Are You Tired of Waiting?

This is an update from my writing conference. I have been writing curriculum for 1st -6th graders on the assigned topic of Matthew's Life of Christ (the gospel). So I have been studying for that using some books that I have acquired from one of my book sources Ray Roseman. The book is The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim. Ray's name is in the inside flap with the date of '66 ((c) 1965).

There, nestled in the pages, I found this insightful statement regarding the baptism of Christ section. Of course Matthew'w gospel has lots of kingdom language and discussion. Edersheim paints the picture of John the Baptist holding out the last great Israeli hope to those in real need of it -- the Kingdom. He writes:

"The long winter of disappointment had not destroyed, nor the storms of suffering swept away, nor yet could any plant of spurious growth overshadow, what had struck its roots so deep in the soil of Israel's heart."

I was moved by the passionate resolve in the final phrase of deep struck roots. I thought about the fact that the second Advent, the return of the King for the rapture of His church is our next great hope. I wonder, have I grown weary of waiting for the Kingdom? Am I blown away by the relatively temporary storms of life? Or am I like a first century believer -- baptized by the Spirit and watching the skies, fully expecting my Lord's return. Have I lost the passion of a deep struck root, immovable steadfast, always abounding in the work of the ministry. Do I have the drive to make this the cry of heart -- Maranatha! Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

With my eyes on the skies,
Mike

I Can Only Imagine

Do you know the worship song sung by Mercy Me that talks about the incredible nature of heaven? I can only imagine what it will be like. We have such a small sliver of information about heaven. But what we do have is enough to whet our apettite for such a day in the presence of God.

Dan Phillips has written a great blog post at www.teampyro.blogspot.com about the close of our brief lives here on earth that considers what we might imagine about the future in glory.

"Do you honestly imagine that there is any chance you'll regret trusting the Word too much? That you'll regret believing in God too heartily? That you'll regret giving too much of yourself to Him, in His service? That you'll regret having mortified the flesh too much, having walked in the Spirit too much? That you'll regret having been too godly of a husband, wife, parent, child, churchman, citizen? That you'll wish you'd indulged your fleshly passions more, loved the world more, pursued your private agenda more, absorbed yourself in the world's passing distractions more? That you'll wish you'd gotten more things, better things, and given less of your time and energies to the Word and the Lord?"

Well put Dan. Even with our limited understanding of heaven and God's character, we know that to buy the trinkets of this world at the expense of our greatest treasure in heaven is foolishness. Life is indeed short, live well and live wisely!

Choose treasure,
Mike

Caroling in the Village

Last night we caroled in our village of Wyoming. We had one of the largest groups in our history of mobile minstreling and spent a record 1 3/4 hours on the street. We ministered at 30+ homes and had some unique experiences. Here are my nominations for the WyBC Colden Chorus Awards (somewhat akin to the Grammy's).

For Best Aggressive Doorknockers: Caleb W & Scott P
I really couldn't determine who was more aggressive, so they can share. Both boys were intent on not only being the doorknockers, but also on rousing the occupants to meet them at the door. Both boys had to be warned, just one knock and wait. I think that Caleb actually tapped out a message telgraph style on one person's doorbell. I hope actually that they were not really home! I have to give them the award, because I really need some enthusiastic knockers like that in the future! Don't crush enthusiasm -- simply redirect it!

For Most Vocal Challenge to the Words of the Final Song: Owen E
While this award was previously held by Carrie W, Owen was a surprise candidate. The controversy about the singing of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" was solved until I printed different words in the "new" versions of songbooks. I must not have saved the changes last time and printed the "wrong words". I believe we finally settled on "Good tidings of Christmas" as the penultimate phrase. And Owen did not mutiny -- thanks.

For Best Choreography: Stephanie L
Stephanie decided that We Wish You a Merry Christmas was the only song that needed a little something extra. She took it upon herself to choreograph a little two-count sway with some of her partners. The only problem is that she had no concept of stay with the group! :) To the innocent observer too much eggnog might have appeared to be the culprit!

For Best Scrooge-like Reaction to Carolers: the family that sat at the window and continued their board game
I believe that the non-answered doors were easier to handle. This family looked out of the picture window through a sheer curtain and kept right on playing a game. They refused to come to the window! We still wished them a Merry Christmas in song. They were not the only ones to try to ignore us. However, 30+ people standing in your front yard would tend to get my attention. I guess some people just don't know what to do with carolers.

