I heard the sad news this morning that a friend of mine, Mack Osburn passed away last night at his home. I'm only sad because I know what a great gift Mack was to the Cornerstone and Emmaus communities. He was one of the most transparent Christians I ever met. Mack wasn't afraid to share his heart with anyone about the way he loved God, and had come to depend on him.
Mack and I only knew each other for a short time, just a couple of years, but many times during that time he would leave me notes or letters or voice mails, encouraging me in ministry. Sometimes he wouldnt sign them, like I wouldn't recognize his hand writing.
I used to kid him all the time because he was always carrying his bible, and often would walk off without it. He'd call the church and asked if anyone had seen it. Sometimes I think he did it on purpose so people would have to talk about Jesus to him.
He was a sweet man who LOVED working with youth, trying his best to help them understand the importance of having God in their lives.
I wish we had met sooner, before I was appointed out in KC, because I think we could have had a great time in ministry. None the less, today I am missing him....
Godspeed my friend, well done good and faithful servant.....
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Wow my blogging time has gotten away from me!! Since my last post One Spirit has undergone nearly $100,000 worth of renovation and repair. A new sound and video system as well as gutter, paint, drywall....we are starting to look fresh and new again. Some ask why that's so important.
To me it is important that as a church, we are ready for people when they come seeking. My experience is that people searching for answers seek with their heart and navigate to a place of comfort. Because of that I think we need to provide a pleasant and safe environment for people so they find comfort first, and find healing of their hearts next.
This week I'm preaching on evangelism for the first time at One Spirit. It will be interesting to hear feed back as they listen to the 126th Psalm, one of the Psalms of Ascent that inspired the classic hymn, bringing in the sheaves.
It is good to look around at the grounds beneath the sunny days...fresh white paint, solid crack-free walls, new gutters....lights...finally spotlights on the steeple....yep, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood....
To me it is important that as a church, we are ready for people when they come seeking. My experience is that people searching for answers seek with their heart and navigate to a place of comfort. Because of that I think we need to provide a pleasant and safe environment for people so they find comfort first, and find healing of their hearts next.
This week I'm preaching on evangelism for the first time at One Spirit. It will be interesting to hear feed back as they listen to the 126th Psalm, one of the Psalms of Ascent that inspired the classic hymn, bringing in the sheaves.
It is good to look around at the grounds beneath the sunny days...fresh white paint, solid crack-free walls, new gutters....lights...finally spotlights on the steeple....yep, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood....
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A More Holy Space....
Last night 18 people from One Spirit came together to give the chancel area of the sanctuary a "phase one" face lift. Within a few hours there was dramatic change. Gone were the old papers, lost candle lighters, broken CD's and tattered papers. Gone was the dust and the debris, some of which had accumulated over many years. Gone were the old plants that had seen there better days, plastic chairs that cluttered the space, and the bread racks so cleverly hidden to hold a sound system monitor.
Left was open space, the freedom to move, a cleaner more holy place. Somehow worship will be different this weekend. Some of the folks with bigger muscles moved heavy items and books, some organized new storage areas, some wiped down dust and vacuumed floors. Some polished pews and removed dirt from the heating registers, others moved simply around stacking and organizing so we could all get done. All brought their own gifts and performed wonderfully as a team.
As I laid in bed last night considering the considerable effort put forth, I thought about how this cleaning up to find a more Holy Space applies to our personal lives as well. I know I have lots of dust and old trash laying around inside that its frankly time to dispose of!
Maybe all of us have things that others can't see because they are simply hidden behind "the old plastic chairs" of our lives. Maybe its time to shine some light on those things that are crowding up the Holy Space in our lives, get out the vacuum and make a trip or two to the trash dumpster....you just never know, it might be time. Just a thought.....
Left was open space, the freedom to move, a cleaner more holy place. Somehow worship will be different this weekend. Some of the folks with bigger muscles moved heavy items and books, some organized new storage areas, some wiped down dust and vacuumed floors. Some polished pews and removed dirt from the heating registers, others moved simply around stacking and organizing so we could all get done. All brought their own gifts and performed wonderfully as a team.
