Wednesday, December 30, 2009

More Change

A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn. We got the announcement last Sunday that Pastor Darren and Michele are accepting new and exciting positions with the Oklahoma District office. Of course that also means that they will be leaving the pastorate at Highpointe Church. A true good news/bad news development. I am expecting a really smooth pastor search and transition because the spirit of the church is so good, so unified, so God-focused. Those who will lead the search are all good, solid, Godly men who know what they are looking for and will know when they find it. It is an interesting situation for me. Since I now hold ministry credentials I cannot participate in the search or vote on the candidate. And I'm completely fine with it. I'm glad for this opportunity for the Pilchers and I'm glad that their talents will be utilized for greater impact on a larger stage. Actually, I can't think of anything to be sad about. I'm not worried about anything. A couple of old songs say it well: "Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. 'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home." and "Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand, but I know who holds the future, and I know who holds my hand." We're gonna be fine.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Handling Adversity


Yesterday I had a brief adventure of sorts. It only lasted a couple of hours but I learned a new lesson in handling adversity. The lesson began the day before. On Christmas Eve an epic snowstorm hit Oklahoma City. Carole and I had finished our annual Christmas Eve breakfast with some good friends and were at home relaxing and watching the storm roll in. We had two tasks to perform that day and were in no hurry. We were anticipating our Whitlow Christmas Eve get-together at my brother's home, and we had to go to our daughter and son-in-law's home to pick up their dog. They were at Mark's parents place out of state and the young man who was house-sitting for them was leaving to meet his family for their Christmas celebration. That left their dog, Ozzie with no way to get outside to answer nature's call, so the plan was for us to bring him to our house. No problem. We've done it several times before. Due to travel difficulties I had experienced earlier in the day, we decided that we would go to Ozzie's house, spend the night and return home Christmas morning. After all, we didn't have any other plans. The trip to their house was surreal due to the number of cars scattered along the roadway, but we made it without serious incident.


We got up Christmas morning, loaded Ozzie in the truck and headed for home. Things were going well until we enountered a jack-knifed semi blocking the road. We decided to cut through a parking lot to go around and ended up high centered in a snowbank. I sprang into action and began yelling, kicking snow and blaming others. I made my feeble attempts at trying things, but I knew that unless spring came early, we wouldn't be driving away from this without help. I had identified the situation clearly and loudly and stomped around, mad that I was in this mess.


Carole, meanwhile, was on the phone calling people. Very quickly she reached one of her cousins whose husband has a large 4 wheel drive truck and a strong chain. He said he would come, and about an hour later I was driving home.


While I focused on the problem, Carole focused on the solution. I think there is a lesson to be learned there. I give myself a D- and Carole an A+.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas with the Whitlows

Christmas Eve night is when the Whitlows get together. For years we met at the house I grew up in; the house where my dad still lives. When all three of us boys got married and had families, we grew too large for Dad's house, so now we rotate between the brother's houses. This year Ryan is hosting. I remember so many Christmases with my brothers. As kids, we would get up after dad let us know it was okay and run headlong into the hot, bright lights of the light bar on the 8mm movie camera.

With Greg being 6 years older than I, he was married with kids before I left my parent's house. He replaced the 8mm camera with a huge camcorder that took a lot longer to set up, but it amazed us by allowing us to see replays instantly instead of having to send the film to the drug store for processing.

All three of us are fully middle-aged, now and each of us bear the scars of 50+ years of life. We all have married children and two of us have grandchildren. All three of us have had years when Christmas brought an end to a year at least one of us was glad to see end. We've all had our ups and downs; years of prosperity and years of lack, years of great successes and years of great struggles, but we have always been able to laugh and act stupid at the Christmas Eve get-together.

This year, the only significant change will be that not all of our married kids will be present. Our children won't be begging to start opening presents while we act like we need to go get another plate of food before we start. Our kids have their own families, now and obligations to in-laws, not to mention the beginning of their own Christmas traditions. Man, we three have really gotten old. Thankfully, there will be some children there and it will be lots of fun making them agonize over the opening of their presents.

I have been blessed. Both of my brothers and I have always lived in OKC near my folks so there have been no missed Christmases by any of us. I nearly missed one year because of being on a job in north Louisiana, but I drove 8 hours and got home just a little late. Mom passed a few years away, but her presence is still with us. She loved Christmas and us so much there are always good stories to keep her with us.

So this year, as I take inventory, we brothers are doing okay. We all have jobs, and are all healthy. Dad is still with us. It will be fun. The food will be good. I am blessed.

Prayer

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Life on Shuffle

A few weeks ago I loaded my iPod with Christmas songs. They run the gamut from traditional Christmas carols to country to rock to Alvin and the chimpmunks. I have had it playing on shuffle at my desk the last couple of days. The songs shift seamlessly from one to another. I never know which song is coming next. A little while ago the song selection went from "Blue Christmas" to "Away in a Manger" to "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". I like the variety. I like the uncertainty. I don't want to listen to an entire album of one kind of music. I like shuffle.

I think that my life is lived on "shuffle". I can get jerked from peaceful to annoyed to shocked to hilarious in a matter of minutes. You never know what is coming next. But that is just how I like it. I know where I'm going; I just don't know when I'll get there. Life on Shuffle. Live it!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Good news/Bad news

Good news and bad news are a matter of perspective. Things that affect someone negatively will typically affect someone else positively. For example, a tornado rips through a town and damages a number of houses. That is bad news for the homeowner. It is good news, however, for the carpenter or house builder. It means a lot of really good jobs and work that will support his family.

I've heard many prayers offered for good weather for an outdoor event. At the same time people are praying for rain to keep their yards or crops from dying. Rain or the lack of it is good news for one and bad news for the other. One weather pattern produces two results.

Such results are not the result of God liking someone better or giving more attention to their prayer. Isaiah 55 tells us that the way God does business is not the way we would do it. His ways are far beyond our ability to understand, so we just have to trust his heart. I'd like to have everything that happens be fully explainable, but I don't find that promise in the Bible. But, I do find that nothing can separate me from the love of God. That's just gonna have to do.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Playing Games

Both of my grandsons made an unexpected visit to the office this afternoon. Tyler, the oldest, wanted to play and we did. We went into one of the early childhood classrooms and played "cars" which consisted of picking all of the cars out of one of the tubs which contains cars. We looked at them and put them back in the tub. Then he wanted to play "dinos" which consisted of taking all of the toy dinosaurs out of the tub, looking at them and putting them back. We were playing "golf balls" which consisted of taking the four golf balls out of my desk drawer, and, well, you know the rest. It was while we were playing "golf balls" that his mother came and said it was time to go home.

Those games are fun for him. He gets what he wants out of those games. I enjoy being with him, but I can think of games that would be a lot more involved and enjoyable. I want to stack things, organize things, make them go, and maybe even crash them. But we play at his pace because he doesn't enjoy the games when he doesn't understand the purpose or context. Maybe when he gets older, he'll understand and enjoy more involved games.

I imagine that God feels the same way about me. I want to play my games according to my rules and quit playing when I decide I want to play something else. God enjoys me being with him, but I imagine he is always thinking, If you would just let me, we could play some really awesome and interesting games. The games you are playing now don't come close to maximizing what I have put you in contact with.

Maybe when I get older I'll understand.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Primal review


I just finished reading Mark Batterson's latest book, Primal- A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. In it Batterson challenges the reader to examine his/her own existence with the intent of shedding layers of complexity and getting down to the purest essence of faith. He lays out his case by examining the heart, soul, mind and strength of Christianity; also known as the Great Commandment. He uses many illustrative examples to make his points. These points helped me to view the Great Commandment in new, fresh ways.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is feeling frustrated with the ever busier/less fulfilling lifestyle so many in church are experiencing today. Reading it to start 2010 would be a great way to establish focus on a simpler, more "primal" faith for the coming new year.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Glory

John 1:14- The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We have seen his glory. We were given a glimpse during his time on earth. But what did his glory look like? It looked a lot like an unimpressive example of a small-town Jewish man. He was born in a barn. He healed some folks, fed thousands of people with a few fishwiches and told stories, most of which were not understood by those who heard them. He spent time with a dozen guys who liked hanging with him but weren't really sure if they could believe everything he said. As a result, he reached his peak of popularity about a week before the crowd turned on him and he was put to death. That's what we got to see. We got to see him post-resurrection, but he didn't make any victory parades for the world to see. He quietly talked to his friends and gave instructions on what to do with his message.

Many ministers today have organizations that are much larger and more impressive than the group Jesus put together. So if glory is defined by glitz, money and numbers, many today show more glory than Jesus did. But I think we have made our own definition of glory; one that we think is more befitting a child of God. But what sort of glory did we see from Jesus during his time here on earth?

