Relative Truths

Ok, so yesterday I saw an service van for a locksmith company.  The slogan they had on the side of the van said, “Old World Integrity, New World Technology.”  That was an interesting slogan and one that stayed with me all day.  I was thinking about how the world of being a locksmith must have changed over the years.  The locks we use are better today.  The ability to replace them has probably gotten faster and easier.  I would imagine getting locked out of your house isn’t as big of a deal as it once was.  Hey, I remember about 10 years ago driving to three different locksmiths before I found one that could make an extra car key for me.  I could have probably walked over to that van yesterday and they could have done it then and there.  So, they want people to know they have taken advantage of technology.

However, they want people to know they haven’t abandoned integrity.  When you hire a locksmith for something, you are placing trust in them.  Trust in a good product.  Trust in a completed project.  Trust that they aren’t setting you up for fraud or making extra keys to later steal from you.  You want to know that they have a history of integrity and are committed to maintaining that integrity.

Then, I started thinking about Connection Church.  When we started, I wanted to take advantage of new world technology: sound system, video displays, technology with the kids area, etc.  We wanted to present the best experience possible on a Sunday morning.  We want people to feel comfortable and think that what we do at Connection is relevant.  However, I want people to know that we are presenting a very old and time-tested truth: Jesus is Lord.  I want to be faithful to this 2000 year old message, and honor the people that have been before me.  So, while we seek to be relevant and “cutting-edge,” I still want the old message of Christ to come through.  After all, people are trusting us with their souls, a little more important than a spare key!

I thought this was fitting because on Sunday, our message is called Remembrance where we will examine the Lord’s Supper and celebrate communion together.  We’ll have video, new music, and a different way of doing things.  However, it will be the same meal that has been celebrated for centuries.  So, hopefully we’ll enjoy some old world integrity with some new world technology!

Ok, so today was an interesting morning at Connection Church in Suwanee, GA.  Most of you know that Connection is a portable church (we meet Sundays @11 am, North Gwinnett Middle School).  When we arrived with the trailer, Rebekah asked why we didn’t have the lock on the back door.  I was confused because the lock was on the side door.  Anyway, we just started unloading and setting up.  Shortly, we noticed a few things were missing.  We didn’t have part of our truss system that we use for stage design.  Also missing were the bases and piping that we use in our kids area, the hallway, and our worship space.  I know we loaded it last week.  It now made sense.  Someone had broken into our trailer and stolen some of our items!

Now I started wondering what we would do to replace some of the necessary things that were missing.  It was then that God said, “The only necessary thing for worship is My Presence and a desire to bring Me honor.” Last week, our sound system stopped working during rehearsal, so we were truly unplugged.  This week, a lot of our stuff was stolen, and it altered our plans.  However, we still worshiped.  The kids in Connect 4 (whose lesson was patience, go figure) still heard about God’s love and plan for them.  In the worship space, we still sought to uplift God.

I guess the truth I learned this morning is that it’s just stuff.  Yea, it was nice stuff.  It is stuff we’ll have to replace (hopefully before next week!), but it’s just stuff.  God is still present, and more importantly, still in control.  Overall, it was a great morning at Connection, and I am so blessed to serve and praise at a place where God reigns!

Ok, so most of you know that I face a milestone birthday this year.  Yes, on October 1, the world gets to rejoice 30 years of my presence on this planet.  A few years ago, my friend Andrew asked me what I wanted to get done before I turned 30.  I laughed and said, “Run a triathlon.”  My amazing wife asked me why I laughed.  I responded with a comment about that being something I could never do.  She responded with something like, “Not with that attitude.”

So, I decided before I turned 30, I would do a Triathlon.  I’ve got it coming up in June.  To get ready, I’ve been prepping in the areas.  Swim 1/4 mile, check.  I’ve done it.  Run 3 miles, check.  I can do that.  Bike 12 miles, uncheck.  Never done that before.  Before this week, farthest I’ve gone is 6 miles.  Monday, my brother asked me if I was going to do 6 laps (which would be 13.2).  I said I can only do 4.  He said, “You can do 6 if you want.”  So, I decided to do 6.  Guess what, I did it.  I had to get over the idea that I thought I could only do 4, and just do the 6.  Now, I look forward to doing 7, then 8, then 9, etc.

The truth is that you always have to want to go further, or you never will.  It hit me that if you only go as far as you have gone, you’ll never go as far as you can go.  So, where do you want to go further in your life?  Where have you been stopping at because it’s as far as you thought you could go?  Decide you can go farther, and you will.

Ok, so yesterday at Connection Church in Suwanee, GA, we celebrated Easter by starting our Heroes Series.  Throughout April, we will look different examples of heroes that are found in the Bible.  Yesterday, we saw how Jesus is the perfect example of a hero based on what He did through his resurrection.  To connect the church with the community, Connection is working to honor local heroes along with the study of Biblical ones.  So this week, we honor the Suwanee Police department by giving them breakfast and dinner today.

As we honor these heroes who risk their safety to protect us, I wonder, what other heroes do we encounter in our lives that are worthy of some appreciation?  Who would you like to call a hero?  Maybe a teacher or a mentor?  Maybe a boss or a co-worker?  Let me encourage you to find a hero in your life during April and show them you appreciate them.  Post a comment about a hero in your life and how you have honored them.  The truth is, appreciation always makes a difference, just like a hero.

