a winnowing moment

Where is the 'place' where we truly meet Jesus? Did it happen 'all at once' for you, or was it a cumulative thing which happened over time?

I realize salvation is an individual deal... and I know that relationship with the Savior is personal. But there is at least an element of 'group' to it, right? There is that 'Body' aspect to our walk... and I'm not necessarily talking about 'saved-ness' or 'un-saved-ness', I'm talking about memorable moments which mark our spiritual maturity along the way... certainly I can look back and remember 'markers' in my walk which helped shape me...

So, is it possible that entire congregations have certain watershed moments in their group history?

Looking back, I can think of several remarkable 'moments' in the story of the Riverside church. I have heard of some and I have been a part of others. It is very exciting to consider where God has brought us and where He is taking us...

At each of these 'signposts', I would imagine there were people who were made uncomfortable... some more so than others... and some to the point that they decided not to be a part of Riverside anymore... nobody wants to 'lose' anyone, but that sort of thing simply happens sometimes...

And it makes me wonder: what is the next watershed event? What is the next winnowing moment? As we continue to allow the Spirit to lead us, we will necessarily NOT keep the status quo. We will continue to stretch and grow and mature into that body which God wants us to be...

I think for each of us there is a very important question which must be answered if we truly want to act as His people (there are probably many more, but I am thinking of only one right now). Consequently, then, that same question will need to be answered by us as a body as well...

"Who is my Brother?"

Entire books have been written on the subject (some with that exact title)... and the further down God's path I (we) progress, the more important this question becomes.

For in the answer to that question lies the foundation for the ministry of the church. "Who are the unsaved?" is another way to ask it....

For my entire life, our fellowship has practically made a cottage industry of judging who was 'in' and who was 'out'... please don't misunderstand, I am not suggesting we return to that judgmental habit of deciding who the Christians are... especially when our criteria are based almost exclusively upon our man-made culture and tradition involving 'how we do church'... as a result, we have collectively decided that the enemy was the Baptists and the Methodists and the Lutherans and the other 'denominations' in our communities... (you know, all the ones who didn't 'do church' right...)

Trying to discern "who is my brother?" is not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I would submit that it can be healthy and productive to try and discover who are His and who are not, because the answer to that one question will shape our ministry! ...we just need to use the right measuring device...

We like to believe that our little congregation is open and accepting and non-judgmental... and it is! I have never been a part of a local body which was more so... and it is incredibly liberating!

But sometimes my language reveals me... when I use phrases like 'member of the church' when describing someone (those of you who grew up in the churches of Christ know exactly what I mean... 'member of the church' is code for "this-person-is-a-member-in-good-standing-at-a-church-building-with-'churchofchrist'-over-the-door-and-where-they-act-and-worship-exactly-like-I-do")... when I think in that way, and when I still wonder about 'qualifications' and 'saved-ness' based on that tired, unBiblical criteria, my true self is revealed...

So, I believe there is a future time in our congregational history which will indeed be a winnowing point... a watershed moment. And it will be when we decide to have a very open and honest discussion about who it is we consider our brothers.

I have, for a long time, believed that Jude's exhortation to 'contend earnestly for the faith' was not license to rip and tear at the Baptists and Methodists! The passage speaks of 'godless men'... I have lots of Baptist friends, and I would not describe any of them as godless...

The point is this: When we decide to truly define who our brother is, it will open our eyes to possibilities to which we have been blinded before... and it will be a true winnowing moment.

Blessings!

...what if?

OK, this is a thought which has been percolating in my feeble brain for several years... and I introduced the idea to my teenage class Sunday morning.

I will pose it here as I posed it to my teens on Sunday... as a question:

What if God still works in our lives today the same way He did in Bible times?

Haven't most religious organizations held that God works differently today than He did then? I know my religious upbringing made a very clear distinction between 'then-God' and 'now-God'...
So, that question begs another: have we been correct in making that distinction? If God is indeed the same 'yesterday, today and tomorrow', if He is the Unchanging One, why would man decide there is something different now about the God of the Universe?

Is it possible that our God still 'gets our attention' in the same ways He got the attention of Moses or of Abraham? Is it so hard to fathom that the God who allowed or caused His people to be borne away in shameful captivity by the Babylonians would cause a modern day plague or tragedy to get the attention of His people today?

