Just trying to help…

If you read this week’s “Ask the Pastor” question and my response, you might enjoy this photo.

Now you know what about 2,500 piercings looks like.

Reminder

I just now read this and boy, is it ever something we need to remember!  Especially in a world like ours, with so much stress and so much need for margin in our lives (don’t miss the next installment this weekend!) – we just really need to remind ourselves of Deuteronomy 14:2.

That’s all….just stop what you’re doing for a moment to reflect on that truth.

Ask the Pastor

Another ‘sticky’ one came in this week, as someone asked, “What are your thoughts on tattoos and what I will call extreme body piercing? I know what the Old Testament says but what about the New Testament?”

First, I think the New Testament is relatively silent on this issue, unless you count 1Cor. 6:19-20.  Now that passage speaks to me, but I’d be the first to admit that it probably wouldn’t speak to someone who is inclined to want tattoos or extreme body piercing.

You asked for my thoughts, so I’ll give them.  I’m old-fashioned.  You know I grew up in an ultra-conservative, legalistic church with all sorts of dress codes that we called ‘holiness standards’.  Many times I’ve wished we could somehow have a little compromise between what seems to be accepted in today’s church with the church of my youth.  But I digress.

Honestly, I don’t like tattoos or piercings.  We’ve had more than one ‘debate’ with our own children about them….won a few and lost a few.  But from a Biblical standpoint, I don’t feel I have adequate support from the Scriptures to forbid them at CLC.  I would just appeal to anyone considering either to also prayerfully consider 1Cor 6:19-20 and examine their heart-motive for ‘wanting’ the tattoo or the piercing.

I think I’ve said enough to displease a lot of folks on both sides of this issue. 

Anyone else have a question for the Pastor?

2 questions

Well, the holiday is just about over….I’m ready to hit the sack to get some sleep before attacking my day tomorrow, which is always one of my busiest, with several meetings already scheduled, but I’ve got two questions to ask after this weekend’s opening message about ‘margins’:

1.  What are you going to say ‘NO’ to this week?

2.  How (specifically) are you going to do less and trust God more?

Unless we’re applying what we heard, the message is having no affect – and I think the affect will be even greater if you’ll share here so other CLCers can be inspired by your example.  What’s your answer?

weekend reflections

 I can’t remember when we last tackled such a seemingly-unspiritual-yet-practical-and-very-needed-subject as our new “Margins” series.  Nor can I remember when we had so much FUN together as the 9am service in Tinley Park.  (Dunno why it was so different than the other services?)  And I really don’t remember when I last had as many comments from folks who felt the message was ‘just for them’.  In fact, it’s the first time I ever recall a line of folks waiting to get the CD of my teaching.  (can’t help but notice how you line up for our guest speakers…)  Wait, some of you won’t realize that was intended to make you smile – but that’s all it was; I’m not jealous, I promise!

The other huge surprise for me was at the close of that 9am service, at how sweet and real the Presence of the Lord moved in the room.  It caught me completely off-guard, but it makes me know how much HE wants us to create some space in our lives so He can use us.

Afterwards, I enjoyed a little margin in my life…relaxed on the couch, read a little bit, sat on the deck with Chris, played with our dogs, watched a little TV news and just now took in some of the Florida Outpouring with Todd Bentley live on God TV.  (By the way, if you want my opinion, it certainly looks unconventional but it sure seems genuine to me – and I praise God for the many reported miracles there, even as I say, “Do it here, Lord!”)

Hope you have a great Memorial Day tomorrow and perhaps use the day off as an opportunity to talk with your family about creating some margin in your lives this summer.  In fact, let’s get it started with a forum here: what idea do you have about creating some margin in your life?  (Please share it with us here and help others in the process)

Ask the Pastor

This week I had another fun question from a CLCer who wants to know what I’d be doing if I wasn’t a pastor; i.e., what profession do I think God had predestined for me if I hadn’t accepted the call to ministry?

Believe it or not, I’ve never been asked that before, and honestly hadn’t given a lot of thought to it.  (When you start preaching at 15, you don’t know how to do anything else!)

One of my math teachers in high school had encouraged me to become an actuary, because of my math aptitude – and I do enjoy working with numbers and stats to this day, but I honestly don’t think I would have been fulfilled in that field.

While I never studied journalism, I do think that might have been a possibility, because I do enjoy putting words together and I’ve always been interested in what’s happening in the world around me.  With my penchant for travel, the opportunity to visit places as a ‘roving reporter’ sounds like fun.

But in all honesty, I think I am doing the only thing I was predestined to do, and if I hadn’t accepted the call to ministry, I would be out of my ‘assignment’ and my ‘gifts’ wouldn’t flourish, as Bishop Tudor taught us all so well last weekend.

Enough about me….what do you think about me…NO, I didn’t mean that…..what I want to know is are you using your gifts in the proper assignment?

Got questions you want to ask the pastor?  Submit them here.

Prince Caspian

If you plan to see the movie, but haven’t yet, STOP READING THIS

I’m serious.  I don’t want to spoil it for you.

