We are discussing love a lot on Sunday mornings lately.  It was not my original plan but just one of those things that happened.  Plan number one was to talk about some basics of the spiritual life through Labor Day.  A funny thing happened on the way with that agenda.  One idea led to another to where we are on week three of this topic.  Let me go ahead and be honest to say we still don't get it as a general rule.  We talk or sing about love but exhibit very few of its characteristics.  We find it easy to work up a good sweat speaking against social ills but we seem to fail to think about our heart very much.  You can get more than a few amens when speaking on the end times but you will get mostly blank stares talking about relationships. 

Something is comforting when we can point our fingers at other issues in society.  We do enjoy blaming other problems for our current condition.  Jesus said much more about relationships or love than most any other topic we can imagine.  So why do we still settle for relations that trend more toward evil than grace?  Things like abortion, drinking, or being a democrat very seldom if ever cause damage in the congregation.  We mostly just refuse to take scripture serious when it comes to loving others.  Normally our troubles are not from being liberal but from just being lazy.  We look for the easy way out when dealing with others.  Our lives reflect the least common denominator rather than God's call to care.

Caring about other people means thinking about their feelings.  Being blunt is not always a positive trait in human living.  Our focus is more on speaking our view of the truth without it being flavored with love.  People would rather be right in opinions than gentle in relationships.  This happens in families, with friends and among people of faith.  Criticism becomes a common indoor sport among churches.  People live with wounds inflicted by those who do not understand.  Far too much of our attention revolves around personalities and not what is the mission of the church.  Jesus said we should love as He loved.  That may sound so impossible that we just forfeit before we get into the game. 

My hope for people to experience godly relationships is far less than in my idealistic youth.  Years of the reality of dealing with broken people will slowly erode that hope.  I still believe that if true revival were to ever happen it will be anchored in the grace and love of God.  Jesus also said the world would know us by our love.  My fear is that they do know us like that yet find us still yielding more to our human desires than our eternal nature.  Maybe we will someday get real about becoming loving people rather than those who just want to be right.

Bro. Trey

Let me apologize for this post before we get too far into it.  It is one of those that may sound like complaining or even whining.  None of us really care for people who whine so I try to avoid it.  Think of tonight as just simply laying out some things that normally get very little attention.  The part that will be misunderstood is that it is really about me.  Being selfish is one of those things we do not easily confess.  We usually just do not see our attitude or action as being self serving.  It is one of our huge blind spots.  But there are times when we need to address things even if we run the risk of seeming egocentric.  So forgive me for just being honest here.  Sometimes life is not easy or pretty.

Many pastors do work very hard at their job.  One reason is that doing church work is always a challenge with the many crises that arise in any given day.  Some ministers may work too hard if the truth were known.  Far too many men lose credibility with their children by choosing to do the minor parts of church life rather than being present for the kids.  One of my early decisions was that my children would not have to look at my picture to remember how I look.  My goal was to raise them as normal as possible without all of the pressures that can develop when being a minister.  That decision has not changed one bit over the years.  I also will not apologize for choosing family or kids over work.  This is even more settled since becoming a cancer survivor.

But one thing is very different now.  My daughter is away at college so it is my task to be free for my autistic son whenever needed.  Just today was a call from the school to come up and help out with something.  It did not take long nor was he in trouble.  But it was only one thing for us to do this day.  We also took him to the doctor for an annual checkup.  Other fun errands followed that adventure.  Getting home just meant a few minutes of free time before doing homework for the night.  He does a great job doing his assignments.  Then it was all of the getting ready for bed stuff.  We seem to be able to cram a lot of stuff into a small amount of time.  Tomorrow carries the same expectation for the activities.  The question is not if we will be busy but what will we be busy doing? 

