Turning 40

40 years ago today my parents welcomed me into the world.  Yes, I was born in Dallas, Texas while my father was in Seminary.  No, I am not a fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

It is odd to be associated with this number, as I feel that I am around 22 years old.  Recently our church was having a business meeting and I was sitting up front with other church leaders.  In the middle of this meeting I started laughing to myself at -what I felt was the absurdity of a church that would have such a young kid as their pastor!

I am learning that the number 40 brings with it an element of disassociation, right?

I feel like I have the hair of Fabio, but in reality have the hair of Prince William.

Today while exercising I thought that I looked like The Rock, but in reality was closer to the Stay-Puffed Marshmallow Man.

At times I feel like my preaching is a lot like the Reverend Billy Graham, but in reality is probably closer to the Reverend Jim from Taxi.


The number 40 plays a unique role in the Bible.  It took Moses 40 years to lead God's people out of Egypt, Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the Wilderness and it rained for 40 days during the Flood. Apparently the number 40 is often associated with Testing and Trials.  Here's hoping this next year doesn't have any Trials or Testing!

On a personal note, ever since watching the hit TV show Knight Rider, I've been honored to share my birthdate with David Hasselhoff!

For years my favorite band U2 would end their concerts by singing the song '40' off their 1984 'War' album.

Here is hoping that U2's lyrics to their song '40' be the anthem for this day, and for 40 more years to come...

'40'

I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song
How long to sing this song
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song

He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and hear

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song 
How long to sing this song 
How long, how long, how long 
How long to sing this song

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....

Milwaukee's Priest Sexual Abuse Scandal

You know that it is going to be bad when the Archbishop himself says that the most recent batch of previously sealed Church-Abuse documents, will be devastating.  

On July 1st, 2013 the Archdiocese of Milwaukee released over 6000 pages, detailing the activity of sexually abusive priests and the Church’s response to the victims.  To many people, the 6000 pages contained lists of names, names with no meaning to our lives.  But found within the 6000 pages a story emerges about a friend of mine, assaulted by a Priest so many years ago.

My friend was a victim of the Priest Child Sexual Abuse and was courageous enough to join the legal battle for justice.  Think about yourself as an adult and having to relive your past horrendous experiences as you help other victims seek legal restitution.  The Church, to whom you were fully devoted to, betrayed you on every level imaginable.  It failed to protect yourself and other children, relocated -instead of removing- sexually predatory priests, and according to the newly released documents- hid money from potential lawsuits.  Local news reports state that the documents show that the Church was worried more about its image than in caring for its most vulnerable members.

And in the midst of all this mess, stands my friend.  Sadly one of the numerous victims, but one who has not allowed this abuse to define the trajectory of their life.  Instead they chose to use this unimaginable evil to help prevent future abuse....

Let us continue to remember the many victims, their families and those still hurting from sexual abuse....

What is in Your Coffee?

Ever wonder what is in your cup of Coffee?  The staff at Wired Magazine put together this short but all around helpful overview.




Note: I could have done without knowing that coffee shares similar properties to cockroach pheromones.

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....

Forgetting Your Father ...on Father's Day

I admit, I would rather forget my father on Father’s Day.  


He was a seminary student when I was born, a pastor when I was a child, a President of a Christian Ministry when I was in High School, and a Christian University Trustee when I was an undergraduate.

But most of his life, he was living a lie.

Domestic abuse, substance abuse, absentee father, vindictive boss, self-aggrandizer, and master manipulator.  

The Family Court Judge granted us restraining orders against him, which we carried around for some time.  He died a few years ago, separated from his own family, never having seen his grand kids... 

You can see why I would rather forget my father on Father’s Day.  

God is at work and apparently, has a sense of irony -as now I am a Husband, and Father and a Pastor.  Looking back I have learned a few lessons regarding my father’s life.

There is hope - Life change can occur.  It is laborious and taxing, but with God all things are possible.

His trajectory of life does not have to be yours - God's plan for your life is unique and you will not follow the same pattern of anyone else.

Admit there are pockets of good - There are good times to be remembered for sure, but it is far easier to ignore them.  Being forced to remember something positive humanizes the person who caused so much pain.

It is easier to run from, then to embrace the hardship - While running from hardship is a normal response, it tends to isolate ourselves from a greater reality in which we too can hurt others.

Give yourself grace when you personally fail - My failures do not mean that I am replicating my father's life. We all will fail and extra grace is needed to those who have had such poor role models in life.

