MuddyPuddles

I know some feel that I’m airing our religious “dirty laundry” to the world.  And I can understand why they think that.  Some of the suggestions I have received are the same type of suggestions I received when I spoke about some of these things in a small classroom setting.  I was asked, “What if we have a visitor?”  This person didn’t want me bringing up these controversial subjects unless we could keep it very private.  But even when we did it in private there was a lot of bristling going on. 
I may be wrong, but I truly believe that when we know we are being watched by outsiders, we will probably behave a little more properly toward each other.  In this particular case, I believe that we have people all over the place who are not only watching us, but they are praying for us as well.  And I’ll take all the prayers I can get.  I think they are also pulling for us and cheering us on.  And if we can come through this trial victorious they will be joyful and will glorify God.  I imagine that many of them have lived or are living through the same type of struggle themselves.  We can give them hope and comfort by beating Satan down. 
I know he’s (Satan) got to be a little frustrated (or a lot) right now, because one of the people who disagrees with my conclusions, who has been engaging me on this blog, called me last night.  She felt bad about how things had gone Sunday night (see “Lynch Mob” from a few days ago).  She asked me if she came across badly that night.  I assured her that she had been very respectful in her speech and in her attitude toward me.  I told her that I hope I came across the same way to her.  She said I did.  (She is the one I praised for being willing to engage me on the blog along with her father who had called me on the phone to engage me).
We spoke for about 15 minutes on several issues.  It was very cordial and loving.  (The devil was crying.)  I told her that I had told several of my friends (and I think I might have even said it on one of my blogs) that I truly believed that this person and I could be very good friends for many years ahead (even if we disagreed on things) and that I hoped that this would be the outcome of all of this.  I think it is going to happen (praise God). 
I really appreciated her sweet spirit and her willingness to pick up the phone and call me.   She exhibited the spirit of Christ.  She definitely helped move us another notch up that hill from which we all want to shine. 
God Bless her and this church as we strive to grow closer to him and to each other.  Keep praying for us all you prayer warriers.  It’s working.  Dennis   

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) 

    "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

In the aftermath of the Sunday night meeting a lot of things have happened.  Many have called or emailed expressing sorrow or concern and support.  Many have posted (awesome) (and loving) comments (to all) on my blog about the meeting.  Hopefully, much introspection has taken place among us all. 
Personally, I don't feel any distress.  I don't feel any worry.  I don’t feel any animosity toward anyone.  (Ephes. 6:12 (NIV)  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.)
I'm actually feeling joy.  This evil thing that has been lurking under the surface has finally exposed itself, but this time in a more public way so that it can’t be denied or swept under the rug.  Some say that’s a bad thing---a dirty laundry thing.  I disagree.  We are to be the light of the world---a city on a hill.  Those who are trained about these things will all tell you that until something is acknowledged, it can’t be dealt with.  We’ve had to “get real” about some things and that puts us one step closer to being what God wants us to be.  It’s what we do next that will determine if we keep moving in that same direction or get sidetracked. 
What we are going through as a congregation is being repeated all across the land.  What usually happens at this point is that the church splits and hatred and animosity leaves a stain that can’t be easily removed.  It is my hope that we can come through this in a different way---a better way. 
I have a dream that we can take positive steps forward and be reconciled to each other and to God.  I have a dream that we can be an encouragement to others who are going through these same things in their congregations by showing them that there is light at the end of that tunnel.  We can do that and we can get there if we will just keep moving forward in love.  I have a dream that we can model forgiveness and acceptance and love to one another.
I read a statement a long time ago which has stuck with me because it is so profound.  That statement is “I will not be convicted on your convictions.”  What that is saying is that I can accept you as my brother and I can love you as my brother even if you are in error on your understanding of God’s word.  And you can do the same to me.  I am not going to be held accountable for your misunderstandings of God’s word.  I have a responsibility to try to show you the way more correctly, but I will not be judged harshly if you fail to change.  If we can all adopt that attitude then we can work through this.  It's okay for us to whole-heartedly accept one another in spite of our disagreements. 
If we harbor a feeling of ill will toward someone with whom we disagree, however, we will get derailed on our journey.  If we only accept someone on the condition that they agree with us, we will fail.  If we assume that someone has evil motives just because they don’t agree with us and if we treat them harshly (to their face and/or behind their back) then we bring about implosion. 
So, I say (and hope that you will agree) that we must accept one another in love.  We must speak kindly of one another (to their face and behind their back).  We must purge our hearts of hatred and animosity toward one another.  We must send Satan into a state of deep depression with our love and acceptance of one another.   We must acknowledge and confess that we are just weak and pitiful servants and need God's grace to get us through.  We must be that city of light on the hill.  And, finally, we must let our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.
God Bless us all as we draw closer to him in love.  Sincerely,  Dennis

