the never ending story...

It’s been a week since my last entry. I’m covering a lot of ground, so I warn you…this is going to be long!

What a weird week! It started off on such a high note, and ended on such a low note. Last Sunday, we began our 40 Days of Purpose campaign. It was a busy weekend as we worked to get everything ready for the kick-off. Sunday was just such a wonderful day. The banners looked great, the devotional/journal books turned out wonderfully, the praise team sounded superb, everyone really sang out, David hit a home run with his lesson and illustration. Both worship services were so powerful. Although I know that the Spirit’s presence is always among us, I really felt it last week. Then came Sunday night’s the gathering.
I spent all of Sunday afternoon setting up for the special kick-off. With some help, we moved all the seating out of our rear section and set up little “rooms” with some curtain dividers. 3 stations were set up, Communion, Community Prayer, and the Mosaic. As people walked in, I tried to “set the mood” differently than what we usually experience. Usually, announcements are scrolling, it’s loud and everyone is talking. Not bad at all…I just wanted to create a sense of reverence and expectation. Lights down, soft music playing, candles in the Communion station…Here’s the text of what people got as they walked in, it does a pretty good job of explaining everything

Station Guide

These stations are designed to bring us closer together as the community of Christ.

Communion: As you enter this station, notice the lack of seats. As the body of Christ here on earth, we are in this together. Please grab one of the self guided devotional sheets and get with one or more people. This would be a great time to grab your spouse or someone from your One Another Group. Take some time and read together the scriptures and thoughts on the sheet, and then share in communion together. Please put your cup back in the trays on the table when you are done.

Community Prayer: As you enter this room, look for one of your One Another Group leaders. Together with anyone else from your group, spend some time praying for each other and your group.

Mosaic: In this station you will help build a mosaic symbolizing all the different gifts we as body contribute to North Central. Take a moment and think of one (or more) things that you can contribute to this church family. (teaching, encouragement, financial support, fixing cars, music, working with children, etc.) Anything, the more specific the better, that you can add to the body of Christ at North Central is appropriate. Then write that item on the piece a glass available at the table. These pieces will then be added to the mold to create a beautiful mosaic community art. See the ladies at the table if you have further questions.

Once you have completed your round of the stations, you are invited to sit in the center seating section and mediate or pray. There will be various scripture passages to consider on the screen. Please be courteous to others who will be meditating too and save conversations for after the service.


Here was the order:

“the gathering”
November 7, 2004

Praise Team Song
“For All You’ve Done”

Welcome/Prayer – Steven

Reading from the Word – Russ Palmer
Ephesians 4:1-16

Talk – John Brehm (testimony of community)

Doxology
Blessed Jesus
The Lord is in His Holy Temple
We Fall Down/Holy, Holy, Holy

Description of Stations
Stations

We Are the Body of Christ
Blessed Be Your Name

Prayer

It was just such a great experience. The atmosphere was right, and although we didn’t do anything radical, everything just felt different…special. I couldn’t believe the response to the prayer station. I had the opportunity to walk around and see some of what the Spirit was doing with those prayer groups…powerful stuff! And the Mosaic turned out great. A great illustration of the body of Christ. I’ll post a pic soon.

Then, the downward spiral. Monday was awful, just a bunch of “junk” happening, my palm pilot died (not a big deal, I know…but my life is in that thing) it took me almost 2 hours to get home from the church, etc, etc. Not big stuff…just annoyances.

The rest of the week went pretty much the same. Nothing devastating, just an annoying week. Then the weekend. Friday night was awesome! Angela does these Mystery Shopping things. Basically, she get’s paid to go and “test out” stores, restaurants, etc. This time, she was asked to shop The Bonefish Grill. This is pretty fancy place (by our standards) that we really could never afford to eat at otherwise. Not only is our meal paid for, but she gets a few bucks as well. It was so much fun! Since I had Stepping Up all day Saturday (more on this later) and Angela had a training seminar to attend, we left Kyra with the grandparents and went out for a date! We were already on the north side for dinner and since we both had to be up here very early Saturday, we stayed at the Coers’ house. I love them! It’s been awesome to begin forming relationships with people like them at NC. Both Angela and I have made some dear friends in a pretty short period of time. Late night, early morning…on with the show.

