Thoughts of a weak-kneed disciple

Glimpses #4

2010-08-31T14:52:00.000-05:00

As my 20's melted away and my 30's came, God began to take me in a new direction. Marriage and kids had brought a measure of happiness, but deep joy was missing. I had been living as a legalist for quite a while. My relationship with God was fraught with religion. I easily turned my discipleship training into a scheme to make myself feel good about my religious performance and to impress God with my relative righteousness. In my mind, if I kept the rules, then God would love me. But thankfully, God didn't allow me to stay at that place.

My soul was in deep need of spiritual renewal and God met me in my need. Through two godly men, I began to learn a truth that I had either forgotten or never known. I knew that Jesus died-on-the-cross-for-my-sins, but that wasn't good news to me. I had half the Gospel! I had been put back to even with God, and in my mind it was up to me to stay there! Through these two men, I learned that God takes our sin AND covers us in the righteousness of Jesus. When he looks at me, He is pleased, because He sees the righteousness of Jesus. This was and continues to be good news....

Glimpses #3

2010-08-30T15:13:00.003-05:00

My early adult and married life brought times of spiritual clarity and times of struggle. I was blessed by God to meet several godly men in my 20's and 30's who were willing to invest themselves in me. Through one of these guys I learned what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus. As I had for my most of my christian life, I claimed that I was a christian, but I never read my Bible or prayed. I lived off the faith of my parents. I had very little knowledge of Jesus.

God was working in my life making Jesus real in new ways. It was good.

At about this same time, I met a new companion: depression. Depression is a strange thing, and I believe that it manifests itself differently in people's lives. For me, depression came at odd times. I would wake one day with a pressure on my soul that couldn't be relieved. Constantly tired, feeling hopeless and drained, I would plod through life. I don't understand depression, but I have come to see it as part of my physical brokenness. A piece of me that needs to be restored. A thorn that I long to have removed, but is left in me so that Jesus' strength may be seen....

Wow

2010-08-30T10:37:00.002-05:00

Has it really been over a year since I've blogged? I guess like most of America, I've turned my attention to the immediate gratification of Facebook. However, there is still a good place for blogs, so I might start up again.

Glimpses 2

2009-07-14T15:53:00.003-05:00

My time at 85th Street was crucial in my experience of the Gospel. At this place I found people who loved me and poured themselves out so that I could flourish. In the youth group I received my first non-King James bible, heard biblical teaching and experienced Christian community. I wish I could say that I was a spiritual virtuoso, grasping deep truths and seeing the Gospel with clarity, but...my Gospel grasp was weak at best. I remember as I struggled with sin, that Jesus said something about being forgiven 70 times 7. The way I figured it, I had 490 times to ask for forgiveness! Guilt was my constant companion.

A half-Gospel is really not good news. My teen years and early twenties were spent with a half-Gospel. I knew that Jesus died on the cross for sinners and that I was a sinner. I had walked the aisle and asked Him into my heart. I feared God. He was my judged and was constantly disappointed with me. Sin was what others could see. My life was without power, joy, purpose. I was still relating to God as a slave, trying to keep the law so that He would be happy with me.

I took this Gospel through college, to Moody and into my marriage to Laura.

Thankfully, God was still working...calling.....pursuing me.....................

Glimpses Part 1

2009-07-13T15:51:00.006-05:00

I had lunch with a friend today who is in the middle of seminary. The occasion has caused me to reflect a little on my life, how I became a Christian and why I became a pastor.

My exposure to the Gospel came in the form of glimpses. It seems that I have travelled along my life as if I were on a train, As I traveled I would occasionally pass a building with a well lit room. I would catch a glimpse of the light and the contents of the room. Sometimes these glimpses would scare me, sometimes confuse me and sometimes delight me.

The story of my life is set in the South. I started my life as a Catholic infant, my father was from a Catholic family and my mother became Catholic when they were married. In my preteen years I joined a Southern Baptist church. Now I'm a Presbyterian. Jesus caught me somewhere in the middle.

I have few memories of the Catholic church. I remember that we attended St. Barnabas church in Eastlake, the church where my parents were married. My only mental image of mass was kneeling beside the pew before entering and my mom thumping me on the head when I was too loud. I don't know if this was a fomative experience. I do know that my head hurts every time I pass St. Barnabas!

I don't know why we stopped going to the Catholic church. Eighty-fifth Street Baptist was two- blocks from my house and was the next town my train moved through.

Growing up in the Baptist church, I had many glimpses of the gospel. The preacher was faithful to talk about sin (it seemed mine in particular) and being saved. I walked down the aisle to be saved sometime in my preteen years. However, my understanding of the Gospel was small. Jesus died on the cross for my sin was all I new....not necessarily all bad!

Ireland video

2009-07-11T14:13:00.002-05:00

Being weak-kneed

2009-07-11T11:25:00.004-05:00

When I titled this blog, I had in mind a reference by Brennan Manning in his book The Ragamuffin Gospel. While not a perfect book by any stretch of the imagination, Manning really speaks to the heart of those who struggle with faith.

To me the weak-kneed disciple is one who realizes that all the efforts of religion to somehow make and keep God happy with us are hopeless. To be weak-kneed is to look at yourself and see that you are unable to maintain the facade of competence as a Christian, to realize that hiding your sin from those around you is exhausting and powerless. To be weak-kneed is to come to Christ with EMPTY hands and plead for grace, and then to find the overflowing love of God for you, to hear the song of His delight in you.

I had surgery last year on my right knee. I walk with a constant pain/weakness that warns me that the knee can't really bear my weight. A constant reminder that I can't provide to God the strength to be His disciple, His son.

Resurrection?

2009-07-10T21:26:00.002-05:00

I'm considering resurrecting my blog. Now that the blog world has slowed down in favor of facebook and twitter, I may go retro and blog for a change. Hmmm...If you're interested, keep an eye out for deep thoughts.

New Site

2008-09-15T23:12:00.001-05:00

The Morgan Journey has been changed! Please follow this link to see the new site. Clck Here.

Dream

2008-08-15T10:18:00.007-05:00

I had a really strange yet vivid dream last night.

I'm riding in a car with Anna Bedsole. We are headed to Atlanta to visit a physical therapist. (huh?)

Note: I saw Anna the other day and I’ve been seeing a physical therapist (Grand Master Funk) to rehab my knee.

As we arrive, I see that the area is very upscale. All the store fronts are brick with the feel of an old English village.

After Anna and I arrive, I discover that the Physical Therapist is actually a dentist. Anna goes in for her visit, and I walk around the neighborhood. To the right of the dentist is a cafeteria run by a middle age bald white man. The cafeteria consists of a couple of rooms with the expected buffet type steam tables. All of the tables are filled with food, but all the food is covered with stainless steel tops. My impression is that the cafeteria isn't getting much business. The bald man is walking around yelling and being bossy.

As I exit the cafeteria I turn and walk in front of the dentist office and around the corner. The first business on the right is a department store. I walk in and am met by a young lady who offers me a store credit card. I refuse and tell her that I can't afford to buy anything from that store.

I continue down the street, around another corner. The entire next block on both sides of the street is occupied by the Sherwin Williams paint company. The buildings are painted bright blue. I stick my head in the door and look at a few items………….

I awake to the sound of a child coming down the steps. Bella comes into my room and says that she can’t find her pillow. It’s 5 a.m. I walk her back upstairs and send her to the potty. Her pillow is on her bed. I tuck her in and head back to bed.

Somehow we are still in the same village. Anna has disappeared and I am walking with a group of people doing something political. We are assigned specific areas, and I am asking people to vote, or complete a census or something similar. I am not selling anything, but performing a community service.

I walk into a house, down the steps and into a room. There is a painting on the far wall. It’s not a painting anymore but a real place. There are mountains and high column like peaks with restaurants and resorts on top. The columns are very narrow and the buildings on top hang over the edges. There is a cable stretching into the distance that rises toward the peaks, and although no cable car is seen, there is no doubt that this is the only way up. The scene/place is beautiful.

I step closer and the place disappears. I see that the place is actually an art work made of rags and clothing. I leave excitedly to find Laura and show her this wonder.

End of dream

I had a root beer before going to bed. I am reading the first Harry Potter book. I watched some of the Olympics last night …

Stuck in my head

2008-08-05T09:16:00.002-05:00

I’ve had this old song stuck in my head for the past week. I’ve tried all I can to expunge it from my thoughts, but it keeps coming back. I knew that the situation had deteriorated to the crisis stage when I heard Bella walking around singing it!

