Today is my lovely wife's birthday. Along with the festivities of the day, I wanted to send her this simple yet heart-felt gift from me. Sarah, the following are among the many reasons why I joyfully rise and bless you (Proverbs 31:28):
• I love you with an increasing love – I love you more than I ever have before. And before the new day dawns, somehow that love will grow even more.
• You are my best friend – Foibles, shortcomings, less-than-ideal traits? Yup, I got ‘em. But there you are putting a shine in my soul. It seems trite to say that I don’t deserve you, but when I stop to realize that you have chosen to be my friend, I am simply in awe.
• Joy and happiness – Sixteen years ago this month, we started our ‘formal’ relationship. I have lived a good life. Pleasant is how I would describe the vast majority of every aspect of my life. But the years with you have been characterized by a deep joy that is hard to put into words. When I am around you, I am closer to becoming the man that I desire to be. When I away from you, I long.
• Your ‘phone’ voice – I don’t mind it…really.
• Motherhood – There are four people on the planet who view you as the greatest woman who ever lived. And daddy makes five.
• Sacrifice – A couple of weeks ago, we went to Target as a family. As we were checking out, we realized that everybody in the family got one thing (clothing, shoes, etc). And your ‘item’ was an everyday household food item. I owe you one (or one million).
• Content – This word beautifully describes you. You tremendously bless me with your display of this attractive characteristic. You don’t know how much I appreciate that. But I intend to start making sure you do.
• Unique quirks – You have some. But when I smile and shake my head at your satisfying enjoyment of eating a potato (a POTATO!!), I am not laughing. I am, well…I am loving everything about you. (and, yes, you will have the privilege of experiencing many potatoes throughout the course of your day today!)
• You got skillz! – When you get an idea in your head, I love it when you put your top-notch research abilities to work and start sniffing around. By doing so, you have saved us vast amounts of money, found us better living arrangements, educated the entire family, improved our health, and grown our relationships.
• Your laugh – Insert ‘excuse-me-pastor-but-somebody-is-tickling-me’ story here.
• Red/Green/Purple/Yellow/Blue/White/Black/etc – You look good in any color.
• Nobility – I pray that my daughters will follow in your footsteps and that my sons will be blessed by their wife as much as I have by mine.
• Change – You’re not the same person I married. You’re better.
This list is embarrassingly incomplete and constantly growing. I love you very much. Happy Birthday!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
What I Do When I Need a Big Gulp of 'Daddy Juice'
I like foolproof things. No chance of failing. No doubt about their success. If you are like me regarding that, and are a parent, then read on.
Let’s face it. People, even our own flesh and blood…even the cute and cuddly little kind, don’t always do what we want them to do. Sometimes that is a reflection of our own sin and misplaced desires. And sometimes it points to theirs. But all human relationships have ‘bumps in the road’. But I’ve got the perfect solution.
Actually, it’s not so much the solution as it is a tool to soften the hard hearts that may be in the way of it. Or maybe it’s a wonderful provision to help celebrate and remember the fix that grace enables us.
If and when you find yourself in a hard or difficult situation that can vaguely match the above, I’ve got a suggestion for you. Watch.
Watch your children.
Watch your children sleep.
Just go right into their room when they are good and sleep-consumed. Keep the hall light on and the door open. And just watch them sleep. It will be a tremendously peaceful experience. It will adjust and improve your attitude toward them. It will grow your love for them. It will increase your gratitude for them. It will multiply your prayers for them. You smile and whisper a prayer. And they sleep. It’s a great trade.
Anyway, I, uh, speak from experience here. Trust me, it’ll work.
Let’s face it. People, even our own flesh and blood…even the cute and cuddly little kind, don’t always do what we want them to do. Sometimes that is a reflection of our own sin and misplaced desires. And sometimes it points to theirs. But all human relationships have ‘bumps in the road’. But I’ve got the perfect solution.
Actually, it’s not so much the solution as it is a tool to soften the hard hearts that may be in the way of it. Or maybe it’s a wonderful provision to help celebrate and remember the fix that grace enables us.
If and when you find yourself in a hard or difficult situation that can vaguely match the above, I’ve got a suggestion for you. Watch.
