Blog My Sojourn Live

What happens when your network of comrads crashes?  What happens when communication breaks down?  What happens when the what and how of everyday connections is gone?

Well-- today my friendly Facebook account got shut down for sending  this site's link to friends.  I can handle the making sure I wasn't sending spam or what have you-- but it was so arbitrary, so boom done.  Next thing you know-- I can't do the usual.  I can't connect with friends during the day.  I can't write my silly notes and post them on my wall-- It seemed to me...like like I was shut off from the real world.

Oh my twitter stuff was twitting all day long, but in truth I don't get that deal.  Why follow me?  Why follow anybody?  What for?  The daily stuff of life is not that big of a deal.  I think I twitter because it is the in thing, but in truth--- it's not that fun for me.

Which leads me to this little blog tonight-- for me, my journal, my thinking outloud-- what is it with all this communication-- Why is Facebook so important?  Why is connection so important?  Why?  I guess I'm like everybody else-- its good to feel wanted.  It's good to be connected.  It's good to "reach out and touch" people.  But does it have to be so, so constant?  So every hour checking the FACE?  Every minute a tweet, a twitter?   I don't know, maybe with all that is going on in my life-- all that stuff is filling a void?  Maybe it is?  I don't know... but this I do know-- I can live without the FACE-- I can live without the twitter-- I can live with out emails and on and on and on.

But I don't do so well when I'm not connected to the source of my life-- No, I couldn't run to the FACE today and check it.  I had to stop and hear not much-- I had to stop reporting my day and soak it in.  I couldn't catch up with anyone via the Face-- and there-- I thought it-- I could catch up with God.  I could catch up with telling Him about my day.  I could catch up with Him and share the happenings, the questions, the frustrations.  

It was different today without the FACE-- different-- and it was different with God today-- I spent some much need time with speaking with Him-- for I have much on my mind these days-- leading a staff, leading the adult Wednesday night, prepping for the Thursday night deal for H.S.-- considering my future-- getting the house ready for the big grad party, loving on my wife and kids, working on board related issues-- there is plenty to do without face-- and there is plenty to seek God about in all the above-- maybe I have pushed Him out in order to give time to everything else-- Maybe-- no-- I have-- therefore, this is good.  Will there be life without the FACE?  Yes.  Will I join again?  Maybe.  Today is a good reminder to me-- not to be so busy with all the stuff to leave my source, my solace my true friend in the background.

I'll just write on His wall

Dear Jesus, my true friend.  Thank you for being there for me while I run around trying to do your work.  Forgive me for putting all that stuff in front of you.  Fill me with your Spirit that I may have my priorities right-- so that I can slow down enough-- to seek after you.  Thank you for hearing my prayer-- help me to stay close to you-- oh and when I wander a bit, disable the junk.

Thank you,

Don

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Hebrews 11.6

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Yesterday I received my AARP packet for membership.  Wow!  I can’t believe I have been around for almost 50 years—(1 month to go)

Now, back to the influence idea--- When I was growing up I continually heard from my mom this statement  “what are people going to think?”  Some people appreciate that statement—I’m not that keen on it.   It’s the context from my mom—who is 91 this year.  What motivated my mom to continually harp on me about “others” and the way they thought about me was not about the internal things lived out.  That statement was actually about the external things – looks, clothes, actions—and being accepted or liked if you will because of the external things.  Some may say, “that is good”  well it may be good if one is working on the internal things first—character, integrity come to mind.

So then, how did I get here through an AARP card?   I thought of the short life of Jesus.  I thought of His influence on the people around him.  What made Him influential?  Was He motivated by “what will people think?”  Was He motivated by simply living out what was internal—His love for the Father, His love for humanity, His choice to pursue the cross?  I believe that Jesus was influential because He lived out His passions and what others thought about Him was not the key to His life—obviously some accepted Him and others did not.  Jesus did not change so the “others” would—He was driven by what was internal.