(I have decided, at the suggestion of an individual, to not specify what "denomination" or other such things that I am referring to in this post.  This may be my last post regarding that fellowship (I'm not committing to that just yet, but it is on my mind for consideration.)  I do not want to bring reproach or dishonor to this religious fellowship or on any of the "staff" in any way.  I just want to express what I see with as much evenhandedness as I possibly can.  If it upsets you, I recommend that you not read it, that you not print it, that you not pass it around and that you ignore it.  If you decide to read it and think it is divisive and you print it or recommend it or pass it around or tell others about it then it is you who are choosing to be divisive.  Make a good choice in this matter.  If in doubt, remove this website from your "favorites" list.  Flee from that which causes you to sin.)

Last night at the “Leaders” meeting at our local congregation an “interesting” thing took place.  What I would call a “lynch mob” of about 20 or so people showed up (they would sincerely disagree with that description).  (We have about 160 in attendance each week so I guess you could say that about 12.5% of our members showed up for the purposes of the lynching.)  Several were carrying papers (I think of my blog posts) and they had fire in their eyes.  I think their purpose was to get me disfellowshipped and to chastise our preacher (or get him fired).   No one specifically stated that.  I just came to that conclusion by what I observed during the meeting and I acknowledge that I may be totally wrong about that perception.
I just happened to be there because I felt like the Leaders were only being shown one side of my blog and I wanted to show them another side.  I had spent several hours in the afternoon accumulating many of your comments (my dear readers) so that I could show them that much good was coming out of my blog.  Many people were being encouraged by it.  Some were being inspired to study more.  I printed out a twelve pages of the compiled comments for each of them and handed them out to the Leaders at the meeting. 