Jesus' glory was defined by what he layed aside rather than by what he gathered to himself. He dropped all of the trappings of royalty so that he could relate to us. In the messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53 we learn that He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected my men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not. He gave himself up completely to bring us salvation. He allowed himself to be abused for our good. That is the glory we saw from Jesus.

Let's make sure we know what we are asking for when we say we want to live glorious lives. It is available to us but it may look different than we imagine.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Look for a sign

It has been fun having vinyl banners serving as church signs for Highpointe, but those days are rapidly coming to a close. After many dangers, toils and snares, the installation of the awesome new state-of-the-art sign will begin on Monday, assuming that the temperature stays above freezing. They'll have to pour a concrete footing and let it cure a few days, then they will be able to install the sign and hook it up to electricity. Pray that the temps are above freezing next week. It looks like we'll have the new sign to begin the new year. A new beginning. A new Highpointe sign for a new future. Martin and I look forward to taking down the vinyl banners. They have done what we needed them to do, but no more of this "good enough" stuff. There's nothing too good for the saints.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

I must look really old.

I must look really old. Today I went to Kohl's and when I checked out the guy at the register gave me a senior citizen discount without even asking. (Yes, I accepted it. Do you think I'm prideful or something?) Then I went to the Panda Express for lunch. They were promoting a new dish, Sweet Fire Chicken. I said to the nice young lady who was serving me, "I'll try the Sweet Fire Chicken." With a concerned look on her face she said, "It's kind of spicy. Are you okay with spicy food?" Okay, that one kind of got to me. I east spicier stuff than Sweet Fire Chicken for dessert. Come on. Do I look that fragile?

While I ate I decided that I could use my "old" look to my advantage. Maybe I can get out of doing some things I don't really enjoy doing if young people see me as a nice old guy who needs some help. Maybe I can get away with saying whatever I want to say and get away with it under the excuse of being old. There's no pressure to dress sharply or to look handsome. This just might work. You young whippersnappers better watch out. This old guy is gonna have some fun with this.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Best Time of Life

When I was a boy the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were the slowest weeks of the year. Sure there were Sunday School Christmas parties ($1 limit on presents) and grade school parties (don't draw names; just number the gifts and let us draw. No kid that liked me ever drew my name so I would always get modeling clay or a Lassie book). Gradually, glacially, the Christmas season would progress from the opening of the box of Christmas comic books on Thanksgiving afternoon to buying a tree and decorating it. Each day we would check under the tree after school to see if any additional presents had appeared. Those which were available would be shaken. The paper would be pressed down on the package to see if anything could be read between the Santa faces. It seemed that the Christmas season lasted for months. It was wonderful and it was awful with the anticipation of Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve we were sure that we would never fall asleep, only to be awakened by a HO HO HO from my dad on Christmas morning. I thought it was the best time of my life, and it was.

When I had children, the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas went by much faster. There was so much for Carole to do. Decorating the house, going to parties, getting gifts for our kids to give at Sunday School and grade school parties, wrapping presents so our kids would find new ones under the tree when they got home from school, and trying, unsuccessfully at times, to keep them from finding out what they were getting. Christmas morning came and went very quickly, leaving a lot of work for Carole, but I thought it was the best time of my life, and it was.

Now I have grandchildren. This will be the first year that the oldest, Tyler, has any understanding of what is happening. I look forward to seeing him and his newborn brother, Simon in their church Christmas play. (Simon will be playing the lead role of baby Jesus this year.) I enjoy being around my children and their families and this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is passing at breakneck speed. But I think it is the best time of my life.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Quote from G.K. Chesterton

I'm currently reading a book by Eugene Peterson entitled "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places". As with other books he has written, he captivates my mind through his incredible ability to use words to create mental imagery. It is difficult to use snippets from one of his books because his thoughts are developed page after page. There are no slogans to be derived from his writings. In the chapter "Christ Plays in Creation", Peterson quotes G.K. Chesterton. "What has really happened during the last seven days and nights? Seven times we have been dissolved into darkness as we shall be dissolved into dust; our very selves, so far as we know, have been wiped out of the world of living things; and seven times we have been raised alive like Lazarus, and found all our limbs and senses unaltered, with the coming of the day."

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

I'm sad about the Tiger thing

This whole Tiger Woods wreck/fight/affair thing just makes me sad. I am a huge fan of golf and I recognize that having a player with the stature of Tiger Woods is good for the golf industry. But being Tiger Woods has to be difficult. The Tiger Woods empire is contingent on his surpassing will to win, his actual winning, a finely crafted public personna, and a public who can't get enough of Tiger. When he's winning, when he marries a beautiful wife, when he's limping to victory, when he flashes his trademark smile, when he freezes out his opponent with icy stares, and when he is able to show carefully scripted and tightly rationed views into his personal life, it works incredibly well.

But the problem is that Tiger the trademark isn't the same as Tiger the man. It can't be. It is impossible. But when the PGA, Nike, Gatorade and other sponsors are paying someone the huge bucks, and when the sports journalists keep their spotlights trained on one individual a majority of the time there is a great price to pay in return. You give up the ability to have a marital dust-up in the privacy of your own neighborhood. No one can live in the spotlight during the good times and turn it off in the bad times. Too many people have their livelihoods tied to the Tiger brand. Protecting the brand becomes first priority. But no veneer is strong enough to withstand the onslaught of speculation. Eventually information begins to seep through the inevitable cracks which appear under the unrelenting pressure.

This is not unique to Tiger. It is common to anyone who is in a position of significant influence. We see the same tale with political and religious leaders. It is hard to be transparent and vulnerable when so many want the leader to be Superman. Those who find their identity in being close to the leader will typically make these matters worse by trying to contain the truth. Then when the truth ultimately comes out, the fallout is devastating.

I don't know how this will ultimately impact the Tiger legacy. He may resume his place as the world's best golfer. But his family and his reputation as a husband and father has taken a huge hit. And that makes me sad.

Friday, November 27, 2009

A review of a book you will never read (Unless you're in Ireland)

I just finished reading a book that was given to me by its author while I was in Northern Ireland back in June. The book, Ireland's Lost Heritage, was written by David Carnduff who is a Bible scholar and an engaging conversationalist. I remember fondly the afternoon visit we shared over tea and biscuits in the church he is planting in a workout center in Northern Ireland. The book is not easy reading, but it was fascinating for me on a couple of levels. First is the telling of the story of the evangelization of Ireland, viewed from a Pentecostal perspective, tracing its history back to the 5th century. It is always encouraging to read of the challenges and successes of our pioneer evangelists.

The second thing is that concerns that we have today are not new concerns. On page 104 of the book in the chapter on George Jeffreys, founder of the Elim churches it says of him, "Evangelism was always close to the heart of Jeffreys. He had no time for such "holy huddles" and whereas some of the early Pentecostals saw the blessing of the "glory meetings" as Heavenward-looking and end in itself, Jeffreys saw it as inward looking and failing to reach the lost." That dilemna is still in evidence today. Many evaluate the condition of a church on how the Spirit moves during the services when they should be looking to how the Spirit moves in the lives of the members as they live life between the services.

In the early days of Modernism, there was a temptation to make the gospel presentation logical to the hearer and neglect the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit. Today as we minister to the post-modern hearer we are tempted to make the gospel as intellectual as possible because we fear that our Pentecostal experience will be viewed as something for the uneducated. Or we orchestrate a "pep rally" atmosphere where feel-good emotions promise a good life. Carnduff addresses this well when he says, "Yet arguably, if you preach on an intellectual level you will reach on an intellectual level. If you preach on an emotional level you will reach on an emotional level. But only if you preach on a spiritual level will you reach on a spiritual level and this is the only level on which a truly life-changing result can be effected."

I am not a scholar, so I really appreciate the discipline involved in research and writing that results in books such as this which keep us connected to our past, for the past of the Irish believer is the same as that of any Christ believer around the world. We all trace our roots to a common beginning.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Word Inflation

It is well documented on this blog that I am a great fan of words. To me, words have definite and consistent meanings. But it is common these days for the value of a word or phrase to be diminished by overuse. I call this "word inflation".

At one time the acronym "ASAP" carried an air of urgency. As Soon As Possible meant just that. It coveyed a sense that it was to take precedence over almost anything else. Now people routinely use ASAP and no one really changes their schedule to accomodate the ASAP request. A few years ago I asked someone who worked for me to prepare a list of equipment needs for a project I was leading. He was to prioritize what equipment was needed right away and what would be added as the project progressed. What I got was a 9 page listing of requests with ASAP written next to each item. Just before I threw that list away I told him that when I saw ASAP next to each item, it lost any possibility of creating urgency. The overuse of ASAP rendered it meaningless.

