Wish You Were Here

So much to tell... Of course, today, we are under ice and snow. Won't thaw out tomorrow. Maybe Friday. Anyway, it was a great day. For starters, Glandion Carney is here. I suspect I will blog on this later. He works with Richard Foster adn Dallas Willard; I have wanted to study with him for 9 years. He is here to lead our staff thru some deep spiritual development. So while that was happening, we also had some water laking into the basement from all the rain coming down... so we stopped and got that fixed. The Zoch boys came and shovelled snow. We all ate lunch together. I don't know how to explain this place. There's just always something happening.

There's no power at our house, so we are sleeping at the church. Air mattresses from Room in the Inn. I stopped by some of the elderly folks on our street, to see if they were ok and needed to sleep at the church, but they are all ok. The church what a great place.

O)ne of the things I have been focusing on is thankfulness for the faithfulness of the church-- all the steps and stages that brought us to the place and time where we cna have the ministry we have.

Strategery

I am proud of the kids getting together to play chess. It’s not just chess—we go down to the weight room afterwards. My great grandmother used to say plenty of people have strong minds and weak backs; plenty of people have strong backs and weak minds—you should have a strong mind and a strong back.

There are 5 kids, and I think that’s all I can handle right now. Not just because helping people look at three different chess games or playing three myself is too much, but because the weight room gets too crowded. Any chess playing weightlifters out there? We could do this in two shifts…

I guess what I want to get across to the kids, or maybe not get across to them… I suppose that I just want them to internalize some things from chess that are helpful in life. I think the main one is not to react. Chess can teach you patience. Novice or impatient players will be tempted by taking a piece easily. They don’t realize that it is either bait or it takes away their focus and forces from winning the game. Don’t react to a temptation if it keeps you from your goal. And don’t get panicky or mad if someone is pounding on you. Keep playing with focus and determination. Run what you brung. Chances are, your opponent is a “reactor,” and you’ll win just because they will self-destruct, the way you’re about to do if you don’t keep it together…

Or novice/impatient players are afraid to sacrifice a piece to advance the aim of winning. How many times have I heard one say, “if I do that, she’ll get my knight…” Yeah, but two moves later, you’ll have her king. They can’t be scared to sacrifice and work for a goal. If you play to not lose, you’ll get crushed. In chess and in life. This is why so many of the downtrodden don’t move up or forward—they are trying too hard to keep from losing ground. And many times putting in the hard work and sacrifice to go to school and work hard seems like too much for no gain… not seeing that the gain is a few moves down the road.

Last night, one of the boys came over to the house… to play chess. He stayed for two hours straight. Six games because he was getting pounded. The last two games, I made him touch every piece and show me all the possible moves, and then the moves he might make on his next turn. He was kind of mad at me at points. “Don’t react,” I said, “Think!” There are lots of choices—some meaningless, some disastrous, some ok, some leading to victory. But if he doesn’t look at every option, have a plan…

Finally, some of these kids have a hard time focusing, have a hard time thinking through. You’d think chess would be too much for them. But chess is the very thing for it. Not only will it make them think through and ahead, it will bring discipline.

Statistically, the best first move is for White to move the King’s pawn forward two spaces. They know this. When I play Black, I almost always play what’s called the French Defense. The first 5 or 6 moves of the game are almost automatic. Next week I think we’ll work through something called the Caro-Kann Defense. A new set to memorize, to set up. After that the Sicilian Defense, which I do not know much about, so we’ll learn together. They will have to recognize what each other are playing, and pull out the moves accordingly. They’ll never know that they are dealing with issues of symmetry, transposition, memorization of complex forms that will come naturally, leaving their brains open for the middle of the game where things get murky and furious—they won’t know this until it is too late and they’re having fun…

And I hope at the end I have some cunning s.o.b’s on my hands. People who think it through, who don’t react, who grab it and growl. We’re getting there. Matthew Highfill is 1-5 versus me. It should be 0-6, but he is quite wily. MK Punk still gets trashed every time, but he is going to crush me on the bench press.

Victory in Jesus

Last night, our Monday ministry was perhaps the best it has ever been.

For a few weeks, there was a problem brewing among the volunteers. I was not quick enough to see it, recognize its seriousness.

And then there were the conferences held in corners where individual gripes and anxieties became bigger then they were individually and became something it was going to be hard to pull back from.

In addressing it, we realized we had all played a part in it, and that straightforward, honest communication would have been better. And yet, it is hard, because as we were honest in the meeting, there were hurt feelings and anger. But we left it at no more gossiping and meeting again later that evening to see how we could bring all the parties together in a way that airs grievances without slamming people down.

Unfortunately, one among us decided it was time to move on. We miss this person greatly. Their work and energy were a blessing to the work.

So, we knew we had big shoes to fill. And there were others who could not make it. So it was a skeleton crew! We rolled up sleeves and got after it.

It is a difficult balance for a pastor. The apostles had to make sure that they did not get so involved in details that they missed preaching the Saving Word. And yet, last night there was no choice.

