I Tried to Slip By

I was keeping very quiet about our approaching 5th anniversary with Dublin Bible Church. I figured that if I didn't say anything, no one would notice, and no one would make a fuss. I want to be very conscientious about a church busying themselves with loving Christ and loving one another rather than putting too much focus on the pastor. We've all seen unhealthy situations where the church had an imbalanced sense of the pastor's role.

However, my aversion to a fuss is a poor excuse to not celebrate what God has done in the last 5 years.

I am grateful to all the co-conspirators, of whom Debbi and Betty Ann are the chiefest, for the Christ-focused, well-done video shown in church last Sunday. God is indeed at work at DBC, and it was uplifting to celebrate what He has been doing among us. But it's not because of anyone you hired - it is because He is sovereign and because the people of DBC are making themselves available to His work in their lives. That's where credit is due.

I said before, and I repeat it here: The most that can be accomplished in ministry is to help other people get into that place where God is at work in their lives. Perhaps that work is to build up what needs to be built up, perhaps that work is to tear down what needs to be torn down, but always that work is good. A pastor can accomplish no more than this, but if he does, he has accomplished much.

It is a greater privilege than you realize to help people at DBC get into that place and then to sit back and watch God work. I truly get more satisfaction and sense of accomplishment by watching God at work in you than by any words or gestures of gratitude. In other words, if you really want to encourage your pastor, grow in and humbly serve Christ! Be busy about knowing Jesus personally - that's far greater than any pat on the back could ever accomplish.

Thank you for being tolerant of crazy ideas gone awry, jokes that have fallen flat, words that could never quite find their way out of my mouth, and holes in the set of skills pastors "ought" to have. You have truly been gracious and forgiving. You have been generous with the pats on the back and stingy with the kicks on the backside. (Although, a few well-placed kicks are vital to keep your pastor sharp!)

Also, much of what has been good at DBC over these last several years is the product of hard work, sacrifice, and an unfailing commitment to pray on behalf of your Elders. The "front man" gets a lot of credit for what they have worked hard to accomplish. There is little I can point to that has been good in DBC that doesn't have the Elders fingerprints on it. They should know that you know this to be true - so tell them!

Please also remember to thank and encourage our other staff and volunteers. There is so much work being done by those crews that don't get the spotlight as much. The less visible, harder working saints need even more of your appreciation than those who are easier to notice. Please don't forget them in your prayers, and in your acts of appreciation. More often than not, their work is the "front edge" of ministry, where the Word is brought face-to-face with real lives.

Things I Never Asked For

I never asked to work with youth as a volunteer.

• Even though I had no rapport with the youth, the youth pastor of our church in Austin asked me to help develop a youth retreat based C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, which soon led to weekly involvement with the youth.
  

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have seen how teachers can use creativity to challenge young minds.

I never asked to teach Sunday School for adults.

• I rejected requests to teach Sunday School year after year, but then our church in Seattle needed an occasional fill-in, which eventually led to me being the only teacher left.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have developed a love for bringing God's Word into the lives of others.
  

I never asked to be changed from developing software in OS/2 to developing software in Windows.

• I loved OS/2 and hated Windows, but upper management didn't love OS/2 and canceled our project. My choices were to leave and pay back over $10,000 of moving expenses, or work in a Windows environment.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have ended up in management, which then led to other things I didn't ask for.

I never asked to be a manager in the software industry.

• I professed repeatedly that I would never go into management. One day, one of the vice presidents of the company said, "You're a manager, starting tomorrow."

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have begun the process of learning leadership skills which would later be crucial in church ministry.

I never asked to have a separated shoulder.

• Night skiing sounded like so much fun.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I may never have gotten serious about serving Him as He revealed His will to me during recuperation.
  

I never asked to give up career pursuits in order to go to seminary.

• Every told us we were crazy to give up software to go into seminary - it was pretty "foolish" to give up something that came naturally and that I was good at in order to pursue something that is way outside of the area of my strengths.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have known what He's been preparing me for all along.

I never asked to be a pastor.

• Our plans going into seminary included all kinds of scenarios, none of which included pastoring. Before I knew it, I was asked to join the staff of a church in a wild experiment, even though I had already rejected the idea.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have seen God at work in lives like I have as a pastor.

I never asked to live in a small town.

• And I especially never asked to be placed 100 miles from the nearest Starbucks! (A problem now remedied.)
  

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I would not have had to face how theology meets everyday life in so many ways.

I never asked to be childless.

• In fact, I was coldly critical of those who chose childlessness.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I would have missed out on transformative lessons on compassion, purpose, and the extent of God's sovereign goodness.

