Beautiful Snow, Terrible Timing

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I am a snow lover! Enjoy it on many levels. But, the Pastor in me is getting really tired of these weekend snow events that threaten and impact our Sunday Worship experiences. Bu-mmer! Here's the deal...we are watching this storm unfold and we will keep you up to date with what we will be doing about Sunday.

I will twitter, Facebook and post our decision about Sunday on my blog by Saturday evening. We will also send a church-wide email through our church database once we make a decision. It will all depend on the severity of the storm, the efficiency of the road crews and our CCF Plow company. Certain element are out of our control...basically all of it.
Let me encourage you to consider something. Over the next few days, there will be a lot of things cancelled and an unusual amount of time freed up. Consider using it to really invest in your family (more than you normally do), spend some time in a book that encourages your faith and spend some time in scripture and with the Lord...maybe even some extended time. God can use this extra time to bring you extra close to him.

Super Bowl Church Cornyness

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Quarterback sneak:  People who sit in the rear quarter of the church, hoping to leave before the final song.
 
Sudden death:  Any minister who preaches past noon.
 
Stay in the pocket:  What happens to a lot of money that should go toward the tithe and missions.
 
Blitz:  The stampede for the doors after the service, usually toward a local restaurant (typically provoked by the quarterback sneak).
 
Encroachment:  A particularly well-delivered sermon by an associate pastor during the senior pastor’s summer vacation.
 
The two-minute drill:  A futile attempt to limit the length of testimonies during services.

WAVA Holding Movie Screening at CCF. "Lord, Save Us..."

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The local Christian Radio Station, WAVA will be holding a Movie Screening at CCF on Thursday, February 18th at 7:00pm. The movie, "Lord, Save Us" is a stirring and eye opening look at culture and religious perception. It will open up loads of conversation and thinking.



Here is a synopsis of the film:

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. Why is the Gospel of Love Dividing America?


If you were to meet ten average Americans on the street, nine of them would say they believe in God. So why is the Gospel of Love dividing America?

Dan Merchant put on his bumper-sticker-clad jumpsuit and decided to find the reason. After talking with scores of men and women on streets all across the nation, and also interviewing many well-known activists in today’s “Culture Wars,” Dan realized that the public discussion of faith doesn’t have to be contentious.

From its opening Talking Heads sequence through its touching look at faith in action, Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is a fast-paced, highly engaging documentary that explores the collision of faith and culture in America while opening up this important conversation to all of us.

As discussion of religion floods the media, the rhetoric is divisive, hyper, and most often, angry. With humor more common in a comedy-sketch program than a documentary, Merchant brings the sensibilities of someone who is deeply concerned with how his faith is being represented by others. Lord, Save Us provides a provocative, funny, and redemptive discussion that is sure to continue long after the credits run.

Merchant sits down for interviews with well-known people on all sides of this great divide, including best-selling author William Paul Young (The Shack), comedian/politician Al Franken, former “Religious Right” Senator Rick Santorum, noted “liberal evangelical” Tony Campolo, conservative radio host Michael Reagan, and racial reconciliation activist Dr. John Perkins.

If that’s not divergent enough, other features include Bono, Rick Warren, Bill Maher, James Dobson, George Clooney, Jerry Falwell, Stephen Colbert, Ann Coulter, Pat Robertson, Lewis Black, Tony Perkins, Monty Python, and even Stewie from “Family Guy”… along with many others.

Add to that the nationwide man-on-the-street interviews with “Bumper-Sticker Man,” the Culture Wars game show, the “renaming” of St. Paul to New Leningrad, and a controversial and moving “Confession Booth” at Portland’s Gay Pride celebration, and Lord, Save Us From Your Followers delves into religious hot-button issues with candor, humor, and balance.

Engaging, unpredictable, and challenging, Lord, Save Us From Your Followers will change the way you talk about faith!

The Eyes of my Changing Heart

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Over the last few months, and especially the last few weeks, the eyes of my heart have been widely and abruptly opened to a lot of stuff. To what? Everything! Or at least that is how it feels. If I error as a leader, I error toward sharing too much of what I am feeling and experiencing. I am not too good at secrets (when they are mine). God is doing some very personal and transformational stuff inside my heart these days and I am sure that it will leak out and become evident to some of you. It's stuff that I really couldn't put into words even if I wanted to. But, I thought that I would just share a little window into it. A few (very few) of the things I am experiencing...

