Saturday, May 10, 2008

Dedicated To Pastorless Churches.

"Dear Mr. G________,

The Pastor Search Committee of ________________ has been provided your name/resume as a possible candidate for pastor. We are praying that our search will be directed by our Lord as we seek His direction in these matters. For now, we are in the initial stages of our task and are in the process of gathering several bits of information from our local church members.

At this point, we simply desire to acknowledge we have received your name. If you would prefer that we not consider you as a prospect for pastor, please send us a note to remove your name from our search.

We pray God directs you in all you do in service to Him.

Sincerely,

_________________
Chair, Pastor Search Committee"

This letter was well received by Mr. G (aka Brother G - hubby) and our family. We are so grateful that this church, through their pastor search committee, took the time to make us aware of receiving his name and resume. It could be a form letter. It still represents the type of courtesy that is welcomed on this side of the envelope.

If you are a part of a church body that is pastorless - please consider using a letter such as this.

The G family is praying not only for the church body where the letter was received from but all who are going through a time of seeking God's will.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Michael. Prayer Requests.

Please join us in praying for Michael. He came into the physical church building today for a gas card needed to get him to the doctor. He is looking at having his toes amputated.

Please do not just pray for his physical condition. As Michael said himself, "I have not been inside a church in a long time." As always in situations such as these - we extend an invitation to come visit us or one of the other local church bodies.

Michael shook my hand and then hugged me. As he was walking out the door, he said, "May God bless you for your kindness in helping others. Your smile has encouraged me."

Who was encouraged again? Funny how that happens.

Please pray for Michael.

How can we pray for you?

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Basic Needs. Tana.

Tana just walked through the doors of our physical church building to pick up a gas card. It does not seem like much and yet she was in tears. $15.00 does not go as far as it used to. To Tana, it goes where she needs it to tomorrow. Sometimes our needs really are that basic as was giving her a hug and letting her let go when she was ready to and not a moment before.

Please join us in praying for Tana.





Spiritual Warfare Part II.

Wednesdays are my long day at the physical church building. I arrive at 8:30 a.m. and do not leave until 8:30 p.m. Over the course of the day, I had the opportunity to spend time talking with various individuals whom I love and am so incredibly thankful to have as a brother and/or sister in Christ and also call friend. They are family.

It's funny really. I fought being on staff. I did not want to allow myself to get trapped inside the physical church building. It has been inside those walls however where I have found some of the most amazing individuals I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Funny how that can happen. I fought it and yet it was for my own good. There was real benefit.

The topic of Spiritual Warfare is one that I do not think is talked about enough. Yesterday as I was discussing it with one individual - that person said to me, "Camey? I believe it is easier for women to talk about it than it is for men." Thinking back over my life thus far, I had to agree with this person. Yet, by the time the night was over.... I was having to disagree.

Brother G and I teach a Bible study class on marriage on Wednesday nights. After we were done last night, I walked outside and came across a certain couple. This couple has been praying for us since we first met. They pray with us. They have been of such encouragement to us. Hopefully we have been to them as well. I had only gotten out a couple of words when the man said, "Camey? The Spiritual Warfare is heavy right now. You and your hubby and the boys have been brought to my mind several times over the last couple of days. I knew something was really going on. I could feel it." His wife agreed with him and said she had the same thing happening to her as well.

As I walked down a hallway to where we meet up with our three sons to leave..... a sixteen-year old boy whom our family loves dearly came running up to me and hugged me like he normally does. Then he said to me, "Doors close. Doors open. It's gonna be good. Just hang on for the ride. I'm praying with your family!" Apparently, Austin had been talking about Spiritual Warfare with his buds.

We're fighting for something much bigger than ourselves. The Last One Standing has always been the One and Only Winner! We are a part of Him. He is with us... for us...

Spiritual Warfare.... It is real. It needs to be discussed.

If we are truly to make disciples - to be disciples.... we've got to take off the masks and get real...

And we've got to get dirty! Even if it means cleaning toilets and taking out the trash and slaying those dragons and demons.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Spiritual Warfare! Sit Out or Put On Armour?

There are times in life when things can be rather confusing. The G family totally believes in Spiritual Warfare. We are experiencing a good amount of it currently. It is thick. It is deep. It is as real my sitting in this chair writing this. For those who I know read this blog who do not believe in God.... I know.. "There she goes again." I still love you. Most importantly, God does too.