For Best Tiny Tim-like Reaction to Carolers: the Innkeeper at Wyoming
The new owners of the Inn came out and listened at his door. He invited us all in for hot cider and doughnuts. Walt and Lou S were a close second: these folks were ready with their plate of cookies for us and sent it out to us. These are great reactions and were a super encouragement to me. We are having a positive influence in our community for Christ.

For Best Set Design: God
We had one of the most mild caroling nights ever. It allowed us to stay out for so long this year. We are grateful for the break in weather even though it meant no snow for our trek. O what fun it was to sing a christmas song last night (sans a one horse open sleigh).

For Best Supporting Cast: the 39 carolers (men, women, teens, and kids) who went out
I was really grateful to all that attended the event and especialy for kids and families that make this event part of their holiday planning. There were even some of our neighbors who were looking forward to hearing us again this year -- actually looking forward to us coming! There were also some great comments about "could we please stop here -- I told them we were coming. I really want to minister to these people; I know them through .... "

All in all a huge ministry success. Special thanks to Paula B who would have rather been out caroling and agreed to woman the kitchen front, getting all of our goodies ready for our return. I guess that would be another classification -- "Best Home Front Support". Thanks to everyone who took aprt ion this special holiday tradition of community outreach. 'Tis the season to be sharing the love of Christ in a real and tangible way.

Singing in the Night,
Praising him in the Day,
Mike

Getting Your Worship Buzz On

My brother Thad has posted an interesting question about worship that has generated some comments from his regular readers. I posted a response, but couldn't leave it alone so to speak. (By the way, this is the sign of a good post in my opinion) So as I was reading the Disciple-Making Church by Bill Hull, I came across this quote:

"With the recent surge in church planting has come an intense interest in creating environment. The lack of a praise environment, not a lack of technical know-how, most hinders the contemporary church. Avante-garde church planters, those on the cutting edge, have begun to ...use drama, special effects, and whatever can be found that will hold the congreagtion's interest. ... However, I do not believe the worship environment they seek can be found through such techniques. These merely simulate a real, Spirit-engendered environment, while their artificial nature highlights the talent and abilities of man. A spiritual buzz based on highly gifted person's presentation will require a long string of buzzes. That, of course, leads to a desensitizing that eventually becomes boredom." pp. 71-72

I believe worship that is not anthropocentric (man-centered) but is theocentric (God-centered) is built on genuine enthusiasm. Hull writes rightly

"Enthusiasm [in the early church] made ministry a natural overflow of internal experience." p. 71.

That is, genuine worship comes from the inside out, not the other way around.

On this basis, how was your worship this weekend? Did it flow from a growing, developing relationship with God or did it wait for the gifted worship team to give you an infusion of their synthetic sugar-coated worship narcotic? Did you worship with the worship leader or watch him worship and draw a vicarious, second-hand drag off of his performance?

Tough questions. But they must be answered. It's time to detox and sober up on this topic.

Striving to be a lead worshipper not a worship leader,
Mike

30 Days of Focus Logo Evaluations

We are embarking on another "30 Days of Focus" here at WyBC. It will begin on Dec31 and run through Jan 28. This campaign style annual address is a blatant plagarism/borrrowing from Rick Warren's 40 Days of Purpose. While we do not buy into all that Rick has espoused, we do believe that the focused attention as a body on one topic is very helpful. So we will borrow the concept, rename it, rework it, reframe it and serve it up to our flock.

This year's theme is "Service". Its byline is probably "Every member a minister". But I am working on a logo for the 5 Sundays that we will be working through these things. The logo will be on notes pages, slide shows, bulletin shells, wall decorations, etc. But after polling 5 people, I got 5 different sets of input. Go figure. I guess I must be a glutton for punishment, because I am asking you to weigh in on these designs. If you would view the logos attached and then "vote". You answer may be any of the selected logos or a compilation of them. Please tell me what you like and what you dislike. Simply typing a number in the comments section does not help me very much.

Thanks for your help,
Mike
Associate Pastor/Graphic Artist in Residence

Don't Tweak My Tradition

Can you recite the Lord's Prayer from memory? Did you know that there are two accounts of this model prayer recorded and that they don't agree word for word with each other? I hope that this does not tweak your tradition or rock your liturgical world!

We are working through a series with the teens on the life of Christ. This week, Bethany will teach on prayer and specifically the Lord's Prayer section of Matthew's and Luke's accounts. Something caught my attention in the discussion of the passage. The KJV has a phrase at the end of the Matthean account that is not in the oldest and best manuscripts.

