Category: Legacy Church Family (Page 14 of 37)

Pat Collins on a Jackhammer

February 11, 2010 / Allan / 2 Comments

We woke up this morning under an incredible blanket of the prettiest snow we’ve seen around here in a long time. Not like the Christmas Eve snow when it was blowing sideways at 50 miles per hour. These are big, fat, fluffy, wet, sticky flakes falling peacefully to earth. The scene here at Legacy today is beautiful. And the mood is playful. Snow like this always seems to put everybody in a great mood. Bonny and Suzanne actually brought snowballs into the building to peg me in the hallway. That was after I had hidden Bonny’s breakfast in her office. Lance is taking tons of pictures. Jason is talking about building a huge snowman out on Mid-Cities Boulevard. The kids down at Circle of Friends seem to have a little more energy and are making a little more noise than normal. And I’m not sure if anybody’s going to get much work done today.

As always, click on the pictures to get the full size. We already have over four inches on the ground here in North Richland Hills. And it’s supposed to keep snowing all day and into the night. I think there will be at least one snowman in our front yard by nightfall. I love the snow. And I love what it does to people here. Praise God for the beauty of his creation and the grace in his blessings.

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Why perform works of service? Why selflessly give to others? Why spend time and energy helping other people? Paul gives us very specific answers: “…so that the Body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).

Steve Prescott has been suffering with foot and leg and hip problems since long before we arrived here at Legacy. It’s a bone deterioration problem that I don’t fully understand. And neither do his doctors. Steve had one foot amputated almost a year ago. And now, on the heels of another injury and similiar concerns about deterioration in his other foot, he’s in a wheelchair, using a walker, and wearing a bulky protective boot. To make Steve and Pat’s long story short, their home in Watauga just isn’t wheelchair or walker or bulky boot friendly. Narrow doorways. Cramped bathrooms. Wall-to-wall carpet. And not enough time or money or energy to fix things the way they need to be.

That’s where their circle of brothers and sisters here at Legacy has just absolutely taken over. The money has poured in from several Bible classes. Volunteers have been working for the past two weeks on ripping out carpet and toilets and door frames and making things smoother and wider for Steve. New tile. New facilities. New doors. New paint. New wiring.

There’s a great difference between doing church and being church. This, my friends, is being church. Being church to one another. Showing the Prescotts’ neighbors what being church looks like. Expressing Christian love and concern for one another. Sharing resources and strength. Coming together in the name of our Savior to rescue this family.

I know Steve and Pat are blown away. So am I. I’m so grateful to be a part of this body of believers. I’m so thankful to belong to this loving and sacrificial group. They understand that this is the very thing that fosters and proves Christian maturity. This is the kind of thing that reflects real knowledge. This is what it looks like to attain “to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

I also know the real reason you read down this far was to see a picture of Pat Collins on a jackhammer. Well, I don’t want to disappoint.

I’ve read something just this week that fits well here. I can’t remember if it was Eugene Peterson or Marva Dawn or Josh Graves. It was one of those three. (I’ve got to stop reading three books at a time!) He or she said the essence of a thing is in its doing. Not knowing. Not believing.

Doing.

Peace,

Allan

Expectation #5

February 5, 2010 / Allan / 0 Comments

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” ~Matthew 5:16

We’re called to evangelize the same way Jesus evangelized: in deep, personal, loving, and giving relationship. We watch our Lord proclaim the Gospel and we follow his lead.

Jesus eats dinner with his friends. He teaches in Capernaum and preaches at the lake. He throws a picnic for five thousand and he spends the night in the mountains praying with his disciples. He hugs mourners at funerals. He touches lepers. He weeps for the city. He embraces strangers and stays with tax collectors. Jesus protects the adulterous woman at the temple and he blesses the children. He forgives his enemies from the cross. He dies for me. And he walks out of the tomb and breathes into us his resurrection life.

The Way of Jesus is always in creating and saving and blessing. He invites and he forgives. He seeks the lost and heals the sick. He turns the other cheek. He embodies the Good News in submissive love and sacrificial service.

According to Acts 2:42-47, this is how the first church evangelized. This is how you let your light shine. This is how you share your faith and redeem the world. By delivering a casserole or mowing a yard. By inviting somebody over for ice-cream. By praying for enemies and forgiving people who do you harm.

The world sees that and can’t resist.

