music

I know there are people who don't like music...but I believe music goes beyond language. Music moves us, it angers us, it excites us - music expresses things that we can't express with just words. I love gathering on Sundays to sing. I love singing old songs and I love singing new songs. I love hearing and singing lyrics that become an expression of my heart. That's what worship is - us turning our hearts toward God, expressing deep feelings and emotions and beliefs.
One of the things we'll try to do this year is introduce you to some songs that we're listening to and singing - songs that may help you express your heart to God. Last week we sang a song that the David Crowder Band recorded last year. The title is "How He Loves." For some reason this song grabs my heart when we sing it. I am overcome thinking about the depth of love God has for us. Here's just a part of the lyric...
We are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking...

If grace is an ocean we're all sinking...love that thought. Here's a link to the video if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJyW55AXJAk

What songs are helping you express your heart to God these days?

you're it.

I'm a dreamer. I love to dream about what could be. I love to envision what could happen. That usually involves having something I don't currently have. There is good in dreaming, there is good in visioneering, there is good in looking ahead at what could be. But there is also a danger.

The danger is in believing that we can't do what we should do unless we get what we don't have to get to where we want to be. Did that make any sense? The danger is in believing that we need what we don't have to be who we have been called to be. Confused yet? It leads to statements like this: If only I had another $__________... or If only we had a building with ___________ or If only we had more ______________.

This morning, I was reading from Matthew, chapter 10. This verse hit me:

"You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment..." (http://read.ly/Matt10.10.MSG)

The dreamer in me cringes at that thought. But it is the truth. I love the thought of having bigger and more and nicer and quicker and ... but none of that can replace the heart and gifts that God gave me. There is nothing that can replace your heart and gifts. You and I have exactly what we need to do what God has called us to do. It's simply a matter of us trusting Him with what we have. It's simply a matter of us releasing our grip on what we have and being willing to do ... to give ... to be what He has called us to do ... to give ... to be.

You're it. You're the only equipment He needs.

Another story from Sunday

Soren Kierkegaard once told a parable about two thieves who broke into a jewelry store, but instead of stealing the jewels they simply switched the price tags. They put high-priced tags on cheap jewelry and low-priced tags on valuable gems. For several weeks no one noticed. People bought cheap jewelry for exorbitant prices and rare jewels for spare change.

Kierkegaard's point is pretty obvious: sometimes we have difficulty discerning between what is valuable and what is worthless.


John 10:10 says, "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy." But here's how he steals. Very rarely is it overt. He uses covert means. He switches the price tags. He wants us to place supreme value on worthless things and no value on things that are invaluable.


Once again props to Mark Batterson for sharing.

the Tribe of the Transplanted

One of the things we want to do in 2010 is introduce you to some great books and stories that we are reading/hearing. I shared an excerpt from one on Sunday - on heart transplants. Below is an excerpt of Mark Batterson's new book, Primal - A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. Batterson is pastor in Washington, DC. He is a great writer. I recommend any of his books (In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Primal). The following is from chapter 2, the Tribe of the Transplanted:

Several years ago I had the privilege of attending the National Prayer Breakfast held annually at the Washington Hilton Hotel. The breakfast is a bipartisan gathering of leaders from all branches of government and both houses of Congress as well as delegations of leaders from foreign countries. The speaker that year was Bill Frist. Prior to his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Dr. Frist performed more than 150 heart transplants as a thoracic surgeon. During his remarks, he talked in reverent tones about the moment when a heart has been grafted into a new body and all the surgical team can do is wait in hopes that it will begin to beat. At that point he stopped speaking in medical terms and starting speaking in spiritual terms. He almost seemed at a loss for words as he described that miraculous moment when a heart beats in a new body for the first time. He called it a mystery.

Heart transplants are a marvel of modern medicine, but it goes way beyond what medicine can explain or understand. The heart is more than a physical pump. It doesn’t just circulate five thousand quarts of blood through sixty thousand miles of blood vessels day in and day out. The heart has a mind of its own. Studies suggest that the heart secretes its own brainlike hormones and has cellular memory. So a heart transplant isn’t just physical; it’s metaphysical. Heart transplant recipients don’t just receive a new organ; they receive cellular memories.

In his book A Man After His Own Heart, Charles Siebert shares a scientific yet poetic depiction of a heart transplant he observed at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Not long after, Siebert attended an annual banquet for transplant recipients and he was deeply moved by their profound appreciation for life. They spoke in reverent tones about the second chance at life they had been given. They humbly acknowledged their responsibility to honor the donor. And many of them talked about new desires that accompanied their new hearts.