Watch your children.
Watch your children sleep.
Just go right into their room when they are good and sleep-consumed. Keep the hall light on and the door open. And just watch them sleep. It will be a tremendously peaceful experience. It will adjust and improve your attitude toward them. It will grow your love for them. It will increase your gratitude for them. It will multiply your prayers for them. You smile and whisper a prayer. And they sleep. It’s a great trade.
Anyway, I, uh, speak from experience here. Trust me, it’ll work.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
More on family identity
Well, I've been caught. I go posting about a topic that I'm still drawing conclusions on and somebody out there asks some great questions to keep me thinking. Thank you for that, C. Let's see what comes from tonight's version of my thinking/typing exercise.
Thought #1 (regarding the biblical basis for family identity) - First and foremost, our identity as believers is in Jesus Christ. It's not just in God, but specifically in the second person of the trinity (no, I won't try to explain that here!). Because it is He who humbled Himself to become a man...the perfect man that I could not become. Because it is He who paid the penalty of my sin. Because it is He who defeated the power of sin in my life. Because it is He who now sits at the right hand of the Father as my advocate and my righteousness.
As you can tell from these last few sentences, the theme for what God has done for me through Christ is individualistic. He saved ME!! He is sanctifying ME!! He has promised a future for ME!! And yes, like He did for His disciples, He calls ME to steps of obedience that have a 'Larry' look to them. But one of the great joys of the Christian life, and of the accounts of it noted in the New Testament is that once that conversion takes place, I am instantly relegated to a new definition of me...and it's noted in the context of community. The New Testament is written to groups and churches for the most part. This matches with the view of God's people in the Old Testament as well. Instead of a church, God used a nation to show Himself to the world. While there are certainly individuals that are used by God in both the nation of Israel and in the church, their basic identity was as a group.
As an aside here, I have grown to very much appreciate worship songs that reflect this reality. Just tonight, I added a playlist of songs to this blog for your listening pleasure (hopefully). The lyrics contained therein combine the reality of what God has done for ME ("I'm saved..."I could sing/dance") and that I now worship Him along with the rest of His bride ("oh, come let US adore Him"). I especially enjoy when worship leaders recognize this and sing a verse or two of a song with the individual I/me/my phrasing and then switch to the We/our realities as the song continues. (Sometimes, I just sing the words that way myself.)
Thought #2 (assuming that all that I noted above could be considered one thought...hmmm) - Hopefully, I've established that God relates to the world in the context of a group (nation in OT, church in NT) as well as to our individual souls. Let me address how He then instructs those groups to operate. I would note that the commands of God (given to individuals as well as groups/churches) understood the truth of things like family identity. The commands were given primarily to fathers with the idea that they would then lead their families in obedience. Teaching at the synagogue/temple/church was meant to be applied to everyday life family by family under the father's care and responsibility.
What about those that were not married or otherwise not part of a 'family'? This is where we as a society/culture have failed. I believe that the nation/church had an understanding and responsibility to care for all these 'individuals'. Children that were not married stayed in their parent's home and served the purpose, vision and plan of the family as lead by the father. Widows and orphans were to be embraced and cared for by the faith community. Sounds really odd, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately a few hundred years of, can I say it, thinking in society like a bunch of individuals has rendered this truth and biblical responsibility almost silly. I believe we would do well, and more closely obey the commands of scripture, by adjusting our thinking and subsequent actions to match with this.
Thought #3 (a word about leaving family to serve Christ) - The sad reality, of course, is that the difficult situation exists where family leadership and influence in no way reflects gospel-centered living. What is an individual to do then? Two things come to mind. First, to remember that our identity is first in Christ. Yes, that will lead to some unfortunate relationship breakdowns to which even Jesus alluded. But secondly, those relational difficulties do not excuse the disobedience to clear commands in both the OT and NT to honor our father/mother as well as other segments of family and society. Is it difficult to honor those we are commanded to when they are (fill in the blank to the painful degree that you must)? Yes. Is it commanded of us and subsequently something for which grace and mercy abounds? Absolutely. For anybody who hasn't experienced this yet, just wait. The presidential election or some other circumstance will bring it into full view for you.
