Friends

"I've never been to an outdoor Christmas party." That's what I heard a few times last Saturday night (12/13/08). Maybe it's because Joel and I are from Florida where it's not uncommon to do things "outdoors" most of the year or may we're just a little crazy, but that's what we pulled off here in Northern Virginia. Who cares that it was below freezing! The band played on! It was a little crazy. Do you know how hard it is to roll up a bounce house that has frost on it? Let's just say that rubber tends to get really hard when it's cold. But the party was really cool (no pun intended). I met some really neat people. Two ladies came with some special friends that they work with after seeing our flyer in Dairy Queen. Another lady came with her two sons who's husband is a local police officer. A man and lady came with their kids who just moved in down the street one month ago. Plus lots of old and new friends that we've made since moving here to Culpeper.

Friends, that's an important quality of Mosaic Church. We want to be friends, to be a friend to the community. The Bible has a lot to say about "friends." It says that in order for a person to have friends he must be friendly. Kinda goes without saying, but we've all met some really unfriendly people. In fact, there have been times when I've been the one who was unfriendly. It's a quality that I have to work at, because I don't always feel like being friendly. Do you? Jesus once said to his disciples, "I know longer call you servants, but friends" (Duane's translation). There's something special and meaningful about being called a "friend." Real friends are too few sometimes. I heard someone say one time that when you die you need to have 6 real friends, because that's how many you will need to carry your casket. Jesus also said, "No greater love than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends." Sometimes I'm unfriendly. Sometimes I am a good friend. But, there is no greater friend to me...to you, than Jesus. The greatest act of friendship and love would be to give one's life so another could live. I heard a story one time about a little boy, maybe 6 or 7 years old, whose baby brother was born with a rare blood disease and needed a blood transfusion immediately. The only one with the same blood type was his older brother. So the father asked his son if he would give his blood for his brother. The little boy said yes of course, but not quite understanding it all. As the little boy was lying on the bed next to his baby brother and the blood began to run through the tube to his brother, he looked at his dad and said, "Daddy, when do I die?".

Be friendly. Be a true friend. Trust in the One who is our friend.

Assessment

Yesterday my wife and I traveled to Richmond to meet with an Assessment Team for the SBCV (Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia). Although we don't put it in our name, we are a Southern Baptist Church and I am a Southern Baptist Church planter. (We are not ashamed to be a Baptist at all, we just don't want the name Baptist to be a barrier to the gospel) Every year, as a church planter, I am assessed by a group of guys who are or have been church planters themselves. It was very valuable to sit with these guys and discuss where we've been and where we are going with Mosaic Church of Culpeper. I want to say how much I appreciate their insight, guidance, support, and encouragement. It was tremendously encouraging to be with these guys yesterday. Before the assessment I was asked to write a "state of the church" address. Basically, to evaluate where we've been, what worked well, what didn't work so well, and where we are headed. It's good every now and then to stop and do an assessment, not only on what you do, but also on who you are. It's good to ask the tough questions, "How am I doing in my walk with God?", "What's worked and what hasn't worked so well in my journey?", "Where am I headed?", "What do I need to improve upon or do differently to better my relationship with Jesus?". Sometimes in life, like church planting, you can get caught up in so many other "things" that you loose focus on the most "important thing." Assessment helps us to refocus and redirect. Have you done an assessment lately? Maybe you need to stop (I know that's hard for all of us) and do a little soul searching. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you've gotten off a little bit...a little bit out of focus.