Monday Morning Mind Dump June 1, 2009

I have spent much of the morning on this first day of June just processing the past weekend. Here are some of the things going through my mind and heart right now:

• Friday morning: In His Grip Golf Tournament was a huge success. The tournament was hosted with excellence and a significant number of unchurched men were part of this year’s tournament. Gerry James, Long Drive Champ, took golf to a whole new level. I have in my office the 1/2 plywood board that he drove a golf ball through.
• After the tournament I played an additional 18 holes with the long drive champ. Big mistake! Very humbling. I did win one par three hole.
• Saturday afternoon, beautiful wedding at the Scaritt-Bennett Chapel.
• Saturday evening, stood by the bedside of a sweet lady in our church who is dying with cancer. She so needs a miracle and thousands of people have been praying for her. We have lost too many young adults to cancer in the past three years. I hate the word cancer.
• Saturday night, Patti and I met Wayne and Anna Cordeiro for dinner along with our friends Duane and Cathy Ward. It was just a great night of sharing life together around a delicious meal.
• At the end of the day I was stretched emotionally.
• Sunday morning Wayne taught people how to gain wisdom from God by journaling. The light came on for so many people. We sold out of journals after the first service. If you did not get one we will have them this coming Sunday.
• Sunday night Wayne taught our leadership team for about an hour. It was power packed and one of the most inspiring meetings I have ever been in. He has given us a whole new paradigm for service. Here are a few Wayne Cordeiro tidbits below:
• Greatest test of a servant is when you’re treated like one.
• Only difference between an ordeal and an adventure is attitude.
• A mind will reach a mind but a heart will reach a heart.
• We communicate with words, gestures and spirit.
• Train your eyes to see what’s good. You will see what you are looking for.
• Believe that you can change and believe that others can change.
• Never give up!

I think I will be processing this past weekend for some time. What are you thinking about these days?

Blessings,

Rick

Transitions May 5, 2009

This past Saturday, I experienced another transition in life as my daughter Tori was married to Derek Jones. I walked her down the aisle, presented her to be married and then officiated the ceremony from that point on. Last week was just a swirl of emotions inside as I was caught up in a sea of memories. I did not actually write the ceremony until early Saturday morning. I knew I was either going to laugh or cry my way through the wedding, so I chose to laugh. It was a great time of celebration for our family and a host of friends who joined us. While they are basking away on some beach where the sun is shining, I am still processing another transition in my life.

It’s funny because I have led transitions all of my adult life as a pastor and Christian leader, but this one really took it’s toll on me. It made me stop and think about the toll others have felt when I was leading them through different transitions. You know what you are about to do is a good thing, but it just hurts to be moved out of your comfort zone. The familiar is replaced with the unfamiliar. The stability feels like instability for a season. It requires stretching, patience and faith.

In some ways we are always going through transitions if we are true followers of Christ. He is constantly taking us to new places in our faith journey and in the process creating tension between the old and new. Growing things change, and changing things grow. Maybe you find yourself in the middle of some life transition right now, if not it won’t be long. Transitions are going to happen, so make up your mind to celebrate them and enjoy the journey.

Love Deeply April 20, 2009

I have spent much of the day thinking about the message for next Sunday. It is one of those texts that is easier read than lived. What does it mean in practical ways to love each other deeply from the heart? Jesus said that people would know that we are his disciples by the way we loved each other. At lunch several of our pastors talked about this and the struggle that is common to most of us. Christian unity seems to be an oxymoron in our society. We seem to invalidate the message we proclaim by the very way we treat each other in the body of Christ. Why not take a look at the text for Sunday, 1 Peter 1:22-2:2, and let me know your thoughts. You may just help me out in the teaching assignment for this week. If nothing else, keep me in your prayers this week as this text is working on me.

Who’s Calling? April 15, 2009

Well, today was a first for me. I called a local business and waited for the typical greeting that I had grown accustomed to. This is where the story changes. I could hear people talking among themselves (sounded like they were on a speakerphone), but no one was talking to me. Assertively, I said “hello” trying to gain the attention of at least one of the voices I could hear. Finally someone returned my greeting, and I asked if I had reached my intended party. “No,  you have reached me and I am on an elevator.” I chuckled and apologized for any inconvenience. Less than a minute later I tried the number again and this time a lady quickly answered (same speakerphone sound) saying I had scared her to death and how did I get the number for an elevator telephone. Sure, this sounds a little like a Candid Camera episode but it actually happened! I can only tell you that I laughed about as hard as I can ever remember.

Afterwards I did think about what possible life lessons might be involved. Do I really hear people when they talk to me? Do I hear God when He is trying to speak to me, or am I involved in so many conversations that I don’t recognize His voice? I’m sure as I think about this, there are going to be others, but for now those two will be enough to occupy my mind.

As for the number I dialed…I filed it away and yes I do plan to call it again! Way too much fun!

