MINISTRY UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2009

Here's my ministry update for the start of our fall 2009 season! It's to keep supporters of the ministry filled in, but YOU TOO can partake in feasting your eyes upon the words contained herein. (Just click the picture to view it larger.)

THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT LONELINESS

[I've written several articles for the front page of my church's bulletin, called Around the Ridge, over the last couple years and I thought I'd start sharing some of them on this here blog. I guess they could be considered mini-devotions in a way; around 200 words given on the topic we were discussing during the church service that week. Anyway, it's stuff I've written and I figured why not juice up my blog when the only work I have to do is copy & paste?]

"The Good News About Loneliness"
Around the Ridge article, Jan. 17-18, 2009

Are you burdened with sadness? Do you ever feel isolated, cut off? Have you sometimes wondered if anyone would notice if you weren't around? Loneliness is one of the most prolific emotions of the human experience; we've all felt its sting. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said truly, "The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved."

The greatest comfort in this, the "good news" about loneliness is that, first of all, God cares about lonely people! Psalm 34:18 says, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit." And secondly, God has provided other people to help us bear our troubles. Galatians 6:2 says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

God's solutions are so often counter-intuitive. "Lose your life to find it." "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." They don't always seem to make sense. Your own burdens don't disappear when you're helping carry someone else's, but somehow, mysteriously, they seem lighter when you turn your attention to another person. And the same thing happens for someone else when they're caring for you.

Today we are exploring the "others" part of CRC's mission statement: "To lead people in a growing relationship with God and others." There are plenty of opportunities for you to "get connected" and start sharing the load of your burdens' and others.

new use for a bike

Haven't blogged in a while, mostly 'cause this is the busiest season of my ministry work! But Louie Giglio tweeted this video and I thought it was pretty amazing.

The Reason for God

I'm just starting to read this book with a friend. I've grown to associate the name 'Tim Keller' with very sound, very reasonable, and very deep teaching about Jesus and God. My brother, Christopher, introduced me to this urban pastor's audio sermons (he teaches at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, 'one of Manhattan's most vital congregations' according to Christianity Today and #1 of 'America's Top Multiplying Churches' - over 100 plants in the last 10 years!) a couple years ago and I've found them to be oh-so-inspiring.

So when I heard that he wrote a book that addresses these questions--Why does God allow suffering in the world? How could a loving God send people to Hell? How can there only be one true religion?--I was extremely interested. The back of the book says that the issues covered are 'frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion,' and that's true. I don't know how many conversations I have had about these things, particularly among Christians.

Like I said, I'm just now starting it, but I'll let you know along the way what's impacting me. Tim Keller is a very academic man, yet he is very concerned about relating what he's saying to the situation of his listeners, so he breaks down quite complex matters into palatable pieces. Also, he's quite good at referencing other thinkers and writers, and I see that the back of his book is filled with notes for each chapter. So I've got two bookmarks - one for where I am in the text, and one for where I am in the notes.

I bring this up because I think it speaks to an important attribute of Tim Keller and an important aspect of learning - it is an ever-continuing conversation. Tim Keller isn't addressing these issues in a vacuum, and neither should we. He's drawing from the good research of others as well as the authority of the Bible, and I hope we can follow his lead when sorting all the harder (and easier, and all the in-between) issues of life.

my Top 4 favorite YouTube vids!

We are a YouTube generation.

I was chatting with my friend Jimmy Shreeves the other day and, as is inevitable in erratic conversations about nothing and anything, we shared some descriptions of the YouTube videos that most entertain us. I was cracking myself up as I described them, and I realized that EVERYONE within my small sphere of influence MUST be given the joy of watching them.

Now, I don't want this blog to just become a place where silly videos replace all words of contemplation or (hopefully) insight, but man, sometimes there are just no words. People in this world are crazy and entertaining. So here, in no particular order, are the four YouTube videos I find myself inexplicably watching over and over:

HUMAN TETRIS IS BACK
(their reaction at 3:03 is awesome)


DAVID AFTER DENTIST

KID ON A ROLLERCOASTER


KITTENS INSPIRED BY KITTENS

this may never be duplicated

I just found this and thought it was too amazing not to share. It seems to me that there's a good probability that in the history of the world, this feat might not ever be accomplished again. (Nothing but the basketball touches the ground during the handspring - indredible!)

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

MINISTRY UPDATE JUNE 2009

Here's my ministry update for this month! It's for supporters of the ministry here in Morgantown but anyone can read it. Just click on the picture below and voilà, you can see it large!