http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/ Gene Wilkes' Weekly Postings en-us 2006-03-20T22:17:31-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000165.html If you remember, I lost my wedding ring the last time I went with Relief Now Network to clean up after Katrina in New Orleans. I lived with the loss of my 30-yr-old symbol of marriage by comparing it to the loss experienced by those we served. I had nothing to whine about. As you can see, the work of cleaning up still goes on seven months after the hurricane! Last Wednesday when I put on my boots to begin the day's work, I thought I felt a rock in my left boot. I took it off and turned it upside down. An object fell to the ground. It was my ring! As you would guess, I was elated. I have a whole new appreciation for Jesus's stories about found things, and the experience prepared my heart for the series Found we began this past Sunday. If you would like to enter into the conversation about this past Sunday's message, click here. If you missed the opening message to our series Found and want to hear it, click here. Lost and found anything lately? Comment below. Not sure what we are all looking at on the ground; other than debris was everywhere. It was time for lunch...maybe we were tired. We met and saw many students in the area while we were there. I was pleased to see they had chosen to use their spring break to help others rather than to party for a week. Fox News did a story on some of them. Check it out. Donnie Robertson and I will be guiding a group through Becoming a Contagious Christian starting this Wednesday evening at 6:30 in room A215. If you want to know how to tell God's Story and your story, join us! We will have the books with us. I will teach two Bible classes starting April 16 and 17. I will teach "The General Letters and Revelation" on Monday nights at Legacy and "Introduction to the Gospels" on Tuesday nights at The Heights Baptist Church. You can get all the information at the B H Carroll website. Register (student application) as a "Reader" and the class is only $40. Email me if you have any questions.... Gene Wilkes 2006-03-20T22:17:31-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000164.html I didn't start out to frame our new series, Found, the way I did. I had planned to play off our thematic hook from Lost, the television series, which I did to begin my message. But, Mike Graham, who is leading the LifeGroup Kim and I are currently in had given me a copy of John Eldredge's newest book, Epic, which I took on my trip to MS this past week to join a group with Relief Now Network for more hurricane relief. When I began reading the book on the way down to serve, I knew this was the framework in which I should present the series. (I also realized Eldredge had condensed his book Waking the Dead into this more readable tract for those of us with a shorter attention span.) If you want to see some of the content and see a cool site, Eldredge has created epicreality for you. What struck me about Eldredge's presentation was that I did wonder why I was moved by certain films. Did I have a hero complex? Was I Walter Middy? No, I soon realized that the reason I was drawn to characters like Neo (The Matrix Trilogy), Frodo (,The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and Nathaniel Poe (The Last of the Mohicans) was that I longed to be in the adventure they were living. I wanted my life to count for something as significant as theirs...no matter the danger, risk or potential loss of life as I had known it. What film or story characters bring out this feeling in your life? The truth that struck me from Epic and the one that helped me realize that my life in Christ WAS the adventure God wrote on my heart to live was, Every story, great and small, shares the same essential structure because every story we tell borrows its power from a Larger Story, a Story woven into the fabric of out being...All of these borrow from the Story. (12, 13) I had longed for a time and place far away to live the adventure I wanted to live, but as I probed my heart for what drove me to desire lives like my heroes, I found God had already put that adventure in me. My life in Christ and my life with my family and Legacy was the most challenging, dangerous, adventuresome saga I could ever be cast in. I realized I had a crucial role to play in the story of God. Read the book to see how Eldredge describes the Author of The Story we have all fallen into. God's Story is The Story of our lives, and when we trust that is true, we'll be altogether better for it. So, our series Found the next three weeks is about The Story: God's Story, Your Story, and Their Story. We will review God's Story of how Jesus, our Hero, Savior, and Rescuer, has made it possible to live the life God created for us to live. Your Story will be about your unique tale whether it involves the Author or not. My Story is my tale of how God found me and showed me the adventure he had for me to live within the Epic of his love. Their Story will remind us everyone has a tale to tell and we who are on the adventure with God need to pause long enough to hear their story to know the role they may play in the things of God. What is it about people's stories that tell you about the bigger story we are all a part of? Donnie Robertson and I will be guiding a group through Becoming a Contagious Christian starting this Wednesday evening at 6:30 in room A215. If you want to know how to tell God's Story and your story, join us! We will have the books with us.... Gene Wilkes 2006-03-19T20:54:26-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000163.html Yesterday we ended the series, The Recovery Channel. All in all, I thought it