I am so excited. My baby (who is 15, but who has never gone away from home like this) has gone on a trip with others from my church without me--an evangelism trip for four days. I was "supposed" to go and that changed at the last moment...my car is there, my baby is there, but I am home praying--which is RIGHT what I am supposed to be doing!
Isn't it amazing that about 16 people--mostly 17-20 years of age--from Cool Community Church are willing to take four days of their time to go to an evangelism conference and to go to the "unknown parts" to share their faith with others? Astonishing! God is at work!
And these folks are representative of others in our midst.
You see, even though we are without a pastor, ministry marches onward. God is at work in His people at Cool Community Church--even while we don't have a pastor. :-) I am excited that in spite of lacking a lead pastor, people are stepping up to the plate and listening to the ultimate "lead pastor"--our Chief Shepherd and Overseer, Jesus!
AWANA has gotten off to a great start. There are classes for all ages going on during the hour before church. Neighborhood Fellowship groups have been launched and most are focusing on the material "Live Like You Were Dying." A morning women's bible study has begun with an incredibly good turnout as we focus on simplifying our lives (ironic, really!).
Other ministries continue to move forward, too. For instance, the "Cool Gathering" food distribution is reaching out to more people and families than ever to date! We have an incredible Christmas Tea planned for early in December and even tonight there is a Harvest Event going on at the church with a cake walk and candy hand-outs. God's people are gathering and reaching out to one another and to the community!
While I don't think it wise to point at "works" as indicative necesssarily of the health of a church, what it does say to me in our case is that we aren't going to sit on the sidelines and just wait passively for the Lord to bring us a pastor to ignite in us a desire to be involved in the world and in one another's lives. That is pretty cool. We are getting in the game and actively waiting, instead. We are doing life. We are growing and learning and serving and loving.
It has been my prayer that, just as the Lord is forming and shaping HIS gift for us--His man as our lead pastor--that he will also form and shape us. I am praying that we will allow Him to change us from the inside out so that when it is HIS time for HIS man to join us, we will be as a gift to the new pastor as well.
In the meantime (and beyond)...Ministry Marches On! For the Name and Sake of Christ and all the people He came to the earth to love and to whom He gives His life!
I hate elections. People vote for people or things for all kinds of reasons. At the end of the day, when we "vote" on calling our next pastor, every member of the 
church who is not under discipline gets to vote, regardless of where they are in their spiritual walk, how involved they are in the church, their motives, agendas or anything else. Perhaps I'm the only one who fears that, at least on the surface, the process looks too much like a popularity contest and an "election." (I'm sure I bring a lot of baggage into this discussion by being a preacher's kid.)
So, how can I have confidence in our ability, as a church, to "vote in" the "right man" to lead us as pastor?
Honestly, there is a part of me that says we'd all be alot better off if we could just follow the process outlined in Acts chapter 1, when the disciples chose a "12th apostle" to replace Judas. They proposed two men, Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias. "Then they prayed, 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over the apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.' Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles" (Acts 1: 23-26).
Casting lots. It's an interesting way of ascertaining God's will. The practice was used in the Old Testament and the "theology" behind it is found in Proverbs 16:33:
"The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD."
The beauty of the practice was that people didn't get in the way. No agendas. No manipulation. They trusted the Lord to reveal his will through the casting of lots, and as far as I know, no one ever suggested that they should go "two out of three" when the first one didn't go the way that they wanted.
There is no indication, however, that the practice was ever used by the early church after Pentecost. Once the Holy Spirit came and indwelt the church, the belief was that the practice was no longer necessary or appropriate.
So, given that we have to trust the decision on our next lead pastor to men and women who will "vote," how can we be confident that God's will, rather than the desires of one person or group, will carry the day? I think that the short answer lies in the process that was created for the church calling a pastor.
The process for Cool Community Church calling a pastor was established at a time when the question could be considered apart from any urgent need to call one, and that process is filled with a series of "checks" which not only provide a means for finding the right man, but are designed to help us to avoid calling the wrong man.
The process is set out in Article VII, Section B.1 of the church's Constitution and By-Laws, our "governing" document, and its pretty straight forward:
1. When the need for a "Lead Pastor" arises, the Elder Board is to form a "Pastoral Search Committee;"
2. The Pastoral Search Committee is to investigate the needs of the church and possible candidates, and make a recommendation of a candidate to the "Church Board" (which is functionally the Elder Board, since there is no Lead Pastor);
3. The Church Board is to invite the candidate recommended by the Search Committee to preach, lead worship, or do whatever else they think is appropriate. If possible, the candidate is to remain in the community for several days, and then meet with the Church Board;
4. If, and only if, each and every member of the Elder Board approves, a special business meeting is noticed and called to consider the candidate, who will only be called if he receives a minimum affirmative vote of 75% of the members present at that meeting.
O.K. So why should we be confident in this process? First, the Search Committee is not "selected at random" from the membership of the church. Those appointed to this committee have been carefully considered, prayed over, and selected unanimously by the elders. They represent a cross-section of our church body, coming from a variety of backgrounds and bringing a variety of perspectives. They are "the" group that the Elder Board thought best suited from among the membership of the church to evaluate the needs of the church, screen candidates and make a recommendation to the church of the individual they, as a group, think the Lord is calling to be the next Pastor at Cool Community Church. This is the first check in the process.
