7th

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matt 7:3

Then in 1Cor. Paul says "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup." Examine self, not examine brother. 

And, 1 Tim 1:15 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

Holy Spirit inspired self examination leads to the  conclusion that I will be judged based on my actions by God alone. I will not be judged in the context of how others are doing or where I place myself in the midst of others. 

Sixth Post

To all my "missional" friends. I remember the excitement of being on the front end of some cool buzz words. Genx, and postmodernism being just a few. It is in the DNA of the buzz word to be  abandoned for new, modern words.  So long as "missional" is a verb, then for it to have gospel meaning it must be connected to the "Great Commission": And since we are on the journey together, we can, together, be a part the Great co-missional effort. 

Fifth Post

I know there is an often quoted scripture that states that without vision people will perish. But I also want to be an advocate for the cause of those who have not formed a compelling life vision. I believe sometimes God can purposely not provide for us with the focus or the vision we're asking for: lest we run off to begin to fulfill something we have not been prepared to carry out to completion. I think of John the Baptist, who by some recollection we would say was raised in the Qumran community amongst those who studied and copied God's word. When he emerged on the scene and began to announce the coming of the Messiah, though that is the first that the public had seen of him, it was not the first that God knew of him. God was at work preparing his heart and his life for over 30 years for a ministry that most likely lasted no more than six months.
To have a vision that cannot be fulfilled would be torture, to be preparing for a calling where the preparation stage takes most of a persons life does not make for a compelling calling.

Fourth Post

This is how I introduce the new Ministry Catalog at Cedar Park, coming out on March 1, 2013

We like to have fun. So, when I was sent the copy for final proofing... OK, an altered image of me was attached. There was no comment and no attention given to it. Perhaps the creative director was making a statement. It does not matter, it is all in fun and I laughed. Now, on with the intro to the catalog.

As a pastor, I get to hang around many
professing Christians and many unchristian
folks as well. Among both groups of people I have found that for many, there is a large gap
between what they expect from other Christians, their Christian faith, from God and what
they actually experience. This a classic set up for disappointment. Disappointment occurs when the actual experience of something falls far short of what we anticipated. If you are like you me you have found that petty disappointments tend to accumulate over time, undermining faith with a heavy flow of doubt. I begin to wonder whether God cares about everyday details—if he cares about me at all. I’m tempted to pray less often, having concluded in advance that it will not matter. Or will it? My emotions and my faith waiver. Once
those doubts seep in, I’m even less prepared for times of major crisis. If so many small prayers go unanswered, what about the big ones? Disappointment with God can set in when we expect God to act a certain way on our behalf, and when He does not we are disappointed in Him. We do not always consider the fact that our expectation of Him was not fair or accurate to begin with. In a word, we have set ourselves up for disappointment. Honestly, and this is hard to admit, we set ourselves up because we do not really know what God has promised, so we set the standards for Him. Ok, I admit, this is not a typical positive introduction to a Christian Ministry Catalog. But, the two are intrinsically entwined—our view and expectation of God are formed by interaction with Him through His word, and His people. The goals of this Ministry Catalog have always been to connect people with the opportunities for Christian transformation and connection and involvement in Christian community—resulting in the outflow of faith and trust in our Savior. Unfortunately I cannot promise that this vital connection will eliminate doubt or disappointment. And I dare say that both doubt and disappointment are on the same road as faith. The key thing to remember is that God is on the journey with us and it is worth the effort we put into this process of transformation. “...petty disappointments tend to accumulate over time, undermining faith with a heavy flow of doubt.”
FROM PASTOR CRAIG

Third Post

Prepping for Sunday school tomorrow on the topic of prayer. Reading Philip Yancy's "Disappointment with God" as well.

Some good questions naturally arise...

Why are not all prayers answered magically and instantly?

Why must every new convert trod out the same patent spiritual disciplines? 

Because persistent prayer, fasting, study, and meditation are designed primarily for our sake, not for God’s.

Kierkegaard said that Christians sometimes reminded him of schoolboys who want to look at the answers to their math problems in the back of the book rather than work through them. We can all confess to such schoolboy sentiments, and we are not alone. We all yearn for shortcuts. But shortcuts usually lead away from growth, not word it.

I like what Rabbi Abraham Heisel observed, “...faith like Jobs cannot be shaken because it is the result of having been shaken.” What do you think of Rabbi Heisel's comment about Jobs faith being better because God allowed it to be shaken? 

Second Post

Talking with the professor today, I asked what blogs he reads and why. He has been a congregant, a pastor and a teacher/educator, and reads a lot of pastors blogs. The idea of a blog is that someone is saying something that someone else thinks is worth reading. That is my hope here as well.
In my own life and experience and also as a life and leadership coach, I have come to appreciate the value of a strategically placed powerful question. So, questions that promote discovery will be a part of what I have a natural propensity for, and will be part of what I will do here.
My journey as a D.Min student will also occupy some space on this blog. The cohort has been together over two years and, and we still have a year to year and a half left.
There will probably be some life reflection and interaction with my family here.
We'll see where this goes and if you are inclined, comments will be responded to and interaction will be welcome.
Blessings,
CRAiG

First Post

To catch up and to see if I want to make it a regular part of my spiritual development and doctoral project, Roz and i took a few days and went to Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Washington. I spent the days reading, writing and studying, while Roz would hike, go for a walk or sit with me and read. In the evening we would share dinner and conversation. I think it may be a new annual habit for us even beyond the doctoral degree.

Here i am with an unfriendly beast.in the foyer of the hotel.