WCCH

I've had the privilege of leading a Bible study a couple of times this month at the Woodburn Christian Children's Home. The kids and houseparents all attend church at Cedar Creek, and I serve on the board of directors of the home, so we had some great fellowship. WCCH is a terrific ministry and I'm glad to be associated with it.

Becoming a Ditto-Head

It was the summer of 1991 and I had just moved to Virginia. I had become a fan of talk radio, so I wanted to see what the local stations offered. I remember scanning the dial and coming across a voice I hadn't heard before. The more I listened, I thought, "Who is this guy?" He was funny and informed and conservative. It was my introduction to Rush Limbaugh. The time spent listening to him has waned over the years, but I still tune in occasionally. Does anyone remember his t.v. show? How 'bout the updates? (Animal Rights update -- the sound of machine guns firing while Andy Williams sang "born free"; or his other updates and spoof songs).

Human Events is celebrating 20 years of Rush. Check it out.

Vacation Bible School

VBS begins tonight. This year's songs, lessons, games, etc. have all been created by Cedar Creek folks. The theme is a take-off from High School Musical. It looks to be a busy, but fun week!

Mackinaw Get-Away

We're heading up north today. (Yes Frank, I'm going out-of town -- AGAIN). I'm taking Mrs. Soren to Mackinaw Island to celebrate the fourth anniversary of her 39th birthday. We stay in Mackinaw City at a little Mom & Pop place . Mackinaw has become one of our favorite places.

Back from Delmarva Family Camp

Delmarva was great. We had a lot of fun. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends Tony Washburn, John Mitchell, and David Willis. I heard some powerful sermons. Mark Fugate never fails to deliver. I also appreciated Daniel Davenport and Paul Ponchot. It was a long trip, but a fun one. It is good to be home though (even if only for a few days).

Cletus Take the Reel

Delmarva Family Camp

I'll leave early tomorrow morning for Laurel, Delaware to preach at the Delmarva Family Camp. My friend Ray Bennett is in charge of this campmeeting. It was the place where I had my first "outside" preaching gig when I was a rookie preacher nearly 20 years ago. My son Luke and my father-in-law Ray will be going with me (we usually go to The Northmen, but will be heading east this year instead). When I lived in Virginia I drove up to Delmarva for at least a day nearly every year (and most years I had the opportunity to preach), but I haven't been there since we moved to Indiana. I'm looking to getting reacquainted with the folks from the Eastern Shore (for those of you who might not know, the Delmarva Peninsula is a sliver of land on the east coast, containing Delaware and parts of Maryland and Virginia -- DEL-MAR-VA).

Next Time I'll Swerve

Yesterday I travelled back to my hometown for a family funeral. I was a couple of miles from my parents' house, driving down a country road, when I saw what looked like a dead bird in the road. I couldn't tell for sure what it was, but it looked fairly small. I thought I would simply straddle it, and drive right over it. Nope. It made a huge bang and I looked in my rear-view mirror to see it bounce up and tumble down the road. It was a piece of metal or rock or something. Dang! When I got to my folks' place I checked under the car and transmission fluid was pouring out all over the driveway. The thing punched a hole in the transmission pan. D'oh! So I had to call a wrecker to come get it and tow it into town. Mr. Mechanic had to special order the part from Chicago. It won't be ready until Monday. Not only am I out $350 (towing and repair), I have to drive back (270 miles round-trip) and retrieve the car (I'm borrowing Dad's for the weekend -- just like old times). I hope you had a better start to your weekend.

Blogging

I stumbled upon this guy's blog the other night. I think he is hilarious.

In other news, it seems like everyone is blogging these days (Thanks Trey)!

Driscoll's New Book

Last night I read Mark Driscoll's new book On Church Leadership. He will be writing several books in this series, designed to be read in about an hour. The book was pretty good. He outlined some basic biblical principles about elders, deacons, and church members. He also briefly stated his complementarian view of gender roles (a bit more progressive than I had been led to believe).

July 4th in Leo, Indiana

We had a wonderful July 4th celebration in “Mayberry.” It seemed like the entire community came out to enjoy the festivities. We arrived around 6:00pm and set up our lawn chairs. The Cedar Creek youth were selling pop and water, and there were several church family members gathered at the park. There was plenty of food, games, and fun events. Despite having lived here only five years, I still saw several people I recognized from the community . I enjoyed walking around and talking to people (something about the preacher gene – I can’t help myself). The weather was perfect and the fireworks show was spectacular.

I hope your holiday was a good one.

Happy Independence Day!