I remember talking to a friend a month or so ago about my struggles to remember the Gospel in the middle of stressful times. One of the things he recommend for me to do was to involve myself in the ways of remembering that work for me. For me that would be music.

I really love music and lyrics stick in my head forever. Good and bad.

I’ve posted the lyrics to the brain infecting song from this week. As you look over them, you will realize that this song is a virtual bastion of bad theology. Some truth, yes, but overall it’s a treatise on the relativity of all truth except what your feelings tell you.

My challenge is to be careful what I proclaim to my soul. The mind is the guard of the heart and I easily let other gospels in my mind. Other gospels? Yes. They creep in and infect my thoughts of what is true. I preach to myself of the uncertainty of life, of the need for validation, of the primacy of my reputation, of the inadequacy of God…

Strangely, with these sermons resonating in my mind, I find it difficult to love others. I am concerned with myself and my rights. I spend my resources, time, talent, treasure on me. I must ensure my well being. I must demand credit for good deeds, I must have my way. (I told you country music was bad for the soul!)

But, there is another song. A song to be sung, proclaimed, remembered.

The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zeph. 3:17

Loud singing!!! The Father is very fond of me!

The Song: I Believe in You by Don Williams

I don't believe in superstars,
Organic food and foreign cars.
I don't believe the price of gold;
The certainty of growing old.
That right is right and left is wrong,
That north and south can't get along.
That east is east and west is west.
And being first is always best.

But I believe in love.
I believe in babies.
I believe in Mom and Dad.
And I believe in you.

Well, I don't believe that heaven waits,
For only those who congregate.
I like to think of God as love:
He's down below, He's up above.
He's watching people everywhere.
He knows who does and doesn't care.
And I'm an ordinary man,
Sometimes I wonder who I am.

But I believe in love.
I believe in music.
I believe in magic.
And I believe in you.

Well, I know with all my certainty,
What's going on with you and me,
Is a good thing.
It's true, I believe in you.

I don't believe virginity,
Is as common as it used to be.
In working days and sleeping nights,
That black is black and white is white.
That Superman and Robin Hood,
Are still alive in Hollywood.
That gasoline's in short supply,
The rising cost of getting by.

But I believe in love.
I believe in old folks.
I believe in children.
I believe in you.

But I believe in love.
I believe in babies.
I believe in Mom and Dad.
And I believe in you.

Beware the Ninjas

2008-07-29T22:47:00.003-05:00

For some reason, AJ thought it was funny that the bottom of my ninja suit was open in the back. Strange huh?

Mississippi Squirrels et al

2008-07-24T09:54:00.001-05:00

“Seven Deacons and the Pastor got saved, and twenty-five thousand dollars got raised, and fifty volunteered for missions in the Congo on the spot. Even without an invitation, there were about 500 rededications, and we all got re-baptized, whether we needed it or not” Ray Stevens

Funny Song. It’s about how a squirrel went berserk in the first up-righteous church. Confession and repentance were the result… with a tinge of rededication.

I sometimes feel as though my soul is the sleepy little town that has forgotten what real faith looks like. Words like up-righteous, self-righteous, indignation, self-pity, laziness, condemnation, fear, control… seem to be much more descriptive of me than the picture of love that should be my image.

Being a closet existentialist, I struggle to believe a truth that doesn’t feel true. The guarantee of God’s goodness to me, the reality of His transforming presence in me, the surety of His love, all these things can be fleeting doctrines with little meaning.

Or…..is that just the loud voice of a determined enemy? The war is real. My flesh tells me that these lies are true, that I am unacceptable. My joy is sapped, my vision clouds.

I can tell, sometimes, when I’m believing the lie. I get anxious, defensive, depressed, angry, critical, demanding, selfish…

And then the voice of a friend “joy begins with repentance”. It is here that true joy resonates in my life. Through repentance the Father’s song of delight is heard and faith comes; inseparable, unavoidable, Spirit-wrought.

I feel The Curse When,

2008-07-22T20:56:00.006-05:00

I need to succeed, perform well, avoid failure, avoid a bad decision. I feel pressure. I'm intense, hurried. It's a horrible bondage to need to succeed. Failure is OVERrated as a problem, and succeeding is OVERrated as a blessing. Because. An addiction to succeeding is like any other addiction: you need more. The enemy couldn't be more pleased to have us Christians indifferent to the success/righteousness/performance of Jesus that's imputed to us, while we obsess over some of our own, by puny human power, in partnership with me, myself and I, thereby impotent at loving the nonChristians around us as they need to be loved.

Dave McCarty

Baptism. You two are just dumber'n a bag of hammers.

2008-07-20T18:55:00.007-05:00

Ulysses Everett McGill

Today baby Witt Floyd was baptized.

Baptism is a means of grace. In other words, it is one of two sacraments, (the Lord's Supper being the other) that is a means that God uses to convey grace upon His people. The sacraments are a visual representation of God's word, the Gospel.

I realized today that I often think of Baptism as a means of grace for the one being baptized and not for the congregation. How wrong. Baptism is a holding up of the Gospel in the same way as the Lord's Supper, yet different. In Baptism, I am reminded of my helpless state, I am encouraged by the covenant promises of God, I am captured by the love of God for sinners like Witt, like me.

My family spent the afternoon with the Floyds, their family and several families from our church. We hung out, ate perfectly grilled chicken, played with the babies... and experienced something that Baptism gives, unity. We were all the same, all without reputation, without power, without hope, except for Jesus.

G

Today

2008-07-19T17:17:00.002-05:00

Moody today. I don't know what is going on. I'm recovering slowly from knee surgery. Its not really bothering me too much. I don't have any patience with the kids. Their failures are magnified in my eyes. Not good.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. So a failure of love (all the law summarized) is actually a failure of faith. In essence, I'm not believing well today. No humility, no brokeness.

Unbelief can be a persistent companion sometimes. I find that I can't make myself believe. Yet this is the work given to us by Christ (see John 6). Faith begins with brokeness, repentance. I need a clearer view of my sin. I'm not so keen on the idea.

G

Hello Blog World

2008-06-26T18:09:00.003-05:00

Hey guys

Thought I would poke my head in and see what is happening in blog land.

I am having an interesting week. Knee surgery on Wednesday has left me a non-contributor on the home front. Basically, I sit around in the bedroom, eat chocolate and let my wife wait on me. I'm thinking about quitting my day job!

That's enough for now. I'm exhausted

G

I'm still on blog vacation

2008-05-29T19:21:00.002-05:00

But I have posted on the Morgan Journey. Click over there>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Baseball

2008-05-20T13:12:00.002-05:00

Checkin In

2008-03-15T20:04:00.003-05:00

Yes, I am on somewhat of a blog vacation. However, I do realize that there are many blog addicts out there graving for someone to make a new post. I hope that reading this has given you sufficient relief from the jobs that your employers think you are doing.

Later
G

Ireland

2008-02-21T02:20:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone!

Laura is trying to post Ireland trip updates on her blog. Please click her link over in the right column. We are changing locations today and don't know if we will have computer access at the new joint. Hope to see you soon!

Later

G

Just some pics of the Morgans

2008-02-03T18:29:00.001-06:00

Just some pics of the Morgans

2008-02-03T18:16:00.000-06:00

2008-01-26T19:40:00.000-06:00

Update

2007-12-21T17:35:00.000-06:00

Hello friends. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. To be honest, I just haven't felt like it. I'm working on some semi-profound thoughts for the near future, but for now click on the Morgan Journey link and read our latest Ireland trip update.

Peace

G

Journey

2007-11-19T10:17:00.001-06:00

I've posted a Morgan Journey update. Click the link on the right to see what's new!

G

Off Day

2007-11-15T15:13:00.000-06:00

Took today off. Slept a little late, 7:45 and then spent several half-awake, tense moments trying to decide what to do with Laura's van. Of late the van has been making strange brake noises. The brake dilemma was whether to attempt to repair them myself or to take the van to a mechanic.

My thoughts: It could simply be brake pads, which I can change, but the noises aren't those kinds of noises. What if I change the pads and the problem persists? Am I then willing to change calipers, master cylinder? A mechanic will cost a lot. It's too cold outside to work on a car. Our garage is otherwise occupied and cannot be of assistance(full of bikes, books and junk). Oh well, I'll give it a shot.

Laura and the kids leave as I begin, no doubt a good idea! I've done this before, ten times maybe. Front disc aren't that complicated, usually. It's going well, car jacked-up, tire off, caliper removed. Hmm there are three screws holding the rotor on, that's unusual. Torx screws, rusty screws. I don't have a torx bit big enough. Be right back, gotta run to the store. Got the right bit, still can't get the screws out.