You may be noticing a trend developing.  My daughter is a great help with him when she is home.  Now it is primarily my job to be the dad whenever there is a need.  So what am I going to do about my other job of being a minister?  There are only so many hours in any day but it is my task to use them well.  I did some administrative stuff today while in the office.  I also am making a new effort to keep up with reading books related to church life.  Two brand new works sit by my chair at home.  So far we are aiming at a chapter each day.  There is also the reality that taking care of myself is not an option.  Exercise and rest are critical for my well being.  This is more than my physical health but it matters for my emotional and spiritual life.  I did the dying thing once already and that was enough for me. 

There is going to be a balance between being a dad and being a pastor.  It may take some time to find it but it is possible.  Stress is the friend of no one.  All of us have to seek a manner of living that is challenging without tearing us down.  Jesus models that tension of being busy doing God's work while having time to stay fresh.  He made time to spend with friends or be alone or just step away from being too busy.  I am a long way from doing that but it's still a goal.  Some will find fault with these priorities and I understand that.  God decided to give me a special needs son.  He also allows me to hopefully keep things going with other needs in home life.  Failing at any of this is not really an option.  Maybe my next writing on this will not be so stressed.  Guess we will find out the answer to this together. 

Bro. Trey

My usual Sunday post will now appear on Monday.  I got a late start then visited with some people for awhile in the office.  The visit was great but now the time stamp will be off.  I really do not know what a time stamp is but it does something here.  Most sixth grade students know far more about computers than I ever will.  This is something that bothers me not one bit.  Pointing and clicking work just fine for me.  Anything above that is way beyond my ability.  Even my autistic son knows more about working these machines than me.  He really is a whiz when it comes to technology.  I even call on him to do stuff to our television when needed.  I may not know much but even less is known about computers.

Anyway, my original point was just to say how the evening got away from me.  Time has a way of doing that even with the best intentions.  I took my son last week to see a kid's movie revolving around the issue of time.  The film will not win any major awards but it wasn't all bad.  The main characters needed to learn that how we use our time now matters greatly.  We spend far too much energy wishing for more hours or days without really making our current measure count.  I need to remember this constantly.  You would think that being a cancer survivor would cure me of this ailment but it still happens.  School begins its second week with me still wondering where did my summer go?  Now there is a constant urge to get everything into each day. 

It is true that some days may matter more than others.  August 29 is always a huge day for me.  It was nineteen years ago that my daughter entered the world.  This is my first occasion of her celebrating her day without me.  I told her that this does not please me at all.  My hope is that her new friends at college will make her feel worth celebrating.  I should get to see her next weekend if all falls right.  We did spend much more time together than some parents get to do.  This is one of the good things about my job.  And yet is still was not nearly as much time as I could wish for now.  Time matters greatly whether we acknowledge it or not.  We all get the same amount of hours and minutes in a day but some of us use them more wisely.

Make the days work for you rather than just roaming through them.  Be a difference maker for others so their day is brighter.  Use spare moments to reflect or regroup spiritually in the midst of our busyness.  Learn to be grateful for each day God allows.  It is much more than changing your calendar.  You may discover how it changes your life.

Bro. Trey

It's that time of the year again here in Texas.  Football season is underway in high schools across the state.  People who are not from here just cannot fathom the depth of devotion given to the local team.  Most of my life revolves around one local school in one small town or the other.  Should there ever be a move in my future you can be sure the one thing missed the most is my decade long affiliation to the school here.  I still try to keep current on the school of my graduation.  I also still follow two other programs where I lived in the past.  Friday nights are meant to be spent in some stadium or the other.  It is just a way of life for me whether that is good or bad.

You may know my role goes beyond being a casual fan.  I am also the designated person who shoots the video for coaches to use through the week.  This task is one to be enjoyed even when it does get tiring.  My travels range from Dalhart to Texarkana.  I shot film in the Panhandle all the way to Waco or other points along the way.  Texas Stadium was my home away from home for about three weeks during the 2005 playoff run.  I've been at games so hot you lost weight even standing still.  A few games were about as cold as one can remember in our state.  Most of the kids who are in my camera range are just good players wanting to do their best for their team.  I have gotten to film some young men who went on to very good college careers.  I also can count two or three NFL players who passed by my lens.  My part of their success is very small but it does feel good to be a minor part of their growth.

