The Essential Bottom Line…

This week we are re-training our fulltime teams, as they prepare to go out for their fall tours.  Needless to say, it’s a massively busy time for me.  Thus, my updates have been rather infrequent of late; however, their frequency shall increase immensely after this week!

In the meantime, I read this again yesterday and it blew my mind:

“3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8, NLT)

“Solomon tells us that the opposite of fear is trust in the Lord.  This means that when we are not moving forward and doing something great in our lives for God, the bottom line is we do not trust God.  Sometimes it feels like fear can begin to grip us so tightly that we stop breathing spiritually.”  Shawn Wood, 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One

Thoughts?

Tony Campolo once threw a birthday party for a prostitute in Honolulu (their paths crossed in a diner late one night where he overheard that the next day was her birthday and that she had never had a birthday party; so he threw her a suprise party the next night).  Harry (who owned the diner where the party was being held) asked Campolo what kind of church he went to.  Campolo responded:

“The kind of church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30am,” to which Harry responded, “…there’s no church like that.  If there was I’d join it.”  

“That’s the kind of church Jesus came to create,” Campolo writes, “I don’t know where  we got the other one that’s so prim and proper. But anyone who reads the New Testament knows that Jesus loved to lavish grace on the left-out and the used-up and the put-down.  The sinners loved him because he partied with them.  The lepers of society found in him someone they could eat and drink with.”  (The Kingdom of God is a Party) 

This story illustrates a common problem in churches today: we’re not acting like Jesus intended and people, like Harry, are tired of churches that are more concerned about being proper than acting like Christ would. 

I often struggle with what the church should look like and how we could do things differently to be more like what Jesus would want us to be, which has led me to a conclusion about the church.  

It, like any other human institution, is bound to fail.  

Sounds hopeless, right?  How do we fix it?

Maybe we should start by throwing a birthday party for a prostitute…

The other night, I went out with some friends after we got done with worship team rehearsal.  We talked about life, love, the church and laughed a lot.  

Amidst our conversation was a discussion of the upcoming Sunday and the rehearsal that we had just finished.  

Let me insert a parenthetical comment here: The worship team that we are playing on this week is stacked, in terms of musical talent.  

My friend, who happens to be the hardest-working, most talented guitarist I have ever/will ever know, looks at me and says:

“Paul, you know what the best part of Sunday is going to be?”  (I was scrambling mentally: guitar solo?  vocal breakdown? special music?)

“That we get to do what we just did [i.e., sweet musical goodness] with the church…with all the people.”

In the words of Brian Regan: “How true that is!”

Hello everyone!

Just thought I would give you another quick video update on how things are going with me right now.

Enjoy!

Check out this article by my great friend, Jeff Goins.

“I turned right instead of left. That’s all I did, and it made all the difference. I don’t know why I did it exactly. My wife had sent me out to pick up some groceries, and it was habit to turn the steering wheel left when pulling out of our apartment complex. Yet, something inside compelled me to go right, driving past the lower income housing in Southeast Nashville, where every sign quickly goes from English to Spanish to Arabic…”

Read the rest here.

So the question is: when you hear that voice calling you to turn the opposite way, will you?

“You’ve never felt in place
And you tell yourself it’s all okay
But something’s different today
You want to run the opposite way

And it seems like you’re locked in a cage
And you need to find a way of escape
When everyone is setting the pace
It’s okay to run the opposite way” – Leeland, “Opposite Way”

The following is a really interesting video I found recently.  It ties in really nicely with the ongoing discussions here and here.

The jury is still out for me on whether or not I agree with this video’s content.  BUT, I am leaning towards yes.  Whatever your opinions are on the subject matter, no one can dispute the cinematic quality.  This video is very well done (FYI, it plugs a book at the end, which I have no clue about and make no statement on whether or not I agree with) and very thought-provoking.

Check it out:

Lately I have been struggling with the phenomenon that I don’t like talking about politics with people who don’t know what they are talking about. **edit** There are some people who do not have a large knowledge base to draw from and are just seeking more information.  I really ENJOY talking to those types of people.

This might not sound out of the ordinary for an American, after all, for a nation built upon the bedrock of democratic principles we are largely a public that disdains the political realm.

BUT for me it is out of the ordinary…I have a degree in political science.  I was accepted into multiple PhD. programs to get my doctorate in political science, and yet I hate…no wait, loathe…no wait, ABHOR talking politics with the majority of people I encounter daily.

Here are my conclusions about all of this:

1. This phenomenon is largely due to arrogance on my part.  I sit back smugly and say, “You have no clue what you are talking about.”  I stinkin’ need to get over myself!
2. Given my political science studies, I am highly skeptical of the media coverage that serves as the basis for the majority of opinions out there.
3. Part of my realization process in choosing not to pursue a career in political science was a recognition that, unless something drastic changes, there is not a lot we can do to create change in our current political system.
4. When I did study political science my main area of interest and expertise was in political philosophy, not mud-slinging, which seems to be all that is going on right now.

