Thank you to NayNay & Nana! (Faith's Grandmothers)

Faith asked (I know, a surprising act of maturity for a 10 day old) if we could make a special post today, a tribute of thanks to her wonderful grandmothers, NayNay (Jaime's mother) & Nana (Murray's mother). She said is extremely grateful for all of your help, and she is exceedingly (can't believe she used that word) blessed to have you for grandmothers. She can't wait for your next visit!

She reminded Jaime & I to especially thank you for...
the diaper changes
the home-cooked meals
the laundry service
the stork in the yard
the phone answering service
the errand-running service
the grocery shopping...

We really are very grateful to have such wonderful mothers, and to pass these mothers along to Faith as grandmothers. Usually, you pass faith along to your grandchildren. This time, we're passing grandmothers to Faith. (can you tell I'm sleep deprived?)

A Blessing on the 8th Day

Jesus was blessed as an infant on his 8th day of life, and Faith received a blessing today on her 8th day as well! Our dear friends John & Jena (John is a elder/shepherd at our congregation) came over today to read God's Word to Faith, and also to offer a prayer of blessing for her. It was an unforgettable moment, and a blessing to Faith's mom & dad that words cannot express. I can NOT believe Faith is ONE WEEK OLD today! God is so FAITHful.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!

GOD is SO good!

Faith Kinder Sanderson
Arrived Tuesday evening, December 20, 2005, at 7:45 pm.
9 lbs, 12 oz
21 3/4 inches long.

Mother & baby are doing GREAT!

"Kinder" (rhymes with 'tinder') is Jaime's maternal grandmother's maiden name. We love you Gladys, and are so thankful for the heritage of faithfulness and Christ-like living you now hand down to your new great-granddaughter Faith.

(That last pic is of Faith, Jaime & dear friend Emille, Faith's favorite nurse.)

Due Date Has Come & Gone

No baby yet. No downward movement, no engaging, no contractions. Only a scribbled ransom note: "I'm not budging until you guys promise to NOT feed me baby peas or squash or anything else that has absolutely no recognizable color with the consistency of something else I'll be very good at..." (We haven't yet taught him or her about NOT ending a sentence with a preposition.)

Jaime is doing much better today, almost back to normal after yesterday's fever scare. She started feeling a little ill right after KING KONG on Friday afternoon (that movie is EXACTLY why I go to see movies, I loved it. By the way, I love it when people say, the part about the giant pink worms was so not real...like ANY of it was real!) Dinner at Baja Fresh seemed to perk her up. But later Fri pm, she really wasn't on top of her game. Saturday morning, she & her mother headed off for Joann's Fabrics - they were having a sale. (If I ever get hit by a bus, and Jaime is feeling a little down, just tell her there's a fabric sale...it brings her out every time.) After they got back home about noon, Jaime started aching all over, with chills & nausea. Ok, I'm no ob/gyn, but this is not good. REALLY not good when you're 40 weeks + 3 days past due. She quickly developed a fever that escalated throughout the afternoon until about 6:00 pm. At one point, I looked over and I was beside myself. We called the doc several times who helped us get the drugs (legal) we needed. Her fever leveled off after reaching 102 and then started coming back down late Saturday night. Thanks for those of you who prayed feverishly. :)

Ok, so here's the story of precious Gillian from church. If you've read my blog, you'll see I'm on a rampage to get people to stop misusing God's name. In addition to the valley-girl "oh my God", I've even put "oh my gosh" on the hit list...for the same reason my dad & mom wouldn't let me say "crap" or "darn" when I was growing up. It's too close. So I hear about little Gillian, who loves God and who also loves to sing. She is a precious little girl. One day, she is walking around the house singing Matt Redman's "Here I am to Worship"...a modern day worship favorite. Mid-way through the chorus, she sings (and if you sing this line, it's better)...I'll start at the top of the chorus:

Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my Gosh!

Isn't that hysterical! I love it. She was trying to be reverent, as she knew she wasn't supposed to say "God". I just love it. I have gotten so many smiles from that story. One day, when she joins the worship team, I will have her sing that as a solo. Too cute. (Thank you Ellyn & Ramona & the entire family for raising such wonderful Godly kids, and for sharing this story with me about little Gillian.)

Keep praying for our baby to make its debut! There are several scriptures about labor/delivery/only God knowing the day of our birth...they have been very helpful. Your prayers are also carrying us through. Don't give up now! BLOG HUG.

DECEMBER 15TH IS HERE!

Everyone sing with me, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, Praise Father, Son & Holy Ghost! Amen!"

Beautiful, thanks for singing along. Today is our much anticipated due date. We feel so blessed to have gotten here safely. Our precious little bundle of joy is extremely happy, and appears very content...inside of Jaime. The doctor's words were, "I think he/she is somewhere north of your left lung now." :) Please continue to pray for us as we anxiously and prayerfully (can those two go together?) await our baby's arrival. It's snowing like crazy, and it's actually beautiful. The sleet/freezing rain is supposed to begin after the snow stops. So if the baby comes today, I'm hitching up the clydesdales & taking the covered wagon! Hey, a few bumps have been known to assist a laboring woman. Our sonogram scheduled for 3 pm probably won't happen today (they just want to make sure the baby is indeed as happy as he/she seems to be. The heartbeat is always strong.) Thanks for the prayers, and please don't let up now!

I just got back from Santa's workshop. Don't worry, I won't give the address....but it seriously was the most enchanted, special, joyful place I've been in a long time. You see, our church had a really fun talent show last Sunday night (see pics at www.fxcc.org ). For admission, we asked people to bring a book or a toy to give away. Paul B. (a regular 2nd miler) and I just got back from delivering the majority of the toys to the warehouse operated by "Our Neighbor's Child", a non-profit agency here in Chantilly. (Some toys will be given to families associated with our church through our holiday food baskets.) We drove up to the building, could see no sign of life or light inside. All the doors were dark, until we found one with a sign on it in the very back. It was a HUUUUUUGE warehouse. We peeked in the door, thinking we would see nothing but a dark empty room, and there were toys EVERYWHERE! Little elves (men, women & children) were bustling around, organizing toys into neat stacks & according to family wish lists. There was a station where 10 or so people worked on laptops hooked up to some kind of server, and they were printing out these wish lists of people who were in need. There was a long row of brand new bicycles...all of the toys were brand new, mind you. There were piles of books, and barbies, and trucks, and cars, and everything a kid could ever want. I SO WISH I had had my camera with me. For everyone who brought a toy on Sunday night, I wish you could've been there as well. It would've warmed your heart to see such a wonderful organization helping so MANY children get the toys they previously could only dream about. It's times like this when you realize that good will really prevail, that God is sovereign, that there are tons of really good hearted people out there helping others out. Totally cool.

Tune in tomorrow for little Gillian's version of "Here I Am To Worship", it's a must read.

Baby Watch, 1 Day & Counting! (and a story about God's Name)

First, baby news. No baby yet. Our due date is tomorrow, Dec 15th. My precious wife looks more beautiful every day, and is extremely ready to hold our sweet baby in her arms. I am as well. But these are precious days, and being pregnant is an incredible blessing. We are savoring every moment. Thanks SO MUCH for all of your prayers. Please pray that the baby will engage & that Jaime will get to have the natural birth that we have prepared for!

Thanks to all of you who weighed in on our Baby Sanderson Pool. Those of you who predicted the baby would come early have lost out, but take heart, you do receive a consolation prize... a birth announcement. :)

Separate subject...

As I've posted about before, it bothers me to hear people say "Oh, my God!" in careless conversation, or worse, in anger. I have done my fair share of slipping up, and none of us are without sin, but we can all do better with revering God's name. Just yesterday, our wonderful 'church mother/receptionist bar none' Lynn greeted the UPS man with a friendly greeting & pointed him to the MANY HEAVY boxes we were sending via UPS to kids in the Dominican Republic. He promptly and loudly exclaimed, "Oh, my God!" Without shaming or condemning him, she quickly and firmly said to him, "Let's not take the Lord's name in vain." She said this in her own way, with a smile and a wink, and then began to help him get organized with all of our boxes. So there's was nothing "church-lady-esque" about it. I overheard this from my office, and I was so happy! Someone standing up for the Lord and for His Name! How AWESOME. That UPS man may not change his language everywhere, but when he's here in our midst, hopefully he'll remember that this is a place where God's name is treated with the utmost respect & honor.

