Open Heart Surgery @ OCBF

Last night, I visited at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX. Now, let's be real. You cannot live in the DFW area and not visit Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and the Potter's House. Dr. Tony Evans and Bishop T.D. Jakes are renown for their in-depth study and teaching of the Bible. So, on with the high heels and off to the next stop - Oak Cliff.

The speaker was also a draw for me to attend this particular night. The youth pastor at OCBF is Daryl Jones. For those of you who are not college football fans, Daryl Jones was the wide receiver that led University of Miami to the Rose Bowl in 2001 and was declared the most accomplished track/football athlete in UM history. Add to that impressive career a stint with the Giants and Bears. Having met Pastor Jones recently, I was intrigued by what a former star athlete would preach on and anxious to hear how God placed this call on his life. Needless to say, I was pretty pumped to visit here.

The service was a full worship experience with music and drama by the youth. Impressive and moving as it was, my focus was on what Pastor Jones' topic would be. Athletics? Running the race, as Paul would say? The wait continued as the service progressed. The sanctuary was fairly full for a Wednesday night service and I was with my new found friend, Barbara. I was welcomed by a few people and felt comfortable. Pastor Jones took the podium and the topic? Open heart surgery. Open heart surgery?? Knowing God is intentional, I eagerly waited to hear this topic to be fleshed out. I mean, how does that tie to spiritual growth?

Have you ever had open heart surgery? I have a friend who has and she will tell you it was no picnic - no walk in the park. In fact, she is still recovering. Did she choose to have the surgery? Of course not! No one walks into the doctor and requests surgery - we'd rather do anything else than get cut open. In fact, she had gone into the hospital for a fairly routine procedure that ended in emergency open heart surgery to literally save her life. While none of this experience has been remotely pleasant, she will tell you that it did save her life - literally, physically, and emotionally. It caused a paradigm shift in her perceptions of how to live, where to live, and where to give of herself in service to others.

That was the point of the message. "God's Word is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 God's Word causes a paradigm shift in our lives when we read it, meditate on it, and live it out. It divides what is of me and my motives from what is of God. Is that always pleasant? No. In fact, sometimes it's pretty painful. No one likes surgery or the recovery period that follows. But, when the healing process is complete, it is worth the cutting away of those things or relationships we do not want to change.

Touchdown, Pastor. I'll be back.

Half-Way

My journey continues with a visit to Grace Vineyard in Arlington, TX. I sought a Vineyard church out on the suggestion of my sister. During a recent visit to Boston, I had attended a Vineyard church with her and enjoyed the fellowship. I was pleasantly surprised that Arlington had a Vineyard church and headed out with my high heels on.

My first encounter was with a man named Mark. (There were several Marks in this congregation; I looked for Matthew, Luke and John but never found them). The coffee was great and the people were friendly. But it was the worship and message that struck a chord in my soul.

Vineyard is known for its music. Vineyard musicians are prolific in lyrical talent and harmony. This worship band was no exception. Why they are not recording, I'm not sure; however, their talent and heartfelt worship set the atmosphere for the message. Bob Oliver is the senior pastor at this church. It is an intimate gathering and I was fortunate to meet several of the pastors before service. The worship set was lengthier than I am used to; no three songs and announcements here. In fact, I had the distinct impression that the worship was fluid.

The message was titled Half-Way and taken from Genesis 11: 31-32. The essence of the message was that Terah, Abram's father, journeyed half-way with God and then stopped. Gave up. Died in Haran. Not the lead in to the unveiling of the talk I was expecting. Then, it got personal. Don't you love it when God gets personal? Or maybe you don't. Maybe God steps on your toes a little too much so you keep Him at a distance. Or maybe you don't believe God gets personal. Maybe for you, He is distant.

The question that the message held was, "Where is your Haran?" Terah gave up at Haran. He didn't go on with Abram. And he died there. Understand, according to the message, leaving Ur was a big deal. Leaving a tribe in that culture went against all social and cultural norms. It wrenched the society he was living in. Yet, he left with his family to follow God. Then, at Haran, he gave up. The text does not give us answers as to why. The message suggested a few things: too busy, too comfortable, compromise, or maybe a shift from fearless faith to crisis.

