Draw the Circle - Day 28 - Quit Praying

"Well done, good and faithful servant." - Matthew 25:23

Yesterday I was blessed to guide Eric and Silby Thomas into marriage.  They are a great young couple, amazingly compatible and teachable - hungry to learn.  I love learners.

At their wedding, I gave them one more teaching moment - Jesus' words at the end of his sermon on the mount in Matthew 7.  A the end of his message, Jesus said, "Whoever hears these words of mine AND [emphasis mine], and puts them into practice, is like a wise man who built his house upon rock . . ."

I think that's what Mark Batterson was getting at when he said, "There comes a moment when praying becomes a form of spiritual procrastination."  What a great line.

Jesus said that listening without acting is foolish.

Mark said that praying without acting is foolish - that there comes a time when we know what God wants us to do, but we keep stalling - even using prayer as a stall tactic.

Ready set, ready set, ready set . . . but never go!

How did we ever turn Christianity into a belief system that is disconnected from our behaviors?

Has God given you an answer to prayer, but you don't like the answer?

Are you praying for something that you can do readily without help from God?

Have you ever prayed and prayed because you really were scared to act?

Build a foundation on rock - the Rock.

Pray as if everything depends on God, but act as if everything depends on you.

Ready, set, GO!

Draw the Circle - Day 27 - Double Circle

"This kind can only be cast out be prayer and fasting." - Matthew 17:21

Okay, getting a little frustrated with Mark again.  He wins the annual Rick Warren proof- texting award.

First, he chooses the KJV of the text because it reads/aligns to the point he wants to make.

Second, there is a good chance that Jesus didn't say this, but that this verse was added later (only some manuscripts have this verse).

Third, the context, if Jesus did say it, is clearly about casting out a demon, not about any miracle from God.

Praying and fasting is not a double combination lock "to unlock the miracle."  And to make such a statement without offering the balance is disturbing.

Fasting is a gift to draw us intimately into the presence of God so that our prayers align with His will.  

It is not a magic formula to get God to do a miracle.

It especially is not the formula for attaining a miracle for oneself (financial breakthrough).

If anything, we fast as a sign of humility to ask God to move on behalf of another - like to seek healing or wisdom to bless others or for another to know Christ.

And we fast because it brings us closer into the Light of Christ's holiness thus revealing our spiritual imperfections - the thoughts and actions that God wants to heal in us.

God cannot be manipulated and while Mark would readily agree with this, his writing implies it on the back side.  

Mark lists all the things we can fast for and then casually adds at the end "Or we can fast simply to seek the heart of God."

Isn't this the PRIMARY reason to fast?

Sorry, but the more I read, the more disturbed I am by this.

I applaud Mark's call to fast - we need to be doing it - he is ramping up my desire to pray and fast - but we also need to come at it as selfless and humble as possible.

Fasting does not fast track "our prayer life like a hyperbolic chamber that speeds healing or a hyperlink that gets us someplace with one click."

In the wrong hands, a statement like this is sloppy if not dangerous.

Now the section on the flesh is well written.  Mark talks about the need to tame the flesh, to crave God more than food, to become weak so that God can make us strong.  YES!

(So skip pages 150-151 and start on page 153!)

The true power of fasting is to tune our souls to the living God, to rely on the Holy Spirit's power so that our prayers bring us closer to God's heart - so we can pray from that perspective.

Whole chapters if not books have been written about fasting so I understand Mark's desire to be concise in the five pages of this day's reading.  But concise does not mean sloppy.

At the same time, I don't want you to think that your prayers or your fasting has to be "perfect."  The antidote for perfection is humility.  Just practice prayer and fasting with humility.  God is God and you are not. And He knows that!

Pick one of the prayers you've been circling and experiment with fasting.  Maybe just skip lunch and use that hour to pray.  Or be brave and go a whole day - sun-up to sun-down.  Start small - drink fluids - juices too.

Here's some instructions from Dr. Bill Bright - Your Personal Guide to Fasting.  

Come and hear, all of you who reverence the Lord, and I will tell you what he did for me: For I cried to him for help, with praises ready on my tongue. He would not have listened if I had not confessed my sins. But he listened! He heard my prayer! He paid attention to it!

