Thorns... and Thoughts...

Being reminded of my thoughts eighteen years ago this weekend...

Words on Worship…           
A Hedge of Protection?

            Spring brings, among other things, the joy to homeowners of cleaning up the yard: pruning, raking, pruning, hauling, pruning, fertilizing, pruning, mulching, pruning, landscaping, pruning, weed-killing, pruning, and, well, you get the point.  Just last week, I chose to undertake the mother of all projects: pruning back the thistles and briars left behind by the Hedgeapple trees that I had removed last season. 
            Let’s go back to Easter weekend —Saturday to be exact— sun shining, wind more than blowing, and Pastor D. in the back forty determined to win at the fight of the thistles.  If you have been in Kansas for any length of time, you’ve seen the native Hedgeapple tree: they line all the farmers’ old property lines.  Not real attractive, but then they weren’t planted for their beauty.  They were planted for their sturdiness… for their ability to withstand the Kansas wind, heat, and weather.  To protect the land. They are extremely hard, rough, thorny, and …ugly.  That’s why, after eight years of cleaning up after them, I decided to get rid of them.  So last fall this guy takes them all out…right down to the stump as I had asked him to.
            Then, this spring, I get a whole new crop of hedge — thorny “suckers” as they’re called — shooting to the sky as they pop at random from these stumps (a “shoot from the stump of Jesse?” ~Isaiah 11:1). As I work at my task with heavy gloves and long-sleeved shirt for protection, the constant pricking of my hands and arms in spite of my precautions stirs me to think, “of what value are these things to the basic homeowner, anyway?”  The wind stirs, my mind stirs, and the thorns prick and tear at my skin, as I begin some pretty strange questions to God (I talk to God a lot when I’m in the yard…just in case you ever walk up on me talking to myself…).  Questions such as, “God, why do I really have to be the one cleaning these out…writing a song might be more enjoyable right now.”  Amazing how God works.  He wrote a song on my heart right there.  It has not completely formed yet, but I will never forget it.  It was Easter Saturday…the day after Good Friday…I was being pricked by a few thorns…they were not nearly as long and sharp as those that I saw last summer in Jerusalem.  Then I took a branch, pruned it to a straight, four-foot shoot, and formed a ring —let’s call it a crown— then I wept.  No way I could put even that on my head…

O… HI, O!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, the last being our leaving the beautiful state of Oregon. We’ve clearly found our new home here in Ohio, and it is wonderful :-).

Our first Sunday was last week, but let me back up just a bit to cover the details of Portland-to-Dayton…

We took one last look at Mount Hood, then left our wonderful Clackamas home on 9/1 at midnight for the very last time, having cleaned the fridge, swept the floors, and left everything we owned stacked in boxes throughout. We felt that the

best way to begin the cross-country journey would be via the Oregon Coast-Beach House for a Labor Day Weekend pause. On Sunday, 9/4 we departed the Oregon Coast and drove through the Mackenzie River Wild and Scenic area, witnessing a beautiful, fiery Oregon Sunset as we traveled the lava fields of the Mackenzie Pass… what a wonderful drive! We paused in Bend for the night, then on to Boise the following night. Keefer was a trooper, as he found himself adjusting to a different hotel room every night!Tuesday was also the day that Terrific Tammy made sure that

Mic’s V-Bug got loaded onto the car carrier at our home in Clackamas. THANK YOU, Tammy!

Traveling through Idaho, we visited CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT. WAYCOOL!

Tuesday night, 9/6 was a stop in Idaho Falls… just outside of Jackson Hole, WY. On Wednesday, we entered Jackson Hole and the Grand

Teton Range for an amazing day of being reminded of God’s magnificent handiwork.

Just the week before leaving, I attempted to get a room –any room– IN Yellowstone National Park, only to find that the summers are

booked pretty much a year in advance. I further found that pets are ONLY allowed in the “Rustic Cabin” accommodations that are sprinkled throughout the park, further narrowing/dampening our chances of anything this year. After a series of online searches and phone calls to Yellowstone, “somehow” I found that they had ONE ROOM open only for the very (Wednesday) night we would be traveling through. “I have ONE ROOM only for WEDNESDAY NIGHT, but...” Danielle, the young lady on the phone said, “it is a RUSTIC CABIN… are you ok with that?” “Hey Keefer, are you OK with a ‘rustic cabin?’.”