When I posted last week's post on blindedness, I had no idea the very next week I would post on eyes wide open. But, that's what Ephesians 1:18 says. "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." (NASB) Pastor went on, "See again the journey in front of you."

See the journey in front of you. No matter what you're facing, God reigns, He's in control. He has not forgotten you or forsaken you. He's waiting for you - and me - to take the next step. Will you walk with Him into a destiny that will move His eternal purposes?

You can visit Vineyard at 611 N. 109th St. Arlington, TX. The website is http://www.gvcf.org and their blog gives information concerning events and happenings http://www.gvcf.org/in-the-street/.

This was a great visit - beyond the norm. Warm and friendly with solid biblical teaching in an atmosphere of reverent, relevant worship. Thank you, Vineyard.

Eyes To See

I apologize for the late post. I didn't make it to the church I wanted to visit last Sunday. No, I wasn't playing "hooky"; I was blinded. Literally. My contacts tore as I was driving to the church. Talk about instant blindness and pain! Luckily, I made it safely to the eye doctor before the day was through. What a relief to be able to see again!

The entire event left me with several thoughts. My first thought was how I was miffed I had missed church service. I had made all the preparations, dressed in my "Sunday-best" (as momma would have said), and had my bible tucked neatly under my arm. I dislike it when my plans are thwarted, don't you? We all do. My second thought was how painful it was. Is this what Paul felt like when he had his Damascus road experience? Or blind Bartemaeus? Have you ever felt blinded or blind-sided by a turn of events? What was your reaction?

We are all blind to some degree. Blind to our faults, our weaknesses, our failings, our strengths. I spent some time this week studying the story of blind Bartemaeus. Mark 10:46-52 is where it's found if you want to check it out. The thing is, he couldn't see, but he heard Jesus was coming by. He had no way of knowing if what he heard was true. But the pain of being blind and in need was greater than the discomfort of ridicule. Bartemaeus acted on faith. This was his moment; it was now or never. He didn't care what others thought or said - he simply cried out, "Have mercy on me, Son of David!" Oh, plenty of people tried to shut him up. He was reproved, quieted and told to be still according to the text. Still, he did not give up; he pressed forward. You see, he knew Jesus was the answer to what he really needed. And he was willing to do whatever it took to get to the Healer.

Jesus summons him and there he stands before the Savior of the world. Now, you and I might think it's pretty obvious what he wants from Jesus. After all, he's a beggar and he's blind. Still, Jesus asks him what he wants. It's right there in the text. "What do you want me to do for you?, Jesus said." Mark 10:51 And the beggar's reply? "Master, let me receive my sight."

So, here's my question. What blinded you this week? Do you feel like the rug was pulled out from underneath you and you've been left by the side of the road? Are you a victim of the economic recession? Have a fight with your child? A disagreement with a friend? Divorce? Loss of a loved one? Maybe you're blind to some of the things I mentioned earlier. Maybe you're wandering around in the dark and don't even know what hit you. I don't know about you, but I know I'm blind to so many things about myself - my motives, my weaknesses. Can I encourage you here?

God's asking you and me, "What do you want me to do for you?" That's no small thing, mind you. The Creator of the universe is standing here - in front of you and me. What's your response? Take that first step with me, fellow beggar. Don't listen to the voices around you; listen to the voice inside you. Press forward. That's it - keep going. I know it's dark and scary; I'm scared, too. It's ok; he's right in front of you. We're almost there. Can you hear him? Go ahead. Tell him what you want him to do for you. He's listening for you. Blind beggars believe.

At The Movies

Have you ever watched a blockbuster movie at church? This weekend, I attended church online at LifeChurchTV. Church online is not necessarily new. Churches have been streaming services online for sometime. What is new and out-of-the-box is how LifeChurchTV has evolved and reinvented the online church experience. From chat rooms for ongoing discussion during worship, to LifeGroups to join, to partnerships with campuses literally around the world, LifeChurchTV is using technology to inform and transform lives for Christ. As a wannabe geek and internet junkie, I like LifeChurchTV.

