  He and his wife raised their kids in the church and took advantage of lots of ways to get the Word about Jesus out to the community.  Several years ago his wife had a debilitating stroke.  Some guys would have ducked and run.  Not this guy.  He stood.  He took a stand, which means he became the servant and was at her beck and call for all of those years.  A year ago his wife died.  Now he is happily remarried to an outstanding Christian lady.  His faith nurtures my faith.  His faith inspires me.  If he can keep his faith in Jesus, through it all, I think I can too.

Another thing that inspires me to continue believing is the awesomeness of nature.  Some, I guess, look at the knock-your-eyes-out beauty of the Northwest and are impressed.  I look at it and it evokes a deeper faith.  Most weeks provide opportunities for me to do walking and hiking.  It is very common for me to see something breathtaking and to give this pray, “God, how in the world do you do this stuff?  You are simply amazing!”  Last Sunday in our sixth session of “The Truth Project,” we went the other way.  Instead of looking at the beauty of what we can see, the leader took us to the intricacies of what we cannot see…the components of a single microscopic cell.  My hat is off and my hand is over my heart as I confess to what I learned and saw.  Each sell in our body is made up of bazillions of cells and each cell share a unique DNA that makes me, me and you, you!  If even one component of those single microscopic cells was missing, we would not have the capacity to function.  I believe because this Awesome God of the universe is also God of the single cell and its micro-organization!

One more.  I continue to believe because of the reliable witness of many people who continue to believe though they are highly intelligent and highly skilled.  A couple years ago I had the distinct honor and privilege to hear Dr. Francis Collins in person.  Dr. Collins was the head of “The Human Genome Project” for several years.  He was very clear about how finding out more about the details of God’s creation brought him to the point of believing in God and receiving Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  He is a convincing witness!  And, there are lots of others.  I think Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. Chuck Swindoll and hundreds of other well-educated people have a profound grasp of faith in Christ and have kept it (faith) throughout their lives. In some ways this represents a sort of “short cut” for me.  These people know lots of things I do not know.  They have traveled the world and heard profound speakers from all points of the faith spectrum, and have kept their faith.  Since they’ve kept their faith in Christ with all they have heard and with all they know, part of me will keep my faith because of…all they have heard and all they know and because I trust them!

Did I say one more?  Well, okay then, one more.  This will not connect with everyone, but I feel more connected with God when I hear or see something done with excellence.  Let me take you back into the early 80’s, and I am well aware of the fact that many of you have not been back that far!  In about 1984, or so, I attended an “Oakridge Boys” concert at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, AK.  I’ll confess I love their music and their show.  It was plain, undiluted, top drawer fun!  Do you know I had an encounter with God in the middle of that show?  My heart cried, “Dear Lord, how do you do this kind of stuff?  Amazing!  Such harmony!  Such rhythm!  Such fun!  Lord, I think you re-created us to have such energy and such enjoyment.  Why do I seem to have more connection with you in Sullivan Arena than in my church?  Why do Christians have trouble being excited about the best possible gift in the universe (relationship with God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit), while the world rocks out of its socks to ‘A hoom, pa pa, hoom pa pa, mauw mauw.’  I don’t get it, but it makes me love you more, God, knowing that you are the giver of lyrics, rhythms, melodies, goose bumps and flat out, turned up fun!”  That’s just one example.  Albert Pujols inspires me to love God more as does LeBron James.  A couple nights ago I watched Bill Cosby receive the Mark Twain award and thought of how much joy God brought to the world through “the Cos!”

I believe and sometimes have some unbelief.  Hopefully, by tomorrow or the next day I will have this faith thing all together, but if I don’t, my experience with Jesus says he will be patient with me…’til I get there!

Love,

Pastor Wes

Frank (his real name) was one of my best friends.  We met nearly by chance.  Someone in the church told me about him.  They said he was a past CEO of Child Evangelism Fellowship, International.  Also, he had a tremendous history of investing funds profitably, so profitably that he was asked by a Catholic Cardinal to help manage the funds of the Vatican.  My first meeting with Frank and Genevieve was magic.  We took an immediate liking to each other.  Their gorgeous home on the edge of a beautiful country club became a place of refuge for me.  I knew that I could stop by anytime and be lavishly welcomed.

