"Like" Jesus!

The other day my neighbor, a social media expert, told me he was invited to speak on the subject of social media in faith based organizations.  I took that to mean, “Are churches, synagogues and mosques using Facebook and Twitter to spread their message?” 

Frankly, I suspect that for every house of worship availing themselves of social media there is another out there somewhere exhorting the evils of such ‘worldly trappings’.  I think I even heard of a pastor who delivered a sermon encouraging his congregation to quit Facebook altogether.  I may have misunderstood that message, but I have seen several people declare a ‘fasting’ from Facebook for a time.

So, is there a place for social media in the faith?  While I may not wholly be qualified to answer that question, I can speak to what social media has done for one-on-one ministry.  But instead I'll let you read for yourself a brief Facebook conversation that took place this very day.  (The names have not been changed, since neither of us are innocent!)

Craig A. Corbin: Speaking of the Holy Spirit, I was a practicing Wiccan and Pagan leader in the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans for over twenty-two years. I had been a Charismatic Christian in my very young adulthood and turned from Christian faith in a very bitter and hostile manner. 3 1/2 years ago, an old friend that I had not seen in 23 years from my Charismatic church had then recently friended me on facebook. I had announced that I was having back surgery on facebook and he asked me if he could visit me while in the hospital.

As I laid in ICU, very weak (but stable), he asked me if he could pray for me. I said yes and allowed him to pray and I kept an open mind. He later left and after an hour or so I had fallen asleep. I was awakened by a golden light and warmth that began to saturate every fiber of my being. I was stunned and amazed and I realized that I was being visited by the Holy Spirit of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Tears of shame, joy, pain, jubilation, fear, and comfort streamed from my eyes uncontrollably. As I wept I cried out unto the Lord. I asked Him to forgive me for my heresies and my hedonism. I vowed to Him that I would never deny Him ever again. I found myself at the foot of Calvary after many many years of rejecting Him.

It was later that year when many of you in the liberty movement met me. I had been going to different churches and visiting, looking for a home church. I knew of a friend that was once very active in my UU Pagan group that had converted to Orthodox Christianity and I contacted her to ask about visiting. The first time that I visited at Holy Ascension in Norman, I entered at the lower level through the fellowship hall door. I knew absolutely nothing at all about Orthodoxy only that Greeks and Russians went to those churches. When I walked into the fellowship hall, there I was instantly saturated by that same golden light and mellifluous warmth that I had experienced in my hospital bed. I knew that I was home and have been on the Orthodox Christian path ever since. How dark it is before dawn! Even a heretical reprobate as myself can be forgiven and walk in grace! Christ is risen!

Reece Kepler:  Wow. Awesome testimony, Craig A. Corbin. You are one mighty Man of God!

Craig A. Corbin: Speaking of that friend! Reece Kepler is that friend who prayed for me in the hospital!

Reece Kepler:  Hey, I was just visiting an old buddy - a brother in the Lord. I knew you had gone out and acted unlike Christ (but who hasn't, to some extent). I had no idea how deeply you had separated yourself from your Heavenly Father. I am honored to be the guy that prayed for (and with) you, but it was the Holy Spirit that visited you that day that made the difference! I hadn't heard that part of the story until now. Awesome!

Craig A. Corbin: I am and will be forever amazed at that day Reece! Thank you for your kind words. I can only reply it is His Holy Spirit within me who is mighty! I thought that you knew more of the story. I remember when you asked me: "Why Orthodoxy?" I replied: "Because the Holy Spirit directed me so." You said something along the lines: "The Holy Spirit, that's good enough for me!" I continue to be amazed how our Lord has used and uses Facebook to make connections and do His work!

‘Nuff said!

The Kepler Mission

Have you heard of the Kepler Mission?  In March of 2009 NASA launched KEPLER; a space observatory (cool rocket ship).  The mission of the Kepler observatory is to survey the Milky Way galaxy and discover Earth-like planets in or near the habitable zone.