"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." Mt. 6:13b

So, the thought is that if the older manuscripts don't have it, then it must be an addition. Is it legitimate? Does it have a place in the prayer? Did Jesus say it or not? Does it matter? Is it in keeping with the prayer? Why might a later copyist add the commentary?

I would love to hear your feedback on this topic. Charles and I discussed it this morning at Bible Study, but you weren't there! :)

And finally, I want to put this caveat on this post: I am still convinced that I have the Word of God translated into my own language, that it is inspired and that it is inerrant; I still believe that tradition is okay as long as someone remembers the meaning behind the form; I will still read the Lord's prayer and observe its presented principles of prayer.

I will call upon the Lord
Who is worthy to be praised
So shall I be safe from my enemies
I will call upon the Lord
The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock
and let the God of my salvation be exalted

Amen,
Mike

Leadership in the Holding Pattern

I will admit, I do not like waiting. I believe that this is not the first time that I have had to post this message/confession either. Patience is no virtue of mine! Yet Joshua 3 has yielded some really helpful stuff for me as a leader in the holding pattern.

May I suggest some of them to you?

1. A great leader gathers recon data and makes a decision to move forward, often without giving the data to the people. (note: ch. 2:22-24 is a private reporting of the news back to Joshua; ch. 3:1 begins with Joshua rising early to make the company march to Jericho)
2. A great leader rises early. (3:1) I wonder if he doesn't rise before the rest of the crew. The morning walks around the camp at Lamoka before the cabins erupt with campers have always been an encouragement to me.
3. A great leader delegates tasks (especially communication and direction) to his officers. (3:2)
4. A great leader communicates great vision of the future possibilities to instill excitement in the troops. (3:5)
5. A great leader who waits for God to exalt him in the sight of the people has a stronger ministrywith them. (3:7) (note: the strength of ministry is not mentioned, but the connection with Moses is; Moses is the standard for great leaders in the minds of the people)
6. A great leader speaks the words of the LORD to the people with confidence. (3:9) His confidence as a leader must be built on truth. Following a leader is so much easier when he is on track with God. (cf. 1 Cor. 11:1)

The minutes preceding the attack is perhaps the hardest time to lead. You must instill courage and confidence in the men (and women) around you. You must be confident in the decisions that you have made and be committed to seeing them through. You must be ready to lead when the light turns green!

Pray for me as I lead that I will wait for the green light. Pray that I will lead with excellence through the wait and the charge/march into uncharted waters. Pray that I will watch my Leader and not rush ahead or lag behind.

Desiring to leave a leadership legacy like Moses and Joshua,

Mike

Thanks to All Who Help Me to Be Excellent

Thanks to all of you who are faithful readers of this blog. But again, I want to thank those of you who are alert enough to realize, "Hey I already read that" and comment. I am afraid that it is akin to those conversations like "You've got spinach in your teeth" or "Your zipper is down" -- everyone wants to be told discreetly, but no one wants to be the bearer of the bad news. Thanks to all who are so bold and confident in their relationship with me to tell me that I had posted twice. You really are my friends. I hope to be able to repay you somehow.

Thanks to all of you who are faithful readers of this blog. But again, I want to thank those of you who are alert enough to realize, "Hey I already read that" and comment. I am afraid that it is akin to those conversations like "You've got spinach in your teeth" or "Your zipper is down" -- everyone wants to be told discreetly, but no one wants to be the bearer of the bad news. Thanks to all who are so bold and confident in their relationship with me to tell me that I had posted twice. You really are my friends. I hope to be able to repay you somehow.

Thanks for pointing out my stuttering issues,
Mike :)

Sweet 16

Yesterday marked a great milestone in my/our life. It was our wedding anniversary -- the sixteenth actually. Sixteen years ago on a "black Friday", we avoided the malls and focused on saying we do in an evening service in our home church; black Friday became teal & rose Friday! :) It was a great celebratory event, filled with family and friends.

We have made many more aquaintances along this journey of marriage, but my wife still continues to have them all beat. She knows my most private thoughts and emotions. She can help me recover fastest from a botched, mangled day. She is a very suitable helper, fit for me. After Solomon tried a couple of models out, he came away with this appropriate jewel of wisdom, " He who findeth a wife, findeth a good thing" (Prov 18:22). I certainly have been favored by the LORD.