Thought #4 (and with this I close...do I hear a 'hallelujah!) - Personal reflections from me follow...
I am convinced that my wife and children are just like me. Sinful and proud. It takes absolutely nothing on my part for any of us to embrace and pursue realities of individualism and self-this or self-that. It is in our nature. Therefore, I choose to pattern my life, to the degree that God gives me grace this day, to reflect family identity as a means to train us all in kingdom living. So, yes, it is possible to send an email to any one of us individual Bowers somehow. And within time, my children will probably have their own web site or whatever newfangled thing it will be in a few years. But for now, I take precautions to make sure that life is lived as a family and not as a group of individuals sharing a surname and an address. That includes how we interact on the information superhighway, in the community and in life in general. We need the training because I want my family to live now as we will for the rest of eternity...as a group identifying with Christ Jesus.
Thought #1 (regarding the biblical basis for family identity) - First and foremost, our identity as believers is in Jesus Christ. It's not just in God, but specifically in the second person of the trinity (no, I won't try to explain that here!). Because it is He who humbled Himself to become a man...the perfect man that I could not become. Because it is He who paid the penalty of my sin. Because it is He who defeated the power of sin in my life. Because it is He who now sits at the right hand of the Father as my advocate and my righteousness.
As you can tell from these last few sentences, the theme for what God has done for me through Christ is individualistic. He saved ME!! He is sanctifying ME!! He has promised a future for ME!! And yes, like He did for His disciples, He calls ME to steps of obedience that have a 'Larry' look to them. But one of the great joys of the Christian life, and of the accounts of it noted in the New Testament is that once that conversion takes place, I am instantly relegated to a new definition of me...and it's noted in the context of community. The New Testament is written to groups and churches for the most part. This matches with the view of God's people in the Old Testament as well. Instead of a church, God used a nation to show Himself to the world. While there are certainly individuals that are used by God in both the nation of Israel and in the church, their basic identity was as a group.
As an aside here, I have grown to very much appreciate worship songs that reflect this reality. Just tonight, I added a playlist of songs to this blog for your listening pleasure (hopefully). The lyrics contained therein combine the reality of what God has done for ME ("I'm saved..."I could sing/dance") and that I now worship Him along with the rest of His bride ("oh, come let US adore Him"). I especially enjoy when worship leaders recognize this and sing a verse or two of a song with the individual I/me/my phrasing and then switch to the We/our realities as the song continues. (Sometimes, I just sing the words that way myself.)
Thought #2 (assuming that all that I noted above could be considered one thought...hmmm) - Hopefully, I've established that God relates to the world in the context of a group (nation in OT, church in NT) as well as to our individual souls. Let me address how He then instructs those groups to operate. I would note that the commands of God (given to individuals as well as groups/churches) understood the truth of things like family identity. The commands were given primarily to fathers with the idea that they would then lead their families in obedience. Teaching at the synagogue/temple/church was meant to be applied to everyday life family by family under the father's care and responsibility.
What about those that were not married or otherwise not part of a 'family'? This is where we as a society/culture have failed. I believe that the nation/church had an understanding and responsibility to care for all these 'individuals'. Children that were not married stayed in their parent's home and served the purpose, vision and plan of the family as lead by the father. Widows and orphans were to be embraced and cared for by the faith community. Sounds really odd, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately a few hundred years of, can I say it, thinking in society like a bunch of individuals has rendered this truth and biblical responsibility almost silly. I believe we would do well, and more closely obey the commands of scripture, by adjusting our thinking and subsequent actions to match with this.
Thought #3 (a word about leaving family to serve Christ) - The sad reality, of course, is that the difficult situation exists where family leadership and influence in no way reflects gospel-centered living. What is an individual to do then? Two things come to mind. First, to remember that our identity is first in Christ. Yes, that will lead to some unfortunate relationship breakdowns to which even Jesus alluded. But secondly, those relational difficulties do not excuse the disobedience to clear commands in both the OT and NT to honor our father/mother as well as other segments of family and society. Is it difficult to honor those we are commanded to when they are (fill in the blank to the painful degree that you must)? Yes. Is it commanded of us and subsequently something for which grace and mercy abounds? Absolutely. For anybody who hasn't experienced this yet, just wait. The presidential election or some other circumstance will bring it into full view for you.
