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.