As of now Kepler had found over 2,700 candidates, and 132 of those have been confirmed exoplanets.

Now I’m not real sure the definition of such terms as habitable zone and exoplanet.  But it sounds like we might all want to pack some bags in case we will be moving to a new planet soon.  This one seems to be getting pretty threadbare anyway.

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...Ole’ Kepler has his work cut out for him!

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That Kepler rocket ship has a tough task though.  See, planets revolve around stars, and there are over 375 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy alone.  Furthermore, there are over 100 billion other galaxies like the Milky Way.  So I would say ole’ Kepler has his work cut out for him!

All this new planets talk got me to thinking about something I read once.  In his book God’s Plan for Man, Finis Jennings Dake said that God lives in a mansion on a material planet called Heaven.  Oh, I realize Dake’s writings are controversial.  Many consider him to be a heretic.  But the Charismatic - Pentecostal world has embraced most of his work as inspired.   Wouldn’t it be cool if the Kepler Mission discovered Heaven!

I’m not sure what all is involved in NASA’s Kepler Mission, or if that's even possible.  But this Kepler has a mission of his own, and a quite similar mission at that.  This Kepler's mission is to actually travel to Heaven – and to take as many with me as my cool rocket ship will hold. 

Come on board and let’s blast off.  But I have to warn you - it's a one way trip!


Illustration courtesy NASA (public domain)

No Bananas

I don’t know what you believe on the subject of divine healing. But if you’ve ever been sick or infirm and then sensed the presence of God and felt the power of God – and received a healing, I’m sure you are a believer.  Such is the case with me.

Folks, I’ve seen a crippled man get up and walk.  I’ve seen barren wombs spring forth with new life.  I’ve seen my own child brought back from his deathbed in response to a cry out to God!  I’ve even seen God miraculously set a broken bone as I held a little girl in my arms and prayed.  And the healings and miracles I’ve heard about and read about go far beyond the great things I’ve personally witnessed.

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We used to see the Shekinah Glory of God roll across the sanctuary…

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To deny the presence of God would be akin to denying the existence of… well, of life itself!  So you can imagine the excitement I felt a few weeks ago when I visited a local church on a Sunday morning and saw the presence of God rolling into the praise service.  The Shekinah – that’s what it’s called.  In the Bible, when God came on the scene it was often in the form of a cloud.  It’s known as the Glory Cloud, and I suppose it could best be described as a fog rolling across the room.   Even in the modern age people have seen the Glory Cloud – the Shekinah presence of God roll across a church as his people entered into newer and deeper realms of worship.

We used to see the Shekinah Glory of God roll across the sanctuary with some regularity, but it’s been a while.  And I was a bit confused by it, since when it’s happened in the past it was in the midst of an incredible worship service.  At the risk of sounding rude or sanctimonious, let me just say, “This was not that!”

Then Stephanie leaned over and whispered, “That fog machine is messing with my sinuses.”

FOG MACHINE??

FOG MACHINE!!

The New Testament church of the 21st century scarcely resembles the New Testament church of the New Testament.  We have the advantage of modern technology that they did not.  Colored lights radiate on cue, controlled by a central panel so they can be made to glow in red or blue or yellow… whatever works to evoke the desired mood… and the desired result!

Oh, I recognize the mindset – new methods to attract a new generation.  And to a degree I understand it – even appreciate it.  In fact, a church close to my house recently ripped out dozens of cushioned pews to replace them with theater seating!  I guess the pews weren’t cushiony enough?  And they probably couldn’t think of anything else to spend that money on… like missions work or feeding the hungry.

It really doesn’t matter.  I’m sure God doesn’t care what you’re sitting on when you’re learning his Word.  You can decorate a church building any way you wish.  You can even hang plastic bananas from the chandeliers (real ones would go bad too quickly).   Then you could say your church is full of the Fruit of the Spirit without having to really walk the walk.

