Bathroom Moments

Volumes of significant prose could be written about embarrassing bathroom moments.
Now I’ve only been at Asbury for a few months, so I’m not sure how much I can trust you. And you have to understand that pastors tend to toss out their most personal and sacred, treasured family moments to the general public merely for the sake of getting a good laugh. We do this much to the disappointment of our own families (sorry about the DVD thing last week, Hon.). But I really feel the need to get this out on the table and to make a personal confession.
My most embarrassing bathroom moments usually involve wandering into the “other bathroom” by mistake. Now you know what I mean and please don’t pretend like this never happened to you. Unfortunately I could list several instances, but I want to tell you about this one.
A few years ago I happened to be at a University of Louisville football game. Now you need to understand that a college football game in the South is an occasion of extreme social and educational importance unlike the professional sporting events of most Northern big cities. (My brother took me to a Chicago Bears game a few years ago and I have to admit that I felt like I was at a chicken fight in a penitentiary). There can be no comparison.
At this prestigious college sporting event at the University or Louisville, we had the privilege of watching the game while sitting behind the Cardinal Marching Band. It was a great moment as we watched the Fighting Cardinals battle it out on the gridiron against the lowly Cincinnati Bearcats – a school that has never had much of a football program. A statue of Johnny Unitas stood at one end of the stadium reminding us of the historical significance of every game.
As the excitement of the game grew more intense, I suddenly realized that I needed to go the bathroom...and that I had better hurry. I worked my way through the crowd in search of the “rooms of rest” and spotted the MEN’s room from across the way. In my haste, I didn’t realize that the WO had been obscured by a hot dog kiosk a few feet ahead.
I pushed forward through the crowd and reached the opening without even looking up to confirm that I was at the proper place. As I stepped in out of the sun I found myself in a virtual bathroom cave of seemingly hundred’s of stalls and mirrors. The cave was deserted as I walked several feet across the tiled floors looking for urinals and not comprehending the reason that none were there. After about 25 stalls I realized that I couldn’t wait much longer so I stepped into one of the metal booths and took the pause that refreshes.
As I continued my business, I had a sudden shiver of realization. Was it possible that I could be deep in the sacred cave of the “other sex”? It was too late to turn back.
Suddenly my fears were confirmed as I heard about 20 female voices getting louder and echoing off the tile and porcelain. (Ladies, why do you always go to the bathroom in herds?!)
I finished up and I knew that I had a problem. I had to take a moment to sit down and think through my predicament. I could remain in the stall and miss most of the game, hiding like a coward in fear that I would be discovered or I could open the door, step out into the crowd and face the music. I choose the latter.
There are moments in our lives that are so embarrassing that our brains shift into safety mode and wipe out our short-term memory. This was not one of those moments. I distinctly remember walking through a crowd of shocked, snickering ladies past 25 stalls and out into the sunshine. I walked quickly through the crowd as I faintly heard the cries for “Security!” It was not a moment I care to repeat.
When I safely reached my seat, my wife took a look at me and asked me why I was suddenly so pale. I told her that I was feeling under the weather which was partly a lie and partly the truth.
Hopefully, our embarrassing life experiences teach us valuable lessons that we can learn from. If nothing else we can learn that valuable spiritual discipline of humility. James 4:6 says that God “resists the proud but gives grace to the humble”. I am much in need of grace, but I would love to find it through other means than walking into the ladies bathroom. But for pastors, and especially for me, any event that bestows grace and keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously is a good thing.
So be on the lookout for unexpected grace this week, and pay attention to every important part of every word…especially the WO’s.