Tune in tomorrow when I share the most adorable story about a little girl from our church protecting God's name. She's 18-months old, and her version of "Here I Am to Worship" is altogether reverent in her own special way! (who knows, tomorrow's post could hold pics of a new baby! only God knows!)

Thanks for a great shower!

Jaime & I would like to say thanks to our church family for a wonderful baby shower. We were overwhelmed by your kindness & generosity, and we are humbled by your outpouring of gifts. Many of you know that we left a wonderful congregation behind in Dallas two years ago that we still love very much. (and who gave us a baby shower back in September!) We also left my family, most of which live in the Dallas area. We had been at Preston Road for a combined total of 15 years, so it really felt like home to us. To be embraced so fully by our new church family here in Fairfax is nothing short of a blessing from God. We love you, and feel very blessed to be working in the kingdom alongside all of you. You make this journey so enjoyable.

Thank you to all the hostesses, especially Nancy McKelvey, who hosted our shower after having cooked for 100 people at Camp Wamava all weekend, and who then turned around and fed 25 people at her small group on Sunday evening. A real 2nd miler!

(and yes, that's Marge Eyler at the top left picture...Marge doesn't get out for every church shower, and it meant so much to have her at ours! We love you Marge!)

The Power of Music / Christmas Recommendations

I get a daily email from "All Pro Dads"...today's underscores the POWER of music to minister to people, to help them connect with their grief (in this instance).

"The composer Ludwig von Beethoven was not known for his social graces. Because of his deafness, he found conversation difficult. When a close friend’s son died, Beethoven, overcome with sorrow, rushed to his friend’s house. While he couldn’t say how he felt, he did see a piano...and for the next half-hour, poured out his grief through the keyboard. No one else’s support meant so much."

Isn't that awesome!

A few recommendations about Christmas CDs...Steven Curtis Chapman's 2005 release is great, even though the duet with Vince Gill is a little like leftover casserole. Chapman's daughter's influence / involvement on the CD are priceless. Neat story. Try Andrew Peterson's"Behold the Lamb of God" (www.independentmusic.com) for a great CD telling the story of the birth of Christ...starts with the Passover, so it's quite comprehensive. He's a great writer. The song about the birth "Labor of Love" is especially poignant to us this year. And for the MOST INCREDIBLE VERSION OF "O Holy Night", try Selah's Christmas CD from a few years back. Their rendition begins & ends with chords of mystery & tension, which is truly what surrounded Christ's birth. Why Selah is not the best selling Christian group is beyond me, except that I'm 37 years old, and have no clue about what really sells.

We had the most fantastic baby shower from the Fairfax Church of Christ yesterday. Pictures & review tomorrow...a good place to start is THANK YOU. YOU HAVE BLESSED OUR LIVES SO MUCH. WE LOVE OUR CHURCH FAMILY.

It's snowing like crazy right now, we're expecting 3 to 5 inches...AWESOME! Let's just hope I listened really well in our childbirth classes, as I may be getting the sheets/towels/hot water ready for a home birth if we're snowed in & the baby decides it's time.

Cutting Down the Christmas Tree

Ok, thank you to the one person (Suzy G) who made a comment on my very serious blog from yesterday. Regardless of whether you take the time to read it, just know that God is doing amazing things through people still today, Rick Warren case in point. What God has done with Rick's affluence & influence is truly inspiring.

As promised, here are some pics from our recent Christmas tree expedition, with our dear friends Chris & Mindy Bedard. They totally rock. I'm also throwing in some T'giving pics as well.
Happy weekend!

World AIDS Day

I never knew World AIDS Day was December 1st. I vaguely rememer hearing about World AIDS Day in recent years. Today, I got an email from Rick Warren, the senior minister at 22,000 member Saddleback Church, which Rick started with his wife in 1980, about how I could help our government raise awareness of the AIDS crisis, and what I could do TODAY to help in the effort. At first I was like, oh yeah, another email from mega-millionaire Rick Warren...the guy who does cool things for God in a really big way, things I could never do.

Then I thought, GET BEHIND ME SATAN, I WILL NOT BUY THAT LIE. I'm a child of God, a disciple of Jesus Christ, who said that the Father would do even greater things through those that followed Him (Jesus). Why should I cower at what Rick is doing, and believe that kind of GOD-activity can only happen in Southern California?

After I read the email from Rick, I picked up my favorite periodical, Cutting Edge, produced by the Vineyard Church. It's an excellent magazine, always convicting. The feature article was on Rick Warren. I can't get away from this guy!

If you're not aware, Rick Warren authored The Purpose Driven Life, which is the best-selling non-fiction book in American history. He talks openly in this article about how he used the millions & millions that started pouring in from book sales to 1. repay Saddleback Church every dime of salary they had paid him over 25 years, and 2. to set up 3 non-profit foundations. He said he & his wife were determined not to change their lifestyle, or to spend the millions on themselves. Rick still drives a four-year old Ford truck. They did not buy a bigger home, nor a guest home. The Saddleback Church now has 22,000 members, and has PLANTED 34 CHURCHES. They have 2,600 small groups. This man is not afraid of letting God work powerfully in his life. Here are a few Rick quotes from the article.

About the church in a corporate world:

"In the body of Christ, we are a body, not a business. I'm totally against the corporate model of organization. We are an organism, not an organization. We are a family, and families aren't based on policies, but on relationships, and the greater the relationship, the greater the trust."

About what Americans need from the church:

What I think people in America are asking is "are Christians going to care about the things we expect them to care about: justice, poverty, illness, the works of Jesus. A lot of people want to study the steps of Jesus. I say, let's study the stops of Jesus. What did Jesus stop to do? What kind of things did He allow to interrupt His agenda? We need to have a kind of openness to 'Lord, what do you want me to do next?'"

About stewardship:

"When Kay & I got married 30 years ago, we started raising our tithe every year by one percent. So after the first year of marriage, we went to eleven percent, second year twelve, third year to thirteen, and so on. We did that because we found that every time we give, it broeke the grip of materialism in our life. It made us more like Jesus. It makes my heart grow bigger every time I'm generous. Well, now we've been married 30 years, and we actually give away 90 percent and we live on ten. And, honestly, that's just a whole lot of fun! And, really, I don't have a lot of needs. I just need to replace socks occasionally."

About the President of Rwanda:

"The President of Rwanda read The Purpose Driven Life a year ago, wrote me a note and said, 'It changed my life. I want you to come to Rwanda. We want to be the first Purpose-Driven Nation!'"


It's natural and easy to sit back and think, wow, God, that's nice that you did that through Rick Warren, but my circumstances are different. I could never accomplish those sort of things. So here's a final prayer-thought from me..."O God, I believe in You, and Your power to touch this world and interact with your people. I am thankful for what You've done in and through Rick Warren. I believe You can & will do powerful things in me, and through me, for a lost & dying world for your glory; help my unbelief!"

Tune in tommorrow for pictures from our recent trip to Lucketts, VA to cut down our Christmas tree!








(www.vineyardusa.org)

Thanksgiving Day is Almost Here!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm starting early! If Christmas is celebrated over 12 days, then why can't Thanksgiving be stretched a little. Who's with me? "On the first day of Thanksgiving, I started with a salad..." It doesn't fit the tune as well, so let's make a new song for Thanksgiving.

Actually, we started Sunday night with an INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS Thanksgiving meal with our Small Group. Funny thing, every single member of our small group was in attendance...hmmm...thanks everyone for contributing to a great feast. From the pasta salad to the homemade mac & cheese, brocc casserole & pot roast to the chocolate surprise, it was terrific.

Thanks to everyone who registered a guess on Baby Sanderson's arrival. Bruce's guess of January 1st was not welcomed by my lovely wife. However, if Lincoln/Faith should put off his/her grand entrance 2.5 weeks, yes, Bruce will get the cash prize. DOUBT IT. We'll see...we are so excited to hold that little baby, we can hardly stand it! Thanks to Jessica M who helped us paint part of our scripture border in the nursery.

