Jesus and Java

This weekend marks a huge turning point in the lives of a few friends here in Durham.

Jeremy Copeland, a close friend and church planter moved his family to Durham North Carolina from Southern California about the same time we moved here. Jeremy is the lead pastor of story church and this Sunday marks the official launch of their church plant here in Durham. Another friend I meet through Copeland, an Irishman named Alastiar Vance is leading worship for Story Church and does a brilliant job. His family moved here from the UK awhile back.

If you’re new to the area or have been here awhile, or maybe you have tried other churches or given up on church all together I would encourage you to check them out. Service starts at 10AM, below is the address, but don’t trust your GPS the school where they meet just opened this year.

Spring Valley Elementary School
2051 Northern Durham Parkway
Durham, NC 27703

So I’m asking those who read my blog to take some time this weekend and over the next few weeks and months to commit to pray for Story Church and the ministry God has already allowed them to do in Durham. You can follow Jeremy on twitter @pastorcope, Story Church @storychurch, and Alastair @alastairvance to keep up to date on what God is doing.

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. Some of which I would love to share on here and some of which I just can’t. Some of it is exciting yet stressful and some is just unknown to us but known to God.

Lauren is rocking it. In fact, we are waiting on a date to have her trach taken out which is big news for our household. All we are waiting on is the OR date, which could be as early as the first week of December. We can’t even fathom what life will be like without all the medical equipment we have to carry around with us. The diaper bag alone will loose about 20lbs! It will just be amazing. We are going to be able to put “the tank” in storage for awhile and take out pinky. The tank is the tandem double stroller we use to carry all her medical junk as well as whatever else we need to bring with us places. Pinky is a VERY pinky stroller that screams girl. Even though she is getting the trach out, she still cannot eat on her own and will have the feeding tube for a long while. Our goal is to start kindergarden without the feeding tube, feeding pump, and backpack; so that is a few years.

I have friends who have just recently changed church jobs (as well as states) and friends who are praying for God’s leading to new positions. I know churches who are struggling with the choices they have made/will make in the coming months and I’m praying for God’s direction for them.

I’m seeking God’s direction for our student ministry this coming year. We have our Winter Retreat coming up and I still have a lot of planning and prep to do. I’m praying for each of our students who are going to attend this event and those who have darkened the door of Refuge since I came on staff, I pray that God would speak into their lives even if they don’t care to hear what he has to say.

God has been challenging me through various books and blogs I have been reading and I’m grateful. There are many minds out there far more brilliant then my own.

Now I leave you and ask for your continued pray for my daughter, my wife, and myself too. I’m off to play a bit on my box before I slip under the blankets and drift off to sleep.

Digging around on my friends blogs has lead to a few thoughts of conviction on community today. I’d like to share this quote from Bush, who besides being an amazing photographer, who challenges with his images, is also a man who challenges with his words. I’ve meet this guy in person once and have to say he inspires me and I love him for that.

We want to know the names of the people on our street, and begin to know their stories. It’s pointless for us as a family to move into this neighborhood if we never meet the family two houses down, or the man who lives at the end of the street. We can’t love and serve our neighbors if we don’t know their names or their situations. I feel like the backyards and security fences of America have been one of the biggest hindrances to great community being formed. It’s time for us to come outside, and embrace the world in all of it’s beauty and brokenness. I am hoping God will grant us favor with our neighbors, and that relationships will be formed.

::Steven Bush

If you want to read the full post check it out here.

I’ve started reading a book this week called “Crazy Love,” I know, you read the title and your like what? Just hear me out a minute. It is a book by pastor/speaker Francis Chan, who many of you in our church have likely never heard of, but I would encourage you to pick up this book and give it a read. I am on the first chapter and desire to share with you something Chan wrote in the preface.

“This book is written for those who want more Jesus. It is for those who are bored with what American Christianity offers. It is for those who don’t want to plateau, those who would rather die before their convictions do.”