Fancy seating – sparkly lights – casino carpeting… none of it really matters.  But when you put in a fog machine to replicate the Shekinah Glory of God… well my friends, in my book that’s gone too far! 

My first thought is, “Apparently they aren’t expecting the real Shekinah if they’re generating a counterfeit shekinah.” 

My second thought is, “They wouldn’t even recognize the Shekinah Glory if it rolled in…  ‘Look there, Pastor.  That fog machine’s a blowin’ extra heavy this mornin’!”

My third thought is, “I don’t expect the Shekinah Glory will be rolling in there any time soon.”  Hey, don’t judge me for that observation.  Obviously they aren’t expecting it either!

If we could draw closer to God and see the REAL Shekinah Glory again – if we could see blind eyes opened and lame men walk again – I’m convinced even this new generation would sit on buckets in the musty basement of a rundown building to see a REAL move of God!

If you don’t agree with me – fine.  If you think I’m judgmental – ok.  If you’re just down right angry with me – so be it!  You see, I’ve experienced the Shekinah Glory.  I’ve tasted the Heavenly things.  Fake fog and plastic fruit don’t even come close.

Folks, people are hungry for a move of God.  They’ve been hoodwinked at the carnival.  They deserve better from their church.

The Drought of Twenty-Eleven

For the sixth week in a row the sun beat down upon us. We were tired and parched believers in a dry and thirsty land. Just as a flower will wither and die without the rains, so do Christians need the praise and worship – the fellowship of the brethren – the hearing of an anointed word from a Man of God, lest said Christians suffer that same fate. And now another Sunday morning had rolled around.

For reasons of no consequence to this story Stephanie and I found ourselves without a home church to attend. By now it had been six weeks since we had attended Sunday Service, but for us the drought had started many weeks before, and so we did thirst.

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...what I do know is that it rained today!

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When you love God and realize he has a plan for your life, sleeping in and sitting around on Sunday morning is not an option for very long. And it had been too long. So we made the decision to visit a church that was recently started in an elementary school in our neighborhood. And we’re so glad we did.

The church is called Faith Church and it meets on Sunday mornings at 10 o’clock in the Auditorium of James L Dennis Elementary School. My expectations of church size were confounded when I rounded the corner to a parking lot full of cars. I was expecting about half as many.

The awkwardness of walking for the first time into a group of strangers was quickly allayed by smiling greeters at the door, and again (and again) by friendly people pointing the way to the coffee, the restrooms and the sanctuary (as it were). I even ran into someone I knew a few years back.

Most everyone was standing around visiting with friends so Stephanie and I chose seats and settled in. Almost immediately a guy walked up and said, “Hi, I’m Josh!” From what little research I had done on Facebook and on the church’s website I recognized Josh as the Pastor. And I was impressed at the genuineness and humility with which he introduced himself.

And then church started. And brother – it was CHURCH; the praise and worship, the anointed word from a Man of God, the fellowship after service (with ice cream, no less)!

Stephanie and I were both blessed beyond measure. The picture conjured in my mind was that of a cowboy riding his pony over the brittle, rainless ground, praying for the promise of a cloud and constantly scanning the horizon for a stream or a river. And then one glorious day, there it is – that oasis of water. And then the cowboy stands, arms outstretched to God in thanks, and falls straight backward into the life giving pool. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, the refreshing!

I don’t know if Stephanie and I will pitch our tent at this watering hole, followed by the building of a cabin and dreams of a larger spread, or if this is just a stopover on the trail to our final destination. We’ll look to the leading of the Holy Spirit on that. But what I do know is that it rained today!

Thanks Pastors Josh & Tiffany and Faith Church for the rain!

The Call of the Wild

There’s an inner urging deep inside all of us for a return to the wild - to live off the land - to build a shelter with our own hands -to catch a fish or trap a rabbit or shoot a pheasant, and drink fresh water from a cool, clear stream… and then to sneak off to town for a hot shower, a burger and a shake!

