sparks

I received a phone call today from a dear friend that I haven't seen in a few years; Fred Weber. I was on a search committee once, looking for a Minister of Music and Fred's resume caught our attention. I can't remember why his stood out over the rest, but it just did. What concerned us the most about calling him for an interview, was that he and his family lived in Texas. And, after a few conversations on the phone, I got the chance to meet him and his family face to face......and there was just something about him. Obviously, his love of music; but I think it was more his desire to bring out the gift of music from within everyone who had a part in the music ministry; from the children's choirs, all the way to the Adult Choir. He didn't just want singers and musicians in the choirs; Fred was always looking for ways to let individuals discover a gift that God had given them, and then would allow them to use that gift in the church. I was one of those individuals. I sang in the choir. I rehearsed each week. Fred would challenge me with a small solo part, once in a while. He gave me a chance to play my guitar and lead the music for the early service. Fred was excited when he discovered that I had been playing with a few musicians in the church, and that we had played at some area church events. He gave us an opportunity to play in a service........more than once.
I have always enjoyed playing music in a band of some sort. I enjoy playing Christian music live. When Fred let that combination come together in a church setting; a spark started to become a flame. It was like......for the first time.....I was being used by God to be a part of something bigger than me. Bigger than a choir robe. Bigger than special music for the offering time. Bigger than a solo. Almost too big to grasp, but worth the trying. Excitement grew inside me, and the flame became a call; a call to search out God and to reach out to grasp His hand, and lead me to where I am suppose to be...........leading worship. And what I have come to realize, is that, what I thought was a burning flame; is just another spark......a bigger spark than before, but still a spark. A new spark. And every week, the singers and musicians, that join me to lead High Rock in worship, fan that spark and it is getting bigger. I remember the first spark 4 years ago here at HRCC, and I have seen the flames of worship get bigger and bigger. But, I haven't forgotten the spark that Fred helped me to discover years before that. And I have been blessed ever since. Thanks Fred.

UnChristian

I apologize for not posting sooner. I mentioned in my last blog that I did some reading while on vacation, and I wrote that I would tell more about what I read in my next blog. Now that I have kept you checking for two weeks; only to be dissappointed again and again, here ya' go. I had been reading a book entitled, UnChristian. A lot of it is filled with statistics from the Barna Group about how different groups of people view Christians. I guess by the title, you probably know how we are viewed.........we are not very Christian in their definition of what a Christian should be like; how we act toward others; how we treat others; how we accept, or don't accept certain people. I know......I know. It doesn't sound like the kind of book that is going to be very encouraging for us, as believers in Jesus Christ, but I have to say......it spoke very loud to me, and I found encouragement from it. Let me explain:
I had been reading one day about how a pretty large percentage of people were questioned about what they thought was missing, or lacking in the personality of a "Christian". Their response was that we (Christians) don't really care so much about the person, as much as we care about "chalking up another one for the Kingdom"(my paraphrase). That hurt at the time. But, the more I thought about it; the more I started looking inside and asking myself.....is this true? How can I know if I am like this statement? Now the surprise.....God must have been reading along with me, because he gave me a chance to experience if I was UnChristian.
A thunder storm came through Hilton Head and knocked out our cable. So I, like any other vacationer would do, called the maintenance office to report it. I let them know that I didn't need them to come and fix this right away. Its late Friday; around 5:30, and I just wanted them to know that it wasn't working, and they may need to get it fixed before the next family comes in and finds it not working. I mean, I have my family with me.......we have books to read, places to go, PS2, and board games. We can survive. 10 minutes later, Hugh shows up at our door.......to fix our cable. I help him move some furniture to get to all the wiring. we both struggle for quite a while, and he determines that the cable box is fried. He doesn't have that piece, and only the cable company can fix it, but he says that he will stay there and wait til they can come.......it may be a few hours. I explain that we are fine; we don't need the cable; he doesn't need to wait. This surprised him. I wasn't the typical visitor he comes in contact with. I asked him why he was working so late on a Friday. He told me that he was wanting to call it a day at 6:00 so he could drive to Columbia, almost 3 hours away, to see his brother in the hospital with cancer. Hugh is the only one in their family with the same blood-type as his brother. He helps to give his brother a little more time here on earth with his family..........Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. "What are you doing here working on my cable?" I told him to go.....leave.....this is his brother......family comes first. We continued talking as we went outside to his service van. He kept saying, "I have never met anyone like you". I asked if I could pray for him, and his brother, and he gave me the strangest look. I told him that I was a pastor and that I would like to pray with him. So, there at his van.........in the parking lot......in public......we prayed.......and Hugh cried. Then he gave me one of those big, long hugs........saying, "I've never met anyone like you".
May we live and act in such a way that others say, "I've never met anyone like you". May we become more Christ-like. If you read the Bible close enough........you will see that a lot of people "had never met anyone like Him".

