Oh, I Get It Now...

Yesterday I got a call mid morning inviting me to join a friend and some out of town guests for lunch and a tour of downtown including our new location. There is something great about a last minute call for lunch, especially if it is to Jack Stack BBQ.

The tour of downtown was great, we are all extremely excited about our new location so that was invigorating. It was as if things couldn’t get any better, and then we arrived at Jack Stack. As soon as we walked in the door we were greeted by a smiling face surrounded by blonde hair.

WARNING: The following dialogue may be hazardous to your hair color :)!

DISCLAIMER: The following is an equal opportunity conversation. It could happen to any one regardless of hair color.

Host: How many today?
Us: Four
Host: Any preference for a booth or a table?
Us: Table please….then we have more room to eat without getting our soon to be expanded waistlines trapped...
Host: Ok, it will be just a few minutes
Us: We have some friends from out of town…..
Host: (Looking away like she couldn’t hear us and then, realizing she had nothing to do but wait for the table to get cleared, she turns back in a most disinterested fashion) Really?
Us: We’re from Wisconsin…Packer’s fans.
Host: (Clearly annoyed that we were talking to her) Wow!
Us: (Not my joke) I heard the Chiefs don’t have a website…
Host: Really?
Us: They can’s put three W’s in a row…

Now the conversation gets very awkward…….

Host: (Fake smile and totally confused) I don’t know much about football…hmmm, it looks like your table is ready.
Us: (You would have had to have been there….see warning above.)

I think we have all felt the awkward moment when a joke is told and we don’t get it. Then the person telling the joke does one of two things, tries to explain the joke further, totally ruining the joke and continuing to raise the level of discomfort or personally laugh real loud ignoring that no one else gets the joke.

I have also been on the other side of the scenario when someone tells a joke and my mind is spinning trying to figure it out. I almost always give a courtesy laugh hoping that no one will notice that I have no idea what the joke was all about.

This Sunday we are not talking about jokes, however we are talking about something that at the time it was spoken was not totally understood - the Old Testament prophesies fulfilled a the crucifixion. We will look closely at John 19:31-42 and see the faithfulness of God through the promises He has kept and the lives He has changed. Whether you are able to attend on Sunday or not, I hope we can all have a great weekend remembering our great God who always keeps His promises and also our great country that provides us the freedoms to meet and share.

I also ask you to take a moment now and pray for God to work in your life preparing you for the service.

The Roller Coaster of Life

World’s Of Fun…..if you are from Kansas City you immediately think of high roller coasters, wet rides and lots of fun. Tonight we are going for the first time of the year. The hours before getting on the rides are loaded with anticipation for me. Now that I am middle-aged and have kids, I look forward to different things.

I don’t feel like I have to get on every roller coaster 10x to make it worth my money. I don’t feel like I have to compromise my stomach just to say I rode every ride. Instead, I enjoy camp snoopy. Not to ride myself, but to watch the faces of our girls as they ride the school bus or the mini roller coaster.

I love seeing them get scared as they anticipate the drop or hearing them laugh and scream as they pass by. I love watching them have a good time. Honestly, I can’t wait until the girls are old enough to ride the roller coasters with us. I can’t wait until they get on for the first time and hold on for dear life with a look of terror on their faces and then when they have turned completely white by the end of the ride to ask them if they want to go again.

Before I know it, they will be coaxing me to go on the big rides and I will be making excuses. I can already imagine:

Troy - “You all go on ahead; someone needs to stay here with all your stuff.”
Girls – “What stuff? We don’t have anything to watch.”
Troy – “Well let me get some funnel cakes for everyone…I don’t want you all to have to wait in line.”
Girls – “There’s no one in line.”
Troy – “I think I need to use the restroom.”
Girls – “You just went like 5 minutes ago.”
Troy – “Well, I think I’ve had enough rides for now….”
Girls – “The only ride you have been on is the Ferris Wheel.”
Troy – “Fine, but if we all get hurt, they’ll be no one to drive home.”
Girls – “Dad, you are such a wimp.”
Troy – “Now I remember just a few years ago when you were afraid to ride the big roller coasters and I was trying to coax you into riding….now it is the other way around.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I will ride a few roller coasters tonight and hopefully raise my hands and yell and have a blast, but I have already come to realize that my amusement park career is going downhill. I know this is true because I already anticipate the feeling I will have late tonight when we finally make it back to our van. You know that feeling of total relief when you get to sit down after walking all night. In time, I will pick an amusement park by the food selection and waiting areas and not the roller coasters.