Siebert concluded-and his research is backed up by numerous medical studies-that transplant recipients don’t just receive a new heart. Along with that new heart, they receive whole new sensory responses, cravings, and habits.

Siebert called this group of heart recipients “the tribe of the transplanted.”

When you give your heart to Christ, Christ gives His heart to you. And you become a part of the tribe of the transplanted. That new heart gives you a new appreciation for life. You humbly acknowledge your responsibility to honor the donor. And the cellular memories that come with that transplanted heart give you whole sensory responses, cravings, and habits. You literally feel different. Why? Because you feel what Christ feels. And chief among those sanctified emotions is compassion. Your heart begins to break for the things that break the heart of God. You become part of the this coup de compassion that started at Calvary. And that is the heart of what it means to love God with all of your heart.

Thoughts from Sunday...

Just a few thoughts from Sunday...

I love the energy that comes from a packed room. It pumps me up to be a part of a community that is learning to turn our hearts and minds toward God every week. I absolutely LOVE singing How He Loves by David Crowder Band. It is just one of those songs that feels like a personal declaration. The story I shared about heart transplants was from Mark Batterson's book, Primal.

How fun was it to hear Joe sing the words, "I went skydiving...rocky mountain climbing...2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManChu..." I thought it was awesome...a little better than Tim's version. And did anyone notice that he was wearing cowboy boots?

Two simple thoughts dominated the message: 1. The enemy wants us to waste our lives. 2. God wants us to experience a full life. I believe God wants you and me to experience an extraordinary life - He doesn't want us to simply go through the motions. So many of us are just existing - we're not really living. Over the next few weeks, we're going to dig in a bit deeper. On the final Sunday of January, we're going to write letters to ourselves - letters about who we want to become as families, letters about how we want to experience a full life, letters about changes we feel as though we need to make. We'll seal the letters, self address the envelopes and then, at the end of 2010, we'll send the letters to those who wrote them. This will be a great exercise and experience for all of us.

I shared an example from something our family did a few years ago and an example from a personal exercise I did a couple of years ago. Hope these stir some thoughts in you.

Who we are becoming as a family:
1.We love and value all people.
2.We serve others and don’t just think of ourselves.
3.We are generous and share all that we have.
4.We join with Christ in what He is doing around us.
5.We slow down and enjoy time with one another.
6.We do everything (in word and deed) as if we were doing it for Christ.
7.We fix our minds on things that are good.

Some changes I need to make:

1.As a husband - more encouraging verbally and specific
2.As a dad - be there when there...turn off my 'work' when home
3.As a friend - take more interest in them
4.As a follower of Jesus - prayer time more focused
5.As a pastor - unbusy myself & engage people in Word

Stoked for 2010

I don't know about you, but the staff team is stoked for the coming year. We believe it will be the best year for MMCC. We are looking forward to some teaching series. We are looking forward to the growth of community groups. But what we are most excited about is being developed even further as a MISSIONAL COMMUNITY. We can't wait to see what God does in and through us in twenty-ten. Are you ready? Are you in?

paul...saul...paul

Today we find the story of Paul...or Saul. Saul was relentless in his persecution of followers of Jesus. He killed many of them. And He did it to 'honor God.' It is always interesting that people kill other people, and do so claiming that it is an act of love toward God. Where have you seen that in the history of our world/our country? Where have you seen people destroy other people's lives with slander, verbal abuse, etc and claim to love God? (That is a side discussion, but if it interests you, check out Greg Boyd's The Myth of a Christian Nation.) Despite Saul's persecution of Christ's followers, God called Him to become a spokesman, a man on a mission, a major player in the story God was writing in the world. Many times, we fail to act on what God is moving us to do because we know who we are. We know that we're not good enough or that we've made too many mistakes or that we don't have all the answers. So we leave God's work to the paid professionals. This story from Acts is a reminder that God can work through anyone who is willing to follow. What part of God's story is He inviting you to be a part of? Are you in?

Unsung Heroes Luke 23

This passage is too powerful to pass up. It is one of the darkest moments for humanity, the crucifixion of Jesus. The corruption, evil, mockery, and injustices that brought this murder about are very evident in the verses leading up to this event.

Yet as I read the story this morning I was filled with hope.
Not because I know how this story ends, that Jesus rises from the dead, conquering sin and death. And not because I know that this had to happen, and Jesus ultimately let it happen.

