Conflict

I hate conflict. I guess I don't personally know a lot of people who love conflict, but it really bothers me. I attended a meeting today that is still weighing on me. This meeting was about doing ministry and during the meeting a couple of questions came to me that I thought needed to be addressed. Well, by the time it was all done, I some how felt like the bad guy and basically a jerk. I want to say I asked my questions in a respectful manner, and that I wasn't trying to be a jerk, but how come I can't shake the feeling. Am I missing something? Does feeling this way mean that I acted out of line, or do I feel this way just because I always want people to like me? Obviously it's okay to want people to like you, but there are times when that's just not possible. The problem for me is knowing if this was one of those times. I think so, but I'm guessing I'm probably a little biased in my opinion.

What would you do?

What would you do if you could do anything? Is there something you have always dreamed about doing? A job, a trip, etc. Why aren't you doing it? There are a lot of things I would like to do, but for me I think it just comes down to being a pessimist and lazy. Basically, my pessimism is a good cover for being lazy. It's easy for me to look at things and say it can't happen, than for me to actually try. I've always wanted write a book. (no surprise, doesn't every pastor want to write a book) I actually think I have a good idea for a novel, but if you've read any of my blog you know I'm not the greatest writer. So, I use that as an excuse, and I don't try. I have half a chapter written, but that's it.

I also want to be a good cook, go on more mission trips, and speak around the country, but sadly another day goes by and I just do the bare minimum to get by in life. The thing is, days are going by a lot faster for me now than ever, and if I don't start doing something soon, there will be no more days.

So I'm going to do something different today. I'm going to get working on that book idea. I don't care if I get it published, but I need to write it. It's my first step, and I need to take it. What about you? What would you do if you could do anything, and why aren't you doing it? What's the worst that could happen? You fail. So what, do it anyways.

I would love to hear your comments about the things you want to do.

Blessings

For those of you who heard my sermon on the beatitudes in Matt. 5, I wanted to clear up some of my thoughts on blessings.

Do I think it's a blessing when God provides for our needs? Yes. Do I think it's a blessing when God gives me more than I need? Yes. When God gives my family a home to live in, a vehicle to drive, and money to pay the bills, I see all of those as blessings and gifts from God. But the point I wanted to make with the sermon I preached, is that it can also be a blessing when God does none of those things. I believe Jesus is challenging us to think outside of ourselves and outside of the box when He is talking about being "blessed" at the beginning of Matthew 5. I think this in turn helps us to not take for granted all of the other things I mentioned above.

Everything is from God, and all that He does for us is a blessing. But that also includes the times we are poor in spirit, the times we mourn, the times we are meek, and the times we hunger...

Where are we headed?

Where are we headed? That's the question I want to pose to the people of Arch. Summer is going to be over before we know it, and I think it's a good time for us to start looking at some possible ministry ideas. So, instead of me throwing out several ideas and getting your opinions, I want to hear from you. You can post comments on this site with ideas, send me an email, or let me know your ideas at church. I would just love to hear what you would like to see our congregation doing in the future.

my email is codyhbrown@yahoo.com

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Elevator crowding or E.C. as I like to call it

I wonder why when the little bell dings to signal that the elevator has arrived, that most people rush to the doors before they even open. Isn't there like a 90% chance that someone is in the elevator and is going to need out before anyone else can get on? It is always amusing to me when these elevator crowders then react in shock that someone is actually in the elevator needing to get out. Then they say something like, " Oh, excuse me" and back frantically away from the doors. Is this there first time using an elevator or are they just in that big of a hurry? I bet if you did some kind of lab experiment involving electric shock and some kind of reward, you would probably still find a majority of people rushing to the doors.

I don't know, just a thought.

America's next...

I just saw a commercial for a new t.v. show called "America's Producer". Apparently, they are having a reality show to find America's next top producer. Are you serious? How many shows like this can we have? America's next top model, Americas got talent, America's producer, America's next babysitter, America's top pool cleaner... The worst part is, I would probably end up watching all of these shows. Reality shows have now become our reality.

Anyways, this got me thinking about a conversation I had with my dad yesterday. We were talking about how people can drive us crazy and how we drive people crazy ourselves. Dad said it would be interesting if we had our lives video taped, so we could play it back and see just how we appear to others. Scary thought, finding out that I'm not always right, and that I don't necessarily ooze the love of Christ. Most of the footage would be filled with me complaining how people don't do things the way I think they should be done. It's funny how people are different, but the one thing we all seem to have in common is that we think that everyone else should act and think just like us. But guess what. It's not going to happen, and I need to stop going through life with the idea that it will.

Christ has called us to love others and make disciples, not clones of ourselves. I need to stop complaining and focusing on all things that people do differently than myself, and instead focus on the fact that they are God's creation, made to His exact specifications.

66 Hot Dogs

I just watched Joey Chestnut on ESPN eat 66 hot dogs!! 66 hot dogs. How in the world can someone eat 66 hot dogs? Just watching that, makes me feel stuffed. The funny thing is the announcers kept calling him a hero, and saying how brave he was to eat all those hot dogs. Really? Hero? Brave? I mean unless the hot dogs threatened him and his family is he really a hero? It's amazing how we throw around certain words in our society. Like the words hero, bravery, or even the word blessing. I'm surprised someone didn't say how blessed Joey was to have such a hot dog eating talent. This Sunday I want to touch on what it really means to be blessed, and how we have made that word mean less then it should.

Good Sunday

We had half of our congregation out of town this morning, but church was still a good place to be. All of our music people were gone, but we still had great worship. I'm so glad God doesn't require 100 people before He will show up, but He promises to show when two or more are gathered in His name. He was present this morning in our service, and that's what made it great.

For those of you who missed, we finished up on last weeks sermon on denying ourselves, and began to look at what it means when Jesus says, "Follow me." When Jesus calls us to follow Him, He is saying a couple of things. One is that we can do what He did. He loved, He touched lives, He made disciples, He glorified God, and countless other things, and He says we can also do those things. When He says "Follow me", He is saying that He has faith in us. God doesn't have to use us, but He does. That to me, is very uplifting. When Jesus says "Follow me", He is speaking greatness into us.

I will probably review a little next Sunday to catch up those who missed this morning. I want to use this idea that Jesus is calling us to do what He did, to launch us into the next few weeks, or maybe even months, of studying exactly what Jesus did. I think it's time to get reacquainted with our Savior.