My wife has made me promise for several years running now that I would take her camping. But between valid reasons and trifling excuses, our tent and cook-stove have continued to gather cobwebs. Perhaps this summer…

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Had she not stepped out at just the right time, her little yapper may have been the victim of an unthinkable fate.

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But in backing out the driveway the other morning I realized we don’t need to go camping to return to the wild. See, a couple of years ago we bought a new house on a cul-de-sac with empty lots around us. And with a church lot behind our house to the north and another to the west, we are surrounded on three sides by raw nature.

But what I noticed that morning is a bond with nature that exceeds the smell of a freshly brush-hogged church lot. There it was, perched majestically on the peak of our roof – an eagle! Or was that a falcon? Or a chicken-hawk? Or an osprey, a kite or an owl? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a buzzard or a vulture. Let’s just agree that it was a bird of prey, and leave it at that.

And this isn’t the first predatory avian that’s taken roost on our home. See, we attend one of those churches behind us, and sitting in our married folks class on any given Sunday I can look out the window and see our roof. And it’s quite often I see a bird, eyeing the fields around our house for his breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, we have coffee and donuts in married folks class (just thought I’d throw that in).

But this whole matter of predatory birds looking for breakfast brings a fresh concern with a warning issued yesterday by Cheryl; a friend of ours. Like us, Cheryl has a small dog that she lets outside for all the reasons you let dogs outside. And today she reported that hovering overhead was a chicken-hawk in search of prey. Had she not stepped out at just the right time, her little yapper may have been the victim of an unthinkable fate.

So now, every time we let our little mutt outside I'll feel like a parent sending his kindergartner off on the bus for the first day of school. I'll want to hide in the shadows and stand vigil. But parents don't really put a kindergartner on the bus on the first day - they drive her to school. So maybe, every time she barks to be let out, I'll just drive her out on my riding mower. I might even buy her one of those little mats to sleep on. You know - the kind that is blue on one side and red on the other.

Or maybe I'll just put out coffee and donuts for the hungry predator. Hey, it works for the married folks at the church!

Image courtesy of Liz Noffsinger / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Religious Guy

Jack was tall and slim, with black hair and a full beard, albeit somewhat scraggly. But what made Jack so noticeable were the scars on his forearms. At some point in his life, and not too terribly long ago, Jack had taken a knife and torn open his arms from the wrist to the inside of his elbow – on both sides! Jack joked about it, about how he'd "botched the job". But it was obvious by the depth and width of the scars that his attempt was real and he’d given it his best shot.

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...the guy that gets to pray with someone and lead them to Christ gets to see the result of all that labor. With Jack, I wanted to be that guy!

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“You’re a religious guy, aren’t you?” Jack asked me as he passed by, pushing a load to be dumped down the chute. I’d just met Jack about an hour before, and all I’d done was assign to him a sledge hammer and wheelbarrow, and point him to the area I needed him to work. “I guess you could call me religious”, I answered. He dumped the busted up concrete and went back for another load.

It was 1980 and I was working for a guy that had the contract to gut the interior of an old office building slated for remodel. Needing some help I called a temp agency and they sent over two guys, one of which was Jack. I gave these two workmen their assignments, and turned back to my own sledgehammer.

The highest goal for an Evangelical Christian is to be a ‘soul-winner’. That is, somebody who will share his faith in Jesus Christ with others who do not have such a relationship, and persuade them, convince them… convert them – if you will, to their own, new-found faith in Christ. There are people who have daily goals for how many souls they can win. But, sadly, they are the exception rather than the rule. The ‘average’ Christian may have led a handful of people to Christ, if that many.

Don’t misunderstand me - no man is alone in his labors for the Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote that one man plants a seed, another man waters that seed, and God gets the increase thereof. But the guy that gets to pray with someone and lead them to Christ gets to see the result of all that labor. With Jack, I wanted to be that guy!

