28 June 2007

I am enjoying a visit with my nephew in the Los Angeles area this week.  Yesterday I had quite a treat.  We visited Tom Anderson!  Most of you are asking, "Who in the world is Tom Anderson?"  Tom Anderson builds arguably the best electric guitars in the world. Many great guitarists play his guitars.

To visit Tom’s guitar factory is an exercise in being under-whelmed. No beautiful building.  No fancy office.  No walls of awards or pictures of Tom with stars. Tom’s factory is in a non-descript, office complex. There is no sign on the marquis, not even a sign on the entrance door.

The character of Tom’s shop is pretty similar to Tom himself.  He’s a very common guy with glasses pushed down on his nose, a t-shirt, and cargo shorts.

While we were there, a man entered the door.  His first question was, "Do you make guitars here?"  Joe and I chuckled to ourselves, thinking, "You obviously have not done your homework. You don’t know who you are talking to. That’s Tom Anderson for Pete’s sake!"  He was a sales person. Tom was very cordial, but explained that he did not need this man’s services.  The man was a little persistent, but soon realized this was a no sale.

It dawned upon me.  I am in the presence of greatness and so is this salesman.  But our culture teaches us that greatness is being known.  It doesn’t depend upon character or quality of work.

It interests me that God lived among us for thirty years and no one noticed. That is amazing. It tells us a lot about God it seems to me.  Even after Jesus went public, he regularly instructed people not to tell anyone. I’ll say it again. God lived among us for thirty years and no one noticed.

Seems to me that greatness should not be defined as being known.  Character and quality are better determining factors.  Tom briefly discussed what kind of guitar he likes to play on the worship team each week. I thought to myself, "Thanks God for being like You are, and for placing GREAT people on our team like Tom Anderson."

See you Sunday!

Sharing the Journey,
Pastor Don

21 June 2007

Do you ever get hit with a flood of emotion, seemingly out of no where?  Alright, so I’m mostly crazy, but it happens to me.  Last night I was "the gate keeper" for the giant inflatable jumping cage at Kid’s Camp.  I got to open and close the door for the 170 or so kids who eagerly thrust themselves into the world of jumping fun.

As I observed, it dawned on me that we presently have a group serving the children in Haiti. They too, are doing Kid’s Camps, with one noticeable difference. The children in Haiti will never get the opportunity to jump in a giant inflatable jumping cage or slide on a giant water slide.  How blessed we are!

Then, one of our soldiers walked through the door. He had been home from Iraq only a couple of hours and here he was with his family at Kid’s Camp. It was all I could take.  I quietly went to my office to thank my God for the incredible blessing of being a Christ follower and living in a nation where young men give their lives so that we can teach new generations about following Christ. I thanked God that my child gets it enough to be presently serving in Haiti. I thanked God that he gave me the mantle of leadership to help make all this happen.

But you know we are all leaders.  Following Christ means leading others back to God. Following Christ means leading children. Following Christ means leading our families. Following Christ means leading the world when you are blessed with the power and wealth of a great nation.

Maybe you don’t consider yourself a leader, but you are whether you like it or not. No matter how you feel about war, America is called to lead in the world because of our blessed status. If you are a husband, you are called to lead your family. If you are a mom, you are called to lead your children. If you possess wealth, you are expected to lead generously with your wealth. If you have knowledge, you are to lead others with it. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are to lead others down the path back to God - your family, your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers.

So maybe it’s time for you to step it up a notch.  Stop making excuses. Stop talking out of both sides of your mouth. Start leading in every appropriate arena to which God has called you. Open your head, your heart and your hands to the calling of God upon your life.

When you do, I assure you there will be times when results of your leadership will flood your soul with sweet emotion - the tears of leadership.

Sharing the Journey
Pastor Don

P.S.   Invite someone to join you for church this week as we continue to look at Life off the Charts.