The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

It’s impossible to put into words how God moved me last year at Stream DFW. I can’t tell you — I don’t even know where to start — all the ways God used people and events and his Holy Word and circumstances and songs and sermons and his Holy Spirit to break me, wake me, and shake me.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from my first ever Stream. I’d never attended a Stream event. But it turned out to be so much more than I imagined. Through the use of congregational singing and dramatic readings and timely video dramas and silence and meditation and prayer, Ken Young and the Hallal Singers took all of us straight to God’s throne room, right into his presence. An hour of that and then another hour of Jeff Walling. Three times. A true focus on God’s surpassing love for us and our response to him through our own love for the Father and for one another and for the world.

Wow.

This year’s Stream DFW is approaching quickly. September 10-12 at the South MacArthur Church of Christ in Irving. And I need it. Oh, brother, do I need it.

It seems like this whole year has been so incredibly hectic. At times, frantic. Changes within our body of shepherds. Ministers coming and going. A trip to Ukraine. An abundance of difficult situations with over-burdened families here at Legacy. Church budget issues. Speaking engagements. Programs. Classes. It’s been go! go! go! non-stop, it seems, all year long.

I feel the need for Stream.

It’s so easy to get so caught up in church. Church issues. Church people. Church programs. Church meetings. Church politics. Church business. Church planning. Church. Church. Church. I feel like it’s been a long time since I just sat in silence before God and reflected on his great mercy and love. It’s hard to do that in our church worship assemblies. There’s so much to experience, so much to soak up, so much to acknowledge and share when it comes to God and his people, it’s impossible to do it all in the 75-minutes we have on Sunday mornings. Impossible. Sometimes we try, and that makes everything feel even more rushed. And hectic. And frantic.

Stream is a time to settle down for a whole weekend and enjoy the transforming presence of our God. No cell phones, no clocks, no meetings, no other place to be or other tasks to accomplish. We lose ourselves in long extended times of praise and worship and prayer and deep reflection on God’s revelation to his people.

Terry Rush is the speaker this year. I’ve never listened to anyone more humble, more completely aware of the grace of God, more grateful for his status as a child of the King, more encouraging to those around him than Terry. The theme is “At the Cross.” Terry is going to share with us the simplicity and the power of the cross that gives us eternal life. The good news of the cross that heals the wounded, strengthens the weak, and gives hope to the weary. Terry will be excellent. Stream DFW will be excellent.

And I need it.

Hope to see you there.

Peace,

Allan

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” ~Colossians 1:27

“To him be glory in the Church.” ~Ephesians 3:21

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” ~1 Corinthians 10:31

God reveals his glory to us in the soul-stirring words of Exodus 34. God tells us very clearly that his glory has nothing to do with the way he looks. It’s not about his power or his rule. It’s about his character. It’s who God is. God’s self-revealing statements in Exodus 34 are the “I AM” defined.

Compassionate. Gracious. Slow to anger. Abounding in love. Faithful. Forgiving.

If the world really understood these things about our God they would beat down our doors to get to know him better. They’d be lined up around the block. We couldn’t keep them out. But how will they comprehend our God’s eternal qualities if they don’t see those characteristics reflected in God’s redeemed people? How will they know the character of our God, how will they see his glory, unless his Church shows it?

Why do people think God is grumpy and always on the hunt to judge and punish somebody? Do they see that in us? Have they seen that in you? Why do they think our God is distant, out of reach, untouchable, and unable to meet their deepest needs? What would make them think that? Have they experienced that in you? Why do some people believe God can’t forgive them, that he remembers their past sins? Have they noticed that in me or in my church?

As God’s children, we are called to reflect his glory. To live it. To reveal it. Embody it.

A lot of people say we are the hands and feet of Jesus. A real understanding of what it means for us to reflect his glory tells us the Church is actually the very heart of God. The glory of God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just completed all my registration forms for the 29th annual Sermon Seminar at Austin Graduate School of Theology late next month. It’s always an intense 48-hours of exegesis and outlines and sermon prep at the feet of the best scholars/preachers practicing today. I’ve been blessed in the past to work under Ben Witherington, Tony Ash, Rick Marrs, Eddie Sharp, Glenn Pemberton, Tom Olbricht, James Thompson, and Harold Shank, to name just a brief few. I’ve been inspired and encouraged and convicted during these serious sessions.

But this next one is shaping up to potentially be the best I’ve ever attended.

