Best Day Ever / Worst Day Ever

Ever see the movie City Slickers? It's the Billy Crystal film where Billy's character turns 40 and realizes that he is getting old. He and two friends go to a real ranch where they are to lead a herd of cattle, only they wind up doing it for real on their own. OK, so who cares about the premise...

There are two defining moments in this film that are actually life-changing. Odd, because it's Billy Crystal and a film about city boys on horses. One of the moments is when Curly (the rough cowboy... I know, I know... but it really is life-changing) tells Billy that there is only "one thing" that matters in life. "What is it?" Billy asks. "You have to find that out for yourself," replied Curly. In other words, what is the one thing you live for? The other life-changing encounter in the film is the topic of this post.

The question was given: Name your best day ever, name your worst day ever. They take turns, and Billy tells of the worst day was a scare about cancer in his wife's body, and the best day being the trip to Yankee Stadium with his dad. The final response was from the "player" friend. At first he doesn't want to respond, but then tells of an abusive father who tormented his family. He describes the day he finally stood up to his dad physically and forced him to leave the home, thereby protecting his mom and siblings from further abuse. "That," he said, "was my best day." His friends responded, "Wow! What was your worst day?" His answer... "Same day."

Yesterday, April 26, 2007, Isaac Jayden Scott celebrated his 5th birthday. Five years ago he was born in a traumatic delivery, with toxins throughout his and Holly's body, and was immediately taken to the ICU. We were told that he was probably not going to make it, but that he was going to be transferred by the "Angel" Team to Vanderbilt Hospital. He had a Diaphragmatic Hernia that had his intestines in his chest cavity, crushing one lung completely while putting pressure on both his heart and his other lung. "Do you want to baptize him?" we were asked. My wife was left by me to recover at the hospital (with her parents), our other boys were being watched by aunts and uncles, and my dad and I went to Vanderbilt to be with Isaac. Surgery followed at three days old as well as a month in the hospital. Literally 24 hour one on one care was given to him, with a nurse never leaving his room for around 2-3 weeks.

Now, he's five; he's beautiful; and he's alive. I understand. Best day ever / Worst day ever... same day.

Mindset for Ministry

Ok, I take the first moment to apologize about making the readers sick regarding my affection for my wife. However, you may chose to live in a meaningless and loveless world, but I choose to woo the woman I love and whom I want to love me. She has brought me from the boy who would only cry when caught in a bear trap (and then only to lubricate the gears for escape) to the man I am now who cannot watch Extreme Home Makeover without falling apart.

Now, I have begun the process of demonstrating a different mindset for ministry. This mindset is not new for me, only a process of the past few years that I am now implementing into the culture that surrounds my life. It's a "coming out" if you will. The thought process is this:

I am the Church. As a believer in, and follower of, Christ, I am His Church. This is not a religion or dogma, but the reality of who He says I am because I have been brought into His family. It is relationship, and now I live for Him. I am different, set apart. I am not "better than" or perfect, but I put my trust in the Creator of all, knowing that I cannot brag about how I have achieved or arrived. He calls me blessed. He calls me a saint.

I don't have to like church to be the Church. I have written about the institution (little "c"hurch). I have tried to work for it and build it, but I know that God hasn't called me to. The machine of things can fail without the Whole falling. God has actually said that He will take care of His Church. We can all be different and still be the Church.

God has a mindset about the Kingdom, not the church (little "c"). He is for the Kingdom. The Kingdom involves things, but is not a thing. It is a way. So, if God is about the Kingdom, I should be about doing the ministry (work) of the Kingdom and not the church.

I will work to do ministry, not build a church. There are things that seem to be expected of us as a church. If you do not do them, you are looked down on or seen as somehow less effective. However, I really believe that if we concentrate on doing the ministry that we can do, everything will fall into place. You see, a "church" has a choir, Sunday School classes, a youth room and nursery. There is a fellowship hall and carpet and a sound system. A ministry, on the other hand, sees a person in need and helps them. A ministry knows that others need to learn about God and shares His love then disciples (mentors) them. Visiting the skate park replaces the room. The aisle at Wal-mart replaces the carpet and sound of the sanctuary. Look to do ministry, not build a church.

This is where we are going. It is the direction. It is the way. I am looking forward to the ride.

My wife, Holly

I was thinking yesterday morning how wonderful my wife is. I was playing a scenerio in my head as if someone interviewing me asked me who was the best person I know. Obviously, I would have to say, "Jesus," but the answer to the best woman (and second person to Jesus) would be my wife. I say this not for brownie points, but because it's true.

I know you've got your Mother Theresa's and stuff, but Hol's the real deal. She is truly more kind to the downtrodden (sp?) than I could ever have hope to have patience enough to be. She is slap-your-face funny; and silly too... which is better. She's beautiful. She is talented beyond any one's expectations, including hers, which is charming and irritating at the same time. Charming because she's humble but irritating because she needs to know how great she is! She knows things I don't know about stuff that matters. Her eyes melt me. Her passion for God is real, as well as her frustration at others who don't have that passion. I could go on but the few who read this will lose interest.

I will pontificate on another matter later.