Apathy and Evil

"Apathy and evil. The two work hand in hand...evil wills it. Apathy allows it. Evil hates the innocent and the defenseless most of all. Apathy doesn't care as long as it's not personally inconvenienced."
-Jack Thoene

"If anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help--how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions." 1 John 3:17-18

Lies and Truth

The world we live in is full of lies and deception. The world tells me if I cannot agree with you then I must hate you. The world tells me it's "us" versus "them." The world tells me my self-worth is about how I look and how much I earn. The world tells me happiness is found in success, comfort, and ease.

The truth about me, however, is that God made me and God loves me. The truth about my neighbor is that God made them and loves them. Each person has worth because God created them. The truth is that we can have conviction and compassion at the same time. We can disagree with one another and still love each other. This is hard, but it is possible. The truth is that happiness is found in relationships...our relationship with God and our relationships with one another.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." Romans 12:2

The Possibility of Failure

More and more research reveals the decline in church membership in the United States. American culture in the past reinforced (for the most part) a Christian worldview. There was prayer in school. Most people attended church because it was the culturally accepted thing to do on Sundays. Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights were typically set apart for people to attend church functions.

None of this is true today. We do not have prayer in school. Attending church is not the culturally accepted thing to do. Homework, work hours, and sports events are now common on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. We do indeed live in a post-Christian society. The church has been increasingly marginalized from mainstream culture. This is not new information or even shocking at this point.

However, it seems most Christians are really struggling with this new reality. They see this information as completely bad news. And yes, some of it is bad, but there is much good that can come from living in a post-Christian society. The church for a long time relied on the culture to do its job. The church could expect to grow based on population rate. We didn't really have to evangelize because we could expect people to attend church because their parents did. We didn't have to disciple our own children because the schools and culture did it for us.

The church cannot rely on the culture anymore. We must once again do the hard work of being witnesses for Christ: sharing our faith, loving our neighbor, serving the least of these. We must be willing to take risks and face the possibility of failure. Maintaining the status quo will no longer work. We will have to learn, grow, and step out of our comfort zones. This won't be easy. The church in America has been spoiled. In some cases we've gotten lazy. We'll need to have faith. We'll need to pray more. I may be young and naive, but I think this could be really good for the church.    

True Blessing -lessons from Kenya

A few weeks ago I went to Kenya on a mission trip with Project 82. We visited and played with some of the kids in their orphanages. We held training conferences for Kenyan pastors and we even sneaked in a mini-safari. The trip was amazing and my mind is still trying to process all that I learned. My heart was simultaneously broken and warmed at the orphanages. Seeing such precious children without families is hard. Seeing such amazing people take care of these children was incredible. In countries like Kenya you see a lot of poverty and suffering. Yet, you also see resiliency and joy. Behind the hardship lies great spiritual strength. Meeting with the Kenyan pastors and seeing their hunger for God's Word was an incredible site. There is no paid time off in Kenya and most of the pastors have other jobs. Thus, most of the ministers gave up a day's wage to be at the conference. Many walked miles to get there. Their example has challenged  me and my own desire to learn. 

This trip also clarified my own calling in life to...

Seek God's Presence

Preach the Gospel

Serve the least of these

Be a voice for the voiceless

Obviously my life includes numerous other elements. Having a calling does not mean I stop changing diapers and washing dishes (although it would be great if it did). But I'm beginning to realize that God is pulling my heart into different places. He is giving me opportunities to serve in ways that stretch me. This can be hard at times, but I pray for more. I see a reoccurring theme in my own life: my greatest joys come through service and sacrifice. Whenever I live for something bigger than myself, I gain a greater intimacy with Christ. My self-centered prayers are slowly becoming externally focused. Instead of asking God to bless me, I'm beginning to ask him to do something with me. I desire being used by God more than I desire my own needs being met. 