Matthew 6:6-13

But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

So pray this way:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,

may your kingdom come,

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Thank You, FFN

For well over a year, we have had "Family Fellowship Night" on Wednesday nights, with a shared meal and then activities for every age group. We've added to our fellowship and gotten to know each other well. Plus, we've had some excellent food provided by Wolfpack Catering (thanks, Bob and Cheryl!).

We believe, though, that Family Fellowship Night (FFN) has run its course. Bob and Cheryl are off on their adventure to start a signature barbecue restaurant downtown ("Smokin' Lobos"). Plus, not all of the goals we set out for FFN were realized. Many were, but not all. The after-dinner program is just too late for young families, and young families were exactly who we were trying to serve better.

So, we are going to retire FFN. August 20th will be our last evening for the FFN format. Starting on the 27th, we will have a new schedule. The youth Bible study will continue to meet from 7pm-8:30pm. The elementary program will be suspended, until we can find a better time for it. The adult program is going to return back into homes. Home groups will be reformulating, so if you're interested in a home group, please contact an Elder or me.

The home groups have provided a level of friendship and intimacy in Christ that just isn't possible in a wide-open sanctuary or classroom, so we're excited to see group get back into people's homes. The home groups will be free to study whatever topic they choose, including the option of helping one another apply the sermon into our daily lives.

As the groups get defined, we'll be sure to keep you informed. In the meantime, please thank Bob and Cheryl for the fantastic meals we've had. I know I'm going to be one of their regular customers!

Locusts and rain

I've been going through Joel in my Quiet Time lately, and received a great reminder about God's sovereignty.

Joel begins by describing a devastating invasion of locusts that plagued Israel, resulting in the loss of all the crops for a couple of years. Over thousands of years, that region has suffered several locust invasions, including a particularly catastrophic invasion as recently as 1915. Joel describes the invading hordes of locusts as an "army" that destroys everything in sight ... and then the second wave comes and destroys more, and then the third, and then the fourth! Interestingly, one of the gravest tragedies is that a lack of crops means nothing for the offering in the temple.

But the locusts are not just a "natural phenomenon." They were sent by God. Joel describes the army as God's army who march according to His commands. God sent the locusts because of Israel's persistent unfaithfulness to the covenant. But it was not just for punishment - it was a passionate plea for Israel to repent and return. His purpose was to discipline as a parent so that they would come back to Him.

Joel also describes Israel after God sends the rains and the crops begin to grow again, even into great abundance. God forgives and restores, and showers Old Covenant blessings on His Old Covenant people. Just as they lamented not being able to bring offerings to the temple during the lean years, they rejoice that now they can bring offerings in abundance when the bumper crops come in.

We moderns don't often credit God for the rains which bring the crops, which in turn brings abundance. We can hold the odd opinion that God did send the rains back then, but somehow God modernized along with mankind and now leaves all the rain to natural processes. (Or, we just question that God ever sent rain at all, even in the Old Testament.) We are even more reticent to give God "credit" for the locusts. We don't like the idea of Him disciplining or punishing us, because we live under grace. Strangely, we're slightly more willing to give Him credit for rain than locusts - we can give Him credit for the good stuff, but not for the bad stuff, right?

But, the locusts weren't really "bad stuff" in Joel. Yes, it was horrible for the people - a plague like they've never seen before. But it was for their good. God doesn't delight in the necessity of sending locusts, but He sent them because of the good He wanted to cause. Joel easily and freely gives God credit for the locusts because God 0nly had Israel's good in mind.

I believe God sends the rain and the locusts. I don't assume that locusts automatically mean that we have sinned and God is directly punishing us - that clearly is a feature of the Old Covenant in particular. However, I cannot believe that God is less sovereign over the elements as He used to be. I believe He controls everything, and that He does so with a purpose of good. And I must believe that even locusts are sent our way for our good - perhaps in ways we can't even fathom right away.

But this does not stop with literal locusts. At various times in our lives, we have "locusts" - an invasion into our lives that seems to be more about destruction than anything else. If God is as sovereign now as He "used to be," then those locusts in your life are no less random than in Joel's day. The are part of His purpose for good.

What does Joel tell the Israelites to do in response to the locusts? Cry out! Weep! Turn to God! That's the right response to locusts. Cry out! It hurts. Weep! It's sad. Turn to God! That's all He ever wants from us, anyway. Don't pretend to understand why the locusts have come, but know that the right response to locusts is to cry out and weep and turn to your God for comfort and help.

God brings both the locusts and the rain.