As he rolled by with his next wheelbarrow load I asked him, “Are you a religious guy?” He replied, “I’m what you’d call a lost soul!” And back he went to fetch another load. On his next pass I simply asked him “…Wanna talk about it?” We took an early lunch.

Jack and I sat down right there at that construction site and I shared with him about who Jesus Christ is and what he means to me… and what he could mean to him. I can’t recall the exact words I said, but then again they really weren’t my words. This was one of those times the Holy Spirit just kind of takes over and uses your voice – like the alien in “Independence Day” did with that freaky scientist guy. OK… maybe not quite like that, but you know what I mean.

Finally I talked myself out, and so I cleared my throat… and summoned my courage… and looked Jack straight in the eye and asked, “Would you like to invite Jesus into your heart?” Jack gave me an honest answer, “I could say the words, but I don’t know if I’d really believe it or not.”

“Fair enough”, I said, as disappointed as a hunter who just missed a shot at a trophy buck. So I asked him if I could pray for him. I figured I’d say a quick prayer and we’d get back to work. He consented, and so I bowed my head and prayed.

All I did was ask God to show Jack how much He loved him and to answer the questions Jack had in his heart, and I said Amen. Then Jack looked up at me with these big, wide silver dollar eyes. “What did you do?” he asked. “I felt something happen inside me!” Not knowing what else to say I immediately asked him, “Can you believe it now?” “YES”, he said. So - right then and there - I led him in what we call the sinner’s prayer. And Jack became a Believer!

I don’t know what it was about me that caused Jack to ask me that opening question. But I know enough about how the Kingdom of God works to know that I wasn’t the first religious guy to cross his path. I’m just thankful I was the one that got to “close the deal”.

I took Jack and bought him a good leather-bound bible that day, and made sure he was in church the next Sunday. But Jack was a transient, sleeping in flop houses and cheap hotels. He’d just blown into town and didn't stay too long. He worked with me for a few days, and we talked about the things of God. And then I never saw him again.

But I will!

The Swiss Army Knife

I saw this cool Swiss Army Knife you can buy for your dad next Father’s Day – or if your father has passed on as mine has, you can buy it for me. This knife costs 180 bucks, and I counted no less than 20 functions for which it has a unique tool. What’s more, it comes with band-aids, a pressure pencil (whatever that is), writing paper, safety pens, matches and sewing thread. Of course these accessories aren’t built in, so you’ll lose them pretty quickly. But it’s still cool that they come with the knife.

This got me wondering – if GOD had a Swiss Army Knife, what would it look like?

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He’s not just that church’s Swiss Army Knife… He’s GOD’S Swiss Army Knife...

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There’s this guy I know that works at a church. Now, in respect to him I shouldn’t use his real name so I’ll use an alias. Let’s just call him Randy. That’s a good, strong yet generic name, don’t you think? Randy is the “go-to” guy for whatever’s going on in this church he works at. If the rainy season finds cracks in the roof, call Randy. If the snowstorm of the century leaves the parking lot impassable, call Randy. Air conditioner broke? Water line busted? Toilet paper too coarse? Call Randy!

In all fairness, I’m sure most churches have their Swiss Army Knife. But this guy I’m calling Randy for purposes of this story… he’s not just that church’s Swiss Army Knife … He’s GOD’S Swiss Army Knife. See, his usefulness is not just limited to the mechanical, electrical or structural functions of the facility. If they need somebody to make the announcements on Sunday morning, or be a prayer partner or head up the men’s ministries or teach in the bible school, they call Randy.

And that’s all in addition to him being a husband, a father, a grandfather and a son (and probably a cousin and a nephew and an uncle), as well as being a pretty cool guy in his own right. He even finds the time to play a round of golf occasionally, should the sun cooperate.

This guy goes overseas to minister to the needs of others, both spiritual and physical. And he even shares his wit, wisdom and humor in a blog on the internet. I’d give you a link to it, but I’ve decided to keep this guy’s real identity a secret.