My great friend Jim Martin is presenting 2 Corinthians. And he’s the perfect guy to do it. Jim is a compassionate comforter. He’s sensitive to people and their deepest needs. He embodies the message of 2 Corinthians with his every breath. The legendary Rubel Shelly is presenting the Sermon on the Mount. Jim Reynolds is discussing the Old Testament Story. And Paul Watson is back to show us how he preaches Ezekiel. I love Ezekiel because he is such a crazy, over-the-top prophet. Ezekiel’s prophesy illustrations were exotic and unforgettable. And Paul Watson really knows how to make the biblical text come alive. I was moved by his presentations of Jonah and Ruth and Daniel in 2006. Those sessions helped shape our Missions Month this year at Legacy. And I know he’s going to make Ezekiel pop for us this year in Austin.

Everett Ferguson, the world’s foremost authority on early church history, is presenting a special session on “Baptism in the Early Church: What I Learned and What Surprised Me“ and Wendel Willis is hosting a Q&A session on “Lord’s Supper Theology and Practice.”

Are you kidding me? I can’t wait.

If you’re a preacher, you should make the Austin Grad Sermon Seminar an annual event on your calendar. You’ll be better for being there. And so will your church.

Peace,

Allan

There are people around the world every single day who receive great blessings from God without ever asking for them. These people don’t pray. And they don’t give God thanks when they receive these great blessings. The fact is, they enjoy the benefits of these wonderful gifts and never acknowledge the Giver.

“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” ~Matthew 5:45

We joke sometimes about getting more rain than our friend who lives somewhere else because we must be “livin’ right.” Obviously, that’s not the way God works. He pours his merciful blessings on the good and the bad.

And he tells us to do the same.

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” ~Matthew 5:46-48

Be perfect in your indiscrimination. Be perfect in your unbiased grace toward others. Be perfect in the equality with which you share your love and good deeds. Like our God, be perfect in showing kindness and mercy to people who like you AND to people who don’t.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What a wonderful five days in Fresno with my great friends, Jim Gardner and Jimmy Mitchell, at the 12th annual Spiritual Growth Workshop at the Woodward Park Church of Christ. What a time of encouragement and edification. What a time of renewal and re-energizing.

I strained several muscles from all the laughing. I gained several pounds from the late night Cookies-and-Cream milkshakes at Chick-Fil-A and the animal fries at In-and-Out Burgers. I threw grapes at friends sitting four tables away under a big tent at a lunch on the grounds. I was inspired by Evertt Huffard’s presentation on the honor of our God. I was moved by two women who gave their lives to Christ in baptism. I was the butt of Paul Methvin’s jokes. I was hugged by a hundred different people who really don’t know me at all. I met missionaries and homeless people (sorta the same thing). I talked with Brian and learned several new “words” in sign language. I slept in Tori’s room on her Cheetah Girls sheets. I was amazed to watch the Laotians keep coming and keep coming to pack the place to worship our God. Joann’s generosity. Dan’s parsing. Andy’s sarcasm. Jimmy’s tenor. John’s unique songleading. Mandy’s personality. John Ed’s wisdom. L. Jeeves’ nametag. Steve’s great attitude. Praying with Jim and Jimmy Sunday morning, just like old times.

What a blessing to see the Kingdom of God expressed in such clear ways among his people there in the California valley. Different colors. Different cultures. Different ethnic groups. Different languages. Different ages. Different socio-economic classes. Praising God with one voice. Communing around the same table and celebrating our one salvation through our one Lord and Savior.

Participating together in baptisms. Praying together for families who’ve lost jobs. Learning new songs together. Sharing meals together. It’s wonderful. It’s heaven.

The kingdoms of the world come with power. They come with violence and noise and fanfare and bloodshed. The kingdoms of the earth come with great force. God’s Kingdom comes with casseroles and rides to the doctor. The Kingdom of God comes with kind acts and loving mercy. Hugs and pats on the back. Sharing and bearing.

May God continue to bless our brothers and sisters in Fresno as they bring the Kingdom to the California valley. May his perfect will be done there as it is in heaven.

Peace,

Allan

I suppose you regular readers have already taken note that I absolutely nailed the outcome of last night’s Cowboys-Giants game, including a lot of the details, well over a week ago in my game-by-game predictions of the 2009 season. I said Eli Manning would throw two touchdown passes. He did. I said he’d go 7-8 in the last 2:00 and the Giants would win it in heart-breaking fashion on the last play of the game. In actuality, Manning went 7-10 on that last drive, setting up the game-winning field goal at the gun. I also predicted that Roy Williams would only have one catch in the loss. He did. I missed the final score. But you get the idea. You can go back to those pre-season predictions to see what’s going to happen Monday night against the Panthers by clicking here.