NACC Thursday

Last night's worship service was powerful. Dr. Ajai Lall preached about Dangerous Faith, and he talked about the persecution of Christians that is taking place around the world. He is a remarkable man (I had the privilege of meeting him a number of times when I served at Northampton).

I have been enjoying the fellowship with a number of old college friends and many others. Dr. Thom Ranier will be speaking this afternoon, then I will head back to Fort Wayne. It has been a great experience.

NACC Update

Day One was fun. I got to town about 3:00, so I had time to explore a little. I decided to go for a run. Less than a half-mile from the hotel is the Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds. I ran down there (the park is next to the Bengals Stadium too) by the Ohio River and found a great running path through a park.

The evening session of the Convention was good. I wandered through the display area and saw several friends. Then the service began. Worship was great and Cam Huxford preached a terrific message.

More tomorrow.

North American Christian Convention

I'm leaving today for the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati. The NACC is an annual get-together of people from the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. There will be excellent preaching, some great workshops, and wonderful fellowship. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I'm also excited about getting to meet one of my favorite bloggers, Patrick Mead.

New Sermon Series

Next week I'm starting a new sermon series -- Holy Google. Using the ultimate search engine – the Bible – to find answers to the congregation's queries about life, theology, spirituality, etc. The sermons will be chosen according to those topics receiving the most votes. I have done something similar in the past. It's always interesting to get a glimpse into people's hearts & minds. I'm looking forward to it.

This Coaster Rocks

I rode this three times yesterday. The front row view is awesome!

Busch Gardens Here We Come!

Ironman

We saw the Ironman movie today. It was great. I was not really familiar with this superhero but I really enjoyed the movie. It reminded me of Transformers, which I also enjoyed.

Vacation Update

We're having a good time in our old stompin' grounds. Went to Joe's Crab Shack last night to celebrate Aunt Deb's birthday. It was my first time at Joe's. Food was good, but a bit pricey.

I was going to go running today, but when I walked outside I could smell and see smoke. The Great Dismal Swamp is on fire (story here). Video here. Will run another day when the wind shifts.

I'm meeting my friend Dave Willis for lunch at one of our favorite places.

Vacation

I began my vacation today. Had a relaxing day -- I took Tracy to breakfast, then played golf with my father-in-law, then I mowed grass. We leave early tomorrow morning for Virginia. We're looking forward to seeing some old friends and enjoying some time away.

Rob Bell

I have sort of a love-hate relationship with Rob Bell (not that I have met him in person). At times he strikes me as an effeminate postmodern who likes himself WAY too much. At other times I find his teaching incredibly challenging. Our Sunday School class spent the last two Sundays watching Everything is Spiritual. It is excellent.

Last Day

Today is the final day of Camp. Last night several kids came forward at the end of vespers to express their desire to accept the Lord. One camper was baptized in Lake James last night and a few more will be immersed before they leave camp tonight. Preaching to kids is something that I don't do very much, but it was fun.

Thursday at LJCA

It's another beautiful day. WTBW asked about the food. It is delicious. The cook has been here for years. She has a wonderful crew and the food is excellent. The kids (and faculty) are getting a little tired --I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night. The guys in our dorm were funny this morning. Nobody wanted to get up. They all dressed in silence, with the exception of a few grunts. But after some sugary cereal, they are all wired once again.

Camp Wednesday

Camp is going great. The Dean has planned a good week. It's supposed to get hot today, but we are having fun. Every year I am reminded why I love Camp -- it can change a kid's life.

Camp Update

Our camp now has wi-fi. How cool is that? (It almost makes up for putting me in the ONE dorm that isn’t air conditioned). 6th & 7th graders — I think the guys in my cabin set a record for funkifying the place in the least amount of time. Usually it takes 2 or 3 days, but last night the place reeked. A pungent combination of sweat, feet, damp clothes, b.o., and axe. Oy!

But we're having fun so far.We have a small group of campers (only about 50 or so). Our camp serves the tri-state area (So. Michigan, NW Ohio, NE Indiana), but the Michigan kids are still in school this week. I pity the guys who will be working the later camp weeks.

We got some rain this morning, but it looks like things are going to clear up.

Time for Church Camp!

I will be heading to Lake James Christian Assembly after church services on Sunday. I’m serving as a “dorm dad” and the Vespers speaker for the week. There will be several dozen 6th & 7th graders there. One of the reasons why I love Christian Service Camp is that it had a tremendous influence upon me when I was young. Life-changing decisions are made at Church Camp. It was there that I became convinced of my need to accept Jesus as Savior. It was there that I decided to give my life to the preaching of the Gospel. It was there that I met other Christian young people, developing friendships that continue to this day.

