ONLY TWO YEARS OLDER

You’re only two years older than me, but you’ve always seemed so much wiser. “How does she know these things?” I would ask myself when you imparted deep truths like how to read a map; how to pull into traffic on the freeway on-ramp; how to use your elbow as a shock absorber so your beverage doesn’t spill while driving; and the news that mascara can be applied without a mirror because your eyelashes are always the same distance from your touched cheek.

“How can she be so brave? I thought, when you took a trunk and hopped a ride with another student to Evangel College in Springfield, Missouri as a freshman, having never seen the campus but convinced it was God telling you to transfer from Ohio State University at Christmas break. Or this past year when you went to Sudan with medical colleagues on a missions trip.

Just two years apart, glad I wasn’t leading but willing to be your side kick, we’ve been through some interesting scenarios when I’ve asked myself “How can she be so strong under this pressure?” When we packed up your house, infant in arm, and drove the moving truck ourselves to where you now live; when mother nature turned your house into a swimming pool; and most recently, when I sat with you beside the hospital bed of your burned son, the third child in the hospital within a month, listening to you describe the incident, the life flight helicopter ride, and what goes through your mind in times of crisis ... continuing to shake my head in amazement at your incredible strength.

We were just two years apart, you were 17 and I was 15, sitting in the back left section among teenagers … giggling, passing notes and whispering throughout the Sunday morning service. Somehow my attention shifted when the invitation was given. “Will you go forward with me?” I whispered to you and we were headed down the aisle passed the blonde wood pews to kneel at the altar at 1900 Canfield Road in Youngstown. You stayed by my side while Pastor Alford lead me and several others in a prayer to ask Jesus Christ to be Lord of the rest of our lives. Looking back, the life you were living as a Christian teenager no doubt heavily influenced that decision for me … a decision that would forever change the rest of my life and my eternity. I ask myself, “How can I ever thank her?”

Today, on your birthday, as you work a 12 hour shift at the hospital, I hope at some point you’ll stop and think about how your life has blessed so many people, especially me, your younger sister, both of us decading-skipping through life, but still … two years apart. I love you, sis! Happy Birthday!

PRAYING ON THEIR TURF!

I joked with a friend that I would be driving 2 hours to say a prayer that was to be 2 to 3 minutes last Wednesday (4.25.12). So what was the significance of praying on location? Why not pray for the leaders of our land from home or from our church sanctuary as we often do? I didn’t fully realize the value and privilege until I was there. Sure, talking to God in prayer was familiar to me … but this time it was from a significant desk, in an awesome room, with the public servants for whom I prayed listening and then joining in. Ohio House of Representatives (99 in Ohio I learned) plus a packed gallery of guests… students on field trips, law students, media members, observers? I was definitely on their turf and it was great! So I prayed then concluded with “…and borrowing the words of Christ when his disciples asked Him to teach them to pray… Our Father, who art in Heaven…” I was fully expecting to continue praying along but was pleasingly surprised when voices nearby and from the gallery loudly joined me in the Lord’s Prayer. May we never take for granted that public prayer is permitted and still requested in these settings in our country. I learned a great lesson last Wednesday that IT IS significant to pray on other people’s turf, in their presence, inviting them to join you… yes, even if it’s 2 hour drive for a 3 minute prayer. So tomorrow, it’s your turn. May 3 is the NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER across our nation. Sure you could just pray from home. But why not make the effort to pray on location, for your leaders, with other Christ followers? Type in your zip code at and I think you’ll find a location closer than a 2 hour drive.  For the 6 sites in the city of Independence, log on to www.rocksidechurch.com

The Sunday After Easter

No, there’s no official name for the Sunday after Easter on the Christian calendar. But today sure seemed like a special day. Maybe we’ll call it “the first Sunday after Easter.” After a rich time of worship and prayer, we heard some powerful testimonies from the Columbus Teen Challenge ladies of how Christ has set them free, healed brokenness and given them new life! They told us fresh examples of signs, wonders and miracles like is mentioned at the end of Mark 16 … following the story of Christ’s resurrection. How appropriate, this first Sunday after Easter, to be reminded what it looks like to live out a life with resurrection power! If the same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, He must have a purpose for that power beyond simply attending church and waiting for heaven. The end of Mark 16 (last Sunday’s text on Easter) tells us that purpose: Christ rose from the dead so that we could partner with His resurrection power to a) revive the church and b) reform the culture.

With the founder of Teen Challenge, David Wilkerson, passing away this week, we were reminded of what had been accomplished through one country preacher willing to walk out a life in the resurrection power of Christ. The ladies testified and sang, we cried, clapped, cheered then prayed together. We shared a meal among our missions committee and board and the Teen Challenge friends prepared by one of our members. What a rich time of fellowship.

Then I went (with our team pastor, Amber) to the Cleveland City Mission to participate in the Bible read-a-thon where the entire Bible will be read aloud from today through Thursday leading up to the National Day of Prayer. Why did I care about this? A few reasons… City Mission is one of our supported partners and it’s a joy to participate in anything they host. Reading the Bible aloud is significant even if there’s no audience because of how it impacts the unseen world. City-wide transformation is fed by unity among Christians so to participate in something bigger than us outside my “tribe” is important to me.