“Roof-roof –and a tree– is all I need” was his reply. “Book it, Dan-o,” I shouted into the sometimes-smart phone…. and the night in Y-Stone made history.

Yellowstone was amazing. We arrived at Old Faithful Wednesday evening about 20

minutes before he blew his top; how cool is that (rather hot, actually….)? The time between eruptions is anywhere from 30

minute to two hour intervals. Guess we got "lucky" :-). The next day, included in our drive THROUGH and AROUND in the park, we decided to stop again. Yep…. 24 minutes later, we watched it again. How cool is THAT, huh? Watched it blow TWO TIMES in TWO days!

We learned that we visited the big Y at a GREAT time, as they told us that the summer –and Labor Day– crowds had just left asof two days prior to our arrival. No cars, no traffic, just pavement, woods, geysers, boiling pools of sulfur water, streams, wildlife and wild wife (that’s all I’m sayin’). On past the bison, coyote, out of the park and through Custer, WY, stopping in Sheridian, WY for the night.

Wednesday was also the day that Amazing Allison and Awesome Annlie "sat" our house while the moving company loaded everything we owned onto the truck. You two ladies are TRUE friends. Thank you!!!

Friday meant heading into the South Dakota “badlands” area of the US, where we re-visited the Crazy Horse monument (we had also come here just

before leaving Wichita ten years earlier), and then we drove on through Mount Rushmore.

From there, we pretty much

drove the freeways, stopping just for the night (times two), and then, on the evening of 9/11, we crossed the O-hi-O state line for this new season of life and ministry for us!

We arrived at our new Condo, found our way around, and settled in for the night: airbed, sleeping bag, and all the essentials; like camping on steroids, really.

Let me digress: when we found that the Clackamas House was not receiving any “attention” at all as far as potential buyers, we realized that we needed to quickly find something to rent in Ohio. Our amazing realtor and sister-in-Christ, LYNN WHITE, found an eight-year old single level condo on a golf course (pretty much all we could ask for!).

Although it was listed as a lease-to-own, long story short is that two days before driving out of PDX-town, we had an agreement to LEASE the place for a year :-). God is amazing (did I already say that?). So we actually had an address to DRIVE to in Ohio, and a place to have a truck deliver our things to!

The Condo was/is more than we really need or expected, and we truly LOVE it! It is a little smaller than the house in PDX, but everything “works,” I

am telling you :-). One of the greatest things was waking up on Monday morning, opening my garage door, then standing there with my coffee watching some strangers mow, edge, and detail my lawn. Another guy came by to repair a sprinkler head... That’s what I’m talkin’ about people…. I have waited 27 years to have this experience! May this "non-mowing" season be a long one…woot!

One of the greatest “welcome” gifts we received was that a group of ladies from our church had “sneaked” into the house before we arrived, detailed every corner (as in scrubbing the floors on hands and knees-kind of detail) and closet and kitchen cabinets, and left a case of pop (diet cream soda!) and a vase (“vawz”) of flowers on the counter, mums on the front porch and a sign on the door, “Welcome ‘home’ David and Michelle!” The coolest part about these ladies’ ministry to US was the impression they left on the OWNER/landlord and his wife, who had let them in. “We never met such WONDERFUL people…why they did what they did, we don’t understand…” their words, not mine.

MONDAY night, 9/12 (the night after we arrived), the car-carrier (truck) arrived 1.5 miles up the street with a VW bug to drop off, and we felt like a family again. That week also included a few trips to Ikea (in Cincinnati) for organizing things for closets, etc., Costco, Lowe’s and Walmart of course. SATURDAY MORNING (9/17) the truck arrived with all of our things from Portland, and we worked from morning through the evening, falling into our “own,” real bed at precisely 2:17AM. The week following included nonstop opening, unpacking, and setting up shop, turning our new house into a home. We also took some wonderful “time-outs” to connect with our new family/friends from the Salem Church. We re-titled and registered our vehicles. WEDNESDAY of that week, the choir hosted a welcome reception for us both, and showered us with love, cake, laughter, and tons of gift cards, grocery cards, promises to be the best choir I ever would have, and a trip to Tahiti. OK, got out of control on that last comment.

