The Blessing of Sacrifice

Our Stepping Stones to the Future worship series and debt reduction campaign in sprinting toward Celebration Sunday this coming Sunday. Pat Luna shared with us about taking a sacrificial step. Her message came with an exclmation point (and you know how I love exclamation points!). The First Farragut Cardboard Testimonies. Many of you have asked to be able to see this video again ... so, here it is.

BIT: How many more lives can First Farragut impact as we move boldly in the Future?

In Box

On Sunday, I got back from a weeks vacation. One of the things I have to deal with when I get back is a stack of mail (mostly junk) and a WHOLE bunch of emails. It's not too bad when I deal with email on a daily basis, but when I'm not in ... it accumulates.

On Sunday, I challenged the congregation at First Farragut to a 50 day period of prayer and fasting. I thought that perhaps 20 people would commit to praying daily for our church -- people, staff, pastor, leaders. And, maybe 10 would commit to fasting. What a surprise to have over 30 people who have already committed to praying and over 30 who will be fasting!

This week as I have been praying, I've celebrated this outpouring of spiritual centering. One of the things that came to me on Monday while I was doing my centering prayer was that for some of these people (over 30! WOW!) through their daily prayer and weekly fasting, there will be an in box overload. Like going on vacation and coming back to get caught up on a deluge of email messages, some may have not been checking their in box from God. I believe that God is going to have some really great messages for these over 30 people!

BIT: PLEASE SHARE YOUR REVELATIONS! What is God sharing with you? Whether it's a single message or a deluge of email love from God, please let me know. You can either email me privately or share through a public comment to this blog. I'm looking forward...

BITTER: I'm pumped about my first day of fasting (tomorrow). What a surprise when my 9-year old came home today from shcool and asked what was for dinner. It was shrimp, rice and Sautéed cabbage. He said, "well, I'll have to fast tomorrow because that smells so good." He wasn't part of my over 30! Happy Fasting (and Praying). Check that In Box!

The Party's Over

Yesterday we started our new worship series "Rediscover Christmas", which means that "God's Party" is over. I don't know if everyone liked it or not, but I really enjoyed putting "It's God's Party: You're Invited" together. Even as I moved on to "Rediscover Christmas" for our Advent Season, I was reminded that the Party -- God's Party -- really isn't over. It really hit me on Thanksgiving morning as I was preparing for two (not one), but two Thanksgiving Feasts [One Thanksgiving Lunch with my better half's family and One Thanksgiving Dinner with my family]. I was sitting watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade when Yo Gabba Gabba suddenly appeared and began singing "Party in my Tummy". I called for my five-year-old to come so we could do the "Party in My Tummy" dance (note: I had not previously heard, much less danced to, this particular song). But, once you've heard this song ... wow! You want to jump up and dance.

There's a party in my tummy so yummy, so yummy

Now, There's a party in my tummy so yummy, so yummy

Hey, There's a party in my tummy so yummy, so yummy

Now, There's a party in my tummy so yummy, so yummy.

Later that day I added my own verses to this one -- "Turkey, Yeah! In my tummy, Party, Party, Yeah ... Ham, Yeah, In my tummy, Party, Party, Yeah ... (you can add your own verses pretty easily)."

I guess the party, God's Party, goes on ... even into Advent. Yes, we'll have God's Party on Sunday, December 13th with our Community Christmas Dinner at First Farragut, where hundreds of God's people will come together to share the Good News, eat some turkey (Party, Party!), get some clothes and a special Christmas gift. Christmas Eve will be a pretty cool Party -- A Birthday Party!

Bit: Did you notice yesterday, as we "Rediscovered Joy", that John the Baptist was doing a little Partying with Jesus? "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb (JtB) leaped ... 'The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, the babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.'"[The Message] Sounds like a Party in her tummy!!! Party, Party! (You know you want to get up and do the John the Baptist dance ... go ahead ...)

Party Like a Rock

It was a massive crisis yesterday! My oldest received a "new to him" ipod (formally my better half's). He, in an act of self-sacrificing love, gave his old ipod to his younger brother (who is 5 today!). Somehow in the excitement of the now-5-year-old downloading songs onto his "new to him" ipod, some of his new songs got onto the oldest's ipod -- it's all way above my head (this ipod sync thing). So, I had the 5-year-old running through the living room singing "Party Like a Rock Star" from his older brother's ipod (the non-explicit version -- which I still can't tell if there are inappropriate references because it all sounds like mush) while the 9-year-old is in severe drama because he can't get the Wiggles and Vegetales off his ipod -- What will people think? My better half is trying to understand the "help" pages on itunes (which might as well have been written in Coptic) in order to unravel this mystery.

In the melee, as I was trying to decipher the Shop Boyz and realizing that it was the Kidz Bop Kids (which must be somewhat closer to Jesus), It hit me that the Shop Boyz/Kidz Bop Kids were inviting people to "Party Like a Rock Star" (especially since it is repeated 70x7 times).