But the process doesn't end there. Next, the individual recommended by the Search Committee is invited to preach and spend time with the church body. This is designed not only to give the church the opportunity to hear the "candidate" preach, but to get to know him to some degree. (This also gives the candidate the opportunity to get to know us, as well. )
But the church still isn't given the opportunity to vote on him. Not yet. First, each member of the elder board must approve of the candidate being presented to the church membership for a vote. Thus, if one single elder believes this candidate should not be considered by the church, he simply can't be considered by membership. The requirement here for absolute unity is not an accident. No one has the "right" to be considered by the church as a whole. The decision is simply considered to be too important to allow consideration of the candidate where even one member is in doubt. In the event there is not unanimity, the Search Committee will resume its search and in time will recommend another candidate, who will be put through the same process. This is the second check.
Finally, only after the Search Committee has recommeded a candidate, he has preached and interacted with the body, and after the Elder Board has unanimously recommeded the candidate for consideration by the membership, does the membership get to vote. If, and only if the candidate receives an affirmative vote of 75% of the members present can he be called. A simple majority doesn't cut it. If he gets 74%, the process restarts, and the Search Committee goes back to work. This is the third check in the process.
But that's still not the end. The candidate still has to say "yes." Don't assume that a potential pastor will say "yes," just because he expressed an interest in serving as our pastor, has met with the search committee, preached, met with the church body, met with the elders and allowed the membership to vote. Many men have convictions regarding the minimum affirmative vote they are willing to accept, and have turned down pastoral positions even though they received more than the minimum vote required by the church that was "calling" them. Others have simply felt, at the end of the process, that they were not being "called" to pastor the church. This is the final check.
This process is designed not only to bring us the "right" man, but to prevent us from calling the "wrong" man, by not trusting the decision to any one person or even any group of persons.
As someone, who hates "voting," I believe and trust that if we faithfully follow this process the Lord will not only reveal to us, but bring us the man that he has called to be our next shepherd. That may mean that in the end some of us might not get what we wanted, but in the long run (or maybe even the short run) that could be best. Remember, that when facing the prospect of having to fight for the land of Caanan, the Israelites were ready to stone Moses and Aaron, and to choose a new leader to take them back to Egypt (Num. 14). The Israelites were just as sure that they wanted and needed a king (1 Sam.8) - that is, until after God gave them one(1 Sam 12:19).
~ Bob Bylsma
God has put in our hearts a longing, a desire--each one of us--for certain godly traits and characteristics in the next man who will be our lead pastor, our shepherd, at Cool Community Church. There can be no mistake--we feel passionately about who this man is and what he will be like!
I am so thankful that so many have voiced such earnest desire.
By the same token, I know it is vital that we all hearken to One Voice and One Voice only--and that is the Lord's Voice. When we all take the time to be still and know that He is God, I believe we will all hear His Voice. This Voice isn't likely to be audible, but the scriptures clearly teach "his sheep follow him because they know his voice (John 10:4)." We will know in our spirits when we hear Him.
HIS voice will lead us to HIS choice.
So, then, let us pray and, even, fast that we might all hear HIS voice. And in humility trust that God will use the process established to bring about His will.
At the same time, it is vital that we realize there is a very real enemy who wants the body at Cool Community Church divided, confused, and fighting amongst ourselves. There is an enemy who rejoices gleefully when we argue, backbite, gossip and fight. Do we really want to give him fuel for his evil fire? Scripture teaches us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Scripture also teaches that Satan has a will and that he wants to take us captive to do that will (2 Timothy 2:26).
Let us remember this and that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:13). If you have a quarrel with me or I with you or someone else on the search team, the elder board, on the youth leader team or someone seemingly sitting in the congregation passively or someone who no longer fellowships with us on Sundays...whatever it may be...our quarrel is really not with them. The enemy loves it when we think it is. The spiritual assault is real. We are being messed with by the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. God says this is so!
Fortunately, he also says these things:
"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4)
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:57, 58).
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37)"
Yes, it is true, we are in a battle and sometimes we forget this and say and do things that carelessly contribute to the enemy's strategies to divide us.
Let us remember we don't war with one another. We war with an evil enemy who wants to snuff out any light shining at all in Cool, California. Let us put on the full armor of God and be aware of the enemy's schemes so that we don't fall prey to them (Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 2:11).
Let us do that which builds up and brings unity, rather than that which can bring division.
be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:2, 3
In response, the LORD told Moses to lay his hands on Joshua and to commission him before the high priest and the entire assembly. Moses was told to give him some of his authority so the whole community would obey him. And Moses did as the LORD instructed him.
Have you ever wondered why God called Joshua and not Caleb to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Both Joshua and Caleb had been sent into Canaan to explore the land. It was Caleb who had first “silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." (Num. 13:30). The Bible says repeatedly that Caleb “wholeheartedly served the LORD.” Moreover, he was a leader from the tribe of Judah. (Num. 13:6) He was not only a strong spiritual leader, but a warrior, as well. Caleb was forty when Moses sent him into Canaan. Forty-five years later he told Joshua: “Here I am today, eight-five years old. I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then” (14:7:12). And off he went to drive the Anakites out of their large and fortified cities. Sounds like he would have been a good choice to me!
