And the band played on… (OFC 9-26-10)

I will never be able to express my gratitude to God for allowing me to experience Sunday, September 26, 2010 at Ottawa First Church of the Nazarene. The service ended with a challenge for people to respond to a “Faith Impulse” and take a step. The idea was that we miss miracles because we don’t accept the offer of faith God has placed on the table in front of us. In essence, we ignore “Faith Impulses.” The Scriptural picture was of Peter walking on water, all because Jesus said, “Come.”

So a place to start was established and a challenge issued: “If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, come, do it now and be baptized.” The band was told, “Start playing, if they come, play as long as they keep coming.” Our worship leader nodded his head and began to play.

It was an impromptu baptism service. Some churches function this way every Sunday, but not us. We usually have classes before baptism. In preparation, we bring clothes and psyche ourselves up before getting wet in front of people. We brace ourselves for bad hair days. We organize. We plan. We prepare. But not today…today we just came…and kept coming. And the band played on.

The call was, “If you’ve had a change of heart, we have a change of clothes.” A phrase not original to our church, and as it turned out, not true either. We ran out of clothes. Consequently, some people had a change of heart but chose to be baptized in the clothes they had on. They went home wet, with a towel around their shoulders, and a smile on their face.

Sixty three of them to be exact, sixty three people who did not come to church expecting to get wet, went home that way. Women in dresses, men in suits, and shorts, and jeans and everything in between. A little boy of about 8 and an older couple about…older. People from all walks of life waited for their turn in the water. The ground really is level…and wet…at the foot of the cross.

I watched tears flow down faces while our Spiritual Formation Pastor, David Alderson, spoke into their heart as they stood in the water. We couldn’t hear what he was saying because the band was playing and we were singing. Each time, as their bright, shining, smiling faces came up out of the water I heard a sound I will never forget; the sound of the church cheering! Sixty three times he said it, and sixty three times we cheered! And the band played on.

After each baptism, as they stood, dripping in the water, Dave pointed to the crowd and said something else. I moved close enough at one point to hear. “Do you see all these people…these people are your family…they are all here for you! They’re cheering for you! You are not alone!”

Parents of high school students scrambled for a camera. They didn’t see this coming.

Wives wept as husbands raised their arms in triumph when they came up out of the water.

Entire families came together, prayed together, and were baptized together. A Father stood in line, escorting his son because the 14 year old had made a decision for Christ and wanted to be baptized. They had driven from the video campus to get in line. After the young man finished, the father approached a pastor, said he wasn’t saved, but wanted to be, and then prayed the prayer…and then got back in line. This time the son escorted the father to the baptismal pool. And the band played on.

I will never forget the faces. I will never forget the tears. I will never forget the embraces. I will never forget the smiles. Thank you, God, for allowing me to be part of this amazing day. Thank you, Church, for being who God called you to be; a group of people more dedicated to reaching others than to pleasing themselves. Over the last few years you’ve endured change and barbequed sacred cows. You’ve sacrificed and served and prayed and given in an attempt to make John 3:16 come alive in our community. Today it did.

Spit it out and move on

A Leadership Lesson from

the Streets of Chicago

The Chicago Sun-Times had an article on June 15, 2010 entitled: “Man spits out bullet after being shot in the mouth.” Apparently, a 39 year old was walking down the street in the 7300 block of South Calumet when he was hit by a stray bullet. When paramedics arrived, they found him lying on the sidewalk with people standing around him, who thought he might already be deceased. However, as they began to talk to him he sat up, spit out a tooth, some blood, and then the bullet. Amazing!

So, here’s the lesson. Whatever happened…happened. You took a bullet. You blew it, someone else blew it, it wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right, it wasn’t supposed to work out that way, you’re embarrassed, or upset, or hurt, or all of the above. I get it. Everyone who’s ever led has been there! However, you are reading this post so it didn’t kill you. God’s grace really is sufficient, His mercies really are new every morning, so sit up, spit it out and move on! Get some help, but spit it out, and move on! There is a battle raging and a victory to be won! There’s way too much behind you to stop now! Besides, if you swallow it, it will poison your leadership. Spit it out and move on!

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

(Philippians 4:13)

A "Doubt Drive-By"

It was very early on a Sunday morning at the end of a tough week. A stop light brought me to a pause at a deserted intersection. That’s where it happened.

The phrase “flood of doubt” comes to mind. Between the mistakes I’ve made, struggles I have, and difficulties ahead, I suddenly reasoned that any day now the people who had followed me would abandon me.

“If they only knew,” I thought. “If they only knew how I struggled, doubted, and sometimes just wanted to quit, they would leave in a heartbeat,” the voice seemed to say.

Maybe you’ve had a moment like this. Failures rolled through my mind like a video at 100X speed. In seconds self confidence and courage were gone. It was like a “doubt drive-by.” It happened so fast. “If they only knew, they’d leave. Turn around. Go home. Call in sick. Quit.”

Then, it happened. I had a God moment. God moments are weird for me. Like an old friend on a road trip who’d been sleeping in the backseat, I felt like Jesus sat up, leaned over the seat, rubbed his eyes and decided to enter the conversation.

“Well, that could be true," he said, emerging from the darkness, "after all, you are a moron sometimes.” (I told you it was weird.) He continued, “But here’s the thing…I know…and I’m still here. As a matter of fact, I know more than anyone else could ever know about you, and I’m still here. I know the goofiest you there is,” he laughed and laid back down, “and look at me, riding down the road with you…still here.”

“They’re following you because I’m calling you. I’m still calling, so you keep leading.”

“Besides, it’s never been as much about you as you think it has.” (Normally that might bruise my fragile ego, but on this day, it was good news.)

Suddenly, the light changed, and so did my day. By the time I parked the car, the load lifted and the sun was peaking over the horizon, and in my spirit.

I guess He meant it when He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

Don’t give up!

The church needs a good offense.

So, I was watching football last Sunday and couldn't help but notice the number of teams that were totally reliant on their defense to score points. Reminded me of some churches. Far too often churches become great at defense, great at responding and reacting, great at defending and defying, but awful at offense...except offending. It seems it's easier to be offensive than it is to run a good offense. What we need are pastors who will quarterback their team without waiting for the next natural disaster to occur or social issue to develop before they do something. We need leaders who will look for ways to advance the cause of Christ in the community without waiting for the tornado to come so they can hand out soup. Don't get me wrong, when the tornado comes, hand out soup! But let's just do more than react. Check out (1 Kings 20:14) and enjoy your day...but do something!