I also mentioned that the Bible Study at my house after church had been doing wonderful things and that we weren’t bashing anyone and that several people had said it was the highlight of their week.  Many were being “filled”.  I told the Leaders that several other members of the congregation had been counseling people to not go to our Bible study.  I said that I didn’t think the people doing it had thought about it in terms that they were discouraging people from studying the Bible but that it, to me, seemed like a dangerous practice to be doing so and that it should stop. 
Then, as I started to leave, someone in the mob asked me some question about why I was doing something or why I believed something (I can’t remember what, specifically) and so I answered it.  It was immediately followed by another question and answer.  It continued on for about 45 minutes or so.  At first I was thinking that this might be a good opportunity to explain how my blog was such a great opportunity for many of us to discuss important topics---how I personally saw it as a ministry.  Anyone can post a comment at any time of the day.  They can do it anonymously if they want and then I could respond at my convenience.  Then, they could respond at their convenience. They didn’t want to hear anything of it.
I also mentioned that, because of my blog, my life was laid bare as far as where I stood (and why) on all of these Biblical issues.  I told them that I thought it would be such a healthy thing if we all laid out our positions (and why we held them) so openly and that it would help us know each other better.  But that didn’t seem to make a big impression with them.
Instead, they were furious with me. They felt like I was making fun of them and of the Leaders of the church and of the church in general.  They felt like I wanted to write a new and improved Bible (May 14 “Improving the Bible”).  I told them that I was being facetious with that post and that I did not want to revise the Bible but that I was trying to point out how we have sometimes, with our actions, revised the Bible without writing it down and that we should stop that.  They said that “No, You said you wanted to write a new Bible.”
They said that I wanted everyone to clap and that I wanted to bring in instrumental music.  I told them that I’ve never said either one of those things (many shook their head disapprovingly at that).  I said that I wanted anyone who wanted to clap their hands to feel free to clap their hands without fear of condemnation by anyone else.  I said that I do not want to bring in instruments and that I strongly prefer Acappella singing (for those of you in Rio Linda, that means singing without an instrument).  I just didn’t want us to be condemning anyone who uses instruments and I didn’t think God cared if we use instruments if he has our hearts (but I do not and I never have wanted to bring instruments into our worship services).  They said that if I think it’s okay to have them then it is the same thing as me wanting to bring them in. 
They said that I was making fun of our Leaders with my blog (May 30, “Shortcut”) and insulting them.  I told them that I was not making fun of them but was pointing out a very real way to become a leader in our particular fellowship but that this method did not apply to any one person in particular but that it was an actual way that one could become a Leader.  My goal was to point out how someone earnestly seeking to study the word who was seeing things differently from the traditional ways was being bypassed for the Leadership because they didn’t fit the traditional mold.  They were being “divisive” because they didn’t follow the party line.  They said it was an insult to our Leaders.  One of our Leaders said it is only an insult to someone if it applies to them.  He had to repeat it several times but I’m not sure they understood what he meant.  This was not an insult to a genuinely qualified Leader.  It was an effort to get us to think about how and who we choose to lead. 
One of the leaders, apparently frustrated with all the attacks on me, said “What do you want us to do with him (meaning me)?”  About 10 or more people answered at the same time.  Some said, “stop him.”  Some said, “Disfellowship him”.  One said, “Kill him.”  It was pretty sad.
I said, “If I stop coming here, where should I go?”  I also said, “If I start worshiping on my own and some others come and join me, are you going to accuse me of dividing the church?”  Some said, “Yes!” and others said, “You’ve already divided the church.”
Someone said, “Show me the verse in the Bible where it says we can clap.”  I said that it’s not something I can explain in a moment but that I had written extensively about how I had come to that conclusion on my blog.”  They interrupted me while saying, “I don’t know how to use a computer.”  I offered to print it off and bring it to them and study with them about it.  They said they didn’t want to do that.  “Just show me the verse that says it is okay to clap.” 
Multiple times I offered to print off any article anyone wanted and that I would be happy to discuss with anyone about any of the topics I’ve written about, but no one---not one person wanted to study with me about even one topic.  They just wanted me to stop “dividing the church”. 
They said that the Leaders had told me to stop my blogging and that we are supposed to obey our Leaders and make their job a joy.  (I’m sure this lynch mob was accomplishing that purpose during this vicious meeting but the Leaders must have been disguising their joy at this time because it was not readily apparent.)   I said that at a meeting with the Leaders when I had resigned as a sub-leader that they had met with me and that they had told me they didn’t like my blog and that they thought I should stop it and that I had told them I would consider it but had decided that it was serving a good purpose so I continued it.  One Leader stated that they had asked me to stop but had not “commanded” me to stop it. 
