Serve the Song, the Story, the Life

George Clooney said about his Aunt, Rosemary, "She serves a song better than anyone I have ever seen, At some point in her career she learned she didn't have to show off, but could just serve the song. That's what she does. She serves the song and the audience receives the blessing of seeing the service...she would take your breath away." To see the interview - click George and Rosemary

You can always tell the masters from those just trying to be a master. There are several in music that come to my mind, Sandi Patti, George Strait, Rosemary Clooney....all masters and the list could go on. It is amazing how a duet between one of the masters and one of those trying to be a master reveals the truth of pure talent. There is a scene in the movie of "Hello, Dolly!" that has a duet between Barbara Streisand and Louis Armstrong. This is a perfect scene of two masters. The entire movie is worth seeing just to experience the two minute duet between the two of them.

I want to be known as a person that serves a song, a story, and a life. I don't want to try to be a master, but to be a master. The difference is in the heart. A person trying to be a master is using talent to drive ambition, yet the master allows the ambition to rest and lets the talent shine forth. The talent is the God given gift that reflects the creative spirit of a generous God. Even if the person is not willing to recognize that God.

A Christ-follower allows the "mastery" of the God given gift to be guided, nurtured, and molded by the Holy Spirit. That is why we can not only be servants of the song, but of our story, and our life. We serve in humility so that He can make us into a great song, great story, and great life. It is the submission that is so difficult. 1 Corinthians 12:4 states, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit." Thus, we make it our goal and we strive for His direction. He is willing and able to guide us through His Spirit. It is also so very worth it.

"Lord, peal all away that which keeps me from being a master of the gifts that you have given me. Help me to relax and serve the gift with truisms of life and not the ambitious things I make it. You are my God and I bow to your direction in all that I am. You are also my master, so train me as you see fit. I ask for this through the power and wisdom of Jesus. Amen."

Serving together, you know I love ya - Don

I'll do it myself!

I am amazed at how great the team of servants are that I have the great honor of serving with. Our musicians, tech crew, and worship choir are dedicated and real to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday was a prime example of that. What a great day of worship and the thanks goes to a great God that allows us to work together. It reminded me of the following story I pulled from my sermon archives...

It was just after midnight on November 20, 1988. A 19-year-old Los Angeles woman apparently fell asleep behind the wheel of her car. The car plunged through a guardrail and was left dangling by its left rear wheel. That one wheel was all that prevented the young woman from falling to a certain death.

A half dozen passing motorists stopped and attempted to help. One of them had some ropes in his vehicle. They tied the ropes to the back of the young woman’s car, and hung on until the fire units arrived. A ladder was extended from below to help stabilize the car while firefighters tied the vehicle to tow trucks with cables and chains. “Every time we would move the car,” said one of the rescuers, “she’d yell and scream. She was in pain.”

It took almost 2 1/2 hours for the rescuers about 25 of them in all to secure the car and pull the woman to safety.

“It was kinda funny,” L.A. County Fire Capt. Ross Marshall recalled later. “She kept saying, “I’ll do it myself. I’ll do it myself.”

People are funny like that. “I’ll do it myself.” Against all evidence to the contrary, we somehow think we don’t need other people. And we think we don’t need God.

Eph. 2:19-22, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

"Lord, thank you for giving me the privilege to serve along side such wonderful servants. You are a great God. How can we help but celebrate your greatness in all we are. We love you, Amen."

You know I love ya - Don

Friday Football - Animals Play Football

In view of the up and coming Super Bowl win by the Indianapolis Colts, I thought we should a have a football funny. So, enjoy the following story of when the Animals played football:

The animals were bored. Finally, the lion had an idea. "I know a really exciting game that the humans play called football. I've seen it on T.V. You should see this guy named Peyton Manning...Wow, can he throw."

He proceeded to describe it to the rest of the animals and they all got excited about it so they decided to play. They went out to the field and chose up teams and were ready to begin.

The lion's team received. They were able to get two first downs and then had to punt. The mule punted and the rhino was back deep for the kick. He caught the ball, lowered his head and charged. First, he crushed a roadrunner, then two rabbits. He growled like a wildebeast and knocked over two cows, and broke through to daylight, scoring six.

Unfortunately, they lacked a placekicker, and the score remained 6 - 0.

Late in the first half the lion's team scored a touchdown and the mule kicked the extra point. The lion's team led at halftime 7 - 6. In the locker room, the lion gave a pep talk.

"Look you guys. We can win this game. We've got the lead and they only have one real threat. We've got to keep the ball away from that sissy rhino, he's a killer. Mule, when you kick off be sure to keep it away from the rhino."

The second half began. Just as the mule was about to kick off, the rhino's team changed formation and the ball went directly to the rhino. Once again, the rhino lowered his head and was off running. First, he stomped two gazelles. He ran over a zebra, and bulldozed an elephant out of the way. It looked like he was home free. Suddenly at the twenty yard line, he dropped over dead. There were no other animals in sight anywhere near him. The lion went over to see what had happened. Right next to the dead rhino he saw a small centipede.

"Did you scare the Rhino to death?" he asked the centipede.

"Yeah, I did." the centipede replied.

The lion retorted, "Where were you during the first half?"

"I was putting on all these shoes."

Go Colts and have a great Friday! - Don

Project Kenya - Close to my heart.

Psalm 96:3 - "Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does."

I am honored to serve on a the oversight team (labeled a board) for Project Kenya. The Project was established in 2002 with goals to BE JESUS by empowering Nationals to achieve freedom from poverty and disease, to facilitate relationships between Christ’s church around the world through various projects which motivate positive change in social issues, and to glorify God, by serving along side the local church. Reaching out to the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people. We have seen God move and bring restoration to many lives.