  • An increased sense of intimacy with God.
  • Multiple back to back divine appointments and encounters since the first of this year.
  • I can't sleep like I used to be able to. Waking up to be with Jesus at whack hours and not feeling tired during the day.
  • A increasing concern with the ways that we are NOT being the actual Body of Jesus as he intended it!
  • A growing concern that we are NOT being the church the way that the Bible teaches it or the way Jesus intended it.
  • A heavier burden for people who have not met Jesus yet. A sharply rising desire to care for the poor and broken and lost (which I am not doing).
  • An increasing concern over our lack of vision and impact at CCF (compared to our grand potential and resource).
  • Development of Kingdom Eyes that are forcing me to see things differently than I used to. Not some things, but most things. Read more about this HERE!
  • A sense that things cannot remain the same. Broken for more. Called to more. Rejecting complacency that was imminently setting it.
Something is happening. Not sure what. Not sure how. Not sure when. I just know that the eyes of my heart are opening in ways that are forcing me to never be the same again! And so I won't.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” I Corinthians 2:9

The Heavenly Man

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The other day, I finished reading "The Heavenly Man". It is the remarkable true story of the persecution of a revolutionary Christian leader in China. The stories of Brother Yun's life stirred me and impacted me tremendously. This book has even impacted how I come to many different practical decisions. To be totally honest, the struggles that Brother Yun faced in following Jesus made some of the Apostle Paul's persecution look light. Brother Yun is still alive living in exile with his family. He is one of the five strategic "Back to Jerusalem" leaders.

2 very interesting facts:
  1. One of the key Christian friends in this book who is imprisoned with Brother Yun is Brother Xu. Brother Xu is also one of the Back to Jerusalem leaders. I met Brother Xu this past Summer on August 20th. It was an honor. But it means even more to me after reading this book.
  2. There is a chance that you can meet Brother Yun himself one day sooner than you think....stay tuned. And prepare by reading this book.
If you want to have your faith increased and to see how easy you really have it, read the "The Heavenly Man" as soon as possible.

Church is ON! Be safe!

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This snow today has been a beautiful bummer! Pretty to look at. Not so pretty to drive in. We found that out today after we slid off the road popping our two front tires and having our vehicle towed. Bummer. Glad there were no injuries.

Although we recognize that the roads are very bad and the plow trucks are not doing so well, we WILL BE HAVING CHURCH TOMORROW!! We have a guest speaker and at this point, he still plans to make it in the morning.
Please be safe in your decision as to whether to come. If you cannot make it in safely, stay home and worship the Lord in some creative way. But, if you can make it, there will be some of us there waiting on you and we will have a great morning together!
Stay warm and safe!
Pastor Noah

Accessible Leadership; 2 Presidents in 2 Minutes

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I want to share a big blessing that I am thankful for in my life. Accessible leaders! I know plenty of Christian leaders and Pastors that do not have easy access to leaders above them. It is a big deal or a big hassle to get time with their leaders. That is not my story.

That really hit me today in a powerful moment where....
I called the President of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference (CCF's conference covering) and asked if there was any way that he had a few minutes to chat while I was here in Lancaster. He said yes! We met. He embraced me and prayed over me. Then, as I am walking out of that meeting, I am greeted and embraced by the President of Eastern Mennonite Missions (our missions sending organization). 2 Presidents in 2 minutes. I am blessed to have access to caring and gifted leaders! I see this blessing and wanted to name it. I do not take it for granted. Thank you, Lord.
(This is in addition to the meetings I am having today with other anointed leaders!)

The Widow's Offering...Jesus Seeing It Differently Again!

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Recently, I have been really appreciating the story of the widow's offering. I love this story for several reasons. Check this out:


Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all." Mark 12:41-44


A few observations:

  • Jesus was strategically positioned to watch the people give in the offering. He knew who was giving and the specific amounts they were giving. If Pastor's did that today, (in most traditions) they would be chalked up as money hungry, greedy and nosey.
  • From a normal, natural and earthly perspective, the people giving large financial gifts were making more impact and their gifts meant more.
  • From a heavenly, Kingdom of God perceptive, through the lens of Jesus (the only lens that really matters), the woman with the penny had a more meaningful gift. It was not the size of the check, but the size of the sacrifice.
  • Again, Jesus sees things opposite of the normal, cultural, or practical understanding. This is one of those things that I love about Jesus!
  • Finally, we need to give out of our reserve funds, not our surplus funds. This is NOT just a giving of money, but a giving of time, talent, and other gifts you have been entrusted with.
--Noah

Sex & Stuff

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Okay, I am getting silly excited about a series that I'll be teaching at CCF starting February 14th. For 3 weeks, we will focus on SEX and discover in new ways what the Bible teaches and what God seems to have in mind for how we approach sex.