I think sometimes we desire God's blessings more than we desire his presence. We desire his gifts more than we desire his glory. We fail to realize our true blessing is knowing God and being used by God. We fail to realize our true blessing is found in blessing others. I tend to forget these truths...Kenya was a great reminder. 

Necessary Suffering

There are many reasons why people don't pray. Some people don't pray because they don't believe. Others may not pray due to busyness or lack of discipline. However, a few people are timid to pray because “I’m afraid of what God will ask me to do.” And in all reality, that is a very good reason not to pray. At the very least, this reason implies that they know the power of prayer. It's interesting that whenever angels appear in scripture, the first thing they say is “fear not.” They say “fear not,” but we are afraid, and we have every right to be. To be used and changed by God is a scary thing.

I wonder sometimes if one of the reasons many (American) Christians struggle to grow spiritually is because we do not expect to suffer. In fact, we do everything we can to avoid it. Most of us are willing to serve...as long as it doesn't interfere too much with my schedule. Most of us are willing to help others...as long as it doesn't require me to sacrifice. Most of us are willing to give...as long as it doesn't affect my current life style. We seem to assume that we should not have to bear any heavy burdens. We seem to assume we have no cross to carry. We are quick to conclude that God would never want us to struggle or suffer for the sake of others. 

A few disclaimers before we move on: (1) I struggle with this "comfort" mentality as much as anyone. (2) I am not advocating that we work ourselves to death. (3) I am not saying we should seek out pain and suffering for the sake of being spiritual.

With that said, I rarely see God call someone to a life of comfort and ease in the Bible. I'm still looking (because I really want to find it), but it's not there. God's call typically requires people to leave their comfort zone and it usually includes trials of some sort. The early church did not seek out pain and persecution. However, their view of suffering was much different than ours. They rejoiced when they suffered for the cause of Christ. They even counted suffering as a privilege! I know...weird, right? 

But maybe they understood something we don't. Maybe really loving others requires sacrifice and struggle. Maybe really serving God requires surrender and faith. Maybe suffering brings us closer to Christ in ways that are not possible otherwise.

Don't get me wrong: it is not a sin to own a couch or to go on a vacation. However, in our culture we need to be careful that comfort and ease do not become our main priorities. We need to be careful that self-indulgence does not become our god. We need to be careful to heed God's call even if it requires suffering...because it probably will. 

Three (Kind-of-Different) Ways to Have a Healthy Marriage

My wife and I have been married 8 years (almost 9) and so by no means am I a marriage guru. I do not work for Focus on the Family and I am not a professional counselor. With that said, in reflecting on some things that have helped our marriage I realized some surprising helps. Of course the core stuff that you always hear about are essential: good communication, resolving conflict in a healthy manner, quality time, never demeaning and abusing one another. All the things I'm about to mention will not help much if you're not doing these basics. But here are three kind-of-different ways to have a healthy marriage.

1. Travel Together

I am a firm believer that "getting away" periodically is essential. It's very easy for life (and a relationship) to get stuck in a rut. Traveling is a simple way to break the daily routine. Some people have more money than others, but just about anyone can find simple ways to get a change of scenery. You can travel with your kids, but I do think one couple trip per year is vital.

* Side Note--As a a pastor, I spend a lot of time with the elderly in hospitals and nursing homes. One thing they have taught me over and over again is to not waste my mobility. Do not wait until it's too late to travel and see things...one day you will not have that ability.

2. Support Each Other

This may seem kind of obvious and not so different, but I rarely see true support in most marriages. By "support" I do not mean tolerate, endure, or just get by. I mean being intentional in encouraging and complimenting one another. I mean being there for one another and sacrificing to help your spouse achieve their goals. Stay away from manipulation and competition with your spouse. Instead, "take delight in honoring one another."

3. Live for Something Big

As a couple, pursue a lifestyle that helps those in need. Live for something bigger than your own relationship. I think Jesus would like this and it's a great example for your own kids. Mission trips, adoption, and foster care has brought us closer in a variety of ways. Of course, we do not serve in order to have a healthy marriage; but looking back it has had that affect. The scriptures are correct: "It is more blessed to give, than to receive."

