Finding God in the Ordinary

It has been tough to find time to write.  The routine of life has consumed our spare time.  Do you go through seasons of life like this?  Over these past few weeks we have been in the process of getting Lynn ready for her fifth year as an Elementary School Counselor, preparing our son for his freshman year in High School, refinancing our house, celebrating our son's 14th birthday, hosting friends for coffee, and officiating a funeral for a friend's relative...

After climbing the spiritual mountain tops of this Summer's Sabbatical, these past few weeks have delivered me to the lower ends of the valley.  Nothing dramatic, no spiritual epiphanies or insights.  Just the routine, the day to day stuff of life...

I have learned something about God during these concluding weeks of this Sabbatical.  I have come to realize that for as much as we yearn to seek God in a mountaintop encounter, He more often than not meets us in the routine of life...

Christians have long realized the value of the ordinary.  For those who grew up in liturgical churches,
the longest period of the Christian Calendar is the time from Easter to Christmas.  These 33 weeks are called 'Ordinary Time' and are symbolized through the color green.

Finding God in the Ordinary means different things to different people.  The Apostle Paul knew of the value of finding God in the ordinary when he wrote in I Corinthians 10:31 'So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.'  This would make a great life-verse, as Paul encourages us to see that our daily activities are just as honorable as our time together at Church.

I found God in the Ordinary of life through doing the dishes, having coffee with a friend, preparing a funeral service, weeding the garden, and running errands with my family.  God shows up in the most unexpected of places, surprising us and reminding us that all of life belongs to Him.

The mountain tops are enjoyable, but it is in the valleys that He finds us...

Tuesday Morning Sabbatical - August 12th, 2013

A 48 hour fast, terrifying prayer, and being alone in the woods.  More adventures in my Summer 2013 Sabbatical.

So last week I did something that I have never done before -No, not finally preach a good sermon or get a decent haircut-  For five days last week I took a solitude retreat, isolated in a cabin, just God and a pile of books...

Have you ever taken a solitude retreat?  I want to hear what you did and how you felt about it...  I found that a solitude retreat it can be both imminently rewarding and hauntingly terrifying all at the same time.

My friend Pastor Pete recommended that I start my time away with a 48 hour fast.  This is designed to get my heart focused on God and allow Him to speak into my life. So from Monday morning to Wednesday morning I only drank fluids; using my time to read through the first four books of the New Testament and to pray.  On Wednesday I drove to the nearby local cafe and broke my fast with this tasty breakfast.

(I love the local color of hometown cafes...  BowHunter Magazine and Field and Stream jammed in the periodical rack, every man in the place was both over 60 and wore a farm implement hat, and every neck swiveled as I placed my order.  Guessing no one had ever ordered cottage cheese with their breakfast).

The retreat was more ascetic than what I had planned.  Left my toiletry bag at home so I could not shave, and I was not able to figure out how to make the shower hot (yes I am slow like that).  I tried to use as little electricity as possible, so only natural lights and candles to assist in reading, with meals consisting of fresh fruits and simple foods.

Saw plenty of animals, deer, the rare black squirrel, wild turkey (the bird not the beverage), and all sorts of rabbits.  For exercise I ran three miles every morning and walked an hour every evening. The balance of my time was spent studying and preparing for a fall sermon series on the life of David, Israel's greatest King.  (I am so pumped about this character study and preaching the Life of David. Southbrook Church will kick off our fall ministry year on Sunday September 8th, which is also our first Sunday of three morning services 8, 9:30 and 11am!)

Here is what I learned while in the woods:
-Intentional Rest is Tough.  I am so used to a life of instant access: news/sports/entertainment/stock quotes, etc... even instantly connecting with family and friends.  The benefits that come from intentional rest are amazing.  Rest allows you to become more in tune with God, your environment, and even your own soul.

-God Rested, We Should as Well.  Genesis tells us that God rested on the 7th day. He did not need a break or to catch his breath.  By resting God models for us a reminder that He holds everything together.  He rests because he can.  We are wise to follow His example.

-Technology promises salvation, but delivers captivity.  The next time you are at your doctors, read a copy of Popular Science- circa the 1950's.  Promises of 12 hour work weeks, flying cars, and robots who do all the housework and cleaning -fill its pages.  Technology promises a life of health, exercise in a bottle, and wrinkle free looks.  Taking a sabbatical from our technological dependence is a way of reclaiming our humanity, a way of resetting our souls.