Solution! Break a rule! You are supposed to "turn" the rotors when you change the pads. Turning the rotors means that you take them to a shop and have the surface ground smooth. The rotors don't want to be turned! I'm feeling like it's "be nice to rotor day"

Be right back, I need to go to NAPA and get the pads. OK pad installation underway, tires remounted, and test drive complete.

The brakes seem to be OK now.

Lunch time, sitting in front of the window looking at the bright yellow maple tree and the contrasting red barberry bushes, beautiful... (insert G snoring in the chair next to the window for 2 hours).

I think I'll make some coffee and try to read some of Biblical Theology by Vos. Maybe I won't fall asleep again.

Laura's home

G

Blog Multiplication

2007-11-06T21:48:00.000-06:00

Ok loyal readers (thanks again mom), Laura and I have started a new blog to chronicle the journey before us. If you want an explanation, you must check it out. Morgan Journey

G

Blog Paralysis

2007-11-01T07:28:00.000-05:00

Those of you who hang on every word I say (thanks mom), have been witness to a case of blog paralysis. Blog paralysis comes upon bloggers from two directions. On one hand, for those who spread their wisdom trough the web via blog, there will often come times when you just run out of stuff to say. At other times, there are days when you open a new post and are crushed by the shear volume of subjects that desperately need your input.
These two types of paralysis are the life struggle of most bloggers.

In the spirit of the great explorers, I have discovered a third type of paralysis. Let me explain.

Last week, Laura and I had the wonderful experience of attending the World Harvest Mission Sonship conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It was a great time. We met a whole group of people that were as messed up as us!

We didn't learn anything new at the conference, no Ah ha moments, no wow discoveries. We went to the sessions every day, meals with new folks, watched Peculiar People perform, walked in the persistent drizzling rain, and spent time with a mentor. Nothing amazing.

But, it was amazing. As the days went by, the persistent drizzle of God's love for us in Christ began to soak us. We were reminded of God's greatness, we were taught of His grace, His mercy, His goodness and we were changed.

I'm really trying hard to describe the week, but a new kind of paralysis is setting in. G.K. Chesterton, in his book Orthodoxy, says that it is easy to argue about something for which you are convinced of based on one or two points. You will fight to the death for the issue. But when you are deeply convinced of the truth of something it becomes too broad and vast for simple arguments.

I can't easily explain the Gospel. It's too broad and vast. It's implications are too deep and its reality too pervasive. I used to think that it was simple, "Jesus died on the cross for my sins", and this is true, but it is so much more than that. the joy of living as righteous before God based on Jesus work given to me is overwhelming!................my fingers are going numb, my mind exploding. Its too big, too great, too grand, too amazing.

G

Why you wish you had caller ID

2007-10-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

Breaking news... Next week Laura and I, though a miraculous work of God, will be going to the "Sonship" conference at Black Mountain, North Carolina. This will be a great chance for us to be immersed in the Gospel and therefore strengthened in our ministry.

What does this mean for you? Hopefully God will use this trip to crush our pride, dissolve our unbelief and build the fruit of the Spirit in us.

Another way of saying this is that you get to help keep our kids while we kick back in the mountains for a week.

Don't you wish you had caller ID?

G

Chesterton

2007-10-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

Quotes from Orthodoxy by G.K.Chesterton

“…I will not call it my philosophy; for I did not make it. God and humanity made it; and it made me.”

“How can we contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it?”

“We need to be happy in this wonderland without once being merely comfortable.”

“I wish to set forth my faith as particularly answering this double spiritual need, the need for that mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar which Christendom has rightly called romance.”

“I am a man who with the utmost daring discovered what had been discovered before.”

“I have written the book, and nothing on earth would induce me to read it.”

“Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad; but chess players do.”

“How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it.”

Chips

2007-10-06T22:09:00.001-05:00

It’s Saturday and my wife has been working all afternoon on the house, refusing to pause, insisting that she doesn’t need a break. At 9:55 she finally relents and sits down beside me, as I watch the Florida, LSU game. She takes my computer, and checks her email. I glance over at her and notice that she is checking all the blogs. “no one is blogging she comments”, in disgust. She rises to leave, giving my computer back.

With this scenario, what is a good husband to do? Blog, of course.

So….

Observations on a bag of potato chips:

Archer Farms Parmesan Garlic
“All-American chips with and Italian accent
100% satisfaction guaranteed
Calories 140 per serving
UPC code 8523906471
Dietary Fiber less than 1g
Contains milk and egg
Distributed by Target Corporation
Cholesterol free
Net WT 8.5 OZ
Best BY 22 NOV 2007
“Whoever said you can’t buy happiness clearly has never tried Archer Farms”

Florida 24, LSU 14
12:58 to go in the 4th quarter

G

G on Evangelism

2007-09-29T22:19:00.000-05:00

OK, so I'm a pastor. I know what you're thinking -- big holy man, never sins, spiritual giant right? Yes exactly, but that's not the subject of this post.

I'm thinking about the subject of evangelism. (Is that fear creeping up your spine?)

Evangelism in the South is an enigma. When given the encouragement to share the wonders of Jesus with others, we in the Bible belt feel like we're trying to sell ice to Eskimos. Everyone and their dog is a member of the church. (There are 70+ churches in the Leeds/Moody area). So who are we supposed to be telling about Jesus?

Some thoughts:
Tell yourself. It's low-risk and has tremendous benefit! Remind yourself that you are a far greater sinner that you would ever admit, but that God loves those who believe in Jesus far more than you could ever imagine!

Tell other Christians. Pretty high risk here. Remember that the Gospel is not just the way into the kingdom of God, but is the means to live day to day. Do you or the people around you believe that Jesus gave us a second chance to live a good life? If so, then you need to hear and tell the Gospel.

Tell the world. This is tough, or is it?. To function as followers of Jesus, we must believe that God is actually at work revealing Himself to man and that we are participating with Him on His mission. WOW, what a relief! This means that it's not all up to, or about, me! I don't have to manipulate people into the Kingdom!

I am now free. Free to build relationships of love with those around me. Live out the Gospel in front of them, serve them, care for them, and when God opens the door, tell them about Jesus.

So what about the whole churched culture thing? The reality is that our church rolls are full of people who don't know Jesus. Church membership in the South is the cultural norm. We must be bold, move toward these people, and call them to the lives of repentance that should characterize believers. Love them, pray for them, serve them, invite them into our lives and into a living faith with the Savior.

G

Sam Cooke

2007-09-24T20:01:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have never heard of Sam Cooke, give him a listen!

Fall (en)

2007-09-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

There is a scent in the air. The cool breezes are blowing through the trees. The temperatures have plunged into lower 80’s. Yes it is time, time for seasonal-affected mood swings. Light is diminishing and serotonin levels with it. The caped ketchup crusader, who has been fighting for the rights of lips and condiments, will soon be locked in a epic battle with his fallen body to maintain the ability to put on his socks.

Yes, I openly confess, to the amazement of you all, I’m sure, that I am moody. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not whining, just stating the facts. About this time every year, my body decides that it is going to operate at 50% capacity.

Living in a fallen body is the pits. Depression is a haunting reality in the lives of many people. Hard to understand. Hard to change. Often times it has a spiritual root, sin to be exact, discontentment with God’s plan, idolatry, unrepentant hearts, open rebellion. Often times we find ourselves in King David’s circumstance, our bodies “wasting away” as we live out of fellowship with our Father.

I’m not sure what goes on with me. Plenty of sin for certain, but the reality is that I live in fallen body that Christ will make new again, and until He does, the Autumn season is another time for me, and many like me, to cry out and experience the transcendent love of my Father.

Urgent! Please Read

2007-09-13T17:08:00.001-05:00

Thank you, Paige, for shining the light of Southern reason upon the whole ketchup debacle. I have struggled over the past week with the moral imperative to address this issue. Should I or should I not challenge the multi-national corporations, left-wing extremist, Islamic terrorists, cable companies and Al Gore who are obviously in a conspiracy to control the minds of the populace through condiment deprivation.

The issue, for those of you too lazy to read the comments from my previous post, revolves around the refusal of ketchup packagers to make a to-go ketchup pack big enough to appropriately cover the trans-fat flavor of an average order of heart-attack sticks (aka french fries).

I have put several minutes of thought into this, and the choice has become as clear as mud. Will we allow the subversives previously mentioned to control our right to our American- materialistic-individualist-narcissistic existence?

Ketchup lovers unite! If the chicken nugget addicts can get sauce in larger containers, so can we! Write your congressman! Call the joint-chiefs!