Back in the day, digital pagers were the cutting edge technology used to keep in touch. A phone number would appear on the screen and I would begin looking for a public telephone to call the number which appeared. The most common number to appear would be the "office", of course, and we talked about a method whereby I would know if I should find the next off ramp and get to the phone right away, or if I could call back at the first regular opportunity. We decided that a message with the office phone number would mean to call next time I was near a phone. But if a 911 was added to the phone number it meant to drop everything and get to a phone. It worked just fine until two times in a day I made a mad dash to find a phone only to find that one of the guys I worked with wanted to ask about something that whas not particularly urgent. The second time this happened, I asked why he used the 911 designation for non-urgent purposes and he said that he didn't like waiting for me to call back. We stopped using the 911 shortly after that, because it had lost its "punch". Overuse had stripped it of its impact.

A phrase that is being overused these days is "a slap in the face". It is hard to read the letter to the editor section of the paper or watch man in the street interviews without this phrase popping up. It originated some time ago to identify a particularly offensive action toward a person or interest group. But now I see that anything done that someone doesn't like will be labeled "a slap in the face" to a large group such as "everyone who ever wore a military uniform". At one time, if I read the "slap in the face" term I could see why the person using it felt it necessary to use it. But now, through overuse, I get aggravated when it see it used. It sounds cranky. It makes me doubt the message of the aggrieved party. Overuse of this phrase has robbed it of its power.

Let's be careful not to be guilty of word inflation. Let's use the proper word in its proper context. After all, I have told you a million times to stop exaggerating.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

New Life


Yesterday we celebrated the long awaited arrival of my newest grandson, Simon Robert Pickens. To quote Harry Chapin, "he came to the world in the usual way." But for that day, there were no "planes to catch and bills to pay." Last night there was a time when 17 people were in the room, ranging in age from their first day in the outside world to well in their 70's. There were children zooming around, playing with toy cars and playing hide and seek. There were parents talking about parent things, and occasionally making futile attempts to rein in the energy levels of their kids. There were grandparents snapping pictures of everything. There was a great-grandma who was taking it all in and loving it all. It was chaotic; it was loud. It was awesome, because it was life. New life; new creation. A new beginning. New responsibilities for all of us. Promises of new levels of messiness and uncertainty. Promises of new opportunities and joys. Promises of new heartbreaks. Promises of sucesses and failures. And that is what life is about. It is an adventure. It's messy. It's unbelievably exciting and incredibly impossible. We take a great day like yesterday and hold it in reserve against the inevitability of a day that seems to suck the air from our lungs. Both days are life. But days that involve new life are the best.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Banquet Week

This must be banquet week. Tuesday night Carole and I went to the Reach the World Banquet and Auction. Last night I went to a Teen Challenge Freedom House banquet in Tulsa. Tonight I will go to a Teen Challenge Sonrise Ranch banquet in Lawton. I love Teen Challenge banquets because of the testimonies of those whose lives have been changed by God throught Teen Challenge. I never grow tired of hearing the stories of a life that was self-destructive and out of control that now is at peace because of the love of Christ. The transforming power of the gospel is simply amazing. I heard several such testimonies last night. I look forward to hearing more tonight.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A Modest Proposal

I remember reading "A Modest Proposal" in high school English as an example of satire. It was written by Johnathon Swift as I remember, and was written during the Irish Potato Famine, if my recollection is accurate. His proposal, in answer to the seeming indifference of the government to the plight of the starving was that the people should eat the babies. You have to read it.
www.art-bin.com/art/omodest.html

My proposal is not as outrageous as this. My proposal is along the lines of churches which need to be planted in Oklahoma City. Two come to mind, although there is a need for many "micro-congregations" in our city.

First would be a church in the "Little Saigon", or Asian District which is centered on Classen Boulevard between NW 36th and NW 16th. The people who have opened businesses in this corridor have saved this part of town from total deterioration. It is now an interesting and safe part of town thanks to their efforts. But there is not a church for them in any of the remaining vacant business locations.

Second would be a work in the Paseo Arts District. This area is in a resurgence and it is peopled by artistic people who will not typically respond to typical Christianity. However, they will respond to genuine Christianity which is not tied to Republican conservatism. (They really are two different things.)

I can't offer much in my proposal other than myself. I would love to work with and resource church planters who have a real calling and the ability to communicate at a heart level with the people of these neighborhoods. Our city benefits from having these populations in our area. We need to respond in love and share the gospel with them.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

New Life Isn't Always Embraced

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." John 11:43-50

New life isn't always greeted with joy. Lazarus, who had been dead for days, was now living again thanks to a miracle from Jesus. That news brought joy to many, but to those who were in charge of maintaining church order it brought great consternation. They saw the new life as a threat to their position and to their influence with the government. So they decided to kill Jesus.

Around the country it is not uncommon see the same spirit. A change occurs in a local church and there are those who receive the "new life" with gladness. But there are always those who have assigned themselves the responsibility to "protect the church" and they are not so pleased with the change that new life brings. So they set out to rid themselves of the one responsible for endangering the set order of things.

The Pharisees could not embrace the good news that Lazarus had another shot at life. They could only see that people wouldn't be coming to them for their answers; they would be going to the giver of new life, Jesus.

We should always remember that new life is exciting, messy, tiring, challenging and uncertain. It requires us to do things differently. It requires us to reschedule in ways that are really inconvenient at times. It may move us to the background while the recipients of new life get all the face time. But without new life, we grind to a halt. Our paramount responsibility as Christians is to pass the gospel to the next generation; not to keep it familiar for the current one. I plan to be among those who embrace and celebrate new life.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

It was fun this season


Back 15 or 20 years ago, I followed major league baseball closely. Every morning during the season I would check the box scores of my two teams, the Yankees in the AL and the Reds of the NL. It was before ESPN, before the internet. I learned the player's names from the box scores. I had no idea what they looked like unless they played on the NBC game of the week. World Series games were usually played during the day, so I would listen to them on the radio at school or work. It was fun. But as the responsibilities of life grew, my desire to follow baseball waned. The Big Red Machine of Cincinnati grew old and retired. Many of my Yankee heroes were replaced by a revolving door of guys I didn't know. Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash and I wouldn't be able to tell you who was catching for the Yankees until Jorge Posada arrived.

So this year, for the first time in many years, I got reacquainted with baseball. My son-in-law and several guys I work with are also Yankee fans, and I began paying attention to game results from the first of the season. The baseball season is a long one. There were many ups and downs. Players were hurt, players were traded. Some went through slumps, some got really hot. There were winning streaks and losing streaks. I was there for it all. I saw the Yankees lose their first 8 games to the Red Sox only to win 9 of the next 10. It was really fun. I pulled for teams I don't like when they played teams I like even less.

Last night the last game of Major League Baseball season was played. The Yankees were there to the very end and are now the champions. Of course, I am thrilled that my team won. But I have enjoyed the many conversations with many of my friends about baseball this season. I enjoyed reading the box scores again, although I read them on the internet now. It really was fun and enjoyable. I have rejoined the community of baseball fans. I'm ready for another season to start.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Crisis of Faith

I would guess that every serious follower of Christ goes through a time of questioning, or a "crisis of faith". I know I did. A number of years ago several events occurred in my life that caused me to reevaluate every part of my belief system. I started at the existence of God and the reliability of the Bible, and went from there. I asked myself the question, "Do I believe this because it is all I have ever known, or do I believe it because it's true?"

I realized very quickly that it was nice that I knew what I believed, and it is important is to know why I believe it. What is most important is to know if what I believe will actually hold up under the pressures of life and the promise (or threat) of eternity.

I emerged from my crisis of faith with a simpler, stronger faith that can go with me into every situation. It is not dependent on my relationships with others, it will hold up regardless of financial situations, health issues, or political legislation. I discarded many things that I once felt were really important and found that I no longer have to "fake it till I make it". I don't have to have to put on a happy face when events knock the props out from under me. I don't have to pretend that I am perfect when I know what I really am. I don't have to pretend that nothing bad is happening to me even though it is evident to everyone else. But I have an inner peace that allows me to face those trials and disappointments without sacrificing my joy. I have learned to embrace the challenges of life and see how they are working in me to bring me closer to God. I am learning to release the outcomes I desire in favor of the outcomes God wants. That doesn't mean I am having a good time during the trial; it means that I know that God is working in each of these situations for my ultimate good. I am grateful for the events that caused my crisis of faith. They caused my faith to grow stronger.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Bangladesh Food In OKC!

Martin Urbina and I just returned from trying out a new restaurant, Desi Biriyani. It features cuisine from Bangladesh. They have a buffet, which both of us tried. We had lamb and chicken dishes, and topped it off with a mango smoothy. It was really pretty good. It is located in a former Taco Bell location on the SW corner of NW 10th and Meridian. Open from 11am to 11pm 7 days a week, you will most likely find it open when you have a craving for mutton biryani or chicken masala.

I asked the young lady who served us if there were a lot of people from Bangladesh in Oklahoma City, and she said there are. It amazes me to find people from so many countries and cultures here in good-ole OKC. I have no idea how they end up here, but I enjoy having them here, especially when they open restaurants. I can go recommend Vietnamese, Peruvian, Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Russian, German, authentic Mexican, Moroccan, Ethiopian and Iranian places, all within a 15 minute drive from my house. We are very fortunate to have all of these cultures and nationalities here in our midst.