Thought #4 (and with this I close...do I hear a 'hallelujah!) - Personal reflections from me follow...
I am convinced that my wife and children are just like me. Sinful and proud. It takes absolutely nothing on my part for any of us to embrace and pursue realities of individualism and self-this or self-that. It is in our nature. Therefore, I choose to pattern my life, to the degree that God gives me grace this day, to reflect family identity as a means to train us all in kingdom living. So, yes, it is possible to send an email to any one of us individual Bowers somehow. And within time, my children will probably have their own web site or whatever newfangled thing it will be in a few years. But for now, I take precautions to make sure that life is lived as a family and not as a group of individuals sharing a surname and an address. That includes how we interact on the information superhighway, in the community and in life in general. We need the training because I want my family to live now as we will for the rest of eternity...as a group identifying with Christ Jesus.
Monday, August 11, 2008
from Larry...on behalf of the Bowers
If you were to receive an email from my home email, you would be introduced to it. When you visit my Facebook page, you would also experience it. I trust that if you were to meet me in the normal activities of a normal day, you would normally come across it before too long. These are not accidents or oversights. I have, in fact, chosen to surround myself with examples that point to family identity.
So why do you get an email from ‘The Bower Family’ that can be signed by Larry or Sarah or one of our children? Why does our Facebook site look a bit odd and grammatically incorrect with listings of what “Bower is…doing”? Well, this is a thought for us that continues to be refined and perfected, but this is my attempt to shed some light on our thinking.
Everybody is attached to some kind of a descriptive identity. You are either a man, a college student, a Democrat, an extrovert, good with numbers, in over your head, a bookworm, the third oldest son, an ex-Marine, a Mariners fan, bald, a Muslim, or any number of other possibilities (is there, perhaps, somebody out there who fits all of these listed?!). Moment by moment, we are adjusting the priority level that people place on any particular description that fits us. I can easily switch from trying to convince people that I am capable, then caring, then appreciative, then knowledgeable about some current world event and so on.
As a Christian, I don’t take that particular label lightly. I am identifying with the Christ, the Messiah. It affects the decisions I make, the words I use, the activities I engage in and the thought processes I attach to each of those realities. Scripture is clear that I am no longer identified in the way I formerly was. Everything about me has changed. I am indeed a new creation. But this new creation has many other labels that are attached. And we have choices about the importance that we place on them too.
Here’s my basic premise for this simple attempt at philosophical gymnastics; As a culture, we don’t think highly enough of the family identity that we all have. We are too self-focused and individualized and this shows up in every corner of our lives. Often times, families look to me merely like a collection of individuals who happen to share a surname and an address. Of course, everybody is unique and to a degree that should be celebrated and enjoyed. But I think we can do a better job of forging an identity together as families.
I thoroughly enjoy the differences that Sarah and I have as husband and wife, as I do with each of my children as their father. But I seek to purposely draw us together in key areas while at the same time recognizing each person’s individual contributions. Using our name corporately in most instances is just one way. I want to set the example that I am doing things not just as Larry, but as one of the Bowers. My actions and demeanor reflect to some degree on everybody else in the household. In fact, before I do something, my hope is that I would contemplate its affect on my family. And ‘yes’, I often fail at this. But I, along with those whom I have the privilege of leading, seek to make progress.
So when I create a Facebook page, most everything in me wants to have any visitors or ‘friends’ experience the best of Larry that I can show them. I have a full set of interests, desires, and experiences that I could pattern my little corner of the world wide web after. But instead I choose to let all who happen by know that I am a leader of the Bower family. And we do things together.
So why do you get an email from ‘The Bower Family’ that can be signed by Larry or Sarah or one of our children? Why does our Facebook site look a bit odd and grammatically incorrect with listings of what “Bower is…doing”? Well, this is a thought for us that continues to be refined and perfected, but this is my attempt to shed some light on our thinking.