My friend Glenn Branscum came through for me again. By his grace I was able to attend last night’s regular season home opener with Doug, Todd, and Scott up in his luxury suite. Forty-seven of us total up in that huge suite, including Russ and his family and Cody M. What a blast! To be there for that historic kickoff, the unveiling of the names around the new Ring of Honor, and all the dignitaries and pageantry of that opening night was a true blessing. My deepest thanks to Glenn. And to Scott for driving. And for knowing how to make U-turns.

The highlight of the night, as far as I was concerned, was looking up about an hour before kickoff to see Walt Garrison walk into our suite. He and Preston Pearson were making the rounds and they both stayed in our room for almost 45-minutes. I was thrilled to be able to talk to Walt about the legendary stories of those early ’70s Cowboys, attempting to separate fact from myth. I’ve read the stories about Walt sneaking out after team meetings on Saturday nights to bull ride down at the Mansfield rodeo. He’s told me in a telephone interview about being busted by Tom Landry after a rodeo official called the coach to thank him for letting Walt rope and ride bulls the nights before football games. But to stand there right beside him and interact with him as he re-told the tales was priceless.

As for the game itself, Cowboys fans may want to blame Doug. He was visiting with Wade Phillips before the game and suggested to the Cowboys coach they let Romo call his own plays. On his way off the field, Doug also whispered to Flozell Adams that if he kicked Justin Tuck in the thigh in the middle of a play, nobody would notice.

I’ll wait a while before making too many comments about the new stadium. There are some disappointments with several aspects of the venue and the game presentation I’ll write about later. And I can’t tell you how upset I am about the commemorative patch the team is sporting on its jerseys. Suffice it to say, for now, this whole thing, all of it, is solely about Jerry Wayne. It’s all about Jerry.

Jerry ought to be more than a little concerned about his quarterback. And his secondary. And his pass rush.

No more blogging until next Monday, September 28. I’m flying out to Fresno, California this Wednesday for the annual Spiritual Growth Workshop at the Woodward Park Church of Christ where my great friend Jim Gardner is the preacher. I’m speaking three times on Christ’s fulfillment of the Law: God’s Eternal Intentions, Christ’s Eternal Fulfillment, Our Eternal Righteousness. Gardner’s also got me delivering the Saturday night keynote on salt and light and teaching a combined adult class at his congregation Sunday morning. What an honor. I love that Woodward Park church. A thousand people. And only 600 of them speak English. A true Kingdom experience to worship with that multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-languaged, economically-diverse body of believers.

Pray for us to have a great week in Fresno and for our God to overcome my shortcomings and prove his power in my weakness to bless everybody who attends.

Peace,

Allan

It’s impossible to put into words how my God moved me this past weekend. I can’t tell you — I wouldn’t even know where to start — all the ways God used people and events and his Holy Word and circumstances and songs and sermons and his Holy Spirit to break me, wake me, and shake me.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from Stream DFW. I’d never attended a Stream event. But I knew if the focus was on renewal and restoration through intentional worship and Jeff Walling was doing all the speaking I’d benefit greatly. It was actually much more than I had imagined. Through the use of congregational singing and dramatic readings and timely video dramas and silence and meditation and prayer, Ken Young and the Hallal Singers took all of us straight to God’s throne room, right into his presence. An hour of that and then another hour of Walling. Three times. A true focus on God’s surpassing love for us and our response to him through our own love for our Father and for one another and for the world.

Carrie-Anne and I wound up next to four dear friends from our Arlington days and right in front of seven wonderful friends from Legacy, and behind a couple of preacher friends from Waco. We sang together and laughed and cried and prayed and reflected together on our own motivations for doing what we do. Do we encourage our congregations out of a base of “obedience” or of “love?” Do I relate to my God and his people out of “obedience” or “love?”

God’s always been much more about “love” than “obedience.” Always. So why are we so hung up on “obedience?”

Stream was great. I highly recommend it.

Add to that our bi-lingual worship assembly Sunday morning (nearly a thousand gringos singing “In Moments Like These” in Spanish — and with gusto — and amen-ing Spanish prayers and Spanish Scripture readings); the commissioning and sending of our dear friends, the Calderons; witnessing our God save souls and rob hell with Annika’s baptism; participating as our church family prayed over and for the McCormicks and their brand new baby boy, home from Germany for a visit; a wonderful morning and afternoon visit with Jason & Tiersa Reeves and their awesome family; an all-church potluck and congregational dinner Sunday evening, sharing a common meal and the Lord’s Meal together around tables instead of in pews.