We at First Farragut have just finished our 3rd in the series of "It's God's Party: You're Invited". These have been some really fun worship services as we have looked at how God invites us to God's party. We've celebrated resurrection with our All Saints Service, we've celebrated deliverance as we looked at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths (which I changed to Tabernacles after someone questioned me about the Festival of Boobs) in the Old Testament, and we've celebrated abundance as we looked at Jesus attending a wedding party that became God's Party when Jesus turned the water into wine. This Sunday we finish up our series with looking at God's invitation to the Kingdom Party in Matthew 22.

So often we get caught up in the crazy going on all around us that we forget that Jesus wants us to have a good time (life more abundant is the way, I think, he put it). And Jesus had a good time. Look at how many times we have stories about Jesus sitting down with people around food -- it was a party. November has been a great experience of celebration at First Farragut! As we prepare for Thanksgiving, make sure you step outside the melee that is this season (or better yet allow your melee to be transformed into something holy) and celebrate the source of your resurrection, deliverance, and abundance.

BIT: It's God's Party! You're Invited to Party Like THE Rock. Totally Dude.

Love Competition

Recently I was watching television. I can't remember the show, but it was one of those awkward moments in a conversation when someone says "I love you," maybe for the first time, and the other person pauses. This is never good. Even if the return is "I love you, too" you've got a mess. It got me to thinking about how much we expect love to be reciprocated. If I love you, I expect for you to love me back, without any pauses.

My better half and I have always engaged in what I call "love banter" (don't worry, it's rated "G"). It is a way of taking the traditional "I Love You" to another level. When my better half tells me "I love you" (this only works well when she starts it, fortunately for me she does usually start it). I respond with "I love you more." Then, she replies, "I love you most" (she's an English Teacher so she has superlatives down cold). I'm not an English teacher, so I respond with, "I love you more than most" (trying to add humor by emphasizing the meaning "I love you more than most people, which is the correct grammatical interpretation, I think).

Evidently, this has rubbed off on our offspring. Except that our 4-year-old (soon to be 5!) has it somewhat confused. His rendition of the competitive love is to shut it down and score the point. So, if you tell him, "I love you." He replies with "I love you the most, what did I say? I win!" And, then will follow that immediately with another "I love you the most, what did I say? I win!" If you try to respond with the same, he will increase his volume and speed. What then ensues is a pandemonium of love -- as everyone tries to one-up the other in the amount of love, the speed of the love, and the volume of the love.

BIT: Low and behold, it's in scripture -- Romans 12:10: "love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor." (RSVP). I love you! -- Let the pandemonium begin!

It Was All About the Children (Really, It Was All About God)

Yesterday was just one of those perfect Sundays! Yes, I know, I didn't preach. But, WOW! Three incredible testimonies by fourth and fifth graders. I don't believe I could have done what Ian Collins, Grace Shahan, and Alex Weaver did with their sermons on Prayer even when I was in high school -- which wasn't all that long ago. And yes, I know there are those who think I can't do what Ian, Grace, and Alex did even now! Everyone was fantastic -- special music, liturgies, prayers, Adult time, sermons, greeters -- wow, what fantastic greeters -- it was all fantastic. (I like the word "fantastic") Prayer time with our prayer warriors -- what a special time! God was evident and moving in some very exciting ways.

If that wasn't enough ... 250 people showed up for Trunk or Treat that evening! Candy and Creepies everywhere. Chili made by scouts! Games and did I mention candy? Thanks to Tonya and her incredible team. Jill-Marie, our Children's Director -- wow! Marian Lewis -- our Cinemas Leader -- incredible! All the helpers, all the children, all the leaders ...

BIT: If I could bottle that ... well, I'd work for First Farragut for free. NOTE: I can't bottle that! It's all about God -- Ain't God Great?

Warfinflarf Is Not A Word

Many mornings my 4 year-old and my 9 year-old and I get into exciting discussions on the way to school. Most of the time these center around Legos, Star Wars, Spongebob, or any number of topics. This morning the discussion became philosophical. My 4 year-old was trying to use the plural of up (ups) in a sentence. My 9 year-old was trying to explain to his brother that "ups" is not a word. It is just up (singular and plural). So far we were having a simple English Grammar conversation (some might call it an argument, because the 4 year-old was insistent that "ups" was indeed word) and then it happened. The 9 year-old blurted out "Brother, warfinflarf is not a word! You can say warfinflarf, but you cannot use it in a sentence because it is not a word." And then I was included in this "discussion" as the 9 year-old asked, "Dad, what makes a word a word?" I was still trying in my mind to make a sentence using "ups" and "warfinflarf" when the 9 year-old answered his own question. "Brother, a word becomes a word only when someone gives it meaning."

This past Sunday we talked in worship about just this thing. Not "warfinflarf", mind you, but that God has created us to live a life of meaning and influence. We can be a life, go through life, live a life, but it really isn't life (a word) until someone gives us meaning. In our life, that someone who not only creates us, but goes ahead and adds us to The Dictionary, and thus gives us meaning, is God!

BIT: Remember, you can't necessarily be anything you want to be (that's simply warfinflarf), but you can be everything God created you to be!