And then, this beautiful thing happened. More of the people who come to the Monday meal and service jumped in. Mary and Tina had already planned to make dessert—three wonderful cakes! Chris helped in the kitchen. Robert set up tables. The people themselves are beginning more and more to make it work.

This is the growing edge, the place where tension is really going to emerge: those who are the volunteers and leaders in the ministry are going to have to let go of those roles! The time they have put in, the effort, the work, the spirit—sometimes these things create in us “ownership.” We are comfortable in our zone, where we work. We become resentful if it seems like someone in another area does not do as we do, as much as we do, work as hard as we do. Pride takes over. We do not want anyone to come into our area, as if somehow our value, our beauty to the Lord, will be lessened if another person can or does do what we do!

So when we think that we will have to seek out a person we have ministered to and train them to take away the job that has given us a sense of value—this is hard to imagine, harder to do!

We have to keep before us the progression to, with, from. We start with ministry to. Then, as the Spirit speaks, we can do ministry with those who answer the call. Finally, we turn that ministry over; like good missionaries, we force the ministry to become “indigenous.” The ministry flows from the very people we used to do ministry to.

We are out of a job—for now. We turn the impulse of the Spirit and the command of Jesus to a new task, where we work to, with, and from.

For all the work we took on last night, for all the worry about getting too bogged down in details that I could not set about the task of making sure I am not washing dishes when I should be holding out salvation, I can rejoice. In the work of making Monday night a ministry, a man accepted Christ last night in the service. That is another story… but I’ll tell it now.

About 2 years ago, knocking on doors, I came to a house that was not fit for human habitation. I met a guy who was living in the bathroom. Honestly, folks, the landlord had blocked off a bathroom and rented the closet sized bathroom to a guy who slept in the tub.

This fellow has more tattoos on his fingers than some tattoo lovers have on their whole body. And he has an unmistakable prison tattoo on the right side of his face: a spiderweb, radiating from his eye. That day we talked a bit.

I went back a few weeks later and he was gone, the house condemned as unfit for human occupation.

He came to Monday night last week. Last night, as I preached about Jesus interceding for us, standing between us and the righteous decrees of God, this man came forward, said he needed to “change everything” and was looking to be baptized.

I will gladly wash dishes if this is the result.

New Church's First Service

So Rosario launched the new church's first service. It's called Embrace United Methodist Church. The goal is to embrace God and others.

The church meets in the Kentucky Theatre on Main Street in Lexington.

150 people showed up for the first service.

We are going to keep supporting the church with prayers, people, and resources, looking forward to the day Rosario starts a new church from the new church.

Rosario has been through a lot to get to this point. We prayed a lot, planned a lot, suffered a lot, screwed up a lot, were right a lot, too. But I guess the key piece of success is Rosario. He is an uncommon leader for the church. That is, he did not show up and think he needed to be the boss. He started by cleaning toilets in the church.

So he knows church from the bottom up. You have to be willing to be on the bottom, to start unnoticed. It's not a gimmick, a rung on the ladder, it's an attitude. A part of leadership that at one time rolls up the sleeves but also says that the work of the church is too important to be passive.

I have a link to his blog over there on the right. Check him out. And pray that the Lord grants us success. Hopefully this is but the beginning of church planting for us. We have a new bishop who planted 98 churches in 12 years in Georgia. It may be that we are primed to see revival in Lexington and Lentucky!

Amazing Chicken

Ok, so it's not like I'm the frugal gourmet or anything, but...

I bought a $6 chicken at Kroger a few weeks ago. We roasted it. My family ate two meals off it.

I froze the carcass.

Friday afternoon, we made stock with it, added veggies and 1 lb of barley.

20 people ate well Friday night.

So 28 people off one chicken.

I realize more and more how much I should have paid attention to my mom in the kitchen. I am way behind the learning curve.

No Stress Chess

My mom told me about this product, No Stress Chess. It's a chess set, with a twist. It has a bunch of cards you play with. Each card has a piece, and you have to move that piece. It tells you how the piece moves. The theory is that you by pass a huge learning curve in chess-- learning the complicated moves. You just do them as the card shows. It takes some strategy away, of course, but it really does teach the moves quickly. After 5 games now, John and Joe both not only know how the Knight moves but can see possibilities of capture with it-- which takes a while to develop.

Anyway if you are looking to teach anyone chess, I recommend it! I have two boys who have (for the time being) quit watching Sponge Bob to play chess. They keep asking me to play! I think it can work for older folks, too. I have started a chess club at the church, and there are some middle school kids who have never played, so we'll see.

I am interested that some of the kids who are written off at school as ADHD or just hard to deal with b/c they can't focus will sit and play chess with me for an hour or two. Just a thought.

Jesus First: One More Thing

You're going to have to decide you're going to do it anyway, even if it doesn't pay.

If you can't make that decision, you will, as John Wesley said, "be beholden to those with money; and then, farewell Methodist Doctrine!"

Jesus First

I don’t know any gentle way to say what follows.

How dedicated are you to Jesus?

Is it only when it’s convenient?

When the weather is nice?