Wedding Prayer

Call them old-fashioned, call them antiquated/ traditional, or whatever term you wish; but this photo of about-to-be-married Josh and Bre Curtas is causing quite the commotion.

Josh wanted to pray with Bre before their wedding, so they prayed for the Lord to bless their marriage and their faithfulness to each other.  Bre wrote this about the prayer saying, 'My husband prayed that God would bless our marriage, that through thick or thin together we would never lose hope in one another. That instead of focusing on each others' imperfections we would always rely on Christ’s perfection. That we would wake up every day and choose to love one another not through our own strength but by the power of Christ’s perfect love.'

The New York Daily News and other media outlets picked up the story, putting this photo and their prayer into the national spotlight.  Read it by clicking here

Pastor Fashion Faux Pas

Fashion and I have long been at odds, kind of like the Cubs and .500.  Recently a friend of my wife's told her that she enjoys coming to Southbrook Church because she likes 'my style.'  This brought rolls of laughter from my wife, and a 'hurumph' from me.

Two pairs of pants and a rotation of about seven shirts is about it for me.  Growing up in Church, I've seen it all: dark green suits, brown checked ties, purple pants, and t-shirts that are too tight.

What are some stories of Pastor Fashion Faux Pas' that you've personally experienced?  Share them in the Comments Section below...

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...

Christians Urged to Boycott Starbucks.... sigh....

This week I came across this headline ‘Activist Urges Faithful to Boycott Starbucks.’ 

Recently Conservative Activist David Barton spoke at the tragically named, ‘Whitesburg Baptist Church’ in Huntsville, Alabama.  Speaking about the topic of Gay Marriage, Barton said this, "The question is, 'Can a Christian give money to a group he knows will use it to attack what God supports?  If you know that when you buy a cup of Starbucks, 5, 10, 15 cents is going to be used to defeat marriage, can you do that? The answer is 'no.'  You can’t drink Starbucks and be biblically right.’ ”

I think it is time to boycott boycotts, and here’s why:

• Boycotts rarely achieve their stated goals.
• Boycotts are almost always self-serving.  Even failed boycotts are viewed as successful- because they add credibility and status to the leader of the boycott.
• Boycotts tempt Christians into using economic and commercial methods to accomplish spiritual goals.
• Boycotts paint Christians as reactionary, fear-based, and short-sighted.

Followers of God have long battled the Siren’s call of using earthly power to accomplish spiritual goals.  Consistently the Scriptures show God urging His people to reject earthly power and human alliances and instead trust fully in Him.  Maybe instead of protesting, Christians should try modeling Christ to a world in desperate need of authentic Christ followers.  By rejecting the power-over model used effectively by groups and alliances -Christians should embrace path of downward-mobility modeled by Christ.

Maybe instead of boycotting Starbucks, we should pick up the tab of the person behind us in line...

Maybe it is time to boycott, boycotts...

Christians Negatively Portrayed by the Media? This American Life's Ira Glass Says 'Yes'

In a recent video interview, Ira Glass host of Public Radio's This American Life, gave an interview describing how Christians are negatively portrayed in the media.

Glass is known for his clever insights into American culture- combining his acerbic wit and everyman approach to storytelling.  He has publicly rejected his family's Jewish heritage -embracing Atheism.

The five minute interview can be watched by  Clicking Here

Do you agree with Glass's insights into how Christians are portrayed in the Media?

Cleaning Toilets for Jesus

Does Jesus want you to clean toilets, weed a neighbor’s garden and hand out bottles of water to those along the nature trails in and around S.E. Wisconsin?  Well, if you are a part of Southbrook Church, the answer is Yes!  Starting in the middle of June,  Southbrook will be kicking-off our Seventh Annual Compassion Week of Service.

Eight years ago we asked ourselves a difficult question: ‘We do a great job at loving people when they come into Church, but what are we doing to actively go out and model Jesus’ love to our Community?  We realized the answer was ‘not much;’ and from that time -Compassion Week was born.

During this last decade we have partnered with the local public schools, nursing homes, businesses, Police and Fire Departments along with regional hospitals and local Health Departments in an organized attempt to model Christ through planned acts of service.

To be clear, our sole intent is to use service projects to model the love of Christ to our local communities.  We do not do this in order to get more people to come to church, or to try and distribute  literature about Southbrook.  Rather through these intentional acts kindness, we are actively taking Christ into areas traditionally viewed as off-limits to the Church.