was helpful to address some issues we all face. From several of the off-Sunday morning visits I had with people, I know we touched on some things we are deeply moved by. I love the story from John 9. Here are some of the major concepts that rock my world every time I read it. First, I'm afraid I'm more like the Pharisees in the synagogue than the blind man. I have been trained to teach people to conform rather than to set them free. I have always struggled with whether or not what I do on Sunday mornings actually frees people to "see" Jesus and how he sees the world, or, am I simply offering conventional thinking that people believe they must conform to in order to belong or be accepted. I've been reading Mark Strom's book Reframing Paul for the class I teach on Monday nights for BHCTI. He blasts me every time I review his last section on "reframing grace-full conversation." Here's the syllogism from my message that represented the Pharisee's thinking. How many times do I negate the work of God because it does not "logically" fit into what I already know? God made the rule to keep the Sabbath. The man who healed the blind man broke the rule. Therefore, the healer is a sinner. It follows, then, a sinner cannot do miracles because God would never work through someone who broke the divine rule. Oh yeah, the fear of excommunication kept the parents from speaking what they believed to be true. That same fear keeps too many caught in religion from saying what is on their hearts for fear of not being accepted or condemned as an outsider. I wish I were more like the disciples who watched the whole thing. This was one of seven pivital events (signs) John chose to record so "that you might trust Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God," so, it must have impressed him also. Watching Jesus answer their question, heal the man, seek out the man, and confront the religious leaders must have challenged all they knew about reality too. I pray Jesus would continually do that for me. We forget that blind people who can see what to talk about seeing, not about how it happened. Sometimes in churches, like in the synagogue that day, we want to analyze and explain everything. We miss the mystery and story we find ourselves in when we do that, and we force the seeing person to focus on the how rather than on the new. We do that a lot with people who have just begun to follow Jesus, too. We want to shore them up theologically before we trust that Jesus has really changed them. The seeing blind man's confession is the best answer we all can give: "Whether he is a sinner or not I don't know [meaning I'm not going to get in a theological debate with you], One thing I know. I was blind and now I see." (v. 25) Yes, we are to be prepared to give a defense (apology) for why we trust Jesus, but sometimes what he has done in our lives is better than our explanation of what he did. I love best that Jesus not only healed the man of his physical infirmity, but he healed him of his hurt by religious people. Jesus sought the man out when he heard how he had been treated by the religious leaders, and he made sure the guy knew their opinions and religious system was not what made him right with God, it was "seeing" and trusting Jesus. I find that much of our ministry at Legacy is healing people hurt by religious people. Systems of religion do much to damage the faith of those who truly long to know God. Alan and Allison Ford's story is the real deal. I loved their honesty and how they honored God in it all. Kudos to their LifeGroup for walking alongside them through it all. So, what struck you about the story?... Gene Wilkes 2006-03-13T10:58:04-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000162.html Last Friday night my oldest daughter, Storey, became engaged to be married. Yes, my daughter is getting married. As you can suspect, I have had some strong emotions related to her decision. First, the story on Storey. She graduated from TAMU (Whoop!) last May and set up residence in Waco to become a nanny for a family there. Prior to her decision to live there Kim and I invited a certain seminary student to live in our home as he served out an internship at Buckner Benevolences from August to December. Graham (a graduate of Baylor), now Storey's fiance, (wow, that's strange to write) lived with us a month and a half in Storey's room before he ever met her. As God would have it, we came to like him before she did! This has been one of several "God things" we have watched happened throughout their relationship. When they finally met and began to realize they had similar interests (early Owen Wilson movies) and shared a love for the Lord and a passion to serve him on mission, they soon found themselves in love. Over the past year or so, God has confirmed their love for one another and last weekend they promised each other they would marry and spend their lives together. The coolest part of their relationship to me is that they are serving at a church in Waco designed to serve a blue-collar neighborhood. The church is in part of an abandoned 7-11 (which tells you how small it is) and it is growing and reaching those who live around them. They love the church and are learning to serve side-by-side in that ministry. The strangest part of their relationship is they are both preacher's kids and want to serve the church even after seeing and knowing the underside of church work! Now that is of God... Graham and I had "the talk" at breakfast a couple of weeks ago on Sunday before our services. We talked about his plans to marry and care for Storey. That was an easier talk than I had imagined because he truly is a man of integrity and loves God more than my daughter. He passed with flying