Category: Give Away Day (Page 3 of 3)

Christ Is All And Is In All

September 17, 2008 / Allan / 6 Comments

“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” ~Colossians 3:11

When we are joined to Christ, we are joined to one another. So we have absolutely no grounds, no basis, for any hatred toward others or feelings of superiority. All those feelings and attitudes are obliterated by our Redeemer. His Gospel completely opposes any use of human criteria to exclude others or reduce them to second class citizens. We dare not avoid others or belittle others on the basis of external and human distinctions that don’t matter to God—race, sex, class, education, geography, zip code, politics, culture, language, or economics.

We all, everyone of us, belong to each other.

Markus Barth writes:

“Justification in Christ is not an individual miracle happening to this person or that person, which each new person may seek or possess for himself. Rather, justification by grace is a joining together of this and that person, of the near and the far, of the good and the bad, of the high and the low, liberal and fundamentalist. Salvation is a social event. No one is joined to Christ except together with a neighbor.”

Any person who shuts others out on the basis of human differences is not of God. To apply these differences in excluding people from salvation or labeling them as unworthy until they change their condition is to deny that God is impartial. That attitude denies that we are justified by faith alone and that Christ’s death and resurrection atones for our sins. This sort of outlook insists that God loves us because of who we are, not in spite of who we are.

As we gear up for our annual Give Away Day here at Legacy and as we crank up our Spanish-speaking ministry, let us remember the Gospel as our Savior taught it and lived it. Shame on us if we tell anyone they have to act just like us, they have to think and talk and believe just like us. Shame on us if we force them to dress like us, pray like us, or worship like us. Shame on us if we obligate them to anything or anyone other than our heavenly Father, his resurrected Son, and his Holy Spirit.

Jesus treated the sinners, Samaritans, and Roman centurions the same as he treated the so-called righteous Jews. In fact, he treated the ones who were “different” or “outsiders” with more grace and love and mercy than he did the ones who “belonged.”

And so must we.

Peace,

Allan

No One Leads Alone

October 12, 2007 / Allan / 0 Comments

God’s call is never misunderstood. It’s not vague or ambiguous. The question in Scripture and in our own lives is never in discerning God’s call. It’s clear.

He tells Abram, “Go!” He tells Moses, “Speak!” God tells Joshua, “Lead!” He tells Gideon, “Fight!” He tells Samuel, “Serve!” God tells Isaiah, “Prophesy!” He tells Jeremiah, “Preach!”

And none of it’s easy. None of it’s appealing. And they balk at first. They throw up excuses and reasons for not answering the call. And every single time God tells them, “Hey! It’s not about you. It’s about me.”

“If I call you to do something,” God says, “I’m the one who’s going to do it. Not you. Don’t be afraid. I’m with you. We’re in it together. I’m God. Trust me.

The question in God’s call on our lives and in the life of his Church is never “Can you hear me now?” It’s always, “Can you trust me now?”

Sunday morning at Legacy we’re looking for 100 men and their families to sign up as Small Groups Church co-leaders. We’re establishing 50 Small Groups to meet weekly on Sunday evenings beginning in January. Each group is to have two co-leaders — no one leads alone — and so we need 100. Building up to those sign-ups, we’re going to explore God’s call to Moses here at Legacy Sunday morning.

But let me point out this today. If you’re a member at Legacy, think about this in terms of your place here in the body and your role in the opportunities the Lord is setting before us, specifically as it relates to our clear mission as the church to Apply the Word, Connect as a Family, and Evangelize our Community. If you’re reading this from somewhere else, chew on this in terms of whatever it is God is calling you to do right there wherever you are.

The task Moses was given to confront Pharaoh was not to be undertaken alone. Rather, he and the elders were to go to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Hebrew slaves (Exodus 3:18). At the same time, God provided Aaron as a helper to carry out God’s plan. Both Aaron’s role and that of the elders emphasize the role of the group in carrying out God’s will. Moses doesn’t do any of it by himself. He works for the group by working with the group.