This weekend was our Stepping Up Weekend. It was titled a time of praise, perspective, prayer, and planning. We started off Saturday morning with a wonderful worship time. Then we moved onto sharing. All in all, it was a positive time; just not quite what I was expecting.
After, I received some news that is still bothering me. Without really getting into it, please pray for me. No, I’m not getting fired or anything like that (that I know of) just some things that I’m uncomfortable with, some things that have been bothering me and trying to work through…your basic church politics. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep very well, got up and headed to the building. I had been asking that God would work through the situation for His glory and to use me this morning despite my less than “all smiles” inner self. I was feeling confident, not in myself, but in His perfect and divine will and purposes. Then the continuation of the attack started Sunday morning. Not an attack from a person or situation, but Satan. I fired up the projectors, one worked the other didn’t. I went upstairs to find the lamp light blinking. This usually means the bulb is out. These things are only a few months old! I quickly started working on trying to see if I could “reboot” the thing and get going…but nothing. It was now getting close to start time for our early service. The Praise Team (for the most part) had arrived on time this morning and was working on some of the music. I really needed and wanted to be with them, but was frantically trying to fix the stupid projector. I finally got the bright idea to get our portable one and set it up…it wasn’t the perfect solution, but at least it would project an image. (Yes I know we have another one on the opposite side of the stage…I’m just spoiled, and didn’t want anything to distract our worship time)

Anyway, I only got to sing with the PT for a few minutes and we spent some time in prayer. I still had to get my mic on, find my belt (up in my office), etc. 8:30, we started, but honestly, my mind was not quite focused. Although I had spent “quiet time” with God on my long drive, as soon as I stepped in the building, I had been in “work” mode. Not quite with-it yet, I skipped over our intro video (oops), launched into the 1st song and pitched “Ancient of Days” a bit too high (though still manageable). After “You’re the One” it was time for me to stop and pray. Good idea! I then spent some time sharing some from John 4 and how our worship is not about what we do in this room, but what we do daily. The Message translation says that God is looking for people that are being truly themselves before Him. I didn’t plan on doing any of this. Actually what I had planned wasn’t able to happen for various reasons, but I shared a great quote from C.S. Lewis that I used in this week’s 40 Days devotions…

“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become – because he made us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be…It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” - C.S. Lewis

After a challenge to be more our “God-selves,” we sang “The Heart of Worship”.

I got lost in the worship. Not in a bad way, but for the next few minutes, as we sang “Come, Let us Worship and Bow Down” and “Glorify Thy Name,” I wasn’t thinking about leading, just worshipping. I was on my knees. It felt good to be there. I needed to be there.

Although I hadn’t been paying much attention to everyone else, I felt God’s presence in that room. And then, another distraction. Howard got up to lead our communion thoughts and his mic didn’t work. Luckily, with our great acoustics, you could still make out what he was saying…but what an ill-timed distraction. As it turns out, it was my fault (usually is) because we had moved the podium for Stepping Up to another location and I swapped the inputs at the board, so the sound guys wouldn’t be confused…but forgot to put it back. During the passing of the bread, I realized what had happened and we got it fixed before he went back up. It was just another thing to bug me. I know that all of these things, except one, are not a big deal…all trivial things that shouldn’t matter. But with my perfectionist disposition and happening on top of each other…I just have to learn to handle it better. Luckily, I do a pretty good job of containing that upfront…so I don’t think many people except those who really know me even noticed. And that’s good, because putting focus on myself or anything other than Him is the entire thing I’m trying to avoid.

Actually, as I type, I realize that even the “big one” that kept me up and has been the source of so much prayer, is really trivial. It’s trivial that I’m even dealing with it. That’s what bugs me the most…I’m only 28 years old and feel like I’ve spent, wasted is a more accurate word, so much time on these “issues.” If these things would just cease to be issues, how much more time could I spend on ministry?

Anyway, David delivered a powerful message that I needed to hear as much as anyone else. I am loving that he is using such cool object lessons in this 40 Day’s series. That’s the stuff that connects with me.

2nd service was fine…the in-laws came again. I’m glad they like to visit NC. We went to Bucca Di Beppos for lunch. Sorry to all who love that place, I just don’t like it. Our food took forever and I don’t even like Italian food that much.

I am looking forward to Monday. Fresh starts. Isn’t that part of what a relationship with Christ is all about?