God did that thing he always does. He’s moving in mighty ways in this place. Give him praise! It’s so exhilerating to be in partnership with all this. The grumpy email and the grouchy member can’t touch me today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Legacy assembly time Sunday was highlighted by our commissioning and charging and sending of Manuel and Yvina Calderon and their sweet girls, Sofia and Natalia, to Siempre Familia Iglesia de Cristo in South Fort Worth. Introducing Manuel to our church family and watching and listening to him share our Lord’s vision for the Hispanic Church was so inspiring.

Legacy is partnering with Continent of Great Cities and Missions Resource Network to begin this Hispanic church at the old Rosemont building in the Seminary Avenue area of Fort Worth. And we’re not only sending the Calderons to be a part of the leadership group there. We’re also sending our 30-35 Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters from Legacy to join that great work. Our plan is to take the gospel to the tens of thousands of Hispanics there and then plant subsequent churches in Dallas, Houston, and other metropolitan cities in Texas and the Southwest.

And if I know Manuel — and I do — he and our God are going to be an unstoppable force.

I can’t tell you how many times Manuel and I have poured our hearts out to each other about our God’s mission and our roles in partnering with him to fulfill that mission. How many times we’ve prayed together for each other and our families. He’s such an encouragement to me. I want to be more like him. I want just half his fire. I want just half his enthusiasm for our Lord and his people. Just half his dedication and commitment to God’s Church. I want just half his faith. Manuel’s something else.

I’m invested in Manuel. Big time. I’m invested in him spiritually. Emotionally. Financially. Physically. If you’ve ever been hugged by Manuel, you know what I mean by “physically.” When he hugs you, he crushes your vertebrae. You come away from a hug by Manuel a couple of inches shorter than before.

May our Father bless the Calderons and all those working to bring God’s salvation to South Fort Worth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only 12 days remain until the Cowboys begin their regular NFL season. And I’ve missed a bunch of days in our Red Ribbon Review. So, in an effort to catch up on recognizing the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number, here they are:

Today’s #12 is punter Ron Widby. He wore #12 when he came into the league with Dallas as a free agent out of Tennessee in 1968. His best year with Dallas was in ‘69 when he averaged 43.4 yards per kick. And then he had to give his number to Roger Staubach, some Heisman Trophy winner coming off a four-year stint in the Navy. No one else has worn the number since.

Yesterday’s #13 has only been worn by one Dallas Cowboy in the fifty year history of the franchise: quarterback Jerry Rhome. Mainly a backup from Tulsa. Longtime offensive assistant coach. At one time considered somewhat of a quarterback guru.

Sunday’s #14 belongs to Craig Morton, whose real first name is (I’m not kidding) Larry. Morton was the first quarterback in NFL history to start at quarterback in two Super Bowls for two different teams, Dallas in Super Bowl V and for the Broncos against Dallas in Super Bowl XII, both sloppy, sloppy losses. Morton was the Cowboys’ first round pick (5th overall) out of Cal in 1965. Staubach took over in ‘70.

Finally, the second-best player to ever wear #15 for Dallas is wide receiver Tom Crowder. He was just a practice squad guy in 2004-05. No picture. I don’t think one exists.

Peace,

Allan

I love worship and praise and communion and fellowship with our church family on Sundays. I love the energy and enthusiasm for our Lord and for one another when we’re all in the building at the same time. I love the singing and reading and praying and preaching and talking and laughing and hugging all done in Jesus’ name.

But as beautiful and transcendent as our Sundays are together, it’s mostly meaningless if we don’t carry it into the rest of our week. If we really praise God on Sunday for the redemption of the world through Jesus Christ, then we must do what Paul says in Romans 12: “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The pattern of this world is one of injustice, inequality, discrimination, war, hate, immorality, and all the human abuses the New Testament and the early church fathers described as the way of death. The true worship of our God leads his people into positive social action in our communities. Our calling, our mission, our focus is to worship God not only with our lips but also with our lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m so ready for Stream DFW  that begins tonight at the South MacArthur church in Irving. Ken Young and the Hallal Singers will lead the worship and Jeff Walling will preach the Word in a weekend that will focus our attention on our Savior and the promises of heaven.