Sure, Joshua had served as Moses’ aide since he was a youth (Num. 11:28). But, there is nothing to suggest that Moses presumed that Joshua should succeed him in leading the people, or that Joshua was even equipped to lead them. Nevertheless, it was Joshua and not Caleb that God chose as Moses’ successor, and He told Moses how to facilitate the transition in leadership by preparing the Israelites to accept him as their leader when the time came.
Later, when he assumed command of the Israelites, the people responded to Joshua saying: "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses.” (Jos. 16-17).
And they did. In Joshua 24, we’re told that “Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the leaders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel.”
The Israelites’ response to this transition in leadership was not to tell Joshua “you’re no Moses.” No one asked why he thought he was any better suited to lead them than anyone else. Nor did Caleb or those who undoubtedly supported him complain that he wasn’t chosen.
I am hopeful that when we call our new pastor, we too will unite behind him, just as the Israelites united behind Joshua. Let’s acknowledge his calling by the Lord, even if he isn’t the “Moses” who came before him or the “Caleb” who was available and looked good, but wasn't called.
Today, I want to share with you something I am thankful for. In doing so, I offer an "inside insight" to your pastoral search team.
Mike Cassidy and Gil Beaird are the elders represented on our search team. In addition to these men, we have Dick Folwarkow (who has served as an elder in years past) and Andy Fisher serving. Janet Lomas, Debbie Hansen and myself (Heidi Bylsma) are the remaining three to comprise your seven-person pastoral search team.
What an amazing group of people for me to get to interact with. Getting to know each of these men and women better has already blessed my life immeasurably. I truly do thank God for their presence in our flock!
When the search team met for the first time over a month ago, my concern was how God would take seven people--all with different hopes, dreams and expectations--and unite us as one heart and voice. What's more, how could we even begin to define what the body at Cool Community Church longs for and, most of all, accurately discern what God wants for us?
On Monday night, our search team met for the fourth time. It is already clear to me that God is uniting our hearts in a way that only He can! The comraderie and joy--even laughter!--as well as the ability to speak truth (with grace) to one another is so encouraging to me.
What I have seen is that certain things have come to the surface as the seven of us have interacted with many of you or heard your heart in our conversations with you. We each listen for God's voice, of course, through personal prayer and time in God's Word. God is faithful! The Shepherd's voice is definitely being heard! When we got together Monday night, there was a "hum" to our time that I feel only God could orchestrate. There IS unity in what we, on the search team, are discerning.
I am so thankful for these men and women and the way God is at work in our lives! It really is a *joy* to connect with them each time we meet. Their love for the Lord is so evident. Each takes the responsibility of being on this search team to heart. The sense of responsibility, in fact, is great. Please know that we don't take it lightly at all.
While I can't disclose the details of how all of these blessings on the search team are becoming so very evident, I do want you to have a sense of joy at this fact. I know it is the answer to many prayers being prayed. We continue to covet your prayers as we continue through this process.
Some of us may have to remember what it was like to be children to capture a sense of what I am talking about. But do you remember? That feeling that you know you are really going to get a gift that is something super special? You had something on your wish list for forever and you knew your parents were acting funny--like they had a really great plan in store for Christmas. You could tell they were bursting with a desire to spring it on you early. They were excited about Christmas too...a sure giveaway that they planned on making your dreams come true!
Oooh! I get excited enough to jump out of my chair as I even think about it!
Because here is the thing...this isn't just well meaning parents we are talking about. In our case right now, here on the Georgetown Divide in Cool, California...God is the giver! Isn't that an amazing thought? I mean, if you have needs, desires, and dreams and God is the one giving you the gift that will bring your soul to that place of joy, peace, confidence and "Ahhh...THIS is it!!!" Can you imagine? OOOOooooh! It makes my heart sing!
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.
- James 1:17
God is an amazing "gift giver." He doesn't give socks in awful colors or neckties that will never see the light of day.
Right now, we are looking forward to the day when God will be giving us a gift. An incredible gift. A new pastor!
some to be prophets, some to be evangelists,
and some to be pastors and teachers...
- Ephesians 4:11
In Ephesians 4, we are told that God gives us pastors as one of His gifts to us, His people! Right now, while we don't have a lead pastor, God is forming and shaping the PERFECT present for us! His man for us! I am so excited! There is a day coming when he will wrap this gift up with a bow as it were and present him to us. We can have confidence that this is so. The bible says it is so. God says it is so. I can't wait, but I know that all the wait will be worth it. It may take two months, it make take two years (I hope not!). But however long it takes, the gift God gives us will be perfect!
1 Tim. 6:6 tells us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
In Exodus 16, the Israelites were a month out of Egypt and they began grumbling. They said to Moses and Aaron:
"If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
In response, the LORD said to Moses: "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.” In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
And so, God gave them manna, which when translated means “what is it?” It consisted of white flakes, which tasted like wafers made with honey. Ex. 16:31. And God proceeded to feed his people, miraculously, in the desert for forty years, until they reached the land God promised them. Ex. 16:35.
Forty years. Now, I like honey flavored wafers as much as the next guy. But for forty years?
I think it’s easy for us to look at this and to see both God’s miraculous provision for his people and his faithfulness, day after day. I’m sure there were times when the Isrealites could see that, as well.