Please pray for us this week.

Michigan Redneck Speaks to International Group

Yesterday I had the unique experience of speaking to several church leaders from India, Nagaland, and Nepal. The Leaders for Christ International conference was held at Great Lakes Christian College. I was pinch-hitting for a speaker who had to cancel. My friend Dave Thurman asked me to speak about Church Leadership and the Restoration Movmement. I was way out of my comfort zone, but these men seemed eager to hear what I had to say.

Don't Hassel the Hoff

What do you get when you put David Hasselhoff, flying children, weiner dogs, a batman cape, and a good hooga-chakka in a music video? Quite possibly the weirdest video ever seen! (Thanks Trey!)

Post-Race Report

The trip to South Bend was great. We toured the College Football Hall of Fame. That was fun. The race was excellent. It was very well organized, with lots of friendly volunteers. The race course was beautiful. It was a little hot & muggy, and I got really tired at about the 11 mile mark, but we really enjoyed it.

The best part was the finish. Less than a mile from the end, we turned a corner and we were looking at the Golden Dome shining in the the sun. We made our way over to Notre Dame Stadium and as we approached the tunnel the ND Fight Song was blaring on some speakers. We raced through the same tunnel that the football players run through. We charged onto the field and ran to the 50-yard line for the finish. It was very cool.

On the Run

Today I will be traveling to South Bend, Indiana to run in one of the Sunburst Races tomorrow. There is a full marathon, but my friend John Mitchell and I are running the half-marathon. This will be no problem for John (he has run two marathons in the last six months), but it will be a challenge for me (although I have been training through the winter).
We're going to check out the College Football Hall of Fame today. The race begins there and ends at the 50-yard line of Notre Dame Stadium. How cool is that?

Indiana Jones

We saw the new Indiana Jones movie over the weekend. I’m a big fan of the Indy movies, but I left this one disappointed. I probably had it built up so much in my mind that I was going to be dissatisfied no matter what. The reason for the let down is difficult to describe, but it seemed like the director was trying too hard. In the other movies, the stunts and edge-of-your-seat situations were at least somewhat plausible. But this movie, while adventurous and entertaining, simply was over-the-top. And towards the end it got way too cheesy and weird. Sure it’s an Indiana Jones movie. But three waterfalls? Three? And she drove the car off the cliff onto a tree and drove it into the river? And he survived a nuclear explosion? In a refrigerator? And the Tarzan sequence. Tarzan?

Another blogger summarized the movie like this:

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the best of the series. That aside, I can summarize Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in three sentences:
• Indiana Jones meets the space aliens.
• An army of ewoks/monkeys comes to the rescue.
• There is a flying saucer at the end.
So if those three sentences don’t bother you, you'll love the movie.

Going to Iowa

I'm heading to Iowa this afternoon. I'm going to spend a couple of days there visiting relatives, etc. Maybe I'll get a chance to play golf with my Dad and brother.

Another One of My Preaching Heroes

A couple of months ago I posted about listening to Ed Bousman preach. Tonight I got to hear another one of my preaching heroes, Ray Bennett. I met Ray in 1987 when I heard him preach at the Hillsboro Family Camp. Never in my life had I heard that kind of fiery preaching. Preaching that he calls, "heaven-high, hell-deep, world-wide and shotgun barrel straight." Ray is one-of-a-kind. He has always been gracious and encouraging to me. When I was just a rookie preacher he invited me to preach at the Delmarva Family Camp in Delaware (I will be preaching there again this year). He preached several times at the church I served in Virginia. He and his wife Gyneth are wonderful people. They have the love and respect of the Kjergaard family.

Ray is in our area this weekend preaching in a Revival meeting. It was great to hear him again. He's still got it.

Looking Forward to Sunday

Tommy Boy Moment

Tracy and her father left this morning for Virginia. They are picking up Grandma, who spent the winter there, and bringing her back home to Michigan. About mid-morning I gave Tracy a call to see how they were doing. She said they had a little setback -- while they were driving down Highway 30 THE HOOD FLEW UP (a la Tommy Boy). What in the world!? Somehow Ray hadn't latched his hood after he checked his fluids (and apparently the safety precaution second latch thing wasn't working). That must have been quite an experience. So he has a dented hood and a cracked windshield. What a way to start a 14 hour trip. Holy snikes!

Softball Season Starts Tonight

We have our first Church League game tonight. Cedar Creek 1 vs. Cedar Creek 2. The good news is that no matter what, Cedar Creek wins. I love to play, but every year my arm tells me that I'm not as young as I once was.