Should be a really hands on topic. After last Sunday, I think that I will be more equipped to preach this having discovered synonyms for the word "horny".
Here is a preview of where the Lord is leading this:
  • We will attack some elephants in the room. Things that you may not have heard discussed at church before.
  • We will look at sex and marriage & sex and singleness.
  • I plan to spend some time discussing homosexuality.
  • We will spend some time looking at the power of sexual secrets and how to get help.
  • We will redefine cheating, and look at the 12 steps to having an affair in hopes that we can avoid them.
  • I pray we collapse some of the lies the enemy has fed us.
Starting Valentines Day....SEX & STUFF!! See you there.

Chill Pill

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Some days, I need to tell myself to chill out! Other days, I need to tell YOU to chill out. All too frequently, we think things are worse than they really are, we are more stressed than we need to be, and our perspective seems to be void of the faith we claim.


Yesterday in my message to our church, I shared about a key verse in the story of Joseph.

"Jacob exclaimed, “You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!” -Genesis 42:36

Jacob feels the weight of the world on him and life looks grim:
  • My favorite son, Joseph is dead. I even have his special coat covered in blood to prove it.
  • Simeon is gone now. He leaves with you and did not come back! What's up with that?!
  • And now, you are telling me that you have to take Benjamin (my youngest son) with you and he will be gone.
  • Forget it all. I think I just want to die.
Jake really needed to just take a chill pill. Because in fact, here is what was really happening...contrary to what he saw:
  • Joseph was living a life of blessing and favor...alive and well...and the very reason that the family had food, or life for that matter.
  • Simeon was JUST FINE back with Joseph as he waited to be united with his brothers.
  • And Benjamin's presence was desired so that the whole family could be together and experience redemption!
What looked and felt like the "world crashing in" on Jacob, was really the Lord at work. Some of us need to take a chill pill and ask God for a big dose of perceptive and patience. He has not left you. You say you have faith. Live like it.

What looks to you like 3 dead kids is about to become 3 blessed kids!

Peace over you today as you pop a 250,000MG Chill Pill.

"Beyond Idols" Worship Tour Coming to CCF in March!

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We are super excited to announce an extremely special event coming to Capital Christian Fellowship on Sunday, March 14th! As our Annual International Sunday, the Lord has orchestrated us to host the "Beyond Idols Worship Tour" in our service that morning. American Idol type contestants from around the world (who competed in their countries) are joining together to bring the good new of Jesus Christ to those who have not heard.
This tour will be ministering at CCF on Sunday Morning, March 14th and joining us for our International Sunday Feast! Mark your calendars NOW and begin spreading the word.
We will be looking for about 8 host homes to take 2 people each. Let us know if you wanna serve in this way.
Super Excited!!

The Poor Guy That Has My Old Cell Number

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I have to tell you this funny God-story! I made the mistake of giving my old cell number out to too many people. It got out of hand. So, I changed the number the week before I left on Sabbatical last summer. Now, much fewer people have that ease of access to me.

Anyway...when you change your number, they can give it out to others. I thought that there was a wait time, but it must not be too long, because they gave this guy my old number....and....
He gets calls for Pastor Noah all the time, texts about Jesus and from Blogs, etc. I continually have people tell me that they called me at my old number and the guy says that "he gets calls and texts for me several times a week". Poor guy! I felt bad for him! So I called him tonight at my old number and introduced myself and apologized that he has had to play operator for me.
Turns out, he is a Roosevelt High Grad, who has been hoping and praying that one day we could meet. We had an AMAZING conversation tonight. He wants to come to church Sunday and get together next week because he needs someone to talk to about things going on in his life. Seems like a divine connection leading to a divine appointment all because of an old cell number.
I love it!

A Text for Repairing our Reputation

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It should be no secret to you that many people in our nation and around the world have some pretty significant misunderstandings and suspicions about Christianity. Which is heartbreaking because we are to be the body of Jesus himself on earth.

One of the most common negative accusations toward Christians is that they are judgmental...always pointing out everyone else's issues and ignoring their own....leading to hypocrisy. In Matthew 7: 1-5, I see a powerful prescription for healing much of the negativity that surrounds Christianity.