Yet, what initially seems miraculous can, over time, become monotonous. We can grow weary of the same thing, day after day. What we once clearly saw as “miraculous,” becomes “ordinary,” and simply a normal part of life, as we lose sight of God’s provision. (Have you ever thought of those Israelites who were born in the desert? They never knew anything different. As are as they knew, it was supposed to rain manna in the desert!)
I can imagine that it would be hard to find contentment eating the same thing, day after day, year after year. Clearly, there were times when the people struggled with it.
In the same way, how many things do we either take for granted or struggle to find contentment in, focusing on what we don’t have, rather than God’s provision in our lives. We simply come to expect good health, a job, or whatever, until suddenly they’re gone. Only then do we do back looking to God for our provision.
I suppose the same can be true in our church. We can take our pastors for granted, quietly (or not so quietly) grumbling about the length or content of a sermon, how we didn’t like the song selection, or some other way that ministry is or isn’t being done.
Perhaps this is a good time to regain our perspective and focus on the things God has and continues to provide us with, and to find contentment where he has us right now, in both our home and our church life.
Application Queston: Take a step back from those things that have become ordinary and reflect on God's provision, both in your life and in our church and thank him for his faithfulness. Try making a list of five ways in which God has demonstrated his faithfulness and take time to thank him for those things.
When I come inside after doing this, I peel off my socks and there, on my ankles, are red lines rimming where all the red dirt has been plastered onto my sweaty skin along the sock line and above. It is disgusting, to say the least! I can't imagine heading for the couch and putting my foot up on Michaela's lap (she's my 15 year old daughter) and saying, "Will you give me a foot rub?" when my feet are in that condition!
When my ankles and feet look like that, I am often reminded of what it must have been like to be in sandals all the time during the days Jesus walked the earth. With dusty roads and sandaled feet, it was no small wonder that servants were assigned to wash the feet of visitors to homes...who would want that much dirt tracked in? :-) This is especially true when you consider that they often reclined and enjoyed meals together, basically on the floor...and the feet of one visitor might be in the face of another! Yikes!
I wonder what it would have been like to have the job of washing the feet of people whose feet weren't covered by shoes and socks as they meandered around on the dusty streets (mixed with "dirt" from various animals who also wandered the same streets). These feet likely had dirt in the toenail cuticles and under the toenails, embedded into any wrinkles between the toes or on the heels where "weathering" caused calluses and other fun foot "issues." And if they had been sweating, I imagine the effect was all the more...well, you get the idea, I bet! I wonder if Jewish folks during Jesus' day battled with foot fungus? :-)
When Jesus took up the towel to wash his disciples' feet just hours before he went to the cross, it was no accident. He knew precisely what he was doing.
you also should wash one another's feet.
15I have set you an example
that you should do as I have done for you.
-John 13: 14, 15
Jesus knew that the time to go to the cross was nearing and he chose to illustrate an important principle by doing something pretty extreme.
In fact, during those last days before the crucifixion, Jesus went from a very public ministry to private meetings where he taught a smaller group of disciples the "final things" that he wanted them to know--to prepare them for life without him present with them in the way to which they had grown accustomed.
It reminds me of the way a loving mother, who knows she is dying of cancer and has little time left, might gather her children close to be sure to impart to them life lessons she wants them to understand before she is no longer with them.
The people had enjoyed Jesus in their midst for three years. Jesus was God. He knew that they might despair, be taken by surprise, so he wanted them to know Truth.
And as much as we love Pastor Mike, his departure can't possibly leave as huge a vacuum for us as Jesus' leaving did for the disciples! :-)
Nevertheless, the instructions to the disciples that Jesus gave during his last days with them about how they should live when he would no longer be with them apply to our situation now that we no longer have a lead pastor among us.
We are without our human leader as were they.
Some of us have despaired, been shocked by the events that have unfolded in recent months here in Cool, just as they may have been by what they experienced.
It is fair to say principles that applied to them, apply for us as well.
What did Jesus tell them to do, be, think, feel? We can certainly do, be, think, feel likewise during our time without a lead pastor.
After the crucifixion came the resurrection, after all! After night, there is always morning. After winter, is spring! God wants to infuse our hearts with hope! Jesus wanted to infuse hope into the lives of his followers, too.
So what *did* he share with them? I love reading John 13-16 to glean what I can from the text. John 17 is amazing, too, of course! As I read, I keep in mind that these events, teachings, words, illustrations, came from the precious Lamb of God, just hours before he died on the cross.
Jesus chose the intimacy of smaller meetings with his disciples to be sure he imparted crucial principles he wanted them to embrace once he was gone. In John 13, he did this both visually (in the washing of the disciples' feet) and in his teaching, illustrating and teaching about the importance of serving and loving one another.
Now that they would be without His presence among them, He had specific instructions that would benefit them. What are they? "Love one another." He illustrated this with an act of self-sacrifice and humility, taking on the nature of the lowliest of servants to remove the day's dirt from feet that never had seen a pedicure!He drove his point home, challenging the disciples to wash one another's feet, as well. In what ways can we wash one another's feet?
At the heart of the visual illustration is this:
Love one another.
As I have loved you,
so you must love one another.
35By this all men will know
that you are my disciples,
if you love one another."