Freakin’ April 9, 2009

I guess I’ve been in church too long to remember what it would be like to hear about someone coming back from the dead and call that anything but “freakin’.” How odd it must be to those “on the outside” of our circle when we reenact an ancient form of capital punishment, then after a few days dress up in bright cheery colors, jam seats in our churches and talk about good news from a grave yard! No sadness. No dirge. We call it the high point of our entire year as Christ followers!  

I can see how confusing this could be.

It all becomes clear only when understanding Who runs the universe, and that the Father would go to ultimate and dramatic lengths to remedy the cosmic treason condemning lost and broken humanity. When you personally have experienced the lights coming on in the darkest places of life, and dead, passionless days turned into hope-filled times slammed with great expectation, it’s hard not to live that out loud! And that, my friends, is freakin’ – the only way to do life!

“For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God”  - Colossians 3:3

Inconvenient Jesus April 7, 2009

Idling in the background of the past couple days has been the continuing news of economic calamity, international tension among superpowers, dangerous weather and the annual dread of April 15 – tax day drawing near. That’s my world.
When Jesus “set his face toward Jerusalem,” there was no lack of issues that for the day were just as imposing and distracting. It simply wasn’t a good time for the unfolding of the massive redemptive rescue plan foretold by the prophets. It wasn’t convenient even for the very people Jesus belonged to of Hebrew descent. It was Seder time, after all.
The longer I live, the more I find that just like with the first followers, it’s inconvenient for me to follow Jesus. It messes with my schedule, disturbs my sleep and defies my comfort zones.
As much as it provokes and pushes me, I remember others who didn’t let inconvenience stop them from exhibiting the heart of Christ that changed my life. I am forever in their debt for their influence. I had the opportunity just a few days ago to speak at the home going (funeral) of one such man – a Sunday School teacher I had decades ago. I am so grateful he allowed himself to be inconvenienced to build into the lives of me and about a dozen of my childhood friends.
It’s memories like this that drive me, not away from the challenge of sharing Christ with a lost and dying world, but toward it, however difficult, regardless of convenience. greaterlove is like that. It’s my turn. I want to do my part. Because one day I know I’ll give an account for how I stewarded the leadership of my church, I am compelled to lead the charge toward the mission we call greaterlove.
If your heart beats for those far from God, and you value their lives more than a fortressed life uninterrupted by such inconvenience, join the journey!
See you Resurrection Sunday!

Reflections March 11, 2009

Today I have spent some time reflecting on the events of just the past few days. Yesterday I had the opportunity of meeting with about 40 fellow pastors from the greater Nashville area for a Prayer Summit. It was a full day of sharing our hearts, admitting our fears, crying out to God for each other and for our city and coming together in a concert  of worship and praise. We came together from every background – Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Church of Christ, Charismatic,etc. But yesterday we came together simply as brothers in Christ. All the labels were put aside, and we worshipped and prayed together. The common ground of the Gospel is where we gathered, and it was quite a day. The Church – the bride of Christ- is really beautiful when we come together in unity and purpose. I wish all of you could have been a part of this very special day.

As I completed the message this past Sunday, Alan Pace met me in the aisle to give me the sad message that Dr. Fred Winters, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Maryville, Illinois, had been killed by a gunman during the early worship hour of that church. Two other church members were injured trying to subdue the shooter. This week First Baptist Church is planning the memorial service for their pastor. Fred is survived by his wife and two beautiful daughters. As you are praying this week, would you please pray for Fred’s family and the FBC family. What started out as a regular Sunday morning turned into a day that the community of Maryville will never forget. I pray that the peace of God will sustain them in what has to be one of the dark days of the soul.

The news reported ten people killed yesterday in Alabama and sixteen more in a German school just today. Our hearts go out to everyone of the families even though they are unknown personally to us. There is no shortage of evil in the world. This is why the advancement of the Gospel is more important than ever before. We must be the dispensers of hope in times like these.

As I think about these things taking place all around us, it brings me back to the reality and importance of what we are doing in ministry. The hope of the world is found only in the power of the Gospel. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

greaterlove February 26, 2009

As you know, we placed our greaterlove campaign on pause last fall when the stock market took a major hit. At that time, I remember telling you that we would take the time to monitor the stability of the markets, watch our weekly budget gifts, talk to our Leadership Team and pray. We have honored each of those commitments. Now we feel that we need to move forward with greaterlove.

The very first teaching series of the year has been about growing our faith. I have said for years that opportunity often follows instruction. Now is the time that we believe that we have to put our faith into practice. While no one can predict the markets at this point, there is some good news for us as a church. Our weekly giving is showing a very positive trend and our lay Leadership Team and staff is overwhelmingly in favor of moving forward.

Why now? Why not wait for a better economic season? We have learned some valuable lessons during this season of pause, but the biggest and best lesson is simply that we are going to have to trust God for all things, in all seasons of life, in good seasons and hard seasons. greaterlove will provide a new home for our Spring Hill congregation, provide more and better space for our TPC Kids’ Ministry, provide dedicated space for our student ministry that we have never had before, reach around the world to our partnership in Malawi and provide significant funds for assisting many of our own TPC families during this time.