-Prayer Can be Terrifying. Yes it is great to know that we can communicate directly to God, anytime, anywhere.  But to be alone with God, where He has access to your innermost of thoughts -well this can be terrifying.  The need to regularly confess is critical to a healthy prayer life.

I had hoped to end my solitude week by connecting with a local pastor.  So a few weeks earlier I found a local bible church, emailed the pastor and inquired if he wanted to meet up for coffee.  The final morning of the week Pastor Tim and myself sat and talked for 3 hours about life, ministry and being pastors to our communities.  What a great way to end a powerful week!

Thanks to our good friend Erica for encouraging me to go, along with my wife Lynn and our son Jacob for creating the environment which would allow me this rare time away.

As much as I am enjoying this Sabbatical rest, I can not wait to get back into the ebb and flow of Southbrook Church!

Finding Myself Unnecessary Is A Wonderful Thing...

We all like to be loved and needed, right?  This is a key part of being a human. We like to be recognized and appreciated for the work that we do, for our friendships and care towards others.  But what if you found that you are unnecessary?  How would that make you feel?

As this summer sabbatical nears its end, I have come to realize two important truths; The first is that I am unnecessary to the life of Southbrook Church and the second is that this is liberating and healthy.

Pastors are real people.  We like to care and lead others.  We enjoy both the routine aspects of our calling as well as serving in great and public ways.  I can attest though that it is easy to lose sight of our dependence on God.  It is easy to get so caught up in using our gifts and skills that we ever-so-slowly substitute our abilities for God’s power.  We can become addicted to hearing, ‘great sermon,’ or ‘I am so thankful that you are our Pastor,’ or ‘we came to this church because of you.’  And like other addictions, we start to adapt so that we can receive more of this...

Over time an attitude develops which says, ‘God needs me to lead this Church.’  Or ‘God needs my skills for this task to be finished.’  Of course we would never verbalize this to others or to God.  But our lack of prayer life, our lack of dependence on God -speaks louder than our voices.

I believe that once we start to think of ourselves as necessary for the work of the Lord, that is when we lose our effectiveness.  Does God need me to be a pastor at Southbrook Church?  No!  The reality is that seminaries graduate thousands each year, many of whom would be an improvement.  Does God need me to teach and preach and care for others?  No.  God continues to give others these gifts, many of whom are waiting for an opportunity to use them.

Here is the truth boiled down as concise as possible: God does not need us, but He chooses to use us to accomplish His plans.  If He needed us, then we become more important than God.  If He needs us, then our whims and desires control Him.  If God is dependent upon me, then I have usurped Him.

He didn’t need Moses to lead His people out of Egypt (Why would anyone chose an 80 year old murderer turned sheep-herder anyway?).  He didn’t need Rahab to safely harbor the Jewish spies (What type of God chooses to bless a prostitute?).  He didn’t need a slave like Joseph to free His people from Egypt (There had to be better choices than him!).  And God certainly does not need you or I to Build His Kingdom!

What a Great God we serve, for He chooses to use us to accomplish His plans....!  This is why finding myself unnecessary is one of the greatest joys of being a Pastor.

Monday Afternoon Sabbatical -August 5, 2013

Marrying my friend Mike, Finding God through the Sikh Temple Shooting, and the Joy of having Coffee with a Good Friend...

Love the Despicable Me desserts that Ginny V, Wanda C, and Kelly B. made for Sunday Night's Youth Group Party. When I dropped off my son and a bunch of his friends, I found these guys in the kitchen, waiting for me to take them home!

August begins the final month of my summer 2013 Southbrook Church Sabbatical.  As much as I am enjoying my time of rejuvenation and refreshment, I realize that this gift is made possible through the extra efforts of Southbrook's Staff and Elders.  It is such an honor to serve alongside these great women and men and I look forward to carrying the load for them, when it is their time to be refreshed.

After 3 straight weeks of being on the road, we finally were home for a few days; which means: more house projects!  This time Lynn and I did a full-blown reorganization and cleaning of our basement. Now we are organized and have much less...!  Do you also find that getting rid of stuff brings a sense of accomplishment and joy, as you are also able to help others?