If you ever feel like having an eating adventure, give me a call. I can hook you up with some amazing food.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Baseball as life

Well the World Series is set. My Yankees will square off with the Philadelphia Phillies and it should provide an entertaining series. Each game will probably be a nail-biter. There will be momentum shifts and lead changes. Baseball is different from other major team sports in that there is no clock. The game is over when both teams have exhausted their allotment of 3-out innings. This, and the fact that if a player leaves the game he may not come back means that the tension of a close game may take a while to build but the whole complexion of the game can change with every swing of the bat. Folks who do not care for baseball say that it boring and that the action comes too sporadically, but I beg to differ. I say that baseball is more like life than any other game. In life, we go day after day in seeming inactivity. We eat, go to work, hang around, do stuff. Then suddenly, in the midst of our normalcy, something happens that changes the whole landscape. Maybe it brings cheers, maybe it causes us to groan. But it happens, and we've got to react to it. We might have to change what we are doing. We might have to stay with what we are doing, but try harder. But we never stop trying until we have taken the last swing in the last inning. Falling behind is not losing. Quitting when we fall behind is the worst kind of losing.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Oldie- Not Edgy

On a recent road trip, Carole and I stopped for a meal at a little roadside cafe; the kind that used to be typical along route 66. It had the requisite red vinyl booths along a window overlooking the highway. I was suspicious of its six page menu offering everything from grilled cheese to tilapia, so I ordered a cheeseburger and fries. I wasn't surprised to hear Brenda Lee and Pat Boone songs played over the sound system, but I was a little taken aback when suddenly I heard Jefferson Airplane doing "White Rabbit". That song came from the edgy side of music from the 60's. It was counter cultural and was performed by people my parents didn't approve of. I loved it. I still remember vividly the first time I heard "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. I was in the back of my best friend's brother's '58 Chevy station wagon. He had a brand new 8-track player and enormous speakers in the back. He had it cranked up. In true stereo, the music swept from speaker to speaker in a way I didn't know was possible. I thought, "If Jesus returns right now, He won't be looking in the back of this car for me." But the music was exciting. It was new and different. It spoke to my generation in ways other music didn't. It felt so rebellious. This kind of music wasn't played on the top 40 AM stations. It was only played on the new FM "underground" stations.

So it was a little unsettling when one of those songs was played in a set with top 40 soft rock songs. I realized that my music was no longer counter-cultural. It was no longer edgy. It has been thrown in the "oldies" pile along with Barry Manilow. It has been relegated to nostalgia status.

That experience happens to all of us. What was once groundbreaking and exciting is now quaint. That is okay if we are willing to move along with the times. But it is sad to see the guy who stubbornly clings to the 60's or 70's and refuses to move ahead. He loses all influence with others. He may be tolerated, or maybe even honored, but he is not consulted on current matters. Those of us who are in positions of influence need to listen to the younger voices among us if we don't want to be relegated to irrelevance. The awesome 8 track players of my youth have been replaced by ipods. I have one and love it. It is far superior to anything previous. I have Kashmir on it. But the day is soon coming when the ipod will be quaint. Bob Dylan sounded the clarion call to my parent's generation. The message still rings true today:

Come gather round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth saving
Then you'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a changing.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

An Unashamed Attempt to Get a Free Book

I read quite a number of blogs, as well as quite a few books. One blogger and author I read consistently is Mark Batterson who is lead pastor of the National Community Church in Washington DC. Although I'm quite a bit older than he is, I think I would like to hang with him. I met James Kennedy one time, and although I respected him greatly, I never had the idea that I would like to hang with him. Batterson gives off the vibe that he has it going on and he makes it look easy, even though it can't be. He pastors an amazing multi-site church, is a sought after speaker, and seems to be able to balance all of this with strong family relationships. In Mark Batterson's latest blog post I learned that his publisher is giving away a number of copies of his newest book, Primal. The only condition was that bloggers would have to post a review of the book after reading it. I immediately registered my blog as one which would like to have a copy.

When Batterson's last book, Wild Goose Chase came out, the publisher made the same offer, but I was too late. I think I was on a trip to Sudan or something like that and missed the opportunity. A friend of mine (who stayed in the comfort of his own home) got a free copy and I had to pay full retail price for mine. I had to repent of the sin of envy.

So, if you are from the publishing company and you are scanning the registered blogs to assess their free-book worthiness, I hope that you can realize the awesomeness of this blog and send me a book. I promise to read it right away and publish a review the next day. Then maybe the dozen or so people who read my blog will rush right out and pay full retail for their own copy of Primal.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Highway Construction

On our way home from the Grand Canyon last Tuesday night, we hit rain when we got to Amarillo. A few miles east of Amarillo we came to some road construction. It was dark and rainy; we were tired from driving all day. As we hurdled down the highway we encountered the orange barrels always found at highway construction sites. The barrels were arranged in such a way that they caused us to turn off the road and away from the construction area. We slowed down, slightly, but we willingly allowed the barrels to guide us off of the road and into the unknown. The darkness and the rain kept us from being able to see more than a short distance in front of the car. I couldn't help but think, "We don't know who put those barrels there or where they are leading us. They could be part of some cruel trick to steer us to a horrible death into a massive pit full of other fooled cars." But still we went blindly along where the barrels led us. Fortunately, no one was playing a trick on us and we made it home safely.

I realized that am willing to place my faith in unknown highway workers of unknown character and motivation and drive at full speed down a dark and rainy road. But so often, I am unwilling to trust God when he desires to lead me to an unknown outcome. I insist that he turn on all the lights and let me see where I will end up before I follow. Of course, he doesn't do that, so at times I have just parked and waited for daylight. Even though I have a life-long relationship with God, and know him to have my best interests at heart, my actions show that I suspect that he is trying to trick me when he leads me down that dark road.

Why do I trust the unknown highway worker more than I trust God?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Grand Canyon Assembly of God


Last week Carole and I took a quick trip to the Grand Canyon. It was our last chance to get away for a few days since we have a second grandson arriving in a few weeks. We had a great time and as always, the Grand Canyon was amazing. We have been there several times and always enjoy the grandeur and serenity of the place. While we were there, we were able to connect with Brian and Debbie Fulthorp, who pastor the Grand Canyon Assembly of God, located inside the park. Their work resembles a Chi Alpha work more than a church. They minister to several who are permanent residents of the Grand Canyon village, but they also minister to many summer workers and tourists, many of which come from many countries around the world. Every church presents its leadership with unique challenges, and Grand Canyon A/G is no exception. But Brian and Debbie have great hearts and a desire to minister as bi-vocational pastors. Grand Canyon village has a gospel resistant population that is very secular or New Age spiritual. Working in the community allows them to connect with people on a different level. By facing the same issues as those they come in contact with, they can reach out to many more people than they could as full-time pastors. That may not always be the case, but it certainly works now. They have pastored there for two years now. Remember to pray for them as they seek the most effective way to reach this unusual mission field.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

I like stories best

Last week I wrote about preferring words over numbers. I think I made my case brilliantly. But as we enter the realm of words, I feel that the highest and best use of words is when they are used in a story. I enjoy telling stories and love to hear a well-told story. Stories suck me in and cause emotions to swell. I find myself involved with the action. When I read a well-written story, I can actually "see" the setting and the characters, and can feel tension, apprehension, increased heart rate or excitement. It is as though I am there. I can remember stories long after the telling. Many of our deepest friendships are forged in shared experiences related in story form.

Eugene Peterson, in his book, "Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places" says, "Stories are verbal acts of hospitality."

I like stories best.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Back to AZ

Hey guys, we are going back to Arizona next June to help build another church on an Indian reservation and it would be awesome if you came. We will be leaving OKC early on Saturday, June 12 and will arrive in Cedar Creek, AZ later that night. We will attend church on Sunday morning and commence work on Monday. I will find out in a couple of weeks what kind of work we will be doing. We will work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Thursday we will do some siteseeing and will return home Friday evening on the 18th. We will take a church van or you can take your own car. The cost of the trip is $350 if you ride in the van, or $300 if you provide your own transportation. The cost includes lodging in Charley Odell's luxurious portable bunkhouses, and all meals. We will have a great time while we are doing a good work. I'm letting you know early enough for you to put it on your schedule. Come join us!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Everything was contemporary at one time

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands,
His feet,Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
- Isaac Watts 1707

This hymn may or may not be familiar to you but it is significant. It is revered as one of the best loved hymns ever written for its powerful theology, vivid imagery and thrilling melody. It was among the first hymns written in first person. Until this time, songs sung in church were mostly theology set to ponderous music. Although they were accurate depictions of God and his love, they were sung about God. This song was sung to God. As such, it stirred up quite a contoversy. Such songs, with their description of a personal experience in God, were not appreciated by the church establishment, who thought it demeaning to God for an unworthy individual to sing directly to him. Churches were divided into churches who would sing this type of song and those who wouldn't.