There’s nothing as great as singing with a bunch of people who have sacrificed to be there. There’s nothing like praying together during events like this, studying together, amen-ing a preacher together, because there’s nobody in the building who doesn’t want to be there. Everybody’s given up something — money for gas & hotels & registration, their weekend, a baseball or football game — everybody’s sacrificed something to be there because they want to be there. Nobody’s checking off a square on a spiritual list. Nobody’s there out of an obligation. Everybody’s there to worship, to celebrate salvation, to encourage others, and to be encouraged.

We’ve been looking forward to this for months. Hope I see you there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only 16 more days until the Cowboys open up their regular season in Tampa Bay. And we’re counting down the days by recognizing the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number.

This will be unsettling to you, but our #16 in the Red Ribbon Review is quarterback Vinny Testaverde.

Look, I don’t know what to do with this number. If Steve Pelluer is the best #16, then it comes down to Testaverde or Ryan Leaf. That’s it! Those are the choices. What would you do?

Testaverde was a number-one overall pick as the Heisman Trophy winner out of Miami and played for seven teams in his long, long, long NFL career. Among his stops, a one-year stint in Dallas in 2004 when Bill Parcells brought him in to back up Quincy Carter. We all know how that went. Quincy was cut in training camp. Testaverde got the starting spot. And the Cowboys finished 6-10, last place in the NFC East.

It wasn’t that Testaverde was awful.

OK, I take that back. He was awful. He fumbled. He got sacked. He led the NFL with 20 interceptions. And he finished with a 76.4 quarterback rating.

Testaverde was so bad that Parcells replaced him the following year with 81-year-old Drew Bledsoe.

The dubious distinction Testaverde owns that will probably never be taken away is the fact that he has thrown TD passes to 70 different receivers. Seventy! That’s an NFL record and it’ll never be broken. Forever held by the second-best #16 in Cowboys history.

Peace,

Allan

One of the highlights of my year is the annual Sermon Seminar at Austin Graduate School of Theology. For 28 years now the school has brought in preachers and teachers of preachers for three hard days of nuts and bolts study and reflection and application. From text to pulpit. From 9am to 9pm for three days.

Ben Witherington, who’s written the best commentary on Revelation I’ve ever read, worked with us last night on preaching Revelation 4. Just his two hours alone was well worth the price of admission. Gracious! Witherington took us straight to the throne room of God and inspired all of us with the heavenly vision of the eternal worship of our Lord and God. He led us all to understand that the worship of our God is absolutely the most important thing that happens in the world. It’s more important than what happens in downtown Dallas. It’s more important than what happens in Washington, DC. In London. In Tokyo. The worship of God restores the created order, when God’s creatures join all of heaven and earth — the rocks and trees and birds and beasts, the saints who’ve gone before and the ones who are coming after — to give glory and honor and praise to Almighty God. When creation worships the Creator it restores the order. It takes us to the ultimate goal. It’s important. It’s huge.

Salvation is not the goal. The eternal worship of God is the goal. Salvation is the means to that end.

Harold Shank, from Oklahoma Christian, is taking us through Exodus 32-34. Tim Willis, from Pepperdine, is teaching Jeremiah 1-7. And Stan Reid, the president of the school, is doing 1 Peter.

Like so many others, and just as Shane Hines articulated so well during last night’s worship, I come into this place to sit at the feet of some of God’s greatest teachers…and I’m overwhelmed. I’m not even smart enough to get the jokes. I preach a sermon on Exodus — I preach the life out of that thing, I preach it like crazy — and then I come here and realize I don’t know anything about it. I leave the Sermon Seminar and feel like I have to go back to Legacy and repent for every sermon I’ve preached in the previous year.

I’m here with my great friend Jason Reeves, sharing a hotel room and bags and bags of Lay’s Kettle Cooked chips and Carrie-Anne’s hot sauce. I’ve run in to Jim Martin and David Hunter. I’m catching up with all the Austin Grad crowd, including Charlie Johanson and Eric Gayle and Cynthia Agnell. Greg Neil, the preacher at the church in Marble Falls is leading our worship this morning. And I’m hoping to see Todd Lewis here with him.

Preaching God’s Word is an amazing privilege. Hanging out with God’s preachers is inspiring. I don’t belong here. And yet, by the grace of our Lord, I do.

The Legacy Church of Christ is going to benefit greatly from my being here. But not nearly as much as I do.

Peace,

Allan

Jim McDoniel is leaving the building here at Legacy and heading north for the annual Tulsa International Soul Winning Workshop. And I’m envious. I’m jealous.