Wind Insurance

It is windy here in Kansas!
You are probably thinking to yourself, “Greg, tell us something that we didn’t know!” Well, speaking from someone who was born in the “Windy City”, Chicago has nothing on Wichita, KS. Now that I live in Kansas I have to drive with both hands on the steering wheel. I have to jog with my cap turned backwards. I have to take my afternoon walks with my head down and my feet squarely planted. I also have to hold on to my fast food sack with two hands when I walk out of the local Wendy’s. (Last month I had a bag ripped out of my hands by the wind as I helplessly watched my chicken nuggets and fries tumble down the road) Is it possible to purchase wind insurance here in Kansas to guard against such losses?
When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he gave them a much needed warning. “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” These words might have been aptly shared with an unsuspecting new comer to Kansas and its fierce winds! Be that as it may, however, these words apply to everyone who wants to walk with God in a culture that doesn’t understand God and His ways. The Christians of Corinth faced a constant blowing wind of cultural negativity and ungodliness. They lived in the party capital of Greece…a place filled with temptation and constant opportunities for indulgence Every time they stepped out their front door, they had to prepare to face a fierce gale of Emperor worship, sexual perversity based on goddess worship, and a pressure to just “go with the flow” and live life like the locals. They needed to constantly be strong, stand firm and walk with courage.
The storm cellar that helped them brave such opposing winds was the words that actually followed Paul’s ominous warning. He said, “Do everything in love.” The shield that helped them walk with confidence and poise in their ungodly world was to love people with practical actions that reflect the attitude and character of Jesus. We need to do the same today.
Practical acts of love always catch people off guard. They stand out like sunshine in the middle of a storm. They brighten people’s days, challenge godless world views and throw a brick in the face of selfish living. Loving others also helps us quit whining about the opposition we face and to realize that the most powerful wind on this planet is actually the blowing of the mighty Spirit of God. When we radically love others, the tornado force winds come from our direction. They knock over the status quo and blow constraints off of anyone who wishes to join us and follow God.
I thank God for the wind. Not the Kansas wind, but the wind of God’s presence that will blow across Kansas this week as we “do everything in love”.

Oily Heads

Oily Heads

I am reluctant pastor. I never really wanted to be a pastor in the first place. I remember being 15 and being in a hellish business meeting at the church I grew up in. My dad was the pastor and I saw how the people treated him and I made an instant choice – this isn’t for me. I will never be a pastor. Looking back on that day, it is kind of funny to now be in full time ministry. I often hear people dream about being in ministry and it befuddles me. That was never my dream or something I aspired to. Now that I am a pastor I can honestly say that I enjoy it. Not because it was my dream job, but because for this extended season of my life it is what God has called me to do.
God doesn’t mind picking reluctant leaders. In fact, I think he enjoys it.
I think God likes to shock people, not just because he likes to mess with us, but because God knows that He can use anyone. When you read the Bible you see a long list of reluctant people that God chose to lead – Gideon, Peter, Deborah, and even Samson. It is fun to read about these guys and see how God opened doors for them to lead at just the right time and to watch them squirm as they realized the need to step forward. They often demonstrated the awkwardness of a baby horse first learning to walk. These “men and women of faith” stepped into a simple but powerful leadership truth that made all the difference for them. It is a truth that I also discovered about 15 years ago. This truth changed the direction of my life and it changed my mind about being in ministry.
In Psalm 78:72-73, the Psalmist writes, “God chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”
David was a nobody who became a somebody. He was a shepherd that God turned in to a king. (Shepherding was not a cute job like we see portrayed in Bible picture books. It probably was not an easy job and when it came to occupations, and status wise it was the lowest of the low.) But David had two things going for him. He had integrity of heart. This meant that he demonstrated character. He kept his promises. He followed through and did the things he said he would do. He was honest and trustworthy. The Bible also says that he led with “skillful hands”. He cultivated abilities that made him a good shepherd and later a good king. He developed patience as he kept watch over his flock. He developed courage as he defended them from lions and bears. He developed skills as a musician and worshiped God with passion and style. He developed faithfulness as he took his job seriously and didn’t quit or slack off. He had skills.
Leaders today need to demonstrate these same traits of integrity and skill. If you have ever served under a leader who didn’t have skills in the areas of their responsibilities, you know that it was a painful experience. If you have ever served under a leader who lacked character, you know that it was a scary ride and a disaster waiting to happen. David demonstrated both character and skill.
But there is an intangible factor when it comes to leading that David couldn’t produce on his own. In 1 Samuel 16:13 it says, “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.”
When David was ceremoniously selected to be king, the prophet Samuel took a rams horn that was filled with olive oil and poured it over David’s head. This messy process was actually more than a ceremonious act. It was a physical picture of a spiritual truth. The oil represented the power and presence of God that was poured out on David that same day. It was an illustration of God’s favor and power that now covered David’s life. It was the anointing of God.
The anointing of God is an incredible force. It is the dynamite power that gave Peter the ability to share his faith with a crowd on the day of Pentecost and over 3000 people responded. It is the amazing strength that gave Jonathon the ability to route the Philistines and change the momentum of a great battle. It is transforming presence of God that changed a shepherd into a king.
I remember specifically when God anointed me for ministry. It was an over the top experience, because I was too reluctant and too dense to figure it out on my own. For me it was like God walked up to me and put His hand on my shoulder. I felt His anointing and power pour over my life immediately and powerfully and from that point on, everything changed. I began to walk in power and spiritual gifts. I instantly grew in abilities I needed to lead. I grew in confidence and realized that I could do it. I began to see results. It hasn’t always been pretty. Sometimes my character and skills have lagged behind, but God has been loving, forgiving, restoring and gracious to me as I have learned to walk in His power and anointing.
If God has called you to lead, there is an anointing that he has for your life. It is a special gift, a unique calling and a perfect equipping that he has for you. It is totally adequate to enable you to be the person that God created you to be and to do what God called you to do. It takes your growing skill and developing character and uses them as a base on which to display His glory and it is a beautiful thing.
Being a reluctant leader is OK because when God calls you to lead He anoints you as well. He lifts up the horn of oil and he pours it out on your head. It covers you completely and it runs down your face, drips you’re your shoulders, runs down your arms and collects in puddles on the floor. It drenches you in His presence and favor. It is an amazing feeling, an amazing privilege and an amazing mantle to walk under. It makes all the difference and it is tangible proof that you can do it!
May you walk this week in the favor and anointing of the God who chose you!