-John 13:34-35
If you and I were to focus on loving one another, on serving one another for the next year, how might it affect us? And how might it affect the Georgetown Divide? Jesus told the disciples that all men will know that they were his disciples in this way--by the way they loved one another. It is odd, really. He didn't, at this time, commission them to try harder than ever to love those outside the circle of faith--of course that is a godly principle. But at this time, the time when they were feeling most abandoned, perhaps, by their Teacher, he told them if they wanted the world to see that they had a true, abiding faith, the way to do that was by loving one another.
I think it is no accident that Jesus encouraged his disciples just before he left them to look upon one another and to act in love.
Sometimes it is even easier to love those outside our church body than it is to love others within...but we are told that when we serve one another and love one another, those who see us who don't yet know the Lord will know that we love God.
So here is the question...how can we love each other practically in the body of Christ? What are ways that I love another person who attends Cool Church? When I choose to love another believer, this is what causes those who don't yet know Christ to recognize that Jesus changes lives!
Let's allow Him to work in us a supernatural love for one another in the days ahead! As we do so, the world will take notice that we know the True, Living God!
Application question: What can I do today to demonstrate a doing love for another person who considers Cool Community Church their home church? What can I do to follow Jesus' example in washing the feet of someone who I see on Sunday mornings?
Ephesians 4:29 says:
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building up others according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (NIV).”
The word “unwholesome” means “corrupted” and refers to something that has degenerated from what is good. It is “worn out” and “no longer fit for use.”
Regardless of any subtleties in the meaning of the word “unwholesome,” Paul contrasts such “talk” with words which build others up. Clearly, what comes out of our mouth can be destructive. Sometimes it’s blatant, such as when we complain. Other times, it can be more subtle, like times we may remember what things “used to be like,” leading us to a place of discontentment.
In Numbers 11, the Israelites complained to Moses “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
Ah, yes, the good old days of slavery in Egypt when everything was free! The Israelites had completely lost perspective and allowed this to seriously color their memory of the past. (For the record, God heard their complaint and brought quail – three feet deep as far as a day’s walk in every direction. Num. 11:31. What a mess!)
James 1 tells us to “consider it pure joy” when we face trials because the testing of our faith develops perseverance. “Perseverance must finish its work so that [we] may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (NIV)"
I’m sure that nearly all of us can point to times in the past that we miss. As a church body, God wants us to find contentment where we are. Many of us have great memories from the first thirty years of our church. Others may have such memories from other churches of which we’ve been a part. Often, however, like the Israelites we don’t remember (or we weren’t aware of) the sacrifices, hardships and heartaches that accompanied those times.
I’m all for celebrating and exhorting one another by the sacrifices that lead to the accomplishments of the past. We are truly blessed to have both a facility and a parsonage that we own free and clear. There are many who have ministered faithfully and tirelessly over the years. At the same time, there are a lot of heartaches that still need to be processed.
There is no question; we are clearly facing an uncertain time. But “uncertain” is far different that “hopeless” or “critical.” Let’s not lose our perspective like the Israelites, who seemed to completely forget the place from which they’d come and that God was both leading and providing for them in truly miraculous ways.
So, whether we talk about the past or the present, let’s be conscious of Paul’s exhortation that whatever we say should be said only for building others up and benefiting those who listen. Let’s not allow what we say to become “corrupted” so that it becomes a source of dissatisfaction or discouragement, whether to ourselves or to others. Let’s encourage one another that God is using this time to mature us, both individually and as a church body.
~ Bob Bylsma
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
- Psalm 100: 2-4
As we drove down highway 193, something threw us for a loop. There on the north side of the highway between ALT gates 2 and 3 were sheep...loose as loose could be! (This photo is from a free stock photo site...no sheep were wounded or maimed in the creation of this blog entry!)The next day, on our way heading the same direction up toward Georgetown, we saw cattle loose on the south side of highway 193. One thing was clear...someone sure seemed to be having a bit of a heyday, wreaking havoc, opening gates that restrain livestock. We haven't seen any sheep or cattle carcasses on the side of the road, so we have to think things ended well.
This got me to thinking though. Sheep especially benefit from having the boundaries of a fence. Sheep tend to wander otherwise. Sheep without some sort of guidance or boundary could result in some pretty awful things...lamb chops, for instance! Or road kill, anyhow! Not well for the sheep. :-)
In some ways, our flock at Cool Community Church could now be like that flock of sheep that was meandering along highway 193. We have no human shepherd per say (though we are blessed to have an elder board and two other pastors that are our leaders if we will look to them). What is to keep us from wandering off? There is no lock on the church door to keep us from wandering. The pastures may look mighty green elsewhere!
What *does* keep a person from heading for another "pasture," or another "flock?"Bob and I want to urge all of us "sheep" to stay put a spell. This may be a very tempting time to head out to what appears to be greener pastures - or maybe just to wander. But please consider if God would have you do so right now. He may want you to be a part of the adventure that he is unfolding for us here at Cool Community Church! That highway may look mighty appealing, but it may not have the best to offer when all things are considered.
Please ask the Lord if he might not use YOU to encourage others--just by showing up--during this time!