For the first time in seven years, Carrie-Anne and I won’t be there.

The Tulsa Workshop is a sacred time and place for my wife and me. It’s in Tulsa where, probably for the first time in our adult lives, we experienced corporate worship of God and mutual encouragement of one another with a couple thousand people who all wanted to be there. You know what I mean? A person has to sacrifice to be in Tulsa. Work and school schedules have to be rearranged. Hotels must be booked. Gas and meals must be funded. Nobody goes to Tulsa for four days because they have to. Everybody there is there because they are overflowing with gratitude and praise for the mercy and grace of our Father. They love to be with and around God’s children. They love to worship. They love to sing and pray. They love to be challenged by powerful speakers. They love to learn new things, to gain new insights, to expand their vision of God’s eternal Kingdom.

And that makes for powerful worship.

100% of the people are singing, not just 60%. 100% of the people are smiling, not just 50%. 100% of the brothers and sisters there are actively participating in the prayers and the sermons and the songs and the readings from Scripture. Fully participatory. Completely interactive.

Not one person attends a worship assembly in Tulsa to fulfill some kind of spiritual checklist, to make an appearance and then leave, to put in his or her time. That’s what makes it so different from the worship assemblies in most of our churches. That’s why worship in a place like Tulsa is so encouraging, so uplifting, so meaningful. Everybody’s in! Nobody judges the person next to him because she may worship a little differently. Nobody complains that a prayer went too long. Nobody criticizes the speaker. Nobody sings just the songs he grew up with and folds his arms and shuts his lips during the others. Not one person there expects to be catered to. Nobody’s there expecting everything to be exactly to their tastes. Everybody gathers in Tulsa expecting God to be glorified, themselves to be edified, and for it all to be diverse and different, chaotic and full of surprises, times of both quiet reflection and meditation and joyful shouting to the Lord. That’s why we come back from Tulsa so energized for our Lord and his Kingdom, so on fire for the gospel of salvation in Christ, so excited about God’s people and the partnership we share with the Creator of heaven and earth.

And we’re missing it this year.

With Carrie-Anne back in school full-time, with our three daughters at three different campuses here, with Missions Sunday coming up this week and our second cycle of Small Groups Church beginning in eleven days, we just can’t make it.

I’m going to miss the kick-off dinner at Memorial Drive tonight when we get to share a meal and get caught up with dozens of great friends from Mesquite and Oklahoma Christian. I’m going to miss the hour-and-a-half I normally spend with about 10 other preachers in Terry Rush’s study on Thursday morning. What an encourager! What a great man of God! What an inspiration to a still-new, still-insecure, still-overwhelmed preacher like me. I’m going to miss the singing. Man, the singing! The glimpse of heaven it is to praise our God in song with brothers and sisters from all over the world! I’m going to miss the great speakers. I’m going to miss it all.

But not next year. Next year we’re going to Tulsa. Next year we’re going to plan a huge caravan from Legacy. We’ll all go together. I’ll book the rooms. Go ahead and put it on your calendar. In bright red, non-eraseable, permanent ink!

I’m envious of Jim and everybody else who’s heading to Tulsa today. And I pray God’s richest blessings on this wonderful gathering of his people.

Peace,

Allan

A perfect Sunday. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Praying with Jim Gardner in the hour of calm and peace before the morning assembly. Maybe the thing I miss the most about working with Jim is our prayer time together. Those early Sunday morning times with God and Jim were always such blessings. To pray for each other as we prepared to preach or teach or lead the singing each Sunday always seemed so critical. It was so important. It always filled me with so much confidence and courage. My faithful brothers Paul and Mike fill that role with me now here at Legacy. They bless me with their presence and their encouragement and their prayers every Sunday. Praying with Jim yesterday at Woodward Park was special.

I preached on the parables of Luke 15. A young man named Evan was baptized. His father told me afterwards that it was due, in large part, to the sermon I had preached there Saturday night on God’s promises. I tied the strange and obscure blood path ceremony story in Genesis 15 to the crucifixion of Jesus. God made a covenant with his people and then stood in their (our) place and took their (our) punishment for them (us) when they (we) broke that covenant agreement. Our God loves us that much. He’s that committed to us. I don’t care how many books are written about the death of Jesus. I don’t care how many great poets and authors and songwriters put pen to paper. There are no words to describe the power of the picture of the blood of Almighty God dripping into the dust—just like he promised—to pay for my sins. It moved Evan. It still moves me.