Through the God given goals above, we have seen and experienced tromendous blessing. The establishing of medical clinics, child sponsorships, educational training, feeding programs, and the regular preaching of the word have seen the local church thrive and grow beyond description. He is an amazing God and as we cling to His words and mandates lives are changed.

Project Kenya is also close to my heart because it is publishing good news in a dark world. To many times we get bogged down in the "religion" and forget we are to be Christ in action. Project Kenya is doing Christ's love in action.

I am also very proud of my mother, Teri Crane, she is the Project founder and director. I have lived a life where mom was a mom, then a minister's wife, then a widow, then a professional administrator, and now I see her living the love of Christ as a foreign missionary. It is hard to have her be so far away, but under the new missionary model, Mom is in the States more than in the past missionary models. When she is home she is still just as much a missionary speaking at churches, raising funds, making contacts, and sending emails. So, needles to say, I am very proud to have a mom that is such an example of Jesus to me, to my family, and her grandchildren.

May each of us publish the good things God is doing and call everyone to a restored and renewed relationship with Jesus. For more information on Project Kenya click on Project Kenya or email Teri at medimangr@aol.com.

You know I love ya - Don

Eager for the Journey!

Many years ago the great explorer, Sir Francis Drake, was attempting to recruit a number of young men for an upcoming exploration. He gathered them around and told the group that if they came with him they would see some of the most marvelous things their eyes could ever behold. Sandy white beaches, juicy fruits, foreign peoples, priceless treasures, and gorgeous landscapes. And he told them that this wild adventure could be theirs if they came with him. Not one of them enlisted for the journey.

The next day a different group came out. Drake told them that if they came with him they would encounter storms that would terrify them to tears. Tiger winds would hammer them and blow them off course for months. Water would frequently be scarce. At times they would be so thirsty that their very souls would cry out for simply one drop of water. In short, danger would always be their constant companion. Drake concluded by declaring that if they could handle these things, the joys of exploration would exceed their wildest dreams. Every single one of them in the group joined Sir Francis Drake that day, some did not even go home to say goodbye to their families, they just boarded the boat eager for the journey.

What made the difference in these two groups? Why did the first group turn down the mission and the second jump at the chance? Was the second group different and more adventurous than the first? The answer is: No. It is not the men who had changed; it was the message. The first spoke of rewards; the second spoke of challenges. The first offered comfort; the second promised suffering. The first tempted them with things; the second seduced them with an experience unlike any other.

I like to think that Sir Francis Drake discovered what Jesus knew all to well. And that is this: The paths that are offered to us must promise to shape us, build our character, change our world view, if they are to have any appeal to us at all. If we are presented with a challenge that will challenge and change us, we will be eager for the journey.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. - Luke 5:1-11

Excited about where God is taking us...have a great day and you know I love ya - Don

Friday Funny - Football

It is Friday and in light of our Indianapolis Colts going to the Super Bowl...I thought our Friday funny should be Football related....enjoy:

A guy took his girlfriend to her first football game. Afterward he asked her how she liked the game.

"I liked it, but I couldn't understand why they were killing each other for 25 cents," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, everyone kept yelling, 'Get the quarter back!'"

Just in case, Payton Manning is the Quarter Back...Keep laughing and find the humor in life. You know I love ya - Don

Gethsemane / When Life Presses in hard....

Karen and I served Gethsemane Church of Christ from February 2001 through October 2006. It is a great church. We loved every part of our lives with these people. The people are gracious, God-fearing, and true Christ-followers. The building is beautiful and the location is like a park setting. We grew closer to Christ there, we had our children there, and we will always look very fondly to that time in our lives. One week at Gethsemane C of C, Ronnie Jones our senior minister was leading us in a time of teaching and he spoke about the Garden of Gethsemane. I remember a follow-up study I did and there are amazing parallels in the Garden and to Jesus' suffering.

The Garden of Gethsemane is not really a garden but an orchard. Olive trees still grow there today. During Jesus’ day it was a place of business, an olive press producing the local areas supply of oil. This is where the word Gethsemane comes in. A gat (Hebrew) is a press, a large five-foot high square stone pillar, and a semane, or seman, is oil. So on the evening before his crucifixion he went to the orchard of the Olive Press with Peter, James, and John, to pray.

If you lived in the first century and worked with a gethsemane your day would be spent gathering olives, placing them in a woven fishnet like bag, and putting them on top of a stone table. This specially designed table is round with beveled edges that curve down to a trough. The trough is angled and funnels into a pot which holds the oil. The top is designed to receive the gethsemane. The tall square stone is lifted up and set on top of the basket and for several hours its tremendous weight is left there to crush the liquid from the olive.

It is no mistake that Jesus spent his last evening in the Garden of Gethsemane. From there he would leave to go to the cross and receive the weight of the world, the gethsemane of our sins, blood crushed from his body running down the cross to the world below. Luke describes the pressure Jesus suffered that evening: “Being in anguish his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” It is an image of the gathsemane crushing the oil from the olive fruit.

Gethsemane ever since has come to symbolize suffering. And my friends the world is crowded with gethsemanes. Whatever is pressing in on you today, please know that God love you. He knows what is means to be pressed and He will never leave you nor forsake you. God uses pressure to create diamonds and get oil in our lives.

Life changes and God moved us to a new church in Greenfield, IN (Park Chapel). It is another great church with over-flowing blessings. None the less, we will always be thankful that God allowed us to serve in Mechanicsville, VA along side a group of believers at Gethsemane Church of Christ.

You know I love ya - Don