no need to dream of white Christmas

Well, we got a white Christmas...and then some. Our Christmas Eve services were obviously affected by the six-seven inches of snow that fell in Normal on the afternoon of Christmas Eve into the night. Many churches cancelled, but of course we didn't. By the time I had arrived at 3:00 p.m. there was a full crew making our lots drivable along with our tech guys and some musicians. We still had a couple of thousand make their way out to the church to celebrate the Eve of what we celebrate as the birth of Christ. Still one of my favorite worship service of the year (even if I'm major distracted by the hundreds of anxious kids with more energy than all the Christmas lights in town)! Only one real mishap when a little boy snapped the glow stick we used instead of candles and got the stuff in his eyes - don't worry not toxic, washed out with water and he's o.k.

Had a great week with both my family and Sara's family in Indy and Cincy. Good to see these loved ones who are growing up so fast (I saw three nieces/nephews who I remember being born and are now in college, along with my two adult children!)

Got some cool gifts for Christmas. Of course, my mom always comes through with gift certificates and/or cash for clothes. My sister took a picture of me (in one of my favorite fedoras) and had her friend who does characitures (is that spelled totally wrong - I could spell check it...nah!) and gave me a print of the picture attached.

My wife got me some really cool first and third century coins from antiquity from our trip to the Promised Land.

My greatest gift was to hang out with my wife and boys on Christmas day eating, laughing and talking with each other. Christmas is totally different when their this age, but the warmth is still the awesome family Christmas that I remember growing up. And of course, it was a snow covered ground and a warm fire in the fireplace that made it all that more cozy.

Then the Cowboys lost in the last seconds and I thought of letting it ruin my Christmas...but even that couldn't. Hope your Christmas was as good as mine. Looking forward to a great 2011. Trying to prepare for Sunday's Q&A teaching time. It's like preparing for an oral exam over the whole Bible. There have been some great questions sent in...you won't want to miss this.

some traditions are very good

Christmas is a time for traditions. Sometimes the word itself can hold a negative connotation. And in many instances traditions are negative. I think traditions are bad in two ways. Traditions are bad when they become the way we do things simply because we've "always done it this way". Sometimes this prevents us from doing things a better way. Traditions can also be bad when they become the way we expect everyone else to do things even when their tradition is perfectly fine. But this blog is not to really about all that.

this is a blog that celebrates tradition - especially Christmas ones. Sometimes traditions are very good. They are good when they take you back to a place or to people you really love. They are good when they help you remember things that should be remembered. They are good when they bind you together with others who share the tradition. As I sit in a hotel lobby in my favorite town (Indianapolis) on a brief Christmas vacation, I ponder some of my Christmas traditions:

this quick trip is becoming a tradition. We left church yesterday after second hour and made our way to downtown Indy. tomorrow we are heading to Cincinnati and Sara's family and then the following day back through Indy to my brother's house for my family. I love it all (supposed to snow too).

While in Indy I take in alot of tradtion stuff. Walking on the monument circle, seeing the toy soldiers and the lights - all this stuff takes me back to my chubby little childhood. It just makes me smile! This past weekend, we served over 850 families at Eastview's "IMAGINE" with coats, toys, and food. This is a four year tradition now for our church. Most of you don't know but this really touches me on so many levels - one is that my family grew up poor and benefitted from our church family providing food many times in my growing up years. There was more than one winter that I would have gone without a coat if some kind person would not have purchased one for me. I can remember at least two Christmases with one toy under the tree. This is not a "woe is me" remembering. I was a completely happy and content kid. It just warms my heart that thousands of kids will wake up Christmas morning and have a present under their tree because of Eastview's annual tradition.

Another tradition Sara and i have started is to go up to Chicago and see "A Christmas Carol" at the Goodman Theatre. Did it again last week and as we left the play, it was snowing a beautiful light snow with the lights of Michigan Ave. twinkling between snow flakes - awesome.

We also have begun taking up a special ministry offering each December for expaning ministry at Eastview...and even thought there was a blizzard last week, and nearly 2,000 people less in attandance - the offering beat last year's! We are still getting checks, so it's not over, but we're on the way. Great tradition of giving.

Finally, I'm already working on the sermon for this Friday night's Christmas Eve services at Eastview. I love this time of getting the whole family together (even though preaching with tons of kids in the room is a lot harder) and celebrating the season and the REASON together. I have a lot more traditions, but we'll talk of them in the future.

16th Christmas party

Sorry for the late post, but I just got back from one of my favorite events of the year! The annual Eastview staff Christmas party! This year we went to Alexanders and it was awesome. Seeing all those who do so much to make the ministry of Eastview happen each year with their spouses laughing and eating and sharing stories. It brings joy to my heart like a father with his children (I know that sounds old...but i guess i'm getting there). It's just a great chance to say thanks for all they do and to celebrate all that God is doing as he works so mightily at Eastview!