Coffee and Friendship
Have you ever had a coffee meeting with a friend and afterwards you realized how blessed you are to have that friend?  Well, what a joy it was to spend some time with Dave.  He has been such a strong encourager and role model for me.  Here is a man who lives his love for his wife and kids in such a way that others want to follow his example.  He is open with his failures, always ready to encourage, and truly cares about you and your family...  I am so thankful that God continues to provide strong Christian men to assist me.

During this past week we had a great God-moment while eating at local burger joint.  My wife Lynn is a school counselor, and she did her internship at a nearby school district.  Well it just so happened that our waitress recognized Lynn, and had a strong memory of how Lynn encouraged her to persevere through some tough personal circumstances... Here we are eating together and she starts to tell Lynn of the influence that Lynn had on her life...!  So glad that God brought them both back together, very cool, very proud of my gifted wife.

Marrying my Friend Mike
I've known Mike for the past 12 years, and last fall he asked if I'd perform his wedding ceremony to the beautiful Leigh... So this past weekend Lynn and I were up in Sheboygan at the gorgeous Whistling Straits Golf Course, the site of their wedding.  Perfect weather for this outdoor event.  This was the first wedding that I have done for someone who used to be in my Youth Group, while I was their leader.  A true honor to celebrate their love....!

A great and rare opportunity to put on our best...!

On Sunday Lynn and I went to New Hope Community Church, which is located just one block N. of Southbrook on St. Martin's Rd, in Franklin.  We are sister churches, with almost identical statements of faith and similar demographics.  I am so thankful to be friends with their pastor, Dave Bluhm. He is a passionate and awesome pastor. We truly felt welcomed and loved by Dave and the entire congregation.  I was excited to hear Dave preach on New Hope's core values...!  It is great to be able to model the unity that is found by being servants of the Kingdom of God!

Afterwards we slipped into Southbrook to catch our second service... what a great feeling to be at Southbrook after being absent for two months. Richard Brown, the director of The Captive Project (which is a Central City Discipleship Ministry that uses Rap and Hip Hop to spread the new of Christ), spoke on Faith, and man, can he preach!  Thankful that the quality of sermons actually has increased this summer....

Finding God in the Sikh Temple Tragedy
Today, August 5th, marks the One Year anniversary of the Sikh Temple shooting.  Gunshots rocked the neighboring City of Oak Creek, during the Temple's morning service.  The gunman fatally shot six worshippers and wounded four more, before turning the gun on himself.  Officers from Oak Creek arrived on the scene first, followed quickly by four Franklin Police Officers.  One of the first Officers was Patrolman John Finco, who later was honored by President Obama at a White House Awards Ceremony.  When asked how he handled the shooting, Officer Finco said, 'The way I handled it is, number one, my faith in God... that's primary.'  I called Officer Finco today and thanked my friend for his service to the city and to the nation.  Again he reminded me that God is in control and that it his faith in Christ which gives him the strength to be an officer of distinction.

Christians can affirm that in the middle of the worst of tragedies, God comes through in unique and powerful ways...

Thoroughly enjoying this Summer 2013 Sabbatical, though truly missing the Southbrook Church Community.  Looking forward to three services this fall!

Tuesday Morning Sabbatical -July 30th, 2013

Cheesesteaks, Rocky Balboa and the 'F' word...


Off to the right of the Philadelphia Museum of Art you can find the lumbering Rocky Statue.  In front of it you see the perpetually long line of tourists in queue to get their photo taken in the Rocky pose.

A few miles away in downtown Philly rests the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.  Last Friday we spent the day in this historic city learning about the founding of our country. Tourists packed these sites, waiting in the heat, snapping photographs, taking in the memories. Both locations speak to the same core American values: underdogs who fight and win against the powers of the day, the unlikely story of common people making something of their life.  Thomas Jefferson meet Rocky Balboa...

Oh, and in one movie Rocky's trainer tells him, 'You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!'  Love that line.

Not sure if we ate lighting last week, but we definitely had our share of amazing food!  When in the City of Brotherly Love you must eat a Philly Cheesesteak. We went to Campos, on Market Street and I had my Cheesesteak 'wit' cheese.  THE BEST.... So thankful for my aunt and uncle's personal tour around the city!