Moses’ problem is that he looked at God’s call on his life only in terms of what he, Moses, could accomplish. Instead of viewing the call in terms of God’s power and will to accomplish the task, Moses saw only his own gifts or talents, or lack thereof.

Consider the call of God to serve the body of Christians and the community in the name of Jesus. And if we reflect on God rather than ourselves, we’ll approach that call with a peace that passes all understanding.

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We’re less than 24 hours away from Legacy’s 21st annual Give Away Day. And it looks like everything’s just about ready. The concourse is crammed with rows upon rows of racks loaded with clothes, sorted and sized for whoever needs them. It looks like we have more blue jeans than ever before, most of them brand new! We’ve had dozens of volunteers up here for the better part of two weeks sorting through all these things. But it’s still beyond me how it all comes together.

Every one of our downstairs classrooms is a designated “shopping” area. Some for shoes—again, most of them brand new—some for dishes and household appliances, and the others for more clothes.

We’ll have over 2,000 folks from our community in here tomorrow morning before 7:00. Everything’s given away free of charge. Everyone’s welcome. No questions asked. So many people will be touched by the love of Jesus. The stories we’ll be telling and re-telling for the next few weeks will be heart-warming. And I’m certain, just like last year and all the previous years, we’ll be impacted for the good much better than the ones we serve.

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As always, I’m not cheering for the Cowboys Sunday. But, at the same time, I can’t root for Bill Belichick and the Pats. It’s a combination of never wanting to root for the overwhelming favorite and current dynasty and some of that wanting to see history thing at work. It’s like rooting for the opposing pitcher in the 9th inning when he has a no-hitter working against your team. It probably would be really cool to see the Cowboys do something NOBODY expects them to do.

But I’m not rooting for them. I just want to see a good game. Part of me thinks the Pats will win 45-10. But I’ve been wrong on most things so far this season.

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Our dear sister in Christ, Sue Godwin, passed away at her home yesterday afternoon, surrounded by her family and great friends. What an inspiring picture of Christian perseverance and character. What a truly wonderful model of faith in her Lord. The times I visited her and prayed with her, she always told me she was ready to go, but scared. She knew exactly where she was going, but she was worried about getting there. In the name of Jesus the Christ, we again commit the care of her body and soul to our God. The One who calls us is faithful. And he will do it.

Peace,

Allan

Controlled Chaos

October 1, 2007 / Allan / 0 Comments

The hallways, the classrooms, the concourse, the lecture hall, the fellowship hall, the kitchen, every single square foot of space here at Legacy is being transformed for Give Away Day October 13. About a hundred of us stayed after yesterday morning’s assembly to unload the trailers and set up the racks and shelves and tables and chairs. Hundreds of boxes of clothes and linens and towels and toys and shoes and coats — new and used — are being sorted this week. And I’m fully aware of the vision, the faith, and the guts it takes as a congregation to pull this off.

It’s big. It’s almost overwhelming. And I’m so grateful for those who had the vision and faith and guts 21 years ago when this all started, and the ones who keep the vision alive with their own faith and guts year in and year out. Give Away Day is part of our Gospel story at Legacy. It is one of the biggest ways we, as a church family, join God in his work of reconciling creation back to him by reaching out in love and compassion to his people.

In last night’s assembly we shared our Give Away Day stories. Charley Potter told us how it all began with the Pipeline church helping that first lady with coats for her kids. Kenzie Brewer, one of our teens, talked about the impact Give Away Day has had on her and how her views of what we do have matured and grown as she’s grown up around the event. And then David Byrnes capped it all with a touching story about his dad and that Nike jacket he “gave” to a person who needed it at Give Away Day.