Oh, I’m sure if this guy I’m calling Randy chose to leave this church he’s serving, someone would step in to take his place… or more realistically, about 11 someones! Hey, that would make Randy God’s one-man football team!

So if your church has one of these Swiss Army Knives, even if his name isn’t Randy, make sure he knows how much he is loved – how much he is appreciated – how incredibly special he is to God and to everyone in the church… and to you! And you might even think about rolling up your sleeves and helping him out with the church’s next catastrophe.

And by the way, I was just kidding about giving me that Swiss Army Knife for Father’s Day. Give it to Randy! He’d actually use it!

Unsolicited Advice to A Pastoral Search Team

Today’s Episode of The First Reece is being preempted for a personal message to the committee charged with finding a new Pastor for Highpointe Church. The usual mix of laughter, wit and inspiration will resume tomorrow.

Dear Pastoral Search Committee:

In the January 4, 2010 entry of this blog I observed that “Some board or committee or other entity is going to read resumes and interview candidates, and present me with my new pastor”. I now know who the members of that committee are. You are all good people; Godly people; people whose judgment I trust. And so it is with excitement I await your findings. Meantime, I wish to offer this unsolicited advice.

Don’t try to replace Darren & Michelle Pilcher. They are irreplaceable. If God moved them on, then God has an incredible plan for Highpointe Church. That plan is what we seek.

Don’t get in a hurry. In the Kingdom of God timing is everything. But that timing is God’s timing. At the right time he will open the right door and we will have the right Pastor. In the meantime there’s a whole ball team’s worth of able preachers and teachers to tend the flock! Fat and sassy with ministerial excellence, are we!

Throw out the man-made model. God gave a multitude of ministry gifts to the church, but somewhere along the way the “modern” church changed the plan. The term “Pastor” has been redefined to become a person of many hats. In churches all over America they no longer have Evangelists preach – the Pastor does it. He gave Teachers to expound his doctrine…but now that’s the job of the Pastor. Administrative gifts…God gave us a slew of them. But many Pastors make all the decisions, by force or desire. I don’t mean to imply that Highpointe Church has ever followed this pattern, but many do.

Oh, a Pastor may ultimately do all those things, and more. But first and foremost, he is the shepherd of the sheep. So give me a Pastor who has the heart of a Pastor. I’m not interested in how large the congregation can grow. I’m not impressed by multiple services or satellite locations. If it happens, it happens. But when it happens will my Pastor still know my name, what I do for a living, and what gifts God has placed in me? Here’s what I want in a Pastor – someone who has a picture of me in his heart!

Sound selfish? Perhaps. But remember what Paul said in Ephesians 4 – my Pastor is God’s gift to me!

So if there is a litmus test for the position of Pastor, it’s this: Would he leave the ninety and nine, and seek the one? Find a Pastor who would seek to know his sheep; who would seek to tend his sheep… and you will have done a good thing!

I know you folks already know all this. I just wanted to make it look like it was my idea!

And by the way…thank you for your service!

Sincerely, Reece

Our Kind of Folks

Every now and then God is feeling especially benevolent and he decides to give someone a gift too precious for words. For some reason He has chosen to bestow such an unfathomable gift upon Stephanie and me…and more than once. Let me tell you about one of those gifts.

When Stephanie and I visited Lakeside Church (since rebranded Highpointe Church) we met Pastors Darren and Michelle Pilcher. We quickly made the decision to join this church, and so we invited the Pastor’s family to our home for a meal and fellowship.

Of course, at that time we didn’t know the Pilchers very well, and they weren’t familiar with us either. That was one reason for the dinner – to get to know each other. If you’ve ever been invited by or invited folks you don’t know well, you know how uncomfortable such an evening can be. This one wasn’t.