Our other big trip last week, was a visit to Washington D.C. Where else do three nerds first go when visiting the city? But of course, an hour-long walking-tour of the Library of Congress!  We also walked the National Mall and spent time at the National Museum of American History.

We returned home on Saturday, driving 14.5 hours, straight through.  Tired, spent, glad to be home.

On Sunday Lynn and I managed to go to Mercy Hill Church for their second service.  Mercy Hill is in Bay View and resides in the historic Hide House.  Wow, what a service!  We loved the worship, meeting friends, and had a great talk with Pastor Tommy afterwards.  If you are looking for a church, check out Mercy Hill....

As for the Sabbatical, well I am nearing the end of my second month.  I stay informed via email and listening to the sermons online.  This past week I encountered a new emotion: fear.  At times there is a strong element of fear that courses through me.  The fear is in realizing that all is going well and that maybe my return will mess things up.  -Yep, sounds odd when putting it into writing, but just wanted to be honest about what I am praying about.

I am so thankful for this opportunity of extended time with my family, time to travel, and time to be with Lynn.  And at the same time, thoroughly miss Southbrook Church....

Monday Evening Sabbatical -July 22nd 2013

Road Trips: Friends and Family Edition.  And why God wanted me to go to my in-laws Sunday Night Annual Church Business Meeting...

What a packed week of travels and activities!

On Sunday we left for Ohio to visit our long-time friends Heather and Maurice.  What a great time reconnecting with this solid family!  Jacob and I were also able to tour Cedarville University and meet with an Admissions Representative.  Cedarville is where Lynn and I met while studying History/Political Science and English Secondary Education.  If you are in the area of Xenia, then you must visit Young's Dairy, which makes the best homemade ice cream!  This was a college hangout when Lynn and I were students at Cedarville.

Tuesday we made the 10 hour trip straight East to Lynn's parents home, which is in the picturesque town of St. Michaels, Maryland.  St. Michaels is located on Maryland's Eastern Shore and is known as the 'Town that Fooled the British.'  During the War of 1812 British WarShips came to bomb this harbor city.  The residents thwarted the British by hanging lanterns high up in the trees causing their ships to overshoot the intended targets.  It is a huge tourist area, with lighthouses, quaint shops, and cafe's all around...

Lynn's sister Lisa married Bob, and together they have four great little boys -all of which makes for an active and crazy time at the in-laws.  Our time here is spent hanging out with family, going swimming at a friend's pool and enjoying being with Lynn's parents.  On Sunday we went to Talbot Bible Church together and then my father in law and I went to the evening annual business meeting.

During the week I felt pulled to go to the meeting - not sure why as no sane person chooses to go to another church's annual business meeting.  But hey, I'm a pastor and I love all things related to Church, so off we went. New members were welcomed into the fellowship, church business voted upon, and then they started to talk about Missions.  Apparently the church is thinking about adding some new missionaries and they listed off a few couples that they had recently met.  One of the names mentioned was Andy and Nannette Palm, who are missionaries to Central Asia.  It just so happened that about 5 years ago Andy and Nannette came to Southbrook Church for a few months while staying in Franklin during Nannette's high-risk pregnancy.  After the business meeting I was able to personally talk with the missions chair about Andy and Nannette and encouraged the church to start supporting them!  Then it all hit me, this is why God wanted me to go to the annual business meeting!

On a personal note, my continued thanks to the Elders and Staff of Southbrook Church.  The Church continues to grow, advance and strategically plan for our future.  I am so honored to serve alongside such strong women and men.  Thank you for granting me this Sabbatical time of rest and renewal.

I am thoroughly enjoying my time away, and yet missing everyone terribly so....

Monday Afternoon Sabbatical -July 15th, 2013

Relaxing Together, a Youth Group Missions Trip, and a Rated 'R' Play.

This past week Lynn and I spent five days at a friend’s condo North of the Dells.  This was the first time in 14 years that we were alone for this length of time.  Yes, I do feel guilty, as this place was absolutely amazing!  However time spent with Lynn is a blast.  We shopped (Lynn just so happened to hit my rare twice-a-year-window when the stars align for me to shop) went out to eat, caught a movie, and just relaxed together.

Of course while we were having fun, our son was working hard.  The Southbrook Church Youth Group went on a missions trip to a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Our team joined churches from many other states and worked together to build wheelchair ramps, paint and do general household projects.  Jacob’s group served an elderly woman, who loved on the students and called them ‘her kids.’  

