oasisCHURCH

Some thoughts on disagreement… As

Some thoughts on disagreement…

As I was pondering the past week, this question entered my mind… what gives me the idea that my interpretations and convictions are exactly accurate? What makes me think that I have a special track to the mind of God and therefore know precisely what He desires for His church? I’ll tell you what gives me the idea… a mixture of both, confidence and arrogance.

Yes, I am confident in my convictions and in what I believe God wants me to be as a member of His church. But if that confidence should ever lead me to believe that my way is the only way to be the church, then it is no longer confidence… it is arrogance.

Is it okay if someone disagrees with one or more of my ideas? Is it okay if I disagree with you? Can we still fellowship together? Can you still be my brother… and even serve beside me in the same fellowship of believers as the church? I hope so.

To further explore this thought… this past week there were a few instances where my wife April and I came to a disagreement. There are some things on which we do not see eye-to-eye. Not many, but some nonetheless. How can this be? We are married! We are united! We are ONE! We are a family! Is it possible that two people can be in the same family, have leadership over the same children, and also have disagreement? Of course it is. As long as those disagreement do not compromise the essentialness of our love and the bonds that hold us together. Some things are just not essential. Some things are okay to just let be… to agree to disagree.

Agreeing to disagree has become one of the greatest lessons I have learned over the past year or two. I’ve learned that not everyone is going to think the way I think. Not everyone is going to get excited about the same things that excite me. Not everyone is going to have the same convictions I have. And most of all I have learned that all of those things are okay. It’s okay.

At the end of the day when I kiss my wife all that is important is that I love her and she loves me. We have committed our lives to one another. We have committed to serve one another unselfishly. We have committed to be united in that love and devotion. We are one… regardless of whatever disagreements we have.

And at the end of time when we all stand together to meet our Creator all that will be important is that we love and know Jesus, and that He knows us. There have been many different ways people in the world have come to know Christ’s love. And there are many different ways people have committed to serve Him and express love back to Him. Whether we disagree or agree with each and every one of those ways is not important. Here’s what’s important… knowing and loving Jesus.

As long as we don’t disagree on that, we’re fine.

Last night April and I

Last night April and I went out to eat with several of the pastors from Meigs County, particularly Middleport. It was the Middleport Ministerial Association’s belated Christmas party, and my old friend (pastor, and mentor) Al Hartson from the Middleport Church of Christ invited me to be part of their fellowship. It was a wonderful time. We had a chance to hang out and have good conversation with Al and Donna (Al’s wife), and also meet some of the other men and women who are praying for, serving, and laboring in Meigs County.

There are some good people who strongly desire the kingdom of God to come to Middleport in many ways. I sensed a unity among those church leaders. It was exciting.

A friend sent me an

A friend sent me an article yesterday that I had an opportunity to read during my lunch period. It was on the issue of church growth. The author (Mike Bishop) deals with three primary areas on which the community of believers he fellowships with focuses… prayer, parables, and parties. The paragraph below is taken from his commentary and experience of praying for church growth.

In the absence of building programs, 45-minute sermons three times a week, and an “outreach ministry,” there is prayer. The “wrestling match” to which (Eugene) Peterson refers (in his book “The Contemplative Pastor”) is not the hand-wringing sessions most prayer meetings resemble. “Oh God, our culture is so bad. Why are people not coming to our church service anymore? Please bless our next outreach program so we can advance your kingdom.” Instead of asking God to bless our programs, we should be trying to bless His. This takes a willingness to do two things: ask and wait. Our community has grown through having times of prayer that include more silence than prayer. We are trying to learn corporately the ancient (and anti-Western) discipline of solitude and silence. As we’ve grown in our ability to hear God’s voice, we’ve found a few simple prayers that have been helpful:

· “God, what have you created us to be in our community?”

· “How can we represent your Kingdom in our jobs, families, circles of friends, and neighborhoods?”

· “Make us aware of your rule and reign today in every situation.”

· “Lead us to men and women of peace that will provide contact with the world in places where your Spirit is working.” (See Luke 10)

I have been encouraged every day to read, speak with, or email people who are being rearranged in their passions and desires for church body life in much the same ways God is rearranging me. Literally, every day I am meeting like-minded people in one way or another.

Today was a pretty normal

Today was a pretty normal day. Here's how a normal day goes for me in 2003.

I get up around 5:30 a.m., shower and prepare to leave for school. I have determined that I do not want to do school work whenever the kids are awake, and thus cut into time I could be spending with them. So, I try to get all my lesson plans completed either during the day at school or early in the morning. Because of this I am usually one of the first teachers to arrive at the school building each day (I am such a nerd).

It takes me approximately 30 minutes to get to Eastern High School. Usually I try to dedicate this time alone in the car to having conversation with God, but sometimes I will turn on K-92 The Frog and try to catch who's having birthdays that day.

Currently I am teaching my literature students how to do proper research using the MLA (Modern Language Association) style of documentation. This is sort of a grueling process, but I kind of enjoy it (again, I am such a nerd). After school I have been sticking around to help with some off-season workouts with the baseball team. I will probably end up being an assistant coach for EHS with an emphasis on working with the pitching staff. The weather has been great the last couple of days and so we actually have been able to throw some balls outside. It feels good to coach. I really love it. I love baseball.

Usually I will arrive back at our home in The Plains around 4:30 p.m. or so. Depending on what day it is, I値l either get to invest a fun evening with my immediate family, or with my church family.

Life is good.

The secret is out. It's

The secret is out. It's something, I have to admit, that I had always wondered about in the back of my mind... yet I never allowed myself to entertain the thought. To entertain this thought might give the impression that I have lost my mind. To entertain this thought might give an impression that I am one of those anti-organized-religion-types who always sounds angry and never has anything positive to say. To entertain this thought might suggest that I have backslidden, and am in need of much prayer and restoration. Some may even go as far as to say I am a heretic.

But here it goes. The cat is out of the bag. The secret is out. It's a secret most full-time pastors are scared to death to entertain...

YOU CAN BE A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT GOING TO CHURCH.

I can't believe I said it. But it is true. Being a Christian is to be the church. You can never GO to church. You are just part of it. You are called to be part of the church wherever you go, wherever you live, wherever you work, wherever you eat, wherever you shop, etc, etc, etc...

Oh, and one more thing before I say goodbye for the evening. Don't worry about me. I really haven't lost it. I am not a heretic. I just believe that people who are growing to know the living Christ will also, as an automatic response, desire real and meaningful relationships and connections (fellowship) with other believers. And those connections may come in a variety of ways. So don't worry about those people who have decided to just be the church everywhere they happen to be rather than do the church routine and schedule of programs.

Here it is. My first

Here it is. My first personal blog! I have more to say than I have time for, but I will certainly write more later. The whole family is heading out the door to drive to Middleport to fellowship with the church that meets in Mike and Sharon Stewart's house (my mom and dad).

More to come. I am excited to share this blog page with you.