What do you do when there’s nothing you can do?

In Exodus 14, we find a mass of men, women, and children who have just been released from the clutches of a people determined to destroy them. The manner of their rescue is spectacular: God shows supremacy over the deities of Egypt and power over their god-king, Pharaoh, through the Passover. Their release is more than just freedom: they’re moving toward the fulfillment of God’s generations-old pledge to Abraham that they would be a nation in a Land of Promise.

Suddenly, though, victory and joy become terror and anger.

Reading the Scriptures, you can almost hear the frightened gasp of the journeying tribes as people turned to see the billows of dust kicked up by the chariots and horsemen of Egypt. None of the Israelites had been tested in battle–they had barely survived genocide and slavery. With a murderous army behind and impassable sea before them, it must have appeared that all hope was lost. There was nothing they could do…and what started with an air of victory would surely end in crushing, devastating defeat.

In the midst of this, as the Israelites angrily question why they have left Egypt, Moses proclaims to his people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Ex 14:13-14). We know the rest of the story, but they didn’t. They had no idea that the Red Sea was about to become synonymous with the miracles of the God of the impossible.

There are moments when, in the midst of pursuing God’s best for his people, we come to the impossible. There are times when instances of incredible victory turn quickly to opportunities to be frozen in fear or to act in anger; times when we know there is nothing we can do. I believe in those moments, Moses’ cry rings out to us with the promise of God’s activity: The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. We don’t know the rest of the story, but He does–and that place of impossibility could very well become synonymous with the miraculous.

My prayer for us is that we would be positioned to watch God do the miraculous as we make time to simply be still.

Be encouraged: the Lord is fighting for you!

 I can’t be certain of what questions there may be regarding this exciting move by our District Leadership to make greater investments to see believers, leaders, and churches multiplied, but as we pursue a missional movement with an even greater footprint, there are a couple of answers to questions you might be asking:

Is this just a ‘church planting’ thing?

The short answer is: no.

The longer answer is:

The M3 Manager will be responsible for many things which includes working closely with church planters.  As the M3 Manager, it will be my privilege to help different parties engage in productive dialogue, creating consistent channels for communication. 

More than this, the Manager will help make sure high-quality training events are provided for a wide spectrum of our pastors and leaders, including our planters. In order for a Missional Multiplication Movement to have sustainability, providing opportunities for leaders of established and new churches to learn, grow, be impassioned by God’s Spirit and engage with different ideas is essential.

For the Movement, it is our belief that this role will help bring us to new levels of efficacy in how we do what we do. Not only by helping to provide learning opportunities and exposure to best-practices, but by streamlining process, procedure, and communication.

How does this effect our church planters?

One of the greatest benefits for our church planters will be having a dedicated point-of-contact as they work through the planting process and engage with the CMTF and our District & General Church leaders. Additionally, I will be implementing various strategic initiatives as the CMTF and DBA move and develop them. Having an M3 Manager means our planters will be able to progress by engaging with our process early and often; by having someone dedicated to helping them step through the exciting and work-intensive process of church planting in WPA, we all have a clearer sense of how, when, and where to move.

I will also get to check in on our planters and discover ways they can be better served and specific ways we can pray for them. Church planting can sometimes feel very, very isolated for planters and partner churches, even in the midst of seeing God do the impossible; having someone like the M3 manager who is able to give dedicated chunks of time and energy to our planters and their partners means the potential for healthier community.

What this doesn’t mean:

• An extra layer of insulation: The M3 Manager doesn’t serve to distance anyone from our strategic leaders or the District–I’m not a red-tape dispenser, but someone to help people navigate our processes and engage with the M3 in Western PA at an increased level of activity and efficiency.
  

• Anyone is leaving their current role: Rev. Shawn Cossin will still be the chairperson of our CMTF and our District Evangelism & Church Growth Director; our Church Multiplication Task Force will still function in much the same way it has thus far; and I will report directly to Rev. Cossin, the Task Force, and the District Superintendent. The desire for the M3 Manager position is that by implementing something like this, each element in our M3 can play to its strengths resulting in greater momentum and reach.
  

If you have questions about any of this, you’re invited to connect with me, Rev. Cossin, or Rev. Swink.

Thanks for your continued partnership in seeing many come to know Jesus and grow to maturity in him!

Grace & Peace!

Don’t see a video here? Click this link to view.

The above video (from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Flickr Page) is from images captured by GOES-13 satellite from May 20-25, showing the view from space of the storms and recent devastating tornadoes which have plagued the country. It is incredible to think that something which looks so beautiful from a distance could cause such carnage on the ground.

This is another good remember to pray and provide for those effected by the recent storms.

Courtesy of the Evangelism & Church Growth Department of The Wesleyan Church

One of the great privileges I have already enjoyed in life is being involved in church planting, most recently as co-planter of The Bridge. Though my family and I are transitioning into a new season and place of ministry, church planting will remain an important part of how we serve the Kingdom of Christ.

I am especially glad to serve in a district within The Wesleyan Church that places such priority on church planting–not because it’s a hot new fad, but because they passionately want to see people come to know the hope and life of Jesus.