The current series is called At The Movies. Utilizing Hollywood's blockbuster movies as a backdrop for discussion, LifeChurchTV brings biblical truth and solid teaching to an online audience. This approach reminded me of my grad school days when Professor Kaufmann from Covenant College would take classes to see hit movies and then hold discussions on what was biblical and what was non-biblical in the film. That exercise transformed how I view multimedia and how I think it can be used to redeem the culture for Christ. It reminds me of the techniques Jesus used in his teaching. Humans are a story-based culture. LifechurchTV utilizes technology, biblical teaching and media to delve deeper into biblical truths and draw those truths out in a way that is relevant to this generation.

Craig Groeschel is the founding pastor and this church now ministers with over 50 weekend worship services. The innovative leadership team at LifeChurchTV is making a global impact with real connections with people. You can find more information on their website or visit Pastor Groeschel's blog.

The Beginning

Today I visited First Baptist Church in Euless, TX. I had watched a television program last week and saw an interview of a deaf pastor. Yes, you heard me. Pastor John Meador is deaf and he's a pastor. In the interview, he was asked how it was he came to become a pastor. His reply was riveting. He said, "I asked God how I could preach when I couldn't hear the people. God said that I didn't need to hear the people to preach; I just needed to hear Him." Once I heard his story, I knew I had to visit and see this man speak in person. I was not disappointed.

First Baptist Euless is a BIG church. I think they have over 3000 people that attend each weekend. But the size was not overwhelming for me and I was warmly welcomed by many people. I chose to attend the contemporary service. First, I knew exactly where to go when I arrived. I like that. As a stranger, I don't generally like to ask directions. (You thought that was just a guy-thing, didn't you?) Second, the music was great; it was a mix of light gospel that had a Hillsong sound. The guitar solo during the offering was incredible - that guy could play a riff! But, it was executed flawlessly and demonstrated excellent musicianship while maintaining a reverence for God.

I had done my homework before I went and knew Pastor Meador's style was a verse-by-verse expository type of preaching. I was not disappointed. The message was on tithing, but he brought a depth of understanding to it with some unique points. There were a couple of points I connected deeply to on a personal level. The delivery was passionate, authentic, and biblically sound. Third, the church is very missional. There were clips of some of the city-wide missions that the church is involved in and social justice seemed to be a strong point. Fourth, the service ended with a prayer of commission for the youth who were leaving for camp. Involved youth is an indicator to me that whatever they are doing is reaching this culture.

Clearly, this is a church that is growing and family-friendly. I didn't see a large mix of ethnicity; it appeared to be mostly caucasian to me, but I tend to look for that. (My ideal church would be to have a mix of every culture in attendance - personal preference.) After the service, visitors were invited to an anteroom where you could meet other staff and the pastor.

It was a great beginning to this 6 month journey with God. If you want to know more about First Baptist of Euless, you can visit them at http://www.firsteuless.com/ or follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/firsteuless. Links are located on the sidebar for all churches visited and blogs.

Grace and Peace

The Stranger

You don't know me yet. I'm a stranger. I'm no stranger to God, but I'm the stranger in your church. I like the front pew most of the time, but sometimes I sit in the back because I'm new. Being new can be hard. New is different. New state, new city, new home and new life. Meeting new people can be hard on you, too. I know. I've sat where you are. Comfortable. Connected. Content. It takes some effort and willingness to shake a hand, offer a smile or invite a stranger into your circle.

I was thinking about how Jesus must have felt every time he came to a new city. Or Paul. Or John. New people, new places, new friends. How did the church of Acts respond to new people? Visiting people? Strangers?

I decided to take advantage of my "newness". I'm taking the next six months to visit different churches. All different kinds of churches - small churches, mega churches, denominational churches and non-denominational churches. Other people have written much more eloquently than I on theological differences, the nature of the seeker-friendly church, and the emergent church. I'm all for fixing what's broken, but I'm not into lamenting the church. I'm looking for the road less traveled. It's easier to find what sets us apart than what brings us together.

What can I celebrate about your church? Are you welcoming? Is your worship authentic? Reverent? What about your message? Can I be your champion for a visit or two?

Jesus wore sandals as I recall. Me -I like high heels. I'll be there soon. You won't be able to miss me. I'm the one dancing to the strains of sweet grace.