So, "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross", written in 1707, was at one time a contemporary song disliked by those who liked the style of songs they already knew. Who'da thought it?

Ecclesiastes 1:9- What has been will be again,what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the son.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

I prefer words.

I am not an especially big fan of numbers. That is probably a little disconcerting coming from someone who is mis-cast in the role of an administrator. Numbers and I have always had a tension-filled relationship, even back to grade school days. I have always preferred the company of words. Numbers portray facts and absolutes. 2 always fits between 1 & 3 and represents a value exactly between them. Words, on the other hand, can be arranged in many different ways, and different words can be used to convey the same thought in a different light.

Numbers can't reveal all that they represent without the help of words. Financial statements represent the reality of the moment, but they are incapable of telling the whole story without accompanying narraration. Businessmen have always looked for the one page report that would give a complete and accurate representation of financial status, but it still doesn't exist. It will always require a story told by the person who was there on a daily basis and who understands the trends represented by the numbers.

Words can convey emotion, where numbers can only convey value. "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11

I prefer words.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Creative Access

I learned a new term this weekend; "creative access countries". What I like about this term is that it concerns what used to be called, "closed countries". These are the countries that will not allow the traditional evangelist/church planter type of missionary to enter their country, so we called them "closed". In previous decades, we went about establishing works in the countries which allowed traditional missionaries and saw many great works done for the Kingdom. A huge number of the nations of the world now have a healthy indigenous church.

However, the Great Commission is to go into ALL the world, not just those places who welcomed us. What we saw as closed, God saw as His creation who needed his salvation. He worked through believers who would trust him to make ways where there seemed to be no ways, and now we are seeing how it will happen. God is using people with skills other than preaching and church planting skills to bring the Gospel to the rest of the world. Proclaiming is taking on a fresh dimension in reaching the "closed" countries. It is taking place while relief is given, gardens are planted, water is filtered, people are rescued from slavery and addiction, and while research is done. A new generation of missionaries who don't look or possess the skillset of previous missionaries are reaching the unreached in new and creative ways with previously unconventional ministry skills. "Creative access countries". I like it.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Can bad be good?

Stuff happens. We all know that. But did you know that when we face it a challenge or trial that it is one of God's ways of showing us His love? Hebrews 12:6 tells us "My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects." (Msg) And we're supposed find joy even in stress-filled situations. "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." (James 1:2-4 Msg)

Many times we think that if something is happening to us that we don't like then God must have turned his head for a minute and let something bad slip up on us. Because if we don't like it then it can't be from God, can it? But if these scriptures mean what they say, then we should praise God and know that he loves us even during the worst part of the trial and not wait until it is over to give him praise. If we are being chastened, it means God loves us. When we see the trial as a gift from God, we display the spiritual maturity of one who trusts God for who he is, and not for what he has done for us lately.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Call

Samuel was awakened in the middle of the night by the voice of God. Moses saw a burning bush. David was brought in from the field to anointed as king. All of these men were called by God. They are all great stories. And we act as though they give us permission not to do anything of significance because nothing like that has happened to us.

There are many questions concerning "The Call". We assume that if we are "called" we have to stop what we are doing and go to Bible college. Then we have to buy a dark suit and start trying out for churches. In reality, the call of God comes many different ways and takes on many different forms.

This Sunday night in our small groups, we will all watch a 12 minute video interview of several members of our missionary family. In these interviews we will see that none of them have "traditional" ministries. None are pastors and none are crusade evangelists. They teach English, build water filters and teach sustainable farming, help rescue victims of human trafficking, and serve as wandering storytellers. None of them had a dramatic "called" event. Each of them followed a desire to help in areas where they saw a need.

The question is not, "Am I called?". The question is "Where am I called?". It probably won't be in a remote jungle, but it might. But that desire you have to do something to help in an area of need, whether it is on your own block or on the other side of the world, just might be "The Call".

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Trustworthy?

John 2:23-25 (The Message)
23-25During the time he was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover Feast, many people noticed the signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed straight to God, entrusted their lives to him. But Jesus didn't entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn't need any help in seeing right through them.

Jesus knew how unstable the opinions of people can be. He was the visible image of God, and yet people's opinions about him wavered from day to day depending on how his message struck them. The same crowd that shouted "hosanna" one day shouted "crucify him!" just a week later.

We, as mere mortals have an unending struggle with this. We are social creatures, desiring to be respected and wanting to be in relationship with people we can respect. But it has been said, "The best of men are men at best." It is easy to hold the principle of caring only for God's approval, but in reality it hurts when someone you loved and felt comfortable around suddenly turns on you. I need to warn you; if you are my friend for any length of time, I will let you down. Please don't cut me loose, because eventually you will let me down and we both need all the friends we can get. I'll give you a pass if you still want to be my friend. I hope you will give me a pass as well. I think it's what we are supposed to do.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Civil Discourse

A couple of days ago, one of my facebook friends posted an update saying simply, "We must return to a more civil tone in our national debate." I agreed and clicked the "like" button. As a result, I was notified each time someone responded to that thread. It was ironic in a "Saturday Night Live" sort of way. No one responded negatively to the idea of civil discourse, but it seemed that the consenus was that we could have civil discourse if the other side of the issue would act better. Very quickly the conversation descended to accusations of lies, ignorance, name calling, and bad motives; in other words, while rallying around the idea of civil discourse, the actual discourse became quite acrimonious within just a few sentences.

As a Christ follower and minister, I have made it a practice not to engage in political discussions not because I have no point of view or consider myself to be above such topics, but because I know that God loves those from every political persuasion. He does not check the voting registration of anyone seeking Him before granting access, so neither do I.

The reason for this post is not to chastize those who engage in political name-calling. That is the centuries old nature of politics. I'm writing this post today because I see the same name calling going on in our churches around the nation. I have written about this numerous times on this blog. We are very quick to go on the attack if someone has the audacity to propose something different from our preference. There is little consideration of "the greater good" when we are convinced that we already live the perfection of that ideal, or at least know how it should look. I am troubled when a controversy arises and the motivation is to "win" more than it is to seek what is correct. We in the church have learned our craft well from the political arena. We make sure that we keep our constituencies happy and form coalitions to make sure that we have an unassailable voting block. We are quick to write our letters of complaint and to attack the motives of those who dare propose new ideas. Churches all over the nation are going through "turf wars". The casualties of those wars are those who need what Christ has to offer, but can't see him because those who are supposed to be his representatives appear to be no different than the people they see on Fox or CNN.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Ordinary can be awesome

Most of life is unremarkable if we are lucky. No one really expects to get notice of a huge inheiritance from an uncle we barely knew. No one really expects to be one of the six people in the world to find a golden ticket in their Wonka bar. But we all have our share of really terrible days; days of unexpected layoffs, bad medical test results, horrible fights with someone we love, and the like. We all hope that those days are few. So, with very few extraordinarily great days expected and several (but not many) really bad days anticipated, the vast majority of days are destined to be mundane. It is in those days that life is lived. It is what we do with those days that determines if we will leave anything of significance behind because of the life we lived.

Last night we had some folks over for dinner, one of whom was my grandson, Tyler. In the waning moments of the evening, he and I sat out on the front porch as the sun was going down. We weren't playing any sort of raucous game, we were just sitting. Since he is not yet 2 years old, we weren't having a deep conversation. (He does have an extraordinary vocabulary, but that is for another post.) But there was a second that I looked at him and he looked back at me and smiled. It only lasted for a couple of seconds, but I sensed how valuable those simple, ordinary moments are. There will be opportunities for over the top fun at parties and amusement parks, but I have learned to really appreciate ordinary days. Ordinary can be awesome.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Football Breakfasts- year 5

This morning was the start of another season of football breakfasts. This is the fifth year that we have served breakfast to the Putnam City North football team on the mornings they play in their home stadium. They arrive at the FLiC around 7:30 and they bring their appetites with them. This morning was incredible. Bob Smith, Trent Smith, Carole, Bambi Longstreth and I cooked 18 pounds of bacon, 15 dozen biscuits, 15 dozen eggs, 6 gallons of orange juice and 2 gallons of gravy. They ate it all. In years past when we cooked that much we always had a lot of leftovers, but not today. More players came than we have seen in previous years, and they ate like there was no tomorrow. I told the coaches to tell the players to keep coming. We'll cook more next week. If you would like to help with this, we will be cooking on Septermber 11 and 25, then October 9 and 23 and November 5. We will also cook for all playoff games. It really is kinda fun and the players are very polite and grateful. It has become a big tradition to the players; one they really look forward to. Let me or Trent know if you would like to help.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A new missionary friend

I just had lunch with someone I had never met. He is a missionary assigned to an area of the world which is quite sensitive, so I can't mention his name or the part of the world he lives in when on the field. He and his wife have been living as "ministry vagabonds" for the past several years, following disaster and upheaval all around the world to administer assistance and hope. They own very little in assets and live mostly out of two suitcases; one for hot weather and one for cold weather. I immediately liked him. He does not consider that he is giving anything up to do what God has called him to do. Sleeping in hammocks and in leaky canoes is all part of the adventure that he gets to do as a Christ follower.