Peace,

Allan

Expectation #3

January 22, 2010 / Allan / 0 Comments

“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your Word.” ~Psalm 119:15-16

When we meditate on the words of God, they become a part of us. These words deal specifically with our souls and they’re written to transform us into people who reflect the glory of God. A daily diet of Scripture allows these holy words to enter our souls just like food enters our stomachs. It spreads through our entire system of blood and air and organs and nerves and functions. We assimilate it. And it becomes holiness and love and wisdom.

The same is true of prayer. It’s a complex act of speaking to and listening to the Creator of heaven and earth. It’s an act of submission. It’s a declaration of faith. It’s basking in the presence of our God, delighting in his love and grace, taking comfort in his mercy and forgiveness.

Reading God’s Word and praying to the Father are not intellectual exercises. It’s not a hobby or a pastime. This is life and death. It’s urgent. It’s right now. It speaks to every facet of our everyday lives. It nourishes us. It transforms us. It gives us the Holy Spirit strength we need to live as mature disciples in a hostile world.

Jesus made a habit of withdrawing “privately to a solitary place.” Our Lord spent much of his time in Scripture and prayer: listening to God, communing with him. As his followers, we too set aside a time every day for prayer and Bible reading. Thirty minutes. An hour. In the morning. During lunch. Before bed. The time and place are not important. Making this meditation time a daily priority is very important. It’s a vital part of attaining to “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

The focus for baptized believers — those saved by the blood of our Lord — is spiritual growth. Maturity. Discipline. Transformation. Christian accountability to God and to one another. Christian responsibility. The expectation for all our members at Legacy is that they each dedicate a quiet time with God every day in prayer and Bible reading.

It’s a way of being consistently present before the living God. And allowing his Spirit to get inside you, to change you, to move you. To make you more like him.

Peace,

Allan

In Praise of Elders

January 21, 2010 / Allan / 0 Comments

All of the really great preachers in Churches of Christ from the really great congregations in our fellowship — the churches that are really dynamic and moving and making a difference in the world and in the Kingdom — all tell a similar story. Jeff Walling, Terry Rush, Patrick Mead, Rick Atchley, Lynn Anderson, Don McLaughlin, Mike Cope and others all say the same thing.

“The day our elders decided to let go, to stop focusing on administration and decision-making and start working on prayer and teaching and relationships, is the day our church really took off. Our church just exploded the day our elders changed the way they lead.”

They all say the same thing.

That’s when churches thrive. That’s when churches begin to breathe and grow and mature. When the elders decide to equip and release.

Let the deacons handle coke machines and paint colors and display stands in the foyer. Let the staff deal with bulletins and office supplies and rules for the gym. Let ministry leaders take care of programs and mission trips, casseroles and camps. Free the members to worship and serve and evangelize and work and fellowship.

Our elders here at Legacy are doing that. In what has been termed a “transition” year for us, our shepherds have decided that their leadership must be re-envisioned from within. Their role as shepherds is not primarily to make decisions. Their role is to spiritually guide our people. To pray. To study. To serve. To walk alongside us. To mentor. To lead from a relational standpoint, not a positional standpoint.

Our Legacy shepherds have been taking bigger steps in this direction for a while now. And the congregation’s been blessed. Our elders and ministers are up here every weekday morning from 7:00 – 8:00 praying over the needs of this church and this community, praying with people, consoling people, loving people. They’re attending and shepherding our Sunday evening Small Groups Churches, getting in the living rooms and kitchens of our brothers and sisters, holding babies and making peanut butter sandwiches and hugging the hurting. There are more Bible studies, more benevolent works, and more counseling.

And now this:

Our shepherds have been meeting twice a month for as long as anybody can remember. For the past two-and-a-half years it’s been the first and third Thursday evenings. Not anymore. Starting this month, our elders are meeting on that first Thursday to vote and make decisions and do whatever else they absolutely have to do. Yes, we’ll still pray and attend to the needs of the flock as they come up in that first meeting. But on that third Thursday, beginning tonight, we’ll gather only to get our visitation assignments. And then we’ll hit the streets.

Two-by-two. We’re going to visit those in our church who are sick. In the hospital. Brand new members. Those who’ve recently been baptized. Shut-ins. Families with brand new babies. The goal is to be inside the homes and holding the hands of 30 of our families during that night. No meeting. No decisions. No administrative matters. No motions and seconds. No votes. One of our meetings a month is going to be completely dedicated to praying with our people. Consoling them. Praising God with them. Listening to them. Helping them. Walking alongside them.