I will only be satisfied with a ketchup surge and a congressional hearing on whether or not a military solution can solve such a deeply spiritual problem.

We must act now before our ketchup access is taken from us completely and we are left standing with a small paper cup, pumping an empty dispenser longing for the good old days.

G

Coffee

2007-09-06T19:11:00.000-05:00

For Crissy Sharp

Observation: I really don't like the to-go coffee cup lids with the little hole to sip coffee through. I stopped in the local inventor-of-the-chicken-sandwich restaurant this morning to pick up a biscuit for my bride (thats the kinda thing we great husbands do), and ordered myself a small cup of light coffee. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a coffee purist nor a connoisseur of java. In fact, a good cup of coffee has several ounces of artery-blocking creamer and a teaspoon full of pure sugar. Anyway, I created my concoction, and set off in my macho-I'm-forty-one-and-drive-a-big-truck vehicle. Now granted, having a lid on the coffee cup did prevent sloshes and other buttock-scalding mishaps, but it just wasn't right. When sucking coffee through the hole, the middle of the tongue and/or the roof of the mouth interacts with the hot mix; totally inappropriate. God has given us gifted coffee drinkers extra large lips to perform the introductory rites to hot liquids. To bypass the lips and allow assault to the mouth is a violation of the created order, or something like that.

Isn't there a presidential election coming up soon? I wonder where the candidates stand on the lid issue. Someone has to fight for the rights of lips. It might as well be me.

G

Vacation

2007-09-01T20:59:00.000-05:00

Vacation explained

2007-09-01T18:46:00.001-05:00

What else needs to be said about vacation?

Vacation et al.

2007-08-24T19:33:00.000-05:00

Haven't posted in a while, I know that you have missed me.

The Morgan family has just returned from vacation at Panama City Beach. Due to the kindness of a friend, we had a free place to stay for a week, truly a blessing.

Overall the week was exhausting. We had two (yes I said two) flat tires on this trip. As a result, I met:

1. An assembly of God missionary, home on break. We had a nice conversation on the side on Hwy 231 30 miles outside of PC. approximate temperature--175 degrees.

2. Six Firestone technicians with nothing to do, yet still unable to get to my van for 30 minutes.

3. The manager of Joey's Java Juice. This is where Emma and I were stranded while we waited for Laura to get back from the museum. Upon leaving the museum, she miraculously embedded a screw into the sidewall of one of the new tires that the aforementioned Firestone flunkies had installed.

Home at last!!

This week Burt is off taking Addison to college and I get to preach. I've had two days to prepare and guess what the text is about........God's sovereignty!

So what do two flat tires have to say about the Gospel?

Sunday at 8:30 and 10:45....be there!

G

Emma's Phone Pics

2007-08-08T10:30:00.001-05:00

Once Upon a Time

2007-07-21T22:04:00.001-05:00

Working on tomorrow's sermon. I'm talking about the metanarrative, creation, fall, redemption, consummation. Praying that God will teach me, the chief of sinners, to see His story and to teach it to the people.

G

One more poem (I promise)

2007-07-14T23:40:00.001-05:00

Faith

The ancient way
Narrow but worn
A leveled path with valleys and hills
A difficult trail to follow

Staring at my feet as I walk
A normal cadence in my step
Winding down the trail
The way is clear

What happens to the path?
It disappears up close
I walk on in the fog
Other paths are more visible
Easier ways to the same end?

How did I start this way?
I can’t remember the beginning

Men’s voices in the room
The fog lifts
The ancient path is seen
Lines on my hand

Smelling the Sun
Drinking deep
The rocks and the birds sing
A King’s road

Another Poem I Like

2007-07-08T23:56:00.000-05:00

Country

The people spin
The anchors loosen
What was, has gone
Concrete crumbles and falls

The Blessed people leave
The road of wisdom darkens
Where is hope, life, joy?
Towers will not reach

Clouded choices
How can we speak?
Is there wisdom to be found?
Does the designer speak?

Words of truth
The blind cannot hear
The hearing will not speak
The designer calls

Longing persists
The city comes, becomes
We must speak
Recover

A Poem I Like

2007-07-07T22:37:00.000-05:00

The Drummer

Struggle to find the right instrument
Audition them all in my youth
Hear other tunes, they always sound good
Conflicting rhythms

She thinks I might play well someday
Faith in an unseen thing
Walk together, music
Conflicting rhythms

Did I choose drums or did they choose me?
Run from or to? Both
Too many instruments
Conflicting rhythms

An old band, familiar
The call narrows, drums
The conductor smiles
Conflicting rhythms fade

Accomplishment, the notes flow
Can’t finish the song
Failure, wrong drums?
Conflicting rhythms

A room without doors
Inside with the player
Wrong rhythms persist, can’t play Jazz
Conflicting rhythms

Off beat, the audience sleeps
Does the conductor smile?
Drums? Too many instruments
Conflicting rhythms

A room without doors
Conflicting rhythms

Our need

2007-07-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

“The church in our generation needs reformation, revival, and constructive revolution. At times men think of the two words reformation and revival as standing in contrast one to the other, but this is a mistake. Both words are related to the word restore.
Reformation refers to a restoration to pure doctrine; revival refers to a restoration in the Christian’s life. Reformation speaks of a return to the teachings of Scripture; revival speaks of a life brought into its proper relationship to the Holy Spirit.
The great moments of church history have come when these two restorations have simultaneously come into action so that the church has returned to pure doctrine and the lives of Christians in the church have known the power of the Holy Spirit. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation; and reformation is not complete without revival.
Such a combination of reformation and revival would be revolutionary in our day—revolutionary in our individual lives as Christians, revolutionary not only in reference to the liberal church but constructively revolutionary in the evangelical, orthodox church as well.
May we be those who know the reality of both reformation and revival, so that this poor dark world may have an exhibition of a portion of the church returned both to pure doctrine and Spirit-filled life.”

Francis A. Schaeffer (Death in the City, 1969)

Homeschooling

2007-06-30T15:18:00.000-05:00

Mostly (99%) white middle-class
Energetic wives
Glassy-eyed husbands
Multiple children with the same hair color
Legalism
Perfectionism
Hope
Despair
Modesty
Pharisee
Fear
Moral
Thirsty
Ambitious
Right
Self-Righteous

These are thoughts/words that came to mind as I met Laura at the CHEF convention. In short, it’s a homeschool curriculum conference with seminars and a large exhibit hall.

Homeschooling is full of theological baggage.
There are many reasons why people home school, from the extremely pragmatic, “my child can’t make it in public school”, to the extremely theological, “our call as Christians is to give our children a distinctly Christian education.”

My path in understanding home schooling is to view it as a tool. Christians are responsible for the education of their children and there are numerous tools available including, public education, private education and homeschooling. As a pastor, I will not deem the public school system to be anti-Christian and call for its end, nor will I bind the consciences of other believers as to its use in giving children a Christian education.
I do believe it is a matter of choice for each family, as they seek to train there children in the way they should go.

I have heard the statistics that the church loses 80% of its kids from the faith, and I have heard that public schools are the problem, as they train children in secular humanism. I disagree. Nowhere that I know of, in scripture, is the responsibility for the leaving of a generation placed anywhere other that at the feet of the parents.

The challenge I believe is given to us in Psalm 78 among other places. The challenge is to proclaim the Gospel to the generation to come, to tell of the LORDS mighty works. The failure here is not that the government is evil and that public schools are anti-Christian. The failure is that we as a church and as fathers have and are proclaiming morality and empty religion to children, seeking to conform their externals to our revised, conservative, it was better in the 19th century, norm. We are producing a generation of children who think that it is what is outside the man that defiles him.

Let us repent! Fathers repent! homeschoolers repent! Let us cast ourselves upon Christ and begin to pray that the Gospel will remake us and that we can then equip our children and society to know the true God.

That’s enough for now! Sorry for the typos, my editor is still at the CHEF convention.

G

Mr Mom

2007-06-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

Laura is at the curriculum fair all day, night and tomorrow.
"No! You cannot have bread with butter, I'm working on Lunch!"
I have a splitting headache (not enough coffee I think)
"I will let you know about your spend the night party in a minute!"
My eldest is having a "my makeup doesn't work" crisis.
Yes, you can have some "zert". Eli! Get Bella a brownie"
AJ has decided to do some painting today (ugh! craft time)
"Are you still on the playstation?"
Bella's friend next door isn't home
"I know your makeup doesn't work, but I don't have a magic wand!"
Eli can't understand why I can't sit and play playstation.
"No, you can't paint AJ's things and no we can't go swimming or to the park!"

Why don't you guys see what's on TV!

