The New Kid In Town

Today the Lord has blessed me to reach my 46th birthday, and I am truly happy and thankful. But even in what is considered, "middle age" I find myself challenged anew being placed once again in the position of being "The New Kid in Town". Some of you remember a classic song of the same name performed by the 70's group The Eagles. At the time that "New Kid in Town" was hot on the charts, my family was in the middle of a major move that would ultimately find us in what was to become my most cherished High School experience in Hanau, Germany. At the time, however, the move was an unwelcome intrusion on what was to me a perfect existence. My father saw my displeasure and in a move to teasingly encourage me actually bought the Eagles album Hotel California, which included the hit "New Kid". I was not amused, but my dad played that song at every opportunity and would turn up the volume and sing along every time it played on the radio - If you knew my dad, you would realize just how funny that was - but at the time, I wasn't smiling at all. I had toughened myself and steeled my will to believe that I knew all I needed to know and nobody had anything to offer my of any value in any of the places we were heading. Well, once I got to good ol' Hanau American High School, the kindness heaped on me by fellow students, the excellent education passed on to me by the teaching staff and the amazing Military community in which we lived softened my heart and taught me that being the "New Kid" on the block can open up important doors of perspective and teach lessons that are sometimes more difficult to learn in familiar environs.

Now that I am approaching one month of service in a new ministry setting, I am finding that the Lord has once again placed me in a position of being "The New Kid" and is calling me to be still and allow Him to teach me important truths through the freshness of a new setting. As we arrived here in Racine, I quietly wondered if my breadth of ministry service and experience had hardened me beyond my ability to respond to things I knew should touch my heart and lessons I knew the Lord would teach. A series of events this week, reassured me that my heart was not yet beyond reach and my brain was not hardened to God's efforts to teach. As our senior pastor preached a powerful message on Philippians 4 about the importance of learning the secret of contentment, I felt something welling up within me and spilling out from me that I had feared I had lost the ability to produce - tears. Not tears of sorrow, but tears of affirmation, that a deeply held truth that had been confirmed by God's Word and found a place of conviction within my heart.

Last night as I began to consider my approaching birthday and my mother's selfless and tireless commitment to make me a man who stood for good, the tears were back. Again, not tears of sorrow, but tears of gratitude for a life well-lived and an example that continues to shine in the hearts of those who knew Georgia, even as my mother's earthly lamp has been extinguished for over a decade now. Then this morning, as I returned from delivering Joana to school, the worship song "Shout to the Lord" came up on the play list and tears of joy came to my eyes as I was reminded of past times I had heard that song and the ways in which I have seen God faithfully work over the years as that song has been sung and we served with it as our soundtrack.

I am convinced that the new setting has made me open and sensitive to humbly listen to what the Lord is saying and to allow Him to teach me and touch me in ways that can sometimes be harder to achieve when we are in familiar territory and feel we have it all together. Therefore, I'm sharing the present with you I believe the Lord has given to me in my 46th year of life. Isaiah 43 puts it this way:

18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

God has a mighty way of transforming a place that seems impossible to navigate or find your bearings into a new and living way that transforms, inspires and restores. You may not be the new kid in town, but God surely wants to do a new thing in your life today. Don't fight it. Let the joy come and let the tears flow and allow the Lord to teach you new lessons that will change your life and the lives of others. Until next time...


Sam.

But Then We Fooled Around And Acted Out Of Love

Eight years ago, I found myself in the midst of a church life situation that proved to be one of the most intense tests of my commitment to basic Christian principles that I ever faced. Anger, mistrust and hurt among the leadership of the church in which I was then serving manifested itself in some truly damaging and hurtful ways, leading to the dissolution of unity, the breaking of relationships and the scattering of the church family. Having arrived at the ministry full of optimism and energy with the prospect of many years of ministry service a virtual certainty, I found myself in the midst of a firestorm and ultimately without a church n which to belong and without a ministry in which I could vocationally serve.

By God's mercy, Luz and I were able to follow His leading in starting another ministry, and to be joined in that endeavor by others who had a common vision to live in a caring, multicultural community for the Glory of Jesus Christ. Yet, because of the proximity of the former ministry partners with whom we had worked, and by whom we had felt so betrayed, we wondered for several years if the forgiveness demanded by Jesus and the restoration that is a hallmark of the standard Jesus has set for His church was really possible - not just on the part of others, but for us. Could we really EVER consider the people that had hurt us so deeply to be our real brothers and sisters in the Lord?

The answer came gradually. Luz and I had a deep conviction that we had to live what we believed in front of our children and try with all of our might NOT to drag them into the fray. Because churches blend the personal and professional lives of vocational Christian workers, the families of the workers are not necessarily shielded from the fallout of church rifts and difficulties. We made a promise to ourselves that we would encourage our children to continue their friendships formed within the church and to always treat former church members with respect regardless of what we may have thought their role might have been in the church debacle.