The elders here have promised this year to intentionally let go of some things and zero in with greater focus on other things. This is one of those things.

Our shepherds are not divorcing themselves from the administrative needs of the church, but they don’t see them as their primary function, either. They’re working toward a relational leadership style and model that demonstrates holy shepherding. This move communicates clearly that they view visits and prayer and study — spiritual guidance — as more important than the board meetings.

Tonight’s the first night. Pray for our shepherds and ministers as we take this step together. Encourage them as they pursue a more biblical approach to servant-leadership. Thank them for their dedication to the people of this flock. I’m so proud of them. This is huge. I’m honored to serve with them. I can’t wait.

Peace,

Allan

Expectation #2

January 15, 2010 / Allan / 2 Comments

“Just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” ~ 2 Corinthians 8:7

Consistent and sacrificial giving is an act of Christian gratitude. It reveals a true grasp of the magnitude of God’s salvation gifts to us through Christ.

Our giving is also an act of Christian faith. It declares that God is the giver of all things. And it declares a confidence that our gracious Father will always keep his promises to provide for his children. It’s an act of dependence on him. To withhold our money or to give it grudgingly or with hesitation reflects an insecurity that denies the very thing the Church teaches.

I also believe that real giving serves to sanctify us — to shape us and mold us more into the image of Jesus — which is the whole point of our “being saved.” When we give away our money, we’re becoming like Christ as we act in our context the same way our Lord acted in his. We give up our physical resources for others because of our spiritual riches in God. When we give, we’re considering the needs of others more important than our own. That’s what it means to attain to the “whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

And this kind of giving applies equally to all baptized disciples of Jesus. It’s not the size of the weekly gift; it’s the size of the heart to give. It’s not the amount of the money; it’s the amount of the willingness and eagerness to give it. Regardless of economic status or income or employment or unemployment, these principles are for all of us. No exceptions.

The focus at Legacy is spiritual growth and maturity and discipline. Christian accountability to God and one another. Christian responsibility. Salvation and transformation. Becoming more like Christ. And the expectation for all our members is to consistently and sacrificially give of their incomes.

Excelling in giving has nothing to do with personal resources. Or even a job. It’s all about experiencing and participating in God’s mercy and grace.

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So, have the Cowboys mowed through the Eagles twice because the Eagles just aren’t very good? Or are the Cowboys really, really, really as good as they’ve looked?

It’s not that Philly’s bad. My word, they were averaging over 26-points per game. And the Cowboys, in two straight games, made them look older and slower and less athletic. Dallas just looks super fast, super young, super athletic. They look long and strong and quick. They’re making all their tackles. They’re finishing drives. They’re making field goals when they don’t finish drives. No turnovers; they’re forcing teams to go a full 80-yards. Felix Jones is healthy. Romo’s making smart throws. I think I even saw Bobby Carpenter make a play Saturday night. The Cowboys are playing with a focus that we haven’t seen in years. They celebrate with each other and for each other in ways that haven’t been experienced in a decade-and-a-half. Winning breeds confidence. And they’re playing with a boatload of it right now. They really seem to be on a mission. They’re focused. They don’t act like they’re finished yet. I saw Wade pump his fist Saturday night and mouth the words as Kool and the Gang blared “Celebrate good times, come on!” over the speakers at Jerry Wayne’s World. But they don’t seem as if they’ve accomplished yet what they’re going to.

I wonder, though, about the Vikings inside that dome up there. Brett Favre and that whole franchise have a lot of demons to exorcise against the Cowboys. Playoff demons. Last-second heart-breaking demons. Herschel Walker trade demons. Hail Mary demons. 99-yard-run on Monday Night Football demons. The Vikings were the last team to lose to Dallas in a playoff game. At Texas Stadium in December 1996. There’s a whole lot of pent-up frustration there. Serenity now – insanity later. Minnesota went undefeated at home this year. They’ve won their past five home games by more than 17 points. The past three times the Cowboys have flown into the Metrodome they’ve left as losers.