Blessed be God who didn't turn away when I was praying, and didn't refuse me his kindness and love. - Psalm 66:16-20

Draw the Circle - Day 26 - Game with Minutes

"Pray without ceasing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

This is the verse we use to introduce our prayer jar instructions. Our prayer jar contains names written on cards. We are praying for Bod's blessing.

We lift them up every Sunday.

I hope that as we pause for prayer, we distinctly remember each name we have written.  Some of them you might even name out-loud as we enter into Tongsung Kido (praying together out-loud) prayer.

But as I think about our cycle of prayer, I wonder if once a week is enough?

What would happen if we prayed for those in our prayer jar every day?

You know - pray without ceasing?

And I have to admit that I haven't been real regular in my prayers for those I pray for on Sunday.

And I know I need to repent.

I have to change.

If this series has taught me anything, it has reminded me that I must be more consistent and intentional in my prayers.

I'm still working on "the system" but am starting to use and like The Table more and more (great app for your smart phone or tablet if you have one).  If no one else is gonna use it - I am.  From my cell phone, it lists all the prayers that we have placed there online and I can add prayers or just acknowledge I prayed from my cell phone.  I'm also going to explore if I can create a personal page on the Table to keep track of my personal prayers.

Well better go pray -  my list is growing of those who do now know the love of Jesus Christ.  I will pray that God will bless them.

Keep drawing circles.

(Just close your eyes and listen . . .)

Draw the Circle - Day 25 - A Prophetic Voice

"I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets." - Numbers 11:29

A prophet speaks words of encouragement and comfort.

But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. - 1 Corinthians 14:3

By that definition, the Vine is filled up with prophets!  How many comforters and encouragers can one church have?!?

I think about Sunday when we let out a small cheer when Scott shared Chris' medical report or how you gathered around Lauren to send her and her family off with prayer to North Carolina.

Those are just the two most recent examples of what comes super-naturally to you.

Do you that when you speak words of grace, encouragement, and blessing into someone, you are speaking a future for them?

Our prayers should be blessing prayers - "Father, bless Emmorton Elementary School - the children, the teachers, the parents the staff . . ."

What's the greatest blessing?  To know the love of Jesus Christ and experience His grace.

The blessing that we have so eagerly and wonderfully shared with one another, must also focus outward to our community - our neighbors - our workplace.

So let us continue to be prophets.  Let us speak grace and encouragement into one another and our world and the love by serving.

(Couldn't find a song about being prophets so how about a song by Sidewalk Prophets?)

Keep drawing circles.

Draw the Circle - Day 24 - Find Your Voice

"The Word of the Lord came to me" - Jeremiah 1:4

God is calling you.

God will give you a passion that is beyond you and your family - a selfless love for other.

It could be a next door neighbor.

It could be a co-worker.

It could be a school or an organization or a people group or a city or a region.

It could be domestic or international, in the same hemisphere or across the international date line.

You have to listen and discern.  Most likely it will be visceral - a gut reaction - an emotional tug.

God formed you in the womb.

He made you for a purpose and the great adventure is discovering AND living out that purpose.

God calls us to love, but we can't love the whole world.  That's God's job.  Our job is to love the slice of it that he's created us to love.

Do you know your calling?  Have you heard His voice?

I'm here to help.

When you hear His voice, you'll find your voice.

Word of God, speak

Draw the Circle - Day 23 - Not Now

"Wait for the gift my Father promised." - Acts 1:4

Mark Batterson's story of having to wait a year to purchase their family's dream house is a great one.

Patience and waiting and discernment (fleece) are all key points but the greatest walk-away may be Mark's grasp that trusting God to provide meant that the house could not be more important than God.  Their dream was relinquished into God's providence.

So too, you and I must relinquish our dreams to God and have the patience to trust that God will provide what we need at just the right season.

Can you imagine waiting a whole year for a house?  I have my sights set on a certain grill, but I am waiting - a promise that it will go on sale.  But waiting has been tough.

Now think about something so much more important like revival to come to a faith community or healing or a city turning to God.

Waiting.  It does not come naturally and it's compounded by our cultural expectation of immediacy for everything.  Kids can't wait to grow up.  Couples can't wait for marriage.  Spouses can't wait and save for major purchases.  You get the point.

And it's expected that we would bring this immediacy blemish into our prayer lives. Expected but not desired.  The answer to any prayer must be relinquished to God who knows the perfect what AND when.

