We are here! Praise God, we are here!

Doxology!

Christmas is a time for celebrating the birth of Messiah. Messiah, however, did not come in the way most expected. He was a fantastic surprise, in almost every way. True, the people should have known God would not send some mighty muscle ripped warrior to lay the smack down on all the evildoers, give all the gold and land and power to the Hebrews, and sit on a big ole throne of preciousness! That’s just not God’s style, like it or not. It just seems that, from the beginning, God is always about surprises. He brings what he wants, when he wants, how he wants. That makes some folks mad, I’m sure.

However, when we just give in to his surprise laden way of gracing us, we find out life. When we just let go of trying to force a way and control a path, we find out hope. When we finally quite demanding our so called “ideas” for how everything in our lives and world should be, we find out love. In life, in hope, in love, we live out the surprise of having a God who actually knows what he is doing. This is no amateur. He’s been doing the God thing for some time now.

Even though I’m typically not prepared for them, I love his surprises! And, I have received a lot of them lately. I’ve gotten a lot of financial surprises, at the very moments I felt God was not doing his job to my satisfaction. When my best friend committed to supporting me, I was shocked at how much he actually committed to give! Shocked! In a good way! It’s wonderful. Another financial surprise came from an amazing little church in my home town, New Hope Baptist Church. I have never been a member of New Hope. I have never served their either. Yet, when they learned about what God was sending my family to do, they allowed God to surprise me through their faith and love by including me into their church budget in a very, very significant way! Sometimes the monetary surprises come from surprisingly surprising places, like my health insurance provider! You read correctly, my insurance! We received a sizable check from them just the other day.

The best God surprises, however, usually have nothing to do with money. Such is the case with our number one surprise. We should have seen this one coming. We didn’t. It has surprised us just how this whole move is transforming our family! We are closer and more committed to each other than ever before… and we were already pretty close! Our boys have simply hit a growth spurt of maturity and faith. They are so confident in God right now, as well as in themselves. This whole transition has deepened their positive self-images as children of God, empowered for a calling. At the same time, Kim and I have discovered new depths of peace and faith. All of this is a fantastic gift from the Lord.

These last few months have not unfolded in a way I would have ever guessed. And, to confess, there have been moments when I was ticked off at God for not doing things when and how I thought he should. He decided to do things his way instead. SURPRISE! But you know, I’d be lost without surprises. Doxology!

Running the Gauntlet of Goodbyes

It was hard, traveling around North Carolina, to say goodbye to friends and family. I shared tears and lingering hugs with so many over the past month. You see, I recently traveled to a number of communities and churches, as well as homes, to share about my new calling and raise some financial support. In some ways, it was emotionally draining to encounter these many farewells, especially knowing that there are still many more to come. It is like a slow closing of the eyes when you’re just not sure you’re ready to go to sleep. My head, however, is nodding toward Germany.

As hard as it is to say farewell, however, I found something deep, lasting, and wonderful in these “goodbyes”—stories. So many stories were shared with me as I visited. I learned things about friends and family that I never knew. Many people shared memories and feelings about me and my ministry and friendship with them through the years. Oddly, these moments were kind of like being present at my own funeral! Part of me wanted to remind people, “I’m not dying folks!” The rest of me simply took everything in, stored it, knowing I might need some of those encouraging words in the days to come. No, I don’t believe every good word that is said about me. No one should. But I will take them nonetheless.

I’ll tell you another thing I found in these moments, a lasting question. Why do we wait until the funeral moment? Why don’t we tell others, in the here and now of life, just how much they mean to us? This is a lesson I have learned in recent weeks. I take it to heart. Perhaps we all should.

Thanksgiving is coming up, here in the U.S. What better way to celebrate, than to seek out the ones who matter, the ones who impact our lives, the ones who play a part in all that we are? What do we do when we find them? Tell them thank you! Why wait until the funeral, or the long goodbye? Why wait for anything?