Today was one of the most satisfying Sunday’s I’ve experienced in a long time. I have a sense that God was pleased/glorified as people praised Him today and walked in Resurrection Power. This “first Sunday after Easter” was a special day. I think we should make it an official holiday!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE LOST ART OF HUMAN BLOGGING

I’ll admit my curiosity was piqued when the entertainment for our area ministers’ Christmas party this past Monday night was advertised as a story-teller, song-writer from Wyoming. We gathered around after the eats in the cozy overstuffed leather furniture, hot beverages in hand. Layton Howerton was his name. He had a book of one-page stories that were simple, yet powerful and delivered upon the platform of his warm personality. As I listened, I thought “it’s like he’s reading his blog to us”.

Unpretentious and engaging, Layton picked up his Gibson guitar darkened with age and began his first song, finger picking “Chet-Atkins style”, a style my Uncle Richard used to play, almost better than Chet himself. When he got to the chorus of his first song, that easy-gravel, booming male voice reminded me of my Uncle Dewey who would sing gospel songs with passion and what I later came to know as the “anointing” of God. It was just understood among our family that after a time of conversation, a guitar or two would come out and music began. No one asked. It just happened.

Layton’s next story was about an orange… the sole Christmas present received with deep appreciation, not too many decades back, not many miles from where we live … a story very similar to ones I’ve heard from my dad and his siblings. How did life get so materialistic so fast? My emotions were being bumped.

If I stop the noise and listen right now, my memory can surface the voices of the deep, slow southern draw of my dad and his brothers as they would tell stories. And we knew how to prod the stories. “Hey dad, didn’t your Uncle Lee test his Martin guitar for being water proof once?” That’s a great story (involving a river, a boat, a rope) that makes me lol right now. “Laugh out loud”? Oh, that was a contagious, rumbling reality among a room (without a T.V.) of present people who loved each, not just the push of three lower case letters on a cell phone.

A Christmas song with the mandolin, another story, then Layton reached for his “neck stand” that would hold his mouth organ a.k.a. harmonica so he could play it at the same time as his guitar. My dad had a large collection of harmonicas in various keys. But the most interesting was a double length silver harmonica, kept in a padded case, with a chromatic button on the end. He purchased it in Germany while in the Army during the Korean conflict and we knew not to play with it. Dad might have liked a neck stand like Layton’s to hold the harmonica, but he didn’t need one ... because he had me. As a child, I was just the right height to reach my dad's face with the harmonica when he sat holding his guitar. Wow, were we amazed he played two instruments at once.

My dad and his brothers have all passed away. But the stories? They’ve been replaying in my mind since Monday night’s party. It seems when the story being told intersects with OUR story, we are deeply moved as was I at the rich evening among colleagues enjoying the beautiful art of human blogging … or storytelling.

This Christmas, why not do some story telling of your own among your loved ones. And remember, the greatest story ever told is the story Christ is writing and He's written you into His story. May your stories intersect.

http://www.thestorytellersjournal.com/

After delivering a powerful acceptance speech and receiving a standing ovation, the first woman elected to the office of executive presbyter at the national level of our denomination was congratulated by her ministry colleagues of the executive presbytery (pictured here). BETH GRANT lifted our gaze to the bigger picture of the needs of our world and the value of working together. This afternoon at that podium, BETH was an inspiration to every woman in ministry and a cheerleader to ever man who has ever used his influence to affirm and assist a woman called of God. I’m especially glad to see Beth on the Presbytery because, as a world missionary, she brings a global perspective and missional sensitivity to the table that will remind us of our roots as an organization and our assignment as believers.

Moments later, BRYAN JARRETT, age 35, was elected to the Executive Presbytery representing ordained pastors under 40 years of age. I hope today’s action rings a message out across our fellowship that the Assemblies of God values it’s younger ministers and needs their voice in places of influence. I had a chance to congratulate him, take his picture and visit for a few minutes. We are so much the better for inviting diversity to the table. I love it when we can identify what we want to change, design a plan, then execute the plan. What a great day and I had a front row seat to it all!

Ash Wednesday and FACEBOOK

Today is Ash Wednesday. I saw one of my "friends" gave up FACEBOOK for Lent. It caused me to soberly think about where I put my time and affections and where the priority of my relationship with God fits into all of that.

For my time of personal reflection today, I'm looking over again the list of Strengths and Cautions about Facebook I shared with Rockside Church this past Sunday. This was compiled from feedback I received from friends when I asked how facebook impacted Biblical fellowship.