Sunday, 9/25 was the once-ever-not-often chance to worship with our new church family from the “pews” and it was awesome to see “my new peeps” up there leading, singing, playing and worshiping in the most joyous way! We both were reminded then and there that this was all God’s doing and we truly were where He wanted us to be :-). We couldn’t wait to actually join them all the following Sunday.

Monday, 9/26 I entered the office as the official “newest staff member” and had a great week and WONDERFUL first choir rehearsal that Wednesday. Last Sunday, 10/2 was one of the greatest experiences I can recall in a long time, as I had the privilege of sitting at the 9-foot Falcone Grand piano worshipping and leading our amazing band, orchestra and choir… along with one of the most expressive congregations I have seen… in an exuberant celebration of Praise to the Father!

This week was “week two” (today-Thursday- was my “Friday”), and there have been more moments that I can count in the last 14 days where I was sitting at my desk, walking in or out of the building...or preparing music for Christmas, or whatever… asking the Lord, “REALLY, Lord? You are REALLY allowing me to DO this? This thing that I love doing more than anything else? REALLY?” He continues to breathe affirmation back to me, “welcome home.”

Dad totally surprised us by showing up at the front door this past Saturday to experience our first Sunday leading (mom could not make it because of other plans). We were so BLESSED not only that we are now living close enough to them for this kind of surprise, but that he chose to drove over and just DO it! Michelle played her flute Sunday in orchestra, as well as a special for communion time, and she truly gave her best to Him!

ALSO this week, Michelle started HER new position at the church. The idea of her joining the staff had gradually “evolved” once we knew were coming, and as Pastor Bob (our Lead Pastor) learned of her background. She is bringing to the Salem church exactly what is needed for such a time as this as she assumes the newly created role of Financial Operations Officer. Not only are we elated at the thought of CONTINUING to serve the Lord in ministry… but we get to do it TOGETHER….again! (Did I say that “God is good.”).

Things in Portland have been slow (duh) as far as the house-selling goes, so we began discussion last week as to the timing of pulling it off the market and beginning to find a family to lease it to. We’ve reminded ourselves DAILY since July that it is GOD’S house, HE gave it to us to care for, and it was HIS to do as HE saw fit. So we have just continued to pray for clear leading, timing and wisdom on what to do and when to do it.

PATIENCE is a word that has become much more clearly defined to us in the last two-point-five months. Funny thing happened on Wednesday: Realtor Mike Bierwagen calls with, “David, this is the call that all realtors live for….” And proceeded to tell me that there was an offer on our house. "What? Huh? Er…. Uh… " We took an hour and a half to patiently pray about our response, then responded with a counter offer. Counter offer accepted. Want to close by October 21. What? We can DO October 21. We don’t mind doing business on the 21^st of any month, actually, especially Octobers in odd-numbered years. That is good for us. SO, Michelle and I decide to head to grab dinner out, to talk about God and His goodness, and thank Him for continuing to work in HIS timing, even when we could not “see” Him at work. Dinner over. Driving home. Phone rings, “David, Mike here…. It seems that we have ANOTHER party that wants to buy your house, and they plan to have an offer to you by morning.” Tires screech, possum hit, and old lady (who was walking the possum) goes flying through the air. I am pulled over by now: “R U Serious?” “OK, we are good. We do not mind at all having a backup offer on our house, especially THIS backup offer!” Talk more tomorrow.

Thursday the phone rings. “David, I am going to send you that second offer in email now, so watch for it. O yeah, by the way, I just got a call from a realtor this morning and it seems that a THIRD offer may be in our hands by the end of today.” (by the way, this all happened inside exactly a 24-hour window…). “And David, there is a FOURTH party that WANTS your house and want to write an offer, but they may not now… knowing there are THREE other offers on your home.”