Falling In Love with Church

When does a pastor’s heart fall in love with a congregation? For some it takes a few years of faithful presence and love, countless funerals, baby dedications, and baptisms. With Immanuel Baptist Church, the congregation I am now preparing to serve, it was love at first sight! There is an authenticity, a genuineness about them and their faith that simply drew me deeply in. For those Immanuel readers out there, keep in mind that I’m not saying you are perfect… just real. J So, what’s so real about Immanuel?

Immanuel Baptist Church is an international congregation of disciples who simply seek to love, worship, and serve the risen Christ with simple praise and sincerity. Immanuel, however, has a mission! Its mission has many foci. Foremost, Immanuel seeks to reach English speakers in the Wiesbaden area with the love and life changing message of Jesus Christ. Imagine the foreigners' struggle in Germany, living as strangers in a strange land, far away from family, friends, and their home churches. Immanuel's mission is to be a family and a worshiping home for these wonderful people.  This is an area of ministry that I began to feel called to even before encountering this congregation… funny how God does that!  

The congregation also reaches out to the many military and Department of Defense families stationed in Wiesbaden. In fact, the church was first established in 1957 specifically to minister to U.S. military forces stationed in post-war Germany. There is simply a gut wrenching need to care for those who invest themselves in serving their nation overseas.

Immanuel has a missions focus as well. Many members engage in missional opportunities in such countries as Romania, Cambodia, and Ghana. The congregation wants to strengthen its role as a missional church, and looks to the future with hopeful ambition! I cannot express how exciting it is to go to a church that recognizes that the fields are still ripe for the harvest!

Yet, as I have said to many dear friends, Immanuel is a struggling church. Mainly, she is struggling to grow beyond her current size and financial shortfalls. Through years of military downsizing in the area and some unforeseen financial losses, Immanuel has not been able to support a full time pastor for over three years! This too has taken a toll on the membership and life energy of the church. In fact, the church cannot afford to fully support a pastor even now. So, they are truly stepping out on faith, as am I. As I seek to raise a portion of my support, they are also sacrificially providing for my arrival and tenure as their shepherd. Their struggle has hooked my heart. However, it is their focus and commitment in the midst of struggle that, more than anything, has warmed my heart.   

I can hardly wait to serve in the company of such wonderful and loving disciples. They are, already, family. Please pray for me and the membership of Immanuel Baptist Church as we step out on faith together. 

Now God, that don't make no sense!

Comfortable is, well, comfortable. We all like the familiar. What do we do, then, when God calls us out of our comfort zones? In short, we face what Henry Blackaby has often called a “crisis of belief.” We are forced to consider whether or not we trust God, as well as our ability to perceive God’s subtle voice. This is the very crisis I have faced in the past few months.

            I am quite comfortable here in Northeastern North Carolina, even more so at the First Baptist Church of Elizabeth City. My family has a home here. We are not too terribly far from family and friends. The church is loving and active. It would make sense to remain in this location as long as possible.

            God does not always ask us to do what makes sense. For the past few years God, through friends, prayer times, scriptures, media, and an inner gnawing hunger, has steadily called me to do something that may not make sense: sell much of what you own, store or give the rest away, uproot your family, leave the ones you love behind, and go to a land I will show you! He was calling me to overseas ministry. In my standard way I first replied, “Say what God?” Yet, in time I simply could not escape God. I made a commitment to God that wherever in the world he called me, I would go. Now, don’t get any wrong ideas about me here. I’m no super faith man or anything. It’s not as if I readily and easily answered God’s call. As I said, God was inescapable! I simply couldn’t shake his persistent voice.

            Within weeks of surrendering to this uncomfortable idea, I found myself connected with Immanuel Baptist Church in Wiesbaden, Germany. I’d like to tell you the story of how I fell in love with the ministry and people of Immanuel. I’d like to share with you the process that led me to know that this small mission congregation was THE place within God’s heart for me. So, I invite you to follow this little blog of mine to learn about how I got to this point. I will also continue to post and share as we prepare to move on December 30. You may also keep up with my family and I as we minister and serve in the coming years. Stay connected my friends! I love you all!