I stand amazed when I read this and have to admit that I am VERY bored with “American Christianity” and what it offers as Chan has said. I believe when we step back and look at our Christianity, that is our personal belief in Christ and what the word “disciple” means, many of us would have to admit we have reached a plateau having found the comfort it offers good. I would also add our desire to continue the journey to the summit has waned considerably and I fear for many it may not exist at all.

In my own life, I have this desire of wanting more Jesus of wanting to follow Him no matter the cost but am I willing to do what it takes? Are you willing too? Are we as a church willing? I am excited as I read the pages and scared too because the words are challenging my soul. Later in the preface Chan goes on to say,

“We need to stop giving people excuses not to believe in God. You’ve probably heard the expression “I believe in God, just not organized religion.” I don’t think people would say that if the church truly lived like we are called to live. The expression would change to “I can’t deny what the church does, but I don’t believe in their God.” At least then they’d address their rejection of God rather than use the church as a scapegoat.”

Wow. He is right you know, I’ve know many people who say this and I have to agree we give people the excuses. Christians stand before the world and are looked upon by our actions, our lives, and our churches. Sad but true, the actions of a few speak for the majority. I’m not sure the direction this book is heading, but the title “Crazy Love” and Francis Chan’s desire to pursue God, “to lead a church of comfortable people into lives of risk and adventure” sounds like a great vision to me. I’ll leave you with the closing words of the preface and hope you pick up a copy of this book.

“Come with me on this journey. I don’t promise it will be painless. Change, as we all know, is uncomfortable. It’s up to you to respond to what you read. But you will have a choice: to adjust how you live daily or to stay the same.”

This next week is going to be busy.

Monday: appointment for Lauren with peds neurosurgery, OT appointment for Lauren, work at the church in the afternoon, meeting with Copeland to get speakers back, drop drum set off to Justin Teseniar, and work on service for refuge Wednesday.

Tuesday: Work on service for refuge & setup the worship area. Be home by 3PM so the nurse can leave. Stay with Lauren until the nurse comes at 11PM while attempting to work from home. Watch lots of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition drops. Cook Dinner.

Wednesday: Up early for nurse to leave, finish service details/setup for refuge, pickup the outlaws I mean in-laws from the airport (I might have lunch with them if I am lucky), nurse leaves at 4 when my sweet wife gets home (she will be happy to see her parents). refuge at 6PM, freak out because I don’t have someone to lead music, then remember that my computer can handle it.

Thursday: Lauren’s surgery. We love visitors but Duke is not allowing ANYONE to visit other then immediate family members and no one under 18. Clergy are an exception, which covers just about all the people I know! However please call my cell before coming to see us. Lauren will spend at least the first day/night in the PICU of her 5 day stay and no one but us can be in there with her.

Friday: Stay with Lauren in hospital, hopefully on step down, pending how she recovers. Work on service stuff for Sunday. Push lauren around Duke in her stroller for 12 hours (pending how she’s doing). You laugh but last time we walked around Duke that much with her. We saw the fish tank (her favorite thing at Duke) every few minutes.

Saturday: Stay with Lauren in hospital.

Sunday: Morning service & movie night at church, stay with Lauren in hospital.

I read these words over at my friend bush’s blog.

“May God grant me the grace and the ability to show August what it means to be a Godly man…who risks everything he has for the sake of the Kingdom and Glory of God.”

The whole line has hit me when it comes to my daughter, her life now brings people hope. Will it in the future? Will my wife and I raise her to be a Godly woman? Will she choose to live her life that way? See ultimately it’s her choice, no matter what she chooses or how she lives we will love her, encourage her, and support her. I pray too like Bush, that God would grant me the grace an ability to show Lauren what it means to live a Godly life.

Now the last part really hits me as a father/pastor/christian/whatever you want to call me “…who risks everything he has for the sake of the Kingdom and Glory of God.” Man, I don’t think I’m there, this has been something I’ve really been struggling with lately, and if I’m not there how can I as a father/pastor/christian live that out for my daughter or the people I minister too week in and week out?