And wow, so many guesses that the baby will be FAITH! Cool! Our resident expert in predicting an unborn child's gender (Lisa, our children's minister) is putting her money on LINCOLN. We shall see...speaking of, President Lincoln was the president who first proclaimed a national holiday for Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving is special for many reasons...only our 2nd one as a married couple, and our last one pre-kids-outside-the-womb, our 1st one in Virginia far far away from family (sob), etc. Jaime & I both feel so blessed to have such loving friends & families (families of origin and spiritual families). We are also grateful for jobs that we enjoy, a home, two cars, and plenty of milk & Double-Stuff Peanut Butter Oreos (no, they're not as good as original Double-Stuff.) Of course, after the spiritual blessings we enjoy through Christ, our baby is the #1 thing on our "what I'm most thankful for..." list. Celebrating God's blessings this week will be fun to say the least.

From Psalm 69:30..."I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."

Happy Feasting everyone.

Place your bets, Ladies & Gentlemen!

We're ONE MONTH away from Baby Sanderson's arrival. Jaime & I are both so excited and can hardly wait to meet our little babe. The nursery is almost ready, we are putting the finishing touches on tommorrow night. We had a wonderfully generous baby shower at Jaime's school today. (Thanks Brookfield! See pics below.) We won't talk about how in my sugar-induced-shower-cake-and-punch-and-mints-high I demonstrated where the nursing pads are to be applied.

The baby is due December 15th, but only the Lord above knows its' exact arrival day & time, and if it's a boy or a girl. (and the sonogram tech who has long since forgotten). To make things interesting, and to win a prize of $25 (twenty-five dollars) in CASH, just in time for Christmas spending, place a wager in the "Baby Sanderson Sweepstakes Pool" by entering your guess on the following information in a 'comment' to this post:

Gender: (Faith or Lincoln)
Birth date:
Weight:
Time of arrival: (for example, 12:37 pm, in case of a tie)

This pool is a little different than your basic Superbowl office pool. You pay nothing to enter, but we ask that you PRAY daily for Jaime & little Lincoln/Faith as the birth-day draws near.

Thanks for playing, and thanks also for PRAYing for Jaime & the baby during this last month. We'll announce the winner in mid-December...or sooner? or later?

Stay tuned.

Powerhouse 2005 was incredible! Seeing 700 people praising God for an hour straight Saturday night, at the top of their lungs, was simply awesome. God was "awesome in that place" as the song says. Chris led us in the song called "This Is How We Overcome" where the chorus celebrates the fact that God has TURNED our mourning into dancing...and we actually turned in the pews! To me, it was worship "in spirit and in truth". We had our minds fully engaged, and our spirits as well. It brought to mind another key text on worship..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul & strength." We are called to pour out our love to God with our entire being, and that song gives us permission to do it. Thanks to God who worked through Chris & Jessica and our wonderful congregation to bring about a terrific youth event, that adults enjoyed as well.

Baby Sanderson is doing flips & kicking like crazy. Heartbeat is strong, and Jaime is doing well. Saw the doc today, we're 35 weeks along. As we were checking out, the receptionist said to me, referring to Jaime, "she's so cute!" I proudly said, "Thank you" as if I were her father. I quickly corrected myself..."It's not like I'm her father, I'm just proud to have a cute wife!" The receptionist laughed & agreed. Tonight's goal: pack the infamous "we're going to the hospital" suitcase!

After several weeks of drought in late summer/early fall, we've had some nice rain showers. Our Fall has turned absolutely gorgeous! This pic doesn't do it justice, but let's just say, Jaime has some raking to do. Kidding! I've asked her to supervise safely from the couch where she'll have a perfect view of me raking & bagging all of these beautiful leaves.

Halloween Still Alive in our Cove

I've heard lots of people saying how few trick-or-treaters they had...forget about it!

We had 50! We counted because Jaime chose PRETZELS for us to give out. Talk about being the nerd house on the cove. If we had had a pumpkin sitting out there, I'm sure it would've been bashed. We knew exactly how many bags of pretzels we had, 60...and we had 10 left when the last pillow-case-toting gremlin left our stoop. We gave each treater 1 bag. Okay, we also gave them a tootsie roll pop. Jaime was so cute, we are trying to cut down on expenses leading up to Baby Sanderson's arrival in December. She went to Costco to buy bulk chocolate for our costumed visitors, and she came home with pretzels & tootsie roll pops. I love my wife.

Today ushered in our 34 week visit to the doc! We feel so grateful, God is so good, this checkup was like the others...the doc said everything with Jaime & the baby was terrific. What a blessing. 6 weeks to go, and there's plenty left to do...but mostly little odd jobs. We visited our friends from Bradley class last night before church, and the new father had built the coolest red barn doors for closet doors in their baby's nursery. He also hand-made a picket fence for the perimeter of the room. I thought I was doing good painting the room & putting the crib together!

Here's a headline from Christian Chronicle that I'll leave with you: "Tsunami orphans give money to Katrina victims." Awesome.

Purpose of the Worship Team

The worship team at FXCC exists to strengthen & edify the church. Our key verse is I Corinthians 14, which is basically one of the few passages we have in the New Testament that describes what should happen in a corporate gathering of Christians. Verse 26 is our motto..."all of this must be done for the strengthening of the church."

We hope that which excites us (singing to God about His infinite power & awesomeness & majesty & greatness...) will be contagious, so that those who gather with us on Sunday mornings may do the same.

Basically we sing on songs which are not yet firmly in our church's repertoire (aka familiarity bucket). We hope the 'group' form of leadership will enable more people to have access to these wonderful new songs. As a song leader, I can start songs & sing one vocal part. Nothing wrong with that. But as a team, we can sing all the vocal parts, and encourage others to join in more readily.

When I moved up here from Dallas 2 years ago {Nov 1, 2003 was my 1st day on the job here...happy anniversary to me}, I had been working within a worship team framework for 13 years. It's important for me to be able to state the purpose of the team so our church can best benefit from this format. I'll be writing more about the vision/mission/purpose of worship teams in days to come.

Thanks everyone.

Baby Sanderson is kicking like a mule [the last time I'll ever compare our little genius to a barnyard animal], and we get more & more excited everyday. His/her room is mostly ready. Jaime is doing a fantastic job preparing our home for the baby. I feel so blessed to be her husband. Organizing closets, drawers, clothing, she seems to have endless energy now, with fewer naps needed. Amazing! I think she feels the best yet, at 33.5 weeks! Jaime put the new handles on the dresser we are going to use, and let me just say, that hardware makes ALL the difference on vintage wood dressers. We got a ceiling fan/light installed this past weekend in the nursery...there had previously been only a lamp with no overhead light at all. It's shaping up! Thanks for your continued prayers.

20 months with my beautiful wife!

We recently celebrated 20 months together. These pics are from our recent visit to a B & B in rural Virginia.
I know, I know. Most people celebrate annual anniversaries, not monthlies. My friend Daisha who interned at our church last summer, would always correct me when she heard me speaking of our "anniversary" when it was truly a month-i-versary. But hey, when you're 37, and about to have a baby, you celebrate the months AND the years.
Thank you honey, for marrying me, and making me the happiest man alive! I love you!
MS

We've got a little soccer player in the making!

Baby Sanderson (Lincoln Harold Sanderson or Faith Kinder Sanderson...that's the first time I've ever typed his or her name out...it brought a smile to my face!) is quite a kicker! We rejoice with each big kick and each little punch and every roll of the baby. This is such a fun stage, and we are trying to soak it all in. We're 32 1/2 weeks along...due December 15. Please keep us in your prayers.

Had a great visit with my mom & sister this past weekend, who came for a fall getaway to Keswick Hall in Charlottesville, and then on to Williamsburg. Fall is a WONDERFUL time to be in Virginia...actually, there's not a bad season here except for the occasionally smothering humid hot summer afternoon. The colors are in, and the trees are beautiful. We're looking forward to seeing Mom & Mel again on Thursday before they head back to Dallas.

Had a TERRIFIC worship team retreat this past weekend! Thanks everyone! Let's keep talking up our vision of encouraging our church to praise God wholeheartedly. Lifting up God's name in song is the passion of my life (Jaime & baby excluded) and I'm thankful to be working alongside such insightful, talented people. And wow, wasn't Joan memorable! Thanks to John, our elder, for your message of inspiration & encouragement. A few pics from the retreat...

How Great is Our God!

I recently received this email from my dear friend and FXCC member Dave about his reflection on God's goodness, springing from two songs we often sing: the classic hymn "How Great Thou Art" and "How Great Is Our God".