This evening began my fifteenth year of filming high school football games.  I stumbled into the job years ago completely by accident.  My attendance at a practice game led to a night of shooting video.  My friend who was head coach then asked me to come back next week.  That was two schools and many miles ago.  Tonight was my 130th win over all.  I was bored one night a few years ago so I counted up my record.  The 20-0 win today brings my record to 130 - 44.  I might be almost famous were that a coaching account and not just filming.  What is my secret to winning?  You just have to be at the right school at the right time.  Those numbers are more about the coaches and players than my ability to shoot video.

There really is no way to make a spiritual spin on all of this.  I would like to think it's something done as an act of service.  Replacing my work would be no big thing for our team.  Sometimes the drives or the weather can be a bit much.  I do try to talk or listen if a coach or player needs advice or anything like that.  We will have to wait to see what this year brings our team.  Odds are good for another playoff appearance.  How long that playoff run lasts is too far away to speculate.  Football is like life in that respect.  You only go a game or a day at a time.

Bro. Trey

Today sure turned out to be a busy news day.  Libya once again took center stage during most of the newscasts.  I guess it will always escape me why those in revolutions fire off their guns after overthrowing a ruler.  Looked like one guy nearly got shot in the head just by standing next to one of the rebels.  Remind me to stay inside at any future revolutions.  Then came the news that an earthquake struck on our east coast area.  The good news is our historic monuments and such are not damaged.  Business will be open as usual tomorrow.

One piece of news hit me harder than all of the others.  Pat Summitt is the women's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee.  This will be her 38th year in that position.  She has more wins than any other basketball coach in history.  This record includes even coaches in men's basketball.  Her teams earned eight national titles through the years.  She announced her diagnosis of early stages of dementia.  It is indeed the type that leads to Alzheimer's later in life.  She is only 59 years of age.  Her plans are to continue coaching until it is impossible.  Let me just confess that it really affected me when I read this. 

Being a cancer survivor changes a lot in my outlook.  Disease angers me more than before my journey.  It is woven into humanity but it still just simply makes me mad.  Maybe we do not often see illness as part of the downfall of sin.  We just see it as something that happens in random fashion.  There is a definite reason why our eternal glory is free of sickness.  God will one day wipe our eyes from all tears.  Horrific diseases are a very human reminder of our limitations.  We discover how frail this body can really become.  We realize just how dependent on God we truly are.  There really is a land that is fairer than day but can our faith see it afar?  When our problems have the final word in our life then we may miss the greater vision.  Being sure of eternity is one way to see through every setback into the eyes of God.

Bro. Trey

School started around here today.  Most reports of the day are good so far.  Only 179 more school days left until the next graduation ceremony.  Technically it is still summer but at least we are moving back into the routine.  My son rides the bus to and from school on normal days.  He somehow was overlooked this morning by the bus driver.  His ride came a little late but it was a personal drive in a big SUV.  I don't think he minded one bit getting to school in an official vehicle.  The bus did bring him back home after the end of classes.  His few comments did sound as if he had a good time.  I think he really looked forward to seeing his teacher and his friends. 

My daughter also started her classes down at Baylor today.  Most of last week was more like a college camp in the activities.  Tomorrow is her busy day of school stuff.  She has a very odd schedule in that she has Fridays totally free.  You couldn't do that if you tried.  All of our seniors from last year are now hard at work across campuses.  Christmas break should bring quite a few stories as they return home for the holiday.  My plan is to go see her on Sunday afternoon and Monday here in a few weeks.  I usually feel a bit guilty not being here for all of Labor Day in terms of doing church.  My bet is those feelings are gone in exchange for seeing my daughter.