We recently posted the above photo (you can download the .pdf version here) at theydidwewill.blogspot.com — it’s a different way of looking at the church planting process within The Wesleyan Church and serves as a good reminder that seeing new churches come to fruition is a continuous journey and an adventure.

I jumped into the adventure of church planting in part because a good friend helped me see that this just might be part of God’s design for my life (more on that some other time), and he helped me take my first steps down the path described above.

Is God speaking to your heart about walking this path as a church planter? Maybe you need to step foot on the path and see if God confirms this as part of your journey. If you’d like more information about what that means here in Western PA, check us out at www.TheyDidWeWill.org.

I love my kid. I tell her that every day and do my best to demonstrate as much… though I’m not sure just how much is comprehended yet by her little mind.

I’m sure there are times, though, that if she could form the words or comprehend what they mean, she would express the thought that I am a jerk.

Sometimes I let her stay in a place of frustration. Sometimes, I let her cry a bit before rescuing her from the thing she’s crying about. Sometimes I know exactly what her problem is and how to make her happy but wait to act.

Jerk.

I know.

But, at least in the philosophy and praxis of parenting Sarah and I are developing, there are times when even at this stage there are teachable moments or developmental progressions taking place and letting Jubilee work some things out on her own is healthy and okay. We’re not expecting advanced problem solving from her, but allowing her to figure out how to roll over involves some level of frustration at being stuck on her tummy.

In a new church (and established ones, too), there are moments when the organism of the local church or the individuals we’re given stewardship of need to be allowed to work some things out on their own–there are teachable moments and developmental opportunities that would be stifled by too swift a rescue or intervention.

I’m sure there are times when the local church or her individuals think those in leadership are just big jerks when, in fact, the most loving, shepherding thing to do is hold themselves back and wait to jump in…even though their instinct, desire, and passion would dictate otherwise.

So, to those of us jerks out there: are we hearing and heeding the voice of the Spirit in our interaction, or being lazy? In other words, are we carrying the appearance of a meanie, or are we *actually* a jerk?

To those of us who are under some form of authority: it would be good for us to remember that sometimes a different perspective is at play, and the very person we think is a tremendous jerk could actually be acting out of care for us.

I can’t remember the last time I left my house without some spot of baby puke somewhere on my person. (That’s a lie. I actually can remember: it was the day I left the apartment to bring Jubilee home from the hospital.) Each morning I carefully examine my clothing, take the kid (who has been carefully secured into her car seat) to the car, drive to the sitter’s place, and arrive at our destination only to discover that somehow between the ‘close examination’ and ‘arrival at our destination’ stages of the day, new puke is contaminating some article of my clothing.

But I’ve also discovered how understanding people are: the consensus seems to be, “You’re the parent of an infant. Infants puke. Wear it as a badge of honor; they’re only this young once.” I’m more worried about the goo on my shirt than anybody else is, and they see it as happy evidence that I’m a new dad.

The same has been with church planting (and any Kingdom ministry, really)–we’re dealing with a lot of mess: the pukey mess of broken lives, hurting communities, addiction, and an enemy hell-bent on killing, stealing, destroying… Loving people is messy. And it’s okay to have some of the evidence of loving people on you.

I’m not saying we pursue contamination by the world; in fact, we’re reminded that though we are those set apart for a new Kingdom, we  still journey here. As strangers and foreigners undefiled, we are to live out the hope we have (cf. James 1:27). So the question I’m asking myself is this: what happy evidence do I carry with me that I’m hanging out with people in the midst of their mess? Do I view each day as a new opportunity to take part in someone else’s life (as I do with my kid) and journey with them?

It is a high calling and real joy to do life together with others. It may be messy (and more than messy, it will be painful to ‘do life together’), but we see the mess as part of what we get to do.

She said yes, and I still can’t believe it!

Happy engageiversary, Sarah — I will love you forever!

Detail of Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment"

It’s Saturday evening and I’m still here.

So, either I missed “The Rapture” or Harold Camping was wrong.

One of the most disconcerting aspects of this whole ‘judgment day on May 21′ fiasco for me, though, has less to do with the false prophecy of Camping, and more to do with the pride of others–including myself. I found it too easy to mock, point fingers at, and deride the guy and his followers who so vehemently claimed today was The Day. Yes, this whole thing might hurt the credibility of faith in Jesus a bit, but those of us following Christ are already following the Way of Foolishness (cf. 1 Cor 1:26ff). We would be wise to heed the last words of that linked passage: that we boast not in our own wisdom or right-ness, but boast in Christ alone.

So, here is my boast:

I pretty much suck and have nothing good in me. Despite this, the King of the Ages condescended to live a perfect life as a Man on the earth and redeemed me from my suckiness. Now I am righteous because I am his and he makes me good. Now I have fullness of life because the Living One rescued me from death. Now I have hope because the Author and Finisher of Faith secured it for me even when I had earned despair. More than this, he has invited me to enjoy a great adventure with him. None of this do I deserve, nor am I entitled to anything. The most amazing thing, though, is that this goodness, life, and hope are free to anyone who enters into existence with Jesus…even you despite your suckiness.