Then, one of the Leaders pulled out my ‘resignation from the sub-leadership position’ letter from about 6 months ago and said that I had already withdrawn myself from them.  He read it and then repeated that I had already withdrawn myself from them.  I said that I had resigned from my sub-leadership position, not from the church. 
They also attacked the preacher in all this and wanted to know where he stood on all this.  He tried to explain to them about the Greek word for worship which implied that clapping would be okay, but they pretty much shouted him down.  They asked him what I thought about my views on the issues and he told them that he agreed on some and disagreed on some and had stated as much to me and to the Leaders.  I said that he and I have had many discussions and that we don’t always agree but that we still love each other and accept one another. 
I stated that only two of the individuals in that room had ever contacted me personally about any of this (as the Bible commands in Matthew).  I stated that one gentleman had contacted me (he had told me that he didn’t want to comment online but would comment by telephone that he didn’t like the part of my blog that dealt with the church but that he liked the other parts of my blog.)  I also pointed out that one lady had responded to me in the comment section of my blog and that I thought that was awesome and that I respected her for that.  I felt like we were having a great discussion about important matters and it was benefiting many to be able to follow our discussion.  She said that the last time she had commented was about a month ago and that she had decided that it wasn’t the best way to handle these matters.  Personally, I think it is a mighty good way and was benefiting many people on both sides of the issues in a positive way.
Then, one of the Leaders said that he had also talked to me twice.  I said that yes we have talked but that I was the one that initiated those meetings and that that was what I was referring to was about how many people initiated the contact with me—and that was just 2 of the 20 or so and the preacher and I had visited many times.
We went round and round on several issues and it was obvious that there was much animosity towards me (and the preacher).  I tried my best to reason with them and to diffuse some of the anger and I think I got it down from the 110% where it started, to about a 108.5% anger factor by the time I left.  I tried to be a courteous and reasonable as I could but it seemed to make little difference.  They were out for blood.  It was beyond their understanding that my heart could have been sincere in my efforts to make us be what God wants us to be.  They just scoffed at the notion.  They could have hurt my feelings.  Their attitudes did make me sad---"no disagreements allowed in this church".
This is the third such mob scene that has taken place in this church in the fourteen years that I’ve been a part of this congregation.  The mob has been composed of many of the same people every time.  I had nothing to do with the first mob scene, which was against a former preacher.  The second mob scene was against the next preacher and (to some degree) me and my “false teaching”.  After the Leaders asked that preacher to resign (which he did) these people then turned on the Leaders and asked for them to all resign.  At the time I pointed out that even if you don’t like the Leaders, God put them in the leadership position over the local congregation and that if you could not, in good conscience, work under them, then you should find another leadership where you could worship.  It’s not up to you to demand their resignation.  So, that kind of died down.
At the time of this grueling ordeal, at least a couple of us warned the Leaders that if they let this mob mentality rule, that it was like rewarding them for being a mob and that they would do it again some day if it looked like they were not going to get their way.  The leaders said they would not let that happen.  In fact, they said that if another mob comes in that they would make them come see the Leaders one (dissenter) at a time (or one couple at a time).  I think they forgot that they had said that because they were allowing the mob mentality to flourish in this meeting.
Anyway, as predicted, it’s back again.
(After I left the meeting, it is my understanding that it was the preachers turn to be the target.  I think he took about as many hits as I did, though I’m not sure exactly what happened since I didn’t see it first hand.  I do know that he and his family were very hurt by it.  His wife and daughters and son were very distraught and crying because of the brutal attack that was felt by their husband and father.  It must be torture to be a preacher some times.  Unfortunately, it was a scene I’ve witnessed twice before.)  
It will be interesting to see what the Leaders do this time.  Are they going to disfellowship me for putting my thoughts online?  Are they going to let me stay if I take my thoughts off line?  Are they going to let me teach a class if they let me stay.  Am I going to be allowed to express my beliefs regarding instrumental music and clapping in a classroom setting?  Am I going to be allowed to lead singing in which there might be some hand-clapping songs?  How far will they go in allowing diverse opinions to be expressed (or squelched)?  Do they want to start down that treacherous path of “thought” control or “speech” control?  Or do they want to lead us down the path of freedom and diversity and acceptance and loving each other in spite of our differences?
On the other side of the coin, are they going to reinforce the lynch mob mentality?  Are they going to reward it with giving it the results it desires?  (If so, it guarantees a repeat performance (just like before) at some date down the road.)  Or are they going to put a stop to it?  (Even if the Leaders agree with the complaints of the mob, I believe it would be a mistake to allow the mob mentality to go unchecked.)
One of the comments on one of my blogs related (in advance) to what happened last night.  It nailed it when it said:

5        Your leaders are not in a position to appease either side of the bridge. But somehow the wrong spiritual character has been cultivated among you all for a very long time. Your spiritual leaders must give all their energy to bringing those traits to repentance, since they are accountable for your souls. They probably should avoid the issues raised here in this blog until they deal swiftly with the sinful attitudes and actions that are being unleashed in their flock.

6        Apparently your leaders think that conflict is resolved by the passing of time, since we read nothing in your blog (other than the fairly irrelevant Elder's Lesson) about any plan they have to reconcile their sheep. And from their lesson outline, which you posted, it appears that they think education will change peoples' hearts. Those who harbor sin must be called to repentance. Certainly these issues should be studied, but in a field of grace and generosity, rather than suspicion and demand. More important the spirit of unity is cultivated by the spiritual development of humility, love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.

God bless you all in this struggle. May his Spirit reign while our will diminishes.

Written by: Anonymous at 2007- 09:41:24

Another comment seemed to foretell of last nights events as well.  It says:

Dennis, this is an important discussion you press for the sake of our future. May you continue to dwell in the spirit of unity and humility while you endure shame and slander. I pray that God will guide you all through this for His kingdom's sake. This post makes it clear that this is not just a discussion, but that there are very real spiritual battles going on. Without good leadership there will be casualties. If your shepherds refuse to confront sinful attitudes, you will be made the scapegoat and good people may be damaged.
Written by: disciple at 2007/08/14 - 11:33:38

So, the ball is now in the Leader’s court.  I ask that God’s blessings be on them as they prayerfully walk this very tight rope.  The future of this church is at stake.  I ask that you pray for them and for all of us at this time and for all the churches who are going through a similar crisis.  Sincerely,  Dennis

I have posted on my bulletin board the saying “We must look at the lens through which we see the world, as well as at the world we see, and that lens itself shapes how we interpret the world.”  I love the power that comes with understanding the truth in that saying.  If the lens is dirty or distorted, it makes the world look dirty or distorted.  If we look through it long enough, we think that’s the way the world really is.  It’s kind of like the lens on our minds eye and how we filter everything through it---dirty and distorted or not.
I was visiting with a friend recently and he made a great point about how various people evaluate certain activities in the church.  Some people look at each work or activity through the following lens: (1.)  Does this activity help bring others to Christ?  (2.)  Does it cause the brethren to grow spiritually? (3.) Does it meet the needs someone?  (4.) Does it bring the brethren closer together?  In their view, if it meets one of these criteria, it is a worthwhile activity.
Others look and evaluate each activity through a different set of lens.  It might be more of something like this:  (1.)  Does this activity meet the standards set by our grandparents?  (2.)  Have we ever done this before?  (3.)  Has this activity been authorized by the Elders?  (4.) Does this activity offend me?  (5.) Will this activity damage the church property?  If the activity doesn’t meet the criteria implied by these questions, then it is not a worthy activity.
The first approach seems very proactive and growth oriented.  The second seems very reactive and defensive.
When Jesus healed the man who had been crippled for 38 years, the Pharisees were more focused on the second set of questions than the first.  They were concerned that he was breaking the rules and traditions by carrying the mat on the Sabbath.  They missed the point.  If they would have focused on the first set of questions, their lives would have been filled with joy---just like the man who had been healed.  His needs had been met.  He had been set free.  He went about walking and jumping and praising God.  The Pharisees, who were spiritually crippled, chose to remain in that dysfunctional state by looking at technicalities rather than the big picture.  We’ve got those same choices today.  We can choose to be outreaching or we can choose to be defensive.  I hope, for all our sakes, we will choose wisely.  The fate of the world depends on it. 
God Bless you as you jump to your feet and give praise to God on your spiritual journey.  Dennis

When we got to the top of second peak we found, to our further dismay, that it was yet another false peak.  We had to go down again to get to the top of a third and what we hoped would be the final peak.  It was frustrating.  It was deflating.  It was grueling. 
False peaks can be so disheartening when your body is fresh, much less when it is tired and achy.  It was a challenge to get some of our hikers up to the top of that first peak, much less the next two.  The looks on their faces at the prospect of having to keep going was about like it would have been if you had punched them in the stomach.  Their expressions said, “This is as far as I go---no more.”  But eventually, with much prodding (we beat them with sticks (just kidding)), we ultimately made it to the very top of the top.  And the reward was incredible.  To be able to look around for 360 degrees and see God’s majestic creation was an awesome sight to behold.   The next day, no one regretted the pain they went through to experience majesty of the mountain.  It was all worth it.
As many of us work to get to the top of the “mountain” in the spiritual journey as part of our church family, we sometimes think we are making great progress.  And, in reality we are making progress.  But then we find out things that make us realize that even though we’ve made progress that it is a “false peak” in some ways.  While we’ve been climbing the devil is right beside us throwing obstacles in our way.  He is alive and well.  He’s trying to undermine the good progress we’ve made.  He's causing people to do and say things that are damaging to the body.  He's causing people to be hateful and hurtful instead of loving and truthful.  He's causing them to do things that they probably wouldn't do in normal circumstances.  He's got a lot riding on this battle.    
But we know that victory is certain.  We will reach the top.  Getting there will involve some pain and frustration along the way.  That’s just the way things work, it seems.  But it will all be worth it once we get there.   
So we plod steadfastly along with our eyes on the prize---a unified, spiritually-minded body of Christ giving glory and praise to God---open to all seekers.  Pray that God’s will be done on this journey.  Pray that people’s hearts will be pure.  Pray that we will be bold.  To God be the glory.  God Bless.  Dennis  