Back home

I haven't blogged recently for the simple fact that I was on vacation with my family; Karen, Joshua, Kristen, and her husband, Marshall. We always have a good time when we go away as a family, and this year was no exception. We enjoyed a restful week in Hilton Head, SC. This was the third time that we have vacationed in Hilton Head, and we have enjoyed each trip. This year was no different. We had a nice place to stay; the pool was never overcrowded; the beach is wide and calm; the food is excellent; and everything is so clean. Every time I take a vacation, or even just some time off, I carry along a book, or two. My plan is usually to relax and read at some point during this week. When Kristen and Joshua were younger, reading did not happen. Vacations were constant go...go...go. And I soaked that time up like a sponge. I am a go...go...go type person. So, to even think about a vacation as a time to relax......are you kidding? But times, they do change. And I did sit, relax, and read. (I'll tell what I read in another blog.)
I'm sure a lot of you reading this will agree that the hardest part about a vacation is going home. You know that you need to get back home, but when you do, you are just so tired. Have you ever heard the statement, "I need a vacation to rest up from my vacation"? Yeah; you know the saying. I know I've said it before. It's kind of like jet-lag. "It's good to be back home, but I could sure use some time off now." Right? This vacation was not like that. I had a great time. I got the chance to do some things with the people that I love;my family........oh yeah, and relax.
And now, I'm back home. I'm not tired. I don't need time off to recover from a vacation. Why? I'm not sure. Could it be that in the past, like a lot of people, I looked at life as work and when we look at life that way, we don't want to come back home from vacation. We don't really want to recover, we just don't want to go back to a life that is work. Maybe we should look at life the way we look at a vacation......fun and relaxing. There is always a chance to do something with people that you love to be around. And, we should enjoy the opportunities that we get to relax, and take advantage of them.
So, what did I do when I got back home?.........I headed to church for rehearsal; a chance to do something with people I love to be around.......Praise!!

I saw the wall

What an amazing weekend!! What a good series of messages we have just finished up!! 'ESH....on fire for God. Jon did such a good job with helping us all see the effects of 'ESH in our lives, and if your were at the baptism service by the lake Sunday afternoon, you got to see those effects. The results of a series ending with a message on baptism, followed up by a message describing what can be accomplished if we do our "section of the wall" that we have been entrusted with, hit so close to home this weekend. I sat in the services this weekend, and was constantly reminded that there is a section of the wall of HRCC that I am responsible for. I have been stationed by God at this part of the wall for His purpose. Sometimes I forget where I am suppose to stand; what I am suppose to do; what the wall looks like. This weekend......I saw the wall. I know what it looks like......it looks like you; the people of HRCC. I know now what I am suppose to do....I am suppose to build you up with encouragement, thanksgiving, and love. I need to stand on both sides of the wall. On one side to support you, and on the other side to defend and protect you.
All this became so clear Sunday afternoon as I was out in the water waiting for the baptisms to start. From my vantage point, I got to see each person that was preparing to come into the lake to be baptised; each family member, and close friend trying to get in position for that special photo taking opportunity; each church member moving around to see the newest additions to God's family; people scrambling for a closer look;......and then.....I realized the size of this wall, and it is big.....and getting bigger; and I start to feel smaller in comparison......"Who am I?" "God, are You sure?" "Is this really happening?" "I don't think I am capable.." "This wall is big!" Then, God sends out a young boy.....Hunter. He has decided that he wants to be baptised.... today. So, I talk to him; ask him why he wants to be baptised, which he answered with much assurance; we say the sinner's prayer, and he is baptised.
Hunter was God's reminder to me that I am not working on my section of the wall alone. There are other laborers doing God's work. Some are parents; some are grandparents; co-workers; close friends; neighbors; laborers that give their whole heart to building this wall we call High Rock Community Church. And because of the hard work, prayers, and sacrifices of everyone at HRCC, we had an afternoon where we experienced God's victory. It was great.
So, now on to the next section of the wall. See ya' there.

Pastors luncheon

Almost every Monday, I receive a reminder, by e-mail, of a weekly pastors luncheon. I am informed of the time and the location for the luncheon, and am encouraged to come and be a part of this time with fellow pastors. As you can probably guess, sometimes I look forward to this luncheon, sometimes I don't (sorry, but I'm just being honest). I have been in church for a long time, and I have made friends with a lot of pastors through the years, and when I hear them talk about going to a pastors luncheon, it's all the same......all they do is complain. "The people aren't responding"; "I feel so drained from working so hard"; "I don't believe they care about me at all"; and the list goes on. I guess you can see my reason for not always looking forward to a luncheon with pastors. Don't get me wrong; these guys are friends, and partners in the ministry of sharing the love of Christ, but can't we have some fun at luncheons; like this past Tuesday.
I thought that there was a good turn out this week for the luncheon, and everyone seemed to be in a very good mood. Not the usual, "Man, I had a tough weekend". There was so much conversation going on, and laughing, that I just took a moment to listen and try to decipher what all was being said. Here's a sample......"I couldn't believe what I saw on a billboard about your church. I had to turn around and read it again." "..and at the end of the service, five people gave their lives to the Lord." "I saw 700 people come to the Lord while on my trip to Africa." "He was a 94 year old preacher that remembered when he would place a pistol on the pulpit beside his Bible before he preached." "If someone came into our church and tried to steal the offering, 15 people would be injured in the cross-fire." "When I shared the story of Ray and Que to the inmates on Thursday night, they stood and applauded." And it continued for the whole meal. I enjoyed every minute of it. These pastors.....these men were having a wonderful time sharing stories all across the length of the table, and laughing so loud that I am sure everyone else in the restaurant knew we were there. And when we left.....each one of us left.......encouraged, and ready to face whatever may lay ahead for us, because we know that we are not alone. There are others.....just like us.
Hey Ronnie, shouldn't your blogs be more, how should say this....biblically based? I thought it was.....Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Noise is life