colors! Kim and I truly have gained a son in all this. They have not finalized the wedding date, but when they do, I'll let you know. Pray with me for their relationship and against all those things in life that pull marriages apart. You can count on another post or two as we get closer to the event. We conclude our series "The Recovery Channel" this Sunday. You will hear Alan and Allison Ford's story of God's power in Alan's accident and recovery, and I will invite you into the story in John 9. We begin Found the following Sunday as we move toward Easter, April 16. By the way, I posted some of my Monday morning thoughts from last week's message here. I will try this out for a couple of weeks, and if you enjoy the dialogue, I'll keep going. Feel free to comment now. If you missed the message, you can click here.... Gene Wilkes 2006-03-08T15:11:18-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000161.html Thought I'd take some time to share some of what I learned from my message yesterday...and give you a chance to converse with me on those things. The story in John 5:1-10 is the biblical story we bridged to from events in my life that reminded me how we all can experience loneliness in our lives. I mentioned these things from my last week's activities: Tuesday morning chaplain call (wife left alone after unexpected death of husband), Tuesday edition of Dallas Morning News article of two men who lost families in tragedy; Wednesday, a discussion of how racial prejudice has isolated a friend; Wednesday evening, One Tree Hill (3/1) episode: "With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept," that wrestled with the students who are not seen every day and who become so lonely they take matters into their own hands; Friday; with some guys who had experienced divorce and separation. The parts of the story that touched me personally were: The explanation in v. 4 (added later to tell why people were put into the pool) became an example of myths I believe that chain me to my current situation and prevent me from trusting God. The man at the pool was there because he believe the angel-touched water could heal him. He had suffered for 38 years under the myth he could be healed if someone could just get him in the water. Reading "an in-va-lid" (v. 5) as "an in-valid," and realizing whether we want to or not, we tend to write off those with physical challenges as invalid, or, worthless, in the important things of life. Jesus' question, "Do you want to get well?" (v. 6) drove past my pretense and silly rhetorical question, "What do you think?" to test my resolve to hang on to the myths that enslave me or really trust Jesus for what he calls me to do. Saying "Yes" to Jesus means more than a simple nod of agreement. Jesus' command to "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk" (v. 8) tested my obedience to follow Jesus or repeat my excuses for why I am like I am. When Jesus speaks, am I willing to do what he says or do I stay crippled on the mat on which I have reduced my world to fit? The stupid comments of the religious people, ""It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat" (v. 10) reminded me of the stupid things religious people say today when they overlook the work of God in a person's life to point out some puny law or rule they have broken. What touched you?... Gene Wilkes 2006-03-06T14:23:04-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000160.html The winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, were complete this past Sunday evening. I enjoy the games somewhat more than the summer games because of events like luge and curling...NOT! Who thought of those events? And what about the two-man luge? What was going on the first time a guy turned to his friend while waiting his turn on the luge run and said, "Wanna try riding down with me?" Or, who pushed the first curling rock and said, "This is great! Let's see if we can get a trip to the Olympics with this game! We'll call it curling so they will never figure out we're just pushing rocks across the ice." Oh well, the alpine skiing, bobsleding and speed skating made up for the non-sports mentioned above. Kim and I watched as much of the games as we could together. We finally settled down to watch about the same time as the ice dancing and speed skating, which were sprinkled with Super G or slalom runs on the slopes. We soon began to comment on how the commentators talked about the Americans who did not win gold. Here's an observation that fit the mood of the commentators: The American team ended up winning more medals than ever before in a non-American winter Olympics, just behind Germany and just ahead of Canada. But you would never have known about this success because much of the commentary focused on athletes that didn't live up to expectations, misbehaved or did both. (SouthCoastToday.com) The focus seemed to be more on Michelle Kwan's withdrawal, the stumbling silver medal for Sasha Cohen, and the boring bronze by the women's ice hockey team, and worst of all, Bodie Miller's 0-5 showing for the US Ski Team than on those who showed up to compete. You would think the USA had suffered its worst losses since Pearl Harbor and that Bodie Miller was responsible for the Japanese raid even before he was born! Why did we feel things were so bad in Torino? Is it being second that's so horrible? Is making the team and representing your country enough? Is only winning 25 medals after USA won 34 at the last games mean everything is falling apart? What about Shaun White's gold, or Shani Davis' gold (What about the sideshow between Shani and Chad Hedrick, which reminded me of our daughters when they were in the eighth grade and got mad at their cheerleading friends), or