great thoughts on social networking

I love Facebook. It allows me to stay in touch with many, many people, to observe bits and pieces of their lives. It gives me entry points to important conversations that I would otherwise not be able to have.

It is not without its potential dangers, but that applies to any tool that can be used for good or evil, as well as any tool that helps advance God's mission.

So I was really pleased to see Pastor Paul Chappell address the subject on his blog, and give a balanced, scriptural perspective. It's worth your time to go read it.


This was especially meaningful to me, because in the recent past, I had seen some pastors write blog posts about all the different dangers inherent in social networking, and, to be candid, making a show of taking themselves off. It was disheartening, because I find it symptomatic of an expression of faith that refuses to acknowledge that God has placed us in this time and culture because He wants us to reach it, not the culture of a time that has passed.

I've come to understand balance as healthy tension, and it is in that sense that Pastor Chappell's thoughts in this regard ring true for me.

I was also happily surprised to see Pastor Chappell reference a Tony Morgan book in this post.

Thanks, Pastor Chappell, for addressing this important subject.

coming apart

So I got a call from my friend, Pastor Dan Haifley, asking me if I would assist in the ordination of a young man in their church. I was thankful for the opportunity, and when it didn't work out for me to take Kristy and the kids, I decided to go early and take some time for reflection and solitude.

Camp Mack is located close to the church, and I had stayed there in the past. It is a beautiful lake setting, with cabins and trails and great facilities. It's also very quiet and peaceful this time of year.

I arrived late Friday evening, and after some rest and time of personal worship, I headed out for a walk. The air was crisp, but the sun was shining bright, and it made for the perfect mix. I walked around the grounds, thanking God for what He had made, emptying my mind and letting it wander.

I headed down a path toward an observation deck, and came upon standing water across the path. I started to turn around, then I thought, Why can't I just take off my shoes and socks and wade through? I'm not going to let a little water stop me!

Because the water was colder than I could have imagined, that's why. Because it completely threw off the balance of crisp air and warm sun, and sent shivers clear through my body.

The trip down the rest of the path, up the observation deck, to take the picture below, and get back to my shoes took four minutes, tops.

It was a beautiful day, though, and a beautiful setting. I couldn't remember seeing water so calm, so clearly reflective of the puffy clouds and blue sky.

I headed back to my cabin, and pulled a couch in the direct path of sunlight pouring through a window. With my Bible, a journal, and some reading in hand, I spent several glorious hours praying, reading, reflecting, napping in the sunlight, resting.

When Jesus was walking among us, He took several opportunities to spend time alone, away from His followers, the crowds, His life. I've been told that it's important to do, but I had never made this much time before, or come this far apart from my life.

It totally recharged me. This will not be the last time.

stopping in at crosspointe

One of the things I like to do from time to time with our Midweek Gathering is to visit other churches in the city and see what God is doing. So tonight, we headed over to Crosspointe Baptist Church, on Indy's west side, to be part of their midweek Bible study.

While there, we got to see some of the great things God is doing among their people, and hear encouraging stories of lives changing and coming to know Jesus through their expanding ministries. I also got to catch up with Dan Fitzgerald and Shawn Hadday, who I first met when I visited their Reformers Unanimous chapter. They are doing great work reaching out to people who are struggling to break free from addictions, and I was encouraged again as I saw their heart for what God wants to do in these lives.

Dan is an Assistant Pastor at Crosspointe, and his points of emphasis in ministry include the RU program, the teenagers of the church, and the children's ministries. He grew up in central Illinois, as did I, so we got to catch up on people we both knew.

Plus, any guy who's still a youth pastor at 44 is a good guy in my book.

Dan, me, Shawn

Thanks, guys, for letting us peek in on what God's doing among you.

a new voice

Just discovered that a friend of mine started blogging, and wanted to tell you about it:

Jim Payte is a youth pastor in northwest Indiana, and we've known each other for a long time. I got to spend a little time with him recently, and his passion for helping teenagers follow Jesus was amazing. He has the perspective of someone who grew up in Christianity, and the heart to help those new to following Jesus.

I'm glad he's adding his voice to the blogosphere. Check him out!



Besides, I consider it my sacred duty to give props to all the fellow redheads in ministry that I know.

conversations

My computer was down for a week, basically. So I'm just getting back into my online rhythms.

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It is amazing what you can learn, if you're willing to start a conversation. Here are a couple of conversations I've started recently:

So I'm on LinkedIn one day, and it has a function that allows you to post what you're doing, similar to status updates on Facebook. In LinkedIn, this function prompts you with some sample status updates, such as "I'm reading..." or "I'm working on...". So I put in that I was looking for advice on financial processes for a church plant.

My friend Jeremy then responded with the name of his friend, Doug Collins, who is a pastor at Common Ground Christian Church here in town, and has a wealth of experience and expertise in such matters. Doug agreed to meet with me, and in our short time together, he helped me get my mind around some important questions, and encouraged me greatly with his passion for ministry and using his gifts to help others.

Thanks for the time and help, Doug. And thanks, Jeremy.


Every workday morning, my first stop on my FedEx Ground delivery route is at the new Amazon.com warehouse. And every morning, Malissa is the one who takes each of the 150-200 boxes from me to check them in. With the large quantities, we have lots of time to talk.

And so we do talk: about what brought each of us to Indy, about why my computer's crashing, about events in her life that contributed to her spiritual journey, about how it would be good for me, as a pastor, to see Watchmen and observe the moral dilemmas the characters struggle with, about her kids, about my kids - about life. I've learned a lot already, and I've greatly enjoyed the conversation.

And now we're friends on Facebook, so the conversation continues there, as well. She has one of the best profile pics ever.

Thanks, Malissa!

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I didn't know either of these people as recently as a few weeks ago. But because I was willing to start a conversation, these two people have enriched my life, and added to my awareness of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Try it! Take a chance on a conversation.

You can start with me, if you like. I know I'd enjoy it...