Meeting of the Minds

Thanks to the folks at the Simply Strategic Show for adding a link to download the mp3 - you guys rock!!

A great "meeting of the minds" today as John and I shared some coffee, some memories and some views on politics. It's always a treat to kick back for a few minutes and "catch up" on each other's lives again. Our "souls" can rest once again...or at least for a few moments until our next meeting.

A busy Labor Day weekend ahead. The first home football game of the year at our local high school and the annual Barbarian Camping Trip for the guys. Then on Monday I have a big band gig at the DuQuoin State Fair. Not to mention the prep needed for our weekend gatherings. We are definitely experiencing great momentum (the BIG Mo'), which is typical for this time of the year. Our series on Grace has really touched the lives of many people. We continue to hear story after story which is always incredible.

Not much of an "intellectual" post tonight, just some catch up and brain dumping. More to come in the near future!

On Board the SSS

The Simply Strategic Show (fondly referred to around the office as the SSS or the SS Show) has a new website. You can check it out here. The site looks great, but they have embedded their audio files into the html and it appears they are no longer available as a straight mp3 download. Since there are still some of us out there without an iPod (please no hatemail), I hope my email to Tony Morgan will find its way into the pity party of his inbox and they'll provide a link.

Until then, I guess I'll go through SSS withdrawals. Or maybe I could keep myself busy with an hour by hour chronicle of my day a la "24?" Nah... :)

Between the Trees

Why do I dislike funerals so much? I was reminded again today how difficult it is when I attend a funeral. I realize it should be a celebration of a life past into a "new" life beyond...that part I totally get. I guess what really bothers me are the people who are still living. It's that awkward moment when you walk up to the family of the deceased, not really knowing what to say, hoping you don't say something really dumb or incredibly hurtful, and you just sort of stand there in that uncomfortable moment of silence that seems like an eternity but really only last for just a few seconds. Then a few nice words of comfort and off you go.

Has anyone ever written down the "protocol" for conversation? I realize that just "being there" for support, or offering help if needed is the best thing the family can hear in those moments, and I'm sure it means a lot. I guess the real reason I feel uncomfortable is because I've never really had to walk in those shoes before. I've never been the one standing at the coffin ushering people past with idle chatter. I've been very fortunate in that regard.

But today got me thinking...life is short. REAL short. It won't be long before my mother will be the one I am standing over, and then quite possibly my own family or even myself. Does anyone else ever think about what their funeral will be like?

Morbid curiosity? Perhaps. Contemplation on life? More likely.

I like how Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill once described life (I'll paraphrase a bit). He talked about the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden as a starting point, and the Tree of Life John describes in Revelation as the ending "paradise." Rob's point is this - we all have a beginning and an ending, but what will we do between the trees? I love that analogy. Today's funeral reminded me of that journey between the trees. How far am I on that journey? How much longer do I have to go? What have I really done in that time frame? What do I have left to do and accomplish?

I'm not sure if I'll ever feel anything less than uncomfortable at funerals. I do know that I feel pretty uncomfortable about my journey between the trees right now. I also think it's important for us to stop along our journey and evaluate the path which we have taken and choose very prayerfully the path we will continue into the future. Being uncomfortable is not inherently a bad thing if it leads to resolution. Or will we end up reflecting, as Robert Frost has done, upon the "Road Not Taken?"

For me, I am so thankful of the path God has chosen for me, but I am also at a point in my life where I don't want to screw it up. Once you know the truth, you cannot deny its' existence. How will I find my path between the trees? The only reasonable response is to simply choose. Find a path and move along that path with all abandon. If it's not the right path, God will find a new one for you. I guess that's why they call it faith.

So my prayer is that we will all run down the path, embracing every step and every turn. Not looking back except to admire God's design and not worrying about what's around the bend, but simply dreaming and imagining the beauty of what God has planned next. May we all discover the joy of the journey "between the trees."

Keep Your Stuff To Yourself

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

One of the passages of scripture we focused on during our staff retreat was Acts 2. I learned a lot from this passage, but one thing that was brought out was the community aspect of this passage. Think of it this way...what would our town be like if everyone shared community together? From celebrations to meals to sharing resources - imagine the possibilites of that type of community. Some may call this a "wild dream" or a farce-like Utopia, but I really believe that in some ways we can move towards this type of community, and the church could and should be the driving force behind such a movement. If Jesus shows up in a community and nothing changes, then we have a problem right? That's a critical challenge for the local church.