I am convinced that we have young people in our youth group who can live completely committed lives as Christ followers. I believe that they are sensitive to God's voice in their lives. I believe that they have a desire to do anything God asks them to do. The only thing I don't know for sure is this: Will we as a church be ready and willing to resource them in every way necessary to prepare and send them, and will their families be willing to release them to live a life not in keeping with the "American Dream"?

Friday, August 28, 2009

Faith Promise pt. 3

There are ways to mess this up. They all go back to one basic problem: We want to set the amount instead of allowing God to set it. Some set the amount too small. Maybe they know the amount that they should promise, but they are afraid that God won't be able to do it, so they set an amount that they could give so they can keep from embarrassing God. In doing so, they eliminate the faith part of the faith promise. They are blessed for giving, but they miss the blessing of trusting in God's provision.

Some name a crazy high amount. This is usually in response to an emotional appeal, especially if there is public declaration of the faith promise. I remember a few years ago during a faith promise service a person waving a card proclaiming a faith promise of $10,000 per month because he knew that if other members of the church would fund his business venture, he could give that amount and more. Needless to say, he hadn't heard that from God, no one invested in his business venture, and he was not able to fulfill his $10,000 per month faith promise even one month. He was heavy on the faith element, but short on the promise.

God is infinite and He can and does do whatever He chooses to do. But typically he doesn't ask someone to promise an amount that is totally unrelated to that person's life. Usually He doesn't use someone who makes $60,000 to give $1,000,000. He can do that if He chooses, but He normally will ask us to promise an amount that makes us uncomfortable. If you feel you may be hearing an amount that is larger than you would come up with on your own, it may be a faith promise amount. But don't promise it in haste. Meditate and pray about it. It might be just what God wants you to promise. He might raise it as you get comfortable with the amount. You may have been thinking out of emotion. I have been in situations where I have been stirred up by tremendous testimonies and emotional appeals. One night Carole asked me how much I thought we should give. My response was, "Any amount up to all of it." That is a healthy response, but the check was written for less. We still had to get back home and take care of other previous commitments.

The important thing about faith promise giving is not the amount. The important thing about faith promise giving is that it is given out of your faith and not out of your budget. You will be blessed and you will grow in your trust in God. And your life will reflect it.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Faith Promise pt. 2

When we make a true faith promise, we are stepping out in faith to believe that God can provide a greater amount than we can commit out of our own resources. Now I know that that is a potentially dangerous statement. I have seen a lot of promotional material from various "faith" ministries that has made me sick to my stomach. "Brother (fill in the blank), in the spirit I see a supernatural blessing just waiting to be released to you if you will just step out in faith with a gift of $1500." I won't get into that now, but rest assured that the faith promise principle is no where close to that kind of nonsense.

Faith promise giving does not assume large amounts. Faith promise giving assumes a greater amount than you would decide on by yourself. It assumes that you have been in prayer asking God to lead you into a deeper faith walk with Him. And when you step out into faith promise giving, you are saying, "I can't give this amount, but I am believing that God will give it through me." In doing so, you have taken all of the burden off of yourself and put it on God. If God doesn't supply it, you don't give it. If He's not faithful, it's His problem, not yours. I've heard compelling testimonies from those who have experienced true faith promise giving. They tell of unexpected income, higher than expected sales, lower than expected expenses, and disposition of situations that sat dormant for years, all of which allowed them to meet their faith promise goal.

Now, there are ways to do this wrong. I'll talk about them tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Faith Promise

Every year during the Fall Missions Explosion, we talk a lot about faith promises. We promote faith promises, we collect faith promises, and we encourage everyone to make a faith promise. We collect the faith promise cards and tally up the totals. We set goals and make plans based on faith promises. But in reality, very few people actually make a faith promise. Most make a missions pledge. The term faith promise has been made synonymous with our budgeted giving to missions. Is there something wrong with making a missions pledge? Of course not. The term "worship" has come to mean "song service" to much of the church world, but that doesn't mean it is wrong to sing songs to the Lord. What happens in these instances is that we settle for much less than is promised by accepting something that is "good" instead of pressing in for what is "best". Just as worship takes on many more forms than just singing, faith promise carries a much deeper meaning than just giving monthly to help missions. Faith promise carries the promise of a more intimate relationship with God and a more exciting experience in the Holy Spirit.

When we give a monthly amount to missions, that is good. We are using some of our disposable income to help others; most of whom we will never meet. But there is little faith element involved. We know we can afford to give a certain amount and we give it. It is a healthy spiritual discipline, but there is a greater experience available.

So, what exactly is a faith promise? I'll go into more detail tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Margin

Wow, what a crazy week. It doesn't seem like anytime since I posted last Wednesday evening while waiting for people to leave so I can lock up, but here I am again. Somehow my days have been filled with urgent matters; the FLiC ice maker, bids for the new church sign, preparations for the Fall Missions Explosion, writing the handout material for the Essential Christianity class, and the many drop-in requests that come your way when you do administration, facilities, men's ministry and missions. Each of them takes a few minutes out of the day. Before you know it, the day has come to an end and there is something planned for the evening. All of the time I thought I would use for research, study, "ministry" and such is sucked into the vortex of responsibility. Before you know it, another week is gone. Carole and I worked several years ago to simplify our lifestyle and reduce our cost of living so we could have financial margin on a smaller income. That was easy compared to finding margin in my day. Time to get among non-church people. Time to do eternal things. Maybe I'll find time tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Locking up

People who stay late after church have heard me gripe at them for staying so late because either Pastor Mike or me have to stay until everyone is gone so we can lock up. However, I gripe with a smile, because I am glad that people enjoy hanging out here. I used to feel differently. Until fairly recently I really was gripey about staying late. I felt I had a good point because I had put in a long day here at the church and I was ready to go home.Back in February Carole and I went on a mission trip to Sudan. While there, I met a pastor from Tennessee and we got to know each other while we worked stretching barbed wire. He told me of the standard that he holds his ministry team members to. He requires 40 hours per week of work during the day time. Evening or weekend ministry time, such as preaching, conducting services, worship practice, men's breakfasts, etc. were on top. Having a meeting with workers on Thursday evening doesn't mean the pastor can come in late on Friday if you are on his staff. I thought that sounded kind of harsh until he spelled out his reason. He said that his youth sponsors, Sunday school teachers, Children's ministry volunteers, greeters and other volunteers are doing their ministry after their normal work or life hours and they don't get to show up for work late the next day. That really caught me off guard, but when I thought about it, it is true and I have made it a rule for me. No longer do I try to get someone to feel sorry for me because I may have been at the church 11 hours. The people I'm talking to have also been working their 40 hours, taking care of families and households, and then they find the energy to volunteer their time to help the ministries of the church. So if they want to visit for a while, I figure I should be happy to stay.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Sacrifices

It is easy to applaud the sacrifices that some people make. The missionary who leaves for the foreign land to learn a new language and a new culture comes to mind first. The young person who gives his time and talent to serve in an innercity church or homeless shelter when it would be much easier to serve on staff of a large suburban church. The older lady who faithfully cooks for others and sends cards of encouragement to many and pays for these materials out of her own limited resources. All of these sacrifices are noble and noteworthy, but many times we fail to see the sacrifices of some who appear not to be making any.

I have been priviliged to know quite a few committed Christians who were gifted in business and who became quite wealthy without losing their relationship to Christ. To see them, with their nice houses and cars, and to see them making significant contributions to ministries, one would think that theirs is a lifestyle to be envied. But I have also seen what many never see; I have seen what they sacrifice to do the work God has called them to do. They wonder if anyone really likes them for who they are, or if they are just liked for the possibilities they present. Knowing that they can't possibly fund every request from every ministry that makes a request, they have to say "no" many more times than they say "yes". And in saying "no", they have to endure the comments. "I guess my little ministry isn't high-profile enough." "They only give to their buddies." "After giving millions to (fill in the blank) you would think they could give me $100,000." I know from personal experience that those comments hurt, and cause the large giver to put up walls. They enter new friendships dreading the inevitable request to "just look at my ministry idea and let me benefit from your wisdom" which is ministry code for "I want you to give me a lot of money." The large giver sacrifices moving easily into friendship relationships. That is a large sacrifice.