Everybody is attached to some kind of a descriptive identity. You are either a man, a college student, a Democrat, an extrovert, good with numbers, in over your head, a bookworm, the third oldest son, an ex-Marine, a Mariners fan, bald, a Muslim, or any number of other possibilities (is there, perhaps, somebody out there who fits all of these listed?!). Moment by moment, we are adjusting the priority level that people place on any particular description that fits us. I can easily switch from trying to convince people that I am capable, then caring, then appreciative, then knowledgeable about some current world event and so on.
As a Christian, I don’t take that particular label lightly. I am identifying with the Christ, the Messiah. It affects the decisions I make, the words I use, the activities I engage in and the thought processes I attach to each of those realities. Scripture is clear that I am no longer identified in the way I formerly was. Everything about me has changed. I am indeed a new creation. But this new creation has many other labels that are attached. And we have choices about the importance that we place on them too.
Here’s my basic premise for this simple attempt at philosophical gymnastics; As a culture, we don’t think highly enough of the family identity that we all have. We are too self-focused and individualized and this shows up in every corner of our lives. Often times, families look to me merely like a collection of individuals who happen to share a surname and an address. Of course, everybody is unique and to a degree that should be celebrated and enjoyed. But I think we can do a better job of forging an identity together as families.
I thoroughly enjoy the differences that Sarah and I have as husband and wife, as I do with each of my children as their father. But I seek to purposely draw us together in key areas while at the same time recognizing each person’s individual contributions. Using our name corporately in most instances is just one way. I want to set the example that I am doing things not just as Larry, but as one of the Bowers. My actions and demeanor reflect to some degree on everybody else in the household. In fact, before I do something, my hope is that I would contemplate its affect on my family. And ‘yes’, I often fail at this. But I, along with those whom I have the privilege of leading, seek to make progress.
So when I create a Facebook page, most everything in me wants to have any visitors or ‘friends’ experience the best of Larry that I can show them. I have a full set of interests, desires, and experiences that I could pattern my little corner of the world wide web after. But instead I choose to let all who happen by know that I am a leader of the Bower family. And we do things together.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Stars soon to be realigned
Have you noticed the earth not quite spinning on its axis correctly lately? Well, fear not, a solution is soon coming. I hereby commit to start my poor blogging habits again by the end of the week. We'll see how much defining of "end of week" we'll have to do. But I'm getting the itch and hope to get some of the thoughts floating around in my head out and onto the blog soon.
Don't worry, you can thank me later.
Don't worry, you can thank me later.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Seeds of Grace
I was reminded twice this evening of the wonder and joy that living out the Christian faith in a local community of believers brings. A song waltzed through my mind that noted the impact that churches from our past have had in our lives as we long to re-live the fond memories. And then as we prayed this evening, my son captured those thoughts as he reminded us that what we would be experiencing tomorrow is God's gift to us as 'the greatest place on earth'. We do indeed love joining with others to worship our great God and to hear from His word.
I have been thinking about the different churches that I have had the privilege of calling home. Each one fills me with pleasant thoughts and I thought it would do my soul good to recount the many 'seeds of grace' that God has bountifully planted in me by way of these local bodies of believers.
MESSIAH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (Plymouth, MN)
This was the church I attended from as early as I can remember. The varied roles that my parents played in the lay ministry here kept us well connected and involved. As a child, I also clearly recall begging my parents for a quarter each Sunday morning because one shiny coin like that would provide me with a doughnut. Blueberry and sugar were my favorites. And speaking of favorites, I can still feel the excitement when after singing (although most likely we stretched the definition of that term generously) during some 'kids-get-up-front-and-look-cute' exercise, the minister (Rev. Harper) got up and with a huge and kind grin on his face told the congregation that we had just sung his favorite song.
I also had tremendous fun during our Sunday School classes. I especially recall one time (I believe it was about 5th grade) when my dad was teaching our class and we got to put on a special skit for the younger kids. We had recently been to a Harlem Globetrotters game and it provided a bit of motivation for us. While re-enacting the tower of Babel, I played the role of a construction worker who got miffed at another because of our newly acquired lack of communication skills. I started chasing him with the bucket of water we were using to make bricks (I think). At some point while going behind a portion of the wall, I indeed switched the bucket of water for one of confetti and proceeded to 'let it fly' when I got near the audience. I guess I wasn't Globetrotter material because I believe I doused one poor little boy with nearly all the contents of the bucket.