Does anyone need to take a break from reading yet? I see that hand. Go ahead. When you return, start back at this point…

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So as of today, Thursday, we (and each of the other parties) have in our hands, signed offers (including a "backup" offer), an inspection was done yesterday, and an appraisal will be done tomorrow. I dunno... we're thinking that just maybe God is doing something here.

OK, I gotta go. We’ve just passed 2,000 words and you have not drifted off yet. I don’t want to take advantage of you.

We are “home” and it feels good and it feels great. We love our place, and love our church, our staff, and our work. We miss our Portland friends SO MUCH at times, and it hurts, but we are thankful for email, Facebook and texting. :-)

We’ll keep the light on for ya.

A Time for Every Purpose...

Hello Friends!

We're moving soon, and since so many have asked for "details," I decided to just post them here.

On July 5, I submitted my resignation from my position at New Hope, in order to accept the invitation to begin a new season of ministry. Here is a synopsis of what's happening...

I have been given the opportunity to return to what has always been my passion in ministry: full-time Music and Worship Arts– at Salem Church of God in Dayton, Ohio. I will serve there with Senior Pastor Bob Moss, and a wonderful ministry team.

Although I had set-aside full-time music ministry in 2001 to come to Portland and to New Hope to serve as Executive Pastor, my heart has never diminished in desire to one day again have the opportunity to serve and lead a music ministry that would include blended worship, choir and orchestra.

A secondary consideration in making the decision to accept this invitation is that it brings us within a drive to mom and dad -and all of my family- and at this season of all of our lives it will mean much to us and to them to once again –after 27 years “away”– be in such proximity.

Finally, this is a return to the denomination of my birth, my childhood and youth, and where I hold my ordination to ministry.

The season of the past ten years at New Hope has been a blessing to me and to Michelle, as well as a wonderful time of personal growth, healthy challenge, and seeing the Lord bear fruit –often through us– in those ministries where we have been fortunate to serve. I have been blessed with an awesome facilities team, the wonderful operations/admin/finance staff, our weekend experience teams, "the 815" support team, an amazing recovery ministry family. You all will hold a special place in our hearts. Serving with and on the Lead Team has been a huge honor as well.

I truly will miss serving here, everyone’s support and friendship in ministry, and will miss some amazing milestone celebrations that I know will be experienced in the coming season at New Hope! But then I am reminded that God is at work all around us –even across the country– and am reminded also that there is a church in Dayton, Ohio that has been praying for their future as well. For some reason, quite humbling to me, it seems that He has chosen us to be a part of fulfilling His plan at Salem Church. Thus, where He leads, we will follow.

Accepting this new role means that I would conclude my tenure at New Hope most likely on Sunday, August 14.

I am so grateful that some ten years ago, God allowed us the blessing of coming to Portland and to New Hope to begin making some of the most cherished friendships one could ever experience. He didn’t have to do that at all, but he did, and I am ever so thankful!

As you might imagine, a change such as this brings a lot of logistics, challenges, and effort; we covet your prayers as we say goodbyes, “let go” of so many people and places we have come to love, and “work through” all that comes with a move. Specifically we are praying that our house here would sell quickly; we know that God is even now preparing that family to find this treasure…their new home… just as we did ten years ago this month.

We'll be in touch!

-D

Salem Avenue Church Website

Water Walking...

I recently taught for a few weeks on what it means to be a “water walker.” Thanks to John Ortberg’s book, “If you’re Gonna Walk on Water, You Gotta Get Out of the Boat,” I've had a renewed desire to “step out” and trust Jesus, and see Him as far more than a “friend,” but truly as my Lord.

Looking at Matthew 14: 22+, a key point John O. makes is that we will face storms in life. We will face storms! 2 Timothy 3:12… “in fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” So why should I be “surprised” when a storm blows up? I’ve GOT to remember that, just as Jesus sent his best friends out in a boat in the night, KNOWING what was about to take place… He not only knows when and where a storm is coming towards me, but He knows also just how He wants to show Himself to me in the storm.

Think about it: verse 22: “Jesus made them get into the boat…” He knows a storm is about to blow in and He makes them get into the boat. Not under a tree. Not home. Not in a cave. IN a BOAT…ON the SEA… I'm beginning to think that He can show Himself better to me in a storm...