The beauty of waiting is that the longer the wait, the more cherished the birth.

May your prayers lead you into a simple trust that God knows the perfect what and when.  May He guide your content and increase your passion and strengthen your perseverance.

Draw the Circle - Day 22 - Prayer Fleece

"I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor." - Judges 6:37

God calls.

Not just pastors.  Not just Bible characters.

God calls you.

God is calling you.

Are you listening?

What makes your heart sing?

For some of you, the call may take you to an exotic locale.  For others, God is calling you to mission and ministry right here in Harford County.

When God calls, He also confirms.

He's not offended, when we ask for a double-check.  Gideon used fleece.  Anna, in today's devotional, used a talk dark Serbian.

So listen and discern.  Your life will not be complete until you are "laboring" in the Vineyard that God has planted for you.

Don't be afraid to listen.

You will find great joy when you align your life to God's will for you.

I asked - what makes your heart sing?

In science, I learned about something called "natural frequency."  Objects will begin to oscillate when a force is applied that matches the frequency with which they like to vibrate.

You have a spiritual frequency - to a place, to a people, to a task.  When you read or hear about this person, place or thing, your heart begins to vibrate, your ears perk up, maybe a tear comes.  

Don't ignore these moments.  They are signposts given by God.

Then put down a fleece. Confirm it. Then ACT.

Draw the Circle - Day 21 - Set Your Foot

"I'm giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on." - Joshua 1:3 (MSG)

Let's keep walking as we pray.

Most often we picture prayer as something we do in the morning in the quiet, before meals, at bed-time, during worship.

But praying and walking moves us.  Seeing what you are praying for or who you are praying for moves prayer from theory to practice.  The prayers that I have been praying for the people of EES are lodged in my brain in the steps I took and the doors I touched.

I still remember the prayers I prayed before retreats and worship when they were attached to a place or a feature.

(It also helps my ADHD!)

Next Saturday (June 29), we'll pick back up with our prayer walks.  We'll meet in the EES parking lot, but I think it's time to walk some neighborhoods. We've got to expand God's territory beyond this school.

Does God want to make the same promise to us that he made to Joshua?  - "You step on it and it's yours."  

If no other church is laying claim to all the people on Tollgate Road, then let's do it!

Will you join me?

This day's devotional from Draw the Circle should inspire us.  25 people in worship in a DC public school, then Mark took a prayer walk. . . .

Draw circles, but also walk them.

8:00 next Saturday.

Draw the Circle - Day 20 - Go. Set. Ready.

"He [Abraham] did not know where he was going." - Hebrews 11:8

Half way there!

Half way to a regular, intentional, daily, persevering prayer life.

Don't give up.  

Even if you've missed or messed up, keep at it.

Even if you feel awkward or unsure, stay with it.

Even if you don't notice anything different, rest assured you are changing and your prayers are being heard.

There is a promised land waiting for you.  You may not even have a picture of it yet, but God knows.  God wants to bring you into a deeper relationship where prayer and asking God are as natural as a conversation between long-time friends.

I'm a fast starter, not a great sustainer, but this blog and my call to encourage you is keeping me pressing on.

If this were the 1600 meter run, we'd be halfway to finish - two laps down, two to go -  a precarious place to be.  The oxygen reserves are gone - muscle cells start to fatigue.  There's a temptation to stop running because it hurts, but further down the track, with just a few more paces, you'll get past the struggle.  Some call it a "runner's high."  You'll start to zone, the outside world will fade and the rhythm of your shoes hitting the pavement will put you in a trance.  You'll stop thinking about running and just start thinking.

So it is with our prayer lives.  You won't great at this off the bat.  It takes time and perseverance and practice, but I guarantee, you will break through.

Break through to intimacy with God.

If you're struggling, put on some praise music.  Ponder the cross.  Start a list of things you are thankful for.  Read a Gospel story and put yourself in the narrative - be one of the characters.  Read Scripture and insert your name into the verses . . . "For God so loved Stan that he gave his one and only son . . . for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn Stan but that Stan through Jesus could be saved."

Distracted with the day's tasks?  Keep a pad nearby and "dump" your distracting thoughts there.  Use a prayer journal - writing will slow you down but also keep you focused.  Write your prayer requests on 3x5 cards and shuffle through them, writing notes on them if you receive a new insight or revelation or promise.