I think telling the stories behind our traditions is important. That appeal to a common memory connects us to those who went before us, those on whose shoulders we’re standing today. Keeping and repeating our traditions reminds us that it’s so much bigger than “me,” that our God was working in his world and in this church long before I got here and he’ll be working in his world and in this church long after I leave.

It was barely more than controlled chaos yesterday. But it was shared by little kids, teenagers, young adults, singles, marrieds, whole families, newly retired, widows, and the elderly. We’re all in it together. And it’s beautiful.

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I’m looking. You know I’m looking for ways to explain away the Cowboys 4-0 start.

Good grief, the pitiful Rams were missing eight starters yesterday due to injury or suspension before the game even began. And before it was over three more had gone down. That doesn’t even consider Marc Bulger who started the afternoon with two broken ribs and maybe woke up this morning with a couple more. That also doesn’t factor in the St. Louis kicker who missed a chip shot that would have given his team the lead in the first half. The Rams haven’t scored an offensive touchdown now in 30 consecutive possessions!

And look at the quarterbacks the Cowboys have faced in their last three games: Bulger, Rex Grossman (who’s been since benched), and Trent Green (who’s about to be benched). The Giants, Dolphins, Bears, and Rams are a combined 3-13! What do we really know about this Cowboys team? How do we know if they’re any good?

And I keep coming back to this one fact, all last night and all day today. I have nothing to say in argument against this one fact.

It’s tough to get wins in the NFL.

You can pit the best team in the league against the worst team in the league and never really know how it’s going to turn out. Most NFL games are working with a Vegas spread of six-points or less. They’re all close. And they all come down to just a couple of plays here and there. The great teams lose games they’re supposed to win. And the bad teams always win a couple they’re supposed to lose.

And that’s what impresses me about what the Cowboys have done in their first four games. They’re not just winning. They’re killing. They’re making it look easy. And there’s nothing about the NFL that’s easy. They’re winning by an average of 19.8 points per game. They scored three touchdowns in eleven plays at one point in the third quarter yesterday. And there are some NFL teams that couldn’t do that if they were playing against folding chairs and orange cones.

I’ve got nothing today. Nothing. Nothing but admiration for Romo and Crayton and Witten and Ware and Reeves and James and Davis.

To win is one thing. It’s an entirely different thing to make it look so easy.

Peace,

Allan

Blue Jean Sunday!

September 28, 2007 / Allan / 1 Comment

This coming Sunday at Legacy we continue a tradition associated with our 21 year old Give Away Day. It’s been called Blue Jean Sunday, but it’s really just a work day to set everything up for Give Away Day. Everyone’s encouraged to wear their work clothes to the assembly Sunday morning, stay for a congregational meal together, and then work together all afternoon setting up the tables and racks and shelves, sorting clothes and shoes and appliances, and stacking chairs. Usually we’ll be done right around 3:00 or so. But there are plenty of folks who stick around until our 5:30 afternoon assembly.

Calling it Blue Jean Sunday doesn’t really have the impact it once had. Just about everybody wears their blue jeans to church now anyway. But I will be preaching in my blue jeans Sunday (not blue jean shorts, Chris!!). And I’m afraid I’ll experience a constant dread of being struck by lightning. Or, worse than that, I’m afraid my dad will find out.

At 5:30 we’re going to explore this whole Give Away Day thing that’s such a big part of the Gospel story of the Pipeline / Legacy Church of Christ. We’ll look at old pictures and slides. And we’ll hear from three or four of our members about their Give Away Day experiences and stories, including Charley Potter’s recollections of that very first Give Away Day 21 years ago. The focus of our time together will be on our church family acting as the hands and feet of Jesus in this community. And going after the folks in our neighborhoods with love and peace just as hard as our God does.

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By the time Paul sat down to pen his great letter to the church in Thessalonica, the term “Day of the Lord” carried great weight and baggage. The earliest account we have of that term is the prophet Amos, 700 years before Paul and the establishment of that church at Jason’s house.