A rich, rich man,
Mike

Tomorrow

Do you remember Little Orphan Annie singing this one word over and over in her Broadway hit song by the same title? Her confidence and ability to face a rainy day was in the fact that tomorrow started something new -- the chance at seeing sunshine again. The possibility of a different existence, the start of the next chapter, the freshness of another day all bring a charge of anticipation. Is it possible to plan for tomorrow without stressing over it's vulnerability and risk? Yes. In fact, Joshua gives a great pithy plan to the sons of Israel in Joshua 3:5:

Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among
you.

I do not know if tomorrow will bring wonders for me or for you. We no longer communicate through prophets or audibles or oracles. But I do know that tomorrow holds that possibility. "My God" is the same God that did wonders with the Israelites -- parted the Red Sea and the raging Jordan. He can still do amazing miraculous intervention sorts of acts that totally separate Him from the rest of the field of suitors. That's one of the reasons why I love Him so much.

So if tomorrow is one of those days that he plans to bring about "water division" I want to be ready! I must consecrate or separate myself for his service. I must get up early and pack up my tent and get ready to travel. I believe that I am also called to lead others to do the same thing, so that God can do these wonders among US, not just me.

I don't know if the sun will come out, tomorrow, but I am packing my sunscreen and my Bermudas just in case! :) I know that of God desires me to get to the other side, He will make a way, where there seems to be no way. As I am ready and available to participate with Him, He will exalt me in the sight of others. I want to be there so that I can cast that spotlight on Christ -- the Living God!

Ready for dry ground through the waters,
Mike

What Will It Take to (re)Build the Church

Want to build a powerful, vibrant, emerging church? Or empower, revitalize, grow a stagnant plant? Hull may have nailed the concept in about 18 words:

"Inspired people must still communicate a contextualized message to those
who have been gathered by creative, powerful means."

Bill Hull, The Disciple-Making Church, p. 58

Preaching the word contextually (ancient and modern),
For genuine church growth,
Mike

Exercising Your Faith

Pastor Evans had this quote in his message Sunday AM:

"Faith puts God between us and our circumstances."

--Daniel Webster

As we journey through some tight financial times here at Wyoming Baptist, I am reminded that these times are refocusing times to bring us to into total reliance on Him. I want to have financial comfort and security. I want to have extra even. Is "provision for needs" or "daily bread" always to be at banquet level? Am I called to stop doing anything to support my family?

No, faith has substance in God (He has promised to supply all my needs + He who refuses to work ought not to eat + He has created me for good works) and has evidence (I will therefore stop worrying or fretting about it; be anxious for nothing + pray without ceasing). These are emotionally loaded, spiritually charged words of truth. I say that I believe them.

O Lord, help my unbelief -- increase my faith (acted on). I do not want to be a platitudinist (preacher who gives right words without appropriate action to match). I choose your faithful way (Ps 119:30); I shall run in your way (Ps 119:32). Enlarge my heart (Psalm 119:32)! What faith stretching exercises are you going through right now? Be comforted to know that you do not walk alone.

Relying on a relationship more than a religion,
Mike

Consciousness and Meditation

The US NEW & World Report magazine for October23, 2006 has an interesting (albeit disturbing) article in it entitled: Is There Room for the Soul? In it, the scientists from Salk Institute for Biological Studies suggest that the consciousness that separates us from animals is only a way to explain what we have already decided using our more evolutionary factors. The author of the article correctly assesses the situation: "There is something troubling about reducing consciousness to the operations of a 3-pound chunk of wrinkled brain tissue. ... Deny or attempt to disprove the immaterial character of the mind, and you elicit some of the same passions that have animated the culture wars over evolution in the classroom, exposing the deep divide between hard-core religious fundamentalists on one side and the equally hard-core scientific fundamentalists on the other." If we are simply a series of electronic pulses in the brain then why would the psalmist write, "...for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands which I love, and I meditate on your decrees." (119:47-48). We are both material and immaterial. Both parts of our bodies are to be in subjection to God and His will. Both are involved in the service and celebration of the King of kings. The creation of man in the image of God suggests that we can relate to Him, He being a spirit being and we being spiritual beings. All this discussion reminds me that we must be careful not to allow the "discoveries" of science to drive the train. Is that anti-enlightenment? Perhaps. Or perhaps it is only a warning that the stuff of faith is not always that concrete. Think on these things (with both material and immaterial portions of your person), Mike

The Power of the Pastors

We are reading the Disciple-Making Church (Bill Hull, ISBN 0800756274) together with our leadership team (deacons and trustees). Hull has a great passion for disciple-making, for helping others grow and succeed. Thus he wrote a book with the expressed intention to "provide a scriptural apologetic for a full-bodied discipling model" (p.12). To seek to deliver people from bondage to sin, develop them into fully functioning disciples of Christ and to deploy them into the whitened harvest fields is discipleship in a nutshell.

