This Week

I am fortunate to be able to attend Summit this week--I have heard some very good speakers say things I never thought I would hear at ACU.  Susan Campbell, author of Dating Jesus was forthright and very convincing about the importance of gender equality in the C of C and the damage the opposite can do to our growing girls.  She would have been amazed to attend Highland a couple of Sundays ago when mothers were standing behind their 7-12 year- old daughters, helping them learn how to serve communion.  It was a very bright moment for me, as I was one of the committee members who recommended more equality for women at Highland about 9 years ago.

Yesterday morning, I was fortunate enough to hear Jim Reynolds and Lisa Holland speak to how we can nourish and encourage artists in the church.  They were funny, profound, and candid about our shortcomings in that area.  That is one of my soap-boxes, but I will write on that later.  Needless to say, the church needs their creativity and imagination so badly.  Thank you, Jim and Lisa!

Rachel Heald Evans, author of Evolving in Monkey-Town spoke about how much faith was enough.  She concluded that faith which takes risks is enough, and I agree.  I was thrilled to see so many students in the audience listening to her story of doubting her heritage as "super Christian" and coming to a risky faith.

And then--I got to hear and see Josh Graves, my former minister at Otter Creek and a very good friend---sooogood to hear his voice and comments.  His topic was about why young adults were leaving the church.  He had a good crowd too, although he was in the Teague classroom and the outside noise sounded like a circus was surrounding us.  Surely there better classrooms available at 4:00, Brady.  Anyway, I am looking forward to hearing Josh again today and also Max Lucado at Moody.  I am predicting a future when Josh Graves and Jonathan Storment fill Moody as the go-to preachers at Summit. 

As a cap for yesterday's events, I attended the Women for ACU dinner.  If people only knew what these ladies have done for ACU, they would marvel.  Bob Hunter was at the door when it was over, greeting people--so good to see him looking healthy!

What a blessed day.  Thank you God!

A New Beginning

It was a wonderful Sunday in the neighborhood. David Rubio and Josh Graves began their ministry at Otter Creek as our preaching team. Their series for the next month is "Following Jesus" and I believe we will be taught that following Him is a way of life and not a training in following rules. What a relief! And what a challenge! Josh and David will teaching the morning class together and then will trade out on the sermons. I look forward to each one. The meshing of their personalities will be a blessing to all of us who sit and listen.

The Dawn of a New Day

Announcement was made at Otter today that Josh Graves and David Rubio would be our new ministers using a team approach to the pulpit and ministry. Otter once again is on the cutting edge of a new approach to ministry in this day's culture. Josh and David have very different approaches to preaching and have different personalities which, when blended together, will make the ministry so strong!. I predict that Otter Creek will explode in population, grace and teaching, service to others and will begin to reach out to the community in ways we have never dreamed of. I am so excited about the coming days as we try to live out the Lord's will in a new day, and a new time, letting the wind of the Holy Spirit blow over us and in us.

Please bless us God.