I was filled with hope because of the compassion of a few people in this dark story.

In verse 27, we have a large number of people still following Jesus, and women who mourned and wailed for him. In verse 40, on the cross, we have a criminal making statements to defend Jesus against another who was hurling insults. In verse 50, we have Joseph of Arimathea taking care of Jesus’ body and burial. Joseph was a member of the Council, and had not consented to their decision to crucify Jesus.

It is like Luke wants to remind us that some humans that are still good. In the midst of tragedy and evil, some still stand up for what is right. Even when others have deserted, mocked, and destroyed Jesus; there will be the few that stay strong.

I hope that we find strength and hope from the story of the few who stayed next to Jesus. And in this story, the loyalty is found in a criminal, a Pharisee, and a group of women.

The courage it takes

Wow, there's a lot in this chapter.  From Zacchaeus, to  the parable, to the Triumphant Entry.  Now, I'm the shortest one in the office and I'm the children's minister...I feel compelled to talk about good ole' Zach.  We know the story.  We sing the song.  But sometimes, we loose the impact over the years.  Zacchaeus was a much hated man.  Despised by most it appears.  And yet, Jesus sought him out AND spent time with him.  

OK, time for a personal story.  I was in eighth grade and at a school dance.  I noticed that Wayne was crossing the room and headed my direction.  "Oh no" I thought as I anticipated his next move.  You see, Wayne was not the most well thought of kid in the eighth grade.  He did not dress well and his personal hygiene left much to be desired.  He wasn't the brightest by far: poor grades and worse attendance record.  We were pretty sure that smoking cigarettes was the least of his vices and, in eighth grade terms, he was just kind of "gross".  And here he was headed my way to ask me to dance.  Yep, that's what happened.  He asked me to dance along with many others who had turned him down.  I looked at him as a myriad of thoughts swirled through me head.  

"Yuck!" 

"People will so make fun of me."

"I cannot do this."

"Sure." 

What?  What did I just say?  I couldn't say no to someone who had always been kind to me.  There was no reason I couldn't dance for one song.  I knew it was the right thing to do.  And you know what?  It was gross.  And people did make fun of me, even my own close friends.  They couldn't believe that  I did that.  Their torments nearly ruined the whole dance for me.

This is one of the closest experiences I have to the Zacchaeus experience.  While Wayne did not have a complete turn over of his life, I did learn what it cost sometimes to stand up for the underdog.  This lesson helped lay the foundation for many similar opportunities that were to come.  By high school it became easy for me to help those who were being teased, or mistreated, and rarely contemplated what affect it would have on my life.  Ironically, in my adult years I think I have become much more conscientious about who I talk to and hang around with.  

As I read the story today, I wondered who I would be more like.  Jesus, who went straight to the person who needed Him most, or the crowd who judged them both.   I prayed to have eyes that see people as Christ does and the courage to treat them the same way.  What lesson did you draw from today's reading?

The urgency of the search

Last Sunday in The Alley we focused on the story of the prodigal son from the point of forgiving those you love.  However, as I read Luke 15 again today, I was moved by a different perspective. While the father watch diligently & hopefully for his son to come back, the son's return was of his own doing.  The verses that precede this story speak of intentionally searching out what is lost.  

Have you ever lost your child in a store?  Once, I had Ethan and my niece in the Rain Forest Cafe gift shop.  She was much younger, so I was holding her hand and giving her most of my attention. In a split second I looked up and couldn't see Ethan anywhere.  I yelled his name several times with no response sending me into instant panic mode.  Now, in that moment, nothing else mattered outside of finding my son.  Thankfully, he was on the other side of a giant pile of stuffed animals in his own little world and did not hear me calling his name.

I will never forget the urgency I felt.  I had to know where he was right now!  As I read the first part of Luke 15 today, I thought about who in my life was lost.  How much time have I spent searching out friends or family who are lost?  Matt said Sunday that if we pray for God to open the door for relationship, He will.  Tuesday, God opened a great door for Megan and I with a classmate and her mom.  As the door opens to that relationship, may I feel the urgency to seek what is lost.  To do more than build a friendship, but to help someone find their path that leads to a Father who is waiting with open arms.

Holy Cow...

Luke 12 brings it. There is no beating around the bush here. Here are some pieces that may bring conviction...or inspiration...or reminders.

12.8-10: Perfect follow up to Sunday's message. Followers fish. Period. We love Jesus and it should be natural that we talk about Him with others.

