Here’s where church is a little different from football.  I DON’T want everyone to come back to church Sunday to WATCH the “game”.   I’m urging everyone to come ON THE FIELD!     God’s “kingdom plan” for the church was never for it to be a spectator sport.  We’re not getting ready to fill the stands…we’re getting ready to run through the players tunnel on Sunday.

I’m (mercifully) out of football references…but please PRAY and “PLAY” with us in this second half of 2010.  God is moving in some seriously amazing ways.  I’ll talk more about the details Sunday, but:

 1.  I don’t want you to miss being part of what is happening at actionchurch. 

2.   In order for us to take advantange of some of the amazing opportunities we have been given, we will need everyone  “on the field”.

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I can still remember the day I snapped this picture.  I had just signed an agreement to rent this barroom with way too many speakers, way too few chairs,  a beer pong table and a giant buddha statue for way more money than we had.  I remember being really excited.   And nauseous.  And scared.  My hands were shaking as I clicked the shutter.

Looking back, I can now see how God “went before us” every step of the way.  I can see how even though we felt we were “behind schedule” and “under resourced” in every way, we were exactly in God’s plan and timeline.  As I look back over the past 2 1/2 years of actionchurch I can see again and again how God prepared solutions for problems before we even encountered them.  I have learned to trust the God who “Goes before”.

If you can’t tell, I’m feeling a little nostalgic this morning.  I’m looking back…because as I look forward I see some amazing obstacles ahead…along with some amazing opportunities for God to show his power and favor.  I can tell you that over the next few days and weeks we will be getting some answers for the big questions about where God is leading us as a church.   I can honestly say that I’m not exactly sure how this is going to turn out.  I wasn’t ”sure” when I snapped the picture above before launching actionchurch…and I’m not “sure”  today.

What I’m counting on is that God has already “gone before” us…that he already has a plan in place that we never could have done on our own.  I’m more worried about missing God’s direction than I am about looking foolish or “being wrong”.   I do NOT want to make the mistake that the people of Israel did in doubting that God would lead them.  They doubted EVEN AFTER seeing God perform amazing miracles while  leading them with a  pillar of cloud during the day, and a pillar of fire at night! 

³² In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, ³³ who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp  and to show you the way you should go.   Deuteronomy 1:32,33

It’s an easy thing  to do.   It’s easy to forget how God has “gone before” in the past when you look into an uncertain future.

Please pray for wisdom and favor for actionchurch.

Please pray that “the God who goes before” would guide us.

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We missed a really great message from our friend Nick Francis from Mosaic Lancaster.  When I spoke with Nick about his insight into the story of Jonah two weeks ago, I was excited about how his “take” on the ancient story could affect our lives today.  What we think of as “punishment” or “torture” is often God PROVIDING a way out…a second chance for us.  Great stuff.

We missed hearing some great music from Between Blue. 

Yesterday we missed being with our friends old and new from the crew and crowd at actionchurch.  My daughter missed being part of actionkidz. Even though I really enjoyed “sleeping in” ’til 7:30 on a Sunday morning…I missed even the aching back and the dirty hands that come from Sunday morning set up at Club 19.  (I do understand that set-up went really quickly without my “help” )

You know what?   I’m so glad that I can miss a weekend of actionchurch and it be better than ever.  I’m thankful for our great crew!  You make actionchurch “happen” each week.   Most of all I’m glad that I “MISS” church, when I miss church at actionchurch.  I haven’t always been part of churches that I “missed” when I got a weekend off.  Sometimes I haven’t want to come back…sometimes they haven’t wanted me to come back.    

Sometimes it’s a very good thing to “miss” church…

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One of the most difficult things being a Follower of Jesus is learning to trust God even when we can’t see anything “happening”.  I don’t often make suggestions to my Creator, but I’ve been thinking lately that maybe a windows style “progress bar” would be a nice addition to our Faith.  Nothing flashy, just a blinking blue progress bar that lets us know exactly how much “progress” God is making on our requests, and exactly how long we can expect to wait before all our problems are solved would be quite helpful.

Come to think of it, a progress bar would have been really helpful to most of the folks in the Bible as well.  I’m sure Daniel would have liked to have a progress bar to show just how long he would be hanging out with the lions before being released.  Noah definitely could have used a progress bar to make sure his ark construction schedule would meet his apocalyptic deadline.  Job definitely could have used a progress bar.  After tragically losing everything he loved and owned, Job has to wait 38 chapters before God answers his many questions and complaints.  Can you imagine how much easier that process would have been if Job would have had a comforting blue blinking progress bar to watch as he waited for Gods reply?