* Side Note--Please do not read this and think I have the perfect marriage. We have faults and weaknesses like any other couple. We are a work-in-progress, but I love this journey together.

Avoiding Spiritual Blind Spots

Religious extremism and violence is something that has plagued humanity all throughout history. All religions (and all worldviews for that matter) have been used throughout history to justify some pretty heinous actions. Christians are not immune to spiritual blind spots. Christians have used the Bible to justify crusades, slavery, and segregation.

Of course, there were Christians against each of these injustices, but there were many who defended these actions. It's easy for us to look back and say, "what were they thinking?" However, what blind spots are hindering us that we may not see right now? And how can we avoid these blind spots (as best we can)? Here's the start of a list that may help. Of course this list is not exhaustive and I do not have the space to fully explain each, but this is a start. Let me know what you think.

1. Your beliefs should produce a deeper love for God and others.

As Christians, if our faith is making us more angry or bitter or mean, we may want to question who we're really following. The fruits of the spirit are "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control."

2. Your beliefs should be consistent with the main themes of scripture. (love, mercy, redemption, holiness) 

No doctrine should be based on a single passage of scripture. Less clear passages should be interpreted by clearer passages. The Old Testament should be interpreted in light of the New. As Christians, our faith should include the major themes like grace, redemption, and holiness because they permeate throughout the whole Bible.

3. Your beliefs should be consistent with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. He is our final and complete revelation of God.

Jesus is the complete and full picture of God (see Hebrews 1). Thus, our theology should begin and end (and default) to Jesus. Love this quote...

"The historic Christine doctrine of the divinity of Christ does not simply mean that Jesus is like God. It is far more radical than that. It means God is like Jesus. In other words, the doctrines of the incarnation and deity of Christ are meant to tell us that we cannot start with a predetermined, set-in-stone idea of God derived from the rest of the Bible (or philosophy) and then extend that to Jesus. Jesus is not intended merely to fit into those predetermined categories; he is intended to explode them, transform them, alter them forever, and bring us to a new evolutionary level in our understanding of God. An old definition of God does not define Jesus-the experience of God in Jesus requires a brand-new definition or understanding of God." –Elton Trueblood 

4.Your beliefs should NOT major on the minors and minor on the majors. 

The Pharisees had the habit of doing this and it seemed to bug Jesus (see Matthew 23). This doesn't mean the "minors" are unimportant...just don't miss the "majors" in the process. Stuff like justice, mercy, and faith.

5. Your beliefs should NOT force the Bible to answer questions it wasn't asking and your beliefs should NOT confuse Biblical truth with cultural preferences. 

Do not look for Bible verses to prove your predetermined belief. This is called proof-texting and it always leads to trouble. If we're not careful, we can "make" the Bible say (or justify) anything we want. Also, we often confuse being a Christian for being republican (conservative) or democrat (liberal) or traditional or hippy. This will quickly skew our ability to understand and apply scripture. I'm not saying we should be apolitical, but never let it be your first allegiance.

6. Your beliefs should have conviction but always open to deeper understanding.

The Pharisees are a classic example of individuals who held so strongly to their beliefs that they were not open to a new understanding of how God's kingdom works. They missed the messiah standing right in front of them. Often are own cultural bias and fears can keep us from learning and growing.

7. Your beliefs should produce a deeper love for God and others.

I know this is number one as well. I'm being redundant on purpose. As followers of Christ, our faith should always lead to love for God and love for others. These are the two most important commands. If we miss this, we miss everything.

Orphan Care-How We Can Help

Why We Care for the Orphan?

Our calling is clear:

“Learn to do good! Seek justice! Help the oppressed! Defend the orphan! Fight for the rights of widows!” Isaiah 1:17

“Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.” James 1:27

The need is great:

There are an estimated 153 million orphaned and vulnerable children around the world. Here in the United States there are nearly 400,000 children in the foster care system.