Or when the weather is bad (because in nice weather, you need to be out doing something)?

When you feel like it?

When you wake up with that good feeling and God seems like some more fuzzy?

When you desperately need help and all human resources are gone?

When you’re not sleeping in?

How dedicated are you to Jesus?

Tonight, it was below freezing, spitting snow and rain. I was driving the bus for the kids. There, crossing Broadway at Loudon were Jazmen and Deneisha. Jazmen has cerebral palsy, is in a wheelchair. She rolls to church Wednesday and Sunday. No matter the weather.

She and Deneisha just want Jesus. They want to be around Jesus’ people more than Jesus’ people want that. I do not know anyone who wants it more. I need a truck that we can get her wheelchair in so she won’t have to freeze on the way.

They froze on the way.

Plenty of people will be warm and comfortable staying away.

Jazmen and Deneisha can’t give any money. And yet, we need them more than we need anyone with money but any less dedication than them.

It’s funny; George Strunk explained the “death spiral” to me. It’s when a church starts growing, adds staff to add programs and then has to raise more money to get more staff for more programs. It’s a death spiral because generally speaking, you don’t grow with sold-out Christians. Mostly, they are occasional worshippers, not involved in much. They give sporadically, but tend to receive ministry at high levels from staff and programming. So you have to get a lot of them to support the staff and programs that you attracted them with. The trick is to stay a few steps ahead of the death spiral. (And here my topological metaphor is no doubt crashing. But you get the point.)

There is a way off the spiral. It’s the downward way of Jesus, and all you need are the Jazmens and Deneishas.

This is what Monday Night Looks Like

Ok, so you have heard me go on about Monday night ministry at The Rock La Roca. Here are some pictures of it. It is a beuatiful, mad thing! This is a long post. But I hope you take a look and get a taste!


Leo, doing what else? Makin' coffee!!


John Owen, in the pantry (what he calls Bill and Barb's store). Empty shelves in the background! We really pound it out, y'all! Please contribute to our food pantry. Times are hard and people are hungry. I can vouch for them!



John Owen, with one of his best buds, Barb Demoline, the aforementioned Barb of Bill and Barb's store.


Bill MacDonald, of Bill and Barb fame, helping a friend.


One of our core commitments is to make things as nice and attractive as possible. Barb Demoline, Ruth Stewart, and Judy Lyon have gone to great lengths to clean clothes, create potential outfits, and set them out as nicely as possible.


Food boxes ready to go out! This is a labor of love! Bill MacDonald gets here about 11 a.m., goes to God's Pantry to get our food, then starts work on packing the boxes.


Kenny, chief cook and bottle washer; a guy from the neighborhood guy who looks to start a catering operation! and Sharon, a long time member who can flat out cook and is game for anything.


This one blows me away. Jenny and Gentry are new to our church. It's her birthday, and she wanted to come serve here before they went out!


Melissa, Joe Joe, and everybody's favorite baby, Kaitlyn!


The people!


Martina and Kenny in a conspiracy of service!


This may be my favorite image of the night! Judy Lyon. She is Bob's wife; he was my favorite seminary professor, and she was a "mother in Israel" to many of us. She cleans up and pretties the place up with some great place mats! One woman asked her if she could take some of the place mats home, because her place is dingy and could use some brightening up! Judy has know my boys from before they were born. What a place to be in ministry!



Ruth in the background. Michael Hughes, head dishwasher. His wife, Becca, is right behind him. They came to us because they heard about our crazy garden ministry. And now they feed people! Ha!

Joe Joe attacked by a wave

I am reposting this because many people did not know this is a video. Click on the play button beneath the picture...

Prophecy Fulfilled

At the beginning of 2008, Iosmar Alvarez, Eliseo Mejia and I had lunch. We began to pray and prophesy. 2008 was going to be a breakthrough year for our ministries.

It was madness. It sure did not look like 2008 was going to be anything but humiliation and the fulfillment of the prophecies that said I was running this place into the ground. The Rock was down to about 200 in worship. But even below the surface, the places where the pastor's eye sees, it wasn't good. Serious dissent and division. Hidden or not-so-hidden agendas behind smiles. Gossip, strife. People leaving.

As the year went on, it got worse. The numbers picked up, but beneath the surface, and often bubbling up to the surface, was ugliness. More gossip and strife. Attempts to attack and undermine. More people leaving.

But then, in the summer, it all broke apart. Next thing we knew, we have a new, united service on Sunday morning. An evangelistic outreach service on Monday nights. A more thorough-going ministry to the poor, building relationships not just handing out help or creating mascots out of the two or three poor folks we knew. The garden was better than ever. Sunday Schools started up. A new church coming together in the Woodland Park/Downtown area. And then, we hit 400 people in weekly worship.

The Holy Spirit brings revival and withholds revival, so don't look at me to figure out some new strategy or great plan to make this work somewhere else. I run what I brung and trust God for the rest. So I won't ask for another lunch at Chili's to make outrageous predictions for 2009.

May we be used by God for whatever He knows is best. If it is for glory, so be it. For dishonor in the eyes of the world, I love it.