As I laid in bed last night considering the considerable effort put forth, I thought about how this cleaning up to find a more Holy Space applies to our personal lives as well. I know I have lots of dust and old trash laying around inside that its frankly time to dispose of!
Maybe all of us have things that others can't see because they are simply hidden behind "the old plastic chairs" of our lives. Maybe its time to shine some light on those things that are crowding up the Holy Space in our lives, get out the vacuum and make a trip or two to the trash dumpster....you just never know, it might be time. Just a thought.....
Monday, August 3, 2009
TV, BBQ and wii
For the last two weeks I've been a full time student while trying to do my best as the Pastor to a wonderful community of believers at One Spirit. Early morning trips to St. Paul's School of Theology along with late night papers has taxed me over the last few weeks. Its like continued learning was trying to get in the way of ministry. But that's just not what happened. Thinking deeper about how our amazing Creator created us for relationship, loved us no matter how badly or often we screw up, made my time "away" very important. This weekend we watched a little TV, and I thought often of how far the kingdom sometimes is from the world we live. I felt a little closer as a Father when we broke bread at mealtime together. And finally as I watched the kids play their wii game they brought with them from St. Louis, I was reminded that practice makes us better. Sometimes we have to work hard at learning before we can hope for, as Connor might put it, "to win the Piston cup!" I'm praying for you One Spirit....that we can learn as we live and as we love.....just a thought...
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Crazy Love
There's a little red book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan that I am preaching about this weekend and highly recommend to folks to read. Chan and I may not agree on every theological issue, but this book has an amazing ability to capture the depth of love that our God has for us and helps to measure the "lukewarmness" of our response to that amazing love!
It is so interesting when I consider how often I think I am big enough, smart enough and brave enough to go it alone. Keeping God back there behind door number one so I can call him out like my obedient little pet when I need Him.
A few months ago my son called me about this little leak he had with his dishwasher. Not a big deal for him, just looking for advice from his Dad on how to go about handling this minor distraction in his life. I remember how good it felt to know he wanted my input, trusted me enough to ask. It was good to be a Dad who loves his son.
How then must our Father in heaven love it when we bring the "dishwasher issues" of our lives to Him? It just a simple way we can bask in His "Crazy Love".....
It is so interesting when I consider how often I think I am big enough, smart enough and brave enough to go it alone. Keeping God back there behind door number one so I can call him out like my obedient little pet when I need Him.
A few months ago my son called me about this little leak he had with his dishwasher. Not a big deal for him, just looking for advice from his Dad on how to go about handling this minor distraction in his life. I remember how good it felt to know he wanted my input, trusted me enough to ask. It was good to be a Dad who loves his son.
How then must our Father in heaven love it when we bring the "dishwasher issues" of our lives to Him? It just a simple way we can bask in His "Crazy Love".....
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Living on the E.D.G.E.
Last night we officially began VBS at One Spirit. Some neighborhood kids mixed with our kids began their journey studying about the three kings who visited Jesus at his birth.
Back a few rooms from the Sanctuary a group of about 10 adults and me met to do our own E.D.G.E. study about Joshua. We were talking about how Joshua was chosen as one of the spies to check out the Promised Land. On their return 10 of the tribe's chosen spies declared that God's people could not beat the giants in the armies of the promised land and refused to enter. Only two, Joshua and Caleb stated they were confident that the Lord would deliver them if that was the land that He wanted them to go to.
What a simple story with such an amazing significance to our church. Here we stand looking for growth and new life while trying to handle our "giants". The economy, an aging building, needed improvements, strapped resources, culture and age differences. We have some who think the giants we face are too big. But I believe that God wants us to take them on and if that's what God wants, then HE WILL DELIVER!! Just a thought .....
Back a few rooms from the Sanctuary a group of about 10 adults and me met to do our own E.D.G.E. study about Joshua. We were talking about how Joshua was chosen as one of the spies to check out the Promised Land. On their return 10 of the tribe's chosen spies declared that God's people could not beat the giants in the armies of the promised land and refused to enter. Only two, Joshua and Caleb stated they were confident that the Lord would deliver them if that was the land that He wanted them to go to.