I have known a few, but not many, true Bible scholars. These folks devote their lives to the research and study of the Scriptures. They learn many things about the history of the original texts, the ancient councils, and the original languages. People envy their knowledge and understanding. But they too have made their sacrifices. In attaining their level of knowledge, they have not lost their appreciation for or trust in the Bible, but they have lost, in many ways, the ability to have the simple trust in scriptural promises that come easily to average folks. They face a constant challenge to be able to communicate Bible truth to average folks. It can become more difficult to have conversations with Biblical illiterates because it goes against their nature to allow simple assumptions about God and his nature to go uninvestigated and undeconstructed. Their sacrifice in many cases is a lost ability to enjoy the simple pleasure of conversations with people just starting their spiritual discovery without feeling the need to go deep and make sure that every conclusion is accurate and justified. That is a large sacrifice.

There are many ways to "die to self" and to give all for the cause of Christ. Many of them are disguised as success. All of them require sacrifices many of us are unwilling to make. We need to appreciate them all.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Maybe I should have been a monk

I had a great time this afternoon. I was at the church for nearly five hours completely alone and it was awesome. I enjoy the company of people, and I never get tired of being with Carole, but I seldom mind being alone. When I used to have a shop building I could go to, a perfect day involved me doing stuff in my shop all day without speaking a word or anyone speaking to me. In a former life it was not unusual to travel 800 or more miles in a 24 hour period. I enjoyed the solitude. I would listen to local radio stations or find NPR and hear all kinds of interesting things that I probably didn't agree with. Back a few years ago I worked a project in South America and every night I spent by myself. I enjoyed having time to think, study and reflect. I can work a lot of things out if I have enough time alone. So, if you hear that I am somewhere all by myself, don't feel sorry for me. I'm not intimidated by the silence.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Playing the bass

I recently read an article in Leadership Journal written by a woman pastor who once played the bass in a punk rock band. It was an engaging article about her life transformation hinged around the story of a wedding she performed for a former band mate. I thought the last two paragraphs of the article were interesting:
"From the stage at the wedding banquet, I thought about how being a bass player is a lot like being a minister. You lay down the beat, trying to keep it solid and true. Sometimes your job is to keep it steady enough to allow others to shine, to sing, to play, and to dance, as God wants us to. Other times, it's the bass that makes it funky and adds a needed surprise. But the bass is just one part of the band, and alone, it doesn't sound like much.
For people who are drawn to music, the mystery that draws us into the bands we love the most, is that we know it's not just about the one. The notes and sounds come together, the different people play their roles, and yet what is produced transcends all that. It's like when you become a member of the body of Christ- you join a band that is way better than you are, and the next tour is always just beginning."

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Best I Can Do

This is from Wild Goose Chase, the collateral reading assignment for my Essential Christianity class. It is an excerpt from Chapter 4, "Eight-Foot Ceilings:
For the past several months, I've had a recurring thought: I don't want to live my life in such a way that the best I can do is the best I can do. Frankly, my best isn't good enough.
When I fail to pray, the best I can do is the best I can do. I forfeit my spiritual potential. But when I pray, the best I can do is no longer the best I can do. The best I can do is the best God can do. And He is able to do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine.

Good stuff, huh? I still have a few copies of the book left if you want to read the whole thing.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Catalyst Week 5

This week in the Catalyst School of Ministry we will discuss the question, "Don't all religions lead to God?" I know that at times I have struggled with questions such as, "Am I a Christian because I grew up in a Christian home, or because Christianity is true?" And, "Is it fair that some half-hearted Christians will get eternal life while passionate and sincere Hindus won't?" Well, we won't be able to get to the depths of any of these questions in a 45 minute session, but we will hopefully encourage progress in your thought process which will continue after the in-class discussion.

Also, the collateral reading assignment in Wild Goose Chase is chapter 4, Eight-Foot Ceilings, Coming out of the cage of assumptions. In it was one of the core values of the church where Mark Batterson serves. That value is, "It's never too late to become who you might have been." That is encouraging to me, a middle-aged guy who is still wondering what I will be when I grow up. I have had several careers already and suspect that I still have one or two more in me. But when I get antsy and begin to think maybe it's too late to find what I want to do for the rest of my life, I remember that Abram fathered a nation beginning at 99. I think of Caleb, who, when he came to the end of his role as one who led the children of Israel to occupy the promised land, asked for the hill country for his inheiritance because he felt he still had new territory to explore.

Keep on keeping on. Retirement isn't mentioned in the Bible. See you Wednesday night.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Street Pastors

I was privileged on my recent trip to Ireland to spend the better part of a day with the business administrator of Cornerstone church in Derry. This church exists in an area which saw much violence during the political struggles of just a few years ago. As with all struggles, even though the strife is over officially, it still rages on in the hearts of some people. Therefore there is always an undercurrent of tension even amidst the peace. Cornerstone is made up of almost equal parts of people from both sides of the conflict. Derry is a crowded city and I was struck by the close physical proximity of the two opposing sides. They find themselves bumping into each other on a regular basis. When you have a crowd in the city center on a weekend and pour on a liberal dose of liquor, you have the recipe for trouble.

Cornerstone church decided to do something other than stay at home and cluck their tongues at those who participated in such activities; they decided to get out among the crowds and engage them. They started a group called, "Street Pastors". They wear a brightly colored vest that identifies them as a street pastor and on Friday night they walk the streets of Derry. They have carts that they set up at various locations and these carts dispense free tea and coffee and liberal doses of the love of Christ. They are not preachy, but they are engaging. Over the past few years they have become known in the community. Policemen will look for a street pastor if they encounter someone getting too intoxicated. They feel it is better to connect with a street pastor than to throw another drunk in jail. Also the street pastors are known for reducing random violence. If a crowd begins to gather in alcohol fueled anger, the street pastors will intentionally go to that crowd and begin to talk to different people. Some will stay and talk, and some will move on, but the crowd dissipates, and the chance for an outbreak of fighting is diminished.

I love the heart of this. They don't even own a building. They rent a theatre for their Sunday facility. Sunday service is one event on their weekly calender. But they are having church all week long.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Spontaneous Expressions of Community

I saw an example of community yesterday. One of the ladies of our church was involved in a car accident and was taken by ambulance to the emergency room. We got word at the church of the accident, and I went quickly to see about her. When I got there, four women, three of whom were from our church, were already there. They were large and in charge. They were friends of the injured lady and were there, crying, laughing, and talking, but mostly caring.

I was completely unnecessary, and it was awesome.

No one was waiting for a pastor to appear to determine if anyone cared. No one waited for a career minister to pray and to begin to meet needs. No program was alerted. Women who have developed close relationship through fellowship and discipleship were displaying community without a conscious thought. When the doctor delivered the prognosis of lots of soreness but nothing broken, the ladies had a plan to take her home, see to her children's needs, prepare food, and help with any other issues that would arrive until insurance kicked in.

You ladies already know who you are and you are awesome. I was completely impressed and blessed by your spontaneous expression of community in the emergency room yesterday. Bravo to you all.

Catalyst Class Article

I distributed an article in our Catalyst "Essentials of Christianity" class last night. The article, found on ChristianityToday.com was entitled, "Ministry Lessons from a Muslim". In it, a Muslim professor encouraged Christians to embrace their Christian identity in their dialogues with persons of other faiths. Is it possible to befriend those of other faiths without compromising our own beliefs? Where is the line between being sure of your beliefs and being overbearing with them? Let me know your thoughts.

If you need a copy of the article I can e-mail it to you.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Back From Ireland

The team got back from Ireland last night. It was a really good trip at many levels. The team from Highpointe and the Irish team meshed well and both appreciated the hard work and sacrifice of the other. They ministered for 5 days for the St. Mark Fun Week. Similar to a VBS there were stories, games, crafts, songs and refreshments. In other words, a lot of hard, tiring work that they enjoyed thoroughly.

I was blessed to be able to spend an extended time with Gary Davidson, who I consider to be one of my spiritual mentors. I traveled with him for several days and met some incredible pastors who are reaching their cities in innovative ways. I was privileged to speak in one of the churches, located in Portlaoise. The young couple, James and Rachel are leading a growing and vibrant multi-ethnic congregation in an industrial space that they are transforming into a really appealing worship center. They have done an amazing amount of work in a brief time, but they still have a lot of work to do to finalize their project and complete the vision they have to reach their community. They need additional prayer support and finances to see this come to pass.

Sunday night I visited the Teen Challenge men's center at Tiglin. Once again I was struck with awe at the commitment of the leaders to bring God's transforming power to men who have been overcome by addiction. I was asked to speak at their chapel and was blessed to have that opportunity. They showed me a vacated and run down hostel that was adjacent to their facility and I heard of their vision to expand the reach of their ministry. This former hostel could be used to begin an internship program, among other things. It looks like a natural addition to their ministry. They have been faithful to develop what they have in their hands, and they are mazimizing the facility they have. But rather than just getting comfortable in their current situation, they want to expand to reach more men and offer a level of discipleship that they can't offer now. I have committed to pray with them for a miracle of favor and finance to allow them to occupy this territory for the Kingdom of God.