Maybe part of the reason we don't like community is because we're all too partial to our stuff. I'll admit it now - I have "stuffitis." I pack, pile, stuff, rearrange, horde, hide and too many other words to describe my "stuff." I used to be absolutely insane about this, but I have begun to learn an important lesson. Jesus asked us to share life in community. He didn't say, "Go out among everyone, but keep your own stuff to yourself." But that's exactly what so many of us do. With our possessions, our time, our talents, our money.

I love how a great friend of mine, John, describes the current state of his house:

Soooo, the next problem became the "STUFF"!!!!!! What to do with it???????? Me? I would throw all of this crap that we have collected, purchased, been given.......throw it all away. "We might need that sometime".......is the phrase that I hear daily!! Well.....my feelings are that if we haven't really put the item to use for the last 6-12 months.....GET RID OF IT!!!! But......I'm fighting a losing battle.......ugh!!!! And so, we move the "STUFF" into a new area of the house......to be moved again at a later date!!

Does this sound familiar?? What happens when we all die (and we will) and our "stuff" becomes someone else's or worse yet, ends up in the trash? Why not part with it now and learn to live on only what we really need? Do I really need 5 computer monitors?

My challenge to you is to take a look around your house this week and REALLY think about what it would be like if you shared your stuff in community with others. Would that change the way others live? What would they think about you? How would it change YOUR outlook?

Jesus was constantly on the move, and in fact, there is very little written about His belongings or His house or the like. To me that's exactly how He wanted to live - always in community with His Father and with others. So call me crazy - but if Jesus is going to show up, we have to prepare the way.

Overwhelming Grace

I don't have the opportunity to watch a lot of tv, but I had occassion to catch the new Verizon commercial. Has anyone seen this? A young man walks up to a lady and asks why she hasn't called. She then replies that her cell phone signal is horrible. He shrugs a bit and recommends that she get a new cell phone and give him a call. Then the Verizon gang pops out and she thanks them for hiding and not giving her away. In other words, she wanted to cover up and lie to this chap.

Isn't this so much like us? To lie or cover things up so we don't have to deal with the real issues? We are so famous for hiding things, mis-stating the facts, or even manipulating the truth to fit our own needs. I know - I used to work this system with the best of them.

But at some point you get tired of the lies and the cover up. You get tired of always looking over your shoulder. You get tired of covering up the cover up. You get tired of always worrying that someone will find out. And most of all, you get tired of dealing with the guilt.

My guilt has overwhelmed me;
like a load it weighs me down.
Psalms 38:4 (NCV)

As we talked about this past weekend, the first step is confession:

Then I confessed my sins to you
and didn't hide my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my sins to the Lord,”
and you forgave my guilt.
Psalms 32:5 (NCV)

And as a result, God will wipe them away forever:

I will forgive them for the wicked things they did,
and I will not remember their sins anymore.
Hebrews 8:12 (NCV)

I can't help but to think of the overwhelming Grace of God when I see that commercial. As I continue to work on some specific areas in my life where God has been challenging me, I pray that He will remind me often of His grace. May I lay down my heavy burdens and enjoy the wonderful and light yoke He has allowed me to embrace.

Simple. Day 2

Day 2 of our staff retreat is in the books. What a great day! We spent most of the morning reviewing our structure and making sure everyone was on the same page. Bryan has done a great job of communicating our mission and vision and also making sure that we have alignment throughout our structure. I know God provided the ideas, but it takes a special leader to implement His ideas to the fullest.

One of the coolest parts of the day was the "Hot Seat." I'm not talking about the toilet seat after a night of camp food, but a chair we each took turns sitting in. Once you were in the hot seat, everyone else had the opportunity to tell you what they appreciated about you. From outstanding characteristics, to positive attitudes, to changed lives, this was truly a special moment of the day for me, and I think I speak for the group when I say it impacted each and every one of us.

We capped off the day by welcoming our spouses, enjoying a hay ride, consuming the "chuckwagon" meal, sharing a few stories, singing a few songs, building a fire, confessing our fears to God, sharing communion, more singing and prayer. A truly wonderful wrap to a great two days. I thank God for the opportunity to share life with this group of people and look forward to the impact we will have on our community and beyond.

Putting the "I" in Simple.

We just finished day one of our annual staff retreat. It's been a great day with some great reminders about why we do what God has asked us to do. We now have 12 staff - 7 full time and 5 part time. Each of us has a definite and unique contribution to the team. It was great to spend some time reviewing and analyzing our different unique gifts and personality types. We also spent time nailing down five critical success factors we need to work on this year.