My reason for talking about Spiritual Warfare this moment is simple... For those of us who do believe and profess faith in God, in Jesus, we should expect Spiritual Warfare. If we are living the moments given to us by God for His Kingdom - truly seeking to make an impact in the lives of others... Spiritual Warfare should not surprise us when the battle really starts to rage.

I'd rather trust in Him any moment than to trust in myself. I am weak. He is strong.

And HE wins! There is victory in Jesus! In serving God!

So, I ask you this morning... Spiritual Warfare...

Do you sit out or put on His Armour knowing you do not fight alone?

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

"It Will Only Strengthen Us."

That was said to me last night by our youngest son as we were discussing a storm we are going through right now. For those who have said, "Camey, you sure are having a lot of RQMs lately."... you are definitely right as far as blogging goes. (RQM - really quiet moments)

Actually, I haven't been all that quiet. I've been crying out to God without using audible words. So has hubby and the boys. We are grieving a loss (well it is more than one actually) that words cannot do justice to. No, not the loss of my daddy for daddy is not now nor was he then lost. He is totally found. This is a loss (losses) of a different kind. One that I am not willing to share much detail on at the moment for there are still so many decisions left to be made.

I do ask that you pray for the G family. Much of what is going on is spiritual warfare. It will only strengthen us.... I have no doubt. For we know Who wins and in that is much comfort and peace even when we do not understand all the ends and outs.

If you know of a church body looking for a pastor, associate pastor, or ???? I'm incredibly blessed to be married to a man who loves God and is willing to serve Him no matter the cost.

As always... you have been prayed for this moment wherever you are at.



Sunday, May 4, 2008

Theological Underpinnings for a Life of Outflow

This article was originally posted at www.serve-others.com/issue17.


I wonder how many books have been written about the empty tomb? Or even more, how many sermons have been preached on this theme? The empty tomb is a favorite subject of poets and artists.

If I should ask you to describe from your imagination a picture that symbolizes Easter, almost surely one of the scenes that would come to mind would be a stone tomb with a huge rock rolled back from the entrance, with the implied message that the tomb is empty. The empty tomb. The phrase itself captures us. It seems symbolic of all hat Easter means.And yet, it isn’t to the point.

Here is the Good News about Easter. The tomb was now full. And it has been full ever since.
Victory, for instance... Tombs have for so long declared themselves the ultimate winners; after all, no mortal escapes them! But no longer. We do indeed die, but with a sublime confidence that we will rise again. We will win! Our Lord has taken conquest of the grave, turning its emptiness into habitation of victory. The game we humans have been losing since Adam and Eve is now turned to victory.

And hope too. The tomb is now full of hope. During my nearly forty years as a parish pastor, I stood many hundreds of times at the open grave . . . I conducted "final rites" with hope. As a fellow human being, I wanted often to weep with the mourners, and sometimes I did; I felt for their loss, particularly in those instances where death seemed to have come earlier than was its right. But my tears were of sympathy, not of despair. The tomb is now full of hope.

So it’s a full tomb. Full of life, hope, prospect, glory, gladness, anticipation.

How full?

So full that the small body of first-century believers, who seemed ripe for immediate extinction, became instead a movement of such proportions that within less than a generation their enemies were referring to them as the people who were turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6). The odds were so dramatically against the little company of believers . . . When Jesus told this group of fishermen, small-business people, and day laborers that they should go into all the world to preach the gospel, I doubt that there was anyone in the group who knew anything about the world beyond a fifty-mile radius. They were an absurd minority, with nothing going for them. Except that they were full...full to overflowing

Twenty centuries of generations have now slipped by since our Lord was raised from the dead, and millions upon millions of believers have visited the tomb—some in person, and most by faith and sacred imagination. And at that tomb, they have been filled. For the power of this place and what it represents is so great it will fill the emptiness of the human race for as long as life shall last.Remember always that emptiness is the antithesis of Jesus Christ and of the faith that he represents and inspires. He said he came that we might have life, and "have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

For all of the emptiness of life, for all of its vanity and disappointment, Jesus Christ is not only the answer, he is the antithesis. This is why, when I look at his Jerusalem tomb, I think it full. Fullness is our Savior’s name.



Dr. J. Ellsworth Kalas served as a pastor for 38 years in four churches in Wisconsin and Ohio, and five years as an associate in evangelism with the World Methodist Council. He is currently serving as the interim president of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. Dr. Kalas has had more than thirty of his books published by a variety of publishers. These excerpts are from one of his most famous sermons.