The Hebrew Scriptures’ use of the term explicitly reference the day when God actively intervenes in history, usually with terrible wrath and judgment. It was a day marked by gloom and darkness. Mountains melt on the “Day of the Lord.” The moon turns to blood. Stars fall out of the sky. It was a day to be dreaded. The term and the images that accompanied the term struck fear in the hearts of God’s people. Nobody looked forward to the “Day of the Lord.” They were actually instructed to dread it because, when it came, it would be awful. It was the day all the world, including God’s chosen nation, would be judged and punished for its sins.

But every New Testament reference to the “Day of the Lord” is positive. God’s people are told to anticipate the “Day of the Lord” with great enthusiasm and to greet it with rejoicing. Paul writes to the Corinthians and the Philippians to tell them that they will be pure and blameless on that Day. Spirits will be saved on that Day. Paul will boast on that Day, for others and for himself.

What changed?

1 Thessalonians is the very first, very earliest, book in the New Testament, written in 50-52 AD. And Paul provides for us there the very first written connection between the death of Jesus and our salvation (5:10).

Jesus died. That’s what changed. It changed everything. And disciples of Jesus look forward now to the “Day of the Lord” with tremendous anticipation knowing that he died for us “that we may live together with him.”

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***Legacy Church of Christ Construction Update***

The concrete trucks have been out here all week, pouring the foundation trenches (is that what you call those?) and all the new parking areas. I’m told we won’t be able to park in the new spaces this weekend. But next Sunday, the 7th, it’s wide open. Right now, in between our two morning services during Bible class time, our parking lot resembles a shopping mall in December. No spaces and lots of cars in long lines driving up and down the packed aisles.

Notice Kent right in the smack dab middle of all of it. Insert your own comment or smart aleck remark here: ________.

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No time this week to break down the Cowboys, how impressed I finally am with Tony Romo, Patrick Crayton’s Jackie Smith moment, Mark Cuban’s moves, or Nolan Ryan’s falling a half-notch from the lofty pedestal on which I’ve placed him. No time. Go Rams.

My truck turned over 100,000 miles on the way in Tuesday morning. Remember when that used to be a big deal? Was it because the numbers all flipped back to zeroes? I don’t think cars used to be built to drive that long. It’s not as uncommon as it once was. I think Doug Deere’s truck has over 260,000 miles on it right now. I still thought it was pretty cool. Dad, the picture’s for you.

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Carrie-Anne and I are leaving at noon today for Austin where I’m one of the speakers at Austin Grad’s big fundraising dinner tonight at the Austin Country Club. They’re in the middle of a huge fundraising and building project. And I’m honored they think anything I say might make a difference for them. I’m hoping it does. I love that school. I love everything about every minute I spent with the people there. And I highly recommend it to anyone who’s wanting to upgrade their understanding of God’s Word and Christian Ministry.

Earlier this week, I was going through the notes of a speech I made to some Austin Grad donors (is that what you call them?) back in April 2006. And towards the end of my speech I said this:

“I have no idea where I’m going to be 13-months from now. But we’re giddy with anticipation. In May 2007 I hope and pray to find a community that desperately needs God and a church family willing to roll up its sleeves to take our God to that community. I want God to use me and that church to turn that town upside down for him. I want our Father to completely use us up in service to him. I want him to work through me and that church to fulfill his mission. I want to be the catalyst in that community for revival among his children and for the saving of many souls. I want to bring God’s people closer to him and closer to each other.”

My prayers have been answered far beyond my expectations. Legacy and North Richland Hills. A situation like this never one time crossed my mind. Our God is always dreaming bigger than we are. We can’t ever out-vision him.

But let’s try. Let’s join our Father in reclaiming creation and reconciling all of it back to him.

Have a great weekend.

Peace,

Allan

Category: Give Away Day (Page 3 of 3)

Christ Is All And Is In All

No One Leads Alone

Controlled Chaos

Blue Jean Sunday!

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