I have found that when I stop being about "Why should I go? What will be there to encourage ME?" and more about "Who can I find to encourage if I attend?" it is literally amazing how God encourages MY heart. I have been blessed beyond measure to greet some of you on Sunday morning or at women's bible study at the parsonage and I love love love my time of being with the other search team members or the worship team members on Thursday nights. I find God has given me SUCH joy in doing that which he prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10) that any sense of tiredness or need to relax at home has been overcome by HIS joy flooding through me.
It has been such fun to see changes not just in us (Bob and me), but in our teenagers, too, as we have dragged them along for some our shenanigans with our church family. :-) Daniel often changes the overhead slides for our worship music on Sunday mornings and we are loving attending the youth group on Wednesday nights. God has been encouraging our hearts so much just by being with others of you!
It really is something when I think of how not even six months ago our family prayed and evaluated if God was calling us to leave Cool Community Church. I think of all the time that we spent wondering about this instead of resting in God's will for us and I am saddened. We could have been enjoying all these blessings of getting to know you all that much better for that much longer! :-)
So now that we have settled in to being God's sheep in this pasture in Cool, we are eager for everyone to be just as settled. Psalm 100:2-4 makes it clear...there is such joy when we take our place as His sheep where he calls. Just be sure that you follow HIS leading to wherever He may call! If He calls you to remain a sheep at Cool Community Church then worship Him with gladness along with us! Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Let's give thanks to Him! We have one another and we have Him! We are ultimately His sheep...and he won't let us wander out along highway 193! :-)
They That Wait on the Lord Shall Renew Their Strength. They That Don't...Well, They Might NOT Fair Nearly As Well
"Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength"
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)
In 1 Samuel 13, Saul summoned the people to join him to fight against the Philistines. The Philistines had assembled for battle against them, and the “men of Israel saw that their situation was critical.” So much so, that many hid, while others fled. Saul, however, remained, but “but all the troops with him were quaking with fear.”
Samuel had told Saul “I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”
Saul waited seven days, but Samuel did not come, and Saul’s remaining men began to scatter.
Saul made what he must have thought was the only “logical” decision, given the circumstances.
“’So he said, bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.’ And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.” "What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
Compelled. . . . He felt compelled. Indeed, from a human standpoint, his circumstances seemed compelling. The problem was that, in the scheme of God’s timing, it wasn’t nearly as compelling as Saul thought. The right to offer sacrifices belonged exclusively to the priests of Israel – not the king. Essentially, Saul got impatient and panicked. His faith faded and was replaced by fear. He justified his actions - and his disobedience - by pointing to his circumstances. However, he had no way of knowing that God’s provision was, literally, around the corner.
“You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." Strong words (and consequences) for a guy who thought he was “doing the right thing” by moving forward.
As we look for a pastor, I pray that we won’t grow impatient and act hastily. Ephesians 4:11-13 teaches us that God has given the body “gifted men” including pastors and teachers “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” I have no doubt that God has that particular man in mind and will provide him to Cool Community Church, if we wait on his timing. None of us knows how long the process of calling a new pastor will take or what may occur along the way. (I do know, however, that we have a number of faithful people who are diligently working on this!)
If it should seem like its taking too long or that things are taking a turn for the worse in our church body during this transition period, let’s not lose faith. Instead, let’s wait patiently on the LORD and encourage those who may become discouraged. Let’s not move forward like Saul, who felt “compelled” by his circumstances when he didn’t know what else to do. As God’s chosen people, let’s feel compelled by his leading, as he gives it, and not simply by what makes sense to us at the time.
~ Bob Bylsma
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
- Psalm 34:3-4
What do I "make big" in my life? What do I focus on the most?
The psalmist encourages me to magnify the Lord--to make him big! Obviously, I can't literally make God any bigger than He is already, but do I allow Him to fill my vision? Is He big to me? Or do I allow that which I fear--the uncertainty of the future, for instance--to fill my vision? To eclipse the Lord in my life?Today, I choose to fix my eyes on the Lord and His power, provision, and plan. He has something in store. Join me! Let us exalt HIS name together instead of our fear of the future for Cool Community Church.
A wonderful promise is included in this passage...as we DO exalt Him, as we magnify HIM, he will deliver us from our fears. Where His presence is magnified, things that cause us anxiety diminish.
~ Heidi Bylsma
Sometimes, my eyes get off of the Lord and on to circumstances. I know some folks in our congregation are struggling with a lack of peace during this time when we lack a lead pastor.
God speaks to this in His Word:
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.
- Isaiah 26:3,4
LORD, you establish peace for us;
all that we have accomplished
you have done for us.
- Isaiah 26:12
It is so easy to attach our peace to the presence of a man or a solution or...any number of things. Yet the Lord tells us that if our minds are fixed on Him, if we trust in HIM, He will provide the peace that we seek. For this season, we are without a pastor, but we needn't be without peace. Let us remember that the Lord establishes peace for us.
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
- Psalm 42:6
I’m sure each of us has an idea about “what we’d like to see” in a new pastor. Some would like a pastor “young enough” to relate to the youth, while others may want one who is "older and more mature," so that he will be able relate to those who are retired. Some may want a dynamic speaker, an evangelist, a visionary or a strong, dynamic leader. Better yet, let’s find someone who can “do it all.”
King Saul is a sobering example of what happens when God’s people have their own idea about what their leader should look like, rather than trusting in God himself for their provision.