When Christ walked the earth, he was a one-stop discipler. Twelve men followed him closely and came away having been discipled. Hull suggests that these twelve, however, could not do it alone. They needed twos and threes and twelves to accomplish the same effect. We need the body of Christ to be engaged in discipling, not just the pastors or leaders. This may have even been the issue in Corinth as disciples began to hold their key discipler up as a model for others -- the ultimate discipler. Yet Paul's begging message is for reconnection of the body with all of its pieces. Each person must be discipling his neighbor and involved in the call to obedience and holding each other accountable.

Hull also says that

...pastoral care plays a vital role in drawing people to the church and supporting them in Christ. Unless a loving, caring community exists to help new-born babes and heal the wounded, people won't come to Him or stick around long enough to be trained. Love within the community of Christ is the most powerful of all the church's evangelistic tools. pp.31-32

If Hull is right, then the old Baptist adage, "every member is a minister" is true in a church that understands its evangelistic and disciple-making mandate. If the nurturing to disciple factoid is added to the no solo, lone ranger disciplers factoid, then the result is a strong Biblical belief in multiplicity of pastors (even if you don't believe in ordaining every person to the position/office).

Discussion Q's:

1. Whose responsibility is disciple-making?
2. If people are getting saved (responding to the gospel personally) and not growing or becoming functional members of the church, what is missing?
3. How many people does it take to grow a fully functioning mature disciple of Christ? Is it higher or lower than the number of Baptists it takes to change a light bulb?

Passionate about disciplemaking (relationship combined with instruction),

Mike

To Be Or Not To Be A Disciple-making Congregation

We are reading a book together as a leadership team here at WyBC -- The Disciple-making Church (Bill Hull). Actually, I am re-reading it; I read it for a course at seminary. It is a great book with lots of good reminders of the mandate for disciplemaking. Bill Hull writes:

Unless the church makes making disciples its main agenda, world evangelism is a fantasy. There is no way to reprodcue, multiply, and decentralize people and the Gospel without diligently making disciples. [p. 11]

This conclusion only stands to reason as the Great Commission begins with the making disciples participle. Hull further comments:

Denominations that change their methods and cast off unproductive tradition will flourish and experience God's power, while those who insist on the status quo will die a slow, unpleasant death. [p. 11]

I would like to change "denominations" to "churches" or even "pastors/leaders" since as an independent Baptist, I believe in the autonomy of the local church and the responsibility of the local church leadership to shepherd/grow/nurture/disciple its local flock. That is not a denominational thing. I don't like slow, unpleasant death. That sounds like good motivation to evaluate! :)

Desiring to experience God's power and flourish-ment,
Mike

Rollie's Love Connection

My good friend Rollin called me the other day and we had an in depth conversation about Scriptural stuff. We talked about:

1. How the Hebrew letters are really pictographs (picture characters), much like chinese or hieroglyphics
2. How we have used arabic script to write and Greek conceptual definition to describe these Hebrew pictures (example: the word for father is actually the construction of two characters, aleph = strength and beth=house; therefore, "father" is the strength of the house; hmmmmmm)
3. The difference in nuance of the two Grk words used for will (of God) in NT; thelema and boole. Rollin suggested that the thelema of God is a desire that expects and waits for our response or action on it, while boole is the will of God that he will act upon himself. That gives some interesting discussion and thought on some key passages! Words mean something and there are no true synonyms!
4. Rollin talked about some work that he had done on the prepostion phrases beginning with "according to" in NT Greek. He suggested again that there was a two part formual implied. One part was the need or requirement and the other part was the resource or the answer for the request. The resource of God is always enough, with some left-over! This has some cool implications to a group of phrases that I was chasing down in Psalm 119; "according to your promise", "according to your word", "according to your love". Thanks God -- cool timing! :)
5. He recommended a website (www.ancient_hebrew.org) and a book (Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti).