The other thing this annual party does is remind me of the journey. This is the 16th staff Christmas party since i've been at Eastview. 12 of those I was either the youth pastor or associate pastor, for the last four as the Sr. Pastor. A lot has changed in those years. That first year we went to Jim's Steakhouse (Biaggi's wasn't even around back then). The only remaining staff members from that first staff Christmas are me, Mark Warren, Sandi Knapp, Bill Leech, and Stephanie Shifflett. Great memories that I can't recall for you at this time...just smiling from ear to ear as I think of the journey.

The highlight of each year since I've been Sr. Pastor is the best decorated office for Christmas. We give cheap little prizes away, but everyone gets excited about hearing the winning entry - it's like winning the movie of the year at the oscars - only much smaller. Anyway, this year's winners were Dan Fulkerson with his toy train set up, Julie Heinold and Rachel Warren (they share an office) with peppermint shop, and Jason Sniff with family holiday (his whole family was there in pajamas there today for the judging).

Let me tell you, this staff at Eastview is awesome! You may not know it if you have not seen other church staffs, but I've seen dozens of churches all over the country in these last 25 years and I wouldn't trade these people for anything. Tell them how much you love them next time you see them!

And did I mention skillet cookies...now that's a merry christmas celebration.

the most wonderful time of the year

it's no secret that I love Christmas - the snow, the stories, the kids eyes, the lights, the parties, the songs, the RED SPORT COATS :-), and the chance to share Jesus to a group that thinks about Jesus only this time of the year. I keep believing (and praying) that this year, this service, this sermon will be the one that God uses to draw them home.

Some stuff that made this weekend a most wonderful time of the year for me:
I got to baptize a family of five yesterday after second hour - it's so special when an entire family takes the faith plunge! Also baptized a sincere young Jr. High boy - love it when young men (with father filled with joy in the background) take this bold stand for Jesus!

I'm gonna say it - "I loved the sermon yesterday!" That's rare for me. I just loved the idea of "let's go back to Bethlehem" (return from Moab - from Ruth 1). Had a young lady who came up to me yesterday and has a DUI court case coming up tomorrow, but she's turning to God at this time and has a great young faith and sincere desire to let Jesus take over her life.

Also had a great trip down memory lane after our Christmas concert last night (both nights were sold out - though we had some no shows, the concert was great - God has blessed us with such talent - not to mention awesome staff in this area: Matt Ludwig, Scott Sarver, Karen Norris, Dan Fulkerson, Jake Stubbs and Matt Holderby...simply awesome!). First I ran into Sue Whitsett (not sure on the spelling) who was one of the people who started Eastview Christian Church in 1955! Her sisters (Donna and Linda Faull) still attend. Anyway, she just simply said, I can't believe what God has done with Eastview. She was very complimentary of the program.

Then I ran into Bob Phillips wife in the atrium. Bob was the second full time pastor at Eastview from 1962-1975. He led us from the building on Emerson Street to Towanda Ave. She said Bob loved the concert and was proud of us. Finally, I ran into Gary and Janet York. For those new to Eastview, Gary was the Sr. Pastor from 1975 to 2007. He hired me as youth pastor and led the church through the move from Towanda Ave. to our current location. He complimented the music and said good job. You can't imagine what these God encounters did for my soul. It reminds me that we are building on a firm foundation of people and sacrifices that God used in the past. May I be found as faithful as these great servants.

Then of course, it is that time of year for our annual staff Christmas party...but that's for another blog. And it's snowing...it's all good!

didn't learn this in Bible College

If you were in first service yesterday, I don't need to tell you how different the sermon turned out to be. If you came to second service you had no idea and this blog will be news to you. Before, I go any further, let me assure you that the man involved in this story is at home tonight recuperating and being monitored for blood pressure and other medical indications and is doing "fine". I'm not revealing his name because he is a new member at our church and I don't want to draw undo attention to him. He is "embarrassed and sorry for being a distraction". We assured him that aside from scaring us to death, we are just glad he is o.k. Which leads to what happened.

I was midway through my sermon kind of turned to the right side of the auditorium when I caught a woman motioning frantically in my peripheral to the left and in the front row! She was trying to be discreet, but was obviously panicked. One look at her husband beside her, let me know why! I have seen people pass out and I have seen seizures...this was neither. I saw a middle-aged man slump back in his seat, eyes roll back in his head, very pale coloration and a gasping for breath that can only be described as choking. My honest first thought was I think a man has just had a major stroke or heart attack in the front row. So I reverted to what they taught me to do in my Bible college training - then I remember they never said anything about this!

