Come On Man!

One of my favorite ESPN segments is when the NFL GameDay guys break out the "Come On Man" part of the weeks highlights. Somebody whines about not making enough millions in their contract year: come on man! Some player makes a stupid decision: come on man! Some coach loses it unnecessarily: come on man! Some NFL player can't remember his kids names: come on man!

I've been around the church long enough to appreciate the same "come on man" phrase in the church as well. Here are a few of my favorites...

• Pastors who are confident that the church owes them gifts for anniversaries, Christmas, birthdays, etc. simply because they are in the office of the Pastor---Come On Man!
• Staff members who don't work hard - everyday - and become extraordinary golfers on the "ministry discount" at the local club - Come On Man!
• Deacons who will argue, fight and fume over a Pastor's salary or chosen sermon, or even a change in worship style, but won't lift a finger to serve widows, orphans, or hungry people in their own neighborhood - Come On Man!
• Musicians who are certain that they ARE the show and forget they are leading in worship...not building their resume - Come On Man!
• Young leaders that forget that more mature leaders have already been there, done that and have wisdom to share that is essential - Come On Man!
• Older leaders that forgot what it was like to long to lead something when you are a young leader called by God - Come On Man!
• Men who stand in worship and never let their kids see them sing, pray or praise, but will teach them their favorite school fight song before they are 5 years old - Come On Man!
• Christ followers who are dreadfully worried about how loud the music is, or what kind of clothes you came to church in, but never share Christ with anybody in need - Come On Man!

Wow, I feel better! Especially that I have just painted myself and most of you with a brush that is terribly unflattering. May we passionately strive to be loving, serving and sensible followers of Jesus this week.

Peace, Chuck

The Beatles Had it Right

Have you ever wondered why God allows such suffering in the world? Suffering like the floods in Pakistan or the earthquakes in Haiti. Why children are dying in Africa because they have no clean drinking water? Me too.

What kind of God allows oppression, slaughter, injustice, hurricanes and famines? Why does He allow them and does He care? Good questions and in many cases, questions we may not have answers to until we get to Heaven, in which case we won't care any longer.

Cynics claim that suffering proves that God doesn't exist or that He isn't loving. The truth is, no human really has answers for such questions. Suffering, in many ways, is a mystery. Maybe we should all just learn to accept that. Honestly? I have a hard time simply accepting that.

There is, you see a comforting mystery in all the suffering. A mystery that is comforting and one that the cynic cannot dismiss - the fact that love is everywhere suffering is. Watch a nurse hold a hurting child's hand, watch a firefighter or police officer or a relief volunteer - the list goes on and on.

Love wouldn't be a natural act to a random universe. Love is intentional by design. Love is divine by nature. So in spite of of all the dozens and dozens of things we do not understand or like about this world - there is most assuredly - love surrounding us. And if love surrounds us then God surrounds us for God is Love (1John 4:8).

I've come to peace with the simple fact that I am not capable of explaining everything with my little human mind. Mystery, I now understand, is a reality of this life. John, Ringo, Paul and George had it right in the Beatles song..."All you need is love...Love is all you need".

May you experience His love in such a powerful way today that you are compelled to share it with others (Matthew 22:36-40).

Peace, Chuck

Satisfied

Have you ever had something that you just couldn't get off of your mind? Well, Jenny reminded me yesterday of an old, old hymn that I have not heard in years, but seems so rich and full and grace that I thought I would share it with you. I hope you enjoy these lyrics from this precious old hymn. Now it's off my mind.

SATISFIED

All my life I had a longing

For a drink from some clear spring,

That I hoped would quench the burning

Of the thirst I felt within.

Hallelujah! I have found Him

Whom my soul so long has craved!

Jesus satisfies my longings,

Through His blood I now am saved.

Feeding on the husks around me,

Till my strength was almost gone,

Longed my soul for something better,

Only still to hunger on.

Poor I was, and sought for riches,

Something that would satisfy,

But the dust I gathered round me

Only mocked my soul’s sad cry.

Well of water, ever springing,

Bread of life so rich and free,

Untold wealth that never faileth,

My Redeemer is to me.

By Clara T. Williams

May your journey be filled with great Satisfaction in Him. Clearly this trumps Mick Jagger's "I Can't Get No...Satisfaction."

Peace, Chuck

A Timeline of Accountability

A few years ago, Focus on the Family did some extensive research on why and how more than 400 ministry leaders fell morally and how they failed in their rolls as ministry leaders and leaders in their homes.