Linwood Campus Work Day

FAMILY CHURCH

Family Church
Unfortunately, that is an oxymoron at most worship gatherings across America.
For some reason, as we “progress” in our educational and worship styles, families get separated and many great spiritual experiences that I believe God meant for us to share together are experienced separately. Maybe this attitude is the result of our busy lives. Maybe we think people can better experience God when they are apart from people who are too old or too young. Maybe it is too difficult to overcome our personal preferences when it comes to what a worship service should be. Is it really possible to have a family church that can be meaningful to everyone?

Imagine a church where people of all ages worship together…an eighty year old Grandma standing next to a twenty-something as they pray together. A child holding the hand of their dad as they sing praises to God and learn about Him. Families praying side by side at the alter. Cutting edge worship choruses sung along side ancient hymns that reflect a faith that has continued for 2000 years. The old and the new side by side.

At a time when our society seems more divided than ever, I think the church can lead the way as a model of unity and multi-generational spiritual experience. That is our goal at the Linwood Campus. Contemporary and ancient music. A beautiful auditorium with stained glass windows against the backdrop of an internet café serving great coffee. Older folks mentoring the young with a Godly wisdom. Students leading the way with an insatiable passion for God. Everyone preferring each other in love. Family Church.

At the Linwood Campus, we have not perfected this model by any means. We are a growing campus that has a long way to go, but we embrace this model of multi-generational, family church. Our passion is to love God and we believe that we live this out by loving each other and creating a place in space and time where we can experience God together. It is going to take a lot of work and I’m sure there will be some bumps in the road along the way, but we are going to get there. Unity and family are at the center of God’s heart, and as we continue to make these our goals we are going to bless God and experience Him like never before.
I can’t wait to do church with you this Sunday!

You are loved!



Pastor Greg