Why is Our God So Great?

Have you ever asked yourself this question? It almost seems like I need to whisper it, because I’m afraid God might hear me doubting Him. But two songs I know of – one old, and one new – tell me some very definite things for which I can admire God. How Great Thou Art (#76 in Songs of Faith and Praise) allows me to thank God for His creativity, for His incredible generosity to me through the gift of Jesus, and for making my eternity certain. There are so many things God has done for all of us, it sometimes seems a little weak as I try to thank Him by singing a few words. Perhaps the words in that old hymn let us say to the Creator ‘thanks’ for those things which are tangible, and for those gifts which should be most meaningful. A new song –maybe not unlike the one I’ll sing in heaven—let’s me marvel at His nature, His being, and not so much because of what He’s doing for me. ‘How Great Is Our God’ isn’t a question, it’s a proclamation that our God is glorious. He exists where there’s light, and everything trembles at the sound of Him. One phrase calls Him a lion and a lamb, which to us earthbound beings is confusing, until I read that He’s timeless, and capable of being both creatures. A lion…strong and courageous, and capable of inspiring fright in those nearby. A lamb…can you imagine anything more gentle? Our God is a doer, and I thank Him for creating and taking care of me eternally. But there are times that I need to stand in wonder of Him, just be near the Holy One and imagine (like another song tells me to do ‘…I can only imagine’) what awaits me after life here on earth. Being near – no, IN Christ is almost too much to fathom. But it lifts me, somehow. Wow, is all I can say at the moment…

Thank you Dave, your thoughts inspire & encourage us all to ponder what we sing, and to meditate on God's goodness. Sometimes "wow" is all there is...

This weekend is our Worship Team retreat! AWESOME! I am so pumped. I'm even glad it's raining...because we could use the rain, and it forces us to be inside allowing the brightness of God's presence to shatter the gray clouds outside. Say a prayer that God will lead us and inspire us, and show us HIS WILL for our ministry as we meet together tonight & tomorrow morning.

Jaime had her 32 week check-up on Wednesday of this week. Baby's heartbeat was strong. The doctor said Jaime & the baby are "perfect". I couldn't agree more. Please keep Jaime & the baby in your prayers as we approach mid-December. Thanks for all the prayers & well wishes already!

Above All Lyrics

My good friend Ronald asked me the following question today about the song "Above All".

In the song "Above All" there is a comparison of Jesus with a rose. Do you
understand it? A rose certainly doesn't think about anybody, and I'm not
sure what they mean by "took the fall."

Great question...here goes...

A beautiful, perhaps the globally recognized most beautiful flower...with the most highly regarded aroma...and the highest demand for flower arrangements...a ROSE. Imagine it being trampled underfoot. That's what happened to our Rose of Sharon. (Song of Solomon 2:1) He, the most beautiful person (on the inside) was cast down and trampled by mankind. He embraced the fall of man...our decision to disobey God. Thus, he took, he assumed, he owned the fall. We should have taken the fall, instead we simply fell, but didn't have to pay the ultimate price.

Now, the song continues on "you took the fall, and thought of me above all." You might could argue that instead of thinking of US, he was thinking of "who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame" (Hebrews 12:2). I'm not sure we, the people He died for, are truly the JOY...or is HEAVEN, BEING WITH GOD the joy set before Him. But I'm quite confident that the love Jesus had for the sinners who were crucifying him was one of his motivators for going to/staying on the cross.


Anyone want to weigh in? It's great to think through song lyrics.

(Speaking of roses, as I write, there are 20 beautiful red roses on our kitchen table. Yes, Jaime & I celebrated our 20 month anniversary last Friday. I don't usually spring for roses on the monthlies, but this time, I went for it. It's the last time I'll give Jaime roses prior to our having a child. It's so funny, all of these "this is the last time we'll go through Halloween without a child" moments. Babies change everything, or so I'm told.)

Last Sunday's Sermon ~ the Body of Christ

Ok, I realize this post is about 5 days late, but let me just say that last Sunday's sermon was incredible. Bruce is preaching through Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life.
Last Sunday we concentrated on the theme that 'you were created to be part of the body of Christ.'

So true. We were not created to live isolated lives, with our paths only crossing for an hour on Sunday mornings.

From the very beginning, the FXCC worship ministry has had I Cor 14:26 as it's theme verse...all of this (introducing new songs, mic'd singers, creative scripture readings, congregational readings, meet/greet, etc.) must be done for the strengthening of the church...the church overall, not you, not your family, not "the way you were raised"...the church that meets now at 3901 Rugby Road. What we do together in worship should build us up as a body. Our primary goal is to give glory to God, but if we're causing chaos in the body, our hearts have a hard time entering the throne room.

Thank you FXCC for being a great big wonderful diverse loving body of Christ. Let's continue to seek God together in worship, for His glory, with the thought of strengthening each other to perfect unity...not sameness, but unified in spirit.

We are the body of Christ!

Second Milers

I'm so thankful the Fairfax church is made up of people who go the 2nd mile regularly. Just to name a few...

Thanks to Ed Cox, who regularly makes sure trees on our property are cut down, chopped down, pushed down, or pulled down at the proper time. Yesterday, I helped Ed with two old dead pines, and at one point, I was worried that my baby might not have a daddy. It's not always safe to go the 2nd mile.

Thanks to Grace Sundling, who makes sure our grass looks good, and who regularly weeds our gigantic juniper beds at the Burning Bush entrance to our property. Grace took soil samples earlier in the summer and had them analyzed so she would know best how to treat the grass for weeds. Some of you leave soil when you come in our building, Grace takes soil away. Thanks Grace!

Thanks to John Cleveland & Dave Golden, who have spent hours with our staff in the past several weeks, applying tried & true business principles to help us think strategically about the Kingdom. Today's 2 hour session was very helpful. Once we find our target, we shoot it, right? I better look at my notes again, or our visitors may be in danger.

Keep going the 2nd mile, FXCC folks. No pain no gain. (except when you have the flu, and then you just have pain for no reason at all, and nothing comes of it, except you're glad to be done with it! Thanks everyone for your well wishes. I'm firing on all cylinders again.)

Looking forward to rehearsal tonight !

Week 30 Begins!

[Friday, Oct 7th]

This morning we heard our baby’s heartbeat again, for the 7th or 8th time at least. Every time we do, it’s a terrific, invigorating, intimidating, scary, hope-filled moment. I always hold my breath until the doctor picks up the heartbeat on the Doppler. But there it was again today, strong as ever…

Today’s visit was great because the Dr. was able to feel Jaime’s tummy and tell us where the baby’s head, rear, arms, legs were. How cool! (Fact: from her directions, I’ve most recently been talking to his or her rear! Now I know!) And the baby’s moves are getting exciting because you can see them as well as feel them. (and for the past 2 or 3 weeks really.)

[Saturday, Oct 8th]

Back to me…I’ve still got fever, chills, aches, etc. Day 6 of the flu! It started Monday at noon. I have never had this strain before. And thanks be to God, Jaime has NOT caught it yet. We’re really missing not being at Zoe this weekend. Thanks for the phone call, Deen. And my thanks to my wife, Jaime, who has taken such good care of me this week, despite being 30 weeks pregnant. She's an amazing woman.

My thanks to Lane Lawrence who was already lined up to lead worship at Fairfax this Sunday…I look forward to worshipping under your leadership, bro!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT (don’t worry, the baby is fine, read on…)

Went to the doctor today, found out I had the flu or some other type of infection. Doc says it should last 3 or 4 more days. So, we have decided NOT to attend the 2005 Zoe Worship Conference in Nashville! Major bummer. (I’m writing this at 7:48 pm, when I should be at church with my worship team peeps praising the Lord and working on growing our skills together for the building up of the church! Man, the flu is a drag. Thank you to Lane Lawrence for filling in tonight, and Sunday morning.)

Things we’ll miss by not going to Zoe:
• Networking with other worship ministers around the country
• Catching up with old friends
• Worshipping God in a powerful way with 1,200 people
• Learning, growing, maturing in my role as worship leader
• Seeing our ‘ole buds from Preston Road (and Jaime’s college buddy Candace)
• The beautiful fall foliage of Nashville, TN (ok, so maybe their color hasn’t come in yet…and hopefully they’ve had more rain than we have, or it won’t be very colorful)
• Going back to the church where we got hitched in a midnight ceremony on Valentines Day 2004
• An annual ritual…I think I’ve gone to this conference for 6 out of the 8 past Octobers…

I could go on, but I’m too depressed. Also, it’s time to take more Tylenol to combat this fever / aches, etc.