Everything is changing just as predicted.  Time will tell how my response goes but life is forever different.  One constant will remain.  I am forever a dad.  It is the best job of my life.  I could not remotely begin to thank God enough for this honor.  You know this about me should you read here very often.  It escapes me how some men just totally blow off being a father.  No one can ever measure the damage that occurs when a dad fails to take his role seriously.  Boys and girls suffer equally in this disaster.  I do wonder how much of the crime, abusive relationships and other social ills are a direct result of this problem.  This is doing much more than being around at home.  A man can be at the house while still wrecking havoc upon those around him.  Fatherhood is arguably the single most significant issue for children to become fully functioning adults.  It is true that some children can still fail even with a good father figure.  But it is also true that failure rate drops dramatically.

We could obviously turn to talk about God as our father.  Time does not allow us to do that this evening.  We will leave it with this thought.  How we relate to God will determine every other relationship in our life.  You and I will be as healthy with others as we are with Him.  That is one thing that will never change.

Bro. Trey

There was a moment today when my attention focused to tonight.  It turned out be a long week with college, shopping, grass fires and the like.  Guess you didn't know about the grass fire since it happened on Friday afternoon.  Some power lines went nuts in the heat which caused sparks to fall in my yard.  Now my once green grass is a nice shade of black.  That was enough excitement to last me for awhile.  My original point was my looking forward to this time to stop and catch my breath.  Today went well so there is at least a content feeling now.  My body hurts but that is constant at my age it seems.  Walking and jogging ten miles in four days probably also helped with the aches. 

Our focus today was learning how to love as Jesus loved.  It was a follow up on what we talked about last Sunday.  I wrote on Thursday how trying to say more on a previous topic can be hard.  You are always tempted to mimic your earlier efforts.  Seems like that tendency was avoided today.  Emphasizing a different aspect of this idea carried its own weight to the process.  The point is that we do need to learn to love as scripture commands.  Divine love is not something natural to a human being.  Our usual approach is to look no further than our own needs or wants in relationships.  Odds are good that being serious about learning to love will come with pain.  We will need to unlearn some ideas that damage us in the past, present and future tense.  Putting our new insight into practice will also come with some discomfort.  Moving from self serving to living out the heart of God may sound simple but it is not ever easy.

God reveals His love for us in Jesus.  The old song still rings true that "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  He lays down His life in order for us to discover what true love or grace is all about.  Most church people would answer yes if asked if they would give their life for even those they may not particularly like.  It does sound like the right answer for us.  The problem is that laying our life down is not just a one time experience.  This is a priority for everyday living.  We have to allow God to sever us from being selfish each day we live.  Only when we realize His love can we begin to share it with anyone.  Maybe what we consider to be love for those in our group is only a sense of being secure with people like us.  We confuse loving others with feeling safe with our type of people.

God loves the world so much that He gave the Son away.  He still loves us as individuals.  It comes natural to Him.  We will probably need to overcome self inflicted obstacles in order to even imagine loving others with that type of grace.  Can it really be done?  A better question is can we afford to miss out on receiving or giving that love to self and others?

Bro. Trey

If last Sunday was unusually good as far as services go then this week will be tough.  Everything just came together last week for a genuine service of worship.  Every so often you can have one of those should you remain in God's guidance.  Here is the problem for the next one.  You can be tempted to duplicate all you did in the prior service in order to have the same experience.  I know because it is one of those early pitfalls common in the early years of ministry.  My tendency was to mimic whatever seemed to work in a service even though the results often fell very short.  Now that problem is less but it does still exist as potential reality.  You run up against a wall a few times and you learn the hard way what to avoid. 

Another issue is the message last Sunday did seem to have more effectiveness than normal.  I do not claim much credit for that at all.  This does not mean my part wasn't important but you learn over the years where real credit is due.  There is probably a real need to do some follow up on what was said.  Several questions or issues are still needing to be addressed.  We will try to do just that without appearing to just be reviewing old stuff.  All of this is to say that this week is completely new and different than the last one.  One can only pray for an attitude of openness to remain on Sunday morning. 