This has been a very busy week at HRCC. Not only are we preparing the services for the coming weekend at 3 campuses, but here at the Salisbury Campus, we are preparing for the 4 year anniversary of High Rock Community Church. There have been phone calls to companies to line up the inflatable games for children (and some adults), tents and staging for the music, tables and chairs; phone calls to individuals in the church family to set up volunteer times for serving during the event; e-mails and faxes to confirm even the smallest details. And with everything that was going on, and everything that was discussed in staff meetings; something was missing. I couldn't get it out of my mind. Something was missing. I thought about it for a few days, and still couldn't figure it out.

This is the fourth year since this church was launched, and we have had a celebration each year. The church family comes together and we just have fun. We invite friends to come and have fun with us. We eat, play, laugh, sing, sweat, and serve at about 100 mph, and we don't even think about how worn out we get until a few days later......when we can just sit and relax in the quiet.

Quiet?........THAT'S IT! You can't appreciate quiet until you have experienced the noise. The whole time that we celebrate, there is a noise. It gradually gets louder as more and more of us show up for the celebration. And this is not an irritating noise. This noise is life. This noise is love. The love that we as believers share with an Almighty God; the love that we share with each other; the love that explodes when we come together to celebrate what God has been doing so far at High Rock Community Church.

Noise was the "something" that was missing this week. That's what I was missing....the noise.....life. And it showed up Thursday. There was noise happening Thursday at the church. Phones were ringing; volunteers were working and laughing; children were playing and having a great time; people were dropping by the church with supplies and questions about where they could help out this weekend; errands were being run at the last minute; excitement was building; "What have we forgotten?" questions were being asked. Noise......Life.....Love. Now it was beginning to feel like an HRCC anniversary event. Now we have noise. Now we have life. Now we have love.
There will be people that will be very tired after this weekend, and they will long for that recliner under the ceiling fan, and some quiet. Me?.........I'll take the noise......any day.

25:11

I am sure a lot of us who have attended church for a fairly significant amount of time, have at one time, or another, heard a teacher or Pastor speak about "running a race" in our Christian journey. There are several places in the Bible where a race is used as an example for the readers and listeners to better understand this journey that we are all on. I have heard comments about how "the race is not for the swift"(Ecc. 9:11), how "that in a race all the runners run"(I Cor. 9:24), how we should "persevere in this race"(Heb. 12:1), and how we should "finish the race"(II Tim. 4:7). Recently, I have lived these scriptures. I ran in a race. Not a marathon, but a 5K race. I'm from the old school, so let's say it was 3.1 miles.
I had started running when I left UPS, to stay in shape, and to make my doctor happy. My son, Joshua, is a "runner". He ran Cross Country in High School and College, and he still runs. He is the one that has convinced me that a 5K (3.1 miles) is not that hard of a run......and I believed him. Anyway, I had stopped running so much this year, till he said that I needed to run in this upcoming 5K race in China Grove. So.........I began to train. I ran for 6 days over 2 weeks, and he assures me that I am ready to run. "It is an easy course.....just straight down the street and back.....it's at night......no big turns, or hills." So I race. I don't remember a lot about the last half mile. It was so hot. Sweat was in my eyes, and my legs were killing me. After I had poured a bottle of water over me, and laid on the ground to try and recover from the intense leg cramps I was having.......here comes Joshua..............."See, that was easy." I am just trying to walk, and he is smiling. Joshua doesn't say a whole lot, but when he smiles......that means he is proud of Pops.
Like I said........I lived those passages of scripture. I'm not swift.......and everybody did run......oh, there was some perseverance......and I did finish the race......in 25:11, but I realized something very important that we sometimes overlook when we read these scriptures.....We are not running this race alone. I didn't run that race the other night alone; Joshua was right beside me cheering me on. He could have run that race in a time around 17 minutes, if not quicker when he is in shape; but he chose to run with me.......a beginner. He coached me through the mile markers; he encouraged me to run through the cramps; he told me when and where to pass people; how to make the turn-around and not lose time; he poured water on me at the 2 mile marker; he challenged me.........and he stood with me as I received my 3rd place medallion. I was never alone in this race.
We are never alone in this race that we call life, either. We may not be the swiftest of all the runners in the race; it may take us longer than some, but we will persevere, and we will finish this race that Christ has marked out for us. And the best part is........He is running with us. He knows our hurts and pains; He knows the adrenaline rush we feel when we move ahead; He celebrates with us. We are never alone. See you at the finish line.