It’ll be loud up there Sunday. Really loud. Crazy people dressed up in fur wraps and viking horns. Hostile. Minnesota will feed off that for a while. It’ll be crazy. I imagine that Vikings front four will be rabid on those first two or three Cowboys drives. I assume Favre will take a couple of deep shots early to get a lead to drive the crowd to absolute delirium. I can see Flozell Adams picking up seven false start penalties — in the first quarter alone. I can also see Favre having no open receivers and forcing balls into double and triple coverage. I can see him throwing two or three picks. I can also imagine Romo getting blindsided by Jared Allen and coughing up the ball a couple of times. Has Roy Williams ever played in this kind of NFL playoff atmosphere or pressure? Isn’t the over-under on Williams’ catches at “one?” Won’t they double Miles Austin all day?

It’s going to come down to Adrian Peterson versus Felix Jones. With all the talk of Favre and Romo, it’s going to come down to the two running games. Minnesota has held nine opponents this year to under a hundred yards rushing. Running on Philly at home is one thing. Running against the Vikings at their place is another.

Vikings 27, Cowboys 20.

Peace,

Allan

Expectation #1

January 8, 2010 / Allan / 0 Comments

Over the Christmas holidays, my mom gave me a big plastic tub filled with all kinds of keepsakes and memories from my childhood. And babyhood. Yeah, this box is full of really old stuff. Cool old pictures (some of them in black and white), old report cards and school certificates (it appears I was really smart until my senior year of high school), and my baby book.

Inside this box is a 43-year-old church bulletin. October 30, 1966. Pleasant Grove Church of Christ. On page three it says, “Allan Wayne Stanglin arrived Friday to bring sunshine and joy to his proud parents, Beverly and John. May God bless this sweet family.”

Precious.

I guess they put my mom’s name first because she did most of the work.

On page one there is a full-page article titled “The Case of Bible Study Skipper.” It begins, “The story you are about to read is true; only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.”

“My name is Bible Study Skipper. I am a lazy member of the church.”

The article goes on to detail Bible Study Skipper’s typical Sunday morning routine: oversleeping, hitting the snooze, eating a long breakfast, showing up to worship 15-minutes late, skipping Bible class. The last paragraph of the article goes like this:

“The trial was held on the day of judgment in Department 22, in and for the state of ‘Heaven.’ The suspect, Bible School Skipper, was tried and convicted on a charge of neglect. First degree neglect! Punishment will be assigned by the Judge of all the earth. It is obvious that punishment will be eternal death.”

The name of the bulletin is the Pleasant Proclaimer! Seriously!

OK. We’ve tried that.

We’ve also tried blowing off the importance of our scheduled assemblies. We’ve told the joke about the great noise of cheering in the line outside heaven’s gates when it’s divinely revealed that Wednesday nights don’t count! Imposing rules is legalistic and wrong. Show up when you can. Christianity isn’t in what happens at the church building.

We’ve tried that, too.

Both of these extremes, though, miss the point. Our assembly times together are very, very important. All of them. But maybe not for the reasons you think.

At Legacy, we expect every single member to participate weekly in the Sunday worship assembly, both Sunday AM and Wednesday PM Bible classes, and our Sunday evening Small Groups Church. Every week. Every member. Those three things. We are fully and firmly convinced that when we are together at Legacy we are being fed and nurtured, motivated and challenged, and encouraged in our walks with the Lord. We do not believe these times are optional. We believe they are vital.

Sharing the Gospel story, singing the story, reading the story, talking about the story, eating the story together at this place is critical to our faith in a thousand different ways. Celebrating our salvation together around our Lord’s table is vital to the building up of the Body. Studying God’s Word together in a smaller, less formal class setting is vital to an increased knowledge of the Son of God. And being active in a Small Group is critical to attaining the “whole measure,” increasing in spiritual maturity — Christ-likeness — as we pray and confess and serve and forgive and apply the Word in ways that just simply are not possible in bigger corporate settings.

The purpose of putting these expectations on our members is not to make or to keep rules. The point is to call each of us to live a focused and disciplined life that consistently reflects God’s glory and more thoroughly transforms us into the image of Christ. Our times together are paramount to, what Paul calls, the transformative process of “being saved.” Our worship assemblies and Bible classes and Small Groups are extremely important, not as much because of what we’re doing there, but much more so because of what our God is doing there.

See you Sunday! And Wednesday!

Peace,

Allan

Category: Legacy Church Family (Page 14 of 37)

Pat Collins on a Jackhammer

Expectation #5

Expectation #3

In Praise of Elders

Expectation #2

Expectation #1

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