Here is what it says:
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." -Mt. 7: 1-5


A few quick thoughts on this:
  • It is extremely clear that Jesus is saying we must not miss the oak tree in our eye! Stop right there. You have issues. Take notice of them. It is urgent that you work on getting the log out of your eye. First!
  • At the same time, stop looking at others issues. They are nothing compared to yours.
  • What is this doing? It is creating a huge sense of humility in us where we realize who we are and how broken we are, and then helps us love others where they are.
  • This is NOT how most of us function. I am sorry to break it to you. It is WAY more natural to check out everyone else's speck and talk about it, then to look at our log. At least that has been my observation. And evidently the observation of many pollsters.
Concluding Thought:
If only a fraction of Christians lived out Matthew 7: 1-5 as it reads, Christians would be widely known as the most humble, gracious, self efacing, selfless, high impact people on the face of the globe! Instead, we are sadly know as judgmental, legalistic and hypocritical finger-pointers by far too many!
So, let's start begging God to help us see and tend to what is stuck in our eyes until such a time when our view of ourselves is so steeped in Christ's humility that it is almost impossible to see the dust particles in the eyes of others.
I recognize that this is controversial stuff. And so was almost everything that Jesus every said or taught. This is the kingdom he envisioned. Welcome to it.

Kingdom Come

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Kingdom, Kingdom, Kingdom! That very word seems to carry with it some weird connotations and potential baggage. I know that some of you may not really understand this. I barely do either. But, here's the deal. There is no better synonym to describe what Jesus was intending to set up here among us. So, Kingdom it is.

We are confronted with two kingdoms every single minute of our lives. In every choice we make, whether we know it or not, we consider these two kingdoms.
  1. The kingdom of this world.
  2. The kingdom of God.
It is all over the Bible. It IS the Bible! It's all around us, but we hardly notice it. Recognizing the difference seems to be most important to God and barely important to us. Look, I don't know how to even begin to share what the Lord is showing me right now about this....but suffice it to say that something clicked for me. Kingdom thinking clicked for me in a way it never had before.
  • It is everywhere! Signs of the two kingdoms are everywhere.
  • Jesus wants "His Kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven." It's precisely how he taught he disciples to pray and live...in a way that accomplishes this.
  • The beatitudes in Matthew 5 are whack! A new way of thinking. Jesus blesses the things that the world could care less about.
  • Then, the sermon on the mount proceeds to lay out a totally opposite way of seeing everything....from money to law to anger to adultery to divorce to vows to revenge to love to......you get the point. The way we live, act and react should be totally opposite of what we see around us. Is it? The answer for me: NO!
  • The kingdom of God looks like Jesus. Jesus is the living, breathing, earthly example of the kingdom of God.
  • The kingdom of God is opposite most of what we see. Kingdom thinking and living is counter cultural, against the grain, radical, and revolutionary!

Let me close with this for now....

It will take me the rest of my life to try to grasp this...and I will still only get a taste.
I think that the more we understand God's desire for his Kingdom, the more it will change the way that we live. It will impact every decision we make. It will change the way we view government and the way we spend money. It often will look foolish (like Jesus did), sound crazy (like Jesus did) and be the opposite of almost everything we see (remind you of Jesus?). But, when we decide to live with the Kingdom of God as our focus, all bets are off and everything changes. Including the church. Or at least it should. And that is our problem. It isn't!
I plan to gradually reveal some of what the Lord is showing me in the days to come...

School for Leadership Training

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I'm heading out of town at noon today for a 3 day conference in Harrisonburg, VA. Pastor Nelson and I will be attending the School for Leadership Training at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. I am excited to hear Greg Boyd speak.

I am looking forward to the sessions. I am anticipating the learning that the Lord has in mind for us. I am thankful for the time that Nelson and I will share. And it is always great to network, connect and reconnect with other leaders.
Plan to tweet and blog some of the best takeaways.
Hope your week starts off strong!
(CCF'rs- We will be back in time for "Halftime" on Wednesday evening. See you there!)

Does God Care?

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This morning's message delivered by Pastor Nelson was stirring. He grappled with the age old question...with all the evil and pain in the world...does God really love and care about people. If he did, why does he let this junk happen?

