looking out from my little place

A Blessing by Mail

Last week a package had arrived for me from NavPress. I was caught of gaurd because I hadn't ordered anything but I opened it and was thrilled to find a compliminary copy of Rick Bundschu's "Don't Rock The Boat, Capsize It: Loving The Church Too Much To Leave It The Way It Is"

This is a great book. I hear Rick's voice and one reviewer on Amazon wrote "It's a bit Mike-Yaconelli-esque as he refers to the wild things that congregations can do for God" Here are two of my favorite quotes:

There is a word so dirty that when you say it in church the reaction is immediate, hostile, and horrified. A word that when uttered has cost many a minister his job and has been the tcatalyst of banishment for other believers. A word so feared that if it must be used it is couched in euphemisms or coded language. That dirty word is change.

Maybe we need to work less on the nuances of theology and more on our imagination. Maybe we need to have fewer meetings and more play time with each other. Maybe we ought to believe that each of uscould actually bewhat we dream---and mabye we dhouldencourage and believe in each other's dreams. Maybe we should start by encouraging our adult people to dream.

The book is mostly narrative, so if you combine "Blue Like Jazz" by Don Miller with "Messy Spirituality" by Mike Yaconelli and "Fearless Faith" by John Fischer and a dash of ecclesiology you get one great book that will cause you to think and imagine what the church could be and should be if we would only dare.

I liked it so much that I blogged about and I'm going to suggest that our church leadership reads it, so I guess NavPress' freebie paid off. :-)

One of the greatest Youth Ministry events, ever!

The Poverty Simulation is one of the greatest youth ministry events, ever! Most of the ones that are left this spring and summer are full but if you can go, you should.

It's kind of like "A Walk to Emmaus", the less you know the better time, you'll have so I won't share too many details. We were one of 2 groups that were there for the weekend. We drove 3.5 hours but the other group was from Kansas and they drove 8 hours to be there! That leader and the students would tell you, "Yes it's worth the drive"

The kids were stretched. Through it all most of them discovered how selfish they are and how they need to be more compassionate and caring towards the poor and that we need to care for "the least of these" in a better way.

On the way home we had a small wreck in Austin. Austin is notrorious for bumper to bumper traffic throughout the day and for wrecks. Traffic was clipping around 50-60 miles and then everything stopped. We had three vehicles for this trip. I was driving the one in the middle. The one in front of me had a trailer.

I saw the trailer slowing and then really slowing so I pressed the brakes and then pressed them all the way down. As I did, we hit a small oil spot and did a small fish tail and then the ABS kicked in. The Excursion with the trailer hit something and I knew I wouldn't be able to stop in time. I swerved and missed the trailer by about 1-2 feet and then immediately went back beside the car since there was traffic beside me. (It was one of those times where you hope that the other vehicles see you and move.) Right as I avoided the trailer got back besides the car to avoid the oncoming traffic, I heard a noise as an eighteen wheeler clipped my side mirror. The mirror (glass only) fell off but the holder of the glass was not damaged, at all.

When I finally stopped I was almost even with the car in front of me and the car behind me was still within 4-5 feet of hitting the trailer I avoided. So imagine the impact it would have been if I had hit them and my brakes were to the floor.

It was surreal, everyone was quiet because they said they were just getting ready for impact. After we stopped, two students in the back just said "Great driving Len"

We all pulled off at the next exit, to exchange insurance information and wait for a police form. The guy who was hit was not upset because he came within 2 inches of hitting the guy in front of him. The dad who was a few cars behind me on the way home got out and had nothing but praise for what happened.

We finally got home (an hour and a half late) and everyone talked initially about the accident but the weekend had the greatest impact. I kept hearing stories throughout the week from parents. (I called all of them to check in with them and to see if anything had been said.) My favorite story is about the student who went home and when they ate dinner that night, they prayed for about 11 minutes according to the dad and the mom was crying because of the attitude of the prayer.

It was a great weekend and definitely one of the greatest youth ministry events, ever!

Autographing Hearts

Autographs serve as a long-term memento of a moment in time. I have one autograph that will serve as a family heirloom. An autographed baseball. It's special for three reasons, it's the only baseball I've ever caught at a game, it was from the last game at Rangers Stadium and Hall of Fame Pitcher Nolan Ryan signed it.

A few years ago in San Antonio, my brother-in-law called me one day and let me know that Nolan Ryan was at his business so I grabbed the ball off of my office book shelf and a sharpie and made the five minute drive. I asked for his autograph, said something goofy I'm sure, and walked away giddy like a kid because I had met a childhood hero and I had his autograph.

I recently found this story that Babe Ruth shared, "Most of the people who have really counted in my life were not famous. Few ever heard of them, except those who knew and loved them. I knew an old minister once whose hair was white and whose face shone. I have written my name on thousands and thousands of baseballs in my life; he wrote his name on just a few simple hearts. How I envy him! He was not trying to please himself and win the plaudits of the world. So fame never came to him. I am listed as a famous home-run hitter. Yet, beside that humble, obscure minister, who was so good and wise, I never got to first base!"

Some of us have an autograph that we cherish and a few of us may have even been asked to autograph something but all of us have the ability to autograph our names on hearts. We are a country that is obsessed with fame and celebrities. It's easy for us, as everyday people, to feel as if we can't leave a lasting impression or we won't be known beyond our own little world. God may not call us to be famous, have a nationally known ministry or become a recognized expert.

He may call us to love a particular people in a particular place for a particular time for no particular reason but to walk in obedience. Those people include your own family, your neighbors, your friends and your church. You have the chance to autograph hearts and leave impressions that will be treasured for years come. Live your life well, love others and don't forget your sharpie.

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I wrote this for our current church newsletter, figured I'd share it here. Use it as you wish.