What a simple story with such an amazing significance to our church. Here we stand looking for growth and new life while trying to handle our "giants". The economy, an aging building, needed improvements, strapped resources, culture and age differences. We have some who think the giants we face are too big. But I believe that God wants us to take them on and if that's what God wants, then HE WILL DELIVER!! Just a thought .....
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thunderstorms and Ice Cream
Well yesterday seemed to bring a little of everything. I was up early, not sleeping so well, as I thought about the sermon I would deliver and headed off for the church (about 50 yards away) shortly after 7. Clouds were building in and it looked like rain might be coming. I survived the short journey with nary a rain drop.
Once inside, the clouds began to billow and by 8 AM just 30 minutes before the service was to begin they opened up with a big windy, lightning filled downpour. My first weekend I noticed that shortly after 8 a bustling friendly crowd would have arrived, chatting and visiting with each other. On this day only 4 or 5 folks were present at 8:15. I joked with some of the volunteers that Satan didn't wan't the message I had to give preached...but I was gonna preach it anyway. By 8:30 fifty or so people had braved the storm, many staying home but checking in.
We talked about taking risks, about not just walking up to the edge of Christianity, but jumping in and being fully immersed! We talked about embracing the community in "the shadow of our steeple" as my good friend Jim Blue likes to say. Not just feeding them or giving away free things, but embracing them as our family, inviting them into our inner circle.
Later that day the clouds cleared and nearly 40 people showed up for an ice cream social that was thrown to kick-off VBS week at OSUMC. It was such a contrast to the early morning hours..there was no pressure, no concerns...just folks enjoying each other's company and basking in the potential of neighbor kids learning about the Christ over the next week.
It's too bad ice cream wasn't around during Jesus' ministry...I think He would have enjoyed the vanilla...and the prospect of what it brought...just a thought.
Once inside, the clouds began to billow and by 8 AM just 30 minutes before the service was to begin they opened up with a big windy, lightning filled downpour. My first weekend I noticed that shortly after 8 a bustling friendly crowd would have arrived, chatting and visiting with each other. On this day only 4 or 5 folks were present at 8:15. I joked with some of the volunteers that Satan didn't wan't the message I had to give preached...but I was gonna preach it anyway. By 8:30 fifty or so people had braved the storm, many staying home but checking in.
We talked about taking risks, about not just walking up to the edge of Christianity, but jumping in and being fully immersed! We talked about embracing the community in "the shadow of our steeple" as my good friend Jim Blue likes to say. Not just feeding them or giving away free things, but embracing them as our family, inviting them into our inner circle.
Later that day the clouds cleared and nearly 40 people showed up for an ice cream social that was thrown to kick-off VBS week at OSUMC. It was such a contrast to the early morning hours..there was no pressure, no concerns...just folks enjoying each other's company and basking in the potential of neighbor kids learning about the Christ over the next week.
It's too bad ice cream wasn't around during Jesus' ministry...I think He would have enjoyed the vanilla...and the prospect of what it brought...just a thought.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Sabbath
Our Creator explicitly called all of us to a time of rest, a day set apart for rest and focus on God. In His brilliance God developed law that required this rest of us, that's how important He felt it was.
In today's world we rush from sun-up till sundown, trying to jam in work, cleaning, shopping, soccer practice and home repair. It is so difficult to find time to simply recover our sanity. Clearly everyone from Pastors to medical experts tout the importance of rest and recovery. In addition it is so important that we spend a significant amount of that time focusing on what God has for us in our lives.
Today as I begin to set aside Friday's as my sabbath, Carol has reminded me that I am working by blogging my thoughts. It is truly a difficult task to do....nothing.
My prayer for you today is that you find time each week to recharge physically, mentally and spiritually..it is clearly an obedience that we must work on.
Blessings!
PB
In today's world we rush from sun-up till sundown, trying to jam in work, cleaning, shopping, soccer practice and home repair. It is so difficult to find time to simply recover our sanity. Clearly everyone from Pastors to medical experts tout the importance of rest and recovery. In addition it is so important that we spend a significant amount of that time focusing on what God has for us in our lives.
Today as I begin to set aside Friday's as my sabbath, Carol has reminded me that I am working by blogging my thoughts. It is truly a difficult task to do....nothing.