One of the common themes of every church I’ve ever been a part of is that of growth.  (We all want growth.  It’s very positive.) It usually has a disclaimer attached that talks about “not necessarily a growth in numbers, but in other ways.”  This disclaimer especially seems to be attached to churches that are not growing numerically.  It’s easier to convince ourselves that we are growing spiritually or in knowledge or in love since they are less concrete and harder to deny than the number of people.  Hopefully we ARE growing in all of those areas, but it’s just not something that has been extremely obvious in most cases.
When I consider growth in any area of life, it is ALWAYS accompanied by change.  Not all change is growth, but all growth involves change.  (Those of you from Rio Linda may need to carefully read that last sentence again.  I’ve been misunderstood on it before.)  How do you know if a tree has grown?  It has changed and become taller or thicker.  How do you know if a child has grown?  He has become taller or thicker or smarter or kinder or faster or stronger.  If he had not changed in any way from what he was before, then you know that he hasn’t grown and you need to get him to a doctor to find out what is wrong.
When we hire a young preacher, we often expect him to understand completely the word of God in the same way that we understand it.  Then we expect him to study diligently for 30 years without making any changes in what he believes.  In other words, we expect him to grow without changing.  Without realizing it, we are, in essence, asking him to be a spiritual pigmy.  If, because of diligent study, he comes to different conclusions, instead of listening to what he has learned and what he has to say, we often castigate him and chastise him.  If he wants to keep his job, he is tempted to bypass the study and growth and just settle for preaching the party line.  If this happens, we do him and our church a major disservice.
Bottom line, real growth necessarily involves change.  This is not because I say it does.  It is not because I want it too.  I have no control, whatsoever, of the fact that real growth involves change.  It is just a fact of life.  But God wants us to grow.  I want us to grow.  And if I grow, I’m not an enemy.  If I want everyone in my congregation to grow and I try to do my part to help them grow, I’m not an enemy.  If I want our preacher to grow, I’m not (nor is he) an enemy.
So, I would like to encourage everyone to reconsider their attitude about change.  It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but lack of growth, at best, is stunting and, at worst, death.  And I don’t want either of those.  God Bless you as you make your journey of growth this week.  Dennis          

For the past few months, Bonnie and I have been a part of a “Home Bible Study Group”.  We have been meeting in our house on Sunday nights after “church” (so that it won’t conflict with any of the official church worship services).  It has grown to an average of about 20 people for the past three weeks and we are hoping to continue to grow.  At first we met at 6:00 and it was just a few of us who were not going to church on Sunday nights anyway (since our cups were not being filled).  Then, a few who do go on Sunday nights heard about it and wanted to be a part of it so we changed it to after church for the Summer.  We'll probably leave it that late so they can continue to come.  We are a little bit torn about it because one family, who would really benefit from this, said they will not be able to come because they need to get their child in bed before we finish. 
We usually have a few snacks out for people to munch on and visit around while everyone is trickling in.  Then we go into the living room where we pray and then one of the group members leads us in a Bible study and discussion (which has been lasting about an hour or more each week).  Everyone enters into the discussion and it seems that everyone is uplifted.  Sometimes we sing a few songs as well before closing out with a prayer.  
We have a wide range of age groups represented and everyone joins in the activities.  I’ve heard several people say that this is the highlight of their week.  I know exactly what they mean because I feel the same way.  It is the highlight of my week!
One of the things that makes it so good is that everyone feels so relaxed and safe in this group.  Everyone feels the total freedom to say how they really feel about what we are discussing and they have confidence that they are not going to be shunned or disrespected for sharing what is on their heart.  Many burdens are lifted in this group.  It is such a healthy, Godly environment. 
Though we’ve been growing by just gradually inviting more and more people to come, it’s really open to anyone who wants to be a part of that kind of atmosphere.  We’ve even invited “non-members” of our church.  Our goal is not to be exclusive.  Our goal is to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God’s will for our lives.  It is also to grow closer to one another---to encourage one another---to support one another, and to do what ever we need to do to grow closer to God and to be more Christ like during the week ahead.  (If you, a reader of this blog, would like to come be a part of this awesome and uplifting experience, just ask me or anyone who is a part of it and you will be welcomed whole-heartedly by all.)    
So far, everyone who has come has left with their spirits filled.  Their batteries have been recharged.  And that’s why, as they say, it is the highlight of their week.  And that’s another reason I’m feeling so good about what is happening in this place.  The Spirit is working.  We give glory and thanks to God for all he is doing here.
We ask for guidance to help lead us in the path he wants us to go.  God Bless us all as we listen to him.  Dennis     

