The Wilderness?
Last night I walked into a Panera Bread Co. for the first time in a very long time. I don’t think I will ever walk into that place without feeling a rush of emotions. It’s the kind of place where the smell, décor, and even the menu will always make me think of a different time. Panera Bread used to be a place we visited often. When we lived in St. Louis, we almost always ate there after church on Sunday and before church on Wednesday nights. I would say we went to the “bagel store,” as our kids called it, three to four times a week. Not always for meals mind you, but yes, I would love to have all that money back now. Panera was also the place where I would spend my Friday mornings. This was final sermon prep time for me. The free wi-fi and fresh coffee allowed me to escape the ringing office phone and concentrate on making sure my Sunday message was ready so that I could enjoy Friday night and Saturday with my family. I loved Friday mornings. When I walked into that Panera last night, I instantly flashed back to those Friday mornings.
Things were very different in our lives then. I was the full time Pastor of a church and with that title came the stresses of the ministry but also the perks. One of those perks is the flexibility of schedule that a full time Pastor enjoys. Here in Noblesville, I work a very rigid schedule. I work four ten hour shifts Wednesday through Saturday. Over the last few weeks my schedule has included mandatory overtime on Tuesdays leaving me with what seems like precious little time with my family. In the “bagel store” last night, I confess I missed St. Louis a little…at least certain parts of it. It made me think of a song by Sara Groves. It’s called “Painting Pictures of Egypt.” The chorus goes like this,
“I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacked
The future seems so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I”ve learned
And those roads were closed off to me
While my back was turned.”
It’s intended to make us think of the children of Israel who obviously hated Egypt but wanted to go back while they were wandering in the wilderness. Now, I don’t pretend to think myself “in the wilderness.” We LOVE Noblesville and we love living here. I am thrilled to be a part of this church planting team and my job has given me so many opportunities to be salt and light that I have no doubt it is of God. Sometimes however, it does feel hard being here and I find myself “painting pictures of Egypt.” Our situation in St. Louis wasn’t perfect by any means but it was comfortable. In those times, I’m trying to be grateful for the lessons I learned in St. Louis and the lessons I’m being taught here in Noblesville. I know God is using us here and is going to continue to do so. And oh, by the way, with our two youngest in preschool now, if you want to find me on any given Monday morning, you should check Panera Bread. I’ll be the guy doing Monday morning sermon prep for my Sunday sermons.
Also, sorry if this is too transparent…that’s kinda the way I roll. 
Sunday Setlist – September 5th, 2010
Cannons – Phil Wickham
I Exalt Thee - Jesus Culture
To the Only God – Crowder/Shane & Shane
Mighty to Save – Hillsong
In Christ Alone – Getty’s
Jesus Culture
Ragamuffin Soul had a post on What Songs Are Working In Your Church Right Now. I started digging through the songs and found some new stuff that I really like. Kim Walker singing How He Loves is one of my favorites, but this week I have loved listening to Kim and Jesus Culture do an old classic called I Exalt Thee.
As usual they sing with incredible emotion and passion and I love the harmonies during the quiet parts of the song.
What songs have you been singing in church lately that you are really enjoying?
Draft Day.
Travis:
Pick 1: Chris Johnson
Pick 2:DeAngelo Williams
Pick 3:Larry Fitzgerald
Pick 4:Anquan Boldin
Pick 5:Philip Rivers
Pick 6: Hines Ward
Pick 7: Vernon Davis
Pick 8: Pierre Garcon
Pick 9: Joe Flacco
Pick 10: San Francisco 49ers Defense.
Pick 11: C.J. Spiller
Pick 12: Mason Crosby
Pick 13: Terrell Owens
Pick 14: Nate Burleson
Pick 15: Brian Westbrook
Pick 16: Todd Heap BAL
Tyler:
Pick 1: Steven Jackson
Pick 2: Frank Gore
Pick 3: Greg Jennings
Pick 4: Matt Shaub
Pick 5: Michael Crabtree
Pick 6: Wes Welker
Pick 7: Jason Whitten
Pick 8: LaDanian Tomlinson
Pick 9: Johnny Knox
Pick 10: Matt Ryan
Corey:
Pick 1: Michael Hoomanawanui
Pick 2: Brett Favre
Pick 3: Beanie Wells
Pick 4: Sam Bradford
Pick 5: Rob Boronis
Pick 6: Santana Moss
Pick 7: Reggie Bush
Pick 8: Percy Harvin
Pick 9: Felix Jones
Pick 10: New Orleans Saints Defense
Isaiah:
Pick 1: Aaron Rodgers
Pick 2: Rashard Mendenhall
Pick 3: DeSean Jackson
Pick 4: Pierre Thomas
Pick 5: Chad Ochocinco
Pick 6: Tony Gonzalez
Pick 7: Donald Driver
Pick 8:Baltimore Raven Defense
Pick 9: Donavon McNabb
Pick 10: Minnesota Vikings Defense
William:
Pick 1: Adrian Peterson
Pick 2: Michael Turner
Pick 3: Randy Moss
Pick 4: Shawn Green
Pick 5: Miles Austin
Pick 6: Dallas Clark
Pick 7: Steve Smith Car
Pick 8: NoSean Moreno
Pick 9: Jets Defense
Pick 10: Vincent Jackson
Kevin:
Pick 1: Drew Breese
Pick 2: Andre Johnson
Pick 3: Cedric Benson
Pick 4: Calvin Johnson
Pick 5: Ryan Matthews
Pick 6: Antonio Gates
Pick 7: Jeremy Maclin
Pick 8: Tony Romo
Pick 9: Eagles Defense
Pick 10: Brandon Jacobs
Megan:
Pick 1: Peyton Manning
Pick 2: Ray Rice
Pick 3: Reggie Wayne
Pick 4: Ryan Grant
Pick 5: Marques Colston
Pick 6: LeSean McCoy
Pick 7: Joseph Addai
Pick 8: Ronnie Brown
Pick 9: Mike Sims Walker
Pick 10: Cowboys Defense
Kenny:
Pick 1: Maurice Jones-Drew
Pick 2: Tom Brady
Pick 3: Brandon Marshall
Pick 4: Roddy White
Pick 5: Jonathon Stewart
Pick 6: Steve Smith – NYG
Pick 7: JerMichael Finley
Pick 8: Jamaal Charles
Pick 9: Packers Defense
Pick 10: Chad Henne