I’m surprised God never thought of adding a progress bar.  It always makes me feel better when I’m waiting for Windows to perform some task.  The only reason I can think of  that could have caused God to “forget” to include a progress bar with our faith, is that perhaps waiting without knowing what God is doing is THE POINT.   Perhaps our faith is built in the often painful times when we trust God for an answer we cannot see.   Perhaps the waiting times are less about how long God takes to meet our “demands”, and more about how long it takes us to put aside our plans, agenda’s, and simply learning to submit and be part of His-story.

I think I’ll withdraw my “suggestion” for a faith progress bar. I’m pretty sure God didn’t “forget” it at all.  Maybe Job said it best when he God finally replied to his 38 chapters of complaints and “suggestions”…

¹ Then the Lord said to Job,  ² “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?      You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” ³ Then Job replied to the Lord,  ⁴ “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers?    I will cover my mouth with my hand.  ⁵ I have said too much already.       I have nothing more to say.”  Job 40:1-5   (NLT)

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 ⁴ But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, ⁵ “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” ⁶ Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.  John 12:4-6

Jesus hired a thief.  Of the 12 men Jesus chose to represent him and run his organization, one of them was a thief.   Now you may say (correctly) that Jesus knew what Judas was up to, and needed him there to fulfill prophecy and betray him…but the fact remains that if you gave money to Jesus’ organization, some of it was going to wind up in Judas’ robe pockets.  (Ok, I’m not 100% sure that they had pockets back then, but otherwise I don’t even want to think where he put his wallet.)

 Nothing makes me angrier than when churches, charities, and other organizations waste or misuse money that is given to them to help others.  I often hear stories from people who are now hesitant to donate, because of waste a fraud they have seen in other organizations.  I want to make sure that no one EVER steals or wastes money that generous people have given to actionchurch! 

Here’s what struck me though, as I read those verses.  There is no “Perfect” organization.  Jesus Christ himself wasn’t surrounded by a perfect organization. There was waste and fraud going on at “Disciples Inc.”   As a church we’re going to try to be wise in what charitable organizations we partner with.  We’ll do our best to investigate and make sure that money and resources we give is used properly.  I think you should do the same in your finances.  I think you should ask questions and check out any organization (including actionchurch) that you trust with your resources.

I don’t think any of us should use the excuse that we don’t serve and give to others because we can’t find the “perfect” organization.   If the one perfect man who ever walked the earth wasn’t surrounded by the perfect organization…it probably isn’t going to exist.

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There’s a couple reasons I wanted to welcome them to York County.   The first is because they are moving in the empty Saturn dealership on Rt. 30.  I love that building.   I could see that it would be a great church in a great location.   I’ve walked around it…prayed around it…peeked in the windows.  I said “if we don’t do church here someone should”.  I thought it might set vacant for a long time so earlier this year we put a “low ball” offer  (believe me, it was a LOT to us, but still low to them:-)) to lease it on Sunday Mornings for actionchurch. It was a crazy thing to do but I believe in “perhaps” faith…   They turned us down and said it was being sold.   We found out last month that it was being purchased by LCBC.  I’ll be honest with you, when I heard the news if felt a little bit like hearing from your best friend in high school that they just got a date with the girl of their dreams…only to find out it’s the same girl you’ve been crushing on since 6th grade.  You’re happy for them, but still a little bummed. 

I’m writing this to say I AM Happy that LCBC “got the girl”  …that they are coming to York County.  They have the resouces and vision to make the Saturn building a place where thousands of York Countians will hear about Jesus in a relevant and creative way.  They’ve been working hard as a church for over twenty years to get to the point that they can seize great opportunities like this.  Someone on our “kingdom team” just hit a home run!   I’m bad with baseball analogies but I’m still sure that’s a good thing.

There’s another reason I want to welcome LCBC  to York.  It’s even more “inside”.  Its personal.  I was sitting in the audience at LCBC when they first announced that they were going to be opening other campuses.  They mentioned potential locations in York, Harrisburg, and Reading.  I was a recently fired doofus, with a dream of starting a new church in York County but absolutely NO prospects or resources to do so.  When I heard Pastor David say that they had a dream of a campus in York, my first thought was that maybe I was wrong about my calling to start actionchurch.   If LCBC was going to start a York Campus, maybe we should just volunteer to help instead of starting something else.  I knew I wasn’t qualified to do much,  but I was pretty sure at least they would need people in orange vests to park cars.  (Actually I’d probably be pretty terrible at that, too.)