We believe that these ministry opportunities are so significant that we must move ahead with greaterlove. We also believe that the consequences of not moving forward are so significant that we cannot afford to wait any longer.

Buildings are simply tools that we use to reach people! greaterlove is “at its core” about reaching more people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with you. Over the next several weeks I will be teaching and casting vision for our future. I really need your prayers and am counting on you to pray with me and for me during these days.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

 

Blessings,

 

Rick

Blogging Fever! February 9, 2009

Well, you could not say that I have been struck with blogging fever since I decided to join the blog world. I actually had post number 3 all ready to go, but somehow lost it in the process of trying to save it. Go figure. So I will try to do better in the days ahead.

Jon Tyson Returns to TPC: This Sunday Jon Tyson returns to speak at TPC. Jon is a former staff member and now pastor of Trinity Grace Church in New York City. He has had an unbelievable journey from his homeland in Australia to now pastoring in one of the busiest cities in the world. Jon made a huge impact during his ministry days with us. This weekend he returns to lead the Senior High Winter Retreat and speak in our Sunday morning services. This past weekend, as Jim Henry was speaking, I thought about the upcoming week and the contrast of spiritual leaders. Jim comes as one of the seasoned veterans of ministry and Jon represents one of the new and rising leaders in the kingdom today. We are blessed to have both of them in our church.

Five Things God Uses To Grow Our Faith: On Sunday, February 22 we will conclude the present teaching series. Your response to this series has been overwhelmingly positive. Thanks so much. I am looking forward to the concluding talk about how God uses pivotal circumstances to grow our faith. I hope you will plan to be present.

Acts 4:35 Offering: The next two Sundays we will be receiving our Acts 4:35 offering. This is an offering that we receive about three times a year to care for the physical needs of those in our church family. It is modeled after the offering in the book of Acts where the people gave to care for the needs of brothers and sisters around them. I want to encourage all of us to have a part in helping to provide assistance for families with physical needs who are part of TPC .

Budget/Giving Update: Dick Wells shared some really good news with me earlier today. Through the first six weeks of the year, our giving is up 17.7% over the same time period last year. This is a reason to give thanks and remain faithful.

February: A Month To Pray: I have asked each area of our ministry to schedule special times of prayer during this month. We are facing some major decisions in our future as we consider our need for additional space both on the Franklin and Spring Hill campuses. We have been on pause for four months as we have watched the national economic situation and prayed for God’s leadership. Certainly there is no good news to report on the national scene, but we must not live in fear as if God is not in charge of our world or somehow cannot meet our needs. I will be speaking to this issue in the days ahead, but first we need to pray. So I want to call all of us to pray together about God’s leadership and direction for our church in the days just before us.

By The Way, I Love The Church: Earlier today Chad Jarnigan blogged about “what do you like about your church.” I had to join the discussion on that one. I love God’s church, the universal body around the world and the local church. It is true that the local church can be the source of pleasure and pain at the same time. Obviously there is no perfect church because there are no perfect people. The church is filled with broken humanity in the process of reconciliation both with God and man. We are not at the same place at the same time in the spiritual journey and that’s why the NT gives so much instruction about how to treat and care for one another. With all it’s bumps and bruises, I still believe that the church is God’s idea, and I for one am glad to be included in the fellowship of the local church.

Blessings!

Rick

God Bless America! January 19, 2009

 MLK DAY: On Sunday evening, I watched the documentary King on the History Channel. Since I grew up in the Birmingham area, I was more than familiar with the places and faces featured on the program. Seeing the pictures of fire hoses, police dogs, and the bombed-out basement of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church where four little girls lost their lives was a deeply emotional experience. My brother was a part of the National Guard in those days and was part of the troops that accompanied Dr. King on the Selma to Montgomery march. As I listened to the various clips of Dr. King’s speeches, I was amazed again at his ability to communicate and cast a vision that became a movement that changed a nation. His passion and commitment lives on to this very day. Thank God that as a nation we have made positive changes, but we still have challenges before us. Today I am thankful for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and for the sacrifices he made to make this world a better place in which to live.

Inauguration Day: Tomorrow morning, history will be made as Barack Obama becomes the 44th President of The United States. Regardless of your political position, there are several things that should be remembered and celebrated. We will see a peaceful transition of power. There are not too many places in the world where a transition of this magnitude takes place without chaos and violence. We can all be proud to be Americans. We can also celebrate the fact that the first African American will now occupy the very residence that slaves once helped to build. President Obama will face more challenges than any president in recent history. He needs and deserves our prayers. I challenge all of us to step up and commit to pray for our new president on a regular basis. We are living in unusual days that would test the leadership of any man or woman. President Obama will need the wisdom of God to govern our nation and influence our world. We will not agree with every decision he makes. I doubt seriously that he can fulfill every promise that he has made, but he is our president and we need to pray for his success as he leads our nation. We should pray for his wife and two little girls. Pray that he will be a good husband and father. Pray for God to bring the right spiritual counselors into his life.  Pray for his safety and security. Pray that God will indeed bless our new president and that God will continue to bless America.