I know that I will post more about this time. I went looking for answers and came back with more questions. Maybe the questions are my anwers. I hope that doesn't sound too "zen".

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Inner City Church Project

Yesterday a group of Lakeside Guys spent the day at Inner City Church preparing a room to be used as a food pantry. Kenny Hayes, Michael Weed, Ronald Fister, Charlie Bunn, Ray Ortega, Donovan Dufrene and I spent the day needling each other and working real hard in 100 degree weather. (Yes, mother, we drank plenty of water.) We laid carpet tiles and built shelves and counters. At the end of the day we were worn out, but the change was remarkable. Thanks to every guy who went and gave up a Saturday to help another church. I know that everybody is busy and that Saturdays are precious, so their time contribution is outstanding. That is the heart that is beginning to grow at Lakeside/Highpointe. Also, a special shout-out to Kenny for harassing guys till they committed, and to Michael for applying his lifeskills to this project. It wouldn't have happened without either guy.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

We are all aliens- part 3

There are countries that allow double citizenship. There are people who have two passports and can claim allegiance to both countries. In a great sense, Christians have double citizenship. I am a citizen of the United States with all of the rights and responsibilities that come with that designation. But as a Christian I recognize that the U.S. is not my home. I am a citizen of the kingdom of God. Hebrews 11 refers to those who "admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ...they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one." Knowing this, I must hold very loosely to the things of earth. I need to place my citizenship in God's kingdom as having a much higher place than my earthly citizenship. I am a resident alien wherever I go here on earth. If you are a believer, you are as well. Let's make sure to treat every people group we come in contact with with love and respect, because in reality we are all aliens.

Friday, July 10, 2009

We are all aliens- part 2

I have many conversations with people who speak english as a second language. I use a different vocabulary when I talk to them. I try to keep my sentences short and to the point. I try to use simple words and eliminate slang as much as possible. I don't want to impress them with my enormous vocabulary; I want to communicate with them. They already know that I know many more english words than they do.

We in the church world have our own language that can be undiscernable to someone not brought up in church. When we are communicating the gospel message to them we don't need to show that we have a great Christian vocabulary; we need to communicate God's love to them.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

We are all aliens- part 1

I have been blessed by having the opportunity to visit many countries. As a visitor to these countries I have been in the position of not being able to understand what the people around me are saying or to be able to read the signs on the streets. It can be uncomfortable at times. People around me are conversing effortlessly and I don't understand a word. If I have an interpreter, I can participate in the conversation, but it slows down greatly and loses something in the translation. As a result of my experiences, I have great empathy for those from other countries who visit or live here and have difficulty communicating. I have been the one who has to say, "I don't understand" or just smile and shake my head while the person talking to me is convinced that if he says it loud and slow enough I will understand. But I don't. I always cringe when I hear someone say, "You're in America. Speak English!" We think it's simple because it's what we speak. It's easy to learn a few phrases, but it is very difficult to be able to communicate thoughts and feelings in a different language. I know many missionaries who have lived in other parts of the world for decades and speak the language of their field fluently. But they never lose their original, or heart language. That is the one they can use to communicate effortlessly to someone else.

I love that Oklahoma City has such a variety of ethnic communities with their various languages and traditions. I encourage them to learn to speak english because it makes more options available to them, but I completely understand that they will want to speak their heart language whenever possible. Let's make sure that as Christians we love and respect our neighbors from around the world. They are also God's creation, and we will be spending eternity with people of every nation, tribe and language. Let's start getting used to that experience now.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

How can I know?

How many things do I believe in that I cannot prove? There are many. I cannot prove conclusively that the sun will go down tonight sometime after 9, but I know that it will. How? Because the sun has gone down every night of my nearly 53 years, and when it's July in Oklahoma and we are in Daylight Savings time it goes down sometime after 9pm. On the basis of that experience, I can predict with a great deal of confidence that the sun will go down tonight just after 9 even though I can't have absolute certainty. That kind of thought process is what we will go through tonight in the Essential Christianity class as we discuss How do we know God exists? Although you may not be able to see him or prove him you can be confident that He exists in different ways. Come and join the discussion tonight at 7.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Wild Goose Chase

The collateral reading assignment for the Essential Christianity class I am teaching is Mark Batterson's book, "Wild Goose Chase". I have read it twice in recent months. I read a lot, so for me to read a book twice when I have others which remain unread is high praise. Our first week reading assignment is the first chapter entitled, Yawning Angels. In this chapter Batterson introduces the term, "inverted Christianity." "Instead of following the Spirit, we invite the Spirit to follow us. Instead of serving God's purposes, we want Him to serve our purposes. And while this may seem like a subtle distinction, it makes an ocean of difference. The result of this inverted relationship with God is not just a self-absorbed spirituality that leaves us feeling empty, it's also the difference between spiritual boredom and spiritual adventure." (pg.4) Later, Batterson describes the cages that we as Christians find ourselves in. He says, "I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do to animals." He is referring to the safety and serenity that church promotes many times when a life of faith is anything but safe or serene. He then goes on to "identify six cages that keep us from roaming free with the Wild Goose and living the spiritual adventure God destined us to." These cages are, the cage of responsibility, the cage of routine, the cage of assumptions, the cage of guilt, the cage of failure, and the cage of fear. I've got a few extra copies of "Wild Goose Chase" if you want to read it even if you're not taking my course. Week 2 of Essential Christianity is tomorrow night.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Frustration

Tonight I began teaching my Catalyst class called Essential Christianity. As usual, I babbled nearly incoherently. I am in a classic "Catch 22". I love to speak in public but the opportunities come few and far between, so when I do I am always dismayed at how it goes. I feel certain that if I had the opportunity to speak more I would get better (25 years ago I spoke a lot and I felt that I did it well), but the way I speak now, it's a wonder I ever get the opportunity. For years I said that I had a voice but no message. Now I say I have a message but no audience. I can't wait to see how this turns out.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Mass Customization

A few years ago I worked for the manufacturing department of an awesome retail chain. One of the departments I oversaw was the department that made the custom picture frames sold at the retail outlets. Each day we would produce some 2000 unique frames. Each one would be made from the moulding of the customer's choosing and to the size of the customer's individual need. The business world term for this is "mass customization". Every customer got exactly what he or she wanted or was willing to pay for. Americans love uniqueness. We love to have something made just for us, just the way we ordered.

We tell people that God has a unique plan and purpose for each individual life. And it is true that an infinite God has infinite ways to accomplish His purpose in our lives. But many wait on the sidelines for a revelation of this individual plan and purpose before doing anything for the cause of Christ. As much as we don't want to admit it, much of God's will is general and applies to every believer. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind , and spirit applies to everybody. So does love your neighbor as yourself. That one is all encompassing and pretty much is a lifetime's work for any of us. So what if you don't get a clear audible voice telling you to go to Africa or to study music at a certain school. You already have more than a lifetime of work ahead of you. Just start doing it. Don't wait for God's mass customization of his will.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Help Wanted

I was talking to a pastor of one of the local churches a couple of weeks ago. He told me that they were going to do something they had not done in years; they were going to put on a pancake breakfast to raise money for a certain missionary. He knew that I had done many breakfasts and asked if I would help them. I planned to help but then found that I have a Teen Challenge board meeting that same morning. When I called yesterday to say that I wouldn't be able to come, the pastor told me that they had just made the decision a day before to cancel the breakfast because they couldn't find four people in the church who would help. That broke my heart.

My prayer is that as Catalyst School of Ministry goes forward we will be sending many trained and motivated people into churches such as this one to help them. I'm looking forward to the day when our people are saying, I've been sitting at the table long enough. It's time for me to go to work. And they go to churches they wouldn't normally attend if it was all about them. And they help pastors who have a vision but lack help. By faith, that day is coming.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

High School Reunion

Last week was the 35 year reunion of the Putnam City High School class of 1974. I didn't attend. I had other plans, but they could have been changed if I had really wanted to go. I had a good time in high school. Putnam City was and is a very good public school. I feel I got an above average education. It was an enormous graduating class, numbering 925. I was fairly treated, and have no memories of great humiliation or embarrassment. It was at PCHS that I met Carole, the love of my life. So why, with all those good memories, didn't I want to go? It is because I didn't make any friends in high school, other than Carole, that I keep up with. There wasn't anyone coming I was dying to see. Isn't that awful? And it's all my own fault. I chose to be an anonymous student. It's easy to do in a big school. Show up for classes, make average grades, don't cause any trouble, and no one will remember if you were there or not. Then, 35 years later, you can envy those who still keep in close contact with their high school friends, even though they live in different parts of the country. My advice to young people in high school and college: Make lifetime friendships and keep them current. Not doing so is the only regret of my youth.