Monday, July 31, 2006

Blog Backlog Soundtrack - Leeland

Talk about a blog backlog...

I've been very focused over the past few weeks.

God. Family. Vision. People. Scripture. Order. Strength. Strategy. Stuff like that. :-)

I can honestly say that I've never been more excited about what's ahead for Compass than I am right now. God has been doing some very cool things around us here, lately and I'm looking forward to seeing where some new developments end up taking us. More on this later.

It's been awesome, but hasn't provided much time for blogging.

Fortunately, as many of you know, I usually have my "Un-wired-er Analog PDA Mind Map" with me or close by during the day, so I have a little log of blog posts that I'll be getting around to before long.

To ease back in, and because I'm short on time, here's a little of my life soundtrack for the past week or so:

Leeland is a cool new band from the great state of Texas. I've enjoyed listening to a few of the songs from their site, and I like that the drummer (on the far right) looks a little like "Hurley" from "Lost."

One song in particular, "Tears of the Saints," could easily be a lyrical anthem for our church. The first time I listened to the words of that song, I got a bit of a lump in my throat and a steely resolve in my heart.

I can't believe I just said, "steely resolve in my heart," but that describes it pretty well, actually... "Father, we will lead them home..."

Check out their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/leelandmusic, and look for the new release, "Sound of Melodies" on August 15, 2006.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

All Get Out

Compass Church is a church plant. If that means nothing else, it means we are mobile, agile, and ... uh, nimble?

Anywho.

For three short weeks leading into our fall schedule at the Roanoke Recreation Center, that's exactly what we will be. Mobile, that is.

I have several books in me that I hope will one day find the light of publishing day, and one of them includes a chapter that was originally titled, "Why the Church Must Get Out of Its Building." Now I'm pretty sure it will be called, "All Get Out." That's a post in and of itself, and is actually the topic for my talk this Sunday.

"All Get Out" is an expression that Dictionary.com defines this way:
The utmost degree that is possible or even imaginable: “It's snowing like all get-out up here” (Hans Thorner).
The church striving for the "utmost degree that is possible or even imaginable" and the church "getting out of its building" - I like the play on words here.

The walls of a church building, rented or otherwise, should serve to provide a church focus and ministry for a lost world, not protect a church from it.

We all need to get out.

Get out and serve. Get out and share. Get out and be the church instead of merely going to it.

This is a very cool time for our church. It's also a great time to join us on the adventure. If you are a Christ follower who is tired of church as usual and ready to get out and change the world, give me a call.

But you may need to leave me a message - I'm going to be "out" quite a bit over the next few weeks...

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Usable

Sometimes mistakes and disobedience cause consequences that make future ministry limited, or at least redirected. Moses didn't get to go to the promised land after striking the rock, Elijah was replaced after losing the vision, and a few others like Achan, Annanias and Sapphira lost their lives after direct disobedience.

But God in His great grace has not always made that the case. More often than not, God uses us in spite of our mistakes and our disobedience when we turn back to Him.

One of the more famous "disobedient servants" in scripture was Jonah.
  • Jonah should have gone to Ninevah. Instead, he went toward Tarshish.
  • Jonah should have been preaching to the Ninevites. Instead, he was confessing to sailors.

  • Jonah should have been in the presence of a king. Instead, he was in the belly of a fish.

  • Jonah should have been the "mouthpiece" of God. Instead, he was vomited from the mouth of a fish.
His mistakes, and even his disobedience, didn't "get him out" of going to Ninevah. Certainly there are sins that may disqualify us for particular areas of service. But fortunately for us all, our past does not necessarily disqualify us from the mission.

God did something very compassionate and merciful for Jonah.

He did not let him go.

Instead, He continued to command him to go.