12.16-21: We are foolish to build kingdoms here on earth. What a waste of time for us to work hard and simply horde what God has blessed us with. It will all be gone in the end. Invest what you've been given for God's Kingdom.

12.42-48: See above...we better use what we've been given for good.

12.49: Tough passage to understand. But here's the deal - Jesus is either at the center or He's not. If He is, it causes division with the ways of the world. If He's not, we have division within ourselves.

You've got to love a passage packed with conviction and truth first thing in the morning. What jumped out at you?

The Sermon on the plain

In Luke 6 we have another famous teaching of Jesus, yet it is not recognized as much as it’s parallel passage in Matthew 5-7. I have heard some scholars say, that this was not a one-time sermon for Jesus, but he actually taught it quite at bit. We see something similar to this today with our famous teachers and speakers, they will have a great sermon and they travel and speak to different crowds with it. Usually it will end up in a book. Who are some of your favorite speakers? What sermon series have had a huge influence on you?

Compare Jesus words in Matthew 5:3-12 with Luke 6:20-26. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Why do you think Luke tells the story of the sermon a little bit differently?

the Spirit

I love chapter 4 of Luke. It sets the stage for Jesus' ministry. He reads a passage from Isaiah, and then is kicked out of his home town. Notice the passage Jesus reads from Isaiah. What did Jesus come to do? If we are the body of Christ, how are we continuing in that same mission?

One more question for you overachievers... How many times does Luke write about the Spirit or Holy Spirit in the first 4 chapters? Why do you think this is?

Come on...join the discussion. May the Spirit be with us as we strive to preach the Message of good news to the poor, announce pardon to prisoners..........

Christmas in August

It is weird to read the first few chapters of Luke this time of year, but many things jump out at me. Luke is such a brilliant writer, and every verse is loaded with detail and meaning. I love the story in chapter one when the messenger Gabriel appears to Zechariah.

Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth live a life that honors God. They grew up with a rich heritage, have given their lives to serve in the temple, and follow the commandments blamelessly. But (that’s a huge BUT) they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years (vs. 7).

And then… an angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah (v. 11)
And the usual thing happens when people in the Bible see angels. (Zechariah was gripped with fear the angel said, “Do not be afraid.”) Then the angel goes on to tell him his prayer has been heard, he will have a son, and he is to name him John. He will be great in the sight of the Lord. Check out the list of things Gabriel says this son of Zechariah will do (vs. 14- 17).
And now it is Zechariah’s chance to talk, the culmination of his prayers have lead to this point in his life. God has answered him, more clearly than any of us will probably ever hear from God. God has given him a new direction and purpose. And Zech’s response:

“How can I be sure of this?

I am an old man and my wife is well along in years (a polite way of saying she is really old too).”
This was not really the response Gabe was looking for, and check out what happens in verses 19-20.

Have we heard this type of story before? (Genesis 18, Genesis 30, I Samuel 1) Do you think Zechariah being a priest has heard this kind of story before? So why do you think his initial response is to doubt?
And has God ever answered your wild prayers, the ones you are almost scared to pray because you do not think they will actually be answered?

Have you ever come face to face with a new calling or direction that God has given you and your initial response is to doubt?
I feel like Zechariah, in that sometimes God becomes too familiar to me, and when something happens out of the ordinary, it makes me extremely uncomfortable.
How is God surprising you right now, and how are you responding?

Because sometimes God gives us things when we least expect it. And that is why it would be like receiving a Christmas present in August.

Gearing up for Luke

Hey Everyone,
We have been on a little break from posting this last week.
Monday we start the Gospel of Luke. We have already read through Matthew and Mark this year, so it will be fun
to study and compare Luke's style. Matthew, Mark and Luke compose the Synoptic Gospels.

If you have not been following the readings or have fallen behind, this is a great jumping on point.

Spread the word.

I heard we might even have a new person posting next week
(oow a twist)

Sierra Prieta - Day 2 - from Marcie Doe

Today we ventured to Sierra Prieta in the morning. This is the community that MMCC will partner with through FH. Once we got out of the town of Santo Domingo the drive changed drastically. It was green countryside, trees with huge leaves, hills... beautiful. We even passed a Phillies and Mariners "training center". The boys liked that.