Christian Pick-Up Lines

Our intern (a single guy) sent me these. Enjoy.

1. "Nice Bible."
2. "Is this pew taken?"
3. "For you I would slay two Goliaths"
4. "You are so unblemished that I would sacrifice you."
5. "I didn't believe in predestination until tonight."
6. "I know Bob Russell."
7. (if no.6 gains no response) "Bob Russell knows me"
8. "Bible-gateway happens to be my homepage."
9. "Can I buy you a non-alcoholic beverage?"
10. "Now I know why Solomon had 700 wives... Because he never met you."
11. "Is that a thinline, duo-tone, compact, ESV Travel Bible in your pocket"
12. "So, my parents are home, you wanna come over?"
14. "Let's say, hypothetically, you were married. I would send your husband to the front line against the Amorites"
15. "I'm interested in full time ministry, and not only that... I also play the guitar."
16."Look, you're nearly 22. most Christians are 3 years into marriage by now... just settle for me."
17. "Who's your favorite apostle?"
18. "You make the Queen of Sheba look like a hobo."
19. "I have familiarised myself with all 5 love languages, in fact, I invented 4 of them."
20. 'All I'm looking for is a Godly woman. I don't care that you're not attractive.'
21. "If you were a leper, I would still hold your hand.. even if it wasn't attached."

Only in America

Third Day's New Album

I just found out that my favorite band is releasing a new album on July 29. Oh yeah.

That's Powerful

I arrived home yesterday to find pieces of a tree scattered all over my yard. The lamppost was destroyed and things were a mess. What happened!? Neighbors confirmed that lightning hit the tree (both described the sound like a transformer blowing up).
Several of our electronic appliances are messed up. Our big television, two VCRs, and the coffeemaker don't work at all. Another television has its color all out of whack. I will probably have to get a tree company to deal with the tree. Insurance company says we have a $500 deductible. Isn't home ownership fun?

Happy Birthday Luke!

My son turns 13 today. Where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday he was playing with legos and stuffed animals. Now he is into skateboarding, camcorders, and classic rock. We're going to have a good time celebrating his entrance into the teen years. Happy birthday son!

Idol Controversy

If any of you are American Idol fans, you know that there was a little mix-up on Tuesday night -- Paula got a little, shall we say, "confused." I checked some blogs the next day, and this quote made me chuckle:

They say nothing is certain but death and taxes, but that’s only because ‘nothing is certain except death, taxes and Paula Abdul acting all crazy boogaloo’ is too long.

Church Autonomy

I just finished an article for my column in reIGNITED (a quarterly magazine for Christian Churches in Canada. Beauty, eh?). I thought I would share it here:

Restoration Movement churches have been described as nondenominational or independent or locally autonomous. What do those terms mean? Occasionally I meet someone who is interested in learning more about the church I serve. He might say, “Tell me about your church.” I have discovered that using those descriptors usually leaves the person more confused than enlightened. Explaining the structure of locally independent churches that are part of a loosely-knit fellowship or brotherhood is not as easy as one might think.

Our Restoration Movement forefathers were not seeking to start another denomination. They saw the problems inherent with a hierarchical structure in which the average church member often had little influence. Their back-to-the-Bible philosophy prompted scores of congregations to sever their denominational ties and become independent Christian churches.

Locally autonomy brings several wonderful advantages to a congregation. First, the church is led by elders (pastors) who know the congregation and the community. The apostle Paul told Titus, “Appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (Titus 1:5). In the book of Acts and in some of the epistles we find references to local church leaders. These leaders prayerfully determine the direction and vision for the congregation. They also help ensure that the church stays on course doctrinally.

Another benefit comes in the area of missions support. Rather than sending missions funds to the denominational headquarters to be distributed to missionaries with whom the congregation has little relationship, the church decides at the local level whom it wishes wish to support. It develops a personal connection with the missionaries and parachurch organizations, sometimes sending church members on short-term mission trips. It can also respond directly to specific needs (as in Acts 11). There is also good stewardship to consider. Funds go to the specific mission, rather than also feeding the denominational “machine” (buildings, personnel, etc.).

Another important advantage is that the church is free to practice its faith without fear of outside interference. It is independent of any governing authority (other than the Lord and the Word of God) dictating what it will believe and practice. The congregation can allow the Bible alone to serve as its only rule of faith and practice. Its leaders can implement Restoration Movement principles as they lead people in to a growing relationship with the Lord.

