Crossroads Celebration Church

I am about to embark on a new and scary adventure for me. I have been teaching Ethics and Philosophy for over two years at our local community college. I have really enjoyed Ethics for it seems to be right up my alley. But Philosophy scares me.

The history and concepts of Philosophy are vast. My boss said he has a hard time finding people willing to teach Philosophy and so I told him I would find a way to love teaching it. So here is the adventure for this fall semester. I am scraping the big books, sticking with a simple book that seemed to work last spring. I am using movies as story illustrations to get us thinking about philosophical things like: is there a God, how was the world created and what is the meaning of life. I am thinking about asking the students to blog or journal about there thoughts and trying to answer these bigger than life questions.

So why did I bring this thought about teaching Philosophy to our church blog? Well, I have been thinking about what I would put in my personal philosophy blog would be: what is my life verse [what scripture do I not only have memorized, but how and why does it help me live my life], how do I put into thoughts and words my belief in God, why do I believe in creationism and so forth. One of the things that I am trying to add to my class outline is critical thinking. I need to better understand my beliefs so I can explain them to others. It is not so much an argument, but just being able to tell my story. I think it will help me be a better witness to my faith and to my christian life.

So what is your favorite song and why? Does it honor God? Who is God to you? Creator? or Some higher being? Do you worship God? Can you worship some less known higher being? Do you honor that being or is it some obscure point of interest that just sits at the back of your mind once in awhile? Is there eternal life? What is it like? How do you get there? Do nice people go to heaven if there is a heaven? What about not so nice people? Do dogs go to heaven? Are people who claim to be agnostic really atheists? What’s the difference? And so much more……

So what is my life verse? Revelation 3.16 [Mark's version] If you’re not radical, you’re spit! Jesus doesn’t want us sitting on the fence with our faith. He can handle – hot on fire for God and he can handle those who could care less for God – but those who claim to be hot, but do nothing and act as if they are cold; Jesus will spit out of his mouth.

It’s not being radical for radical’s sense, but being radical for God and living out everyday in every way one can.

So what do you believe? Why? What are you doing about it? If you were on trial for your belief, would you be witness enough to prove it?

While I was away at camp our 5 month old miniature daschund puppy learned how to escape under a fence gate. Now this spring when she was smaller I had to add some chicken fence to the gates to keep her from getting through. Last week she got smarter and learned how to nudge her way under.

So today. I felt like the farmer going out to mend fence and keep the livestock in. I was thinking sheep because that’s pretty biblical and I remember when my father-in-law rented out some of his land for another farmer to keep sheep in. They were constantly getting out.

Anyway, here I am lowering the gate hinges; boarding up to different ways to keep this little corner from being flexible and securing some more zip ties to more of the fence. All the while, Lily, our precocious puppy is watching me and in my pile of tools and things. She then watches as I go out front to get the mail, while she is stuck behind my new Fort Knox fence. Ha! I laugh and taunt her. Try to escape now you lively little puppy. So far so good.

I was thinking of the parable Jesus told of the 100 sheep. 99 were secure and one got lost. How did it get lost? Was the gate open? Did the shepherd not secure things enough? or Was the sheep as precocious as my little puppy? I guess we may never know the answer to that, but sure enough the shepherd went after it. Could have been happy with 99 but went the extra effort to get the one lost lamb. Aren’t you glad the story is about the Good Shepherd and we are so often lost and Jesus comes to search for us.

I wish the church had a Fort Knox fence to keep the flock in and out of harm. But the government my have their say if I started locking up church folk. So I will simply trust Jesus to search for the lost and I will do my best to keep them from getting away. And I do have a big flashlight to help in the search. I don’t want anybody lost either.

So for now Lily, the puppy is securely in the back yard. Wait, maybe I should go check again, she is very precociou………………………………………………………………

Crossroads Church in Ankeny has increased it’s worship attendance this summer. In the spring we averaged 16 and in June and July we have averaged 20. Not bad for summer. Then people head off for vacation.

I knew that two of our regular families would be gone yesterday from worship. They were on a well deserved vacation time. I knew that it would take away 9 people from our attendance. When you are a small congregation those kind of numbers are noticeable. I was gearing up for maybe 7-9 people in worship. We had fifteen. And yes we were missing 9 regulars.

God is always surprising me. Why should I doubt God. Two people whom I haven’t spoken to for over two years talked with me today. Both of them inquired how our new church plant is doing. I simply had to reply great. When summer attendance is booming, God must be doing the recruiting.

So today, I say, “Thank you God!” I praise your Holy Name! I’m just wondering what God will do this coming Sunday when our nine friends come back from vacation. Will we have 24? or more? I should never underestimate the power of God’s plans.

How about you? Are you holding out for your plans? or are you letting God prove himself. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Malachi 3.10-11

Yes, God wants to prove himself to you. His plans are always better than ours. Don’t limit God. It’s not a wise thing to do.