Sometimes it does seem as if a service or sermon just writes itself.  This week is not one of those times.  To say that moving my daughter to college is a distraction just doesn't cover it.  Every normal pattern of life is pulled up by its roots during such an occasion.  This is no apology should it all fall flat this week but it is just an honest statement on reality.  We live or work in one reality yet still declare our focus is eternal.  How we put those two truths together determines our spiritual health.  This is what God seeks to do each Sunday.  It is part of my process each week.  Let's hope that all of us meet at the same place when that time arrives.

Bro. Trey

This was a long 24 hours.  My daughter is safely set up in her dorm room at Baylor University.  We finally gathered her belongings together yesterday afternoon after a day or so of final preparations.  Getting to our hotel was a minor victory.  Nothing was lost during a three hour drive.  My son and I spent some time in the hotel pool before trying to get some rest.  Morning was going to come early.  Today was a reminder that summer may not end this year until Thanksgiving.  At least the usual Central Texas breeze blew at a decent rate.  I had enough coffee to at least get me going until the unloading got serious.  You have to give credit to the school.  They do have a pretty amazing thing going to help kids get into their new home away from home.

I pulled up to the street next to her dorm with my truck loaded with her stuff.  A large group of college students then rushed to help me unload every box or bucket we carried.  Each item was tagged with her dorm room and number.  Most everything was up into her room before I could even pull away from the curb.  This is the first year the school ran a shuttle bus from our parking area back to the dorm.  Whoever thought of that idea should be nominated for a Nobel Prize.  Thank goodness we rode back the half mile or so rather than walked across campus.  It did take several hours to assemble or find a resting place for clothes and supplies.  We finally pulled out of Waco close to 6:00 to start the journey to the house.  Arriving home was a reminder that it just was not the same.

So let me draw to a close by saying that I do not like this one bit.  Let me say that there is sadness but it isn't a sharp pain.  My grief is more like the dull toothache that gnaws at you.  But let me add that this is one of the things life is all about.  We do try to raise our kids to go find their place in the world.  We do try to pour our best into them so they discover their own grace.  We do allow them to spread their wings to see what works best for them.  Would I be content with her still home?  The obvious answer to that is yes.  But it is also true that both of us probably need to continue growing up.  I will even pray she can do a better job of it than me.

Bro. Trey

Today was a lot of fun.  I got to baptize two adorable yet very giggly little girls this morning.  One is a red haired cutie while the other is my Facebook friend.  I am grateful to God for allowing me to have even a small part of that moment.  It was a tough service in that two of our girls will be away at college next week.  One of them is of course my daughter.  We will honestly miss them playing keyboard during our worship.  Times are changing fast around here.  One can only hope these will be changes that extend God's goodness in the lives of others.  Times like these tend to be too far and too in between.  God tends to operate where He is invited.  Being a part of good church services is something we can all celebrate.

There were lots of tears around my house today.  I won't go into all of the details other than to say time is drawing near for college.  Seems like there is one goodbye gathering after the other lately.  My memory of going off to school was just getting in my vehicle and going.  Part of this is because of the closeness of so many of the friends.  That is a good thing to be sure.  I admire how strong those relationships became over the years.  Now each of them will be going their separate ways.  Grief is a normal reaction to this.  But we can forget how growing up often takes us in various paths along the way.  It is the way of life.  It is how we learn to be human.

No one really ever remains stagnant.  Part of being alive means the constant growth in every way possible.  You and I do not remain the same.  Our hope is that we find God's help in our becoming who He intends us to be.  This is true whether you are moving to college or you are half a hundred in age.  Arriving at our destination will not ever totally happen until we are at home with God.  Here is one reason for some sense of anticipation for each day.  You know this is a day when God will do something to bring you closer to the target of maturity.  Now you know why our earthly journey is one of constant shifting, growing or changing no matter our age.  You may indeed have to move physically to get to the next step of developing.  You may find times when it takes place right where you are.  Being stable is never God's best word for us.  Remaining the same is no option.

