McKendree Ministry Update

Well, I had a great weekend this last weekend. We had a wonderful time in Sunday morning Bible study. We studied Proverbs Chapter 1 and found some great ways that it applies to our lives.

I have been losing a lot of sleep because the building we inherited for our ministry to McKendree College needed quite a bit of work and I didn’t know how it would all get done. I work full-time at Scott Air Force Base and also serve as the volunteer Director of Collegiate Ministries at FBC O'Fallon. We started about 2 years ago and have grown to around 45 students. I have felt God's call to start a ministry at McKendree for a couple of years, but the timing wasn't right and frankly there was a good campus ministry already going that was being run by the McKendree Chaplain. Last year I asked some of my McKendree students if they thought McKendree needed anything like a Baptist Collegiate Ministry and until this semester they always said no. In fact, my student leaders were also leading the McKendree Campus ministry. So, I just waited and prayed.

Well, at the beginning of the Fall semester everything came apart for the McKendree Campus ministry. The Chaplain started teaching things that my student leaders didn't agree with, such as, everyone creates their own path to heaven (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jehovah's Wintess), it doesn't necessarily have to be through Christianity. Kind of a strange belief for a Methodist Minister who claims to be a Christian. My student leaders finally confronted him and asked him if he believed the Bible was the inspired word of God and whether or not he believed John 14:6, and he could never give them a direct answer. His answer was that his definition of "the way" isn't the same as my student leaders' definition of it. He also told them they weren't tolerant enough of other people's beliefs and that the Campus ministry was open to people to practice all faiths whether or not they led through Christ. My student leaders decided they couldn't work with a Campus Chaplain who doesn't believe that Christ is the only way to the Father and that it was time to sever their relationship with the McKendree Campus Ministry. They came to me to try to start a BCM to minister to students on campus and in Lebanon. I went to my church leadership the next day and asked if there was any kind of support they could give us and a big grin came on their faces. They said a small Baptist church had just folded in Lebanon and our church had inherited their building 2 blocks away from the McKendree Campus the day before and they felt the Lord wanted us to start a McKendree ministry there. FBC O'Fallon has come completely on line. God's timing and providence are awesome.

The McKendree Chaplain in the meanwhile has been very unprofessional and angry. He pretty much told us we aren't wanted on campus (He has several issues including lots of unresolved anger towards my student leaders) and has fought us the whole way. What really bugs him is that our student ministry will meet off campus and he basically can't do anything about it. We haven't even had our first meeting as a student ministry yet. We are waiting until the semseter starts in a week or so to do any ministry (all my students are spread to the four corners of Illinois right now).

Needless to say, the church building we inherited is a godsend. It is just exactly what we needed. It is within walking distance of campus, has a worship center that seats about 100 people, and is free. You can't beat that. But, it is in desperate need of some tender loving care.

Last Wednesday I was contacted by a new Baptist church plant in Lebanon that will co-use the facility for their temporary church. They have already started doing the major construction on the building and it is looking awesome!

I am sleeping a little better now because the Lord has worked it all out, but there is still alot to get finished in a short amount of time. I know the Lord will continue to work wonders because He is the God of wonders! Praise the Lord.

World's Horniest Man

I saw this link the other day. It is a PG link to the world's horniest man. It is one of the best links I have seen in a while.

This Year's Annual Christmas Exam

In the effort to strive towards technological supremacy, this year's Chistmas exam will be given via the internet. Please take the exam and grade yourself.

Have a great weekend,

Rick

The Simple Life

My family has been captivated by the Fox series The Simple Life. We have found it very entertaining. The show was designed to depict 2 spoiled rich "California Brats" that will leave all their credit cards, money, and trappings of bratdom home and live on an Arkansas farm for 5 weeks. It is a great concept for a TV show.

We only have one problem with it. "The Brats" (Paris Hilton and Nicole Richey) are not the only ones making a mess of themselves. The small Arkansas town of Altus is trying to accept these ladies for who they are, but each week it is becoming more evident that they can't. "The Brats" are acting more and more horrible each week, but so is the town. Not only do "The Brats" have a difficult time adjusting to "Country Life", but the town is having a difficult time adjusting to "The Brats." The town stoops down to cater to them like they are celebrities (which ultimately leads to the girls stepping all over the townsfolk) and the result is that the girls do whatever they want and the town picks up the pieces.

A case in point is the episode when the town's Mayor tries to capitalize on "The Brats" celebrity stardom by having them man the town fair's "Kissing Booth". It starts off good, but after a while "The Brats" discover that they can have more fun by having the town's young men stop paying to kiss them on the cheek and start paying to kiss them on the butt. The Mayor and many of the older ladies of the town are upset. But, this is just symbolic of what the whole town is doing to "The Brats". The older ladies of the town are treating "The Brats" like celebrities and kissing their butts throughout the show, but only in a symbolic way, not out in public. They act one way to the girls in public and another way in private when the girls are not around.