Julia Mancuso's gold in the giant slalom, or Hannah Teter's halfpipe gold? Why is silver and bronze so bad? What's so horrible about being 34th? One of the things that makes America great is our constant quest to be the best. I'm proud that is part of our psyche...until it keeps us from enjoying the experience for the experience itself. I figure just making the US team was medal enough, and I bet everyone of our athletes went over there to win. But, when they didn't, we don't need to deport them to Cuba or paint a scarlet L (Loser) on their foreheads. I guess being the best drives me most crazy when the same attitude about winning seeps over into our faith. (No, I'm not bitter because Benny Hin has ridden on the Concord and I haven't.) When "winning is everything" spills over into faith, then the losses, hurts and disappointments make us feel like God has abandoned us and he is only friends to winners; which is one reason you will want to stay tuned to The Recovery Channel on Sunday mornings. Paul, my biblical hero after Jesus, proudly acknowledged his weaknesses because that was when God did his best work, and he boasted that he had learned to be content in every situation because he could do all things through he who strengthened him. He gladly considered all of his accomplishments loss when compared to Jesus' greatness. I watch the Olympics for the Olympic's sake. I pull for the underdog and get a lump in my throat when our national anthem is played. I love it when an athlete falls exhausted on the ground after a run because he has left it all on the hill. But, I will not let the "winner takes all" philosophy rob me of the reality that life is worth living no matter the color of the medal I wear around my neck or if I have simply been given the opportunity to play and go home with nothing more than a bruised knee. I feel better now. How about you?... Gene Wilkes 2006-02-28T20:20:50-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000159.html We arrived safely at DFW about 19:00 CST Friday. The weather felt like we had not left Ireland! We are filled with warm memories of those we met and anticipation of what God will guide us to do later this year to partner with what he is doing in the language groups of Wales and Ireland. I will share some of what God showed us on Sunday morning as we begin our series The Recovery Channel. Here are some pictures from our last days on the island. Before heading to Shannon, we spent the day in Galway, a port city with great shopping and a rich history. We then made our way across land to see some of the ancient freestanding Celtic crosses. Legend has it that when St. Patrick approached a group of Druid worshippers and the circle of the sun was before them, he boldly stepped up and drew the cross over the sun and declared that Christ was superior to even the sun. The Celtic cross will always have the cross on top of the circle. The landscape was laced with stone fences built to house sheep, ponies, and cattle. Here's a typical scene. Notice the tree growing in the direction of the wind that blows continuously from the sea. We ended our tour of the island at the Cliffs of Moher. It was the perfect ending to both the day and our trip. As the sun set against the towering cliffs and the crashing waves, I sensed God affirming our desires to partner with these people to love them to him. Our last night in Shannon at a local seafood restaurant. We were sad to leave John and the people who we had met. Pray for the countries of Wales and Ireland and the people groups we met. Pray revival will come as it has in centuries past and that they may know the joy of the freedom that comes in knowing Christ Jesus. Don't forget to see more pictures on Kris Koenigsberg's blog.... Gene Wilkes 2006-02-18T06:27:07-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000158.html I'm writing Thursday from an internet cafe in Galway, Ireland. The weather continues to be windy, cold, and raining, but the people are warm and gracious to us wherever we go. We came to Galway to view the city after spending the evening at the Ardmore Country House in the Village of Spiddal, the home of those we have come to meet and look for ways to join them in their lives here. Monday we met Kent and Ben at Mike's Bites in Bangor to here more of their work there with university students. There are many possibilities for building bridges with common interests in that city. Here's a picture of Kevin and the guys. Tuesday, Valentine's Day, was spent in Dublin after a ferry ride from Wales to Ireland. There we visited Trinity College and viewed the Book of Kells exhibit in the Old Library. Okay, having a Ph.D. in New Testament studies made this a worthy trip of me. You'll have to ask the others about what they thought. We also visited Christ Church where Johnathan Swift preached and ended the day at the Arlington Hotel where they had live Irish folk music and dancing...the Riverdance type. Wednesday was a travel day from Dublin to the An Gealtacht region of Ireland, where our second language group lives. Here we spent time with the locals and praying for the region. We have much to share about the spiritual condition of the country. Many years of imposed religion on the local people have left a bad taste in their mouths for faith. Superstition and myth dominate their faith experience, and their duty to the church overrides their desire to serve God out of joy and gratitude. We are encouraged about the possibilities here for strategies here are similar to those we seek to use in our mission field. I will share those with you when we return. We will go to Shannon later today to catch our flight home on Friday morning. Can't wait to see you all and share what God