Faith includes the idea of treading into places that may be unfamiliar.  We take the risk of moving with God rather than becoming wedged in the same old existence.  This is life abundant.  This is the definition of cutting edge living.  Tears can be involved to be sure.  Just remember the greater outcome is one of joy.  Change can be painful but it is essential for healthy living.  We tend to be most alive when our God moves us to new places.  To remain in sameness is far more dangerous than taking the risk of faith.  Pray for an open heart and a clear mind to uncover what riches of grace may be given to us each day.

Bro. Trey

It is my firm belief that the heat is wearing how the few brain cells remaining.  Thinking of ideas for writing just seems to get increasingly difficult lately.  One or two flash across my mind but nothing seems to stick or excite the emotions.  All of the blame for this falls squarely upon my shoulders.  Second guessing myself is one of my daily habits when it comes to the blog.  Many of the thoughts revolve around family but we write about that enough.  We could talk about the weather but that may only depress us more.  Sports is another typical fallback topic that is used too often.  Politics is way too messy to be a constant thread.  So we just keep aiming at being creative.

Staying fresh is never an accident.  You will have to be intentional in order for the creativity to keep flowing.  We usually think of life in terms solely of our efforts.  Intentional discipline does indeed go a long way in staying close to God.  Jesus never says we will somehow wander into abundant life by mistake.  He will model how making time for God is not optional for any of us.  Notice that the early church also spent lots of time discovering this new life.  Luke says they devoted their life and their time to growing in the faith.  Is it no wonder the outcome of their mission was an explosion of grace?  We tend to spend most of our time planning strategies rather than drawing close to God.  Choosing to spend time with God is one aspect of being creative.

It is also true that life or creativity flow from God into our lives.  He is the source of abundant living.  Just being intentional with no recognition of His part will leave us high and dry.  It is the Spirit that blows new life into our being.  Scripture brings its fire to our heart when we allow it to speak.  We are always in need of receiving His presence to bring life to all we are.  Doing the acts of discipline will allow us to be real with God so He can renew us.  We learn what His will is concerning our journey.  We also discover truth for becoming who He wants us to be.  Then we realize our ability to do better is never enough without divine help.  Being dependent upon God is a huge first step to being creative and alive.  We not only learn with our minds but we are filled with His Spirit. 

Being fully alive comes from God.  There is much more to it than just finding inspiration for a blog.  We find courage to live by faith no matter the times.

Bro. Trey

I went book shopping last weekend.  That is not a surprise given my tendency to read.  This time I was able to find a few books on sale.  Cheap reading can be the best of all.  Two novels were added to my stack.  One book is a work on the War in Iraq during the last two years of the Bush presidency.  My plan was to go with the fiction first but it did not turn out that way.  Bob Woodward often writes on behind the scenes issues in Washington.  I have several of his works on my shelves.  His access into the people and process behind the war effort is fascinating.  There are few efforts to give his opinion on our struggle but what he reveals is more than enough to capture the mind.  Learning about the private issues regarding an event that still affects us is sobering.  We find that even the most noble of efforts can be polarized by imperfect people.

One of the lasting themes of this conflict will be how intelligent people allow decisions to be shaped by fairly dumb motives.  Do not think of me as a critic or lacking support for our efforts.  We lost good men and women in the cause of freedom.  Neither should you think of me as someone who even imagines that he knows better than people who lead our war efforts.  But just realize that even the most educated of individuals can miss the warning signs of failure.  Also know that pride, deceit, and other sinful emotions can come into play wherever you are.  Our best attempts at being fully human still fall prey to the most common of ailments. 

