I’m sorry to say we were unable to take our trip back to Surfside Beach this past Saturday. We had too few folks sign-up to go. We felt like we needed a few more to go so that we could get more work done. Hopefully we’ll reschedule a trip in the future.
In the meantime, here are a couple of videos about Surfside. The first one is an interview done shortly after the hurricane and the second one we made while on our first trip to the area.
I’m just sitting here watching the first episode of season 2 of Lost and I noticed another similarity between the show and the church.
Tragedy is once again facing the survivors. Jack, the leader, has a plan for everyone to stay together in the safety of their cave. He gives an impassioned speech that convinces everyone — except one person.
There’s always at least one.
A leader develops a strategy, points the way, builds concensus, . . . and then somone criticizes, refuses to follow, and even sabotages the work. It’s one of the most discouraging parts of being a leader in God’s kingdom.
I think it would be easier if the rebel was evil, but he or she rarely is. Most of thie time they are like the rest of us; a mixed bag of motives. Also, they usually carry influence with a segment of the group.
A major part of leadership is knowing when to stand against the rebel–and possibly alienating the group that follows him or her–and knowing when to join forces with the rebel and incorporating the group into your cause.
And a major part of being on the island (or in the church) is learning to be a good follower.
It’s amazing how many books, podcasts, videos, and seminars are out there telling people how to be good leaders. Maybe what the church needs is more training on being a good follower.
I can’t help it. I’m addicted.
Thanks to Hulu.com I can watch the TV series Lost for the first time–and I can’t get enough of it.
It’s amazing how much the show is like church life.
Categories: Random
I have a new favorite dessert. It”s totally bad for you but tastes great. The cookie is soft, the M & M’s are crunchy, and the ice cream is smooth and creamy.
The M&M Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich is AWESOME!
Categories: Personal
One of my favorite authors is Seth Godin. His books have challenged my thinking about how to communicate with today’s culture. His way of looking at things is off-beat and fresh.
In a recent blog post he was lamenting how terrible air travel is today when he wrote,
Why does the FAA require the airlines to explain to every passenger how to buckle their seatbelt? Don’t people who have managed to safely get to the airport but have never mastered this skill deserve whatever happens to them?
I thought that was funny. Not sure why. But it made me laugh.
Categories: Personal
I’m no longer doing much preaching, but I still have the heart of a preacher. I guess that’s why I’ve been so drawn to Jeremiah lately.
A friend gave me wise counsel not long ago. I was lamenting some things in my life and he said I needed to find a Bible character with whom I could relate. He said I needed to live with that character for awhile and explore that person’s strengths and weaknesses and watch how God dealt with that person. He said I then should be honest about how God is dealing with me and my strengths and weaknesses.
As soon as he said that, I thought of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was a preacher who hated to preach; yet, he HAD to preach. He preached not because he was told to, but because he HAD to. There’s a big difference between preaching because you have to and preaching because you HAVE to.
It’s one thing to put a sermon together because Sunday is just around the corner and you have to deliver the goods. It’s an entirely different thing when a sermon you’re preparing puts you together — just after it rips you apart.
Early in his ministry every preacher learns of Jeremiah 20:7-18 where Jeremiah’s schizophrenic dilemma comes spilling out in a prayer to God. He tells God how much trouble preaching has caused him and that he has decided not to preach any longer. Yet, he quickly finds that he’s miserable when he doesn’t preach. So, he accuses God of mockery and deception, but then he praises God for defending him, just before he curses the day he was born.
It must have been a wild ride for Jeremiah. . . and all the while God wouldn’t let him go. He was teaching Jeremiah. He was growing Jeremiah. He was preparing him and using him for something great.
I don’t know what God has planned for me. Maybe it has something to do with preaching and maybe it doesn’t. I guess the best I can do as God works on me is to pray (and live) Jeremiah’s prayer, “For to you I have committed my cause.”
Categories: Bible Study · Personal · Preaching
We’ve got another opportunity to connect with God and the world this weekend by returning to Surfside Beach.
The city has asked us to work with the homes of their elderly citizens. Most (but not all) homes in Surfside are on stilts and were somewhat saved from the title surge. But the stairs leading to these homes were destroyed. We need to rebuild those stairs so people can return home. We also will replace siding, repair roofs, and unboard windows. There also may be some debris to remove. Basically, there is work for everyone and anyone who wants to go and can withstand the heat.
Here are some details to know:
This is a one-day trip. To come means you take one day from your already over-crowded schedule. But that one day may make a huge difference in the lives of a few people.
Guess who was the first person to get hurt?
Yep. It was me.
I stepped on a nail. It went straight through my shoe and sunk into my foot.
The volunteer Fire Department/EMT was across the street so I hobbled over to let them take a look. As I sat on the back of the ambulance the tech held up my foot so the doc could look at it. She said to the doctor, “Look at that toe!”
The doctor said, “I know. He’s got nice feet.”
No one has ever said that to me — especially a guy.
Interesting.
We’re off! We left this morning from the Yorktown parking lot about 6:20.
But progress has been slow. We’ve picked up a few churches along the way who heard what we’re doing. One church even called this morning and asked to meet up with is on the road.
We’ve got 7 churches, 5 vehicles, and about 25 people. With so many we’re creating a new rule for future trips: only people able to go 3 hours between bathroom breaks can come… 
The following is an excerpt from a post written by John Bradshaw, pastor at Oso Creek Fellowship. In it he gives a few more details about the work Christ Point, Oso Creek, and Yorktown Baptist will be doing as we serve victims of Hurricane Ike.
Monday we will go to Surfside Beach to do some clean up for city workers who have been working around the clock and had no opportunity to care for their own homes/families.
Surfside is a hard hit city right on the coast.
The director of the Gulf Coast Baptist Association has connected us with the City of Surfside and tells us that there is an incredible amount of work to do.
Most of us going on Monday will be coming back late Monday night . . . but there is housing for anyone who would want to go and stay for a few – or several – more days.
Please let me know by Sunday morning if you have any interest in going with us on Monday! You can respond to this post or call the church office (992-4567).
But don’t worry if you can’t make this trip, there will be others to follow.
