Vision is a precious thing. And if we are not careful, erosion can take place. Erosion can happen through all kinds of forces. Here are some:

     People don’t have or take the time to protect the vision
     People have a different idea of what the vision looks like
     Allowing the vision to stray from view
     Forgetting why the vision is there in the first place
     Lack of commitment
     Saturation of a bundle of other options

It is perhaps one of the most challenging and difficult tasks to clutch tight the vision and not let it go and not let it be eroded. Change for the better is ok. Change for the sake of improving or advance the vision is good. But other than that, a vision isn’t really a vision if you don’t feel like it’s worth defending. And, you can tell you have a vision worth holding onto if you feel bad about saying no to other things because the vision is more important. Thoughts?

Our children’s pastor helped put together an online interactive prayer tool. It’s called We The Church. You can go here www.wethechurch.org to check it out.

As much as I don’t like it, I am starting one this week. I will soon be calling the leadership to a fast. Then the church. But I figure I need to lead and be engaged in it first. There are some things that our church needs some breakthroughs in. Some very key areas. And I sense it’s time for a fast.

If we are not careful, we can use a fast to manipulate God. We can fast to get Him to put His power and authority behind our agenda. But maybe fasting is more about making a way for God to manipulate us to submit more to His  power and authority and ultimately His agenda.

I got the communication cards today and on three different cards, people wrote what a great service it was today.

One person visited today. I tried to talk to them on the way out. I asked if they filled out a guest card. After some small talk, they advised they wouldn’t be coming back. Wow. 100 to 0. Got the spectrum covered.

Nothing was said to the couple that I know of that would have set them off to make them not come back. Nothing amazing was said to the other couples out of the norm to make them come back. What’s the difference? Beats me. Style. Flavor. Worship style. No hymnals. Who knows.

I just know that I really want everyone to love our church. But it’s just not always going to happen. I just know that there are days when our service is less than stellar. And still people come back.

So what’s the deal? It had better always ALWAYS be about Jesus or we are cooked.

I am pretty drained right now. It was a very unusual day. On the one hand I think the service was pretty good. On the other hand, I feel like we are investing so much into this church. I think the phrase reckless abandon comes to mind. And sometimes it’s difficult to measure the value.

It is so easy to think about what is not working, the things that are off, and the shortcomings. When I am drained, that seems to be what jumps up the front of the thought train.

I need to get alone with God sometime tomorrow and recharge, refuel, and refocus.

I like movies or songs or commercials that pull you in and insert you into the experience. You know, like you are living it with them. It’s kind of how the TV show The Office is. Some singers and songwriters can craft songs that make you feel like you are living it. Some paintings and pictures are done in such a way that you can feel yourself being in it.

A church experience can kind of get like that. But is it good. After the Office is over, I turn off the TV and forget the experience pretty quickly. After I hear a song that pulls me in, within three and a half minutes, there is another song right after it. In a church experience, the ultimate goal is not for people to feel it and then move on and forget all about it. The goal is for Jesus to meet with each individual and have a real experience that will last beyond the church meeting. With that in mind, it can be tempting to plan church services that engage like a TV show but have no lasting value. Still thinking this over and praying about it. But that’s what I am thinking about today.

This week, for whatever reason, I have been consuming massive amounts of information. Podcasts. Live church streams. Articles. Blogs. Books. It’s like I am information starved. I don’t know what it is but I have been like Pacman eating the white dots. What gives? Am I digital glutton? Crazy. My add to favorites section is bloated.

As usual, early morning prayer was so good. It’s such a calming time. I can focus on God. I can clear my head. I can get new information. I can close everything off and spend some uninterrupted time with my Creator! I really love men’s prayer on Friday mornings. Truth is, there are times when getting up is difficult. Yesterday, I left the house at 7:30 am and didn’t get home until 10:00 pm. And I was pretty wiped out. But it was worth getting up and spending extra time with God. My daily devotions and quiet time are good. But this extra hour is fabulous.

I continue to read this book called Pivotal Prayers. I really believe prayer and communion with Christ is what keeps off the junk. Depression. Frustration. Anxiety. Anger. Disillusion. Apathy. Isn’t it tough to really encounter Christ in prayer and be worse off than before the encounter? I think so. We all know situations aren’t immediately resolved after prayer. But our resolve immediately affects the situation.

I have to admit I didnt like this band at first when I heard them on tour with the Newsboys. But they have grown on me. I am downloading the album now. The vote from the family on whether they like them is

Son - Yes
Daughter - No
Me - Yes
Wife - Haven’t asked yet.