There is tremendous value in students going on a Youth Group Missions Trip and I highly encourage all parents to set this as a goal for their children.  Going to a new location, leaving parents behind, joining with other peers; all add up to an excellent spiritual growth opportunity.

On Sunday the 14th, we started a 2 day trip to Maryland with a stop-over in Ohio.  Lynn and I met as Undergrads at Cedarville University, in Central Ohio.  This is where we had our first date.  It ended up at a hip place called the Winds Cafe in YellowSprings, but it started out at a Rated ‘R’ Community Play.  Now in my defense, the write up in the local paper said ‘Romantic Comedy.’  So being known as the ‘Love Doctor’ I thought that this may be a cool opportunity for a first date.  As the play began Lynn leaned over and asked me, ‘Is this a modern or a classic work?’  The premise of the play was that a newly-wed couple and a long-time married couple were snowed-in for the weekend in a cabin.  EVERYTHING was a double entendre, and to make matters worse, some of the jokes were hysterical!  But out of propriety and not wanting Lynn to think that I was crude and crass -I did my best not to laugh and instead acted horrified at the ‘humor.’  So as soon as half-time came, we hightailed it out of the play and made it to the Winds Cafe for coffee and dessert.  And the rest is history!

Spent some time reading some great books about How to Do Church....I have some thoughts that I will post soon about what I have been reading.  Humbled for this time away, truly missing Southbrook Church!

Monday Evening Sabbatical -July 8th, 2013

Meeting God Over Pizza, A Screaming Bladder, and Driving 85mph Down Rawson Avenue.

This past week we accomplished some more house projects.  We started cleaning out our basement storage and main room.  Wow, where did all this stuff come from?  It is eye-opening to realize how easy it is to accumulate so much stuff.  Cleaning out the basement is cathartic, tense, and in the end -well worth it.  We were able to give some great items to friends and a few car loads made it to the local Goodwill.  Realized through this that our spiritual lives contain basements, which -more often than not- need the same attention as the ones in our homes.  Doing a spiritual inventory of what we are holding on to and what we need to get rid of -works wonders for the soul!

One day last week Jacob and I went to Tazino’s in Oak Creek.  This pizza buffet is perfect for our 13 year old man-child.  It was great to be greeted with a huge hug from Southbrook Church member Wanda C!  While we were eating our lunch, a group of five businessmen came in and sat down near us.  Before they ate, one of the men bowed his head and prayed before his meal.  A few minutes later as he was getting up for more pizza, I thanked him for praying before he ate.  We had a solid conversation about living out our faith.  What a cool God moment !

One thing I thoroughly enjoy about what I do in life- is using my Super Pastor-Powers to connect and meet with others who share this calling.  This week I met with three local pastors from three different churches.  Pastor Pete recently announced that he is retiring from his service to his church: Redeemer Evangelical Free Church.  He has faithfully served the Lord in four different churches with character and integrity.  On the other end of the spectrum is Pastor Dave from New Hope Community Church.  Dave has been a senior pastor for all of four months.  I am impressed with his passion and determination in leading his church to be externally focused.  Near the end of the week I had lunch with Pastor Ansen, who leads a Central City congregation -the Word is God Worship Center.  He is a man who is passionate about preaching the Word and spending time with his family.  I am so thankful that God has brought these guys into my life!

On Wednesday from 4am to about 1pm, I rode along with two different Franklin Police Department Officers.  Let me tell you, very little happens in Franklin at four in the morning!  At one point a call came through that there was a fire at a local gas station... Well, the officer put the pedal to the metal and we were flying down Rawson avenue.  I’ve never been in a car that drove over 85 miles an hour.  Good thing my police-issue pants are dark blue as my bladder was screaming louder than the car engine.  The ‘fire’ turned out to be a few gallons spilled gas on the ground, no flaming inferno, no trapped civilians who were in need of an alert Chaplain’s life-saving assistance; alas no great sermon illustrations...  However God did provide me with some solid opportunities for me to listen and connect with these officers, all of whom seemed willing to talk about spiritual issues...  A new Police Bible Study is possibly even in the works!  I am so thankful that the City of Franklin called four years ago to ask if I would be their Chaplain...