There was so much about that friendship that nourished me.  Frank’s management and investment background regularly advised me in how to make decisions.  He was retired and always had time to stop what he was doing and spend time with me.  The reverse was true.  If he hit on something he needed to talk about, he knew that I would respond in like manner.  Imagine a white-haired guy in his 70’s, gold rings, gold Rolex watch, and always the finest in just about everything.  He drove the current year Cadillac.   He reasoned that Genevieve, who was wheelchair bound, could get in and out of a big car like that…much easier.

I have a few personal treasures in my possession that came from Frank and Genevieve.  He gave me two of his personal paintings.  In our entry way, you will see a mosaic (small inlaid stones) that form a picture of a man enjoying a glass of wine while his wife goes about taking care of domestic chores!  That mosaic is a gift from Frank.  He purchased it from a priest in the Vatican who specialized in such art.  Not typically my style, but special because it was a gift from Frank and Genevieve.  In my office at home, I have a page from the 1611 original King James Bible.  Don’t be too impressed.  There were lots of copies of that original version, so the value is not significant.  But, the value to me is priceless because, again, it was a gift from my two very special friends.

I think you get the idea about how much these two people meant to me.  However, that is not the point of this editorial.  The point revolves around what happened to this wonderful couple when dramatic changes hit their lives.  Frank was one of the most attentive husbands I had every observed in action.  His life truly seemed to revolve around her.  Love shined from his eyes and tenderness radiated from his hands.  He never once referred to her as a burden, just pure joy.

Her dementia and Alzheimer’s came with lightning quickness.  His dear partner deteriorated nearly overnight.  It was my privilege to walk with them through thick, indescribable darkness.  Genevieve cried out from the care center, “I just want to go home.”  Only she didn’t have any idea about where home was.  Southern California?  Illinois?  Somewhere, just not here!  Frank, on the other hand, suffered terribly over being home alone in that palatial residence.  One evening I stopped by, as usual, unannounced.  I stood at his doorstep and listened as he cried out to God from deep in his soul, “God, take me home.  I can’t go on.  Life without my Genevieve is not worth living.”  In a moment I stood in his entryway just holding him while he sobbed on my shoulder.

It didn’t take Genevieve long to “go home.”  Home wasn’t Southern California, Illinois or Oregon.  It was heaven!  Her graduation from earthly life ushered her into the personal presence of the One who personally arranged her heavenly home to a “T!”  The funeral was as Shakespeare penned, “Sweet sorrow.”  Frank expressed both relief that Genevieve was set free from the torture of the fears that had controlled her final days, but terribly sad that his darling companion had made her getaway.  Sweet sorrow!

I wish I could say, “And he lived happily ever after!”  Not so.  Within weeks, Frank took near total leave of his senses.  Against my counsel to take some time to deal with his grief, he changed nearly everything in his life…to the point where he sold just about everything and moved to a different town.  To make a long and interesting story short enough that you will read to the end, Frank met a petite and high energy lady in the parking lot of his new condominium association and soon asked her to marry him, which since Frank was a man of considerable wealth; she was willing and eager to do

My seat to watch the developing tragedy was a box seat, front and center.  Within the space of a couple years, an amazing transfer of wealth had taken place.  Just about everything I had feared for my “adopted dad” came true.  I spent a significant amount of time with attorneys trying to find help that would protect him.  Unfortunately, the new lady took him for a lot of what he was worth and subsequently road off into the sunset with hundreds of thousands of dollars, all for the investment of about two years of time and trickery.

Believe it or not, this is not an editorial about elder abuse or particularly about Frank and his troubles.  The point that is on my mind today has to do with a simple word…transition.  Transitions are a normal part of life.  I read today about a young man in our congregation who is in the process of obtaining his driving permit.  Transition.  Life will never be the same for him, or, his family!  A lady in our church family just had a sister pass away.  Transition.  My granddaughter is going to be the owner of a new puppy on November 7^th.  Transitions are those times in life when something happens that changes quality, direction and relationships.

Now, let’s get to the point.  Transition is what has been happening at our church especially for the past few years.  Churches that ignore or deny transitions tend to miss out on what God is doing in a new time and in a new and different culture.  What recently happened upstairs in the Children’s Ministries Department is an example of proactively cooperating with transition.  What happened last evening in the Conference Room when sixteen people gathered to learn about  Celebrate Recovery  and to see how we can address the hurts, hang-ups and habits of people in our culture is a great example of cooperating with transition.