The overwhelming commonality was that none of them were accountable to another person or group of people. Accountability is a good thing when we are doing what we are supposed to do. It's a real challenge when we aren't! I've been in both spots, having been accountable and delivering properly and not delivering. Either way, I knew when I was winning or losing. It was clear when I was on task and in the right place and I knew when I was blowing it or blew it.


One thing we have learned is this - without accountability, we all have a natural tendency to blow it. Accountability is a necessity for all leaders, regardless of your position.



Oil Spill Timeline from RightChange on Vimeo.



Peace, Chuck

Same Old Story

I'm not a politician, I'm not even a political junkie. I do know when something isn't right -
I'm amazed at the willingness to bash the previous administration over the Katrina issue but give a pass on the oil issue to the present administration. Interesting. I thought this was a humorous video. Feel free to share it and view more like it at www.rightchange.com Peace, Chuck



Same As It Ever Was from RightChange on Vimeo.

Challenged

Okay, I'm challenged! I've spent most of my life overvaluing my contribution to society and life in general. I am living proof of the over-statement "the older I get the better I was". My Mom recently endured brain surgery, the torture and humiliation of the following rehabilitation, another surgery, endless procedures, two more hospitals and now a hospice center. She has had strangers bath her, tend to her, poke and prod her for seven weeks now. While sitting in her hospice room yesterday morning early...just her 50 year old baby boy and his now aged Mom, she discovered a brief moment of lucididity. And in her clarity she didn't complain, worry about money, houses, clothes or objects collected over the years. She wanted to know if I was okay! She was worried about me! I'm not sure when I began my self centered journey of life and leadership. You would think that after all life has thrown at me in fifty plus years, I would have gotten over me by now - but I suppose it's a life-long lesson for some of us...starting with me. I've seen my wife, Jenny serve my ailing mother as if it were her own mother. I've seen her weep and clean and "mom-sit" when she was physically and emotionally exhausted and never miss a beat at our Atlanta Airport busy-like home. She is amazing. Truly amazing. I've seen how the many years of ministry spent building budgets and buildings could have been spent investing in people and caring for people - and the different imprint my life might have made. I don't know about you, but I will forever be reminded that when my Mom deserved to whine a little, when my wife could have griped a lot, they both were serving and concerned for others. By the way, Jesus said that if you want to be great, you must become a servant. He also answered the question of what was the most important commandment by answering to love God and love others. I've seen that at work, but not in the mirror. I think it's time to change that - starting now...how about you? May you leave a lasting imprint of loving service somewhere today. Peace, Chuck

UUURRRGGGHHH!!!---The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

I am now 50 years old. Unbelievable, 50 years old. Just yesterday I was the overachieving kid on the block. Now I'm the guy with six daughters, salt-n-pepper hair and wisdom lines around my now droopy eyelids. I've discovered in, what I refer to as midlife, that I am more irritable than I used to be. I am less tolerant and yet I find myself at times more, dare I say it, liberal than days gone by. Okay, I just lost 50% of my Baptist friends. I don't mean theologically. I mean socially. I'm frustrated that we care more about a golfers infidelity than Haiti's starvation, are more passionate about an ice skater's triple lutz than homeless people and more caring of our pets than we are of single parents. And then I realize that I am the problem! I have become like far too many Americans. Comfortable in my irritability of my own comfort. Like all irritable people, I am often hard to love and have a hard time loving others. My attention is often consumed by being aware and driven by my circumstances. I find myself in a constant state of agitation, frustration and disenchantment by what is happening outside of my control. I feel heavy, burdened, stressed and weary. I don't like being that way and hate admitting it to you. It makes me feel like the spoiled brat I probably am. When life doesn't go my way, which seems to be often, I get fearful and it displays itself as irritable. My gray hair and wrinkles also reflect some good news in that I now recognize that God invites me to abandon all those fears and irritability - He invites me to leave my self and come to Him for rest in Matthew 11:28. Jenny and I were reading The Message this morning and I was so captivated by Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of Matthew 11:28 - "get away with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." I can now leave my fears, my irritability, my frustration and my foolish self with Him because He promised that He came that I might have an abundant life in John 10:10, not a life filled with fear, pain and irritability. He set me on a path completely free from the dependence of circumstances for my joy. I now can bank on each day being filled with more joy and less irritability because of Him. That's very cool. That is also a reminder that I am to redirect the personal energy that was once directed toward irritability and fear and direct it toward caring for others with a passionate heart of service and love for those that might be the most unlikely recipients of God's love working through me. I recently became aware that God will often allow my life to cross paths with a need that He desires me to meet and that I missed that blessing for decades in my irritable selfishness. May your day be filled with the blessed crossing of paths with those that you and you alone can bless. Peace, Chuck