Lets face it though, most of us sitting in front of our computers, in the air conditioned office/home/coffee shop where your reading this are with me. We talk big and it’s just big talk. If God told you or I to drop everything and move your family to who knows where, with no place yet to live, a mortgage to pay where your at now, no job, no whatever, we would not do it. We always want a plan, and always have a plan ‘B” in the wings. We don’t really just “risk everything for the sake of the Kingdom and Glory of God” do we?

My God, when you bring these moments into my life may I be willing to risk it all like Bush is talking about, for the sake of your Kingdom and your Glory, for the sake of my daughter to be a Godly example to her and to speak into her life on your behalf, and for the sake of those who you will bring into my life, that they might see you in my brokenness.

it would seem counterproductive to me, if we all gathered in a room and experienced the most hype “worship experience” with hands raised, voices belted, free/outward expressions of our love for God WITHOUT translating that into stepping into the world and acting on the things we sing about…

I think Aaron Ivey has something here. Jump over to aaronivey.com and read the post. So many times we do this in church and in life. We get this gun loaded with hype and shoot it off missing the target of action on so many levels. I’m blown away and challenged by his words and I think you will be too. It’s worth the read no matter what you do as a “leader.”

Aaron also has a new album out that you should go to iTunes and purchase in it’s entirety. I’m going to have a review of it coming soon. If your seeking something new in your ears or on your “hi-fi”, then you can’t go wrong with this.

I really having nothing major to report.

Wait.

Yes I do.

Lauren went to the ER cuz her Dad is an idiot and accidentally ripped out her g-tube when she was sleeping on my lap. Do to this ER trip (it was slammed pack there) Rebecca had to leave a dinner she was at for work and Lauren seems to be getting sick. It also messed up a night of playing Fallout 3 on my 360 but that’s no big deal I started over anyway.

Lauren went to the ENT doc Monday and had a good appointment. They downsized her trach to a 3.0mm and upped her from a neo to a pediatric (it’s longer on the inside). Everything looked clear when they scoped her too. Mind you she still has two pieces of tumor and at this point always will. Also the doc said that 3 months after the plastics guy repairs her palate the trach will come out. We see him in 2 weeks to get that rolling. We are guessing the surgery will be August so maybe by November she won’t have it anymore, unless of course she has a rough winter like she did last year (we where in the ER or admitted to Duke at least 2 or more times per month).

Lauren is now getting sick from the ER visit we had Sunday night. She will be seeing her regular doc this afternoon.

In other news we are gearing up for VBS and Student Life Camp over the next two weeks with our church. It’s going to be crazy. If anyone has a DV camcorder I could borrow (with a DV to firewire cable) for the next two weeks that would be great. You just have to live close by so I can come get it.

Sorry I’ve been slack on blogging.

I’m posting this now cuz I can. I had this great pic for Photography Friday and ya know I forgot to post it. So next week you can see it.

We had our Rock-a-thon this past Friday night, it took a far amount of setup but we pulled it off. Thank you to all those who helped and the students who participated. If you don’t know what a rock-a-thon is try sitting in a rocking chair for 12 hours and rock the whole time. Really can make your rear sore.

Beck has been doing continuing education classes this weekend at a conference out of town, well in Burlington about 45 minutes away. We will see how it plays out tomorrow when I’m alone with Lauren at church. It will be a new experience.

Tomorrow I’m doing a photo shoot for the Justin Teseniar Band in the evening and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of it. We are also shooting video throughout the week for their new album Holding on to Hope. We have rented a Prosumer HD Camcorder from LensRentals.com and if your looking for a place to rent glass or video equipment I would highly recommend this company which came on a recommendation from Steven Bush. I have been very impressed.

Started a series this past week with Refuge called “Stories” and the drive behind it is how our stories intertwine with those of the people around us and how each of those stories are part of this bigger story God is writing. We talked about the stories of “serving others” Wednesday night since we will have an opportunity to serve students coming to our town for World Changers in a few weeks. This coming week we are going to look at the stories of some students who took a challenge to live homeless to see and experience life on the other side of the tracks.

This coming week is going to be busy, but I’m looking forward to what God is going to do.

***I also edited my blog roll, if you have not updated in forever, or have deleted your blog sorry***

Thank you Jesus.