So this is what Laura does when I'm at work reading, praying and acting spiritual.

G

Walking

2007-06-28T14:45:00.000-05:00

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours our speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.

King David Psalm 19:1-2

As a walked this morning a pair of doves flew up in front of me.
Now I admit that I would rather be sitting on a five gallon bucket, in mid-September with my 12 gauge shotgun, when I hear the sounds of doves but….

You may not know that doves make noise. When a dove flies, his wings chirp.

When I heard the chorus of dove wings this morning my thoughts went to this passage of scripture. Creation does indeed declare the glory, the manifest perfections of God.

While creation certainly isn’t the limit of God’s self-revelation, thankfully, I love to hear the shouts of the rocks and the doves for they remind me of the transcendent yet immanent God. The God who is Immanuel, God with us.

G

Dancing

2007-06-27T19:59:00.000-05:00

"Everyone knows they're in love by the way they dance"

A song on Adam Wright's wedding CD by some artist I don't know.

Marriage on the mind today.

It's an amazing thing to be one flesh with another person. To experience the nowness of God's Kingdom as our thoughts move in unison, our trials as a mirrored reflection of each other, our hopes and dreams strangely the same after 25 years together. Living with another part of me, dancing, if you will, to the rhythm of God's grace in ourselves and each other. Seeking to love as Christ loves.

Also experiencing the not-yet of the Kingdom, longing that Christ would return and heal our wounds, take away our selfishness, peel away our character flaws and complete the image of Him that is forming in us.

My bride on my mind today,

The Tent of Meeting

2007-06-26T09:09:00.000-05:00

I forgot to list a book in my last post. While at General Assembly, I picked up a devotional by Stephen Smallman called Forty Days on the Mountain. I rarely encounter a daily devotion type book that I like, but this book intrigued me. I like Stephen Smallman. His book on conversion was very insightful.

The devotion for today was # twelve, The Tent of Meeting. In this lesson Smallman describes Moses’ pattern of setting up the tent of meeting outside the camp and going there to meet the Lord. Smallman derives a couple of thoughts from this passage (Exodus 33:7-11), but the one that gave me pause was the thought of having a place to meet God.

My devotional life is a meeting in motion. I’ve always rebelled against the “if you love God you will have a quiet time between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m.” mentality, yet what I find is that my efforts to meet God are often full of interruptions, distractions and just plain laziness. I’m often too busy to meet God. I carve out some time sometimes.

We long for His presence in our lives. As good existentialist, we want a greater, more real experience of God. While we know that reality isn’t dictated by experience, we want to know Him more. Moses gives us good advice. Seek to carve out a place, a quite corner, a certain room, a chair, a tent in the back yard (in worked for Moses). Find a place where your thoughts can soak in God. As we endeavor to do this, Smallman gives us encouragement through the words of Henri Nouwen

The remarkable thing, however, is that sitting in the presence of God for one hour each morning—day after day, week after week, month after month—in total confusion and with myriad distractions radically changes my life. God, who loves me so much that he sent his only Son not to condemn me but to save me, does not leave me waiting in the dark too long. I might think that each hour is useless, but after thirty or sixty or ninety such useless hours, I gradually realize that I was not as alone as I thought; a very small gentle voice has been speaking to me far beyond my noisy place. So: Be confident and trust in the Lord”

G

A Good Read

2007-06-24T20:00:00.000-05:00

Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave, The Enemy Within, Orthodoxy, Restoring Broken Things, Renewal as a Way of Life.

Although this list might make a decent summary of my spiritual journey, it is actually the list of books that I am currently reading. I don’t know what makes me do it, but it seems that every once in a while, I feel the urge to read every book I come across.

Each of these has its own particular reason for attracting me and each is powerful in its own way. Today my thoughts have been riveted around the last one.

Renewal as a Way of Life by Richard Lovelace is a shortened version of his work entitled The Dynamics of Spiritual Life, a book that Burt gave me for Christmas in 2002.

As I read this afternoon (after my nap), I was struck by a comment Lovelace makes in describing what a Kingdom-centered life would look like. Lovelace says:

“…And we (Christians) can redistribute material blessings to help the materially poor. Both spiritual and material goods tend to accumulate in an unbalanced way. God’s material blessings sometimes visibly fall upon believers, commending faith to those who are outside. But Christians can be arms of God’s love reaching out to redistribute material wealth, and hence commend the gospel to the poor, sharing spiritual wealth. A less exalted reason for the uneven distribution of material wealth is human avarice. In this case, Christians can often design or support initiatives which overcome some of the inequities resulting from policies that let the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”

I don’t think of the poor much. The reality of suburbia is that the poor seem to be a distant problem of someone else.

Who’s my neighbor? Anyone I know of that has a need, even my enemy.

Thought. What would happen if the suburban church in the South spent less on building projects and more on seeking to minister to the poor, wherever they might be?

Could we imagine not only pouring resources into the generational poverty of our county, but also working in the nearby city (Birmingham) to see the Kingdom of God expand through the Gospel in word and deed?

G

Lent's Over?

2007-06-22T14:48:00.000-05:00

I saw Mitch and Jawan at General Assembly and Jawan told me to wake up and post again. She said that she checks my blog alot and has noticed that I have been fasting and praying for Lent for the last 3 months.

Hmmm, I guess I should share my great wisdom with the world and post a little more.....maybe.

G

Lent

2007-02-20T21:49:00.001-06:00

Today is Shove Tuesday, tomorrow Ash Wednesday.

I haven't grown up in a tradition that celebrates the liturgical calendar. To be honest, I've really never thought about it.

Recently, a friend and I have been talking about Lent, this season of preparation before Easter. I've done some reading and thinking, and maybe even a little praying around the subject. I don't have a handle on it yet, but I'm looking forward to the season. A time of repentance, of seeking the face of God. A time of reflection, yes upon my sin, and then upon the magnitude of God's grace.

The Southern Museum of Flight

2007-02-17T20:48:00.001-06:00

Hot Chick

2007-02-15T23:29:00.001-06:00

What better way to test my new blog settings!

Tears in a bottle

2007-02-05T16:25:00.000-06:00

When I'm at my worst, distant from God, struggling to pray, avoiding scripture, tired of God's people, I often go to the Psalms. Maybe it's because they're short. I hope not. There's something about the Psalms that drag me back to the reality of God in my life. Hearing the passionate cries of David for deliverance. His exclamations of the attributes of God. His longings for the redemption of God in his life. All these things resonate with me.

...you have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me...

A beautiful picture from Psalm 56

Spiritual Adultery

2006-12-13T18:52:00.000-06:00

In reference to James 4:1-10

"It is important to understand the core principle of this passage, which is found in verse 4. When James says,"You adulterous people," he is not changing the subject. He is explaining why we all struggle with anger. Here is the central principle of this passage: Human conflict is rooted in spiritual adultery. My problem is not sinful people or difficult situations. My problem is that I give the love that belongs to God to someone or something else. My problem is idolatry."

From the Instruments of Change workbook, Copyright 2000 by Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation.

2006-12-07T19:35:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am alive

2006-12-07T19:28:00.000-06:00

Don't ask about the sign Bella is holding, its too hard to explain.

OK It's time to start posting again. I'm not gonna talk about our assessment experience.

2006-12-06T13:22:00.000-06:00

Its a Secret

2006-10-05T15:42:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of my mandolin. I took this with my wife's new digital camera. The funny thing is that she doesn't know that she has a digital camera. I bought it for her birthday (40th) which is on October 29th. This is the deal. My wife isn't a computer nut and checks the blogs rarely. So, you get to know about her present, but you must promise to say nothing, no hints, NOTHING. If she, of her own accord, reads my blog then I will give her the present early. Let the games begin.

rested and accepted

2006-10-05T15:11:00.000-05:00

Vacation is great. I spent the whole week from the 24th through the 30th sitting around the house, watching my wife educate our progeny, reading, sleeping and doing all other sorts of nothing. I had big plans, paint the house, paint the kitchen, day trips with the kids and others, but ended up doing little other than resting a lot. Not that I didn't need rest, the Steve-mobile had pretty much run out of gas of late. The net result is that I feel somewhat rested and at least functional again. As a matter of fact, it was so good I'm going to do it again next week!
Nice to have vacation left over.

Over the next week I think I'll paint the fence, paint the kitchen and take some day trips, but I might read and sleep.

Oh Yeah, Laura and I have been accepted to the assessment center. We go from Oct 23-26.
Be praying please.

Consumed

2006-09-04T11:57:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that its been almost a month since I've blogged. As usual I've been caught up in the "I don't have anything important to say" mode and have let a month of life go undocumented.