From the moment Pastors Darren and Michelle, and their kids walked through our front door we could tell these were “our kind of folks”. I was out on the patio grilling the chicken, and Pastor Darren came out to chat with me. And while Stephanie was putting the finishing touches on her famous salad she and Michelle talked and laughed in the kitchen.

As the meal progressed so did the conversation. We talked about the fact that we grew up in the same denomination, the Assemblies of God. And we talked about our similar backgrounds, with Godly parents and ministerial work. We talked religion, we talked politics, we talked about kids and houses and cars. We could have talked all night. I didn’t want it to end.

There are certain things - subtle things - that let you know someone is comfortable with you. When Pastor Darren casually reached with his fork and stabbed a second chicken breast it told me two things. First, he approves of my grilling. Grilling is a source of pride for the American male…and I’m no exception. So for that I was proud. But it also showed me that this wasn’t just a pastor doing the obligatory dinner with the new members. These folks are REAL!

After dinner Pastor Darren, his son Ethan and I retired to the “man cave” to shoot pool, with a movie playing in the background. I think it was “Braveheart”. Pastor shot a pretty good stick! And Ethan even made a few good shots. All the while, Stephanie and Michelle were downstairs talking…and talking…and talking. Emma had discovered the dolls we have for our granddaughter, so everybody was in their element.

I remember telling Pastor Darren that if he ever needed to “get away” from having to be the straight-laced Pastor guy, just come on over and we’ll let our hair down. What I didn’t realize at that time was that Pastor Darren doesn’t do the straight-laced Pastor Guy. His hair is always down!

I could write about the churches Pastors Darren and Michelle have built, or the mission trips they have taken – ministering to thousands. I could write about the people they have prayed for and the words from the Lord they have delivered. Those stories would be many and they would be exciting. But what I wanted to write about tonight is simply how REAL these precious people are.

Pastors Darren and Michelle are moving into a new chapter in their lives and ministries, and so they are resigning as pastors. In fact, today was their final day of service to Highpointe, at least in the pastoral capacity. And while I am excited to see what new thing God has in store for the church, and how I will fit in with that new thing, I am saddened to see them go.

Pastors Darren and Michelle; thank you for your service. But especially, thank you for your friendship. It’s been… … … REAL!

Feed Me to the Crocs

I have a couple of grandkids; Devon and Kiley. My friend Paul tells me his mom had a saying, “Every hen thinks her eggs are the whitest.” Well, my grandkids are surely the whitest eggs in the henhouse.

Kiley is 4 and tonight she’s spending the night with Grandpa Kepler and Gramma Stephie. We picked her up from her house after church, and in the car on the way home Stephanie put in a CD of Christian music, of which she and Kiley are particularly fond. She was able to coax Kiley to sing along to their favorite song on the CD – Lead Me to the Cross. She knows all the words because they do this often.

Stephanie has a beautiful soprano voice, and sings on the praise team at church. Kiley has the beautiful voice of a 4 year old. Grandpa Kepler has the voice of an ornery grandpa. So, when the song came to an interlude Grandpa Kepler sang out “Feed me to the Crocs…..” (To the tune of lead me to the cross).

Kiley: “NO GRANDPA…it’s not feed me….it’s LEAD ME….Lead me to the cross.”
Grandpa: “You mean it doesn’t say Feed me to the Crocs?”
Kiley: “NO! It says Lead Me to the Cross.”

Glad we got that straight.

Heavenly Father: Thank you so much for this precious granddaughter, Kiley. Bless her and keep her in your care all the days of her life. And I know out there somewhere is a little boy that will one day win her affection. Protect him too, Lord I pray. Take his heart in your hands - mold him and make him into a mighty man of God. Amen

I’m just a proud grandpa tonight. Thanks for your indulgence.