Ok, so today is the last day of March.  March is a special month to me and the life of Connection Church in Suwanee, GA.  It was March 1, 2009 that Connection began weekly worship.  Since then we have had outreach events, started a student ministry, experienced Easter and Christmas Eve, and had a lot of fun.  So, as we close out our second March, I want to share a video that Brad put together.  Maybe you have been a part of some of what we are celebrating.  Maybe you haven’t.  Either way, enjoy.  Also, you’re invited to come this Sunday as we start our “Heroes” series.  Remember, Sundays @ 11am, North Gwinnett Middle School!

Ok, so yesterday Connection Church in Suwanee, GA, fed the teachers at North Gwinnett Middle School (which is where we worship Sundays @ 11 am, click here for more!) lunch.  It was a simple lunch of pizza and cookies.  We just wanted to say that we appreciate them for what they do for our community and we appreciate the school for giving us a place to worship.  As the teachers were coming in to get food, they kept saying “Thank you.”  All I could say back  was, “Thank you for what you do.  It is more important.”

The truth is, teachers make an impact.  They help give us tools to be successful and help to shape our lives.  I had several teachers along the way that imparted lessons to me that I use to this day.  I feel that I write better and enjoy reading thanks to a great high school English teacher.  I have more confidence in myself because of an elementary teacher who believe enough in me to give me a chance to be a part of a program called FOCUS.  I’ll never forget a middle school teacher who was always trying to help out the lives of teenagers caught in bad situations.  I truly appreciate what all of these teachers, and many others, did to make me the person I am.

I guess in all of this, I just want all of us to stop for a moment and be thankful of the folks that have shaped our lives.  Maybe, we can take a moment to show someone we appreciate what they do for us.  The truth is that a little appreciation can go a long way!

Ok, so I was thinking yesterday about the difference a year makes.  Most of you know that Connection Church had its first worship service on Christmas Eve in 2008 (you can read about it here and again here).  The Monday before Christmas last year, I woke up around 4 am, nervious, anxious, scared, etc.  I mean, we had never had a service before.  We were decorating in a place I had only walked around in a few times.  We were worshipping in a setting none of us had experienced.

I remember getting up that morning and going to my computer to work because I felt like there was so much to do.  I was making lists, emailing people, sending out more invitations, etc.  Then, I started wondering, “Will anyone besides my family show up?”  All of that anxiety led up to a service that was amazing.  The music was great, the decorations were spectacular, and we had 162 people.  It was a great kick-off for Connection.

This Monday, I woke up a little different.  Sure, I have a lot to do this week, but the school is already decorated.  I know people will be there, and I have a great comfort level with my worship leader and the rest of my worship team.  I have some great people involved at Connection that I didn’t have last year (most I didn’t even know).  I am anxiously confident that Christmas Eve will be a blessing to the church and everyone that attends (after all, isn’t that what we received on Christmas so long ago, a blessing?).

I just wanted to express the truth that a year can make quite a difference.  As we celebrate this “anniversary” in the life of Connection Church, I pray for you and your family that Christmas will be something powerful for you.  I pray for God’s blessing in 2010 and that His peace would reign over you.

Ok so, a few weeks ago, I posted about our Crazy Love Challenge.  To know more about our Crazy Love Challenge, check out the blog.  Yesterday was the last Sunday for the series, but it is not the last day for the challenge.  We are going to leave the blog for the challenge up permanently and we encourage you to check it out and even to add to it!

As we wrapped up the series, I showed the following video.  It is a clip from Catalyst Conference last October.  This embodied the effects of living out God’s Crazy Love to me.  I linked to it a little while ago, but thought I would embed the shorter clip we showed yesterday.  Watch it, enjoy, and grab a tissue!

Ok so, it seems like all of my posts lately have been to announce something at Connection Church.  So, here is another one.  Throughout November, we are going through a series called “Crazy Love” inspired by the book Crazy Love written by Francis Chan.  We are exploring how crazy it is that God even loves us and how many ways He has demonstrated this crazy love to us.  The hope for this series is to inspire all of us to be crazy in how we respond to God’s love.  That is where the challenge comes in play.

We all know people that have needs.  Maybe it’s a neighbor that can’t afford groceries one week.  Maybe it is a co-worker that just needs to know someone cares and that they matter in this world.  Since I don’t know all the needs we encounter, I have challenged everyone at Connection Church to find a need and meet it.  We have set up a blog so that when people meet those needs they can share it with the community.  I have this crazy idea that if we start to meet the needs of our community, in the name of God’s crazy love, maybe something great will happen for God’s kingdom.

So, I invite you to check out our blog, participate, share the challenge with others, etc.  If you’re a pastor, do it at your church.  If you are a leader of a small group, pass it along to your group for a challenge.  The truth is, when we respond to God’s love in real ways, crazy things can happen!

Here is another link to the blog, crazylovechallenge.blogspot.com.

Ok, so if this doesn’t make you cry, you aren’t human.  And that’s the truth!

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.