The theme of our retreat this year is "Simple." Getting back to ministry the way God has designed it. We have all been reading "Simple Church" by Rainer and Geiger. While not an "eye opening" book, it's a great reminder that we need to focus on doing a few things great. From clarity to focus, the church has to all be on the same page to be effective. That's exactly what we're reminding ourselves about during this retreat.

The Leadership Summit started today, and I encourage everyone to read Tony Morgan's blog and his recap of today's sessions. It looks like some great stuff as always!!

Full Throttle Experience

Okay. So, I was test driving a car on Monday - a car we are looking at for my daughter - and had an unusual, but interesting experience. My wife, son and I hopped in the car and started out on the four lane road on the business highway of Sedalia, MO. As we approached some traffic, I tried to slow the car down, only to find that the throttle had stuck full on!

The brakes would slow us down for just a moment, but as soon as I let off the pedal, we'd shoot off again. We finally found a "side" road and as we slid into a side road, I quickly turned the car off. Not sure what to do, I fired it back up hoping it had reset itself. No such luck! The car revved higher and so once again I turned it off.

By this time my son and wife are getting a bit anxious. I decided we really needed to get back to the dealership, so I turned the key and rammed it into reverse. WHAM!! We raced backward with a loud squeal and as soon as I hit the main road I jammed it down into drive and with more barking tires, we lept forward. At 60MPH down the main road in Sedalia, we quickly made it back to the dealership and explained our adventure. The guy knew exactly what had happened - a small plastic piece was cracked, causing the throttle cable to pull out of it's casing, and thus a "full throttle" experience!

Well, the short of it is this - we bought the car. It was a friend of my mom's and the price was a good one including a new windshield and new tires. I think we all need a "full throttle" experience once in awhile to get us out of our comfort zone.

See YOU at the Pool

Has it really been almost a week since my last post? WOW! It's hard to believe that last week even happened. Back from vacation, I hit the ground running and haven't looked back. We had a great weekend with 4 baptisms in our auditorium and then we all met for an "all church" picnic and baptism celebration at our local park/pool area. It was hard to count the numbers of people, but form all indications, nearly 500 people came to party with us. From the organization of the food to the extra events for kids, the weekend was a HUGE success. There were so many volunteers that helped all weekend (many of whom I did not know!) - we couldn't have done it without them.

One of the most impacting moments for me was watching the 10 or so people get baptized in the pool. It was so incredible to hear story after story and to watch those stories unfold. That's why we do what we do every week - to see lives changed. Many family members and friends were there to help or to watch as well - so many people all coming together for a common cause, and doing that in the most authentic, God-honoring way. I can't wait for next year!!

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now

As we gear back up from vacations, we're diving head first into "designing" ministry. One of our strategic plans and initiatives for the Fall is systems and processes for each of our ministry areas. All of us at Meadow Heights realize that we cannot lead effectively without systems in place. I like to think of it in terms of leading versus doing. Too many times over the past year I have found myself as a "leadoer" instead of a "leader." It's an easy trap to fall into, especially when things are moving fast and progress is a must.

It's also very difficult to break away from this type of system because everyone gets used to the results and they forget about the process it took to get there. Leaders can train themselves to think this way as well, which is a dangerous place to be. Bryan, our lead pastor, has challenged all of us on staff to evaluate everything we do and place it in two categories - keep and give away (sounds like a show on TLC!). Our challenge is to give away as much ministry as possible, and what we keep needs to be designed to its full potential. Our unique contribution should be towards those things that only we can do. Everything else should be given away.

So now the challenge begins, and I can't wait to give away as much of my job as possible!! Let the designing begin!!

Sunday Funnies

Here's a fun link that you can "rock out" to - Rock Star Name Generator. Just type in your name and you'll be transformed into a true rocker! From here on out, I'll shall be known as the "Hot Rod Styler." For the other "hot rod" out there - if you think that's good...wait until you read yours!

Why Frequency Doesn't Matter

Yeah...I'm still alive. I've got lots to talk about, but since I'm still on vacation for 57 1/2 more hours, I have been trying to stay as unengaged as possible. I read this article that talks about posting frequency. It's pretty interesting, and since I haven't posted in awhile, very appropriate.

BUT...if any of you have questions about the "Wonderful World of Disney," I'd be glad to respond. This was our family's third trip, and we had a blast once again. More details to come!

I Need A Vacation!