My Spiritual Journey and the Resignation of a Pastor

I was born on a Monday and though I don't personally recall, I'm quite sure I was in an Assembly of God church the following Sunday. Being raised not only in church, but in that specific denomination, I grew up dividing Christians into two categories - those who were members of an Assembly of God church and "the confused". I remember being at the ball park when I was about 10 years old, and seeing a boy that was selling candy for his church. I asked him what church he went to and he replied, "The best church there is." "You go to an Assembly of God church too?!" I asked. He boldly replied, "No, Church of Christ" (or some other denomination that I can't now recall). This is a true story and I am sincere in confessing it was that very moment that I realized everybody thinks their church is right - or at least the most right.

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...this man was the bridge that I didn’t think existed - between what I was and what I am.

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Fast forward to age 20. My dad went to a camp meeting in Tulsa and brought back cassette tapes of guys I'd never heard of - Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, Novell Hayes, Charles Capps... I heard things I'd never heard before - truths from God's Word that nobody had ever taught me, and I certainly had not discovered on my own. What dad stumbled into is what has come to be known as "The Faith Message" (also known as "The Name It and Claim It Message", "The Blab It and Grab It Message", and my all time favorite, "The Call It and Haul It Message").

A sidebar of explanation: These monikers all derive from the teaching that by applying faith in God to the words you speak, you have the spiritual power to cause things to come to pass. The secular equivalent of this might be "The Power of Positive Thinking". And while there is truth in this message of faith, it was abused ad nauseam by guys (like me) that wanted new cars and gold nugget rings. (Gold nugget rings? It was the 80's. You had to be there.)

But alas, this Faith Message was largely rejected by my Assembly of God denomination. The faith teachers were not invited into the A/G churches, and Jimmy Swaggart, arguably their foremost mouthpiece at the time, went so far as to brand it as Gnosticism in his monthly magazine, “The Evangelist”. But for me it was too late. I had already had a taste, and would not, in fact could not turn back. I left my spiritual roots behind and enrolled in Rhema Bible Training Center (Kenneth Hagin’s school in Tulsa - and ground zero for this bunch of radicals).

Lest you read sarcasm into my description of the faith message, please understand that in this “movement” I found my home, and now over 30 years later I still reside comfortably therein. I had not crossed the threshold of an A/G church in those 30+ years, and never expected to again. So you can only imagine the shock and irony I felt when God led Stephanie and me to visit the A/G church behind our house. I fully expected to step into a time warp; back to 1976, when I cast off the chains of that denomination and moved into the light.

Don’t get me wrong about the Assemblies of God. They are good people. The best! And I agree with their 16 fundamental doctrines…at least 15 ½ of them. They just didn’t seem to care to dig deeper into God’s Word. And their out and out rejection of the Faith Message was a line in the sand that I had stepped across. But that was then. This is now. At this church, Lakeside Assembly of God, I found a pastor that was spiritually qualified to knock that chip off my shoulder. But instead, he just smiled and said, “There’s nothing wrong with that Faith Message. That’s good stuff.” I wanted to make a mad dash for the door, so-as to not be injured when the roof caved in. But the roof held firm. And this pastor held firm…firm and true to the Word of God. Listening to Pastor Darren Pilcher preach I've reveled in services that felt like a faith message camp meeting. I’d gone back in time 20 years rather than 30; back to the spiritual times I cherished most. Truly I have found a new home.

But now Pastor Darren has announced that he is resigning the church – taking a position with the denomination. He says it’s God’s will and I have no basis to doubt or disagree. But this man was the bridge that I didn’t think existed - between what I was and what I am. And so this becomes very personal to me. Some board or committee or other entity is going to read resumes and interview candidates, and present me with my new pastor. Oh, I’m sure I’ll get to vote. And I do believe God answers prayer and has been grooming the right man for this job. I’m not worried, but I’m also not naïve enough to think God’s will just automatically falls in our laps. I’ve seen too many shipwrecks.

Pastor Darren and Michelle, I wish you Godspeed in your endeavors. And Lakeside/Highpointe members – let’s be sure we get this one right! Our future depends on it.