I thought about this stuff last night—in this day of Facebook, twitter, blogs, YouTube---I have connected and reconnected with people that go all the way back to high school—35 years later—what really do they think of me?  I don’t look the same—older, hair color has changed and gotten thinner, some scars, getting shorter—do they really care about the externals?   I don’t think so.  Do they notice the external?  Sure.  But what they know most about me is from the inside out.  Do I have character?  Do I have integrity?  Do I care about what people think of me because of fear?  No, I have chosen to Follow Christ over the years—just like the first people that Jesus asked to “Follow me” without worrying about what others would think-- just going for it!  (I have seen over the years what people pleasing does to many of my friends and on occaision myself)

I have come to the realization that “Following” Christ is a process and had I been worried about what others thought—I may have not jumped in, engaged Him and followed with all that I have.   Now looking back--  Oh you bet I haven’t done it right.  You bet I have failed along the way, you bet I have blown it—but I have chosen to be transparent and tried to be honest enough to not care so much about what people think of my external stuff – but choose to live from the inside out—and hopefully people have seen the Christ in me.

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Just got through meeting with the staff this morning.  I so enjoy our time together.  So much to do, so much to talk about, so much to consider.   My life is ministry and that means people-- and the first people in line is my staff.  My staff counts on this meeting for the daily (weekly) ministry tasks, overall big picture and mostly our comradery to get ministry done.

 A friend of mine a few weeks ago brought to my attention the whole Lazarus being raised from the dead-- John 11 issue-- the fact that He was dead-- and heard the voice of Jesus.   Hmmmmmmm     I attended a funeral this past weekend and thought during the service about this very issue-- that Jesus called to Lazarus when he was dead.  By the way, where was Lazarus as a dead man-- and how did he hear the voice of Jesus?

Those questions bugged me for sometime-- but then I realized-- I was spiritually dead when Jesus called out to me-- funny though- I knew all the spiritual things-- I grew up in the church-- I knew all the right words, the right dress, the right everything-- but was dead-- how do I know-- I know-- there was nothing in the doing-- as a matter of fact-- I could no longer do for my parents, the pastor, my friends and I wouldn't-- I couldn't 

 Interesting that Jesus-- called out the Pharisee's --  called them white washed tombs-- dead--knowing all they knew-- they were still dead--  and He was right there with them-- and they didn't get Him.  All this to say-- like we talked about at staff-- people are spiritually dead-- and many that may come to our church-- we must help them-- help posture them to hear the voice of Jesus-- maybe even be the mouth piece if you will...

Which leads to the final deally-- am I hearing the voice of Jesus today?  Am I postured to hear?  

My life,
Has led me down the road that’s so uncertain
And now I am left alone and I am broken,
Trying to find my way,
Trying to find the faith that’s gone
This time,
I know that you are holding all the answers
I’m tired of losing hope and taking chances,
On roads that never seem,
To be the ones that bring me home

Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

Third Day -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEn74zP1glQ

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Welcome to my NEW little attempt at the blog thing-- 

Awesome Day in West Chester Ohio.  As I work at my home desk this morning-- I am reminded of how simple life can be-- sometimes--  but simplifying is a choice I made this morning when I got up and made my little "to do" list.  Keeping it simple may be one of those old cliche's I didn't quite get-- until I got a little older, a little more wrapped up in all sorts of stuff -- and decided to unwrap some of the stuff and simplify-- now it is part of my  habit or discipline if you will-- to take Monday's to unwrap-- funny how the choice then becomes during the week to get wrapped up again-- all good.

One of the wrappings of what I do-- Ministry is this-- for now I wear several hats at Far Hills Community Church-- Youth Pastor, Associate Pastor-- to who?  Associate to the board for now-- I lead the staff on a weekly basis-- working at continuing to build the team for ministry movement--  and of course-- ministry without relationships, significant relationships can be ... perhaps, just do a job... and over time-- I realize and know full well that leading means relationships and I have come to love my staff-- because they "do" ministry as a life-- not a job-- and that is not a fine line-- nope-- that is a large, bold line that ministry people choose to cross over-- but when doing ministry as a job goes for a time-- that I would say is "doing it in the flesh, on one's own power" and ministry becomes hum drum, dull and "just a job".  Working with my staff-- is all about keeping it from crossing over the line.

Time to roll on with other things-- bye for now.
Oh-- and please feel free to leave a comment--
Glad you are checking out "My Sojourn Live"

Don
Psalm 40

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