Life

I haven’t posted in awhile.  My family is in the midst of a transition time. 

Here are some highlights of the recent past and of the future:

Our house sale went through (finally!!!)

We moved (into Bethany’s parents house)

I started a new job at www.sound-image.com as a Pro AV installer.

I am continuing my MDIV at Bethel Seminary.

This weekend I am headed to Bridges Church in Fremont Ca to hang out with a pastor from my past - Ron King who was at College Avenue while I was growing up. 

I will be leading worship May 25th at Grace San Diego.

unplugged @ Legacy San Diego

I had a great time leading worship today at www.legacysd.org with a pastor I worked with at College Ave, Curt Gruber. 

Here is the setlist:

Beautiful One
Blessed Be
Every Move I Make (with the kids!!!)
Hungry
Jesus, Lord of Heaven
Jesus Paid it All
How Great is Our God w How Great Thou Art

Tags: www.legacysd.org, curt gruber, worship, college avenue

Leading Worship at Grace San Diego May 25

I am leading worship at www.gracesd.com in San Diego on May 25th while my friend Jon Ramsay is on vacation.  Tim Scott will be preaching. 

Come by and show some love!!!
Service times are 9:30 and 11:00a.

Tags: www.gracesd.com, scott memorial, tim scott, jon ramsay

North Coast Calvary Chapel Set List 5/4 6p

Unchanging - Tomlin
1000 Tongues - Crowder version
Hosanna - Hillsong
Jesus Lord of Heaven - Phil Wickham (Cannon’s version)
Jesus Paid it All - Passion
How Great is Our God w How Great Thou Art Bridge - Tomlin et al

100 degrees and no AC

Yesterday I had the opportunity to play at two different churches.  They were vastly different, but each had moments where the Spirit really showed up and did something amazing!

The first church was really big and produced.  There were probably 3000 people there over the course of three services.  There were moving lights, soaring guitars, videos, and a carefully crafted atmosphere.  It was amazing to hear that many people singing praises to God.  I love it when, over all the electronics and amps and speakers, the people sing LOUDER! 

At night I had the privilege of playing with some old friends (and my beautiful wife!) at a church whose pastor I went to seminary with.  It was tiny, and when I say tiny, I mean tiny.  Maybe 50 people, maybe, and that packed out the house.  I must be honest.  I was not expecting much.  It was 100 degrees in an old Baptist church with no AC and about 40 people.  Was I ever WRONG.  This church had so little, but gave SO MUCH!  The Spirit was really moving among the people.  During the testimony time there was such a message of hope from the congregation, and at the end a 9 year old girl came up and just about preached a sermon on how God loves each of us. 
Powerful.
Amazing.
True. 
All I could do is think about coming to the Lord like a child and
The least will be the greatest. 
This just reminds me that you cannot prescribe what God is going to do or when or where.  You can plan and prepare and produce, but sometimes, many times, all the time, God looks at the heart of the people and will do the most when we admit we have the least to give. 

Dave’s Son

my friend Gene is cool.
he makes musical poetry.
it is called Dave’s Son.
it is really good.
it has an acoustic guitar.
it has a cello.
it has a piano.
it has words.
it is really good. (did I mention it is good?)

Check it out.

Tags: davesson, daves son, acoustic guitar

a cup of water - filled

I took my kids to the park and after playing for a bit, we packed up and were getting ready to go home.  My daughter wanted her water, so I gave it to her and noticed it was almost empty.  Our conversation went like this:

let me fill that for you
no
its ok, I just want to fill up your cup
no (tears begin)
Don’t cry, I just want to give you more water
DONT TAKE MY CUP! (hysterical crying)
But I know that you are thirsty and you are almost out of water.
NOOOOOOO!!!
(in a very calm voice)  Maddie, I am not going to take your cup away, I am going right over there to fill it up and bring it right back. (pointing at the place I am going to fill up the cup, which she can see)
ok… (reluctantly)
(I fill up the cup and bring it back full) here you go
thanks, dad! (happy again!)

How often do I hold onto something half full in my life for fear of losing it?  And God the Father comes along and says, I want to give you more.  But, in order to give you more, you have to let go of what you have.  I find myself acting a lot like my 2yo sometimes…

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” - Matthew 6:30-33 (The Message)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33 (TNIV)

UnChristian

Came across this quote today from the book UnChristian, written by David Kinnaman (President of the Barna Group - www.barna.org) and Gabe Lyons (founder of the Fermi Project - www.fermiproject.com).

“Being salt and light demands two things: we practice purity in the midst of a fallen world and yet we live in proximity to this fallen world.  If you don’t hold up both truths in tension, you invariably become useless and separated from the world God loves. For example, if you only practice purity apart from proximity to the culture, you inevitably become pietistic, separatist and conceited. If you live in close proximity to the culture without also living in a holy manner, you become indistinguishable from fallen culture and useless in God’s Kingdom“. 

Does this resonate with the struggle between Buster, Boomer, X, Y, Modern, PostModern, Emergent, Emerging, Christian, Non?

Lord, help me not to become separatist or indistinguishable to the community, but to actually be the salt and light you have called me to be; in the world but not of it. 

Tags: unchristian, non christian, christian, emergent, emerging

The Next Best Thing

Do you ever look for the next best thing?
I do. For me it is a new guitar, or since my car is 15years old and the AC just broke, maybe a new one.

How bout in ministry? Do you ever look for a new place because yours is difficult, or challenging, or because of that “one person.” (you know who I’m talking about

Jesus has an interesting perspective on this which I just came across.
I was reading in Mark chapter 6 where Jesus has given the disciples authority and instructions on the ministry. In verse 10 he says a curious thing:

“When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.”

I think that is incredibly interesting. Garland in the NIV Application Commentary on Mark says,

“Jesus instructs the Twelve to accept the first accommodations offered to them and not to move if they chance to find something better. This demonstration of commitment is a testimony of their devotion to their mission and not to themselves. It also reduces the chance they will create jealousy by moving to better quarters, which will interfere with their mission.” (241)

I just look at the statistics of how long (or rather short) most pastors and staff stay at a given church and wonder if Jesus saw this coming…

One of the things God has really been teaching me about my current situation and unemployedness is that He is going to select my next appointment and make it clear that it could only have come from him. This is both a great peace and a bit of an insecurity at the same time (or at quickly vacillating times). I trust that God will lead me into a place that he chose for me, but, like most guys, I am a doer and I want to “get er done!” I am learning to wait…and still learning to wait…

Is there any resonance with Mark 6:10 for you?
Is there greener grass you have your eye on?
How do Jesus’ words affect your thinking about ministry?

Much Love

I am continuing my readings from the book, Devotional Classics edited by Richard Foster and this week have struggled through the passage from Julian of Norwich. She is an English Mystic from the 1300’s and her experiences have been, for me, hard to understand.

However, she has some great perspective on God’s love for us and how that is how God teaches us to love others.

“Contemplating and loving the Creator made my soul seem less in its own sight and filled it full with reverent and true meekness and with much love for my fellow Christians.” So for those of you who thought you invented “much love,” she had you beat by about 700 years!

God loves us and as we pursue him, he pursues us. As we search out his love and his will, we are filled with love for those around us. When God says to love others it is not out of our own strength, for we could never love enough. But when we focus all our soul, our life, our energy on the pursuit of God, he is our strength

Song: You are my strength - Hillsong

Song: How He Loves Us - McMillan

Tags: much love, julian of norwich, devotional classics