actionchurch at club19 – York, PA
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
“Impossible-er”
There’s an epic story of in 1 Kings Chapter 18 about the prophet Elijah challenging 450 priests of Baal to a contest. Elijah starts the smackdown with an obvious but controversial statement; “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” The priests of baal agree to a contest pitting their “god” against the ONE TRUE GOD in a contest. The rules are simple, the first deity to send down fire from heaven to light their sacrificial alter gets the title and a brand new Maytag washer and dryer. (Ok, I’m pretty sure the washer and dryer wasn’t included…maybe you should go read the story.)
Being a preachers kid, I’ve heard the story so many times. It’s amazing. I love the fact that sometime during the afternoon Elijah begins to taunt the prophets of baal with sarcastic suggestions that maybe the reason that their “god” isn’t answering their prayers is because he is having a particularly long session on the toilet. Seriously.
In the end, God wins. I hate to spoil it for you…but that’s pretty much the plot of the entire Bible. God wins. Fire comes down from heaven and burns up Elijah’s sacrifice and the prophets of baal get slaughtered as their consolation prize.
Here’s the part of the story that I’d never thought much about before…
33 He (Elijah) arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. ”Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 1 Kings 18:33-35
Sometimes in the middle of asking for God to perform an amazing miracle God allows water to get poured on the wood. Sometimes he even tells us to do it. I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure that makes an impossible situation even more difficult. If your life depends on a spark coming down the sky to light your fire, I’m pretty sure I would prefer dry wood. Maybe a little kindling, too. Perhaps a nice splash of gasoline. Elijah poured on the water.
Have you ever felt like water just got poured on your wood…like your “impossible” situation that you are praying about just got more “impossible-er”? (Ok, that’s gonna drive spell check crazy…but I think it sums the situation pretty well.) Have you ever wondered why God would allow it to happen?
Here’s what I’ve been thinking. What if “pouring water” is just the prelude to God “showing up and saving the day”? What if God still prefers to show himself in “wet-wood-high-stakes” situations?
Don’t give up on your prayers for God to “show up” just because things seem to be getting more difficult. “Impossible-er” situations just happen to be God’s specialty!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The worst salesman in the world…
That’s me. I’m seriously the worst salesman in the world. I can make Tommy Boy look smooth and professional when I try to “close a deal”. I talk too fast. I ramble. My hands move when I talk, and for some reason things tend to go flying off the table in front of me. I hate to ask for money. (Of course you already know all of this if you’ve ever attended actionchurch. 
)
Here’s the thing though, I believe that God has great things in store for actionchurch. I think God wants to bless us with a new venue that is UNDENIABLY from him. I’ve been praying for nearly a year now that God would give us a new home that would have been impossible if not for the “down” economy. I’m asking that God would use the current economic realities for “Good and not Evil”.
In order for that to happen I’m gonna have to make some big “asks” over the next few weeks. As much as it pains me to think about it, I’m gonna have to make a few “presentations”. I might even have to TRY to “close a deal”.
I’d really appreciate you’re prayers. Pray for God’s favor for our future venue. Pray for forgiving and receptive listeners for my less than stellar “presentations” . Most of all, pray for God’s direction and guidance as we take another really big step of faith as a church.
What ever happens, you can be sure that what ever blessings come our way we can attribute to God…and definitely not any “sales” ability on my part.
Monday, July 19, 2010
“Missing” church…
Our family missed church yesterday. We’re trying to take some time away to rest, recuperate, and get ready for the next exciting steps at actionchurch.
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…