With this emphasis on independence, perhaps a word of caution is in order. Restoration Movement churches have sometimes been guilty of being “too independent.” Local autonomy is wonderfully biblical. But the local church is part of the larger, universal body of Christ. New Testament churches frequently helped one another and partnered with each other in spreading the gospel. The Apostle Peter tell us to, “love the brotherhood of believers” (1 Peter 2:17). Even in our independence, let’s be the kind of people our fellow believers can depend on.

Weekend Plans

We're looking forward to a fun weekend. Our friends Ward and Tonja Rose are up this way for a singing gig. We're going to spend some time with them on Saturday. Some other friends, John & Renee Mitchell are in the Rose's new hometown -- Nashville, for the Country Music Marathon.

After the race, the Mitchells are coming up here for a couple of days. Renee is active duty Air Force and is home for a couple of weeks from her year-long assignment in Turkey.
Old friends from Northampton, we always have a good time with the Roses and Mitchells.


Have a great weekend everybody!

Believe Conference

The Believe conference was awesome. I'm one of those strange people who loves junior high kids (probably because I am STILL that age on the inside). CIY knows how to do things right. Believe rocked!

Junior High Fun

This weekend I will be attending a CIY Believe conference with some Junior High students from Cedar Creek (including my son). Tracy and I used to enjoy going to the Virginia Christian Teen Convention, but it has been several years since I have been to an event like this. I'm looking forward to it.

Spring!

I had the day off today. It was a gorgeous day. I mowed the grass for the first time this spring. It probably could have waited a few more days. But firing up my John Deere lawn tractor and donning a flannel shirt, I was in full redneck mode, and loving it!

Godly Shepherds

We had our monthly elders meeting last night. My favorite part each month is the time we spend in prayer. We share in a meal together and one of the brothers leads a devotion. Then we spend about 40 minutes in prayer. I know that lots of meetings begin with a perfunctory "word of prayer", but the tone of our meeting has changed since we began spending significant time pouring out our hearts before the Lord -- seeking his guidance, praying for the flock, asking for wisdom. I wish the church family could know how much they are really loved by their shepherds. Seeing men of God shed tears over the hurts of the flock and passionately seek the face of God, desperately wanting to make the right decisions for the body -- it warms my heart and encourages my soul. Pray for your elders today. Theirs is a noble task.

I Want You to Want Me

Preaching about Joseph and Potiphar's wife this weekend. I think this might be what she said to him...

American Idol Sings "Shout to the Lord"

My family watches "American Idol" regularly. We were pleasantly surprised to see the contestants on last night's "Idol Gives Back" show singing one of my favorite songs, Shout to the Lord. Yes, they edited it a bit, changing "my Jesus" to "my shepherd", and some of the bloggers are upset about that. And I could have done without Ben Stiller's bleep-filled rant that ended the show (someone's idea of humor, I guess). But still, I'm going to rejoice that the #1 show in America aired a song of praise to the King. Someone made that decision. The song will be downloaded from iTunes all over the world. How awesome is that? View clip here.

UPDATE: They did it again tonight and sang the name of Jesus.

Red Robin Rocks!

Yesterday I traveled to Lansing, Michigan to speak to the preaching class at Great Lakes Christian College. It was a lot of fun. I can really get passionate talking about preaching. Afterwards, my friend Mark Christian and I went to supper at Red Robin. I think I ate the most deliciously awesome burger I have ever consumed. The Bleu Ribbon Burger was incredibly good.

Jury Duty

Yesterday I had to report for Jury Duty. I actually made it into the Jury Box this time. Both lawyers sort of interviewed the potential jurists. Then they eliminated five of us, including yours truly. I‘m pretty sure that defense attorneys want to eliminate anyone who has any common sense. The trial was for a drug charge – a guy was arresting for dealing cocaine. Our conversation went something like this:

Lawyer: Do you know that cocaine is highly addictive?

Me: Yes, I’ve heard that.

Lawyer: Do you know that about 80% of the people in prison are there on drug charges? Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?

Me: My understanding is that this jury has the responsibility to make a decision based on the merits of this case. A discussion of the severity of drug laws and penalties is something you’ll have to take up with the Legislature.

Lawyer: But don’t you think it’s unfair for the police to take advantage of people who are addicted?

Me: I reject the premise of the question. Enforcing the law is not taking advantage of someone. When I was pulled over for speeding, the officer wasn’t taking advantage of me, he was doing his job. (I wish I had said, “I was unaware that people who are addicted are subject to a different set of laws than non-addicts.”)

Lawyer: Thank you juror #11.

Not long after that I was dismissed. Go figure.

Happy April Fools' Day