How Our Church Helps:

1. United Methodist Children’s Home-our church assists with any needs our group home may have and promotes adoption and foster care training through our United Methodist Children’s home. Our church is also used for training classes as needed. Our senior pastor is also on their advocacy board and we take up a special offering for this ministry annually on Christmas Eve.

2. Project 82 Kenya-the mission of Project 82 is to be the evidence of God’s grace and perfect love to orphans in Kenya. They protect, shelter, clothe, feed, educate, disciple and support the precious children of Kenya in an environment of family and community. We partner with this ministry through child sponsorship, special donations, and an annual short-term mission trip to Kenya.

3. Belarus Mission-each year a team from our church travels to Belarus to assist with a variety of projects including home repair, Bible School, and orphan care.

4.Child Sponsorship through World Vision and/or Project 82 Kenya-we promote individuals sponsoring children through organizations like World Vision and Project 82 Kenya. These ministries assist children and families by tackling the root causes of poverty.

5. Operation Christmas Child-each year we pack and collect gift boxes that will be distributed to orphans and other vulnerable children around the world.

6. Imagine No Malaria-unlike many other diseases that are awaiting a cure, malaria was eliminated in the U.S. in the 1950s. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria continues to kill a person every 60 seconds causing many children to become orphans. But there is hope! In 2007, the World Health Organization estimated there were more than 1,000,000 malaria related fatalities. By 2012, the number had been reduced to 627,000. While that is still a staggering number, a nearly 50% increase in life is worth celebrating! Thanks to the efforts of The United Methodist Church and our partners, we are on our way to beating malaria for good. Our church will highlight this ministry during the season of Lent and take up a special offering to support it.

7. Orphan Sunday-each year we celebrate Orphan Sunday in order to raise awareness and gain greater participation for each of our ministries.

Undefeated Love

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

The whole story of scripture is the story of how God can’t be kept out. When we sin and mess up our lives, we find that God doesn't go off and leave us—instead, he enters into our trouble and saves us. The good news of the gospel is that God is for us. God is present. God is with us…

despite our past mistakes…

despite our sins…

despite our selfishness and pride.

God continues to love us regardless of who we are and what we've done. God continues to show up regardless of how often we ignore him. From Advent to Easter, the story of Jesus should teach us that God’s love cannot be defeated. His love is greater than sin, greater than hate, and yes, greater than death. 

Advent and Turmoil -Further Reflections on Ferguson and Eric Garner

"So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. 

He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness." (John 1:14)

The last few weeks in our country have been difficult to say the least. The turmoil, suffering, and racial division has been heart wrenching. These moments have been a fresh reminder to me for why the advent of Christ was so necessary.

Our society teaches us to avoid suffering at all costs and to seek our own happiness even if it requires being indifferent to the pain of others. This is why Advent has been replaced by holiday parties and shopping. Don't get me wrong, I like cheesy Christmas songs and exchanging gifts as much as anyone. I am not a scrooge.

However, sometimes the holidays can cause us to forget the true essence of Advent. Advent reminds us that the gospel is very different than our cultural values. Advent is the season when we remember that Jesus put on flesh and dwelt among us. Christ being born in a manger reveals a God who does not avoid our suffering and messiness, but enters into it. Jesus knew suffering from the moment he entered the world. He was born into poverty as a refugee fleeing from genocide. He served others and healed wounds. He wept for us and with us. Eventually he was tortured and executed by the very people he came to save. Advent is not simply a sweet story about a baby born in a manger. Christ came to a world filled with darkness. He came as a light for the world. He came to show us that there is another way. We do not have to sin. We do not have to hate one another.

"I am the light of the world." Jesus (John 9:5)

So during this season of Advent, let us seek ways to be light in a dark world. Let us seek to be instruments of peace and healing. Yes, the world is still dark. Suffering, pain, and injustice are still very real. But the darkness will not win. Christ has come...and he will come again.