If you haven't guessed from the lack of posts, I'm on vacation. Not just any vacation, but a Disney Vacation (insert any standard "oooh" or "aahhh" here). As I explain to those who ask, I love Disney, but we are constantly on the go. By the time you end your vacation, you need a vacation from your vacation. Now Disney has early entry hours and extra magic hours, which means we are up early and out late. Sounds like a typical week at the office!

There has been so much to see and do. I'll post a few pics on my return, but for now a pic of my ticket! By the way, Soarin' is an incredible ride...not to be missed!! I'll tell Mickey hi for everyone!

Music and Tech Team Picnic

This weekend was a blur but the picture you see made up for it. As a matter of fact, there were about 18 different desserts at our Music and Tech Team Picnic!! Thanks to the Minson's for hosting over 90 of us at their house, for the tremendous pulled pork and BBQ chicken salad, and of course for those desserts!! We had a great time together, met for some vision casting, and of course some volleyball!!

Consumed Concert 2006

Sorry for the lack of updates. We had a busy week getting ready for the "Consumed Worship Concert 2006." What a great weekend!! Not only did we feel God's presence with us all weekend, but the music teams were phenomenal and so many people came to worship with us! I really think this is becoming a crowd favorite at Meadow Heights (no offense to our lead Pastor!).

You might be interested to know a little bit more about this event, so I'll start with our gatherings. We have four identical gatherings each weekend (5:30pm Saturday, 8-9:30-11:15am on Sunday) with the exception of the music at our 8am gathering. At 8am we focus more on southern gospel music and hymns, and as you might expect, our average age in attendance is much higher than our other gatherings.

With that in mind, we asked everyone to vote on their Top 10 songs that were performed in the past year. We did provide a list of songs to help guide everyone, and to eliminate the sometimes crazy requests that we receive. Below is a listing of the Top 10 from both our "contemporary" and "celebration" gatherings:

CONTEMPORARY
10 You're Worthy of My Praise (Big Daddy/Barlow Girl version)
9 Much of You
8 Come Thou Fount
7 Your Love Is Deep
6 Who Am I
5 All Things Are Possible
4 Everybody Praise the Lord
3 Indescribable
2 Majesty
1 How Great Is Our God

We also opened with "Praise You With the Dance" and closed with an arrangement of "God Bless the USA" complete with all vocalists, musicians, horns, and video.

CELEBRATION
10 He'd Still Been God
9 Feelin' Fine
8 Just Over in the Glory Land
7 Power In the Blood
6 Because He Lives
5 God Is Good All the Time
4 Saved By Grace
3 Amazing Grace
2 How Great Is Our God
1 Hosanna (What the Lord Has Done In Me)

We opened this gathering with "Great Is the Lord' and closed out with the same arrangement of "God Bless the USA." It was interesting to note that the number 2 and 1 songs are more on the so called "contemporary" side of things, which may lead to the conclusion that people from all generations like music that really speaks to them regardless of the style. If the words communicate a good message and the music becomes the vehicle for that message, then I think most people have no problem with a style that might be a bit out of their "comfort zone."

I was really blessed this past weekend. It was great to see a team of over 30 folks come together and focus on one goal - worshiping God. He was our audience this weekend - we just happened to have over 500 people come along for the ride as well.

Worship With Abandon

It's been a crazy week already. Everyone is out of the office for vacation or student life camp, so the office has been quiet on the staff front, but quite busy with day to day operations. I am enjoying the change of pace. We also had our Life Group BBQ on Sunday, I played golf (for only the second time this year!) on Monday, went to the Cardinal game on Monday night (they were hammered by the Indians), had a birthday on Tuesday, went to dinner Tuesday evening, and of course today, I was back at it bright and early. I have eaten out more in the past few days then I have all month.

Life is anything but a routine. I was challenged by Mark Batterson and his take on life as a routine. Have you been doing something so long that it becomes a routine for you? If we’re not careful our jobs becomes routine, our kids become routine, our marriages become routine. We keep living in the past instead of creating and dreaming our future. This has huge implications for our walk with God as well.

Here's what Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor of National Community Church, suggests when God becomes a routine:

• Try fasting something you've never fasted before.
• Try reading another version of the Bible like The Message or The New Living Translation.
• Try meditating on a passage of Scripture for a week.
• Keep a prayer journal.
• Take a personal retreat.
• Try worshiping God in a new way or a new place.
• Try a prayer experiment where you pray for someone or something for a month.

At Meadow Heights we believe that worship is a lifestyle – an opportunity to discover God on a daily basis. Throughout the “Consumed” series God has reminded so many of us that He longs for our hearts. All we have to do is worship Him.