Kids interrupting?  Invite them to pray with you - a teaching moment - both modeling and participating.  Who knows?  Your child might teach you something about faith.

What obstacles to prayer are you facing?  Don't be afraid to share - here.  We can help one another with suggestions and encouragement.

Keep drawing circles.  Don't drop out.  Your're moments away from breakthrough.

Draw the Circle - Day 19 - Memorial Offerings

"Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God." - Acts 10:4

One of my favorite stories.  Cornelius, a Gentile, is generous and devout  and God notices and God answers.  Jewish religion expected animal sacrifices to get God's attention>  God says He's more interested in the heart - that praying and caring for the poor is a true memorial offering.

I love that this is a man is doing the right thing without knowing the right Person.  If anyone doubts that God is just to those who live godly lives yet do not know His Son, look no further.  God showed Cornelius and his family mercy and orchestrated a life changing visit from Peter who shared the Good News.  While preaching, Pentecost 2 exploded on the scene!

Read here if unfamiliar with the story.

If anything is going to unlock the power of prayer, it's that we too devote ourselves to God AND care for the poor. "Your prayers and gifts to the poor . . ."

Now let's be careful here.  Motive is important.  You can't buy God's actions by giving to the poor.  Rather, praying and giving are a response to a love for God.  God notices those who love Him.

Love.

A loving God - who delights in His children who love Him, who gives good gifts to them and delights in their unwrapping.

17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. - James 1:17

I guess, I'm writing to suggest  . . . make sure you get your bearings straight.  Make sure you re-calibrate.  Determine if your compass heading is still pointing true North.

None of this can come from anywhere other than love of God.  Prayers and giving fueled by love.

I mean this love stuff is pretty basic, but in our finite-ness and sinfulness, we can still get more focused on the gift than the Giver.

Or we can turn our prayers into a religious to-do list and along those lines play the reciprocity game. "God, I'm praying a lot and giving a lot - when are you going to answer my request?"

So take your spiritual pulse.  Is your greatest desire to commune with God?

As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?- Psalm 42:1-2

Long for God and keep praying.

Draw the Circle - Day 18 - Keep Circling

"On the seventh day, march around the city seven times." - Joshua 6:4

"Don't lose heart. Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith."

We are almost to the halfway point our our 40 day experiment.

Have you circled some people and ideas and been praying for them every day?

Don't give up.

My great hope would be that this season of prayer is a catalytic event in your life.

Keep praying - never cease praying.

Remember, God can't answer prayers that you don't pray!

Continue to seek God's blessing on your family, the Vine, your employment, our school, Abingdon . . .

Have you read page 107 of draw the Circle?  Mark shares about the less than exciting beginnings to National Community Church. Average attendance of 25.

Prayer changes things. Prayer changes trajectory.

What are you circling?

Why don't you share your prayer focus in the comments below . . .

Draw the Circle - Day 17 - Do Not Delay

"O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not for your own sake, O my God." - Daniel 9:19

I know it's in our nature to want God to answer our prayers NOW.  Life is short. The clock is ticking.  We've been conditioned for immediacy.

But we know that God's ways are not ours.  For any number of reasons God's answer to prayer is "wait," often in the form of silence.

I just happened to be reading an article by Tony Campolo where he was sharing how ferevently Diterich Bonhoeffer was praying for the end of the Jewish Holocaust.  That travesty couldn't end soon enough yet the desperate prayers of thousands went unanswered for years.  Most likely the answer to "Why?" will have to wait until the other side of death.

Contrast that with the story in this chapter of a wife who prayed for her husband to find a job, who ended up with two offers after fasting on Day 40 of NCC's 40 day prayer challenge.  Forty days may seem like forever in our drive-through culture but is awfully short in the grand scheme of prayer!

But the call in all this is not to over analyze but to keep praying. I love that Mark Batterson calls us to shift our payer focus from ASAP (as soon as possible) to ALAT (as long as it takes).  By the way - where's the "I"?

We're back to perseverance and praying hard.  Being desperate and passionate, BUT also not wearing ourselves out - DO NOT pray as if answered prayer depends on you.  That is a weight to great to bear.  If only I had more faith.  If only I sweated more, prayed harder, were bolder, etc . . .   remember It's God's business to answer prayer.  Your job to step into the actions that will fulfill God's will.