has put on our hearts for the people groups we have met. Here's the name of the town I mentioned in my last post.... Gene Wilkes 2006-02-16T05:52:43-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000157.html We arrived safely in Manchester, UK on Saturday morning about 7:45 local time. John Robinson, our host and contact for the trip, met Kris, Nathan, Kevin and I at the airport, and we began our journey through the country to see how you and I can partner with John and his team. Our goal Saturday was "to stay awake," so, John took us sightseeing in the town of Conwy. We toured the castle built by King Edward (Longshanks) in the late 13th century. Here's picture of me walking the wall that was built around the city. We then traveled by car through the Snowdonia National Park We visited a chapel on the coast known as St. Tudno's Church, located on the north east of the Great Orme, overlooking the sea. Here's a picture. We made it until 21:00 and after dinner we slept like babies. John lives in a restored chapel in the center of Bangor. It has quite the atmosphere and seems appropriate that he would live there. We woke to another windy, rainy, overcast day in Wales (no surprise there) to go with John to worship at a Cildwrn Chapel in Llangefni on the Isle of Anglesey. This chapel--distinct from "churches," which are associated with the Anglican Church--was founded in 1779 as a Baptist church. We worshipped with a group of about 20 people. The entire service was in Welsh, but we sensed a warm fellowship and desire to know the Lord. They served cookies and coffee after the service, and we had time to get to know several of the members and the pastor's family. We then went to lunch in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllantysiliogogogoch. Yes, that's how you spell it, and that's where John invited you to join him when we called on Sunday to Legacy. We then made our way to the north end of the island to the Chapel founded by St. Patrick in the fifth century after swimming to the shore after being shipwrecked on a nearby island. Here's a picture when the sun is shinning...I slipped on the heather and walked around with wet trousers the rest of the day. We had Indian cuisine in Bangor last evening. We have begun to get a feel of the challenges the work here faces. A secular society along with centuries of division between churches and denominations make it difficult to talk about the Lord. This is on top of the distinct Welsh language group, who insist on maintaining their culture and language. Along with John's work, Kent and Ben seek to connect with the large university population at the University of Wales at Bangor. The work is slow, but they are diligent and patient. Please pray for us as we continue our journey and seek ways to join what John and his team are trying to do here. Kris Koenigsberg also has pictures and her take on the trip at her blog.... Gene Wilkes 2006-02-13T04:57:48-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000156.html You may have read about the world-wide response to the publication of editorial cartoons that were offensive to the Muslim world by the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten Some of the cartoons published last September depict Muhammad as a terrorist, and this has brought the ire of the Muslim world on this newspaper and others as a blasphemous act toward their god. The Danish paper defends its actions as freedom of speech. The Muslim world calls for self-restraint and sensitivity to other cultures and religions. I'm not sure how the riots, deaths and burnings in response to the editorial line up with that call, but that's the way it works in the world. Iran has called for its own cartoons of the Holocaust, and the US has accused Iran and Syria of escalating the furor. What are you and I to make of all this? First of all, we live in a volatile world where cultures clash more and more. We no longer live continents apart. We are only a click away from each other. There is no such thing as living in isolation anymore for the technologically connected. These crashes in the intersections of life will only grow more volatile and frequent. Media outlets continue to hide behind "free speech" for such inappropriate actions like these cartoons. We cherish this value, but we also are irresponsible with its use. Paul commented on the ancient Greek motto when he wrote, "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. (1 Cor. 10:23) International media outlets would be wise to heed his words. My hunch is that no American called foul at the offensive editorial because the value of "free speech" has become so defamed we tolerate everything from skin heads to pornography under its label. Or, are we so prejudiced to our own way of life that offenses taken by others just are not our responsibility? Free speech and tolerance are little "g" gods in our culture today. While some Muslims need to learn about these values, those values often keep some of us from speaking truth and addressing core issues. My prayer is that we learn again to speak truth (in love, which does not mean weakness) and live patiently alongside those we are called to love in Jesus' name. Keep an eye on this story. It is one of those like The Tonkin Gulf Incident in 1964. It looks isolated now, but it could be the spark that lights a short fuse on world relationships. Don't forget to fill out the tear-out portion of the worship guide as we seek to covenant together to become five-purpose followers of Christ. Four of us are headed to Wales this week to investigate ways in which we can partner with people there to bring the Good News to people groups over there. I will use this posting as a blog for my trip as I am able