Simple is Best
Sunday was an interesting day at The Heights Church. A couple of our families were sick. Now, Pastor friend, I can hear you saying, “What’s so different about that? We have sick people every week.” I understand that. At the Heights Church however, when a couple families are sick it leaves a pretty empty space. Many of you know that our church is at it’s very beginning stages and as such, we are just worshiping with the three families that make up our church planting team. So, as I said, when a couple families are sick, it leaves an empty space. We made the decision to cancel Sunday School and just meet at our normal space at the normal time for worship. This gave the Panduku family an opportunity to renew an old tradition. In the days following our move here, before the Heights was meeting regularly, we used to attend Grace Church. Every Sunday before church we would have breakfast at Dunkin Dounuts. It’s too far out of the way to do that now so we don’t go very often. The change in our schedule gave us the time we needed to make the trip so we took advantage and enjoyed a more…relaxing morning together as a family.
When we arrived at the hotel for worship I learned that not only was the Scott family not going to be at church but half the Penn’s were sick as well. This left Travis to lead the remaining eight of us, including five kids from 6th grade to four years old, in worship with his guitar. Worship was great! Now let me just say that worship is always great at the Heights. The music time is sweet and the time spent in the Word together always challenging and gospel-centered. This Sunday was no different. I will admit that I was leery about worshiping in such a small group but the kids were singing at their best, and loudest and it was just sweet. We spent some time talking about Heaven (it was during this time that Caden mentioned that Michael Jackson might be in Heaven:) ) and shared communion together. I left, as I always do, encouraged and ready to face the week.
Fighting the White River
Today Isaiah and I finally got the old boat registered and put out on the White River. If you don’t already know, we seem to always have an adventure whenever we get out on the boat. I even got my ear pierced on one trip.
I think this was the first time we’ve had the boat on a real “river”, though we’ve been on a few creeks with it. It hasn’t rained here in a while, so the river is way down and doesn’t have much flow in most places. It was only about a foot deep in many places so we didn’t use the big motor. We did run into some floaters and one of the girls was singing “Father Abraham.”
We made our way upstream pretty well until we got close to the bridge. We saw some boaters flying down the stream on their canoes and we realized that we were in for a ride. Our little trolling motor couldn’t push against the current, and even though we tried rowing as well as using the trolling motor it just wasn’t working. We were going backwards.
We gave up and turned around.
That same trolling motor that couldn’t move us forward was now moving us with ease as we went with the current. We even caught some small mouth just trolling. (Should have took pictures, but I didn’t have my camera or my phone.) It probably took us an hour to get up the river and 20 minutes to get back. Life is just easier when your moving with the stream.
I’m a stream fighter by nature. I like to push. I want to fight through the test. But sometimes, it’s just smarter to stop fighting and enjoy the ride.
When do you make the decision to quit fighting? How do you know when to push through and when to enjoy the ride?
Certainty
This past week I was reading through the book of Hebrews again. Can a person really read that book too much? I didn’t think so either. The whole book is this really neat comparison of the old way (the old covenant) and the new way that Jesus instituted. In chapter 10, there is a discussion about some of the ways that the priests went about their business; the rituals, the sacrifices, the blood, all in an attempt to remedy the guilt of sin. Verse 11 of chapter 10 is this hopeless sounding verse. The ESV translates it this way,
“Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”
Do you see the futility, feel the frustration? Offering repeatedly the same, useless sacrifices. Then Jesus appears and listen to the different tone of the next three verses,
“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
Quite a difference right? From futility to certainty. If you were to keep reading, you would find even more certainty. Listen to the author of Hebrews in verse 19,
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Confidence, new and living, full assurance…That’s more like it right. Here’s the thing. It may be cliche, but we live in politically, financially, environmentally uncertain times. In the midst of all this, Jesus is a certainty. The work he did once for all on the cross is just as effective today as it was then and will be a thousand years from now. Jesus is trustworthy, and placing faith in him is no risk at all. His broken body and shed blood was the perfect sacrifice that is the only remedy for a sinful, guilty, broken world.
Sunday Setlist – August 22nd
Blessed Be Your Name – Redman
Message: Romans 8:22-30
Revelation Song – Kari Jobe
You are Holy – Michael W Smith
Here I am to Worship – Hillsong
Speak O Lord – Getty
Communion:
Wonderful Cross – Tomlin/Redman
Sunday Service – August 22nd
Beautiful Things.
Sometimes the sadness is overwhelming.
All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at allYou make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of usAll around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in YouYou make me new, You are making me new