Following the morning assembly, Jim and I walked into the Laotian meeting where a hundred or so Laotian brothers and sisters had gathered to worship. We walked in while they were singing How Great Thou Art. One of my all time favorite Christian hymns. It’s a funeral song for me, right? You know what I’m talking about. We sang it at my grandmother’s funeral eight years ago. And so now everytime I hear it or sing it, I think of her. So there’s added weight and emotion there for me. And these beautiful brothers and sisters from the other side of the world are praising our God with this wonderful song. And I’m so blessed to be there. And humbled. They sang He Leadeth Me. Of course, the tunes are ultra-obvious. I know the songs. I’ve known them my entire life. But I can’t sing with them. It’s a different language. I can only listen. And hum. It sounds so wildly different. And yet so amazingly familiar. Comforting. Inspiring.

They introduced Jim and me to their congregation. We stood and bowed toward their church family with our hands together in front of our faces. And they smiled at us and nodded. Then we sang (hummed) Amazing Grace. And then we shared communion. Together. Same table. Same loaf. Same cup.

It was heaven. It IS heaven!

“This IS heaven!” I thought as we communed together, in perfect community, unified by the blood of our common Savior.

But we had to leave to catch my 12:50 flight out of Fresno. So Jim and I hustled through the Bible classrooms to round up Trae and Tori for the trip to the airport. And I saw the exact same thing in the 4th grade room and in the 4-year-old room: red and yellow, black and white. Or, as Helen Dobbs would say, “Red and yellow, blackbrownandwhite!” They were all there. White. Black. Hispanic. Asian. Rich. Poor. No barriers. No segregation. No walls. No borders. The Kingdom of God. His rule. His dominion. Heaven on earth.

I landed at DFW at 6:00. And there were all my girls waiting for me at the baggage claim. Hugs and kisses all around. And then more hugs and kisses. Wow, I missed them. Big time. We went straight to Posado’s to eat Tex-Mex. They don’t have Tex-Mex in California. The Mexican food they have there is real Mexican. Real bland. No flavor. So dinner was excellent last night.

Whitney had DVRd the Cowboys-Redskins game so we could watch it last night. It’s funny, isn’t it, to use DVR as a verb? We had gone to great lengths to avoid all TVs and radios and conversations that could have given us clues as to the outcome of the game. Nothing in the airport. Nothing at the restaurant. Although, a family of four wearing Romo jerseys and blue face paint came into the restuarant with sad frowns prompting us to believe Washington had won. But I reminded us all that a full-day at Texas Stadium with all the kids would be enough alone to put those looks on those faces. The Cowboys could have won a dramatic thriller and those parents and kids would still look that way. But then Steve Croft, an avid Redskins fan, called our house at 8:15 or so and asked to speak to Whitney. I told him we didn’t know anything about the game, that were watching it on DVR and were only in the first quarter. So he apologized and hung up. But it was too late. Why would Steve call Whitney unless the Redskins had won? We knew.

Washington wins. Whitney’s faith in her Cowboys hung true right up to the point at which the onside kick attempt bounced off Sam Hurd’s fingers.

What a perfect day. Tank Johnson’s name was never called. Pacman Jones didn’t make a single play. And T.O.’s telling reporters he’s not getting the ball enough. Perfect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lorie, we went to In-N-Out Saturday afternoon. I’m hooked. Jerry, it’s as good—maybe even a little better—as Kincaide’s, the burger that changed my life. Is it garlic? What’s in the meat? It’s more than just that sauce. And, as directed by Steve and Mandy, I ordered my fries to be “animal-ed.” Piles of melted cheese and grilled onions and that sauce right on top. Wow. If they ever open an In-And-Out here in DFW, I’ll be like Gardner and his new Fresno Chick-Fil-A: Unbearable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonia and Paul and Carol and David! I finally read “Same Kind of Different As Me” by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. I read it on the flight to California Wednesday. And I cried the whole way. Out loud. Sniffing and sobbing and blubbering like a middle-aged woman watching Steel Magnolias. As the passengers within three rows all the way around kept looking at me I thought of David Watson who suffered a similar meltdown while reading this wonderful book two weeks ago on a flight to Chicago.

If you’ve read it, you can relate. If you haven’t, I’m not going to spoil it for you. I’ll just recommend it to you as excellent reading. It’s a local story from right here in Fort Worth. And it’s a true story. You know it’s a true story when, on page 18, the authors joke that “the only heavy industry in Haltom City was the three-hundred-pound Avon lady.”