We met with the leaders of the community in the school as soon as we got there. So many people showed up. They are so excited to get a partnership started through FH. The school building is for primary grades (through 4th). Many children stop attending after that because it's a 2 KM walk to the 5-8 grade and high schools. They are desperate for a school that can hold the 5-8th grades and eventually a high school. The government will provide teachers if they have a school building. Several of the community leaders were 16 year old boys. One of them spoke up right away about the need for a high school. It's encouraging to see the youth so involved and actually setting an example here. They also have two small churches in the community. Sierra Prieta has about 500 kids... approx. 300 families .

After the meeting we each got the chance to meet our sponsor children.

We're off to Pizza Hut for dinner in Santo Domingo :).

Adios!

Day 1 - from Marcie Doe

Hola! We made it safe and sound to DR. We were delayed in Miami. All loaded on the plane and sat at the gate for 2 1/2 hours because a couple tried to smuggle their dog onto the plane. Really? They had a small dog in their bag and the pilot noticed it. They were escorted off the plane and then they had to find their luggage under the plane and remove it (international policy). So... that was fun.

Our group coordinator down here with Food for the Hungry (FH) is Martires. He's spent a year up in the states and his english is great. So helpful... apparently four years of high school Spanish and another in college isn't quite enough. :)

Today we went into two communities that FH has been working with and met with their leaders. FH has been with the first community (Magara) for two years. We got to see one of their summer class programs in session... they teach Bible to a group of students in a small, small "classroom". The children were studying Luke intently. Absolutely precious. When we asked them for one thing they've learned one little girl said (in Spanish:)) "That when we pray we can talk directly to God" Not gonna lie... there was a tear in my eye. Then we walked around the community. I'll post some photos next entry so you can see, but the homes were small... sometimes they had a door. There is a river that runs by the community (some boys were cooling off by skinny dipping so us ladies kept our distance) but when it rains all the area/homes that we walked around are completely under water. Most times they don't have any warning and lose everything only to start over after the waters drain. When we asked why they lived keep going back they said because there's no where else to go.

The children here are beautiful.. something about the girls' eyes. They're a deep dark brown and many have an almond shape to them. Stunning.

We ate lunch a little further in town at a little chinese place.. yea, I know right? It was kinda like Panda in our world. It felt safe. :)

FH has been in the second community (El Tamarindo) a bit longer (7 years I think). We started at the school (pictures to come) and met with their community leaders. They told us about what they're doing and why and told us what they need. We walked around the school which was actually really nice compared to what we had seen up until then. There were 4 classrooms on the bottom floor and another three or so on the second. They get 700 kids through there in a day... 700. They have two sessions and I still have NO idea how they do it. It would be interesting to see it during the school year when the kids are actually in school. Then we drove to a local church and met Pastor Antonio and his wife. They are doing amazing things. They met up with FH in 1998 after Hurricane George demolished the area. FH came for relief and was able to stay and create these relationships. Their church is tiny and they get about 250 in on a Sunday and recently did a VBS and had 500 kids! They've actually made a hole in a wall and added a concrete slab outside with a tarp and people still come. They shared how up until FH came, the church worked only within itself and now they work to serve the whole community. That's the reason for the growth.

We're back at the hotel for tonight and we'll be going to Sierra Prieta tomorrow. That is the community MMCC will be working with for the next 5-10 years. We will also be doing home visits with our sponsor children, so we'll get to meet Sandra! Exciting! Will hopefully keep you posted and have more thoughts later.

Please continue to pray for our safety and for God to continue revealing what He's doing here and how we can take part!

Dominican Republic

Day 1.5 in the Dominican Republic was great. We spent the day visiting some communities where Food for the Hungry has been active over the past 2-5 years. It is amazing to see their vision of a wholistic Gospel. I can't wait to tell you more about it. These communities are on the edge of Santo Domingo, the capital city. The living conditions are horrible. Seeing the children in these conditions breaks my heart. We'll talk more about this on Sunday. On the drive back, we saw the old city, where Christopher Columbus landed and established a city. Tomorrow, we head to Sierra Prieta. I'll try to post some pictures at mcdowellmountainchurch.com in the next couple of days.

highlighter

A couple of years ago, my accountability group took on Philippians for a month. We tried to read it every day. We tried a few different ways of studying and assimilating the material. One of the exercises that I found very helpful had to do with two highlighters. We took one color and highlighted everything that God has done or will do. With the other color, we highlighted everything we are supposed to do or think or feel or be. It is an interesting way to look at Scripture. Let's try to get a running list going - list everything that God has done or will do. Then, tomorrow, we can list everything that we are supposed to do.

Fav

What's your favorite verse from Philippians? Why?