Suffice it to say, we will miss terribly having this amazing experience…it was to be our last trip together before the baby comes.

We’ll enjoy the time at home, being together…maybe we’ll even register for baby stuff this weekend. I know I will get to feeling better more quickly by resting and taking it easy as opposed to getting on a plane at 8 am in the morning and non-stop fellowship/worship/funfest all weekend. I just had to mourn a bit. I’m better now.

Say, isn’t Martha Stewart’s new apprentice show on Wednesday nights? NOT.

Too much Freedom of Speech

I mentioned in a post last week that we were unfortunately subjected to an extremely offensive conversation on our flight from Dallas to Washington last Saturday night. The only reason it bears mentioning here is that I think as Christians we must start speaking up more in situations such as this.

Here’s what happened. A man and woman were seated in the row behind us, with one seat between them. Over the 2.5 hour flight, I learned WAY too much about this couple. They worked for the same Dallas-based company and were headed to Reston, VA for a training seminar. The guy was married. The girl was divorced. They ordered beers twice (at $5 each) and I’m certain their beverage choice reduced their natural levels of decorum and/or shame. His only hope after we landed and he checked into the hotel room was that the bar downstairs might still be open.

They spoke loudly and openly, using four-letter words as main staples in their vocabulary. (As she often does, Jaime put in ear plugs so she could sleep better on the plane. She still heard most of their conversation.) And it wasn’t an argument; it was just a co-worker chat on a long plane ride. She lamented her divorce and also spoke of her recent purchase of $200 jeans. He spoke of bars and was trying to get to know her better. I got the feeling that his marriage wasn’t all it could be.

The conversation was totally inappropriate and offensive. Looking back on it, I wish I had turned around and started a conversation. I could have said something like this. “I overhead your seminar is in Reston, I live in this area and it’s a great place for a corporate meeting, lots of good restaurants and shopping. You should really enjoy it. I hope it goes well. [change of subject] If you don’t mind, would you please lower your voices a bit, especially when you say words like _________ and _________? I find those words offensive. That would be much appreciated. Thanks, and enjoy your time in the D.C. area!” Can you imagine the looks on their faces when I turned around?

Usually, my first reaction in situations like these is to send a dirty, unapproving glance their way. But really, this brief life calls for more directness…more straightforward speech. I also began wondering what my life, my speech would be like if I didn’t have Christ in my life. What if no one has ever taken the time to tell these people about the life-changing grace & forgiveness of God? I truly did care about their souls. Normally, I view plane conversations as potential outreach moments…from the sound of things, I jumped to the conclusion that they would not be interested in Jesus.

A year from now, when we have a child within hearing distance of words like this, it won’t be a problem. I’ll have no trouble mustering up courage. But my goal is to have the Proverbs 4 kind of “speak from the heart” speech that it completely honest and direct in all conversations, without having to have exterior motivations (children around, or fearing for their souls.) I don’t want to suffer in silence anymore, and I don’t believe I have to…it’s okay to speak up and challenge a total stranger if his or her behavior is offensive. Maybe a well-worded admonition will make someone think, and plant a seed that a better way of life is out there somewhere.

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6

Any suggestions??????

Quick Recap of the Weekend

Great visit with our friend, Sharon, from Indiana. She came in Wednesday morning, and left last night. Lots of great laughs, reminiscing, meals, fun. We toured Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, the national mall on Saturday. INCREDIBLE weather. This visit was Sharon's first to D.C.; it's so fun to discover all of those stirring monuments with someone for the first time.

I performed the wedding of Keith & Beatriz on Saturday afternoon & met so many nice new people. It's always so exciting to see a couple all nervous before, and then all happy & relaxed afterwards. They were determined to make God the focal point of their marriage, so they sought out our church via the internet. Too cool. I loaned Beatriz's 5-yr old son, Jimmy, my fructis hair gel right before the ceremony, and he was very grateful. I'm certain one of my legacies on earth will be the effective use/application of product.

Jaime, Sharon & I went to see "Flight Plan", Jodie Foster's new movie on Saturday night after the wedding. A GREAT movie, even if it is de ja vu of "Panic Room". What can she say? She does well under pressure, so hey, let 'em make another one in a few years. Maybe on a boat this time, instead of a house or an airplane. I'll pay $10 to see it. Seriously, it's a great flick and it emphasizes the essentiality of clinging to the truth when everyone else around you is lying to you. Seeing how the devil is the father of lies, we encounter those kinds of situations every day in our lives. HOLD ON to the truth, and it will set you free!

We sang "How Great Is Our God" for the 1st time on Sunday morning, followed by "How Great Thou Art". Chris Tomlin wrote the 1st one, and suggested the pairing of it with the classic hymn. "How Great Is Our God" is one of the songs we're learning for Powerhouse 2005, so I wanted to get it out there in front of the church. It worked well, even if we were still polishing the harmony parts! Hey, all God asked for was a joyful noise! :) God loves it when we sing our hearts out to him, and I'm hoping that's what everyone did (and does) on Sunday mornings, regardless of how perfect it sounds.

After 2nd service, Nita confessed Jesus as lord of her life, and was baptized into him! What an AWESOME way to "end" the Sunday morning worship time. Praise God, and welcome to the family, Nita. Thanks for sharing your faith, Vicki. We must remember that when we open our mouths to share, that God will draw people to Him.

Our 1st ever Block Party yesterday afternoon was terrific, despite the 1/2 gallon of water I got up my nose while bobbing for apples. Bruce & John were favorites in the dunk tank. The cake walk, the cotton candy, popcorn, not one but TWO inflatable obstacle courses, horseshoes, face-painting, balloon animals...it was all good, and hopefully fostered a sense of community between our church and the surrounding neighbors. Thanks for the great weather, God!

We leave for the annual ZOE worship conference in Nashville early Thursday morning. It's going to be a quick week in the office. Lane will be leading at FXCC this Sunday.

Have a fun Monday everyone! And if I could figure out how to post pictures on this thing, it would really be a lot better! Anyone??? Hello Picasa confuses me big time.

Trip to Dallas

I promised a post about our trip to Dallas...it was so fantastic. Here's a quick review.
Landed Thursday night, triple digit temperature.
Bro get caught in traffic, we hailed a cab, driver was from Thailand. Having both spent time in Thailand, we enjoyed the chat, plus it helped him stay awake. Very scary to be going 60 mph on LBJ with your driver's eyes shut.
Delicious dinner at Darla & Michael's...great time with the family. The nephews loved touching Jaime's tummy. "I felt him kick!" Sterling was just certain that "Baby Jack Jack" was just about to pop out of Jaime's belly button. I really think he could have caught the baby and cut the cord. He's a very confident and mature 3 year old. We saw pictures of hunting trips at the ranch, and Michael told a fantasy story about 'Cowboy Baby Jack Jack'. It's neat to see that our baby is already becoming part of family lore.
Friday:
Quality time with the family, just hanging out. Yummy breakfast Mom! Thanks for treating us like royalty and having all of our favorite foods. Played hide-n-go seek with B & B...you can't hide on the roof, Briggy! Trip to Academy, found some running shoes 1/2 off...a trip to Dallas wouldn't be successful without shopping. Jaime & the girls headed to Pottery Barn at Stonebriar, after a quick bite at one of our fav's, Schlotzky's.
Dinner at Blue Mesa, incredible! We loved the sweet potato chips & Blue Mesa salsa, and my crab cakes were scrumptious. It's a fun family spot.
Then off to our baby shower from our buds at the Preston Road c of c! Too fun. Thanks everyone! Holly, you rock. You all make us feel so loved & special...we keep up with everyone through the weekly bulletin (Thanks Bud & Kitten!). We'll always talk about "it all started at the Preston Road c of c in Dallas, Texas..." (our relationship that is, not our baby) Over the years, the people of PRCC have taught me so much about life, love & life in Christ. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. (Oh yeah, nice work, Marc & Maria. Don't let 'em bulldoze it anytime soon.)
Saturday:
Had a brisk walk with my dear friend / sister Mel. Always good hanging with you, sis! I've always remembered what you told me to always remember. Same back to you. Then breakfast & off to see 3 out of 4 nephews play their games. Stone kicked rear end (literally) at his soccer game, Briggs did very well despite the vengeful parents shouting "kick him back, Johnny, you have my permission" on the opposing team. I'm not kidding, that's worth a post right there. Briggs' team won, thankfully. Bennett hit a hard triple to left field to help his team on to victory on the baseball diamond. Bennett changed quickly and headed off to a hockey game. Wow, it's a busy schedule for a 13 year old. We had to say goodbye to the fam at that point and head off to Ft. Worth for Monica's wedding.
Monica & Aric's wedding at the Richland Hills church was AWESOME. I had only met Aric once, but Donny Vaughn did such an incredible job, we all felt like we knew Monica & Aric so well by the way he conducted the ceremony. You officiated like an old pro, Donny! Very impressive. Aric looked studly & Monica looked beautiful, of course. Radiant puts it mildly. We are both so happy for you guys. The song "Shine on Us" during the unity candle was the highlight for me. Plus, the slideshow at the beginning...it's so cool that you guys hunt together! We hope you guys had a terrific time on your honeymoon, and can't wait to see you on our next trip to DFW...baby in tow! (us, not you, well...probably not you.)
And a huge Virginia-sized thank you to our dear friend Becky B who helped "get us to the church on time." Little did we know, she was harboring a dangerous mono-ish disease and was quickly overcome after the nuptials. We both know she simply didn't want to take us to the airport afterwards...but the faked shaking was extremely convincing so we were happy to make new friends in Danny & Jody, who interestingly enough had direct ties to Thailand. Danny's g'dad is the g'daddy of all Thai missions in our faith tradition. Too cool. Thanks for the ride! (We later learned that Becky was fine after a quick trip to the doc-in-a-box...we're so glad, Becky...we love you!) And Blair, great to reconnect with you, but too bad you dodged taking us to the airport. We could've shared so much.
We landed back at Washington-Dulles at around 11 pm, went to bed after midnight.
Aaaahhhhh, we love our family, and we love Texas!