Here are some of the answers I heard through this word today:
  • YES, he cares!!
  • The entire Bible is a proof text for the fact that he cares.
  • He cared about Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel.
  • He cared about Moses and the Israelites as he tried his darndest to redeem them and call them into the promised land (despite the fact that they made it so difficult).
  • He cared through the flood in giving a fresh start to his people.
  • He cared in the story of Abraham from his call to the making of a people of God.
  • He cared through the Old Testament.
  • He cared through the New Testament.
  • The whole human story seems to be about GOD CARING and us messing things up.
  • Then....then.....then.....he expressed his care the most when he came himself in the form of Jesus, entered into our broken world and fixed the problem once and for all by caring enough to nail evil to the cross with Jesus, the son of God!
  • Now, evil has been conquered and overcome by love.
So, the next hurricane, earthquake, sickness of death you encounter, remember, God does care!! And he has a solution to what we see (temporarily) that will lead us out of the pain and into what we cannot see (eternity).

9-11, Katrina and the Haiti Earthquake

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I hope that you are really bothered today!! You should be. My heart is really heavy for the country of Haiti today after his devastating earthquake struck. Spent some time praying for them this morning, but honestly, it left me wishing there was more I could do!
Let me offer this perspective:
2,985 people died in the 9-11 attacks.
1,836 people died in Hurricane Katrina.
Now, remember with me the utter panic and pain that these 2 tragedies brought to THIS nation.
As sad as these tragedies were (and as hurtful as they were for those impacted), they were tiny in comparison to what the people of Haiti are feeling today.
Here is my hope for believers who desire to grow in the reality of Christ and His kingdom:
  • I long for us to see the lives of people in other nations as being EQUALLY as valuable as the lives of Americans.
  • In turn, I long for us to be as broken for others when tragedy strikes as we would be for ourselves.
  • In fact, I would take it a step further....with Christ as the selfless servant example that he is, we should be more worried about others than we are ourselves.
  • We are joined together as the kingdom of God (first allegiance) and we need to beware of dividing our joys or our pains according to the kingdoms of this world!
I just want to encourage you to be bothered by what is happening in Haiti. And if you are not bothered, pray to the Lord and ask him to increase your heart of compassion for people!
Then, Pray! Give! Pray! Give! And then pray and give some more!

How to Donate to the Haiti Earthquake

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Here is one way that you can assist with the devastating earthquake:


Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is responding to the earthquake that struck Haiti January 12, the largest in more than 200 years. MCC's response will be at least $1 million U.S. and will provide immediate shelter, food and emergency supplies and trauma healing and other long-term recovery needs. You can help through prayer for the people of Haiti or by donating to MCC's Haiti Earthquake appeal. Give online at donate.mcc.org/project/haiti-earthquake, by check to the MCC office nearest you, or by phone toll free: 1-888-563-4676.

(MCC is our denominational relief organization.)

Big-deal-sins

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It continues to concern me that Christians seem to drop their chins more on certain (bad) sins that they deem more egregious. There is a shock. The reason it concerns me is because I do not see that as being consistent with what I experience as the nature of God and how he sees our sin.

First let me say that I think all sin is a big deal. Sin carries big consequence and has immeasurable negative impact on lives....ultimately death! Sin separates us from God. However, brokenness is brokenness. Setting degrees of "chin-dropping" on certain sins does not seem to help people experience healing. Instead, in my experience, it seems to promote hurt. "You did what?!?!" ""She struggles with what?!?!"
Let me say it this way...there seems to be "big-deal-sins" and "no-big-deal-sins" among believers and it bothers me, because I do not think that it assists in the redemption that Christ envisions. I see it this way...
Big-deal-sins:
  • Illegal behavior (especially if it leads to jail or makes the news)
  • Smoking
  • Drinking
  • Drugs
  • Homosexuality
  • Fornication
  • Adultery
  • Divorce
  • Abortion
No-big-deal-sins:
  • Greed
  • Materialism
  • Gluttony
  • Envy
  • Hate
  • Gossip
  • Slander
  • Laziness
  • Poor Stewardship
Instead, I think that we ought to tackle it this way:
  • ALL sin is a big deal because it messes up God's awesome intention for us!
  • Overreaction to "big-deal-sins" alienates and hurts people, makes them feel unforgiveable, and runs counter to the grace of God. Stop freaking out. You are NOT helping people by dropping your chin and acting like they are the only one on earth who is gay (or you fill in the blank)!
  • Some of the "no-big-deal-sins" actually lead to a dirtier heart than the "big-deal-sins."
Note: My friend who just spent 7 years in prison for a "big-deal-sin" has a purer heart than many Christians that I know who don't do the "big-deal-stuff", but whose hearts are polluted with judgement and negativity.
I know this is controversial stuff, but let's engage it. What do you think?