By the end of the week, we were packing up the clothes that our son needed for his Youth Group Missions Trip.  Jacob joined 30 students and 6 staff for a week long work camp to Cincinnati, Ohio. Not sure why we packed so many clothes, as we are certain that he will return in the same clothes that he was wearing when he left.  On the day we said good bye to our son, we welcomed two Southbrook families into our home for dinner.  What a joy to get to know these families, to hear their stories of Christ at work in their lives, and to eat a dynamite meal together!  It is amazing the bonds that can form around food!

I am thoroughly enjoying this Summer 2013 Sabbatical and at the same time, miss tremendously the great people of Southbrook Church....

'Preachers of L.A.' - New Reality Show Coming This Fall!

A few months ago when Southbrook Church announced my Summer 2013 Sabbatical I jokingly mentioned at our services that I planned to use my time off to work on a new reality show called, 'Dancing With The Real Pastors of Milwaukee.'

Apparently somebody has already grabbed my idea, as the 'Preachers of L.A'. is set to air this fall on the Oxygen Channel.

Click on the trailer below....

Monday Morning Sabbatical -July 1st, 2013

Week four of the Southbrook Summer Sabbatical was a blast.  

We returned to Fort Wilderness for our fourth annual Family Camp.  Fort Wilderness is truly a premier Christian Camp, located near Rhinelander, WI.  Fort Wilderness offers the full range of programming: Family Camps, camps for youth, a three week long camp for High Schoolers, Men's and Women’s retreats and even a nine-month long training program for those out of high school.

We love going to family camp, as the accommodations are first class.  Our cabin has room for us all, a place to play family games along with our own private bathroom!  This is how to do the outdoors!  Lynn and I did an hour long horse back ride through the woods, we all went to the shot-gun range and attempted to shoot clay targets.  Jacob loves the 22 range and the archery center...

The people who attend the camp are a rich mix of ages and family types.. Single parents, grandparents with their grand kids, parents with young children and even a newly married couple; all come together for an amazing week.

So if you are looking for a solid opportunity for spiritual growth amidst the Northwoods of Wisconsin, I highly encourage you to check out Fort Wilderness.  www.FortWilderness.com

Yesterday I attended two churches, about as stylistically different as possible.  In the morning Lynn and I, along with my mom, attended Word is God Worship Center on 33rd and Vliet Street, in Milwaukee.  This central city church is led by Pastor Ansen Beverly-Davis, a friend that I've known from High School.  The worship is free-flowing/spirit directed; rich with tambourines, shouts of praises and ‘amens,’ led by worship dancers in flowing white and gold-trimmed robes.  We were honored to be seated on the stage for the entire service, and I was asked to participate in the laying on of hands for those who came up to be anointed with oil and for prayer.  The sermon text was Nehemiah chapter 4, and was presented with a strong emotional appeal.  Near the end of the service, I was asked to speak, so I delivered greetings from our Southbrook Church Family to our brothers and sisters who attend Word is God....

Sunday evening I went by myself and worshipped at City Reformed Church, which meets at 5pm at the Brew City Church building located at 1036 North Van Buren Street, in Milwaukee (near Buca di Beppo’s).  City Reformed is a church plant from Brookfield Christian Reformed Church.  In contrast to Word is God, City Reformed is more ‘high church’ in terms of its structure: communal recitation of the Apostles Creed, singing all verses of the hymns, group confession of sins, etc...  The sermon text was Acts 2 and it was delivered with a strong cognitive appeal.

I so love visiting other churches, for it reminds me of the breadth, the beauty and the diversity of God’s Kingdom!

Semi-Random Thoughts:

-Let’s remember to pray for the families and friends of the 19 firefighters who were killed fighting the Arizona wild fires.  How about dropping by your local fire station with a note of appreciation, or a homemade dessert?  I know that this would be appreciated.

-As much as I miss my church family at Southbrook, I am profoundly grateful for this time of replenishment!

-Reading a lot from a range of Christian perspectives about the recent Supreme Court decisions regarding same-sex marriage.  I hope to post more on this soon.

-Watched the movie ’42’ with the family.  This is the inspirational story of Jackie Robinson, the first man to break the color barrier in Major League baseball.  Wow, what a great movie about a great man!

-Southbrook’s blood drive resulted in our ability to save 61 lives!  Thanks to Ron L. and the rest of the crew who organized this great event.