Daniel's prayer was delayed.  He was fortunate to be given an explanation of why.

We may not get an explanation, but we do not give up the habit of praying, of circling our biggest fears and greatest dreams.

Circle the Vine in your prayer time.   Pray for God to add to our numbers so that we can have a greater impact on our community and world.

Draw the Circle - Day 16 - Lord, Surprise Me

"The wind blows wherever it pleases." - John 3:8

It really is a great prayer, "Lord, surprise us."

Who does God want to touch who will want to bless us?

Do you like surprises?  I guess I should say "good surprises."  I know some folk who don't like any kind of surprises.

I honestly think that's a sad way to live.  Life doesn't have to be constant chaos, but life would be dull without pleasant surprises.

What I really like about this short prayer is that it acknowledges that God is good and He wants to give good gifts to His children.  It speaks trust.  I trust God to bless me with something beyond my wildest dreams.

Secondly, it is a prayer of relinquishment (my favorite prayers).  It says, "God, you know best.  Father, You take control."

And that's a major issue.  Folk who don't like surprises like to be in control.  It's a false comfort.  Life is not controllable.  And true faith gives up control

Some of us are wired to lean toward structure and order.  Some of us are wired toward spontaneity and serendipity.  The Kingdom needs both.

But a prayer like "Lord, surprise me" is a prayer for all wirings.  It's letting God have control and letting God bless beyond our abilities.

Keep drawing circles.

Father, surprise the Vine.  Only you can do something beyond what we could ever think or imagine.  We look forward to unwrapping whatever You chose to give.  We can't wait to say "YEAH GOD!"  Even thinking about Your good gifts brings us joy.  And we can't wait to share just how good You are.  We can't wait to tell others about your goodness.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Draw the Circle - Day 15 - Contend for Me

"Contend for me, my God and my Lord." - Psalm 35:23

There is a spectrum of belief about spiritual warfare.  I don't know where to start - books could be written - HAVE been written about this practical topic.

I do believe there is a spiritual war taking place around us.  The question is to what extent it affects us.  I want to contend it is very real and impacts us daily, but I also don;t want us having a demon hiding behind every tree.  I believe in demonic activity, but I don't want to over dramatize 

The book of Daniel talks about an angel that had to fight his way through the front lines to deliver a message (Daniel 10:12-14).  The book of revelation is not simply speaking to future warfare, but a glimpse of a current spiritual battle taking place beyond our perception.  Angels and demons are not uncommon words in our Bible.  And of course, look at Jesus' ministry.

If you've read CS Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, you'll find an wonderfully insightful story on evil's battle strategy.

Why share all this?  To make sure you pray for God's protection and power even against the spiritual realm.  Sometimes your prayers aren't being answered because of "stuff" happening you can't see.  (Daniel's angel was delayed 21 days from his first prayer.)  Sometimes you go through a dry spell or run into a lot of "bad luck."  Pray for God to revel what is causing the blockage and then pray through. "Deliver us from evil."

I want to encourage you to be bold in this part of your prayer life. "Greater is He that is in you, than he who is in the world."

A few days back, I talked about free will, but I can assure you that freewill does not apply to demons.  You have, through Christ, the power to give them their marching orders.  Send them to the feet of Jesus and let him deal with them.

You shouldn't be "spooked" or fear any of this.  We aren't in the exorcism business.  But we should surround ourselves with prayer that acknowledges that there is a spiritual war going on around us.  And you may want to "nest" yourself - start with a prayer binding up the spiritual forces of darkness before moving on - praying for weightier matters.

And a reminder that God is bigger than all this and that we are His and that He will contend for us.

God has our back.  Keep drawing circles.

Draw the Circle - Day 14 - Speak to the Mountain

"Say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move." - Matthew 17:20

I'm kinda befuddled on what to write about today.  Mark is heading in about 20 directions and I'm in one of my "yeah, but . . ." moods.

faith to move mountains

the power and sovereignty of God

spiritual warfare

going on the offensive

praying for Pharaoh (the person or organization standing in the way of your mission)

difficulties strengthening us

since I'm in a contrarian mood,  I do want to pick a nit. (Yes Mark wrote a lot of great things and this might be minor, but the more I think about it, it is important.)