"...the darkness is disappearing and the true light is already shining." (1 John 2:8)

"The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5)

We Stink...And God's Love is Amazing

This past week I preached on the book of Deuteronomy. While I was reading, I noticed that numerous times in Deuteronomy, Moses pauses to remind the Israelites how unworthy they are to be in a covenant relationship with God. He seems determined to show the people how undeserving they are of God's blessing and provision. It’s actually pretty funny. Here are just a couple of examples:

“The Lord did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! It was simply because the Lord loves you, and because he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such amazing power from your slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt." Deuteronomy 7:7-8

"The Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are righteous, for you are not--you are a stubborn people." Deuteronomy 9:6

I love that. He’s reminding the Israelites: "You’re not that amazing. God didn't choose you because you were the biggest nation or the most wealthy. He does not love you because of your own righteousness. In fact, you’re a stubborn and rebellious people. God is not giving you the promised land because of your worthiness." And I’m sure the people were thinking at this point: “Ok, Moses, we get it, we stink. So why did God choose us.?” And Moses’ response is simple: “Because that’s who God is. God is good. God is love and he loves you.”

The same is true for us. We need this reminder because after you’ve been in the church for a while it’s really easy to become prideful and judgmental. However, the truth is, we have no reason to look down on others. We are not special because of our wealth or knowledge or own self-righteousness. We have not earned God’s love or favor. We do not deserve his goodness...we have it simply because this is who God is. Everything is a gift...it’s all grace. God loves us not because we have made ourselves worthy of it. He loves us because he is love. God's love for us is not based on our character. God's love for us is based on his character. This is good news! 

The Good News Of Holiness

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome."

1 John 5:3

In our culture words like law, obedience, and holiness have a negative connotation. Thus, we tend to see God's laws and commands as a heavy burden. We see holiness as an ideal that is unattainable.

However, scripture doesn't have this view. Jesus and the other apostles saw these words a bit differently. They believed obedience to God's commands was a good thing...a really good thing. Holiness is the amazing truth that God not only forgives our sin, but also gives us the power to overcome sin. This is good news!  This is the gospel! And if we really think about it, scripture is right.

Do we really believe that living with a divided heart is easier than living with a united heart fully devoted to Christ?

Wouldn't our relationships be better if we were free from things like pride, selfishness, and hate?

What would it be like to be content with what we have instead of desperate for what we don't?

Wouldn't it be great to be delivered from strongholds like lust and anger? What a relief it would be to be set free from all that plagues us.

God's Word was not given to us to burden us or to restrict us. God's Word is our path to freedom. Sin is not freedom, but rather the worst kind of slavery. God made us good. Sin messed it up. Holiness is the promise that he can make us good again. That is good news!

What is the Lord's Will for My Life?

As a pastor, one request I hear repeatedly from people is their desire to know God's will for their life. And by "God's will" they are usually wanting to know about a career to pursue, place to live, school to attend, and whom to marry. These are not bad questions and I certainly agree that we should pray and think about these matters. However, when I read about "God's will" in scripture I rarely see it used in this way. While the Bible doesn't tell every person on earth specifically what his or her life's calling will be, it does give us a lot of general direction:

"You are to serve the least of these." Yes.
"You are to care for the orphan and the widow." Yes.
"You are to deny yourself and follow Jesus." Yes.
"You are to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor. And your neighbor includes sinners, tax collectors, and even your enemies." Yes.
"You are to go and make disciples." Yes.
"You are to show mercy and walk humbly with God." Yes.
"You are to be holy because God is holy." Yes.

I wonder sometimes if we focused more on doing the revealed will of God, perhaps the specifics of our lives would fall into place. Don't get me wrong...God cares about the school you attend, but he cares more about your heart and the way you live.

"Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." Psalm 25:4-5

My Top 3 Commitments

About a week ago, I started serving at my new church First UMC Pace. This time of transition has been hectic, exciting, and fun. However, in the midst of the busyness I want to make sure I keep certain commitments during this time of transition. Here are my top 3...

1. I will move slowly. I will remember that God didn't move the Israelites into the Promise Land overnight, and he's not expecting me to change our church in one month. If there are some easy "wins" great, but it takes time to learn the people and understand the DNA of the church. I will not assume I know what is best, but I'll seek to learn about my new culture. I need to understand our past and current context before we vision for the future.

2. I will focus on priorities. Busy is not synonymous with effectiveness. Every time I'm doing something, I'm not doing something else. There is a cost to not keeping my priorities...even if I can't see it right away. I will pray and read scripture. I will not neglect my family. I will meet with people...a lot!

3. I will serve. This is my first time being a Senior Pastor. The title alone makes me sound older and more powerful. But power is not something I will use to manipulate others. Christ was powerful, but he used his power to serve. I hope to do the same. I will be intentional in trying to find ways to serve my staff, the congregation, my family, and the poor. I want my leadership to resemble the way of Jesus.

Without a doubt, this new appointment will have ups and downs, successes and failures, wins and losses. Some people will love me (at least my wife and kids but maybe others)...and some not so much. I'll have good days, but some days I'll fall flat on my face. I'm thankful for a Savior whose grace is sufficient in all things. He always works in ways that are beyond my abilities and above my highest expectations. He is always faithful.

Marriage and Other Stuff

Today marks 8 years of marriage with my amazing and beautiful wife. It's been an amazing journey so far. Just thinking about what has taken place during our marriage makes me tired...

Over a decade working in student ministry: retreats, lock-ins (what were we thinking), small groups, mission trips, service projects, and eating way too much pizza.

Moving to Wilmore, Kentucky so that I could attend Asbury Theological Seminary.

Buying this guy… (roll tide!)

Going on some incredible trips including New York, Haiti, and the Holy Land!

Getting ordained in The United Methodist Church. (what were they thinking)

The birth of our first child…Kenzie Claire. She's the greatest little girl in the entire world in my bias opinion.

Going through the process of adoption...

Finalizing the adoption of our son…Caleb Kyrie. He's the greatest baby boy in the world by far.

Keeping up with these two crazy kids on a daily basis.

Like I said, it's been an amazing journey so far and I look forward to what God has in store for us in the future. 

(But one non-crazy year would be nice)

Prayer for Holy Saturday

Merciful and everliving God, creator of heaven and earth,
the crucified body of your Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy day.
Grant that we may wait with him the dawing of the third day
and rise in newness of life, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer)

"Since then we have a great high priest
who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,
let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:14, 16)

Wherever You Call Me

Change is inevitable. Change is great. Change is hard. 

As an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church I am appointed to my ministry positions. Following the Acts 13 model, we believe in a "sent" ministry. Pastors are not hired or fired. We have a leadership base that sends pastors to different churches. The goal is to send pastors where their gifts and graces meet the ministry and missional needs of a local church. With that said, I found out recently I am being sent to First UMC Pace, Florida as their Senior Pastor. My family and I are very excited about this opportunity, but we will certainly miss our time here in Crestview.

I was sent to First UMC Crestview 5 years ago and it was a great fit. I have loved being at this church. They have spoiled my family in numerous ways. It's been an amazing journey with the youth ministry here. We started with ten kids on two pews in an old youth house. God brought together a special group of volunteers and teenagers and things began to grow. Soon the youth house was overflowing. Crowded room of teenagers + a sometimes working A/C unit = smelly youth house. It didn't matter. Kids kept inviting kids and we kept growing.

Eventually the church allowed us to use their main sanctuary for worship. You know you have an awesome church when they allow the teenagers to use their main sanctuary. I wasn't sure how the students would react to being in such a different atmosphere. Again, God's spirit moved and we didn't miss a beat. 