to get internet connections. Check every day or so for updates. I'll be back February 19 to start "The Recovery Channel" with you.... Gene Wilkes 2006-02-08T17:21:14-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000155.html Legacy Church recently sold a piece of property we have been holding since 1999 but had not found a strategic use for it. The sale of the land brought a "five-talent" sized gift to us and has brought us to our knees to discern what to do with it. Before we get to the what-ifs on its use, I read an article that told the story of eight people who won lotteries and ended up broke or bankrupt. In the middle of the stories, a "sudden money" expert (I love that title), noted: "For many people, sudden money can cause disaster," says Susan Bradley, a certified financial planner in Palm Beach, Fla., and founder of the Sudden Money Institute, a resource center for new money recipients and their advisors." "In our culture, there is a widely held belief that money solves problems. People think if they had more money, their troubles would be over. When a family receives sudden money, they frequently learn that money can cause as many problems as it solves," she says. (MSN Money) Since the church is people, not buildings, I bet some of us have had the passing thought that the money from the land sale will solve our financial problems, and we have had thoughts of exactly what we would do to fix financial needs. I side with Jesus and Susan Bradley: The land sale money will no more solve on-going financial issues than lottery winnings can solve money matters for the eight who had it and lost it. The amount and timing of the money is not the deal. People who risk 'grace-giving' to meet a need and/or seize opportunity brought to them by God is the answer. This past Sunday, Mark Smith, a member of the Church Leadership Team, announced where the CLT is in its decision making process of investing the land sale proceeds. Here's what Mark said: "First, God is not a God of confusion. He does make his intentions clear. Second, God is, right now, at work in our body doing some incredible things and I believe his purposes will become clearer in the coming weeks. Third, we are to give a portion of this gift, 10%, back to him to reach and serve those outside this body. We are working on plans to involve you directly in this process. (To read about Legacy's beliefs about giving in this way, go here.) Fourth, we are to use a portion of these proceeds to pay down debt on this building. Virtually every discussion has included a debt reduction from as high as $850K down to something in the $500 to $600 K range. We have decided to put at least $600 K toward our debt. We are asking you to continue to pray and share with us what God reveals to you. We've received some wonderfully encouraging emails and letters - they help more than you know. We'll come back to you in the next 30 days and will share what God has revealed to us. In the interim, we are in the process of identifying short-term critical needs and will address those as the wise servant that received the 5 talent gift in Matt 25." If you want to share what God has told you about how to best invest the land sale money, you can email the Leadership Team or post your comments below. We conclude our series, The Church as It Should Be, this Sunday. We will also observe communion. Want to hear a catchy church advertisement? Go here.... Gene Wilkes 2006-02-01T10:18:12-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000153.html This Sunday we continue our message series, The Church as it Should Be. The series is a review of the five purposes that should be exhibited in every Christ follower. This week's purpose is Grow. The purpose of grow too many times is limited to learning information. Yes, the root word for disciple in the NT is "learner," but the word meant more than learning facts and figures like we do today. The first disciples of Jesus were learners whom Jesus called to emulate his lifestyle, not recite answers he had given them days before. He taught them things like in Matthew 5, but he also gave them authority to do powerful things (Matthew 10:1). Jesus spent time with the twelve to guide them to a new way of life that reflected the reign of God in their lives. This is what Grow is about. Dallas Willard put it this way, "If I am Jesus' disciple that means I am with him to learn from him how to be like him." (The Divine Conspiracy, 276) To Grow is to become like Jesus not simply know about Jesus. This fact is why our Life Mission Question for this purpose is, "How do you act more like Jesus than when you first met him?" And, the biblical basis for that truth is "And we…are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18 Of course, you can't act like Jesus or become like him unless you know what he did and what he taught. Spending time with Jesus means spending time in the Bible getting to know him. A lifestyle based upon acting like Jesus is what disciples of Jesus do. Today, watch yourself, and ask yourself, "How do I act more like Jesus than when I first met him?" Kris Koenigsberg is telling the story of her son's battle with cancer on her blog. Some of you know it and will want to recount the steps of the journey. Others of you who do not know it should read to see real people deal with real stuff and trust God through it all. This is a family who acted like Jesus through a horrible time in their lives. oneWorship this Sunday We'll all be together in the Legacy Center at 10:30 for worship, teaching, dedication of home and family, baptism and fellowship. Don't be late. You'll want to be part of the whole experience this week.... Gene Wilkes 2006-01-26T08:52:40-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000152.html