Mark talks about praying for Pharaoh asking God to change hearts, but in the original story, Pharaoh's heart stayed hardened to the very end.

And that brings up the delicate point - the debate over God's sovereignty versus our free will.  Does God impose his will on humans or does God back off, giving us freedom to work things out, only intervening when asked?

Obviously, we should pray for Pharaoh.  Jesus said we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  But I am more inclined to believe those prayers change US - they give us a heart willing to reach out to those who are against us and that change in our hearts has the potential (not always the result) of changing Pharaoh's (our enemies') hearts(s).

Mark even talks about his own attitude changing towards his adversaries opposed to the coffee house.  And I think that is the key.

In many situations with family, coworkers, neighbors . . ., the only attitude we have control over is our own.  And when I say control, I mean surrender.  The only soul we can surrender to God is our own.

If you are facing what look like immovable mountains, pray.  Pray for faith.  Pray for heart change.  Pray that you might love your adversaries and your Pharaohs.  And see what God can do with that.

Perhaps the boldest prayer of all is to ask God to change you.

Draw the Circle - Day 13 - One Day

"One day at about three in the afternoon, he had a vision" - Acts 10:1

The subtitle of The Circle Maker book reads "Drawing circles around you biggest dreams and greatest fears."

I'm glad that Mark Batterson is not just talking about big dreams and visions.  For some of us, before we can dream big dreams, we have to overcome great fears.

Prayer is the key to both.

I know your stories.

And some of you are just trying to catch your breath let alone dream.

I encourage you to pray. Pray even when you don't feel like it.  Pray when you feel like you've prayed all you can pray.  Persevere in prayer.

The more you pray, the more your heart will be aligned to God's heart and when that happens, your greatest fears will become small.  You may even face death, but you will not fear it.  Because death has been swallowed up in victory.  Because nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

And once fear is overcome, you can begin to pray for "vision beyond your resources" - the mantra of National Community Church.

Did you know it says in Proverbs 29:18 "where there is no vision, the people perish."?  The problem with many churches is that they are just going through the motions - they have no vision.  And without that God-given vision leading to unity and alignment, churches without vision will die.

The Vine may or may not continue on for years to come, but I do know that we won't go down without a fight. We will not fail for lack of prayer or lack of vision.  We should not fear a vision beyond our resources.

We cannot let our current giving determine our future course.

Let's pray for more than we have.  Let's pray without fear.  Let's pray for changed lives and changed hearts - starting with ours.

Keep drawing circles.

Draw the Circle - Day 12 - Sow a Seed

"if you have faith as small as a mustard seed . . ." - Matthew 17:20

The illustration of the man planting the carob seed - which takes 70 years to reach maturity (begin producing fruit) is very appropriate to much I wanted to share with you today.  The powerful line in that story of a man planting seeds that he would not be able to enjoy ends with "I am planting trees for children and grandchildren so they will be able to eat the fruit of these trees."

It is a story of legacy and a story of patience.

I often think about legacy and patience when it comes to the Vine.

And all this ties into a conversation I had with Thomas yesterday over lunch who reminded me that sometimes I get way too far out in front of my people.

Much of what I have been sharing in this blog can be overwhelming - so much bigger than us - so far out of reach.  But I want to put you at ease.  I can't say that I bat 1.000 when it comes to discerning the future, but I have seen God work on me, in me and despite me to paint pictures of my church's future that have been amazingly accurate.  And often those pictures were refined and clarified by others.

That's what I am asking from you.  Don't be afraid.  First - have faith as big a mustard seed.  God can do great things with small things.  Second - be patient.  The vision that God gives us may be for our children and grandchildren.  It may find its fulfillment after you and I have given way to a new generation of Christ-followers.

Right now, you and I, are being called to be faithful where we are - in the present.  That means drawing circles around our family and sowing seeds in them.  Same with work, our neighborhood, and the school we meet in.  These circles are like ripples in a pond - expanding outward into our future circles.

One of the reasons I've been reluctant to talk about the Vine's future is because I have never been sure how long I would be intertwined with you.  But I am (re)realizing through this experiment and readings that any vision God gives the Vine is bigger than me (or you).  It's all about God.  In my first two churches, much of what I had envisioned happened AFTER I left.  One mantle was picked up by another church when mine rejected the opportunity to yoke with another congregation.  My last church just planted a new campus in the neighborhood my family and I lived in, in the school my children attended - a seed that I had sown for nine years.  I feel blessed to have sown seeds from which others can enjoy the fruit.