All this to say, I am excited about the history that is unfolding before our eyes during this year’s election cycle.  I believe whole-heartedly that we owe it to our nation to educate ourselves and vote, AND that we need to allow room for civilized debate.

P.S. Last night during the debate I twittered about the fact that John McCain immediately wrote something down on his note pad upon entering the stage for the debate.  I postulated that it was a short-term memory dump of facts.

Here are a few responses to that:

“McCain’s to do list: New tie”

“Grocery List: new underwear”

Anne Jackson has a book coming out early next year about burnout in the church.

Here are a few thoughts on the book and this subject in general:

• Burnout is rampant among people in ministry.
• Few people realize that they are burning out until it is too late.
• Unless something changes, this “epidemic” (as Jackson calls it) will only get worse.
• This ties in nicely with a discussion going on here.
• This book is going to be great!

Go to the book website and check it out.  There is a link to download a free sample chapter.

You’re welcome.

Hey y’all!  The following is my October Support Update.  Enjoy!

Full-time Road Training!

After the initial 3 weeks of training, the fulltime teams hit the road for contextual road training.  We do this for several reasons, but largely because there are few better opportunities to learn than to learn by “doing.” 

I, along with Chris Reed, served as one of the road trainers for this contextual road training.  I traveled with Team 14:21 on their tour. 

The tour took us down into Illinois and then back up through Iowa on our way back to Minnesota. 

The team had the opportunity to minister in several varying types of venues.  Our initial stop was in the Quad Cities area (in Illinois), where we did a kick-off/outreach concert for a youth group. From there we were in the Rockford area, working with another youth group, and then on to a college fellowship group in Jacksonville. 

From there we made our way through central Iowa with stops in Epworth (near Dubuque), Conrad (near Marshalltown), Pella, Fort Dodge, and Forest City (near Mason City).  The team was able to minister in churches, schools, and even two prisons! 

The team learned a lot and so did I!  It was a great experience for all of us!

The Work You are Supporting

On September 26th and 30th I had the privilege of dropping our two fulltime teams off at the airport.  They will be spending the better part of the next month ministering in Taiwan and the Philippines!

Team 14:21 will be working with YWAM for the next month.  The YWAM base they will be working with is located near Taipei, which is the capitol of Taiwan, and one of the busiest cites in Asia.  They will be doing outreach concerts that draw people into long-term relationships with YWAM.

The process of evangelism is an arduous one in Taiwanese culture; young people who make decisions for Christ are often disowned by their families.  Thus, it often takes a long time for a Taiwanese youth to make a decision for Christ.  Our team will be working to help YWAM establish the groundwork for some of these relationships.

 Team 14:22 will be working with a Christian radio station in the Philippines.  This is a new partnership for CTI, so it is a very exciting time for all of us!.

 The team will spend parts of their time in the Philippines in three cities: Cagyan de Oro, Cebu, and Tacloban.  The team will actually be flying from island to island (these three cities are all on different islands), so that will also be a new wrinkle for a CTI team. 

 I had the privilege of mobilizing these two teams into the field, as our Program Director was at a very important conference during their prep week (it should be noted that he did a LOT of prep work prior to his departure), so your prayers were definitely needed, as my stress level was high!

 My Current Support Status

Because of your wonderful generosity, I have raised nearly $3,000!  Praise the Lord for that huge blessing!

You might recall that my goal for the end of this year was $10,000, so there is still much to be raised. 

I would like to extend a special thank you to all of those of you who have given towards my support goal, especially those who have committed to being monthly supporters.

There are many of you who are supporting me in other ways too, and for that I am so thankful! 

Please do continue to pray that God would cause the financing to be there for my time at CTI.  I know that this is where He has called me and I also know that He will provide because He is faithful!

Specific Prayer Requests

·         Team 14:21, as they minister in Taiwan

·         Team 14:22, as they minister in the Philippines

·         My support goal for 2008

·         My support goal for 2008

Some changes coming at CTI

CTI Music Ministries’ President, David Lanning has made the decision to end his time with the organization after over a decade of dedicated service.  His relationship with and love for CTI have never been stronger, but this is just the right time for him to move on.

CTI will move forward with the work that the Lord has called us to do, and we will continue to follow His leading in our future endeavors! 

More updates soon!  

Great things are on the horizon for CTI Music Ministries and the work that He has called me to do here has made me come alive like nothing else ever could!  I am so blessed that the Lord has called me to do something that I love and am gifted for.  I am also very blessed to know that you all support me in this!  So…THANK YOU!