I guess the overarching issue from the past month has been Laura and I applying to MNA's Church Planting Assessment Center. I can't really say that we are "going" to the Center because it doesn't work that way. MNA assembles our application, our references and several personality tests from us and then lets us know whether or not we are invited to come. It is an anxiety producing process and we've just begun.

There's a good chance that this news is new to you. For whatever reason, we haven't talked a lot about it. I guess it all sounds so tenuous to me. MNA has to invite us and then the Center spends a week picking us apart and might approve us to be church planters. Nothing definite about the whole thing.

That's enough for now, I've been thinking and praying about this for a while, so I'll post a few thoughts in the coming weeks about our desires to plant a church. Be praying for us, please!

Draggin

2006-08-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

Haven't felt much like bloggin lately. Busy I guess. Distracted. The summer is coming to a close. My wife is consumed with homeschool planning. Life has been a blurr since VBS. I've been fishing a good bit with Eli. We take the little ones and it gives my wife a break. Busy week ahead...low on gas.

Thought for the day
One of the dangers of being a pastor: Sometimes you feel like a travel agent, selling tickets to places you've never been.

Painting in the Dark

2006-07-21T22:36:00.000-05:00

What is the truest thing about you?

I really like this question. Paul Thorson author of Painting in the Dark asks this question. The context is in contrast to what your past says about you, your failures say about you or even what you think about yourself. What is the truest thing about you?

That God loves me,
with all my personality defects,
when I perform poorly
when I perform well and can't remember who He is
when I'm moody
when I'm cynical
when Satan tries to convince me that He can't
when I don't have a quite time
When I beat my chest and thank Him that I'm not like the sinners

You see, the truest thing about me is that I am hidden in Christ,
covered by his righteousness
and all of this, by no doing of mine,
but it is a gift of God.

Gumbo? AKA another cooking disaster

2006-07-17T22:53:00.000-05:00

Trace told me a funny story the other day about a comment Ted Nugent made about the French. It was hilarious at the time, but upon further reflection... My great grandfather was a Fourroux. I don't think he was from around here!

I don't know a ton about "Pop" but I know that he made prosthetics and that his son George (my grandmother's brother) and his son Marvin still do. Check it out here.

Wow, a lot of long-forgotten memories come flooding back.
Pop always sat in the same place on the couch.
Granny always sat in the chair
Their house was like a mansion to a small boy.
The hearth of their fireplace was marble and was even with the floor (sound familiar?). We kids used to lay on it because it was cold.
Granny had a closet in the hall that was full of mothball-smelling dolls.
I spent a week at the lake with Granny, Pop, and Aunt Day (Granny's Sister). None of the three of them could hear a lick, so I yelled alot. I got stung by about 10 yellowjackets, and Pop drove like an Indy car racer.
Granny taught me to say I Love you in French.
Pop liked to fish.
I have a few little things that belonged to Pop. They still smell like him.

Henry Garner (my grandmother's sister's husband) died a little while back, and I got to see some of the Fourrouxs that I hadn't seen since Granny died ( in early the 80's)...

Anyway, on to tonight's adventure. You would think someone with a name like Fourroux in his family could make great gumbo, right?-----Wrong. I love gumbo. I can remember as a child going to Granny Fourroux's house and eating gumbo. It was really good.

Fast foward: I made the roux ( flour cooked in oil) which is the basis for gumbo, and I did a pretty good job, but... To make a long story short, I got the ingredients all wrong, and it took a gracious wife and a lot of creative spices to recover.

No great spiritual lesson. It's great to have a history. If I invite you to dinner, ask if we're having gumbo.

The Big One

2006-07-12T21:32:00.000-05:00

I took a little time for escape this afternoon and slipped off to the lake with Eli for a little I-know-we-won't-catch-anything-but-I-need-a-break time. I took Eli with me because he has recently become interested in fishing. Before about two weeks ago Eli's fishing experience consisted of worms, bobbers and cane poles. He is now fishing with the same tackle that I use and is becoming very efficient.

After about 30 minutes without a bite I lapsed into my normal state. My mind filled with questions like:

Is it OK to ask God to let us catch fish?
How selfish.
Does God really care if we catch fish?
In other words is He soveriegn and good?
Or is he only soveriegn in the big stuff?
Why do I fish?
Probably so I can catch a fish and then brag to my friends and then feel good about myself.`
Is God gone fishing himself (comes under Diesm)
Isn't there something about God and second causes that I can't remember from seminary? I need to dust off that book.

When it's all said and done, I repent of being Biblically illiterate, and ask God for a good time and lots of fish.

I know you can see what's coming. Eli caught a huge 1 1/2 to 2 lb bass. (I caught two brim.)

God is good. God is soveriegn. I imagine that Jesus really liked fishing

I think the fish winked at me when I let him go.

Camp Cornerstone Day #2

2006-07-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

I'm exhausted, not exactly sure why. It's been a good week so far, with more kids coming to camp than I anticipated. I think we have about 100 including the preschool. I think I have seen God do more in camp in the past two days than I've seen in years. Why? Because we had the great carrot episode (click here to read about it on my fair-weather-friend Quinn's blog.

Strangely it is the discomfort of strained relationships, the work to ensure that love still prevails and the labor to proclaim grace in the middle of flying carrots that has caused me to reflect on my self-righteousness and God's work in me.

Or maybe it's two days of working with a whole bunch of women that's messed me up.

The top ten things I love about my sister

2006-06-27T19:31:00.000-05:00

She looks like me!
She's a good encourager
She's fun to be around
She makes great potato salad
She's Baptist (its better than Buddhist!)
She looks like me!
She treats my wife like a sister
She will keep my kids with only a moments notice
She's extremely efficient
She looks like me! (but with more hair)

(Laura Kay don't forget that my birthday is July 23rd)

For your Reading Pleasure

2006-06-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

Check out this article. Burt found this and gave it to me. I think this guy does a pretty good job helping show what a church living in the Gospel looks like. Click Here! I know that it is lengthy, but it is worth the time. Let me know what you think!

The Speed of Life

2006-06-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

I know that I promised vacation stories, but to be honest, life is speeding by so rapidly that vacation seems a distant memory. After getting back, I spent a week working on a sermon. I just couldn't justify the blog time when the sermon was dragging so much. After finishing the sermon, it was all that I could do to get my act together to spend all this week in Atlanta at General Assembly (I hear the violins playing in the background).

Anyway, vacation was great although tiring. This year, instead of going on the usual trip to the Gulf, we yielded to Laura's dad's offering to come to Daytona. Disaster loomed early. We set out at 5 am hoping that Bella would sleep for a while, she didn't. Just outside of Atlanta several strange dashboard lights came on in our van. 8:oo Saturday morning isn't the time to have car trouble. God is gracious, we pulled off the road at Douglasville and found a full-service gas station (you know, one with a garage). These guys got to us in about 15 minutes, ran a computer diagnostic, identified the problem, removed all four wheels to check the brakes and got us back on the road for $20. I couldn't believe it.

Overall we had a great trip. We spent a lot of time on the beach and in the pool, we went crabbing (the boys favorite), some of us walked all the way to the top of the tallest lighthouse in Florida, we spent a day at St. Augustine, went to the Daytona boardwalk, spent a day at the water park and went to a good museum in Daytona. If you want the real stories on the events you will need to ask Laura for the details (her idols took a beating)!

Great time, gracious father-in law, glorious Father!

We're back!

2006-06-12T16:41:00.000-05:00

The Morgans have returned from their exhausting, yet restful trip to Daytona. As soon as time permits, I will relate some of our experiences so check back soon.

When you look at life with the eyes of faith, you can see the hand of God in all of your successes and failures. His love permeates our lives. He doesn't let us lean on crumbling supports. He drags us away from our idols and continually seats us at the cross, whispering "It is Finished", melting all our efforts at self-justification.

You call it theology, we call it vacation with the Morgans!