Luz and I were especially touched when we ourselves were treated with the respect we had demanded of our children by the children of people we felt had hurt us. It was a clear indication that there were others that were wrestling with the ramifications of the church's struggle and committed to apply the basic loving principles of the faith by trying to turn the tide of the situation towards healing. It showed us that sometimes, responses to deep hurts can be slow, but one must be alert for signs that changes of heart might be taking place.

More than that, there were individuals along the way who served as torchbearers in the process of trying to live like Jesus who, in spite of the hurts, stubbornly refused to take sides and just tried to love everybody into loving everybody else regardless of which "side" of the church split they might have been. With these siblings of faith in the mix, the walls of separation gradually began to wear down. People who were not speaking, began to hold conversations. People who had secretly vowed not to fellowship with other individuals began breaking bread with those very individuals they had vowed to shun. People like me, who thought they would never find themselves singing, worshipping and fellowshipping in the context of a Sunday service in the midst of that heretofore painful setting, found themselves singing, worshipping and fellowshipping in that same setting.

This Sunday, my family and I were graciously invited by friends to attend a worship service at our former place of service so that those who knew us might be able to pray for us and bid us a loving farewell. When we arrived, former co-laborers and church members practically mobbed us in love. There were hugs, tears, laughter, and the expression of some regrets but more than anything, a warm and overflowing display of acceptance. This acceptance was made possible by those who tenacious clung to the good - good memories of ministry: baptisms, weddings, comforted grief, and daring outreaches. The acceptance was also made possible by good memories of fellowship: funny stories, great times around food and good times just hanging out. Most everyone had grown in faith, grown in service, grown in humility and grown in love. It seemed we shared an understanding that God's Kingdom was best served when we patiently expected Him to live out His truths in us as He patiently waited for us to respond in loving obedience to His Truth.

As I stood in front of that congregation being blessed and prayed for in response to our entering a new chapter of ministry service in Racine, WI I couldn't help but reflect of the great love passage of 1 Corinthians 13:

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.

Love suffers long and never fails when we are committed to it. For a season in our service here in Metro Detroit, there was a lot of selfish foolishness but then we fooled around and acted out of love, and saw God glorified, His Word confirmed and our lives changed. Perhaps you've been deeply hurt in some church situation. Maybe you feel as if there is no way anything beautiful can emerge from your pain. I challenge you to remember that God's love is all about the Long Haul and that if you commit yourself to live in His love, you will not only see changes around you, you will see changes IN you! Let God's love get a hold on you. I know I'm glad I did.

Until next time...

Sam.

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow -

I have experienced my share of painful moments in ministry, and this past Sunday ranks extremely high on the list. How does one share the news with the congregation you planted and have served for 7 years that you are absolutely convinced that the Lord has brought your time of direct service with that beloved family of faith to a close and has directed you to move on to another place of service? Well, of course, you just have to say it, but the declaration itself is often not adequate for addressing the many questions that arise as the faithful flock ponders the news that can present a great deal of uncertainty as to what comes next. I have a few thoughts that I hope will offer reassurance to those with any concerns and confidence to all that God is in this decision and this decision will result in blessings and growth for all who are engaged in His Kingdom work as it pertains to Eastside Community Church of Harper Woods. It is truly a moment that is sweet and sorrowful at the same time.

My first thought is this: Eastside is not MY church. I mean this in the most absolute sense. Jesus said The Church - all believers from all ages individually and all local bodies and collections of believers who have come together in His name past, present and future are HIS. That means Eastside is His possession, not mine and I must make decisions related to Eastside's well-being not necessarily according to what makes me comfortable or what makes life easier for me. Jesus has a Kingdom agenda for Eastside. I have come to an understanding that my primary role in God's Kingdom agenda for Eastside Community Church was to get it up and running. I believe the Lord has put the gifts that Luz and I possess to good use in this catalytic, get-things-going role and that Eastside is now primed to grow and expand under the leadership of another pastor with gifts and skills that lend themselves to growing and expanding a small church administratively and ministerially. The potential for the future of Eastside is exciting and it is sweet!

My second thought is focused on the members of Eastside themselves. My Eastside family is wonderful, beautiful, magnificent and glorious. These amazing people consistently make an impact on the immediate community and the world at large that is proportionately much greater than their numerical size. My love for these people is boundless and their love for me and my family has been and is immense. It is because of this great love and my family's interconnectedness with the members of Eastside that our departure is painful. If there were no love, no affection and no concern for the people that have been my extended family for the last 7 years, we could simply pull up our stakes and leave without a second thought. But the love overflows, the affection abounds and the concern is eternal. For us, though the situation full of sweetness as we look toward the future, because of our monumental past, it is also accompanied with a profound sense of sorrow.

Nevertheless, the call persists. In the convergence of events, circumstances, and people that the Lord uses to help us discern His will at any given moment, Luz, the girls and I believe without doubt, that the Lord has called us to transfer our direct ministry gifts and daily ministry operations away from Eastside Community Church of Harper Woods, MI and towards Grace Church of Racine, WI. There are no differences in theology, mission or purpose. The doctrinal statements of the two congregations are virtually the same and both local bodies are inextricably dedicated to the Great Commission - taking the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world - and to the Great Commandment - demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ to all people in real life and real time.