I am not a movie critic, but I will occasionally comment on some that I believe have messages that can become bridges for conversations about our faith. Here are some I like. (Add your favorites in the comment link below.) The Chronicles of Narnia is the must-see film of the year. Yes, I know I'm weeks behind on this one, but this is the state-of-the-art visual of the first volume of C. S. Lewis' classic children's story. It gives Harry Potter a run for his money. The message is the clearest telling of Christ's substitutionary death since The Passion of Christ. Take your family and friends to see this one and make time to find all the images and allegories of the Good News of Jesus in the film. Disney got one right this time. Support them. The March of the Penguins tells the miraculous story of how penguins procreate according to God's ingrained instinct in them. I don't normally like documentaries, but this one is so engaging (Morgan Freeman's voice is mesmerizing) and their habits teach lessons like commitment, purpose, single-mindedness and sacrifice that few stories do. We bought the DVD. You can borrow mine if you like. The End of The Spear is the story we told at Legacy last year about Jim Elliot's death at the hands of the Huaorani Indians and his wives return (with her children!) to live and serve those who killed her husband. This is a story of Jesus' forgiving love toward us all demonstrated by his followers. You will be moved and inspired by this film. Go with your LifeGroup or invite someone you are talking to about what Jesus' love looks like. Did You Know... The City of Plano recognized Legacy Church as one of the top 25 care givers during the events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita? We received the recognition at the city council meeting on Monday, January 9. Thanks to all who served and who are still serving those families displaced by the storms. God has allowed us to build a bridge of cooperation with the City to serve the needs of our community. You can see the plaque presented us on the west wall of the Legacy Center. You supported the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations in the City through technical and video support? Allen Arnn invested his time and talents to serve the events through online registration and creating a video for the events. Your gifts to Legacy support Allen on staff and provide the technology to support the event. We are in the middle of our teaching series, "The Church As It Should Be?" Catch up on messages you have missed on our weekly messages page, or, go to our Life Mission Questions page for the content we are covering to help all of us begin this year with the tools we need to become five-purpose followers of Jesus. This Sunday we will speak about our purpose of connect. Janet Hecker sent me this link to an article about 25 Ways to Make your Neighborhood a Community. Check it out.... Gene Wilkes 2006-01-18T10:19:02-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000154.html An unexpected Altar I told a story this past Sunday about rebuilding a little red stool that became an act of worship to God. Here's my written reflection on the event. You can hear the emotional, spoken version here. I found the pieces of a little red stool under the pile of painting materials, cloths, tools and parts that no longer fit anything on my workbench this past weekend. I was in a chore-finishing mood that day, so, I picked up the pieces and began to nail and glue the stool back together. Kim and I had bought the stool for our daughters when they were growing up to help them reach sinks, books, or join us with what we were doing on the kitchen cabinet. On top of the little red stool was the rhyme: This little stool is mine, I use it all the time, To reach the things I couldn’t, And lots of things I shouldn’t. I had no reason to repair the stool. No one needed something to stand on in the house. We were not short on ladders. But that afternoon I was drawn by memories of my now-young adult daughters stepping up on that stool to wash their hands or brush their teeth as a reason to restore the stool. As I dusted, tapped nails, and glued a broken leg together, every memory of my daughters became praise to God for his grace and goodness shown to Kim and me through our two precious girls. The broken stool sat under the pile of chaos for over a year among all the other broken things that needed repair. I picked up those pieces and put them back together because I was thinking about my girls that day, but my act of restoration became an unexpected altar of praise to God. What started as a simple chore filled with memories became an encounter with God who reminded me I was loved and that stool now stood as one of many tokens of his presence and love. After the glue had dried and I had dusted the corners and legs, I put it in my oldest daughter’s bathroom. Now, when I walk by the repaired little red stool, which was washed in memory and praise, I whisper a prayer of thanks to my Father in Heaven who graced us with little girls who are now young adults. We have been talking about what it means to live a life of worship. What are some things you do or have done that have become an act of worship to God? Comment below. For more direction on how to live such a life go here. You can also find there all you need to begin or deepen your relationship with Jesus. If you are a blogger, you can now subscribe to this page, and I would recommend you check out the blogs of Allen Arnn and Kris Koenigsberg. Legacy is participating in the city's Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Sunday evening at First United Methodist Church by supporting the celebration