Kind memories that grew a love for this place called church.
MAPLE PLAIN COMMUNITY CHURCH (Maple Plain, MN)
I started attending here during the summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school. I did so after a desire to be better grounded in my understanding of the scriptures became evident. Ironically (at least it was to me), my parents allowed me to go here on my own instead of remaining with the family on Sunday mornings. Sovereignly and wisely, but that story is for another time. My desire was fulfilled in more ways than I could have imagined.
I experienced youth group at MPCC. That brought many unique events and opportunities. They will likewise have to wait for another time. One vivid memory I had was again of that special 'Sunday School' hour. I was a junior in high school and there was of course the 'high school' class to attend. But when I saw a list of available classes, another one caught my eye and heart. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. When I showed up for the first class, I was amazed at the roster of attendees. There was about six or seven of us and we just met in the front of the sanctuary by the piano. I may not have said three words the entire time I attended, but I soaked up more wisdom than somebody that age should legally be allowed to. The rest of the class, you see, were all members of the elder board. These men lived their lives in front of me. And God spoke through them.
MPCC was also the church where I took Sarah on our first date (another long story!) and where we got married less than nine months later. That by itself will always keep this church at the forefront of my pleasant church memories.
IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH (Minneapolis, MN)
I was asked to give a testimony here of why I started to come to Immanuel in the first place. I always joked that since they hired me, I thought I ought to show up. I was brought in as the 'minister to youth' for this small 40-ish attended urban church. We had five kids show up at the first meeting and we met upstairs in the nursery. Years later we watched these kids graduate and move on.
Many things flood my mind as I try to recall the grace that was granted to me and my family here. Struggles that we overcame. Some that we didn't. Growth that seemed so undeserved. The patience of a godly pastor that put up with so many of my inadequacies. The joy of watching scripture lived out. The hope of more of it.
This was the church where our first three children were dedicated. We had always kind of thought that this was where we were going to be for the rest of our lives. But then...
CROSSWAY COMMUNITY CHURCH (Charlotte, NC)
We moved to Charlotte, NC. It was my role at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that brought me to NC, but we always knew it was the Lord who was clearly directing us. We simply didn't want to move and just kinda' hunker down near work and hope for the best as far as a church was concerned. We had learned the beauty and joy of kingdom living with a local body of believers and could/would not settle for anything less. We sought out the church first and used that to confirm our move south. Long story short, Crossway was God's answer for us.
Like the name implies, we learned how to further center our lives on the truth of the gospel provided to us by the cross of Christ. We are frequently in awe of the simple joys that are ours when we realign ourselves to that fixed moment of life-changing truth. Scripture has come alive and deepened our walk with the Savior. Our senior pastor here has said that he wanted us to be the 'best taught church'. I believe we were that. And more.
GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH (Mooresville, NC)
Why leave Crossway? A church plant, of course! It has been our privilege for the last six weeks to be a part of this new work just a few miles north of Charlotte. Already we have seen God's grace poured out on us again and again. We look forward to all that God is doing in our lives and in the lives of our dear brothers and sisters here. Indeed there are many more chapters of grace to be written.
These paragraphs probably got shorter as the time wore on and my light started flickering. But these churches have meant more to me than you can imagine. Thank you, Lord, for how you have used them to draw me to yourself!
Can't wait for tomorrow...
I have been thinking about the different churches that I have had the privilege of calling home. Each one fills me with pleasant thoughts and I thought it would do my soul good to recount the many 'seeds of grace' that God has bountifully planted in me by way of these local bodies of believers.
MESSIAH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (Plymouth, MN)
This was the church I attended from as early as I can remember. The varied roles that my parents played in the lay ministry here kept us well connected and involved. As a child, I also clearly recall begging my parents for a quarter each Sunday morning because one shiny coin like that would provide me with a doughnut. Blueberry and sugar were my favorites. And speaking of favorites, I can still feel the excitement when after singing (although most likely we stretched the definition of that term generously) during some 'kids-get-up-front-and-look-cute' exercise, the minister (Rev. Harper) got up and with a huge and kind grin on his face told the congregation that we had just sung his favorite song.