In the grand scheme of things, the Vine has just gotten started.  Really three years is just getting started.  But I may or may not be with you a year from now.  Much may depend of the prayers we are praying even now. But I believe this with all my heart - that He who began a good work in you, will see it on to completion.

My task (and yours) is to continue to remain faithful and to continue to pray and draw circles.  God has called me to equip you.  Ephesians 4:11-12.  And I will keep on with this task as long as I can.

"We need the patience of the planter.
We need the foresight of the farmer.
We need the mindset of the sower."

Keep the faith.  Keep drawing circles.

Drawing the Circle - Day 11 - First-Class Noticer

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. - Colossians 4:2

I wrote a song in seminary based on Psalm 127.  It wasn't much but it helped me memorize the words - forever etched in my brain . . .

"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain . . ."

God sees things first, but those who are vigilant in their watching through prayer also see things before others.

In prayer we invite God to watch over us, our families, our neighborhoods, our work. . . .

And in so doing, God prepares the way for us to be fruitful - to multiply his Kingdom.  God does the heavy lifting.

To do this "watching" without God is to create work without fruit.

Haven't we all been there and done that?  Following God's ways are hard enough, fighting upstream against the cultural flow is already difficult so how important is it that we NOT create "work" for ourselves in terms of mission and ministry?  What I mean is - prayer is essential to being effective, fruitful.  Without it, we can do a lot of good, but we can also wear ourselves out in well-doing while seeing few results.

John 15, Viners.  Abide.

Inviting God into the building of houses and watching cities and in our case - being missionaries in our school, work, markets, and neighborhoods is essential.

There should be a warning label on everything we do - 

"WARNING - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THIS WORK WITHOUT PRAYER!"

Yet, how many times do I start something without starting with prayer?
How many times do I offer a cursory prayer before an activity rather than having been "prayed up?"
How many times before I learn that unless God is in the work, I labor in vain?

The other side of this prayer life is being thankful, and I think too this is an area that "needs improvement"  in my life.

Being watchful and thankful changes my attitude towards difficult situations.  If I'm note careful, I can be come Eeyore before you know it.  I love the practice of some of my friends - posting five things they are thankful for on facebook - daily.  What a gentle reminder and witness that as we open our eyes, spiritually, we have much to be thankful for.

We need this (I need this), especially as we wrestle with injustice and inequality and principalities and powers.  In fact, Paul penned those words to the Colossians while in prison in chains.

On the front lines of the war between the Kingdom of God and the empire of Rome, can you imagine where Paul would have been without being watchful and thankful?

Powerful.

Keep watch, abide, be thankful.  Bear fruit.

"It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late.
to eat the bread of painful labors, work at things you hate.
For He gives to His beloved, even in their sleep.
Abide in the love of Jesus - in His grace, you'll keep."

Draw the Circle - Day 10 - Crazy Faith

"This woman is driving me crazy" - Luke 18:5

Always pray.

Never give up.

Especially in your cry for justice.

You do pray for justice don't you?

Pray for the underdog.

Pray for the poor.

Pray for students in Title I schools.

Pray for widows and orphans and immigrants.

Day and Night.

Jesus spoke the parable of the persistent widow to a group of downtrodden people - people who needed hope that the world they were living in would be restored and that God would wipe out the inequity and injustice.

She - the widow in his story - broke all protocols and cultural values in order to get what she wanted - what was right.

I hope you add praying for justice to your circle of prayer.

When you witness things that are not right, pray persistently and fervently.

When power abuses, pray.

When you read the paper, or watch the news, I hope it draws you to prayer.  I hope you get angry at the evil - the injustice and this holy anger prompts you to move.

True craziness is inviting the homeless to your birthday party or deciding that Christmas is not your birthday.  It's sponsoring children and cutting back on eating out.  It's buying the used car so you can give more away to build a well in Uganda or taking a Saturday to volunteer at the food ministry or homeless shelter.

You fill in the blank.  

Some day all the messes will get cleaned up.  Until that day, we've got some praying to do and some work to do.

Keep drawing circle.