All that was incredibly enriching and we talked about some of the ramifications on some key texts in 1 John and in 1 Peter. I love talking with my friend Rollie. But then he made another reflection on a huge area that just boggled my mind. I want to share it with you for your discussion and comment. So here is the set-up:

• Again, remember that words mean something and there are no real synonyms in language
• Inspiration means that God (the HS) superintended the selection of words for a purpose without mechanically dictating these words; the message was clearly communicated!
• There are four spearate words translated "love" in the NT: storge, philo, agape, eros; each of course has a separate nuance or field of meaning
• storge = the traditions or mechanics of loving; philo = the being in fellowship or friendship with one another love; agape = the self-sacrificing, compassion love; eros = the ecstatic experience love
• The statement: In the book of Ephesians, and in the whole of the NT, eros is never used in connection with the normal Christian life or the description of the love of the body of Christ.
• The impact: Epehesus was into Diana worship. They uderstood the climax of sex to be the ultimate human experience and thought that during that moment they could actually touch God. Thus it made "sense" to employ thousands of temple prostitutes for the worship of Diana.
• In order to avoid this pagan connection, Paul used every other word for love to describe Christianity.
• YET, in our modern church, we have intorduced ecstatic experience back into our services through the "worship experience". This is especially true of the church growth movement and charismatic groups.
• While Rollin was not saying he had direct evidence to the conclusion, he suggested that perhap sthat is the reason why we have so much sexual immorality adultery and divorce running amock in our Christian communities.

Whow! (combination of wow and whoa) That will make you think twice about leading worship towards experiential goose-bumping. Caution. Do not lead towards a fabricated "frenetic" worship lest you exchange worship of God for worship of experience. Some of our worship choruses are just packed with that intimacy language. Hmmmmmm.

Let's engage in a careful dialogue about this topic.

I look forward to your insights,

Mike

Are You A Threat to the Survival of the Species?

How can a theory of origins affect your life? Read the following quote from a popular news magazine;

"Not only do the new atheists find religion intellectually irredeemable, morally dubious, and socially unnecessary, they judge it as a clear and present danger, maybe even the greatest threat to the survival of the species."

The New Unbelievers, Jay Tolson, US News & World Report, Nov 13, 2006, p.40-41.

Darwin's theory has farther reaching tentacles than just to biology! Evolution is more than a scientific premise; it is a worldview! It affects the way that one looks at the world and evaluates the data. It is a philosophy; it searches to apply a wisdom structure to the observation of life.

I choose instead to be a creationist who believes that a relationship with a holy God through the sacrifice of his one and only Son. His death burial and resurrection on my behalf for my sins has made all of the difference. This gift is life! It is for the preservation of the species and is intellectually superior, morally significant, and totally socially necessary. WITHOUT it (his sacrifice) we will die!

I am a sin survivor and a soul rescue technician,
Mike

Fur Todd, Not Elise

Todd is the blogger hound. He loves to challeneg me to blog. He loves to challenge other family members to blog. He does not have the gift of encouragement. He has the gift of exhortation and prophecy (calling it as he/God sees it). As I type this post then, I am writing it to get Todd off of my back first of all. Accountability does work! But as I am writing I find that I have missed this aspect of my QT. I enjoy writing. And I enjoy reading the Word and other books. Here's a quote that I found while studying in Psalms 119.

No man is holy by chance.

CH Spurgeon

Discipline isn't like falling off a log -- it takes effort. In fact, spiritual disciplines are more like staying on the log! Balance and concentration and practice.

So now, I say thanks Todd. You have called me to get back on the log -- or rather back on the Blog. So this one is for you brother! :)

Your falling off the blogging wagon and getting right back on again brother,
Mike

A New Look

Yes, you are at the right place! I am trying out a new template for the site. After all, the 101st post ought to be dsitinctive yes? I thought so too. The old posts did not transfer quites as smoothly as I might have hoped and I deleted a couple fo the old ones to try and make the update work -- but to no avail.

Please check out the website link to the template source. Interesting? Do you like? Drop me a note!

The character on the left just seemed to fit the blog title "the open mike". I get paid to talk! :)

Mike

100 blogposts -- Annual Report

Dear Faithful Readers,

This post marks the 100th post at this site, "The Open Mike". That is great news! I am pleased to say that the site has been a boost to my spirits and a great outlet of writing. Thanks for reading. It has taken me some time to discern what post might be the 100th and I have decided to include the annual report that I just wrote for our church annual meeting. This report includes a smattering of tasks that I have accomplished (with God's help of course) this past year. It also gives a challenge to the people of Wyoming that God has allowed me to minister with and to for 5 years now.

