A Thin Place

A few times I have mentioned New Community Church and my role with the worship team but with few details.  I discovered NCC back in August shortly after our move to KC.  I started out playing a hand drum here and there and even played the drum set a few times after the church purchased a new kit.  But one thing led to another and I am now the worship director.  Crazy how God opens doors and works things out.  I am humbled to serve and blessed to be surrounded by authentic followers of Christ.  My good friend Jeremy is the pastor and together we share life, we share vision and many times we share something off the grill on my back deck.  Many of the young adults and residents of Shelterwood have found a home at NCC too.

But why do I worship?  Why do I play?  Sing?  Very simple.   In a Sunday message a few months back, Jeremy made reference to a "thin place."  A place where the gap between God and man; heaven and earth, feels just a little thinner.  Some have found this place in the stillness of a mountain hike or the calm of a stroll on the beach.  My "thin place" is in worship.  Yeah, I know God is everywhere and all that jazz but life is just too diverse and people too unique for everyplace to be the same for every person.  God has hard-wired me to worship.  My hope is to bring a thin moment to others every time I pick up my guitar or bang out a rhythm on the drum.  The real question is "Where is your 'thin place'?"  Find it and go there as often as you can.    

The Shack

The Shack is an incredible novel written by William P. Young about one man's experience with God.  Although this blog is not about that Shack, I still recommend it to ALL my friends.  It will change your life.

Having the day off for MLK I was reflecting on my Shack experience.  Life changing.  It was a staff retreat in the Colorado mountains above Nederland following April 2008 parents weekend at Shelterwood.  It would be the last time we all gathered together before the group would begin to break up.  New jobs, careers, back to school for  some and Kansas City preparation for others.  The cabin was beautiful.  3 floors, probably 12+ bedrooms, multiple fireplaces, and all the rustic fixtures you would imagine in a place like that.    A group of us men found an old, very small and rundown wooden shack a short walk in the snow from the front side of the cabin.  No electricity, no floor or chairs.  Pretty much standing room only.  With only our headlamps for sight and down coats, beanies, and gloves for warmth we shared life.  I laughed until my eyes watered and ribs hurt.  I tried to hold back tears with burning eyes.  We hugged. We punched and at the same time felt the love and acceptance of each other.  God was present and no doubt God was pleased.

I miss the Shack.  I can't help but smile every time I see this picture.  I know that I can't go back but I can choose to value people and relationships.  I can love life and teach others to do the same.  I can love and accept others.  I can bring my experience to other men.  So, you see, the Shack lives on.

The end of the Tunnel

I drove from Denver to Kansas City in April of last year with my family to "check out the area." We stopped by the Doulos property and I  remember seeing two enormous holes carved into the earth.  The Guys Lodge and the Girls Lodge.  As you can see from the pictures, the Guys Lodge is complete and the Field House is not far behind.  I realize that plenty of work still needs completion but I can see the end of the

tunnel.  Doulos Ministries has been blessed with a beautiful 200 acre campus.  Someday we will be able to impact 3 times the amount of families as the old 40 acre Denver campus.  I ask that you continue to pray for the construction.  Safety for the workers.  Wisdom for Ken (Doulos employee and construction guru), and finances.  It is a tough time in our economy and the Doulos directors and board members are working hard to complete the vision.  Thanks to all of you who have faithfully supported my personal ministry and role at Shelterwood.  Because of you---all this--is possible.

2009 Rush Hour

If the Christmas holiday was a slow country drive on a Sunday afternoon, the new year has become rush hour traffic.  Lots of stuff going on in the week-old 2009 year.  Allow me to explain.

Jena and I drove 15 hours from Savannah to Kansas City the day after Christmas to find a flooded basement.  The weather in KC dropped below zero for several days while we were away and my attempt to drip the outside faucet was not enough to prevent a burst pipe and plenty of  standing water.  The next day we lost electricity to our home for 8 hours and Jena and Kaiden stayed in the dark while I drove to Hays, KS and back to bring home Justin, Sumer, Savannah and Samantha.  Nuts.  

Life at Shelterwood is back to full swing.  The new Leadtime class of 29.5 arrived yesterday.  3 ladies and 2 young men.  A huge blessing.  We lost one guy resident over Christmas break and gained one with an intake on Tuesday.  Concerning construction...the Guys Lodge is now complete and the Field House is on track for the end of February.  Unfortunately we are unable to occupy the Guys Lodge until the pool is complete.  It serves as a secondary fire suppression.  

The diversity of God's Kingdom still amazes me.  Today in chapel three of our residents led worship and one of our own (Larry) shared a powerful personal testimony of how God's love reaches through our broken and fallen lives.  Apart from God we are nothing but through Him we are everything.