I had an extended conversation recently with a District Superintendent who had the sad experience of meeting with six people who handed over the keys of the church and sadly said “Goodbye” to many decades of faithfulness and sacrifice.  The DS was very clear that had this church been able to make the transition to give the ministries over to the next generations and new culture that the church would be alive and well.  They just couldn’t make the transition.

It was in the spring of 2005 that I was contacted by Dr. Hugh Smith regarding the possibility of coming to pastor the Longview, WA, Church of the Nazarene.  Those of you who traveled the inside track of that experience know that I was very clear about my need to pastor in a setting where people recognized the need for change and were willing to make changes.  I intuitively knew that I had the energy and the fortitude to do what it would take to lead one more church through transition.  Had that Church Board not convinced me that they wanted to face the necessary transitions, I would have turned them down. 

Our transition has been challenging and, at times, a bit scary, but with all my heart I do believe that God has been leading and guiding each step of the way.  Transition is hard work.  There have been signs recently that we are turning a corner, and I say that with some reservation.  I’ve been at this long enough to know that church transition hasn’t happened until people get serious about cultural change and the fact that our Dear Heavenly Father longs for the torch of His Kingdom to be passed from generation to  generation.  There may very well be other changes and transitions to face.  Will our facilities, the way they are, best serve us as we serve the people God brings to us, and takes us to?  Will our current programs be adequate to create…Champions for Jesus?  My, what important issues!  For every church that is willing to face such issues, there are a hundred that will refuse.

My advice at the close of this article is…as much as possible face transition with purpose and passion.  If you know it needs to happen and that things are going to be different than they have ever been, half the battle is already won.  Think of those parents of the young man who is getting his learner’s permit.  Can’t you just see their white knuckles and their pale faces!  We survive better by anticipating change and then doing our best to make the most of it!  With all my heart I encourage you to avoid the “Frank syndrome” like crazy!  He failed to listen to those around him who were trying to give him good advice about transition.  Facing it mindlessly is as bad as not facing it at all.

One of these days soon, we will rejoice in having cooperated with the need of our congregation to…turn outward.  The harvest is on its way.  Pray with me that scores and hundreds of people will come to know the best life through Jesus Christ because we said “Yes!” to transition!  And I believe it shall be so, because I believe in the One who is able to, “…do immeasurably more than what we ask or even imagine.” (Ephes. 3:20)

The meeting last evening was tremendous!  We had no way to know how many people would show up.  A couple people had said that six attendees would give us a pretty good start.  Drum roll, please...SIXTEEN people showed up to help launch what we believe will be a ministry that will clearly help some people get their lives back and that will intentionally be constructed around the actual needs of people!  Stay tuned! 
We, of course, are still in the recruiting and planning stages.  The target date for our first formal Celebrate Recovery meeting is, January 12, 2010.  We will meet on Wednesday evenings. 
I know of two other churches that have started their own CR meeting in the past few months.  One of them started with 7 workers.  The other started with 2 workers and some help from a nearby CR group.  Makes 16 look like a...gift straight from God!

Here are the basic areas of ministry: Facilities setup and clean up; Kitchen...food preparation and serving; Children's Ministries; Youth Ministries; Leading and helping in worship; Facilitating/leading small groups...co-dependency & addictions, women's groups and men's groups.  We are also looking for key leaders who will give TEAM Leadership.  Bethanie Young is our CR Ministry Leader.

The heart of our "transition movement" here at LCN revolves around...getting outside of our comfort zones and actually being involved in sharing the truth that God delivers people from hurts, hangups and habits.  I look at Celebrate Recovery as being a significant step in that direction!!!  Pray! 

Something big has been on the front burner at LCN for several months...CELEBRATE RECOVERY!  This evening is the first of our formal Leaders/Workers meetings.  We need people involved in: Children's Youth & Adult categories; kitchen setup and clean up, cooking, and, serving; fellowship directors; greeters; women and men's small group leaders; musicians; large group facilitators, etc.  Celebrate Recovery is a great place for you to participate in ministries/helps that will benefit you and benefit many other people.  Looking forward to seeing you at the church this evening!

This is going to be fun!  Let's use this blog to be in touch with each other, but more importantly, to "feed off of each other" about how we can grow in our walk with Jesus and about how we can serve (obey) Him more effectively.  You have my encouragement to check back frequently, 'cause I love this kind of communication!