My prayer for you today is that you find time each week to recharge physically, mentally and spiritually..it is clearly an obedience that we must work on.
Blessings!
PB
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Stepping Over Boxes
Years ago I was a district sales manager with a retail company and I was doing a store visit with one of my managers. We were reorganizing some storage and moved a box off a shelf in the warehouse and sat it on the floor. It needed to have some numbers looked up so it could be returned.
About a month later I returned and noticed the box still sitting there and, trying to give a very busy manager a break, didn't say anything about it but made a mental note of its presence.
Three weeks later when I returned the box was still there and now it had two other boxes and a file folder on top of it. It had sort of morphed into a cardboard desk if you will.
The story of the box reminds me of our lives, all the things we put off till another time, usually the things that cause conflict or require confrontation or extra work. Putting things off in and of itself isn't a terrible thing, but often it causes other things in our lives to pile up on top as well.
The manager of this store had just stepped over the box for so long, it no longer looked out of place to him, in other words he was just living with it.
Maybe all of us should look at our lives and discover the "boxes" that need to be dealt with so we can stop stepping over the conflicts that keep us from being whole....just a thought.
About a month later I returned and noticed the box still sitting there and, trying to give a very busy manager a break, didn't say anything about it but made a mental note of its presence.
Three weeks later when I returned the box was still there and now it had two other boxes and a file folder on top of it. It had sort of morphed into a cardboard desk if you will.
The story of the box reminds me of our lives, all the things we put off till another time, usually the things that cause conflict or require confrontation or extra work. Putting things off in and of itself isn't a terrible thing, but often it causes other things in our lives to pile up on top as well.
The manager of this store had just stepped over the box for so long, it no longer looked out of place to him, in other words he was just living with it.
Maybe all of us should look at our lives and discover the "boxes" that need to be dealt with so we can stop stepping over the conflicts that keep us from being whole....just a thought.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
City Grounds
This morning I had the pleasure of enjoying coffee with a large group of the men from the church at a wonderful little coffee shop in Raytown called City Grounds. We learned that City Grounds would be closing this week, and hopefully resurrecting at another location in the near future.
It was fun watching the banter between the guys. What I found very interesting was how everyone knows everyone else's story! This is fellowship at its finest!! Macho men drinking coffee and caring for one another. (It is also awesome that many of these macho guys left the coffee shop to care for the grass at the church and at the parsonage!!)
This is what Christian community is about, sharing lives outside of the church building. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could break down all the barriers that keep the world from having coffee together every Wednesday morning? Reaching out to one another, teasing one another in love, offering each other assistance, loving one another.
Something to think about over a cup of coffee......
It was fun watching the banter between the guys. What I found very interesting was how everyone knows everyone else's story! This is fellowship at its finest!! Macho men drinking coffee and caring for one another. (It is also awesome that many of these macho guys left the coffee shop to care for the grass at the church and at the parsonage!!)
This is what Christian community is about, sharing lives outside of the church building. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could break down all the barriers that keep the world from having coffee together every Wednesday morning? Reaching out to one another, teasing one another in love, offering each other assistance, loving one another.
Something to think about over a cup of coffee......
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Coming Home
Wow what an incredible journey it has been from St. Louis to KC. We have felt so much love and outpouring from both sides of the state that it is almost impossible to put in to words the feelings.
We finally arrived with a few moving issues but everything is present and accounted for (thankfully even Carol's missing shoes have arrived). There are still 10 boxes or so to be "redistributed" but Carol is doing an amazing job and making our new house feel like home.
Sunday morning was the first of many worship celebrations at One Spirit and I felt such a loving and welcoming spirit from our new congregation.
It is always amazing to me how the Spirit of our God pours out of people when we gather in His presence. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us.
We finally arrived with a few moving issues but everything is present and accounted for (thankfully even Carol's missing shoes have arrived). There are still 10 boxes or so to be "redistributed" but Carol is doing an amazing job and making our new house feel like home.
Sunday morning was the first of many worship celebrations at One Spirit and I felt such a loving and welcoming spirit from our new congregation.
It is always amazing to me how the Spirit of our God pours out of people when we gather in His presence. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