God’s decision to ‘postpone’ the return of Christ is not a testimony of Harold Camping’s wrong-ness, but of the Father’s love (that he isn’t willing for any to die without him, but for as many who will to come to fullness of life in him); I really want to make sure I’m focusing on the Father’s love rather than filling my heart with pride as I point to someone else’s misguided assertion.

Furthermore, this time is an opportunity for me (and maybe you, too) to do some serious introspection wherein I find myself asking a couple of questions:

1. AM I READY?
Whether I believe in the ‘pretribulation Rapture’ or not, I do believe there is a Judgment and there is no promise I have so much as the next breath before I am confronted with that Judgment. Given this, am I even now pursuing greater intimacy with Jesus? Am I ready to meet him face-to-face as the Conquering King and Righteous Judge… and not just a good ol’ pal?
Will I hear, “Well done!”?

2. DO I REALLY BELIEVE JESUS GIVES LIFE & IS OUR ONLY HOPE?
Harold Camping spent a lot of money and risked a lot of ridicule because he believed Jesus’ return was occurring today. He ‘put it all on the line’ without any foreseeable financial or personal return in an effort to warn others about what he thought he knew. Am I willing to risk resource and ridicule to share the hope I have? Do I love the people around me enough to graciously share the amazing love and hard truth of Jesus with them?

I can’t say I’m glad Harold Camping was wrong. But I am glad I can rest in God’s sovereignty and love for me–and I get to keep pursuing him. Even more than most weeks, I’m excited about gathering with other Christ followers tomorrow in worship of the Risen and soon returning King!

courtesy of gracobaby/flickr

Did you know your kid can choke to death on its own spit-up?

We were informed of this as we were preparing to leave the hospital with Jubilee, “Keep an eye on her for any signs of distress,” the nurse reminded us as she ushered us out the door, “and don’t forget, she’ll spit-up more than you think she should.”

Words to live by.

For the first few weeks of Jubilee’s life, we were keenly aware of how fragile her existence was: the basics of supporting her head, feeding every half hour, watching for signs of infection, counting the ratio of wet to dirty diapers and their correlation to ounces of milk and formula ingested all kept the sensitivity of our little girl’s life in constant focus. In fact, on her first night home with the baby, Sarah was almost certain she had permanently ruined the kid (a story for another time) and woke me in a “Honey I Broke The Baby” panic.

This may be news to some (I was surprised by it, anyway), but newborns are totally dependent on their parents for everything.

EVERYTHING.

Including not choking on their own saliva at times.

In the same way, it also doesn’t take much to de-rail a new church. There’s a lot of work and attention required to make sure agenda harmony remains intact, financial mis-steps don’t keep things from getting off the ground, tired leadership doesn’t take their eyes of the prize, and that the schemes of the enemy are guarded against — that some seemingly inconsequential thing doesn’t scuttle the work.

Really, there are moments when you’re afraid to take your eye off the thing because you don’t know what small thing will make it choke.

It isn’t glamorous. It isn’t always exciting. But it’s important. And it reminds you that as much as you try to be careful, vigilant, and aware, you aren’t the Sustainer of life… just a steward of it… and relying on Christ’s ability to uphold all things “by the word and might of his power” is most important of all.

Helping a new kid or new local church navigate beyond this ‘could-crash-at-any-time’ stage does take active, loving vigilance, but the Creator’s care far exceeds your own, and you can choose to be overwhelmed by it all or rest in his faithfulness.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go use a snot sucker on Jubilee–at almost seven months, she still can’t even blow her own nose.

courtesy of Alain Limoges/Flickr

They warned us it would happen. It was almost guaranteed.

In our birthing classes, those of us who were active as ‘support people’ were given instruction on how to help an in-labor mom move beyond that point in the labor/delivery of a baby when she wants to quit. The gist was that it gets too hard, too exhausting, too much for mom to keep going and she will become convinced that the birth can progress no further.

I know my wife wanted to quit at points, but the funny thing about delivering a baby is it’s kind of hard to stop part way… I can’t blame her for wanting to stop; while I don’t have first-hand experience, giving birth sure looked like a lot of work (something about why it’s called ‘labor’). After about three and a half  hours of pushing (and many more hours of hard labor) in the process with our daughter, my wife felt like she couldn’t do it any more. But she had to. At that time she needed someone, a ‘support person,’ to help assure her she could do it.

That was my whole job in the process of labor and delivery: being a ‘support’ person. I existed to support and encourage–fail in those things and I had no reason to be there. Sarah was doing the hard work of labor. The nurse was doing all the medical stuff. The doctor showed up every now and again to sound all doctor-y. And I supported.

There are times during the church planting process (and ministry and life in general) when you will want to quit…

when everything tells you it’s too hard, too exhausting, too much to keep going. In those moments you need someone in your corner with a different perspective; someone not overwhelmed with pain and exhaustion, someone who isn’t there in a technical capacity, someone who isn’t a pro, but someone who can remind you that you were made for this and that the place you’re in where you feel the need to quit is a natural place to be–they’ll tell you to keep pressing on and the One who called you to this has prepared you for this and will be faithful.