Resting On God

2006-05-24T14:34:00.000-05:00

O God Most High, Most Glorious,

The thought of thine infinite serenity cheers me,
For I am toiling and moiling, troubled and distressed,
but thou art for ever at perfect peace.
Thy designs cause thee no fear or care of unfulfilment,
they stand fast as the eternal hills.
Thy power knows no bound,
thy goodness no stint.
Thou bringest order out of confusion,
and my defeats are thy victories:
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
I come to thee as a sinner with cares and sorrows,
to leave every concern entirely to thee,
every sin calling for Christ's precious blood;
Revive deep spirituality in my heart;
Let me live near to the great Shepherd,
hear his voice, know its tones, follow its calls.
keep me from deception by causing me to abide in the truth,
from harm by helping me to walk in the power of the Spirit.
give me intenser faith in the eternal verities,
burning into me by experience the things I know;
Let me never be ashamed of the truth of the gospel,
that I may bear its reproach,
vindicate it,
see Jesus as its essence,
know in it the power of the Spirit.
Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill;
unbelief mars my confidence,
sin makes me forget thee.
Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut at their roots;
grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to thee,
that all else is trifling.
Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy.
Abide in me, gracious God.

quoted from The Valley of Vision by Authur Bennett

Another question

2006-05-22T13:55:00.000-05:00

After being sick for two days with a stomach virus, I was awakend this morning at 6:30 by the phone ringing. I stumbled to the kithchen, answered the phone and some guy asked me:

"Is bubba in?"

What was this guy thinking, you gotta be more specific than that, this is Alabama!

Could you answer this question?

2006-05-16T15:55:00.000-05:00

I was out in the front yard a few days ago watching Aden (6) and Isadella (3) ride their bikes. We don't get alot of traffic on our dead-end street and when a car comes the kids know to get off the road. Aden has mastered the get-off-the-road skill, but Bella Mae is still learning. When a car approaches, Bella usually jumps off of whatever bike she is on and runs off the road, leaving the bike in the middle of the street.

As I was watching these two ride, I hear a truck approaching from one end of the street. I yelled (yes yelled) at the kids to move. Aden rode his bike into the grass and Bella hopped off her's and ran, leaving the bike in the road. So, I walked down to the road and moved it out of the way. As the truck resumed its course the driver held up his index finger in a typical southern thankyou gesture and I waved back. Isabella watched the whole transaction and then asked me

Why dat man hold up a number?

Everyday life

2006-05-14T22:46:00.000-05:00

Just in case you were under the illusion that my life was somehow spiritual or in some other way extraordinary...

Sunday May 13

I got early (6:45) and cooked omelets for the family for Mother's Day. I need to be at the church by around 8:00, but I dragged in at 8:15. The New Member's class I teach was great today; I love the material we use. Unfortunately I think I do a better job proclaiming the Gospel to myself than to the class participants. (At least someone's benefitting.)
I didn't get to hear all of the sermon today, bummer.

After church we went to my mom's for lunch. Steaks!! I believe that given enough time and the appropriate spices, my dad could produce a 2 x 4 pressure-treated board that could be cut with a fork. The lunch was great as was the time with Mom, Dad, Laura Kay and her family.

The late afternoon was nap time for Laura (a rarity) and a-doze-while-the-kid's-movie-is-on nap for me.

After my nap I spent about 30 minutes letting Eli beat me in a yu-gi-oh duel, and then it was time for monthly Session meeting.

At tonight's meeting we did all the normal stuff, spent an hour in Bible study/prayer, caught up old business, etc. The highlight of the evening was when Trace and Ginger came in to talk about their call to missions. The Session had to interview them and fill out a Mission to the World questionnaire on them. Wow! Who wants to answer questions about their finances, their Bible study habits, and their sin? Not me. But what an encouraging thing to hear how God is working in their lives, leading them down a path toward a battlefield of faith.

After the meeting I came home (about 10:00) and realized that I hadn't eaten supper. A hot dog and tater tots at 10:00!

Normally I would pass out about 11:00, but with the nap I will be going strong until at least 11:15 (Yawn)

Saturday's Fun

2006-05-14T22:37:00.000-05:00

The Moody Rangers vs. The Moody White Sox

Rangers=
4 hits
12 errors

Enough said.

Tonight's Game

2006-05-11T21:55:00.000-05:00

Hello again, sports fans. We are glad you have joined us on this beautiful night at Moody city stadium as the league-leading Moody Red Sox take on the last-place Moody Rangers. Pitching tonight for the Red Sox will be the quietly well-known Tanner Boykin. Wait -- who's that we see sprinting onto the field for the Rangers? It's the super-talented Eli Morgan, taking up residence between first and second bases....

Boykin winds up and here's the first pitch, its a ball....

Well ,Boykin leaves the game after pitching his 3 innings in which the Rangers have only managed one hit and a couple of walks...

Down by 3 runs the Rangers have escaped the top of the 5th inning and are coming in for what will be the last at-bat of the game. All the Rangers have to do is score 4 runs to win the game.

The Rangers' first batter steps to the plate ... the count is full, the Rangers need this runner...Strike three, caught him looking (was that Coach Steve throwing a tantrum in the Rangers dug out?)...

Batter number two is up. If the Rangers can get one of the next two on, then the top of the order will be up...

Ball one...ball two...strike one...strike two...the pitcher winds up, here's the delivery and it's called strike three by the rookie umpire behind the plate. With two down, the Rangers' chances are looking bad.

The Rangers send their number ten batter to the plate, this young man should have a hard time standing in since he was hit during the last game...strike one...ball one...ball two...strike two...ball three...ball four, a great at bat draws the walk.

The top of the order is up, and the picky lead-off man watches four pitches and scoots down to first base.

Well, this is the moment we've all been waiting for: the bottom of the 5th, two on and two out, down by three, the mighty Eli comes to the plate. A hush falls on the crowd (except for his mother, father, grandmother, siblings and the four coaches yelling at him to hit the round white thing). Eli steps to the plate, his left leg twitching as he prepares to knock a hole in the almost-full moon. The pitcher steps to the mound, winds up and delivers an inside fast ball. Everything slows to slow motion as Eli cranks around his pantented non-steroid-induced power swing, contact is made as the inside heat raps against the bat, the ball moves weakly toward right field. What happens next is a thing of legend. The 4-foot-tall first baseman suddenly leaps into the air, sailing some 10 to 15 feet off the ground, and smothers the ball in his $100 baseball glove. The game is over; the Sox have triumphed again.

The Rangers don't care. Besides, they get free drinks from the overpriced concession stand for their effort, and rumor has it that the Morgans are going to the new Chick-fil-a for a snack.

That's all for now. Tune in next week as the Rangers take on the mighty White Sox led by the amazing Clay Holmes.

Weebles Wobble but....

2006-05-10T21:21:00.000-05:00

Is it possible that whatever the circumstance in which I now find myself is the chosen means of God to work out His purpose in my life? Is He soveriegn? loving? Certainly. There was that cross thing, remember? What about my sin and the evil around me? I doubt that He's surprised.

I wonder what Joseph was thinking as he sat in the bottom of the well in a couple of feet of bat guano. Do you think He had a clue that God was not only dealing with his multicolored pride, but was working out His grand story of redemption in and through him. I guess he did have the dream and knew that God was going to do something with him.

That's comforting.

The scripture is full of the great promises of God to perfect us into the image of his Son. Isn't it great to know that our Father is shaping us, stripping away all the things that don't look like Christ and it's all about us...actually it isn't about us, its about Him, that He may recieve glory.

I like it.

Why I rarely blog

2006-03-12T22:16:00.000-06:00

Why is it that Crissy and Jawan and others blog so much and I rarely take the time to post?

I could say that I'm busy, but I need to save that cop-out for something bigger. I could say that I have nothing to post about, but who would want to admit to such a shallow existence. I could say that I'm too lazy, but that would be a little too true for the World Wide Web. Maybe I'm stuck in a space-time continuum and tomorrow is the same as yesterday which only has meaning if there is a day after tomorrow. Maybe I've watched too much Star Trek.

The truth is that I am stuck, not in a space time continuum, but in a I-have-to-say-something-meaningful-because-I'm-a-pastor, place. Really the burden to be profound is profound.

Why is it that I can't just sit down and tell all the wonderful things that I see God doing in my life. The truth is that most of those things would require an admission of weakness on my part and the expectation from the religious is that the Pastor is strong, not weak. I am the religious, you know, those who measure spirituality in terms of success in keeping the law. What a delusion.

In addition, as I just illustrated, I am not a very good writer, and that makes me looks bad too. I'll probably not post much, I don't like looking bad, but maybe God will be gracious and remind me that Christ died for narcissistic, egomaniac, has-anybody-seen-my-piety, people like me and allow me to be honest with myself about my sin and maybe tell the blogging world about being the beloved of God more often.

Christian Community?

