Small and broken but still good!

Lilo and Stitch is one of my favorite animated movies. There is a line in the movie that is delivered by Stitch where he says "this is my family - small and broken but still good." I have been enjoying that line as I think it fits well for our church.
I was talking with another minister in town that is planting a church. He told the trouble was already having with parishioners. I thought to myself that as crazy as we all are at our church we do very well Serving Jesus Christ together. Not that there hasn't been bent feelers along the way in the past 8 years - there have been a few - but for the most part we do well. I believe it has to do with our comfort with brokenness. Most of the saints of our church know they are broken and only made whole by Jesus Christ. It makes for a greater tolerance for others' brokenness. We're all cracked vessels- but through submission to Jesus his skillful potter's hands fills our cracks with the most clay of grace and love. I guess you could say the we all have a crack problem - and Jesus is the Rehab.
I LOVE OUR CHURCH FAMILY! God is doing a great work here.
So I say - this is my family - small and broken but still good.

I want the best for you

"I want the best for you" I heard my parents say this all the time as I was growing up. I always thought they were lying. If they wanted the best for me why wouldn't they just let me have what I wanted. Well, because I wanted stupid things that could have harmed me.
I have been saying that phrase frequently lately. So I have had to check my motivation.
Do I really want what is best for the other person or do just want my will for their life? I am in authority in many peoples lives so I really have to look deep inside myself and answer it truthfully.
I have had to make decisions based on "wanting the best for someone" that were uncomfortable. Sometimes the best thing to do is to let someone take there own bad decision to the bitter end that you knew it would come to.
Should I ever say to you "I want the best for you " please know that I am sincere. But I am sinful man who knows his limitations. I can't create the best life for you. That's what Jesus came for. I will allow you to make all the mistakes you need to discover that Jesus is what is best for you. I love you that much.
Probably the hardest thing I have to do as a priest is to see people that I love and want the best for is to watch them go through the worst times in their lives. Just imagine how our Lord feels.
I want the best for you.

Beautiful feet?

Sunday I had one of the most humbling experiences of my ministerial life. We have an intercession team the meets before service on Sundays. I had asked them to pray for some ailments that I had been having . One of the team members immediately got down on her knee and said "I'm being drawn to your feet". My knee jerk reaction, though not verbalized was " crazy woman - get up here and pray for something that is hurting me - like my shoulders ". I let it go and allowed her to pray for my feet.
I have never felt especially gifted as an evangelist or preacher but as she prayed for me I felt as if God was making me recognize myself as evangelist and preacher . I don't like it . I don't want it. It's weird, I know what I 'm being called to do . NOT A CLUE HOW TO GET THERE!
As much as I am comfortable with the counseling centered ministry that the Lord has given me I have no problem doing what God wants even if it's stuff I dislike. I leave the "HOW " to God.
I'm done becoming stuff- I just want to be the child of God He created me to be.
I know evengelism is something that will be a focus and thrust. But I won't look for a method. I'm through with that . I'm just going to to continue to Love people and point them towards Jesus. God will do it.
" How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news" Romans 10:15
So I guess my feet are beautiful- only because of GOOD NEWS they're carrying.
Pray for me a sinner.