faithrunner

Saturday, August 25, we rode in this year's version of Hotter 'n Hell 100 bike ride . The conditions were better than last year, but it still lived up to its name. Here are the sleeping quarters at the Wichita Falls YMCA . That's Jim Craig in the suite next to me, and Frank and Beth Usnick are to my other side. Yes, that is plaster coming off the back wall of the racket ball court where we stayed. Over 400 of the 11,000 plus riders slept in every flat spot there. It's all part of the experience! The quote of the night was another guy in the room who said, "All I know is that my friend told me not to worry. He got me a room at the Y." Hey, it was $12 bucks! This is the gang at the spaghetti dinner the night before the big ride. Frank and Beth are closest to John Huber and his camera, them Tim Parker and me, Jim Craig and Keith and Bridget Giddens and their children are at the far end. I don't know all the others. Daniel, Ray and Shasta who ride with us ...

Wednesday, August 29, has been set aside as a day of prayer and fasting for the 40 Days of Community which begins September 9 . Patsy Weinberg, a member of our 40Days leadership team, shared this information with me. It provides everything you need to know to join us Wednesday. If you have questions, comment or email Patsy or me. 1) Here’s a link to Bill Bright’s website , and it has all kinds of practical stuff: It’s LONG--pages and pages and pages. And most of it deals with 7-40 day fasts, but it’s a good starting point. 2) Here are some practical things I found on a web site that agree with what I’ ve always been taught (my edited version is below) Prepare yourself physically . Fasting can actually be a cleansing opportunity for the body, but you don't want to make yourself sick. Eat a good meal prior to beginning your fast. Don't gorge yourself, but don't go into it on nothing but a snack-size meal. Avoid caffeine and any stimulants Prepare yourself ...

I taught my first class for Dallas Baptist University last night at their North Campus . I am teaching the Biblical Servant Leadership course , which is a core class for the Master level degrees in the Graduate School of Leadership . There are eight students in the class, working for degrees like the Masters in Global Leadership and Masters of Arts in Christian Education . The students come from varied ministry and vocational backgrounds, and they all have already made a contribution to the class. The diversity and multiple ministry applications will make for a very invigorating experience. We are using my book, Jesus On Leadership , and Peter Northouse's Leadership Theory and Practice . If you would like the full bibliography for the class, let me know and I'll email it to you. I am looking forward to the 16-week journey of learning together. At Legacy , we are gearing up for 40 Days of Community . I am really excited about what this season of spiritual renewal will do for u...

I've been back in ministry for a week now. Kim asked me after my first day back how it felt, and I answered, "it was typical." She said, "Typical! What does that mean?" I answered that typical meant it was just as it had been, phone calls, message prep, planning, seeing God at work in people's lives. You know, typical. I think while I like the adventure and the break from routine of holiday, I prefer typical . As I wrote before, that is where God shows up in the most practical and life-sustaining ways. This week Marcus and Lisa Lloyd joined our staff to lead our children's ministries and influence our commitment to the arts as a means to worship and experience God. I am very excited about what they bring to the team. I'm enjoying teaching the Sermon on the Mount. Check it out at the newly-updated Legacy Church message page . Also, Kenyon and Troy were excellent in my absence. Check out their messages, too, if you missed them. Fact: Barry Bonds has...

I return to the routine of ministry tomorrow. I've been out of these habits since 21 June, and I'm a bit anxious about returning to the office tomorrow. It's not that I don't like the people or the job or that I fear the future, but I am nervous about how to find God in the ordinary after experiencing Him in so many exotic places and events. It's easy to find God hiking on a rock face at 11,000 feet above sea level or walking beside a snow-melt filled stream rushing down a mountain side. It's not so easy to find God on the concrete, SUV-crowded streets and florescent lighted halls of my suburban life. After six weeks of the extra-ordinary I will commit again to the mundane, the daily grind, the live-where-you-are-planted life. For those addicted to adrenaline like I am at times, I will turn again to trust my Mentor and Leader who ultimately changed the hearts of generations while staying within 200 miles of his hometown. I live in an experience-enhanced existen...

The week has been so filled with activity--and the fact this town has limited internet connectivity--I have not taken time to post much. So, here's a summary of the week. Monday afternoon (left to right) Graham, me, Kyle, Clint, and Johnathan headed out to Lost Lake (12,000+ ft) where we camped for the night and the summited Wheeler Peak (13,161 ft.) on Tuesday morning. We got rained on some, but the trails were magnificent, and the view from our campsite was unbelievable. (You could hear that waterfall all the time, and it made sleeping easy.) After our ascent of Wheeler, we headed back down to town for a night at the Community Center and late night talks with friends. On Wednesday, we hiked up to Middle Fork Lake with a group led by Kyle, who is the Community Center rec director and a member of the Red River gang we vacation with each year. Here are some of the adults who made the 4-mile, 2,000 foot elevation change, with us. Most of the trail followed the river down the val...

Saturday we traveled from Vancouver, BC to Red River , NM via DFW. Sunday morning I preached at the Community House worship service. This is a non-denominational worship service that reminded me of my home church growing up in Beaumont 40 years ago. (We ended the service with the old song "Church in the Wildwood" and held hands singing "The Family of God.") The spirit was great, and the people were welcoming and open to what I had to say. The Baylor friends were not disruptive in the service as they had warned they would (jokingly), and a friend I run with on Saturday morning brought his family from Angel Fire to be there. It was a wonderful experience. (We didn't make the "congregational singing" at 7:00.) That evening we gathered at Sundance Mexican restaurant for dinner. You can see some of us at two tables in the picture. We had a table for 25 , and that's down from other years when every one was able to make it. We are so glad Storey and Gr...