2006-02-20T21:11:00.000-06:00

True community has nothing to do with idealistic expectations that everyone is loving or lovable all the time. One of the beautiful things about the Church is that it is, in essence, just a group of imperfect people that God has gathered together whose members have nothing in common but their commitment to him.
a quote from a PCA pastor http://www.citypres.org/involved.html

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
a quote from a 1st century doctor http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+2

I would never belong to a group that would accept someone like me as a member. a quote by a really quiet guy...Groucho Marx

For those of you really interested in thinking about christian community try this article: http://www.northfieldchurch.com/devotional_archive.php?devotional_id=21

Snowfall in Alabama

2006-02-11T22:14:00.000-06:00

Lessons from tonights 1 inch of snow

three year-olds don't get cold in the snow.
three year-olds can hold their bladder for hours while playing in the snow.
three year-olds cannot hold their bladder while sitting on their parents bed.
wet snow makes good ice balls.
there is no such thing as time-out in a snowball fight.
if you hit a 10 year-old boy in the side of the head with a two pound ice ball the snowball fight will take a time-out.
knit gloves are NOT waterproof.
an Alabama family doesn't own gloves for playing in the snow.
no Aden we do not have a snow shovel.
imitation peppermint extract mixed with snow tastes like mouthwash.
a 10 year-old boy can throw an ice ball better than a baseball.
plumbers crack and a snowball fight are incompatable.

Evangelism

2006-02-02T20:40:00.000-06:00

I'm reading a really good book right now entitled Powerful Evangelism for the Powerless. This book is by a guy named C. John Miller. Everything he has written is great.

A quote about the passion that the leaders of the Great Awakening had for evangelism:

"What we see is that our evangelical ancestors were soldiers, whereas we tend to think and act like civilians. These eighteenth-century evangelists thought deeply about eternal issues, prayed with intense fervor, worked harder than anyone else, and outfought the gin sellers (the eighteenth-century version of crack dealers). They were God's "soul winners," soldiers marching in God's army of love. I doubt very much that it ever occurred to them that "winning souls" might limit divine sovereignty or suggest psychological manipulation. To reach the consciences of his hearers, John Wesley preached in Dublin, Ireland, with an empty coffin at his side. When Whitefield preached to the stubborn miners of Bristol, he wept in prayer with a great outpouring of tears for their lostness. Soon his surging concern broke their hearts and their coal-stained faces were streaked white with their own tears."
Powerful Evangelism for the Powerless, 1980, C. John Miller

Making Divinity

2006-01-23T20:59:00.000-06:00

Divinity:
1) God-like character
2) A soft white candy containing nuts.

With my wife gone out tonight, I decided to make candy. My mom used to make his really good candy that consisted of a bunch of sugar and some cocoa. I couldn’t find the recipe, but I did discover that I had all the ingredients to make divinity. Now I’ve never made divinity, but I consider myself at least a little above the dummer-than-a-bag-of-hammers level, so I set out to follow a very simple recipe. I enlisted the help of Emma in the kitchen and Eli to distract the little ones with a movie and started shelling pecans. Emma and I halved the recipe (built up a little home schooling righteousness as I watched my 12-year-old decide that one half of 2 was 1) and set about the task. My first nightmare was separating the whites from two eggs. Emma asked me how to accomplish this task and after sacrificing the progeny of four chickens I regretfully admitted that I didn’t have a clue. With guidance from the same twelve year old, I finally accomplished the task. With me on the business end of a Conair Cuisine CHM-500 120volt 60Hz hand mixer and Emma artfully inciting a bubbling mixture of corn syrup, sugar and water, the making of a divine concoction was on the road to success, or so we thought. I don’t know what went wrong, the candy thermometer said 260 degrees, exactly right. We mixed in the nuts and the vanilla. We whipped and we beat but I knew when the spoon-onto-wax paper time came, that it wasn’t going to work.

As I type this blog, the kids are asking for another spoonful of that yummy gooey stuff. The divinity is anything but divine.

Unfortunately, this metaphor for my spiritual life is to obvious to avoid. Just when I think I have all the right ingredients, techniques, tools, even halfway pure motives, I end up looking like a gooey mess. The truth is being a follower of Jesus isn’t a walk through the candy shop. It’s hard, real hard. Failure to live as one who has experienced such grace is depressing. Something makes me think that I might be trying to carry the weight of my life when it is the light burden of Jesus that is intended for me. I hate forgetting the Gospel, especially since I’m paid to remember it.

Oh yeah, can you guess in what area I hold a masters degree?----Divinity

A drink of grace

2006-01-17T16:15:00.000-06:00

"The Reformation was a time when men went blind, staggering drunk because they had discovered, in the dusty basement of late medievalism, a whole cellarful of fifteen-hundred-year-old, two hundred proof grace-of bottle after bottle of pure distillate of Scripture, one sip of which would convince anyone that God saves us single-handedly. The word of the Gospel-after all those centuries of trying to lift yourself into heaven by worrying about the perfection of your bootstraps-suddenly turned out to be a flat announcement that the saved were home before they started...Grace has to be drunk straight: no water, no ice, and certainly no ginger ale; neither goodness, nor badness, nor the flowers that bloom in the spring of super spirituality could be allowed to enter the case."
Robert Capon quoted in The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning

Death in the City

2006-01-09T20:53:00.000-06:00

One of the five books (yes, I have a hard time focusing) that I’m currently reading is Death in the City by Francis Schaeffer. I really like Schaeffer’s writing, although he isn’t very easy to read. In this book he’s talking about what Christianity should look like in a post-Christian world. (It’s amazingly relevant, considering that it was written in 1969.) As he works his way through the book, Schaeffer uses two portions of scripture, one from Romans and the other from Jeremiah. In one particularly good section of the book, he’s talking about how Jeremiah stuck to his message despite the flood of opposition he faced. Schaeffer then describes the discouragement Jeremiah experienced in his work, crying out to God in a Job-like lament. This is Schaeffer’s insight:

“And you say, how can a man of God be discouraged? Anybody who asks that has never been in the midst of the battle; he understands nothing about real struggle for God. We are real men. We are on this side of the Fall. We are not perfect. We have our dreams, our psychological needs, and we want to be fulfilled. There are times of heroism as we stand firm and are faithful in preaching to men who will not listen. But there are also times when we feel overwhelmed…. If you love God and love men and have compassion for them, you will pay a real price psychologically.
So many people seem to think that if the Holy Spirit is working, then the work is easy. Don’t believe it! As the Holy Spirit works, a man is consumed. This is the record of the revivals; it is the record of those places in which God has really done something. It is not easy.” (Death in the City, Crossway books, 2002 pg 82-84)

Ok, so what’s the point? Schaeffer describes the minister of the Gospel as a man who is consumed by the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to be consumed? No, really, what does it mean to be consumed?? Maybe it means that your sole passion becomes Christ. I hope so. But then again, the crucifying of all my other passions doesn’t sound too pleasant. I truly want God to use me in a way that will bring Him glory, but as I look at myself and see all the idols on the shelf of my heart, it’s easy to be discouraged.

A friend told me that he could see God shaping me, equipping me as a pastor. I’ve thought about that, some. This friend knows many of my struggles; he sees my constant discouragement with myself; he challenges me to be what I am, a favored son of God. Maybe being consumed by the Holy Spirit begins with understanding the pervasiveness of sin and then being whispered to by the Great Comforter that God loves you, really!

Introductions

2006-01-02T16:47:00.000-06:00

This is Isabella, my 3 year-old

This is Aden, my 5 year-old

This is Eli, my 10 year-old

This is Emma, my 12 year-old

This is my wife Laura, she's 29... I think

The Beginning

2006-01-02T16:31:00.000-06:00

As a beginning it seemed appropriate to explain myself; that is why I titled this blog Thoughts of a Weak-Kneed Disciple, and why its URL is crackernocheese.

In the introduction to his book The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning sets the stage for his elaboration of one of the great truths of the Gospel, Jesus came to save sinners, not the righteous. In Manning’s description, the person who claims to be a Christian thinking that he has attained to the standard of perfection, is righteous in and of himself, has perfected his morality, and to all outward appearances has it all together, has missed the Gospel. The Gospel, the good news of the person and work of Jesus Christ, is that we cannot get back to God with our on effort. The only way to God is to accept His gift of a perfect righteousness found in Christ.

In his intro, Manning describes those who are on the journey of faith -- those living in this world longing for the reality of the Gospel in their lives, yet constantly experiencing distraction and failure as the weak-kneed, wobbly disciples, whose cheese is falling off their cracker.

I see myself as one of these travelers, on a journey that will end when my savior returns or calls me home from this foreign place we call earth. The journey is difficult, the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23) seems to loom on the horizon, so I endeavor to pursue Christ, that His will becomes mine, that His affections become mine, that His life becomes mine. Not an easy task, but I know that God is at work in me to transform me into the image of his Son, so my life has hope, not because I will make it but because He is making me.