Woodward recounts how arguments over who would be in charge of planning will lead to failures before and during the war.  He writes of how pride will blind leaders from the evidence in front of them.  There is an account of two men who carry great responsibility for the war and end up severing a thirty year friendship.  One man takes the other to task for obvious mistakes made during planning and executing the conflict.  He seems to be correct in his conclusions at first glance.  Perhaps both people are in the wrong but the lack of listening becomes a final blow in the friendship.  This is only one example of how facts are often secondary to personal ego when relationships fracture.  The writer does not need to criticize what was done preceding or during the war.  What takes center stage is the human tendency to self destruct from within. 

Let me tell you a secret.  Problems like this are not limited to those in public office or with people of great power.  Everyday church members relive conflicts like this on a regular basis.  Here is what we usually do.  We will hold to the claim that we love others just as Jesus commands.  But no one asks if that equates to actually liking the other person.  We find room to harbor anger, resentment or grudges while still declaring our love for others.  Our words may say one thing when our actions truly do say another.  No wonder our efforts in taking up God's mission can fall short.  Love is not just a noun but it is a verb.  It is what we do not just what we say.  We become our own worst enemy when we forget that.

Bro. Trey

We are trying to deal with some elemental issues of the faith on Sunday mornings lately.  1 John is our point of reference.  Reading those words may not sound very exciting but they are important.  This one book may say as much to the contemporary church as any other in scripture.  John's setting is very similar to ours in terms of the problems faced then and now.  Ours is a day of mixed up faith.  Some of this is due to a mushiness that exists in some places.  People tend to believe what they want to believe without checking it against the truth.  Then we have other people who are driven by performance without much thought to the divine relationship.  You will never be as good as them if you do not toe their line.  Just being a normal believer can get difficult solely between these two extremes.

First we tried to answer the question of who exactly is a believer?  John's words are a reminder that sin or failure is still a problem even for the best of believers.  Be sure that many who go to church or are even active will measure their maturity by a set of expectations of their own making.  People like this are quick to tell you what "real" believer do or don't do.  You will find that list often if not always deals with their peculiar sense of religion.  John tells us that to say you are without sin is a sure mark of failure.  The person who follows Jesus does not focus on their failures.  We do not need to look or stress over our sin.  We do have a relationship with God where He will be our advocate or defender.  Being honest with God as well as yourself will go a long way to defining your spiritual life.  There is no failure God cannot forgive except for those we do not being to Him in humility.

Today our topic was on the marks of those who are followers of Jesus.  We again needed to address how we practice selective sainthood rather than being real with God.  John says that the person who knows God will balance relationship with responsibility.  There are indeed aspects of our faith that call for our attention.  We also realize that much of being intentional is in response to God's amazing love.  People often hear me say that we cannot be who Jesus was but we can do what He did.  Praying, quiet time, taking in scripture are all part of the life of Jesus.  They mattered to Him so we can be sure they are even more critical to us.  But never forget that John reminds us that it is God's love that completes us.  Beyond all of our best efforts is a God who desires our full attention.  What is great is how that desire never changes in any condition of life. 

Being a follower of Jesus may not always be easy but it can be simple.  We still need Him no matter how long we are a believer.  He still loves us regardless of our success or failure rate.  Contemporary congregations are in desperate need of regaining the basics.  They often get lost in the maze of meetings and managing the church.  I think we forget why we became believers in the first place far too often.  Remembering the motive of our salvation may help us enjoy being saved.  After all, what good is it to be an unhealthy Christian?

Bro. Trey

Ouch.  Didn't realize the lack of writing this week until just now.  Guess it can be blamed on the heat this week.  Just absolutely saps the life out of you.  Maybe we will get a cool spell so temperatures can just be in the high 90's for a change.  Never thought that I would see readings at 115 but it happened a few days on my truck thermometer.  Remember this weather should it ever get cold or snowy in the winter months.  It may not slow us down from complaining but it may keep us humble.

