Life. Liberty. And the pursuit of God.

Sunday I will be preaching on the fourth sign in the Gospel of John, which is the feeding of the 5,000 in chapter 6. This is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. For me, this points to the importance of the sign/miracle, but I think too often we look at it as a nice sunday school story. It sounds like a safe story to teach our kids – Jesus loves us and cares for our needs. The problem is that too often adults stop there as well and don’t take the time to turn the passage over and around to see all of its many angles. Why was this sign/act so important?

I’m not a real Rabbi, but I play one at VBS. I’ll also have you know that both nights an adult has asked me if I am a REAL Rabbi. I would like to think it has to do with my convincing knowledge of Hebrew Practice, but I have a feeling it is my nose.

Dayspring is holding a combined VBS with Lane’s Chapel UMC. I am the Rabbi in the Synagogue. I was really dreading going in tonight because acting is not really my gig. By the end of the night, I was having a great time. Most of the groups were really into what was going on. Tomorrow night should be fun – I am bringing horseradish for the kids, which sounds like great fun to me already.

Our children’s director is leading the opening and closing sessions of VBS and is doing a wonderful job. We also have most of our people leading the skits and acting scenarios. I love that our church has attracted such a bunch of creative folk.

Also, I would say THANKS to Lane’s for letting us participate. Their people have done a fantastic job pulling it all together and it takes about two seconds after walking in to see that months of work went into pulling this off.

1. One of the things that we work on as a team is the flow of worship. I understand that silence is golden, but if silence is in our service, I like it to be planned. The service never goes perfectly, especially with a portable set up, but today everything seemed to flow together well. The transitions, songs, message and video all seemed to flow together as one this morning.
2. We had a group of people planting another church here in Tyler visit us this morning to see how we set-up and broke down. They are going to be meeting at the Ramada here in town. We are always glad to help other church planters. Although we are still babies ourselves and less than a year old, we have learned a few things in our time as a worshipping community about being portable and being the new church in town. I pray that they reach a ton of new people for Christ.
3. We are still in the planning stage for our fall event at Bergfeld Park. We have a web-site up here that tells a little about the event: (www.movieatbergfeld.com).
4. I am really enjoying our series called “Signs.” I have had a great time studying the messages and I think the series is connecting with people.

I have been out of town all week and will return home tomorrow evening. Tonight I got this e-mail from my WONDERFUL wife who transcribed the message for me from my kids. I know so many people who believe that they are the most blessed people in the world. I, too, hold that belief. My life has turned out to be far beyond what I could have dreamed. I have the most honored calling as pastor and get to live with the most spectacular people who I call my family.

From Anson (my son, age 4):

I love you and I hope you have a safe trip back and like I hope you have a good time and what are you exactly doing.  That’s all.

Dear Dad,

I hope that you had a wonderful trip and that you come home safe and that you will be happy to see me and Anson and that we can have a good day tomorrow and that we can cuddle up by the TV like most times and watch some of it and I hope that you will still remember to call me “bug” and I love you.

Love,

Avery (my daughter “bug”, age 7)

P.S. Oh, Mama, (write)one more thing:  Can you teach me more magic tricks when you come home?

(Postscript: last Sunday I performed a dumb magic trick during worship. Anyway, as it happens the vice-president of the Tyler magicians club was there. So, I got a personal invitation to the next seminar – magic world watch out!)

This week in my D.Min seminar the focus is Christian education. I have to admit that this has never been my favorite subject. The professors, however, have been great and I am really learning a ton this week. What I have heard this week is practical knowledge that I will use my entire ministry. It has been a great but exhausting week.

I am missing these people like crazy this week. I am not used to traveling and being away. I always feel like I am going to miss something important – like I am in the kitchen while Jesus is sitting in the living room.

…Spanish for moderately priced, moderately clean hotel. Ok, I do have a degree in Spanish (unfortunately it’s only a minor) but I think that translation suffices.

So, anyway I am hanging out at the La Quinta this week in Houston while I am attending my final doctoral seminar. I have been in school way too long. Although life always has a lesson to be learned I am ready to learn some FREE lessons and ones in which I am not required to write papers.

In my free time this week, I am reading over John 5:1-15 and thinking about what God would have me preach this upcoming weekend. Oh wait, I think I am getting a stomach cramp, oh no, I hope I am not sick this weekend and unable to preach…

I am heading out of town in a few minutes but wanted to write just a couple of notes before I got on the road.

• We had a great service today.
• The music was awesome, as was the sound – nice and LOUD.
• We had about 200 in Service this morning, not bad for mid-July. (Although I have to admit that the Laird clan helped out)
• The AC was off for the second week in a row when we arrived. It is coming on about 9:30 and cools off in time for worship, but I have a bunch of sweaty set-up volunteers. I am trying to see how we can get that resolved this week.
• Even thought Hellboy was playing after us, I think we sanctified the theater.
• I am loving the “Signs” sermon series – 5 weeks to go. We’ll see if I still like it then.

I am normally anti child labor. However, when my daughter offered to give me a foot massage, I had to take her up on it. She is wonderful!