Relative Truths

Ok, so I haven’t posted since before Christmas.  This time last week I was getting a little, what’s the word, anxious about Christmas Eve.  As you know, Connection had its first service last Wednesday night.  It was AWESOME.  The day started out great.  We had about 25 people show up at Level Creek Elementary at 9 am to start decorating.  Rebekah put together a great decoration plan.  It looked fantastic in there.  Great looking tree on the stage, lights in the hallways, lights across the top of the cafeteria, etc.  I will be posting some pictures soon.  

The service started at 6, and I got pumped.  The room started filling up, the music was awesome, and I could tell people were really engaged.  The music was amazing.  Rudy, Danny, and the guys were incredible in leading us through Joy to the World (Fee style), Hark the Herald Angels, Angels We Have Heard On High, and What Child is This.  Rudy and Danny did a great job on Glorious interruption with a kickin’ video made by Whitney.  We closed it out with Silent Night and lit candles.  In the midst of all of that, I preached.  Here is a link to a montage of some photos (thanks Brad, you rule!!!).

We had 162!  I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the community.  There were several families I didn’t recognize, and we have gotten great feedback.  The truth is, I was a little stressed, but God knew what would happen all along.  I am honored to be serving with the people of Connection, and I am honored to be able to serve such an amazing God!  Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and that you have a blessed New Year!

Ok, so I remember as a kid how I couldn’t sleep on Christmas Eve.  I would constantly have dreams about Christmas morning (some good, some bad), and wake up at least 100 times during the night (well, maybe just 95).  Anyway, I was so excited about Christmas morning that I couldn’t relax.

Now, I am facing this sensation a little early.  As you know, Christmas Eve will be the first ever worship service for Connection Church.  I am really excited (a little nervous, but mostly excited) about this week.  I couldn’t sleep last night.  All I could do was think about it.  Maybe this means I will sleep really well Christmas Eve!

I don’t know what all you have planned for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (hey, if you free Wednesday, Level Creek Elementary, 6 pm, wink wink), but I pray that you are able to experience some time with family and more importantly some time with God.  Don’t overlook the fact that we celebrate this day as the coming of something we all need: Hope and Love.  I pray that I don’t overlook this fact.  The truth is that no matter what happens Wednesday, good or bad, Christ came to give us new life.  That will not change or ever go away.  That is worth celebrating, and that is something to be really excited about.  Merry Christmas!

Ok, so last night, Rebekah’s firm had their Christmas party last night.  The party was in Atlanta at 7, and at 5:45 we were at our house debating on going.  It had been a long day, and we have a lot going to do, so we went back and forth on going.  We decided that it was important to go.  So, we got ready and went. 

I am glad we did.  I ended up having a good time.  The food was good, so that helps, but I also enjoyed talking to all of Rebekah’s co-workers.  First, it meant a lot to me that everyone asked about the new church.  Not only did they know about it, but they remembered it and seemed to care about it.  One of the partners even noticed me, came up to me and asked how the church was.  He has seen me like 4 times in the last 4 plus years.  However, he recognized me and was truly interested in the church.

Second, I really enjoyed getting to talk with people I don’t normally see.  It was just cool to hear from people I see once a year.  It was cool to hear about new kids, Christmas plans, promotions, etc.  Variety is always fun.

Third, I got to spend time with Rebekah.  Things are so busy now that most of our time is spent working on the new church or Christmas Eve or whatever.  It was nice to have a night to just relax.  We didn’t do any planning or shopping.  I love my wife and it was nice to spend time with her.

Anyway, that is all.  Hope you all have a great weekend!

Ok, so how many of you thought of a Queen song when you read the title?  Come on, be honest.  Anyway, I wanted to share an experience I had last week with you.  As most of you know, I am a United Methodist Minister.  I am what you call a “Probationary Elder.”  What that means is that I am on probation as a minister in the conference.  I will go before the Board next spring, and if I pass, I will be ordained.  As part of my work for the board, I have to present a video of a sermon.  The sermon had to be recorded before the middle of January.

Now, as my faithful readers know, I am starting a new church and don’t have worship services yet.  So, my group leader for probation, Kevin, offered to let me preach at his church, Griffin UMC on November 30th.  Understand the situation, I am preaching in someone eles’s church, with their pastor and associate watching me, I don’t know the people, and oh yea, it is being recorded.  This is the sermon the board will watch and examine to make sure I am fit to preach the gospel.  No pressure there.  You would think that would be nerve-racking right?  I thought that, but it really wasn’t.