Monday Afternoon Sabbatical -June 24, 2013

Week three of my Summer 2013 Sabbatical contained so many highlights, it is difficult to single out any particular one.  So many thoughts as I reflect upon this past week.  In no particular order.....

Humbled by the response to my Father's Day post, 'Forgetting Your Father on Father's Day.'  Most of the comments came directly via email, and not through the CoffeeShop Pastor Blog -and I can understand why.  It seems that many of us carry a Father Wound that even years later still affects us to various degrees.  I can not offer any great wisdom or insight, save for the fact that freedom can be found.  It is tough work, maybe life-long work; but healing is possible.

Monday Night I accompanied Southbrook Church member Mark J. to New Creatures in Christ Church's Monday Night Bible Study. NCCC is a central-city Church located near 46th and Capital Ave.  I felt blessed to be with brothers and sisters from an area of Milwaukee that is all to easily overlooked.  Again I was reminded at how much greater God's Kingdom is than the small slice of Church that I know.

Here's a thought that hit me this past week.  We tend to see levels of complexity when viewing ourselves; but when we see others, we tend to view them in simple binary terms.  Why is this?

We were honored to attend a pre-launch breakfast at the Mad Rooster Cafe on 43rd and Greenfield Ave, just South of Miller Park.  Wow, what a cool place to grab breakfast and lunch!  This was a great family experience....

Lynn and I took a meal over to Kevin and Mary Jo, and enjoyed our time with them.  They recently gave birth to twin boys, and a few weeks after delivery, Mary Jo found out that she had CML, a form of Leukemia.  She is doing well, though the medications and treatments are difficult.  Their faith is placed in the belief that God is in control, and remains in charge even when life seems unfair.

A friend sent me a text message about our church picnic, with some accompanying photos.  Looked like a good time was had by all, though it was somewhat odd to be missing this delightful Church event!

Lynn decided it was high time to re-stain our deck, which turned out to be a tougher project than originally anticipated.  Working together benefits any relationship for sure.  Tough, yes.  Frustrating, certainly.  Rewarding, thoroughly!

Capped the week off with an all-too-rare family meal at my mother's house in Union Grove, WI.  In the photo above you see me and my two brothers.  Nathan is on the left and he is the oldest.  A highly successful web designer/entrepreneur, Nathan and his wife and two daughters live in Illinois as well as Florida.  Joel is the youngest and is a police officer in Troy, Ohio.  He and his wife have four children. Every other year or so, our schedules all align and we are able to get together.

Each family has tension, and ours in no exception. But for our family the animosity lies in the fact that I hit the trifecta: height, looks and great hair!

How To Spend $25,750 on Your Home Deck Re-Staining Project

So with little planning and far less skill, Lynn and I decide to re-stain our deck.  Now let me tell you  -if you want to test your relationship then just jump right in to a major project like this.  Compounding our effort is the reality that we both have little-to-no abilities with any type of home projects.

Lynn is optimistic: 'It will only take ONE gallon of stain, probably get done in a half day with just ONE initial trip to Lowe’s.  Let's do it ourselves!'  I am more wired to just hire it out to a professional.  'They know what they are doing, have the tools and the time!'  I did not want to do this project.

Couples know the value of compromise, which is how we ended up doing the project ourselves....

Itemized List of our Deck Re-Staining Project:

FIVE gallons of deck stain             $175

SEVEN trips to Lowe's                  70 miles of total driving

Power Paint Sprayer                       $129

Miscellaneous Supplies                  $75

Chiropractor bills                            $500

Divorce Lawyer on Retainer          $25,000

Ha!  Actually we worked well together.  Our pattern in these types of situations is that we end reversing the stereotypical gender roles.  Lynn takes the lead and organizes the project; while I’m the tireless worker drone, ineptly following her around.  Now that I think of it, I never even used our newly purchased Paint Sprayer...

I am thankful to have extended time to work with Lynn and accomplishing some of our household projects...!  

Note: the image of the deck exists only in my mind...

-Now, where is that Ice-Pack and the Advil?

Monday Morning Sabbatical -June 17th, 2013

Bible Cliff Notes, King David and an 8th Grade Graduation

Week two of my Southbrook Summer 2013 Sabbatical is in the books; and what a week it was!