Let me admit to being distracted by my daughter leaving for college soon.  I fully realize this is part of life but it still bugs me.  My mind and even my heart knows how good this is but facts do not always promise feelings of anticipation.  We are not going to go on and on about this other than to let you know it's on my mind.  You may need to know that God gave us this first child long past the usual age of parents.  It was a difficult and painful process most of the time.  I was already 31 when she was born.  Maybe this is one reason for my trying so hard to be a decent parent.  This is surely one reason why my attachment to her as well as her brother is as it is.  It is her turn to continue growing to find her destiny.  My role may change but my heart stays the same.

My family took off for Fort Worth this weekend.  It was quite the scene as they crowded into the car to make their departure.  My youngest collected all of his electronic stuff even though its only a two day trip.  Turns out that he forgot the power cable for the video game system.  A massive meltdown followed upon that discovery.  Even his dad was not much comfort for him over the phone.  So part of shopping tomorrow out west will be to purchase an additional power cable.  Let us hope it's not terribly expensive.  We tend to overlook small stuff that ends up being important.  It is true that often the small things can be replaced.  Just never forget that every big thing is usually made up of small pieces.  Small things do matter.  We just may never know it until they are gone. 

Bro. Trey

Let's go in an entire different direction this evening.  Every so often it seems to be a decent idea to talk about things related to the ministry career that often go unsaid.  This does not really mean its a good idea but only that it seems like it.  One of the goals of my blog is to occasionally lay bare the thoughts or feelings of guys like me who do church work for a living.  Such honesty can be dangerous to those who prefer to avoid it but it does matter.  Ministers often write books or articles for other ministers but seldom do we remove some of the masks we wear for the general public.  So let's talk about moving in this post.  This is one of the areas of ministry no one usually discusses.

One of the girls who graduated with my daughter told me that some people figured that I would be moving soon now that college is near.  She is a great kid who I would adopt in a heartbeat.  This didn't give me much pause until someone else mentioned it since that occasion.  Makes me wonder if they know something that I don't?  There is no move in store for me as of this writing.  There is not even a hint of a move nor any signs of one coming in the near future.  Just wanted to get that out of the way whether it depresses or excites you.  Moving is not easy among us in the Baptist tribe.  I sometimes envy other denominations where moves are regular or the outcome of a higher up making the arrangements.  Methodists have this approach which usually works out for all involved.  Baptists are free agents who are at the mercy of tons of forces going into any move.  It honestly takes an act of God for one of us to move to another congregation.

One thing we deal with is the various divisions in our denomination.  You cannot really just be a good Baptist anymore.  Identifying with some element in our convention may largely determine whether or not one moves to another church.  Then you should know that some leaders or people in higher levels of work can focus on their guy getting into one congregation or the other.  I do know that some state leaders on either side of our troubles can involve themselves into the search for a new minister.  This does not mean it always happens but if it happens once then its too much.  Baptists tend to pride themselves on being independent even when choosing a new minister.  Outside influence cannot be a good thing for any involved.  This is but one of the obstacles faced today when churches are doing their search.

I have a few unique realities that affect me now should a move even become possible.  My years of experience also leave a trail of some who may not speak well of me.  Younger guys don't have as much to explain or defend.  All of my places of service were in settings of difficulty.  There was never an easy congregation for me.  I made and probably continue to make mistakes along the way.  Odds are good those things crop up along the process.  Also, now I am half a hundred years old.  The trend is now toward those young whipper snappers who are beginning their career.  Third is the issue of being a cancer survivor.  One church contacted me out of the blue last year.  I told them of being in treatment but also of being in remission.  Their worry was about my insurance.  I am still here.  Odds are very much against me making another move unless there is divine intervention.  God is welcome to do with me as He pleases but it may even be tough for Him.  My response is to just keep focus on life in the present tense until or unless He works a way to move.

We probably should come back later to clear things up from this post.  That will wait for another night.  There is one last suggestion to give you.  If you want your minister to leave don't be mean about it.  Pray that God will so bless him that another congregation will take him.  You will be able to live with obedience rather than negative emotion.  God will take care of the rest. 

Bro. Trey