Strengths:
1) connections with life long friends across geographic/time barriers
2) Reminds us to pray for and support people
3) Creates a Christian community of presence
4) There’s a sense people are always watching (support/accountability)
5) Reinforces (but can’t replace) live connections (small group, church, get-togethers)
6) A sense of living life together/enjoying goodwill of the people Acts 2:47
7) Works against loneliness and isolation
8) Makes room for more thought-out responses (James 1:19; Proverbs 14:29)
9) When one is in need, the networking kicks in (Acts 2:45)
10) It’s fun. God likes us to have fun! (Nehemiah 8:10)

Cautions:
1) Addiction/time waster
2) Healthy emotional boundaries are easy to cross
3) Often tends to be shallow communication
4) Facebook has diluted forever the term “friend”
5) Selective sharing about ourselves
6) Bullying and rejection takes place
7) Exposure to porn and other inappropriate material
8) Miscommunications through the limitations of written words
9) Invades solitude that feeds our souls (Mark 1:35)

On this strategic day marking the start of the season leading up to Easter where we celebrate Christ's resurrection, I'm reminded that God wants us to redeem technology for His purpose responsibly (Luke 12:48), understand the times and know what to do, (I Chronicles 12;32) accomplish greater things than the first century church (John 14:12) while being wise to satan’s schemes too. (II Cor 2:11). God, help me honor you in all I am.

THREE MINUTES with Cuyahoga Valley Chamber of Commerce

(2/25/09) Each month a different business/organization is a "sponsor" for the luncheon which means they get the chance to set up a display table, put literature at each plate and share about their "business" for 3 to 5 minutes. Today, ROCKSIDE CHURCH was the sponor of the luncheon. So what did I say when I was introduced

"Good afternoon. You might wonder why a church would join the Chamber of Commerce or why the pastor would attend the monthly luncheons and activities. I was asked that question when I joined the chamber 6 years ago and talked with Christine Coniglio. The truth is that as an Ordained Minister with the Assemblies of God, I often feel more comfortable among you, business men and women from the work place, than among minister colleagues. You see, being a pastor is my third career.

"My first career was working as a court stenographer in the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas. Then I worked in a law office in Youngstown for 7 years as a paralegal. It was during that season in my life I lived with a huge tension between my work world and my personal faith in Jesus Christ. My church world didn’t seem to understand the culture of my life in the law office. And I interfaced with people Monday through Friday who could have benefited greatly from the God factor. But the gap between the two worlds was just too large.

"As a minister, I served as a youth pastor for 10 years at a church in Austintown just west of Youngstown. I came to the Cleveland area and was an associate pastor 7 years at a church in Parma. When the opportunity arose 6 years ago to start a new church, I knew part of that church’s dna would be to bridge the gap to the business community.

"Rockside Church believes the church is the people not the building. So we meet in a rented conference room in an office building. Rockside Church wants to be near and available to the 30,000 business people who work in this Rockside Road Corridor. So we are located at 4100 Rockside Road. We don’t measure the success of our church by how many people attend service on Sunday morning at 10:30 AM, although you are certainly welcome to attend if you don’t have a home church. Rather we value being a church of influence in the area and available to serve people Monday through Friday.

"For example, last Sunday afternoon we participated in the BEACH BLAST sponsored by the City of Independence. We are active in Twenty Five and Alive. We helped a few weeks ago with mock interviews for high school seniors. We are in the process right now of co-sponsoring an assembly speaker for the Middle School and the High School.

"You might be wondering, 'What can a Church do for my business? Well, if you are in human resources or have employees, you know that the success of your business is impacted by the care for the needs of your team.Here are some examples of ways we’ve been able to help.• When we offered personal budgeting classes using Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, of the 70 attendees, on 12 were from our church. We offered the 13 week course 2 more times after that.• When I taught a time management series at noon and again at 7 PM using Dr. Richard Swenson’s materials entitled “Margins”, 50% of the attendees were from this business community.• We can be a referral service to help you network. Recently a person called ready to get help with alcoholism. We not only referred them to a nearby support group, but were able to offer for one of our parishioners to attend the first meeting with them. They accepted, I followed up and it was a helpful connection.• We’ve were a drop off place for a person wanting to give clothing as a benevolent gift to a person in need.• Last week a professional stopped by asking for a referral for a counselor for a particular problem in another region of the city. I was able to give them contact information for someone who could help.

" Maybe it’s not you but a teenager in your home in need. We have a youth ministry that serves teenagers and children. FUSION is an open gym night we provide on the third Friday of each month where students can socialize in a positive environment, enjoy recreation, pizza and hear a 5 minute presentation about faith.• Prayer is a pretty big deal to us. You can e-mail prayer requests or stop by for prayer. We have a full time staff person, AMBER HELMS whose portfolio is to help in the areas of prayer, kids church and assist with teens.• We have a great relationship with the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine and I’ll be giving the invocation and benediction at their upcoming graduation ceremony.• The next opportunity upcoming is DIVORCE CARE, a 13 week support seminar on Thursdays at 7:00 PM starting March 12. • We have a Bible study each Monday at 7:00.• A prayer hour each Wednesday at 7:00.• I’m available for pastoral counseling or prayer.Rockside Church is not here to proselytize people into our church or away from your church. We are here to serve people in the business community. So let us know if we can be of help to you or your business.

" Thank you very much.”

Some of the comments afterwards were, "we had no idea. Thanks for sharing." :-) It was fun!