In 1 Samuel 8, the elders of Israel went to Samuel and asked him to “give us a king to lead us.” Samuel warned the people of the consequences of their demand, but they refused to listen, saying “No! . . . We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations with a king to lead us . . .” So, God gave them what they wanted and instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as king.
Now let’s be clear. The people didn’t get to “vote” for Saul. But when God appointed him, I’m sure they thought he was exactly what they were looking for and what they “needed.” Saul must have been a sight to see. In 1 Samuel 9:2, we’re told that he was a “choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel” (NASB). 1 Samuel 10:23 says “They ran and brought [Saul] out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others” (NIV). Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people” (NASB). In other words, Saul was handsome, impressive and had a “kingly stature.”
But remember, appointing Saul as king was not God’s idea. Samuel told the people that he was appointing a king because they had rejected God as their king (1 Sam. 10:9). Basically, God gave the people over to what they wanted. Later, Samuel told the people “[y]ou will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king” (1 Sam. 12:17). And you know what, the people responded by confessing that “we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.” (1 Sam. 12:19). That’s quite a change of heart, and Samuel responded that the LORD would not reject his people. Nevertheless, at the same time, it was too late to change direction – they had a king.
Appearances can be deceiving. Saul may have “looked” right, but he wasn’t what the people needed – a leader who would encourage their obedience and reliance on the LORD.
Saul was anointed king in chapter 10. By chapter 13, Samuel has told Saul that because of his disobedience, his kingdom would not endure (1 Sam. 13:14) and in chapter 15 Samuel tells Saul “You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel.” (1 Sam.15:26). God went on to have Samuel anoint David, “a man after God’s own heart,” as king (Acts 13:22). But Saul’s reign continued and he lasted as king for 40 years - a sobering thought as to the long term consequences of demanding our own way, rather waiting on the LORD and his provision.
I would suggest that we (yes, me included) are way too fickle to allow us the luxury of trusting in what “we” want in a pastor. Instead, we need to pray diligently that God would show us who and what we truly need, and that he would be bring to us the man that he has chosen to help lead our church at this time.
~ Bob Bylsma
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
-1 Thessalonians 5:18
That is why I love this simple verse nestled at the end of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. He clearly states "THIS is God's will for you!"
So what is it?
To give thanks!
So that is what I choose to do! I choose to hunker down into the heart of God's will for me today and I urge you to do the same. I choose to give thanks in all circumstances--even if they don't quite line up the way I wish they would have.
Lord, thank you so much for a godly pastor who has sought hard after your will. Thank you that he has been with us for these many years and that he has diligently studied your Word and brought what you have laid on his heart to the people.
Thank you for godly Christian men who serve this body on the elder board. Thank you for their perseverance through tough times and joy. Thank you for their late nights and for the sacrifices made by their families, too.
Thank you for the deacons who are such servants of God and people as well. They, too, serve so faithfully and quietly, allowing their praise to come from God! Thank you!
Thank you for Pastor Dean who brings such a sense of godly Christian confidence in a God he has served in the ministry for over 50 years. His strength and the peace he exudes is such a bastion of encouragement. Thank you for his wisdom in imparting your truth through sharing your Word as well.
Thank you for an amazing youth pastor who has wisdom beyond his years, a passion for truth and for you, and for the kids he serves. Thank you that he has a heart for worship and that he serves the entire body by leading us in worship each Sunday.
Thank you for the men and women that serve behind the scenes at Cool Community Church--for those who faithfully vacuum the carpets and replace the soap in the soap dispenser in the women's restroom, for those who fix whatever ends up breaking, for those who coordinate pot-lucks, wind-up microphone cords, and those who push the button on the computer so that we can read the words to the worship music on the screen. Thank you for those who lead our children, change diapers in the nursery, mow the lawns, take out the garbage. Lord, there are so many faithful people who serve you without ever looking to be praised or thanked. We are so fortunate as without them, we wouldn't manage!
Please bless each and every one of these precious folks today, Lord.
Lord, today I choose joy. I choose to grab a hold of each moment for everything that it is worth and to squeeze out of it every bit of blessing that you intend. I choose gratitude and humility. I choose to exalt you instead of self. I choose your will, instead of my will.
Thank you for a church home where my family and I can worship you here on the Georgetown Divide just 5 minutes from our home with other like-minded believers.
Thank you for the adventure that is ahead as we step into uncharted territory!
~ Heidi Bylsma
It is funny how my "issues" seem to come to the forefront when someone in authority does something that *I* think is unexpected. Humans being human, this happens quite frequently.
I didn't expect Pastor Mike to hear a calling by God to leave Cool Community Church.
I didn't expect God to issue a call to Pastor Mike and his family to leave!
In spite of how I feel, I now realize that I haven't been disappointed by Pastor Mike so much as I have been disappointed, perhaps, by God! I was really hoping that Pastor Mike would stay around a lot longer! :-)
The fact that it is GOD who is "behind" this change, places what is going on in a radically different context for me. God can take my disappointment. I need to pour it out to Him. He alone can offer a godly answer and solution to the heartache I feel.
Author Donna Partow exhorts in one of her books: "Run to the throne instead of to the phone," when disappointed with things in life! I need to remember this and not fill the ear of an indulgent friend, but rather lay my heartache at the feet of Jesus.