I believe this comes from from the short-term nature of the show. If the girls were to live there for a year or more they would have a much more difficult, but more meaningful time adjusting to the town and the town would adjust better to the girls. Right now though they both understand that this is a short-term arrangement and that all they have to do is tolerate each other for a few more weeks and it will be over. There is no incentive for either the town or the girls to change and adapt in the short-term. My main beef is that this show is very entertaining, but at the expense of many normal people. The simple Life makes "Country Living" look demeaning. "Country Life" is a life of fulfilling responsibilities, sticking to something through completion, and commitment. I fiind this show lacks all three.

The Emerging Church

I found a new website for the Emerging Church that looks promising. It is called emergingchurch.Info and is located here. I will add it to the links side of the weblog. It makes for some great reading.

Can We Let Saddam Hussein Receive a Fair Trial?

Now that we have captured Saddam Hussein it is time for us to show our character as a country. What do we stand for? Do we really stand for freedom, or do we only want freedom when we can control it? These questions will play out over the next few months as the capture of Saddam and subsequent trial become top headlines. Who's prisoner is Saddam, the United States', Iraq's, the United Nations', or some other entity.

It is my belief that although Saddam is one of the most hated people here in the United States, he is really an Iraqi prisoner and the Iraqi governing council, or their replacement, should completely decide Saddam's fate. He has been our thorne in the side, but the Iraqi people have put up with him much longer than we have. Let the Iraqi system of justice run its course, and if the Iraqis decide to execute him, let it be. But, we also have to be prepared for the Iraqis to decide to let him go (I don't think that will happen, but we must be ready if it does). If that is the Iraqi decision, let it be. As much as it might pain us this is really an Iraqi decision, and we should be willing to stand beside them when they make it.

We have meddled in Iraqi internal affairs for quite some time now, and I think that once the country gets back on their feet we should allow them to function without our constant meddling.

Clinging to Worthless Idols

I spent last night watching the rehearsal for our church's Christmas production. It looks good so far. We have some really talented prople in our church family who go all out for Christmas. We normally put on a big production over the course of about 2 or 3 days. But why do we only do this at Christmas and Easter? I know those are the big 2 holidays for Christians, but we serve a risen and living Savior who deserves our best each and every day.

I came across one of my favorite verses again on Friday as I was prepping for Sunday Morning Bible Study. It is one of those verses that sticks with you for a long time and has meanings that continue to change over time for me. It is Jonah 2:8. After Jonah has run from the Lord he is in the belly of the big fish and has a time of reflection on his service to the Lord. It is an incredible commentary on today's Christian life. The verse says,

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

How many times in our lives do we give up what God's best is for us only because we want to cling to those things we have control over? I am convinced that many of us don't have vibrant Christian lives because we refuse to let go of all those things in our life and let God take control. By doing that we give up what God's best is for us. It is a sad commentary about who we give control to in our lives. In this case we want to maintain control ourselves. Jonah was a prophet, a man dedicated to the calling of God, and it took him spending 3 days in the belly of a big fish for him to get it. What does it take for us to get it?

Old Friends

Linked up with another old CVHS friend Mark Illuminate. I have been E-Mailing Mark back and forth for the last couple of months. He is a super brother in the Lord and is enjoying the Christmas season. We got reaquainted through the CV Alumni website. It was great to hear from Mark. Mark is meeting another old CVHS/UCLA friend John Brackenridge tonight for dinner. It would sure be fun to be there.

Sunday is a Busy Day

Had a great, but busy day yesterday. I woke up early (6:00) to get ready for my 9:45 Sunday Morning Bible Study. We were studying Jonah 1:1-2:9. What a great passage that I think is a good example for us because we all run from the Lord occasionally. It was very applicable to our Christian walk. The Bible Study teacher at the 11:00 hour was absent, so I spent a second hour teaching another Collegiate Class. It was awesome to be able to spend some time with them. I hope to spend more time with the 11:00 class over the next couple of months. Both hours have some very bright students that helped me learn a lot about Jonah’s book yesterday.

Next week we will be studying Jonah 2:10-3:10 on Sunday morning. Should be another fund study!

Finished up the day by attending the 6:00 evening service. Bethany and the children's choirs sang during the service. They were great. I wish we could get Matthew interested in singiing in the choir. He will probably try to play his French Horn in the church Orchestra next year.

I guess it is time to start blogging again!

I'm sorry I ahve been gone for a while, but I lost the flame for a bit and now I'm back burning brightly again.

I was browsing through the Alumni Page of my high school class. I came across a couple of old friends. When I was in 3rd or 4th grade my Barber was George Bardic. His daughter Debbie and I went to school together at Fremont Elementary in Glendale, California, and Rosemont Junior High School and Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, California. The other day I was thinking about George cutting my hair and it led me to think about Debbie. I wondered what happened to her. I don't remember her being in the Alumni Page, but I went back and checked again and there she was. She has a website that is a hoot. It is located here. Just click on the Roadster and you can enter Debbie's world. She hasn't changed much. She is still the wild thing I remember.

Since I put my write up into the Alumni Page I have linked up with Mark Illuminate, Steve Atkinson, and Mike Murray. They were all three good friends that I have had lots of good times with over the course of growing up.

Rick