Once, I cleaned the bathrooms at a local Coffee Shop for 3 months; as a way of modeling the ethos of Compassion Week.  The owner was a Muslim man who I befriended through my patronage of his business.  When I asked him if I could clean his bathrooms- he perplexingly asked, ‘Why?’  What a great opportunity for me to lay out the gracious gift that Jesus provided to humanity, and how my service was just a reflection of what God has done to us!

How have you seen other model Jesus through acts of service?

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...!

Happy Pastors?!

How well do you like your job?  I admit I love reading the annual surveys that discuss job satisfaction. Headlines like 'America's Most Hated Jobs,' are attention grabbers that work for me!

Recently the Christian Science Monitor published its list of 'The 10 Happiest Jobs in America.' Multiple factors came in to play in evaluating job satisfaction.

Coming in at #1, 'Clergy', followed by 'Firefighters,  Physical Therapists, Writers and Teachers.'

 I would agree with this ranking and here's why:

1. Pastors make a difference in people's lives.  We get to see change, often dramatic and usually for the better!
2. Pastors have the rare distinction of being with people at every formative stage of their lives: birth, marriage, kids, during tragedy and at the time of death.
3. Pastors have a source of wisdom that is incomparable to all other forms of wisdom: God's Word.
4. Pastors don't have to be perfect.  In fact our effectiveness is directly connected to our authenticity.
5. Pastors have a Boss who knows exactly what it is like to Shepherd others.

Or may be it is because we only work one day a week, and only an hour at that!  Or maybe its the, 'Out Of This World' benefits package...

Does it come as a surprise to you that Clergy rank the highest in terms of job satisfaction?  Why or why not?  Post your comments below!

The Millennial Maze

Revelation Chapter 20 raises the issue of the ‘1000 year reign of Christ.’  Christians have long debated the precise meaning of this phrase found in Chapter 20, verse 4.  Division and discord among believers are common over this chapter, which has been called, ‘the most popular chapter in all of Revelations!’

Historically, the first 300 years of the Christian Church found the Church Fathers in fierce opposition to each over of the specific meaning of the Millennium.  Augustine in the Fourth Century A.D., presented a view that claimed the Millennial reign as purely symbolic and not a literal 1000 years.  Augustine’s position remained the majority view of Christians up until the 1700’s.  The 18th Century American Preacher Jonathan Edwards held to a view of Christ returning after the Millennium called ‘Post-Millennialism’, and today many conservative Christians hold to a view of Christ returning before the Millennium, or ‘Pre-Millennialism.’

Here is a quick overview of the three main positions as well as my opinion.

1. Pre-Millennialism - This view states that Christ will return to earth, destroy evil and then will reign for 1000 years.  At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is cast into Hell, and then the New Heaven and the New Earth begins.
2. A-Millennialism - Christians who hold to this view see the discussion of the Millennium as symbolic of the Church Age.  This view claims that the ‘Millennium’ refers to the time between the First Coming of Christ and the Second Coming of Christ.  This in-between time is not a literal 1000 years but a symbolic reference- representing the Church.
3. Post-Millennialism -This view believes that the 1000 year reign of Christ will be a time when the Gospel triumphs in the world; leading to a period of peace and world-wide prosperity.  After this time of Christian growth and the Gospel’s expanding influence, Christ will return and bring with Him the New Heaven and Earth.

As Christians we hold certain truths with closed fists and other truths with open hands.  The things we hold tightly are the non-negotiables of the faith: the divinity of Jesus, brokenness of humanity, the sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Christ, the infallibility of God’s Word, etc... But there are other issues that the Bible is not that clear on -issues where Christians have contrary opinions.  I believe that the Millennial question is a secondary belief, one that should not cause divisions among believers and one that we should hold with a gracious open hand.

With this in mind, it appears that the the Pre-Millennial position is the clearest reading of Revelation 20.  Christ will return to earth and will bind Satan for a period of 1000 years.  After this Satan is released, then committed to Hell.  God will judge the world and this will be the end of Satan, Evil and the forces of Darkness. 

While I hold the Pre-Millennial view, I also affirm that my personal view of the Millennium is not really the main point of this passage.  Revelation 20 teaches us so much more than whether the Millennium is literal or symbolic!  Revelation 20 shows us that God is sovereign, that Satan’s actions are futile and that Believers in Christ will ultimately be victorious.  Whatever Millennial position we hold- we all can agree with this truths and say, ‘Amen and Amen!’

What is your view and why do you hold to this position?  Write in your comments and let’s continue the discussion...