These simple thoughts may teach us something about our faith. At the beginning of our faith journey there will come times when we see the extremely large steps of faith looming before us and we will be totally scared. In fact, it will seem like such a big step that we can’t imagine taking it. After some growth we will step out with white knuckles and pounding hearts. The first major step of faith will be a blur because our eyes were closed, and we were praying the entire time for survival. With a little experience, we will realize that these steps of faith are a part of our journey and are incredibly enjoyable and invigorating. As time marches on, and we get older in our walk, the huge steps of faith no longer have the same affect on us individually. In God’s sovereign plan, He intended for each of us to have children in the faith to mentor through the same steps of faith we took as new believers. As we age spiritually it is of vital importance that we have “children in the faith” to watch take these same steps, otherwise we will have no reason even to go to the “amusement park of faith.”

Where Mother's Day Came From

Sunday is Mother’s Day. According to Wikipedia, Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of each May and is the result of a campaign by Anna Marie Jarvis (1864-1948), who, following the death of her mother on May 9, 1905, devoted her life to establishing Mother's Day as a holiday.

I was pondering how great this Anna Marie must have been, so I decided to do a little more research and found out a few interesting things….. She succeeded in making Mother’s Day nationally recognized by 1914. By the 1920s, Anna Marie had become soured on the commercialization of the holiday, and was once arrested for disturbing the peace. In addition, she and her sister Ellsinore spent their family inheritance campaigning against the holiday. Both died in poverty.

According to her New York Times obituary, Anna Marie became embittered because too many people sent their mothers a printed greeting card. As she said, "A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment!"

Bitter, party of one!!! From the sounds of it a little Mother’s Day chocolate could have done her some good.

In all seriousness, one fact we all have in common is that we are ALL here because of a mother. Since Eve was formed in the Garden, every human being has had a mother. That is a cause for celebration.

This Sunday will be a great opportunity to reflect on your own mother and our God who made her. We will have a few special videos, some great music and a sermon about Mary standing at the cross of Jesus found in John 19:25-27.

Where the Wind Blows

Several weeks ago I was able to connect with a new friend. In the course of our conversation the topic turned to salvation and what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. After spending some time in John 3 we stopped at verses 7 and 8 where Jesus says, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

After the storms last night, we were again reminded of the power of the wind. According to the local news, several roofs were blown off, houses were literally moved and very large trees were uprooted. WOW!!!!

There is something exciting about a storm….I am not sure what it is….maybe the unknown, the “huddle down in the basement affect.” I think the excitement started for me when I was a kid….I loved a late storm, because it meant I could stay up late. All I had to do was act scared and I was in…..unfortunately, this DNA has been passed down to my own children. Last night, the wind blowing and the tears were flowing as the fears were growing (You would be more impressed with the poetry if you had any idea how long it took to think up :)).

“I’m scared.”
“It’s gonna be ok.”
“But I’m really scared.”
“But it’s really gonna be ok.”
(Cue tears and desperate tone) “I’m really, really scared.”
“Troy, get a grip.” (Totally kidding….just thought I would throw you for a loop….)

Needless to say, we lost quite a bit of sleep last night and most of it was from little footsteps coming upstairs into our room. They were scared about something that was totally out of their control.

According to Wikipedia, “Wind occurs as air is heated by the sun and thus rises. Cool air then rushes in to occupy the area from which the hot air has now moved.”

Jesus made His point that just like wind cannot be adequately described, the affect of salvation cannot be adequately described. When someone relinquishes control and accepts the gift of Jesus, something happens that is indescribable.

My friend that I referenced at the beginining and I were able to reconnect this morning and it was an incredible moment when he called out to accept Jesus. After, he prayed to accept Jesus, he said, “I feel different.” I guess all I can say is that it is like the wind, you can’t adequately describe it, but when it comes you KNOW it by its affects. This is yet another person that has joined so many others in this journey of a LIFE time.

Speaking of journey’s we continue to move to new locations for our Sunday Meetings. This Sunday May, 4 we will meet at our NEWLY-LEASED location at 10:45 for a tour, condensed service and prayer. Following our time at the building we will head over to the “outdoor living room” of the Kansas City Live section of the “Power and Light district” for lunch. There are several restaurants to choose from with prices ranging from $6.00 per person on up. We want everyone to be able to enjoy this celebration, so if you cannot afford to eat here, please let me know. God has already burdened an individual to help anyone in need.