We spent over a year in the sanctuary, but plans were drawn to build a new facility. One third of this new building was dedicated to our youth. We moved into our new facilities in 2012.

I love our new building and I love that our youth group has grown. More importantly, however, I've loved seeing students fall in love with Jesus. I've loved seeing students grow in their faith. I've loved seeing them serve and help other people. I've loved seeing them pray together.

 

I've even loved the messy games. Never mind, I didn't love that. But I did love all the fun times and laughing until it hurts.

Like I said before, we are very excited about our new appointment. I cannot wait to get started at FIrst UMC Pace. Change is great. But change is hard because it also means saying goodbye to something else. Saying goodbye to these students and this church will be very difficult. They have been a second family for us. During this time of transition, the song "Oceans" by Hillsong United has been very encouraging. I especially love these lyrics:

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. 
Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander 
and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior.

Change is inevitable. Change is great. Change is hard. Spirit lead us...

Caleb's Big Weekend -Adoption Update

Last weekend was a big one for our son Caleb. On Friday, March 14th, his adoption was finalized by the state of Florida. Caleb is "officially" our son. Then on Sunday I baptized Caleb. Below is a letter we wrote for him and read at church. As always, thank you for your continued prayers and support. This adoption was made possible by so many people besides ourselves. We are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

Our family with the Judge

Dear Caleb Kyrie Dasinger,

We are so excited that today is your baptism. Getting to this point has been an adventure to say the least. Often times adoption is seen as something embarrassing or strange. We pray and hope your adoption story is one that you take pride in. We fully realize that a child being raised by their loving birth parents is plan A. We understand that we are plan B and yet what an amazing privlege that is. Our God is good. He can take all things and redeem them for good.

Your birth mom was not able to take care of you and she made a very courageous decision in giving you to us. We will be forever grateful for her decision. We want you to know that we have been praying for you and thinking about you even before you were born. We want you to know that we fought hard to have you in our family. You are worth every penny spent, every sleepless night, every mile travelled, every piece of paper filled out, every phone call, every obstacle, every hard day. Being your mommy and daddy is one of the greatest things God has ever called us to. Having you as our son is a blessing beyond words.

As your parents, we promise to love you and take care of you each and every day. We hope to be great examples of compassion and grace. Your sister Kenzie was just as excited to meet you as we were. She couldn’t wait to have a little brother. No family is perfect, but we pray that our family will show God’s incredible power and faithfulness. 

You will also have an amazing church family who will support you and pray for you as well. In fact, it is your church family that helped make this adoption possible. The church is not perfect, and being a pastor’s son will not always be easy. But hopefully you will see and meet people who really love Jesus and really love you. Today you become a part of God’s church family.

You will always be surrounded by people who love you, but unfortunately you will also grow up in a fallen world. We’re sorry that you may face mistreatment due solely to the color of your skin. We’re sorry people may think your family is odd or weird. We believe our family is amazing. We believe our family reflects God’s kingdom…a kingdom that includes every nation, race, and tribe. We’re sorry that you will grow up in a culture that teaches men to be chauvinistic, prideful, and angry. Our culture defines real men as cocky, arrogant, and egotistical. We hope and pray you will become a Godly man. We hope you are selfless, compassionate, and kind. We hope you are strong in the way you honor women and in the way you care for the least of these. We hope you’re strong in your beliefs and that you will live by faith. This is real strength.

We hope you find your identity in God’s love for you. And this brings us back to this special day. The baptismal covenant is God’s word to us, proclaiming our adoption into God’s family by God’s grace. Baptism is a symbol of God’s love for you. It’s a reminder that you are fearfully and wonderfully made in his image. Life is an up and down journey. It is filled with victories and defeats. Your baptism declares that nothing can change God’s love and commitment to you. You are his and he is yours. Follow him son.  