Adoption!

Sorry I haven't been able to post about our Dallas trip today. I found out this morning that our church will be "adopting" 1, possibly 2 families who are relocating from the gulf coast after Katrina. Everyone is buzzing around here! We are hustling around, getting our house (formerly known as "the youth house", now known as the "storage house") in order. They move in Monday, and there a few things, to put it mildly, which need to be done. Thank you Mike, Angelia, Denise & Allen for helping make this happen. It's one thing to give generously & send a check...our church certainly did that to the tune of $90k. However, it's another to have a family move in to the church property. More details to come about how you can help (FXCC members). Our former church in Dallas has taken in over 20 people in the apartments they own next door to their building. Awesome! God is good, and He always provides.

Random wardrobe issue: a friend just told me about Steve Maddens...hey guys, anyone wear these? curious.

Random worship issue: got the new Hillsongs worship CD "God He Reigns"...sounds great so far! In the aftermath of Katrina, Rita, Iraq, 9/11, Auschwitz...our God, He does reign!

And frequent readers Jenni & Donna, what is your blog link?

Heading out for a tour of Reston Hospital Labor & Delivery floor tonight...should be fun! Only 11.5 more weeks! By the book, Baby Sanderson can open his/her eyes now...is that cool or what. And the Baby Einstein CDs are fun for grown-ups too, let me tell you.

The Week Ahead in BlogWorld

We've got some great posts coming up this week, boys & girls.

Here are just a few of the topics to which you can look forward:

1. Our incredible whirlwind tour of Dallas/Ft. Worth last weekend...felt the winds of Rita, saw 3 out of 4 nephews compete in two different sports, and quite well I might add, had a terrific baby shower, ate at our favorite Tex-mex place "Blue Mesa" grill....there's more here...

2. Halfway through Week 28 with Baby Sanderson, and "boy" is "she" kicking a lot!

3. Three's a Crowd...why 14 month old Madison Visconti came for a quick visit & slept in our bed starting Sunday morning at 5:00 am. (Welcome to the world Jacob Donald Visconti! You are one cool dude.) And why I took a 2.5 hour nap on Sunday afternoon for the 1st time ever. Just a quick preview of Sleep Deprivation Land, a land to which I'm going.

4. I jumped a HUGE 6-point buck as I was driving up the church driveway on Sunday morning...too cool! Michael, (My brother, the hunter extraordinaire), you would have loved it!

5. One incredibly offensive conversation on the plane ride back from Dallas. Why we were involved, and how we can stop it next time. Is there no shame anymore? Do people not have a clue how their words affect others?

6. A brief review of our friend Monica & Aric's wedding last Saturday at the Richland Hills Church of Christ in Ft. Worth, TX.

7. "How to kill a song by getting the slides out of order" by Murray "sleep wanted" Sanderson.

It's a good week ahead, folks. Stay tuned.

Tell us again, WHY are we doing this?

Ahhh, the classic WHY question. It’s been posed to every well-meaning worship minister at one time or another. “Why the singing of such happy clappy songs?” “Why must you wear such outlandishly stylish clothes?” “Why must your hair contain so much product?” These are a few of my favorites.

This Sunday in church, we’ll be dedicating some new babies to the Lord. The C of C’s I grew up in (for which I’m most thankful, and have precious memories of…) did not include such an element of worship in their services. Baby dedications, often referred to as a “Celebration of New Life”, are common now in many congregations. BAD in the 1970’s…GOOD in the 2000’s. Why?

Because it’s the right thing to do.

Jesus loved children and openly welcomed them. KIDS BELONG IN CHURCH. Don’t read that as, “You better get your kid to church.” Read that as “Your child has a special place in our family here, and is always welcome.” Seeing all those babies on stage reminds the church that little people are people, too. Matthew 18:2-4.

Secondly, the church plays a crucial role in the spiritual formation of children. These infants were born to members of our congregation, and life lived in community is a shared life. How my new little friend Brylee Hannah grows up…the things she is taught…the love she is shown…how she is treated directly impacts the kingdom of God. Because I’m a part of the body of Christ, I have a responsibility to her, and to her parents. The dedication this Sunday is the very important, foundational, essential beginning to affirming her, welcoming her, and assuring her parents that we will help them teach Brylee about God.

Thirdly, parents need a clear public demonstration of support & prayers during this exciting/stressful time. Jaime & I are expecting our first child this December. Every night we read a book that informs us day by day of our baby’s development, and also provides other tidbits & quotes on the subject of childrearing. Last night’s quote was “Having children is like installing a bowling alley in your head.” Isn’t that great!? Seriously, Jaime & I will need the love & support of our church (we need & have it now, but you know what I mean) when our child arrives. Having our child prayed for on stage by all of our elders gathered around will be a moment I will never forget.

A final thought. Hey, Jaime & I are still going through spiritual formation ourselves. Walking up there with our baby will force me to reflect / evaluate / assess my relationship with the Lord. Will the life I am now living be beneficial to my child’s development? What needs to change? What needs to fall away, and what needs to be fanned into flame?

I came across a terrific summary on baby dedication by Ted Weis, whom I’ve never met, but I think makes some great points. Check it out if you want more information on the importance of dedicating babies to the Lord.

Go to www.bible.org and search for “baby dedication”. You’ll be glad you did.

Dogs Will Howl

This morning in worship, we sang "Lord, Take My Life", written by Deb Dorman, same lady who set Psalm 124 to music in a contemporary setting ("Had It Not Been the Lord"). This little song, from the Zoe Group's 4th worship project (www.zoegroup.org) , is so easy to learn, and immediately breaks through the mind to the heart. It perfectly complements our new fall series taken from Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life". Thanks to the Fairfax congregation for eagerly jumping in on new songs, and making them your own words/sentiments.

The weather finally broke here in northern Virginia. It's starting to feel like fall...my favorite season! Sat at our picnic table on the back patio this afternoon, in the sun, comfortably, and crammed for my small group lesson. It was great. Not the lesson, but being outside. God did some of his best work when he created Sunday afternoons. ;)

Speaking of small group, we had a good session tonight at Joel & Edye's. Delicious BBQ, Leann! We're working through the Bible study "Experiencing God", learning how to join God in His work in the world, instead of obsessing about "God, what is your will for MY LIFE", we're learning to say, "God, where are you working in this world, and how can we join you?" We expend a lot of energies trying to baptize our plans into God's will; it's such a relief when you START with what God is doing, and then work yourself into THAT. A much better way to live. More exciting too.