I remember the day they announced that their first campus was going to be located in Harrisburg.  I remember the mixture of fear, anticipation, nausea, and reassurance I felt as I “heard”  again that Michele and I were indeed called to start a new church in York.   So that’s the final reason I want to welcome LCBC to York in 2011.  I’m not sure if I would have had the courage to step out on our “own” if they would have arrived in 2007.   Maybe we would have volunteered to help out instead of starting actionchurch.  Maybe I would be “head orange vest parking guy” by now.  Maybe I wouldn’t have had so many sleepless nights and gray hair!!!  Maybe I would have missed the opportunity to speak with all of you each week.  Maybe I would have missed out on the lives changed and the miracles that have happened through the “church I love”.  I just can’t imagine not being part of what God is doing, and will do in the future, at actionchurch. 

So Welcome to York, LCBC.  I’m glad your coming…now.

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⁶ “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

Prince Jonathon decided to climb up a cliff and attack an opposing army with only one other fighter because  he thought “PERHAPS the Lord will help us”. His bravery and faith (along with a little bit of “crazy”) started a chain of events that completely turned the course of the battle.  (Read the story here)

I love “perhaps” faith.  I believe that God can “win a battle whether he has many warriors or few”.   I think so many times we miss out on amazing things because no one is willing to take action on “Perhaps”.    It’s easy to move forward if you KNOW God will reward you with success…completely different if your best chances are only “perhaps”.

Can I tell you something?  I think most of the future of actionchurch depend on “perhaps”.   “Perhaps God will bless us with a new venue(s)  that we could not have even imagined two years ago.”  “Perhaps God is blessing us with the opportunity to start other actionchurch “franchises” around our area and in other cities”.  “Perhaps God will use something started by ’amatuers’ to speak to thousands of people who would never consider ’attending church’”.     Perhaps.

  You know what else I think?   If we are prayerful, obedient, and a little crazy, I think “perhaps” is pretty good odds…

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I make lists for others.  The sunday morning “run down” is a list I make every week of every element that needs to happen.  I make lists for Josiah and the creative team. I make lists for work.  I make lists of things I need to accomplish during the week.   I make lists for God.

I try to play it cool when I pray.  I try to not make it “sound” like a list when I talk to the creator.   I usually say something like “I know you have it handled, but I’d really like to know where the next venue for actionchurch is located.”  “I know you have it handled, but I really need to know where we can get the resources and the volunteer crew needed to make actionkidz great for the ever increasing numbers of children that show up each week.”  “I know you have it handled, but are we really supposed to put on a banquet for 600 cancer survivorsand caretakers in less than a month?  “I know you have it handled, but where are we going to get the….”

My list for God goes on and on.  I know the Bible says to “pray without ceasing”, but I wonder sometimes if I would be showing more faith if I prayed less and trusted more.  

I wonder if I thank God enough for the things that “come off of the list” and become reality.  Miraculously.

I wonder if the list is actually for me, to remind me of the “impossible” things that happen. 

I wonder if the list is to remind me that there is always a “new thing” that goes on my prayer list…that I will always need to talk to God because I ALWAYS need answers only he can give.

I’m making a list.

What’s your “list” that you are praying about now?

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One thing thats clear when I read the Psalms, is that David was not afraid to stop and ask for directions.  I know it’s a cliche, but so many of us (yeah, especially men) hate to stop and ask for directions.  We hate to admit when we’re lost.    We keep driving aimlessly hoping that something will point us in the right direction.  Confession time here-  Sometimes I even argue with the “British chick” in my GPS unit.   I’ve never “won” that argument, but sometimes I think I know better than the Global Positioning Satellites…

I’m learning to ask for direction(s).  I am learning to ask God to make his way plain.  I am tired of driving around aimlessly.  I want to stop my pointless arguments with a God who can “zoom out” and see my life clearer than any Satellite.

I want God to make his path plain.  I want to follow it. 

How about you?

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Today is post number 1001 on the actionchurch blog.  I feel like a “tribal elder” telling this story. It all began way back in 2007.   Facebook was a start-up.  Twitter hadn’t even been thought of yet.  I was using a flip phone without a data plan.  Texting was for high-schoolers and everyone thought Myspace was either going to take over the world, or bring the end of it.   Blogging was still sort of “hot and new” so I thought it would be a good way to tell people about a church we hoped would some day exist…

On March 24, 2007 I made our first actionchurch “weblog” post-  (Our new Home) …and absolutely no one read it.   I kept posting…1000 more times over the next 3 years.

For me, that’s the “lesson learned” from blogging…from this whole actionchurch  adventure.  Keep going.  Don’t quit.  Even when no one notices.  Even when circumstances make your dream seem impossible. Even when you doubt that you’re ever going to “succeed.”   Even when it ceases to be trendy or “hot”.  Get up in the morning and do the thing that God created you to do…  It just might surprise you what can happen.

Thank you for reading.  Thanks for Joining in with your comments. Most of all, thank you for being part of this adventure. I cannot wait to see what God has in mind for us in the next three years…

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