We are geting ready for the Consumed Concert this weekend, and I challenged our music teams to worship God with abandon. I'll throw out the same challenge here. Even if you have memorized the words to your favorite song, recall them with a fresh perspective and sing out your praises to a living God who loves to hear your voice every single time.

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” John 4:23-24 (msg)

Why People Blog

Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church, has some great insights on his blog. I am constantly intrigued about his perspectives on life, church, religion, Jesus, and so much more.

In one of his latest posts, he shares his top 10 reasons why he blogs. I thought I would share those here:

#10 Blogging is a form of digital discipleship. Neo-scrolls.
#9 Blogging is the way I share what is happening in my head and my heart.
#8 Blogging is cathartic. It helps me process what I'm thinking and feeling.
#7 Blogging is the way I leave a trail. My kids and grandkids can read it someday.
#6 Blogging is a sermon supplement. Actually, sermons might be a blogging supplment.
#5 Blogging is a way to carry on a conversation with lots of people at the same time.
#4 Blogging is a form of auto-biography.
#3 Blogging is one way of capturing the things God is revealing to me.
#2 Blogging helps me remember what God doesn't want me to forget.
#1 Blogging is a stewardship issue. It's one way I share what God is teaching me.

For those of you who blog, how many apply to you? Of course many of these are slanted towards a "church" perspective, but you get the idea. I love his final thoughts:

I don't think blogging is for everybody. It has to fit your personality and the rhythm of your life. But I think it is one way of redeeming technology and using it to serve God's purpsoes. It is the printing press of the 21st century.

You can read more about this post and many others here.

The Piggy Principle

We were in the middle of staff meeting yesterday, and one of my colleagues made a great comment about how our teams worked so well together. He was giving them praise for operating on the "we" principle rather than focused on themselves. He went on about how it was "we" this, "we that," etc.

All of this got me thinking about how well we work together at Meadow Heights Church. It really is a team effort. I think we have applied what I'll call the "Piggy Principle." The Piggy Principle is founded on the belief that it is "we, we, we" all the way. We're bringing the team concept home.

5 Things I've Noticed About the Piggy Principle:

(1) While it is a team effort, the leader sets the pace for team. This might be from our Lead Pastor to the staff, or from a ministry leader to their team, but the leader always sets the pace.
(2) Teams will never rise any further than the leader is willing to lead. I've seen many teams that were held back by a weak leader. Ministry rises and falls on the backs of the leader.
(3) Leaders are learners. When we stop breathing in the Bible, stop listening to others wiser than ourselves, and stop reading, we fail to learn. When you stop learning, you'll stop leading effectively.
(4) Leadership is about building relationships. The reason our teams work so well together is that ultimately they have trust for the leaders. This respect has been built on a foundation of relationship. You have to build into your teams and spend time relationally with them.
(5) When change is needed or conflict occurs, the leader has to make a decision. That means the team has to realize that we're all in this together. There are no victims on a healthy team.

None of this operates without the guiding principles of Jesus Himself. All of what we try to do and accomplish at Meadow Heights is based upon God's Word. And of course none of this would be possible without the ultimate leadership of God.

And I Thought I Was Just Weird

I don't know about you, but I do some of my best brainstorming when I'm in the shower. I know that sounds plain weird, but some time alone away from the family in a relaxed environment does something to increase my creative flow.

I was reading an article on "50 Ways to Become a Better Designer" and it mentioned taking a shower to increase the output of your ideas. And I thought I was the only weird one! From what I can understand, your brain normally operates in "Beta" mode while you're awake and working, but when you engage in automated activities such as a shower, your brain drops two levels into the "Theta" stage, or what experts describe as this:

"A state where tasks become so automatic that you can mentally disengage from them. The ideation that can take place during the theta state is often free flow and occurs without censorship or guilt. It is typically a very positive mental state."

So the next time you find yourself in a meeting that is stagnating creatively, you might suggest that it's time to "hit the showers."

Amazing Grace

ESPN has a great feature article on Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy. Tony and his family suffered an unbelievable tragedy last December with the death of their 18-year old son, James. Dungy, an outspoken follower of Jesus, summed it up best when he said this:

"The Lord has a plan. We always think the plans are A, B, C and D, and everything is going to be perfect for us and it may not be that way, but it's still his plan. A lot of tremendous things are going to happen, it just may not be the way you see them."

Tony Dungy is the real deal. He's not afraid to talk about, show it to others, and live it out in his daily life. To read the entire story, click here.