Before we launched into the study, a hilariously funny, spontaneous, irrefutable thing happened. It's a moment I won't soon forget. I sort of pride myself on being able to carry a tune. (God's word is true - pride goeth beforeth a falleth.) Occasionally, I harmonize well with others. Rhythm's never been my longsuit, but I know to clap on 2 & 4. I actually collect a paycheck for what I'm supposed to be able to do musically.

However, tonight, my entire musical ability was called into question by Oscar, a Shiba Inu. Yes, a Shiba Inu. (If you don't know what one is, you're like me...you probably can't afford one. It's like Piaget or Hermes or Yves St. Laurent. If you can't say it, don't bother.) Now we love Oscar, and his coloring is beautiful. He's fox-like, only larger, and the kind you'd want to cuddle with. My friend Chris was leading our group in worship through song. We were sailing along, and Oscar would run back & forth to people in the group. The songs on which we clapped were especially exciting for Oscar. It was like, all of a sudden, everyone in the room was clapping for Oscar, beckoning him to come hither and be petted. Chris had just launched into "Ancient of Days", a powerful song of praise based on a passage in the 1st testament book of Daniel. For all of you non-clappers (NOT the same as one-cuppers), "Ancient of Days" is a clapper.

On this song, Oscar came to my side and sat down, watching me sing & worship his creator. I patted his head quickly, and continued singing out to the Lord. All of a sudden, in a way only bad voices & full moons can bring about (and there is a full moon tonight, at least here in Virginia), Oscar lifted his head back, and HOWLED ! It was the most hysterical worship moment I've had in a long time...and I've had some good ones. At first, I tried to continue singing, and then it hit me. I had just been effectivly GONGed by a dog from my own small group. To Oscar, I was just another 'call in the wild' and he wanted to join in. I had no choice but to join my small group in laughter. I can still hear their jabs..."the dog just howled at our worship minister!"

Hey, it was "All creatures of our God and King" in living color. Oscar was just joining in...that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I've always said that God doesn't care how we sound, he just wants us to sing from the heart...yea verily, to make a joyful noise. So for once, I fully acknowledge that even my best efforts are a joyful noise to some, definitely to rare dog breeds...but hopefully, a wonderful sound to my Creator.

Thankfully, Oscar's not an elder.

(Tommorrow morning, we have our 27 week appointment with the doctor. Baby Sanderson is doing great! It's always so fun to hear the heartbeat on the doppler thing.)

Like, totally! Oh my ____!

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Exodus 20:7

“Oh my G-d!"

A dear friend of mine recently brought to my attention that she often hears “Oh my G-d” said aloud in the lobby of our church building. This exclamatory phrase, perhaps used by all of us at one time or another, greatly disturbs her, and rightly so. It should disturb all of us. By biblical command, we should treat God’s name with utmost reverence. If we sing on Sunday morning, “Lord, I lift your name on high!” Then on Sunday afternoon we exclaim, “oh my G-d!” in casual conversation, then you’ve just lifted the name of the Lord down low. You’ve reduced it to a common, trivial expletive.

Let's together admit that we can do much, much better with revering God’s name. Put the stones down. Let’s not persecute anyone who casually uses this phrase and hasn’t really given it a thought. Let’s confess it as sin and move on. Commit to treating God’s holy name with the greatest care. Eliminate from your vocabulary “oh my God” as an exclamatory phrase. And no, “oh my ga”, “gosh”, “gee”, “Geesh”, “Geez” aren’t suitable either. Why? For the same reason I try not to say "freakin". Thanks for asking, though.

Remember, you can’t change yourself on your own power; allow the Holy Spirit to renew and transform you, every detail of your life…even your exclamations! He will give you the grace & conviction you need to gradually change your language into the God-revering vocabulary you've always wanted.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Our church staff stole away today for a one-day retreat at the home of one of our elders. (Thanks J & J!) We soaked up the cool fall morning on the screened-in porch...we even stayed out there as the sun warmed up this afternoon, after our completely mediocre lunch from Far East Kitchen in Greenbriar.
As task-oriented as I am, I have learned the essentiality of these occasional "view from 30,000 feet up" sessions. These times always help me shape my view of our church, of the world, of the call of Christ, of God's incredible sense of humor...God is good. To be pulled out of the weeds and forced to look at the important instead of the urgent is critical for a missional organization.

Praise God for our church's generosity for hurricane victims...$80k so far, wow!

One big victory for our new schedule is that our entire church is on the premises at the same time...resulting in much greater fellowship and koininia. Cool word, and couldn't imagine having it with a greater bunch of people. Hope I spelled it right.

Worship team rehearsals kick off for the fall tomorrow night! I'm so pumped. Music is such a powerful medium in our culture. Churches everywhere must continue to use music as a tool, not a master, to communicate / pass along / share, etc. the good news about Jesus. Great days ahead for us.

And hey, I got the new ZOE GROUP CD in the mail yesterday. Loved their rendition of "How Great Is Our God"...a powerful worship anthem by Chris Tomlin (author of Forever, and tons of other cool worship songs that I can't think of right now.) This group, on their 10th release, again provided our faith tradition with solid a cappella arrangements of new & refreshed worship songs.

Baby Sanderson's arrival is 12.5 weeks away...extremely exciting. Recently, I was lamenting to Jaime that we were about to lose our "alone time" forever, and that we would never again have zero responsibility. Thankfully, she reminded me that we do indeed have friends & family who just might babysit for us once the baby is of age. But still, it's the end of an era which I will always cherish...our time before kids. Sort of like "the land before time" only different.

I love Sundays!

I love Sundays.

Today we started our new Sunday morning schedule. Worship services, back-to-back, with Bible classes offered simultaneously. It's a new innovation that we hope will allow for us to minister to more people with the life-changing grace of Jesus Christ. It seemed to work well today, we'll see the game films tomorrow in staff meeting.

Being 9/11, combined with a gorgeous day outside in northern Virginia, everyone seemed to arrive with hearts full of expectancy and anticipation. People here, in our church, had experienced (sight, smell, sound, feel) the tragic events of 9/11/01. On the powerful 2nd verse of "It is well with my soul", (a verse often omitted)..."though Satan should taunt me (by working through evil men who run planes into buildings), though trials should come, (a hurricane wipes out the homes of 250,000 people), let this blest assurance control---the CHRIST has regarded my helpless estate and has shed His own blood for my soul." Powerful. I could see the roof lifting off of our Costco-styled auditorium. And on the 3rd verse, as we praised the Lord for the glorious thought of "my sin not in part, but THE WHOLE, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD, O my soul!" I couldn't help but raise my hands, confessing the lordship of Jesus Christ with body & voice & mind & heart & everything in me. I wasn't the only one either. Thank you Lord, for giving us permission to raise our hands to you. Something in the heart just clicks when we posture ourselves in the surrender pose. Totally awesome.

Then onto the Fairfax family picnic, run by the most efficient fellowship team around. Thanks to Lynn Belknap & Stan Bedford & your host of volunteers who fed over 600 people in 25 minutes or less...the hamburgers & hot dogs tasted great. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and the fellowship among us even more fresh and rejuvenating.

A quick trip to the quilt shop to pick up the fabric for Baby Sanderson's bedding. The coolest shades of blue, green, yellow...my wife has got the best taste ever in decorating. And a big thank you to Heidi Martin, our dear friend, who is coming this weekend to help it all come together.

Back home for a nice long Sunday afternoon nap. Ahhhhh......

A quick Target run (YES, we finally found the dark chocolate M & Ms!) on the way to small group at Joel & Edye's...where we ate pizza and watched the Cowboys win their first game of the season. (How 'bout those Redskins! 9-7, whew!) Oh yeah, we also shared prayer requests and worshipped the Lord in song & prayer. We are blessed with good friends who love us, and lift up our names to the Father. It's so great to live this life in Christ, walking with others every step along the way.

Now, back on the couch, resting up for the week ahead. God, you're so faithful. I love Sundays.
BABY UPDATE: Week 26 is well underway, and all is well. Jaime is drinking more water than ever (seems to help with the energy level). The baby is moving, and we are loving every minute of it. We're trying to enjoy all of the waiting and anticipating. Am I ready to be a father? Absolutely! Are you kidding, i have no idea! Thank you God, that babies take 40 weeks before their official arrival!