In some ways it is simply inconvenient to believe that. It is way easier to believe in a God who, at some point in History, decided to become very hands-off; most of us need to believe in a God who 'gave the globe a whirl', then took a siesta for a couple millennia (or however long He chooses) before awakening again to send Jesus back to get His people.

I believe we have the complete revealed will of God in the inspired writings of the Bible... I also understand that the Bible is a very accurate historical document. I am confident in that belief. But what if....

...what if, today, God inspired another historical testament which would chronicle the past 2,000 years? What if we could see the last two millennia through the eyes of the Creator?

Is it possible that God's 'world view' of the events of the last 20 centuries would be different from that of man? Asked a different way, is it possible that the people who lived during 'Bible times' (by the way, they probably didn't refer to their era of history as 'Bible times'), did not see the destruction of Jerusalem through the same lens as our God's?

Could it be that people of Moses' time saw the slaughter of entire families (when several families - including children - were swallowed up by a hole in the earth for their sins) as a natural disaster... Is it possible that those people viewed the extinction of an entire generation (the one which God decided didn't deserve to see the promised land - thus the wandering) not as the hand of God, but poor leadership?

Is it possible that the people around the region of Sodom and Gomorrah saw that city's destruction as an inexplicable natural disaster? (Today, we would have to send out a team of scientists to the crater to try to get some logical explanation)

Is it possible (I'm just asking the question) that God may have a different view of certain historically significant events which have occurred since the last Biblical writings?

What about the wars (Revolutionary War, French/Indian war, Civil War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, etc - just to name a few which have involved the U.S.)? How about the constant middle eastern conflicts?

What about the events we refer to as natural disasters or (in a weird twist of irony) "acts of God"? How about Floods and Hurricanes and Tsunamis?

Or (now it starts to get REALLY politically incorrect!) what about the holocaust or AIDS or 911 or global warming (if that really exists)?

Is it folly to consider that these may be something other than terrible man-made tragedies or unbelievable natural disasters?

I'm just asking the question: could it be we have conveniently glossed over God's awesome power so we can sleep better at night?

I know this: it is worth considering that the God who breathed the stars into existence and knows me by my name has the power to do whatever He wills in order to shape and prune His people.

So, is it crazy to imagine that the same God who performed inexplicable acts 3,000 years ago may perform inexplicable acts today?

just asking...

Casting Crowns live!

Well, we traveled all afternoon and then back all night, but the Casting Crowns concert was worth it!

These guys seem to have such an intense desire to serve God through their music... My family was blessed with the opportunity to see Casting Crowns live last night at the Family Arena in St Charles (St Louis suburb), Missouri...

The venue was a bit screwy - they funneled all the traffic through 2 lines... so they could collect $5 from each car for parking!!! I was speechless (well, almost)...

But that inconvenience was quickly forgotten by the time we settled into our seats and listened to opening act Leeland... they were terrific!

Then the Crowns took the stage and delivered their powerful, heartfelt brand of ministry. And it was incredible! Their harmonies were spot on and they played their hearts out for over 2 hours! I commend this experience to anyone! It was, quite simply, the most meaningful music ministry I have ever been exposed to...

And I am very tired today... but very blessed!

God Bless!

blessed by the seasons

Well, this morning is cold and rainy... ain't it wonderful?!!!??

I am so blessed to live in a part of our country which enjoys all 4 seasons... and I love every one! ...and I'm always ready for the next one... it would seem that fall is here (although my lawn looks as if it may need one more trimming before we put the mower under the house for the winter). And the dampness and cold this morning remind me that winter is not far away.

And I am in awe... how God could spin this all into motion with a word... how He could lead me to a place where I am daily reminded of His unfathomable power. It's truly incredible!

And, as fond as I am of the seasons of the year, I have never been as aware of the seasons of life... so as I reach middle age (yep, it's confirmed... my middle daughter is studying life cycles in science, and has observed that her mom and I have reached the 'middle'!), I begin to really embrace life's seasons...

while it's hard to get my mind around, I am just starting to see how God leads us (me) through the various, natural stages of this vapor we call life. I guess having a daughter in college sort of cemented the thought in my mind... a 9 year old and a 15 year old at home...

the fact that I still think of us as 'young married' (a 'group' at our church which used to get together each week for fellowship and study) while everyone else thinks of me as... well... seasoned... speaks to my hesitation to embrace this 'seasons' mentality...