So, I stopped and said, we obviously have a medical emergency right now, any medical professionals or doctors who can help please come down here and help and someone call 911 for an ambulance. Mind you, a million things are swirling through my mind at this point in a split second: what was I just saying in my sermon, is this guy gonna be all right, do we have the equipment to shock this guy's heart, do we have an emergency plan for something like this, is everyone staring at me right now, what is the best thing I can do as a pastor. After a few seconds I suggested that we all start praying for this man...and I led the congregation in about a five minute prayer (maybe longer or shorter, I don't really know). Everyone was freaked, and the so was I and the only thing i knew to do was pray...so we did. I don't know if God did a miracle or not, but I think he did because when we were done praying, the man was talking to the gathering of 25 medical professionals, two of which were doctors (again I'm not sure about this) and there was a medical kit of somekind nearby. I asked the congregation to remain in prayer and in a matter of minutes the man was sitting up, in a wheel chair and out the back of the auditorium to the waiting ambulance. I learned later that we did have a medical emergency plan and that everyone involved acted exactly as they should have with professionalism and compassion. This all took about 12-15 minutes. And now 1300 people are looking at me and I realize that I need to lead us to what's next. There was about 25 minutes left in our service...again many thoughts swirled through my mind: have Matt come and lead some musical worship (but who felt like singing), finish the sermon, dismiss the service, lead into communion, talk about the uncertainty of life, etc... Finally, the Spirit led me to say, "I always pray for God to take out the parts of the sermon that he doesn't want me to say..apparently he didn't like the second half of my sermon." The laughter eased the tension.

I briefly summarized what I was going to say in my sermon and by that time everyone's heartbeats had gotten back to near normal. So we went on with the rest of our service as planned. It was pretty wild. The irony is that by the time people started arriving for our second service around 10:30, the ambulance was gone and the rest of the day went on "as usual". But most of us will not forget that first service for a long time.

Holy Land recap

Numb is the only word I can use to describe how I feel right now. Sitting in JFK airport waiting our flight for Chicago and then home to B/N. I have slept about 3 1/2 hours since Midnight Sunday night (CST also could be midnight Monday morning). I have killed time by reading, writing my sermon for Sunday (got a good one going), and watching that little digital map thing that tracks your progress over the ocean on long flights. Anyway, after having some time to reflect, I'm ready to give my "holy land" awards (if you have never heard of them, don't be alarmed...I just made that up)

Most disappointing: Bethelehem. Sorry to say, but it's a dirty city and not very "o little town..."

Most inspiring: the water at the edge of the Sea of Galilee where tradition holds that Jesus reinstated Peter with the words, "do you love me?" and "feed my sheep?"

Best food: Dried dates are the best I've ever had. Also liked their bread.

Thing Israel could use: A starbucks (but you saw that coming) I'm just saying.

Wasn't expecting: an animal called a hyrex near the caves of En Gedi (mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:7) as unclean (also called "coney" or "rock badger").

Would like to see again: The ruins of Megiddo (King Solomon's stables and King Ahab's tunnel) were unexpected 3,000 year old finds. Masada and Caesarea are runners up.

Preacher Geek award: The museum of the Dead Sea scrolls

Weirdest experience: Floating on the Dead Sea...seriously the salt lifts you out of the water.

Most clarifying: View of the Kidron valley - I have read about it, studied it, preached it and drawn it on the white board, but now I have a mind's picture of what it looks like

Future digs: They are doing some major work on the city of David (original small corner of Jerusalem that David established).

Best thing: coming home to the people I love (this is true of every trip)

Holy Land last full day

Today we rose to the typical breakfast (in most hotels breakfast comes with room) of olives, fish, granola, fresh fruits, great fresh bread, lame coffee, figs, dates, honey, egg stuff, cheese, etc... I'm ready for some good ol American cuisine. But that's not what i came for...

Today we hit the shore of Galilee where a chapel commemorates the place where Jesus was reinstated Peter with breakfast of fish and bread on the shore. We prayed together there and it was very moving. Then to the town of Capernaum where Jesus stayed during his three year ministry in Galilee and healed Peter's mother-in-law in his home. We actually saw his first century home - where Jesus was for sure! Capernaum was a crazy cool place, great archeology finds. Then the highlight - we went out on a boat across the Sea of Galilee - more spiritual feelings than you can imagine...great stuff.

Well, tomorrow, we head home. We leave 1:00 a.m. Tuesday morning to fly 12 hours to arrive in New York at 6:00 a.m. and then we'll fly all day to get home by 9:00 p.m. Long day, then back to Normal