Perhaps because of some history in my life with authority figures that disappointed me, it is much easier to pin the blame on a human than on God. But in this case, the human is not the one responsible for "letting me down." In fact, I trust that he is doing what God wants! Pastor Mike is fulfilling the call of God and in a rational moment, untainted by my emotions gone wild, I rejoice that this is the case! I wouldn't want it any other way, in fact.
Would you? I don't imagine any of us would! We want God's will! This is it. Let us rest in that!
So, I bring my heartache and disappointment to God instead of fussing about it to a friend who is willing to put up with me...(Honestly, I have done my share of griping, too...but I am admonished by the scripture that tells me to do everything without grumbling or complaining!)
Bob's post yesterday really challenged me to remember that I DO have a Shepherd. I haven't been "let down" by yet another authority figure. In my flesh, I want to cry "I'm a victim!" Good grief!
Truthfully, I am ready to be done with such lesser things. I am ready to press on toward the upward call of God and to begin to lay a hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid a hold of me.
God is my ultimate "authority figure." He is a kind, gentle, perfect, wise, loving, Shepherd. He is also a warrior, fighting for me. He is also a King, ruling with sovereignty and power. He is the one in whom I trust. If I struggle with accepting this decision--of letting go of the Ernsts--perhaps He is calling me to release a hold on that which I hold so dear so that I might have the freedom to embrace that to which He now calls...something much greater than I can imagine in the days ahead.
Far from being abandoned, I get the distinct impression that a new adventure has begun!
~ Heidi Bylsma
In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells us:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I suppose we will all agree that our search for a pastor comes within the broad definition of “anything” about which we are exhorted not to be anxious as well as within the “everything” for which we are to be in prayer. But how does “thanksgiving” fit into it? I think that if we look below the surface we may find much to be thankful about.
First, we can be thankful that we are not without a shepherd. Psalm 23:1 says “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” In other words, I (or we) already have everything we need. Indeed, 1 Pet. 2:25 makes clear that Jesus himself is the true Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.
He has also provided us with the Holy Spirit, who will lead during this time. As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his crucifixion and his subsequent ascension, he told them that he would not leave them as orphans, but that the Father would send the Spirit of truth who would live with them and be with them forever. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that He “has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
And he has given us elders, who have been called to lead and shepherd “the flock,” and more importantly, who understand and have embraced their God-given role. Moreover, he has given us two teaching pastors who remain and continue to serve the body.
We can also be thankful that while we may not have anticipated this time or this need, God is not surprised. In Psalm 139, David says “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” The same can be said about our Church body. Indeed, I think that the clear implication of this passage is that not only before this need arose, but before the foundation of the world, God had chosen the man he intended to fill the void and to lead our Church with our other elders. I firmly believe that there is one man that God has called to serve at this time at Cool Community Church. God will provide us with that man, in his timing, provided we wait patiently on him and earnestly seek the man He intends to provide. In Acts 17:26, Paul tells us that God “determined the times set for [men] and the exact places where they should live.” In James 4:15, we are told that we should humbly approach life with the attitude that “if it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
So, let's pray for God to provide the man he has called in His time. At the same time, let's not forget to be thankful for all He has given us while we wait on Him.
~ Bob Bylsma
Welcome to "Lord We Need a Pastor...," dedicated with love to our church family at Cool Community Church in Cool, California.
June 2009 brought the announcement that our lead pastor, Mike Ernst, and his family would be moving back to Auburn, California and that God is leading them into new places ministry-wise.
Many of us are experiencing a broad plethora of emotions as we face the future--the uncertainty, the questions. We all could use some encouragement as we look to the Lord and fix our eyes on His face and His will.
This blog is here as one way of offering that to our church family.
We may be without a human shepherd for a season...it may even be a LONG season! But here is a question to ponder...*ARE* we truly without a shepherd?
Ezekiel 34: 11 encourages us with this:
I myself will search for my sheep
and look after them.
Right now is an opportunity for us to cling to the Lord as never before...to be desperate for him, to learn from him, to allow him to teach us whatever he chooses.
In 2 Chronicles 20, when King Jehoshaphat was faced with a huge army marching against Judah, the "odds" seemed insurmountable. From a human perspective, things appeared grim. Even so, they stood firm in their faith and King Jehoshaphat prayed to God in verse 12:
this vast army that is attacking us.
We do not know what to do,
but our eyes are upon you.
His gaze was right where it needed to be.
The Lord responded to this faith. Isn't it wonderful that our Shepherd speaks to us words of encouragement just when we need them?
The Lord spoke (verse 15):
because of this vast army.
For the battle is not yours, but God's."
Likewise, the need to "find" a new pastor is great challenge, as well. It seems insurmountable and in our flesh we may want to rush the timing of this. But this truly isn't our "battle." It is God's. HE will provide what is needed when it is needed. As a member of the search team, I take great encouragement from this fact. I know that HE is raising up, even now, HIS solution to our need. HIS man. HIS way. In HIS time.
The Lord is our Shepherd. He gently leads us, guides us and will nurture and heal us as well. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith and know in our heart of hearts, this situation is His. He will shepherd us through this time. Let us follow Him faithfully and wait on him.
~ Heidi Bylsma