I also had tremendous fun during our Sunday School classes. I especially recall one time (I believe it was about 5th grade) when my dad was teaching our class and we got to put on a special skit for the younger kids. We had recently been to a Harlem Globetrotters game and it provided a bit of motivation for us. While re-enacting the tower of Babel, I played the role of a construction worker who got miffed at another because of our newly acquired lack of communication skills. I started chasing him with the bucket of water we were using to make bricks (I think). At some point while going behind a portion of the wall, I indeed switched the bucket of water for one of confetti and proceeded to 'let it fly' when I got near the audience. I guess I wasn't Globetrotter material because I believe I doused one poor little boy with nearly all the contents of the bucket.
Kind memories that grew a love for this place called church.
MAPLE PLAIN COMMUNITY CHURCH (Maple Plain, MN)
I started attending here during the summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school. I did so after a desire to be better grounded in my understanding of the scriptures became evident. Ironically (at least it was to me), my parents allowed me to go here on my own instead of remaining with the family on Sunday mornings. Sovereignly and wisely, but that story is for another time. My desire was fulfilled in more ways than I could have imagined.
I experienced youth group at MPCC. That brought many unique events and opportunities. They will likewise have to wait for another time. One vivid memory I had was again of that special 'Sunday School' hour. I was a junior in high school and there was of course the 'high school' class to attend. But when I saw a list of available classes, another one caught my eye and heart. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. When I showed up for the first class, I was amazed at the roster of attendees. There was about six or seven of us and we just met in the front of the sanctuary by the piano. I may not have said three words the entire time I attended, but I soaked up more wisdom than somebody that age should legally be allowed to. The rest of the class, you see, were all members of the elder board. These men lived their lives in front of me. And God spoke through them.
MPCC was also the church where I took Sarah on our first date (another long story!) and where we got married less than nine months later. That by itself will always keep this church at the forefront of my pleasant church memories.
IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH (Minneapolis, MN)
I was asked to give a testimony here of why I started to come to Immanuel in the first place. I always joked that since they hired me, I thought I ought to show up. I was brought in as the 'minister to youth' for this small 40-ish attended urban church. We had five kids show up at the first meeting and we met upstairs in the nursery. Years later we watched these kids graduate and move on.
Many things flood my mind as I try to recall the grace that was granted to me and my family here. Struggles that we overcame. Some that we didn't. Growth that seemed so undeserved. The patience of a godly pastor that put up with so many of my inadequacies. The joy of watching scripture lived out. The hope of more of it.
This was the church where our first three children were dedicated. We had always kind of thought that this was where we were going to be for the rest of our lives. But then...
CROSSWAY COMMUNITY CHURCH (Charlotte, NC)
We moved to Charlotte, NC. It was my role at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that brought me to NC, but we always knew it was the Lord who was clearly directing us. We simply didn't want to move and just kinda' hunker down near work and hope for the best as far as a church was concerned. We had learned the beauty and joy of kingdom living with a local body of believers and could/would not settle for anything less. We sought out the church first and used that to confirm our move south. Long story short, Crossway was God's answer for us.
Like the name implies, we learned how to further center our lives on the truth of the gospel provided to us by the cross of Christ. We are frequently in awe of the simple joys that are ours when we realign ourselves to that fixed moment of life-changing truth. Scripture has come alive and deepened our walk with the Savior. Our senior pastor here has said that he wanted us to be the 'best taught church'. I believe we were that. And more.
GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH (Mooresville, NC)
Why leave Crossway? A church plant, of course! It has been our privilege for the last six weeks to be a part of this new work just a few miles north of Charlotte. Already we have seen God's grace poured out on us again and again. We look forward to all that God is doing in our lives and in the lives of our dear brothers and sisters here. Indeed there are many more chapters of grace to be written.
These paragraphs probably got shorter as the time wore on and my light started flickering. But these churches have meant more to me than you can imagine. Thank you, Lord, for how you have used them to draw me to yourself!
Can't wait for tomorrow...
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