I’m about three-quarters of the way through “The Shack” by William P. Young. Very interesting. VERY interesting. Theological reflection on the God-Head-Three as the Triune Community. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit living in divine community and our call to live into that community. The question of human suffering. The concept of mutual submission. The problems with judging others and judging God. A very good book. Not life-changing. It hasn’t rocked my world. But it challenges and affirms—at the same time—my beliefs and practices and worldview.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Washington 26, Dallas 24.

The Cowboys gave up 161 yards on the ground. They gave up 220 yards passing. I think Terrance Newman gave up 190 of that by himself. The Redskins outmuscled Dallas up and down the field. Jason Campbell made big time plays, stepping up in the pocket time and time again, fighting through would-be sackers to make big throws. Smoot and Rogers and Springs shut Terrell Owens out in the first half. They punched him in the lip and watched him cry. Embarassing. And when the Cowboys started forcing things to Owens in an effort to cheer him up and keep him happy, it severely limited their offensive options and their ability to come back. Barber gets only eight total carries? Felix Jones gets none? All to keep T.O. happy. They go to Owens 19 times in 58 offensive plays, and he’s still pouting after the game. Give me a break. Remind me, why is it y’all cheer for him?

In fairness to Owens, he was set up by the reporter who asked him if he thought he got the ball enough in yesterday’s loss. What else is T.O. going to say? Of course he’s going to say he wants the ball even more. Of course he’s going to say there were opportunities that Romo missed. Of course he’s going to say that when he gets the ball they move the chain and when he doesn’t get the ball they stagnate. Of course. When Romo was told of Owens’ postgame comments, Romo asked reporters, “What were his stats?”

If Jason Garrett is as concerned with Owens getting his stats as Romo, that might explain Barber’s eight carries. And the loss.

Pat Watkins was the 12th man on the field there at the end of the game that allowed the Redskins to continue the drive that culminated in that last nail-in-the-coffin field goal that sealed the Cowboys’ fate. How do you commit that penalty coming out of a timeout? Inexcusable.

Lots of questions today. The NFC East is truly up for grabs.

Peace,

Allan

I wish.

It’s just two hours. The time difference is only two hours between Texas and California. And I’ve already been here two nights, plenty of time to get acclimated, but my body is waking up at 5am. And that’s not good when we’re not getting to bed until midnight. California time. I can do six or seven hours of sleep. I’m not that good on five.

We’re well into Day Two now of the Spiritual Growth Workshop out here in Fresno. I’m being blessed by meeting and getting to know brothers and sisters from all over the Central Valley. I’m encouraged by the young and talented preachers proclaiming the Word out here and inspired by the older guys who are sharing their faith and wisdom. I’m excited to be speaking on my favorite gospel, Mark, to a hungry group of men and women. And I’m enjoying some of the local cuisine. Armenian schwarma Wednesday afternoon. Some kind of spicy steak sandwich thing at Piazza del Pane last night. And then tri-tip later today (anybody ever heard of tri-tip? I think it’s a California thing. BBQ brisket by a different name). I’m not leaving until I get an In-And-Out burger. Hopefully sometime tomorrow. The very first Chick-Fil-A just opened up here in Fresno two weeks ago, about a mile from the church building here. So we’ve been there twice already, dinner Wednesday and lunch yesterday. It’s a Woodward Park cult thing right now. And Gardner’s leading the charge. The way he promotes it—EVEN FROM THE PULPIT!—I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s getting some kind of under-the-table cut from that place.

It’s great getting caught up with Jim & Mandy Gardner and their sweet girls. And Jimmy Mitchell. I can’t imagine being in charge of organizing and orchestrating a huge workshop like this. But Jim seems to thrive on it. Being out here is a true blessing for me. And I’m grateful for the opportunity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are a few things that would drive me crazy if I lived out here. None more than the fact that prime time football games kick of at 5pm. How would anybody ever handle that? We got out to the car at 8:20 last night and USC was just then atttempting that desperation on-side kick with 71-seconds left in the Trojans upset loss to the Beavers in Corvalis. We were home by 8:30 but had missed the entire game. DVR is one thing. But on a consistent basis, that would just be too much.

It is wide open now with USC going down. Texas has an outside shot now. ‘Bama and LSU are in prime position to take advantage. But OU has the best opportunity to make a case for top billing tomorrow. The Sooners will be out to “hang half a hunnerd,” as Barry Switzer used to say, on TCU. Life would be pretty lousy if Oklahoma’s ranked #1. Go Horned Frogs.

Peace,

Allan