Draw the Circle - Day 9 - Dream Factory

"We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:5

I LOVE Mark Batterson's story about Mark and peanut paste - about Ebeneazor's Coffee House being set apart as a dream factory. That dream resonates in my soul.  It's why we've done Advent Conspiracy and are in the middle of planning and raising funds for Laz's Well.

(By the way, I've field tested Network for Good - we now have an online source for receiving donations. Click this link - Lazarus' Well Project  - to see our new opportunity to accept online donations!

But as much as I love this inspiring story - and I do believe God is completely guiding it, I do get frustrated with Mark B's manipulation of scripture to make it say what he wants.  In question - the passage above from 2 Corinthians.  There is no way to make this text also mean that we should take our dreams captive - unless our dreams are disobedient to begin with.  Read the whole paragraph and you realize that Paul is talking about sin and "arguments and pretensions that sets itself up against the knowledge of God." It's NOT about, according to Mark, "capturing creative thoughts and keeping them in our minds."  This haphazard-ness with Scripture disappoints me on a lot of levels.

Of course his idea is not wrong - my beef is - always is - from anybody - making God's Word say something it doesn't.

So yes - journal creative thoughts - be like the HP employees in those commercials from a few years back who were always asking "What if . . .?  Be creative problem solvers.  Dare to dream big dreams for God.  ASK GOD to give you big dreams.  Let's see what the Spirit imparts.

I prayed a prayer in a family food ministry meeting a week ago that blew (even) me away with its boldness.  God may or may not call us to feed a million people, but I know He wants us to circle Harford County and end hunger here - this place with both rich farm land and hungry people.  I have no doubt that he placed Sandy Juchs in our lives for a reason.  But the dream that I prayed will require lots of $$$ and people and resources - of which I have no idea where to turn.  Still I will pray.  And I invite you too as well.

I can hardly give more details than that since I can only see dimly, but clarity will come - with time - and as we move and God opens doors through our prayers.

And I invite you to share this blog - maybe someone you know will catch the vision or be inspired to join with us.  And of course, the more pressing need is to finalize the funds for Laz's Well so send the link.  You can also invite people to give easily through facebook.

God bless.

Draw the Circle - Day 8 - One God Idea

"Speak to the earth, and it will teach you."

Wonderful story/quote about George Washington Carver.  I can't find it online for those who don't have the book (sorry!).

One God idea is worth a bushel of good ideas.

I've always heard the "good" is the enemy of "great."

I've seen it in churches that are healthy enough growing a little, maybe even just maintaining, and being "okay" with things as-is.  Things are going good so why change?  I hope we Viners never get comfortable with good when we can have great, when we can have God.

How great is our God!

God ideas are only reveled in the presence of God.  Which brings us back to prayer.

Time to do some knee bends?

I want to share some of what God has placed on my heart for the Vine's future this Sunday, but I also want to hear from you. As you circle the Vine in prayer, what God-ideas is God giving you about the Vine?

Hey Stan - you're the pastor - you went to seminary - you get paid to do this.  Why us?  

Because I trust the Holy Spirit to speak the same thing to more than one of us or even two of us.  I believe in corporate discernment.  If it's a God-idea, God through His Spirit, will whisper it to more than one person.

Look at this - Jesus said it . . .

"I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you." - Matthew 18:39

I believe Jesus was implying what I just wrote - the Spirit works in us to bring unity.

And we hear better when all ears are inclined to heaven!

In my last church, I once asked 200 church members gathered in our sanctuary, for consensus over whether we should purchase 25 acres of land for a new family life center.  No one voted against it and the church now has a wonderful piece of property to handle future growth.

When we had a major decision to merge three congregations into one and yet retain all three properties I again asked for consensus in a room of 200.  The Spirit moved  - no one dissented - and we moved forward.  That merged community is now First Saints Community Church with seven services over five campuses. 

Unity and vision and prayer - confirmed in community - through the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

People told me, before hand, in so many words, that i was foolish to seek consensus among such a large group

Actually, I think it's foolish to move forward into a major action without consensus and unity!

(I despise Robert's Rules - the Spirit cannot whisper for 51% to vote one way and 49% the other - SOMEBODY isn't listening!)

And that's at the heart of my request.  It's hard to hear God when we're not listening

So get on your knees. (The reception is better down there!)

And let's let God shape our big dreams and God ideas - together.

And when we agree and ask  - GOD WILL DO IT!