with some of our staff and technical resources. For details in joining us as we recognize this man and the movement he led, go here. I will offer a study of “Acts and Paul’s Letters” at Legacy, Monday nights, 6:30 to 8:30, as part of the B. H. Carroll Theological Institute. The class will begin Monday, January 23, and complete on Monday, March 13. This is a seminary level course taught as part of the BHCTI curriculum. You must register for the class through BHCTI online (class number: SWBLI 5212). A short application and fee of $40 are required for “readers” or those auditing the course. “Students” must register online and be accepted as part of a BHCTI degree plan. This is a great way to enhance your understanding of Scripture as you grow in your relationship with Christ. If you have questions or want more information, you can contact Pastor Gene by email or at 972.618.4600 ext. 202. I am also going through an introduction to the Gospels on Friday mornings at 6:30 a.m. with the men's group. Contact Craig Barber for more details.... Gene Wilkes 2006-01-12T13:52:27-06:00 http://www.legacychurch.org/pposting/archives/000150.html Just before Christmas I traveled to Biloxi, MS with Jeff Card, David Richey, Amy Nash, Mark Harms, Greg Price, Donnie and Lesli Robertson. The trip affected me in many ways, and there is still much work to do. Jeff and David led us to the work as part of their ministry, Relief Now Network, a ministry they started after their first trip to Biloxi right after Katrina hit. They initially worked with Hands On USA, and we got our first work project through that group. Our first day's work was at a house that had not been touched since the hurricane hit the coast. Katrina hit August 29. We walked into the house December 19. Nothing had been touched, and everything lay as it did when the 15-ft ocean surge subsided days after the storm. Our job was to gut the house so the in habitant, a 77-yr-old grandmother, could get it inspected to be rebuilt. The work was hard, smelly, and messy, but our team worked six straight hours (expect a lunch break with MREs) to gut the house. Jeff estimated the labor alone for that work was valued between $3k and $5k. Now that's a return on investment. Picture of gutting house in Biloxi That's Amy and Mark. The next day we served at a relief worker camp for the area around Kiln, MS, a town 12 miles from the coast but still received wind and surge damage (up to 5 feet of water). The place is called Camp Costal, and it is made up of relief workers from different agencies who have decided to stay up to three years in order to complete the work of helping others out of this mess. We built tents, cut and hauled off trees, and began to build relationships with the staff and workers from WA, ME and NY. Camp Costal Cleanup That's David and Jeff hauling off fallen trees. We helped clean up around the camp in the morning, and then went to a trailer home to clean up what was left of the trees and trailer next to him. We could have spent another week on that street alone. The owner was a 64-year-old single man who had lived in on the property for all of his life. The house his father built was destroyed by the hurricane. Mark prayed for him, and we went back to camp for another dinner of soup and MREs around a camp fire. What was left of the trailer in Kiln That's Lesli on the trailer. The next morning we toured the coast of Bay St. Louis and Waveland. The devastation is indescribable, and it will take years to rebuild that area. I became numb as we drove west to New Orleans and we never left scenes of the affect of the hurricane. The human, physical and spiritual needs continue to be overwhelming. A street in Bay St. Louis In New Orleans, we searched a home in St. Bernard Parish for family keepsakes of a man Jeff knew of through a network connection. The daughter was elated at the few family items we recovered from the destroyed house. The entire neighborhood was a disaster area. We could have started on that home and worked until today and not be near finished with what needs to be done in that parish. Later that morning we helped clear a lot next to a one-room home of a family of six so FEMA could supply a trailer for the family to live in. This didn't take long, but we had a chance to be a witness to the street muscians who had become squatters in the abandoned house. One of them asked as Jeff was giving him the last of the MREs, "You guys Christians or something?" We said yes, we were, and that we were there because of Jesus' love. Picture of the house and lot to be cleaned We returned to our homes and habits affected by what we had seen and done. There is still so much work to do. Jeff and David are organizing another trip in March. You can contact them at Relief Now Network. I hope to join them on this one. Our high school students will make a trip in June with a group called Mission Discovery to help with the recovery. You can get information on that trip from Mickey Nierdieck. I want you to continue to pray for those affected by this disaster and find ways here and there to serve those in such grave need. Remember I said once, "You are never more like Jesus than when you serve." I believe that now more than ever. End of Year Giving Thank you for your gracious giving in the month of December. We asked that you consider a 13th-month gift, and many of you participated. Our total giving in December was over $150,000, which allows us to start 2006 in the positive in our General Fund. You also gave over $3,500.00 to Helping Hands and many gifts were distributed to those affected by hurricanes in Biloxi, MS. May God continue to provide as we live “with open hearts and open hands.”... Gene Wilkes 2006-01-05T08:44:41-06:00