I went with my family this week to see it, and 3 things really stood out for me:

• I stayed awake for the entire film!  Now, that may not mean much to you, but my family considers it a minor miracle.  I call it the law of sowing & reaping – because when I was a kid, I used to make fun of my dad for falling asleep in the front of the television almost every night.  I am especially susceptible when you put me in a soft chair in a dark room with a sci-fi or fantasy-type movie on the screen!

Now for my favorite take-aways:

1.  At one point, the youngest girl asked Aslan (the Lion who represents Christ) why He hadn’t done something the way she was expecting, and He replied, “I never do things the same way twice”.  Bingo!  I’m learning that walking with the Lord is truly like that; I cannot afford to go on auto-pilot and expect that God will always do things the same way – that’s why it’s called walking by faith; following Him to see what He’ll do next.

2.  Near the end of the film, all of the main characters were bowing before Aslan when He said, “Rise up, Kings and Queens of Narnia!”, and they all did except Prince Caspian, who stayed on his knees.  Aslan then said, “All of you…”, to which Prince Caspian looked up sheepishly and said, “I don’t think I’m ready to be a king yet”.  Aslan replied, “It’s for that very reason that I know that you are!”

I wanted to stand up & cheer!  It’s a Kingdom-principle that C.S. Lewis obviously understood, and Bishop Tudor Bismark talked about last Sunday – the way of the Kingdom is the way of humility and submission.  Good stuff!

What was your favorite part of the movie?

small world

We’ve all used that term when we meet someone from our hometown, etc., but I’m thinking of how the internet is shrinking our world.  Earlier today I had a phone call from a 52-year old church planter in Tacoma, WA.  He basically just wanted to know a little more about us and explained that he found a podcast of my sermon on “Invest & Invite” during the ‘Paint the Town Red’ series, and had been listening to our messages and keeping up with our website ever since.

He really touched me with his kind remarks, especially after I learned his 6-month-old church already averages 150 in attendance each week AND serves another 600 people in community outreach through their Food Bank distribution!

He closed the call by telling me his church prays for one other church each Sunday in their services (how neat is that!) and he wanted permission to have his folks pray for CLC the first Sunday in June (permission granted!)

Many have stated that the Reformation movement was only possible because of breakthrough in technology (the printing press) and it’s enough to make me wonder what all God has in mind for our generation because of the internet.  This I know: it wasn’t created for pornography!

If you’re reading this, Pastor Danny Thomas, thanks for making my day!

Out of my mind…

That’s exactly what Paul said in 2Cor 11:23-28.  It was part of my devotional reading recently, and I was so struck by his ‘boastings’ to prove that he was a servant of Christ – especially in light of today’s ‘Americanized‘ Christianity and our comfortable Gospel.

I don’t know that any of us will ever be called upon to suffer for the name of Jesus as Paul did, although I do believe persecution will again come to The Church (as it already does in several countries around the world).  But mostly I hope that I can truly be out of my mind, which normally seeks comfort & convenience, and have the mind of Christ, which would prefer suffering over compromise.

And I’m especially concerned about our lackadaisical commitment compared to the Apostle.  Don’g get me wrong: I don’t want us to suffer; I just pray that all of us would be willing if called upon, rather than giving up our faith.  Go back and read his list of ‘credentials’ again.

What has it cost you to serve the Lord?

Weekend reflections

Where do I start?  This was an extra-full weekend, with several highlights:

• MEGA (our quarterly gathering of key leaders from all 3 CLC campuses) : it was really neat for everyone to get to visit the Shorewood campus (many for the first time) and Dan & Pat Johnson were great hosts for us.  We revisited the vision of CLC that drives everything we do; we can’t say it often enough or repeat it in enough different ways if we intend to fulfill the vision as we expand.
• Saddened by the report that one of our young men in South Bend had slipped into a coma – another reminder that all of us only have so many days, and I want to live a life of ‘no regrets’!
• Sure had fun preaching Saturday night – if you weren’t there, you really oughta get the podcast, if I do say so myself – lots of energy and certainly a new slant on a familiar Bible story.
• Was the band/choir in Tinley Park ever any hotter than today?  My goodness, the Presence of the Lord was strong in the house in both services – what a set-up for Bishop Tudor to minister with liberty!
• Speaking of Bishop Tudor Bismark, I’ve never heard him any better than he was today – so insightful with Scripture, so apostolic in teaching us practical truth; so helpful to us personally – I loved it!
• And tonight…uncomfortable but timely…embarrassing but needed…powerful and yet practical.  Bishop gave us a number of corporate and personal ‘words’ that I believe will release new operations of the Spirit among us and lead us into some very fruitful pastures in the near future!
• One last thing – our first attempt at doing a ‘simulcast’ service in South Bend was a roaring success, according to Campus Pastors Chris & Amber Payne.  They reported that the small group who gathered in South Bend worshipped right along with us, cheered & shouted when we asked South Bend to respond, and thoroughly enjoyed Bishop right along with those of us in Tinley Park – I’m blown away at what technology now enables us to do.
• That’s it…a long but satisfying day and now I’m headed to bed. G’night!

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