Love,

Mom, Dad, and Kenzie

Ash Wednesday and Lent: Clinging to Christ

Ash Wednesday is a special time in the life of the church because it forces us to confront our brokenness and sin. This can sound depressing…which is why more people celebrate Mardi Gras then Ash Wednesday. The ashes we receive on our forehead are a symbol of own mortality and sin. Ashes represented mourning and repentance in the Old Testament. They reminded people that death and sin are very real. They remind us of the truth found in Romans 3: “For all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard.” And Romans 6: “The wages of sin is death.” We are people who have messed up. We have gone our own way, pursued our own happiness, and in the process destroyed our own souls. We have separated ourselves from the very One who loves us and gives us life.


Hebrews 4 puts it this way: “For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.” This is a scary verse. This verse and Ash Wednesday remind us that we have all been busted. We are all exposed. Nothing we have or haven’t done is known by God. We may hide it from others, but nothing is hidden from God. This is bad news. No wonder most people skip Lent and go straight to Easter. We don’t want to think about our own sin…we don’t want to think about our death. We don’t like ashes.



But here’s the good news. I want to finish with a promise. Here’s the second part of the verse from Hebrews: “This is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”
 In most Ash Wednesday services we have Holy Communion right after receiving the ashes. Communion reminds us that death and sin do not have the last word. Communion reminds us that through Christ, our great High Priest, we have been given the gift of everlasting life. So may this Lenten season be a time of renewal…a time of change…a time of focus…and most of all a time of clinging…a season where we cling and trust our gracious Savior. 


Here is some info on Ash Wednesday and Lent...

Where does the concept of Lent come from?
 At Jesus' baptism the sky split open, the Spirit of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased." Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus hiked into the wilderness where he spent forty days to fast and pray. While he was there, he was tempted by Satan and found the strength to resist sin.


What does Lent have to do with me?
 It's pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of work, school, relationships, and family. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol or other things. We run from silence because we're afraid of being alone with God. So, like Jesus, we need to take some serious time to pray and figure out where God is in our lives, and where God is calling us to serve. We need to re-focus our lives to be more in line with God.


How do Christians celebrate Lent?
It's different in different traditions. But generally it's a time to return to Christ by cutting out all that distracts us. For some people that means giving up something like candy, TV, or soft drinks as a way to purify their bodies and lives. Others take something on and collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to help children, or decide to be kind to someone they don't like. Whatever "stuff" is given up or taken on, the intent must be to draw us closer to Christ. Lent is a resolution to simplify our lives, and to return to the One who loves us -- Jesus.


So the real beginning of Lent is Ash Wednesday? 
Yes. Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras, usually begins with a service where we recognize our mortality, repent of our sins, and return to our Loving God. We recognize life as a precious gift from God, and re-turn our lives towards Jesus Christ. We may make resolutions and commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we might be more like Christ. In an Ash Wednesday service, usually a minister or priest marks the sign of the cross on a person's forehead with ashes.


Why ashes? 
In Jewish and Christian history, ashes are a sign of mortality and repentance. Mortality, because when we die, our bodies eventually decompose and we become dust/ dirt/ash/whatever. Repentance:, because long ago, when people felt remorse for something they did, they would put ashes on their head and wear "sackcloth" to remind them that sin is pretty uncomfortable and leads to a sort of death of the spirit. This was their way of confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness.


Cool Things To Do for Lent: 

(1) Fast one day a week. (2) Start a prayer "rhythm." Say a prayer every time you brush your teeth, see a commercial, or check your e-mail. (3) Read a chapter in the Bible a day (Mark is a good book to start with). (4) Give up cokes or sweets. (5) Spend ten minutes a day in silence. (6) Begin every morning with prayer. (7) Journal every day. (8) Give up secular music and/or TV for certain days. (9) Write a thank you letter each week. (10) Say one nice thing to someone each day. (11) Pray for others on your way to work or school. (12) Commit to keeping the Sabbath. Attend church, rest, and pray. (13) Commit to volunteering at the church or with helping out around the house.