Our son Jacob, graduated from 8th grade and it was exciting to see him walk across the stage at his graduation ceremony.  Of course this means that Lynn and I are getting older, which is exacerbated by the fact that our 13 year old son wears size 12 shoes and is around 6 feet tall.  What happened to how things used to be?!

Truly enjoying the time to be replenished, though sincerely miss the people of Southbrook Church.

Had lunch with my friend Erica, who encouraged me to take some time this summer for a solitude retreat.  So in August I will be spending 5 days alone...  Thanks to generous Church friends who loaned me their cabin!

Blessed to have some time with dear friends John and Dolores.  John was diagnosed with inoperable cancer.  They spoke of their love for God and how He and His people are helping them with the strength that they need.

Spent a day studying doing future sermon preparation.  Looking forward to digging into the Life of David this fall.  Thinking about calling the series: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.  What do you think?

Enjoyed my time with Pastor Mark, who is the lead pastor at The Ridge Church in Greenfield.  We toured each other’s churches and learned about each others ministries.  Lynn and I went to the Ridge on Sunday and it was great to see a full house of people worshipping and being fed by Pastor Mark.

Thanks to Dr. Evil (you know who you are), for giving me the Cliff Notes of the Bible.  I am sure that this will be a solid assist to me...!  Finally something at my level.

Saw the new Superman Movie with the family.  Didn’t realize that it was going to be a biography.

While driving to the movie on Saturday, we saw groups of people from Southbrook Church outside the Franklin Police Department, serving through our Compassion Weeks.... How wonderful it was to see these men and women serve Jesus by serving the City!

Humbled and Hungry....

Monday Morning Sabbatical -June 10th, 2013

Of Geodes, Friends and Finding True Love....

My first week of Sabbatical is in the books and I think that I have run the entire range of emotions (excitement, fear, exhaustion, thankfulness, and relief).  

Honestly, it has been difficult to disconnect from ministry life.  Partly because serving others is so ingrained into my life, mostly because I love the people who are a part of the Southbrook Community, but realistically it is because I have not wanted to disconnect.

Last week I met my good friend Pastor Pete for breakfast.  For the past few years Pete has been my weekly accountability partner.  I told him that I had planned on returning to Southbrook maybe once each Summer month, just to stop in and worship with everyone.  He challenged my motivations, which I thought were pure (of course, what else could they be!) and asked me if I was planning on returning early to Church because of missing the attention and adulation from our church family....!  What type of accountability partner is it, who asks you these probing questions...?

What are my motivations?  Can I separate my desire to care for the people of Southbrook from my desire to be with the people of Southbrook?  Should I?  This is something I am praying about...

The highlight of the week was a trip that Jacob and I took to rural SouthEastern Iowa, specifically to the small town of Keokuk.  Here my good friend Jason Peterson is the senior pastor of Keokuk Evangelical Free Church.  It was great to worship with him, talk ministry and pastoring, and to participate at his church.  Keokuk is known for its Geodes, small rocks that look ordinary from the outside, but when split in two, reveal worlds of crystalized beauty.  We went Geode hunting with Jason and were able to find some beauties!

Insert great sermon illustration about Geodes -here!

This first week was about enjoying the value of friendship as well as understanding my first love.  In this time of self-reflection I have wondered if I love the people and ministry of Southbrook more than I do the God who has put this all together?!  My prayer is for God to remain my first love and it is my hope that this Sabbatical will help me to that end...

Entering the Sabbatical

Honestly, I did not want to take my Sabbatical.  I am doing great, exercise most days of the week, feeling strong and healthy, getting along well with my wife and our son -and totally engaged in the life of this rapidly growing church.  No one asked me to take this, or told me that I should.  But as the Sabbatical comes to a start, I’ve realized more and more the need for this break.  A Sabbatical is not a vacation, it is defined as ‘...a pause from the routine of the call for the physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual well-being of the ministry leader.’  

Southbrook created their Sabbatical policy a few years ago as a pro-active measure designed to ensure the long-term health of their pastors.  Now that I am on the eve of being off this summer, I have deep respect and admiration for our Elders who had this foresight to care for their staff.

So I enter this Sabbatical with some apprehension and fear; but mostly with a profound sense of gratitude for our amazing Southbrook Church family and church leaders...!