But embrace it I will.... and I am warming to the concept, I have to admit...

and I love it! God has blessed me in so many ways... I can't even count them...

yeah, it was a little harder getting out of bed this morning than it was a few years ago... but I am really blessed by the seasons...

yep, looks like fall is here....

Blessings!

P.S. - it is SOOOO Goood to have Lynn and Joy back for a few months from Panama!

how blessed are we?

Today is a great day! God has given us another gorgeous weekend - today is quite simply a picture-perfect prototypical fall day in the Ozarks... Riverside's Family Fun Fair was a terrific success yesterday! Our worship assembly today should be especially sweet; Lynn and Joy are home for a few months from Volcan, Panama (can't wait to see them!)... Caitlin is home from college for the weekend (which has been tooooo short!), and our own Don Truitt is bringing the lesson today...

I am thankful for all the wonderful people God has placed in my path... what an exciting time to be alive!

Blessings!

outflowing on the trading post

There is a very popular program which airs around the noon hour on our local radio station... it is called 'the trading post', and it is hosted by my friend and brother, Monte Manchester, a 30+year veteran of the airwaves...

The show is essentially AM radio's version of EBay, without the bidding... folks call in and tell Monte what they have to sell (then give him their phone number so listeners can call them and buy whatever it is they have to sell)... and others call in and tell Monte what they are looking for, and give their contact information so those who may have just what they need can call 'em up and sell it to them... "putting buyers and sellers together for 40 years" is the slogan...

Anyhow, my buddy and ministry partner Doyne - who is evidently an avid 'trading post' listener - was facilitating our Adult Bible class last night and began telling about a regular caller to the Trading Post...

"She calls almost every day! ....and everyday, it's the same story":

"I know these two fellas who need a ride to

Memphis to catch the bus..." or

"There's a family with two little boys who need

a couple twin beds right away..."

Almost every day, this gal would call and ask if someone had something for someone...

"Part of me", Doyne confessed, "was saying 'come on, lady, get a life!' there are people trying to buy and sell their junk on here..."

"then", Doyne reported, "I noticed something very odd about her daily requests... they were never for her! Her requests were always for someone else!"

And it hit me... what an awesome ministry! What an incredible example of Outflow! This lady must have an unbelievable sphere of influence... she calls in almost every day with a different request for a different person....

No telling how many people have been touched by this tireless, regular visitor to the trading post...

I don't know where this lady worships or what 'church' she calls home, but she is doing God's work!

Wow! ...now that's outflow!

What makes Riverside a wonderful congregation

I was reading Terry Rush's blog today, and he shared some ideas which he believes may help congregations be more vibrant and alive and attractive... as I read it, I thought it might be healthy to list just a few characteristics and ideas which we have 'tried' here at Riverside...

Let me start by saying I write none of this out of arrogance or a 'look-at-us' attitude... I just want to give glory to God and His Holy Spirit for their guidance and patience as we continue to live out our story as the Riverside church of Christ...

1. Congregational greeting time - the Riverside family is warm and accepting, so we have a greeting time right smack dab in the middle of 'worship'... quite possibly the most empowering, congregation-changing nuance at Riverside.
2. Family news - we don't apologize for the length of our family news (announcements)... they are 'sprinkled' throughout our assembly time. And I believe they are a part of our worship/fellowship experience.
3. Kingdom Kids children's worship - simply awesome! We dismiss the children (only for the sermon portion of the adult worship) to the fellowship hall for a Bible lesson on their level... it is not a babysitting service, and it is not play time... it is a very well-prepared time of praise and Bible study - on a kid's level
4. Small Groups - perhaps the most important reason for the growth we have been blessed with... and this season, our life groups took a slightly different direction. We are studying 'Outflow' in our Wednesday evening adult class (which serves, incidentally, as the foundation for our Sunday night life group discussion), and have asked each life group to adopt a mindset of serving others to bring them to Christ... each group has ongoing 'projects' which they sponsor and carry out.
5. Budgetary focus - we resolved, 6 years ago, that at least 25% of EVERY dollar which is contributed to the Riverside 'coffers' will be used for benevolence and missions. period. And our 'cup' has overflowed ever since!
6. oh, yeah, we don't have any full time staff... as we near the 300-on-Sunday-morning mark, that is more and more challenging... and we are continually exploring the possibilities...

These are but a few, and none of them seem earth-shattering to me... but as I travel and worship with other congregations, I am reminded of some of these things... so I wanted to share them... please feel free to list your ideas as you see fit...

Blessings!