May Jesus Christ Be Praised!
Mike


Associate Pastor’s Report

As part of the programming offered at the YMCA, Scott took a class in Tae Kwon Do. As I watched the trainees follow the patterns set by their leaders, I became interested in this oriental martial art. From the outset, it seemed that the study was more than a series of kicks and punches; this practice was an action based on an idea or philosophy. Tae Kwon Do is much more than great exercise.

The World Taekwondo Federation describes Taekwondo as “one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind.” [www.wtf.org] As you can see, Taekwondo is not that far afield from the practice of Christianity. Notice these three similarities:

1. A unified mind, body and spirit
Paul called the Corinthians to live the taekwondo lifestyle with these words “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace.” (2 Cor. 13:11b) To the Colossians he wrote: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Col. 3:17) We must not only say that we love God, we must show it through our actions; we must not be isolationists but instead be a community bent on living out the principle of unity and peace, with all of our mind, body and spirit.

2. Preparation of a ready defense
We understand fighting an enemy (Eph. 6:12). Paul encouraged believers (then and now) to “put on the full armor of God”, so that you can “stand firm”. There must be a readiness, a stabilized stance and a mental preparation, that characterizes each believer if we are to extinguish the fiery attacks of the adversary. We must guard against attacking those without Christ -- they are not the enemy. Satan is our enemy! We need to defend those who are trapped in the life of defeat and train them in the way of survival!

3. Harmonious growth and improvement of life
We make no bones about this goal for all believers at Wyoming Baptist. The purpose of this local church is to fulfill the Great Commission. Therefore, all of our activities are to be done for the expressed purpose of “making disciples”. Discipleship is the life of harmonious growth and improvement. It is the life of taking up our cross daily, denying ourselves and following Christ, our ultimate teacher/trainer (Luke 14:27). We must count the cost of such a pursuit! We must be determined that the resulting growth and improvement is totally worth any effort along the way. We must be eagerly pursuing our pattern -- “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). If we do not, then Christianity becomes just another religious system bent on “moralizing” immoral people – no better than Taekwondo.

As your pastor, I am responsible for setting the pattern for others to follow. I am responsible for leading in life training that is more than just “good exercise”. Below is a list of some of those opportunities that I have led and been led through myself this past year:

· Worship design and leading
o AM and PM services
o Special services: Christmas Eve, National Day of Prayer, Easter Sunrise Service, Fire n Fellowships, multiple commissioning/reporting services
· Youth group
o Teaching
o Monthly leadership meetings
o Outings, activities, events
o Counseling
· Visiting/hospitality
· Preaching
o 2 Peter – “You Can Live Godly in an Ungodly World” (PM series)
o Joshua – “Experiencing Spiritual Victory” (AM series)
o Easter Sunday @ WyBC
o Prayer meeting devotionals
o VBS Training @ Cornerstone Baptist, Geneseo
o Pulpit Supply @ Henrietta Regular Baptist Church
o Graduation Speaker @ HRBCS
o Adult Dinner Speaker @ Faith Baptist, N. Chili
· VBS: Missions Director, money counter, Pastor Miguel (opening and closing MC)
· Sunday School teaching
o Decision Making God’s Way
o Reading the Bible for All Its Worth
o Psalm 119
· Summer Ministry Team training
· Word of Life Writing Team
· Judging preaching and media categories at Word of Life’s Talents for Christ
· Ministry Team Director, Jr. Sports Week
· Attended ESF conferences, monthly area pastors’ meetings
· Leadership Meetings with Dan Woodard
· Men’s Bible Study – “The eXodus-Men”
· Deacons’ and Trustees’ meetings
· Ministries Coordinator, AppleUmpkin
· Released Time Helper

We cannot be called “disciples” if we are not training our mind, body and spirit to reflect the glory of God. We must never be satisfied with our “spiritual achievement levels” (Phil. 3:12-14). We must spur one another on toward love and good deeds. This means not giving up our meeting together, but encouraging one another at every opportunity with great urgency. (Heb. 10:24-25) I would encourage you to take advantage of all of the training activities and opportunities available for your growth here at WyBC. My goal is that when we reach the end of our journey, we can all receive the everlasting black belt (2 Cor. 9:25) for excellence and progress!

Training to please the Master,

Pastor Mike Paris
Associate Pastor