Faith

Faith. The word came up in my daily reading today from “My Utmost for His Highest,” by Oswald Chambers.

We hear so often, “I just don’t have FAITH like that” or, “I WISH I could have more faith.” Ozzie says, “…the purpose of God is to see that perfect faith is made real in His children.”

THAT is “the purpose of God” in my life? Can I really believe that His PURPOSE is to see “perfect faith made real” to me? Why is that His purpose?

Because without it, I will not experience many things that He desires to do in my life. Chambers says that turning intellectual faith into our personal possession is always a fight…not just sometimes.

Here is what came one notch clearer to me this day: until we really KNOW Jesus, God is merely a concept, and we can’t really have faith in Him. Here is an illustration that came to me as I was pondering this concept of what faith (or the lack of it) can do (or not) in my life: I am walking on a street –alone– just after dark one night, and a man comes around a corner, walks up to me and says, “can you come and help me, my car is three blocks up the street, won’t start, and I need someone to look at it.” I do not KNOW this man. I have never MET him. It is dark, and I am alone. WHY should I even trust that he is not planning to walk me around the corner where four of his friends are standing, waiting to “mug” me? I am very likely not willing to walk around the CORNER with this man, let alone several BLOCKS with him.

A different scenario: same walk, same street…but this time a close friend walks around the corner, “O my gosh, David! I cannot believe you are here…right here! My car just died two blocks from here, and I need help.” I would never think twice about taking the walk with him. I know him. I trust him. Our relationship makes a difference.

God may call me to step out in faith today, to experience something He has planned for me as I take yet another step in becoming more in His likeness. If I am not walking in relationship with Him, I will balk at best...ignore Him, or say "no" at worst. What did I miss in the past week, due to my lack of faith... which was in direct proportion to how well I know Him?

So, if I am finding it difficult to “step forward in faith,” seems like a relationship issue to me…

Usually, Others Can Say it Better

I came across this classic quote the other day of Frederick Buechner, which he wrote in the book, The Magnificent Defeat*:

"THE LOVE FOR EQUALS IS A HUMAN THING…of friend for friend, brother for brother. It is to love what is loving and lovely. The world smiles. THE LOVE FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING…the love for those who suffer, for those who are poor, the sick, the failures, the unlovely. This is compassion, and it touches the heart of the world. THE LOVE FOR THE MORE FORTUNATE IS A RARE THING… to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich, of the black man for the white man. The world is always bewildered by its saints. And then there is THE LOVE FOR THE ENEMY…love for the one who does not love you but mocks, threatens and inflicts pain. The tortured’s love for the torturer. This is God’s love. It conquers the world."

My love for others is SO conditional.

My love for things is so out of balance.

My love for God has some growing to do.

My love FROM God will --and can-- allow me to love an enemy.

*The Magnificent Defeat: the defeat of the Human Soul by God....

Thank you, God.

Twinkies or Jesus?

At this time in my life, it is hard to imagine that there was a day when donuts and Twinkies were something that I not only craved, but also consumed with wreckless abandon. I worked at a job (Riverside High School) that required me to "unlock for the [Hostess] bread man" at about 6am (the cafeteria kitchen), and in doing so, I would buy one of those little "half-dozen" boxes of "old-fashioned" donuts a few times each week. He also had Twinkies on the truck, but I leaned towards the donuts. Because I could not choose one flavor over the other, I rotated between the chocolate and vanilla glaze. They were gone within the hour, along with the chocolate milk (2% of course).

Francis Chan (remember his "Crazy Love" book I began reading months ago?):

"Imagine going for a run while eating a box of Twinkies. Besides being self-defeating and sideache-inducing, it would also be near-impossible. You would have to stop running in order to eat the Twinkies. In the same way, you have to stop loving and pursuing Christ in order to sin."

He goes on to point out that, as we begin to focus more on Christ, loving Him and others becomes more and more natural. As long as we are pursuing Him, we are satisfied in Him. It is when we stop actively loving Him that we find ourselves restless, "and gravitating towards other means of fulfillment."

Think about it.