We had an awesome weekend.  The outstanding Christian singing group “Acappella” was here to perform in our high school auditorium on Sunday night.  We had a youth rally in our church building in the afternoon where we had around 300 kids from towns near and far who came to eat hamburgers, sing praises and listen to God’s word.  I think our building was pretty much packed.  I heard the singing (which was led by our youth minister who was thrilled to the gills) was awesome.  The message (which was delivered by our preacher (who was also thrilled to the gills) was awesome and the fellowship was wonderful.
I was helping Acappella set up in the auditorium so I had to miss the youth rally but I didn’t miss the concert which was also outstanding.  It was a truly blessed day.  I think there was around 500 for the concert.  Many lives were touched.
This was a huge undertaking and quite a few people eagerly jumped in to help in any way they could.  I think it sent out a message about what is happening in our church---that we are on the move and we are going to reach out to our neighbors to spread the good news about Christ.  This is a happening place and we give God the glory for the good things taking place in this little town.  The future looks bright.  
Bonnie and I were blessed to have the opportunity to house some of these guys and to get to know them on a more personal level.  They are wonderful young men who are very spiritual and mission minded.  And that's quite gratifying.  I was hoping they would ask me to join them on the stage for a song or two but they never seemed to pick up the hints I was dropping.  Other than that, however, it was just about a perfect weekend.   
Praise God for his great blessings.  Dennis 

(I posted the following as a comment on my "Transition" post.  Since not everyone reads the comments, I wanted to post it as a stand alone, as well, because I think the message is powerful.  Enjoy.)
When my youngest son, Jarod, was driving his old ford extended cab pickup too fast one night on the county road, he came to an unexpected Tee.  This meant he had to either stop real fast (too late for that), go straight ahead (and crash through the fence) or to try to make the turn at a high rate of speed.  He elected to make the turn.  He almost made it and I would have never known about it.  If the road had not been graded (I hate it when the county commissioners do their jobs well) he would have slid sideways into the bar ditch and come to a screeching sideways halt.  But, since the road had been graded (those darn commissioners), there was a sharp cut little groove (ditch) on the edge of the road that would not let his tires slide on into the ditch.  Therefore, that became the pivot point for the truck to turn over.  He said it was like slow motion.  His friend, Victor, was in the passenger seat and got the biggest part of the thrill ride since his side of the pickup went highest into the air as it rolled. 
Jarod caught a ride home and told us that he turned his pickup over.  I said “Your kidding.”  He said, “I’m not kidding.”  I said, “Are you all right?”  He said “Yes” and he told us the whole story about what happened.  I loaded him up in my pickup so we could go recover his tools and equipment from the truck.  I told him that I was so thankful that everyone was okay and that no one was hurt.  We went over all the “it’s a shame they graded the road” scenarios and all the “what if” scenarios.  We covered the “what do we need to do next” scenarios.  Never---Not one time---was there an ounce of scolding or “teaching” or “let this be a lesson” or “I hope you learned something”.  We had none of that. 
After we came back home and before Jarod finally went to bed, he came back into our room and said, “I just want to tell you how much I appreciate both of you for not griping at me about this.  I really appreciate it.  It means a lot to me.”  He was at peace and thankful to have parents who didn’t harp on him. 
Our relationship deepened that night.  If we had griped at him, the best we could have hoped for would be that the relationship stayed the same.  Most likely it would have been a little bit diminished.  Because of this and other situations like this, Jarod feels safe to tell us anything now.  How blessed I feel to have that kind of relationship with him.  (It's the kind of relationship I always hoped for.)  He knows we are for him and not against him---even when he messes up. 

That’s what I was talking about in the previous post.  I’m not say we just tell everyone to go out and live wildly and drink and cuss and whatever they want.  I’m saying that we should make this (our church) a safe place to confess our faults and to say I’m struggling without fear of condemnation or self-righteous lecturing (or even humble lecturing in many cases).  Even if we are correct in our theology, if the message is not received then our correctness is wasted.  True love necessarily means that it is more important to take the action that is most likely to achieve the desired result (of bringing that struggling brother back) than it is to take the action that covers our (“we are not going to allow sin and error”) bases.  The first is focused on our brother, the second is focused on ourselves.  The first benefits us all, including our struggling brother.  The second diminishes us all, especially our struggling brother.  God Bless you as you ponder these choices. Dennis