A great resource for Katrina Survivors

If you're looking for info about Baby Sanderson, go to post "Prayer Points".

Here's a great resource for 'such a time as this', when literally hundreds of thousands of people are reinventing their lives, and relocating to a new home because of Katrina. I'm in the midst of creating a list of worship ministry resources, and this is one of my favorites...if you love God, music and poetry and you know there has just GOT to be more to life than this earth & its trials...then check this out.

CD Resource: CITY OF GOLD ~ Impressions of Heaven. This CD came into my life by recommendation of Sally Morgenthaler at a worship leaders' retreat that Jeff Nelson & I attended in Colorado Springs, CO back in the late ‘90’s. It was at the coolest retreat/resort, not far from Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods. The setting was so beautiful. I heard “Lord Most High” for the first time there. Still can’t get enough of that song. Anyway, Morgenthaler recommended that we get this CD entitled “City of Gold” by a band of artists (poets/lyricists/musicans) in England who were really inspired by John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress…they wanted to write some songs to go with the wonderful poetic imagery in that book. So they wrote some songs, and placed them in between carefully selected passages of the book, read like poetry. It is an incredible recording that I have used time and time again in worship settings. It never fails. People are always encouraged and inspired by it. Per http://www.amazon.com/ the original release date is September 1, 1998. Apparently, based on customer reviews on the amazon website, and now that I think about it it’s obvious, this CD is perfectly suited to lift up people who are grieving the loss of a loved one. (and I might add...perfectly suited when you are on the move in every area of your life.)

Making Sense of Corporate Worship

I bumbled through a class last Wednesday night about Worship...at times it felt like I was on some sort of talking treadmill: speaking lots of words & getting nowhere. My brothers & sisters at the Fairfax church somehow heard my heart in all of that, but I long for the day when I can truly articulate & teach on the subject of worship (inexhaustible and undefinable as it is.) The Bible tells me to eagerly desire the greater gifts, so here I am, eagerly desiring the gift of teaching.

Today I came across some well-connected, well-put-together words by Harold M. Best from his book Unceasing Worship. I think this paragraph is spot on concerning life lived in worship to God and how that life fuels the Sunday morning gathering.

"Corporate worship is the necessary and sacramental widening of the everyday, all-the-day moment-by-moment walk of faith, of belief and of stewardship. Put as simply as possible, we do not go to synagogue, temple, cathedral, basilica, or church to worship. We go to these good places to continue our worship, but now corporately (that is, as a body, in a doubled communion with the Lord and with each other). We go to these places to give synergized expression to what we should have been doing all week long: praying, singing, listening, offering to the Lord, speaking, being silent, confessing, growing, and being broken. To think of church time as worship time without connecting it to the seven-day-a-week liturgy of being living sacrifices is to miss the entire biblical point of worship and to concoct an artificial parenthesis for an hour or so once a week or so. Corporate worship is irrelevant, however beautiful its protocols may be and however nourishing its sacraments are, unless it participates in the seamless life of continuous worship, and unless it is seen as a symptom of how we live and act all week long."

YES! That is it! That's what I was trying to say! :) Thank you Dr. Best. God spoke to me today through your words, written last year. Isn't God awesome.

Prayer Points

Let the countdown begin! Today marks Week 25 in our pregnancy. 15 weeks to go. Little Lincoln Harold or Faith Kinder (we're not finding out the gender...) is scheduled to arrive on December 15. 10 days later, he or she will play the part of Baby Jesus in our church's candlelight Christmas Eve service. Is this the year for a female baby Jesus? Who knows?!! The role of women in the church is expanding you know!

Here are our current prayer requests.
1. For Jaime to bring our baby into the world in the way she wants, and has trained for...a completely NATURAL birth, free from anesthesia & any intervention.
2. For our sweet little one to arrive safely, wholly & in great health.
3. For me to be able to take it all in...upon Jesus' arrival, the Bible tells us that Mary pondered all of these things up in her heart. I want to do some pondering myself; I don't want to miss anything! I'm sure Jaime wants to ponder too, so throw her in on this one as well.

Thanks for the prayers. Let us know how we can pray for you!

A Week at the Outer Banks

Returned today from a wonderful week on the beach with my wife & her family. We were about 8 miles north of Corolla on North Carolina's beautiful Outer Banks. Perfect weather, lots of good food, great company, and my very beautiful, tanned, 6-months-pregnant wife by my side...sheer delight. Thank you God for a safe & happy vacation. (oh yeah, seeing the dolphins on Friday evening was especially cool.) Something about the beach just screams out God's goodness, His presence, His creativity, His power, His majesty (sunrise/sunsets), His provision. To think His thoughts about me outnumber the grains of sand is completely humbling.

And congratulations to my sister-in-law Michelle Bond who wed her beau Brad Auler on Wednesday evening in a sunset ceremony. Guys, thanks for letting me be a part of your special occasion! Brielle, you were the perfect maid of honor! :)

This week was body-surfing, castle-building, Euchre-playing, mouth-stuffing, non-stop fun! The wild mustangs of Corolla are quite fascinating, and we got pretty close to one of the pregnant ones on one afternoon walk. The chestnut mare was expecting, so I think she let us get so close because Jaime was expecting...mothers have a special way of watching out for one another.

Watch for pictures of the trip as soon as I can figure out how to post them.

Reentering the Blogging Fracas

Why the long sabbatical after my first & only blog entry? Early dementia.
For the last 2 months, I have been trying to remember my username and password. I finally got a new one. Now I can return to the entire blogging fracas.

And I wonder, does anyone else ever wander if their blog has anything helpful or useful for anyone else?

Each day brings highs & lows, some are worth writing about.
Today, my wife & I decided to skip our childbirth class since she had recently pulled a muscle in her back while moving a LARGE dresser in our bedroom, lovingly preparing it for me to paint while she was visiting friends/family in Dallas. Thanks honey! But next time, I'll be happy to help you move the heavy stuff. We leave for a week's vacation in the Outer Banks on Sunday, so we're both hoping some extra rest & time on the heating pad will heal her back before we leave.

The high was that we had some unexpected time at home. I took advantage of this bonus time to play the piano. I played scales and some old pieces I was required to learn during seminary. It was so fun. Music always helps me make sense of life. The way the notes go together (or not, as is often the case with my playing) helps me sort through the ups and downs of life. The last song I played was "Break Thou the Bread of Life". What a great piece, in the key of D, not too difficult...but with great start & finish & a highpoint.

Thank you God for allowing your Son...the living Word...to be broken for us, that we might know you better!

PS - Talk about Batman begins...as I was relaxing on our patio this evening, after my piano retreat, I saw SEVERAL bats frolicking in the air space above our home. I guess the mosquito population took a big hit this evening. Bats are freaky enough by themselves...but when they travel en masse, it's a bit spooky. By the way, they make small squeaky sounds like baby birds when they fly so blindly about.

Take the Challenge!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

My first blog entry...a quote from one of my favorite authors about what it is we're trying to accomplish with "church".

My thanks to Scott Sager for recommending Elizabeth O'Connor's book Call to Commitment, from which this quote is taken.

"If we are to accept the challenge of the crisis of our times, we, as Christians, must know that the world's deepest need is for saints. These are people who can give themselves in ways which seem fanatical to those who live by the usual ethical and moral norms. These are people who live normally by the second mile. It is not sporadic with them. They have thrown the familiar "duty" maps away. They are utter fools for Christ's sake. They are always finding some little cruel cross to climb up on. They stay there and suffer even when the people deride them and mock them, and thereby they stay closer to Him who stayed on his cross until he died. Now, if Christ be not God, they are utter fools, but if Christ be God, then they are the only sane people in the midst of the insane."
"These people are a people who will throw themeselves into the breach between the peace and healing of God and the loneliness, anguish, and terror of the world's lost. They stand as a bridge between man and God, willing, even eager, to become ground grain, broken bread, crushed grapes, poured-out wine. They are willing to be fed upon by the earth's hungry until those hungry ones can feed directly upon Jesus. The world has always needed such people, and it has survived because, here and there, there have been a few such people. But the point now is that the world is not likely longer to survive unless there are many such people - unless you become such a person and unless I become such a person."