I used to be so nervous before I preached.  I wouldn’t sleep on Saturday nights and would have knots in my stomach up until the service.  I thought this was normal and told people I would be worried if I wasn’t nervous.  Communicating the Word of God is a big deal after all.  Then, I heard Craig Groeschel at Catalyst Conference this October.  He said that he used to be nervous, then finally turned it over to God, and actually trusts in God, and he no longer is nervous.  I decided to do that, to trust that the Word God gave me to speak is actually His word.  Since then, I have not been nervous at all.  As a result, my wife has said that my last two sermons were really good. 

Now, we have Christmas Eve coming up at Connection.  Of all the things I am anxious about (set-up, design, will people actual come) preaching is not one of them.  I know that if I am faithful in preparation, and faithful in listening to God to direction, what do I have to be nervous about?  If you are facing something this week that has you feeling anxious, do what I did and turn it over.  Trust me, God can do great things through us, we just have to let Him.

Ok, so I have really felt like Joseph lately.  You know, the guy who tries to take his wife to Bethlehem while she is pregnant.  They get there, and all the inns are full.  They end up having to stay in a manger, which is where the baby is born.  Oh yea, that baby turned out to be Jesus, the Son of God who came to reclaim creation for God, thus the reason we celebrate Christmas (for the expanded reading of my summarized story, click here).

Anyway, Joseph had no place to stay.  Up until this week, we had no place for our Christmas Eve service.  I have been looking forward to this since June.  However, every place I tried didn’t work out.  We wanted one spot, no more reservations were being taken for the year.  We wanted another place, they were doing renovation over Christmas.  We had another place, but they aren’t open on Christmas Eve.  You get my point.  So, as I was beginning to get a little nervous, God reminded me that He was in control.

Monday, Kim called me to say that Level Creek Elementary agreed to host our Christmas Eve service.  Now, understand, I was under the impression two months ago that they were not an option.  That changed Monday.  I haven’t blogged about it because we didn’t have the time set until today. 

So, the truth I want to announce is that Connection Church will hold its first service on Christmas Eve at 6 pm at Level Creek Elementary.  Please be in prayer for this service and tell all your friends (also, if you really want to help, we have ways…). 

Also, the truth is that God is in control.  I learned this week that when you start to feel like things won’t work out, or you question what you should be doing, God will use something like an unexpected phone call to remind you of who really is in control of things.  Good thing its not me! 

Ok, so I wanted to post this Thursday since it is about Thanksgiving.  However, I was on the computer a minimal amount of time.  Really, I just got on to work on my ordination sermon (post later this week), so I didn’t get this blog up.  I was trying to honor a couple of days with Rebekah and our families.  Anyway, I wanted to tell you about my Thanksgiving experience this year.

On Wednesday we had dinner with Rebekah’s family.  Friday, we had dinner with my family.  For those of you keeping track, that left Thursday (the actual day we celebrate Thanksgiving) open.  Rebekah and I wanted to help serve Thanksgiving lunch to families that needed it.  So, Rebekah and I along with her mom, my parents, and our friends Carrie and Eric went to Campus Church at GAC to help serve.  I expected to be running around crazy serving food, cleaning up, helping bring in supplies, taking trash out, etc.  I thought it would be a frantic few hours.  However, it was very different.  When I got there, there wasn’t an assigned task.  I talked to some people, helped clean up a few tables, and carried some tea for people. 

The reason I didn’t have a lot to do wasn’t because people weren’t there.  A ton of people came to eat this free meal that Campus Church was offering.  The reason I didn’t have a lot to do was because there were so many volunteers!  I was amazed at how many people were willing to give up there Thanksgiving to help serve.  There were so many volunteers that you had to be on the look-out for a way to serve.  If you were slow in cleaning a table, it would be clean by the time you got there.  If you were slow in talking to a family, someone would beat you to it.  I was impressed and amazed at how many people were able to be served and by how many people wanted to serve.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.  I hope you were able to have some rest and time with your family.  The truth is we all have a lot to be thanful for.  Sometimes it is hard to see, but trust me, there is a lot to be thankful for.  I look forward to serving folks again next year and I am thankful for people willing to do the same.