These commonalities are strong and bind both bodies together in the economy of God. Nevertheless, their histories and ministry foci are somewhat different. Eastside is a smaller, newer, more diverse congregation with a heart for ministry and poised for growth in infrastructure and the coordination of its ministry structures. Grace Church Racine is a larger, older and less diverse congregation with a strong infrastructure seeking to implement new ministries to reach the community and new opportunities to reflect the beauty of diversity within the context of the local church. The Lord has used my family and I to establish Eastside as a significant presence on the east side of Detroit and as a useful help to other ministries around the world. Eastside is now ready to grow in number and in strength under the direction and leadership of the person of God's choosing in God's time. Grace Racine, though much older and extremely well-established, is at a time in its history that it is prepared to initiate new ministries and strategies to reach the Racine area, the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor and the world as it never before. Joining the Grace Racine family once again places my family and I in a position to initiate, create and implement new strategies to reach those who need to know the love of Jesus Christ on a very broad scale and to assist, encourage and partner with smaller congregations who are committed to do the same.

Our decision is truly a Kingdom focused decision, rooted in our desire to pursue the Lord's will and maximize the use of our gifts for His Kingdom. It is a hard decision emotionally, yet it is an easy decision when our focus is turned towards the Lord and His agenda. We love Eastside. We love Grace Racine. Above all we love the Lord and we are committed to follow Him even when it hurts. I ask you my family and friends to pray for us and to join us in praying for the congregation we are leaving and the congregation we are joining. Also, feel free to ask any questions you might have regarding this move and our perspective on God's plan as it pertains to us. Parting is indeed such sweet sorrow, but following Christ's direction brings us joy and the joy of the Lord remains our strength. Until next time...

Sam.

Passing the Baton

"I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved!" So states the U.S. Army's First General Order. It is a principle of service that I have continued to apply beyond military endeavors and which has shaped my attitude towards ministry service since I began following the Lord's calling on my life over 25 years ago. It was in that spirit that 12 years ago, Luz, our girls and I left our beleoved ministry in Cleveland and began our Motown ministry adventure. Our time of ministry here in "The 'D'" has been punctuated by almost every human emotion - joy, sorrow, triumph, disappointment, heartache, victory, doubt and hope. Our family has grown and experienced God's amazing love in abundance all along the way. We have dreamed boldly and we have seen God's faithfulness to us in every situation through which we have traveled and have come away from even the most painful of experiences with a deeper faith in the Lord and a renewed commitment to walk forward in our lives whatever the circumstance.

Nevertheless, as vocational Christian workers, even when we have emotionally felt that we were riding the crest of a wave, we have always endeavored to be sensitive to God's leading and to follow His call wherever it might take us. It is for that reason that after much prayer, contemplation and reflection, we have arrived at the conclusion that the Lord is calling us to pass the baton of leadership at Eastside Community Church to others and to follow His call to Wisconsin. There I will serve on the staff of a wonderful Church and a strong body of Christians dedicated to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment as the Pastor of Outreach. It is my duty in that ministry capacity to lead the congregation in outreach ministries "Here, there and everywhere" in accordance with Acts 1:8 which would include local and International ministries.

It is our sentiment that our work in Eastside has reached its climax and that it is time to allow others to build upon the foundation that the Lord has mercifully allowed us to establish. It is also our belief that our next ministry assignment offers an optimal opportunity for us to put our gifts to use in the most effective way at this time in our lives and at this stage of our ministry experience. The passion and focus that has characterized all of our ministry assignments will continue, it is just the setting and context that will change. Also, the diversity, warmth and heartfelt outreach that have characterized Eastside will also continue and I believe grow as new leadership emerges with a fresh sense of God's purpose and direction for Eastside of Detroit.

I will continue to share my thoughts on faith and life through the vehicle of this Blog. As I continue to share, please keep in mind that the next two months or so will be a time of transition in the ministries we are bridging - much like the passing lane of a relay race where responsibilities for one leg of the race taper off and, as the baton is exchanged, the responsibilities for another leg rev up to full speed.

We ask for your prayers as we seek to follow the Lord where He has led us. Please feel free to let us know how we can be of service to you and encourage you in the faith during this exciting period of our lives. Until next time...

Sam

Eternity in Their Hearts

During the past four days, our church has been fully engaged in our annual action-packed VBS ministry we call Kids Adventure Week. It's a week filled with fun, games and activities all geared to introduce children to who Jesus is and how Jesus wants us to live. I am amazed at how spiritually attuned even the youngest children can be. I was most amazed to have a reminder of this truth hit very close to home.

While chatting about church business, my youngest daughter Victoria, who is four, played all around me, hopping in my lap, kissing me on the cheek, hitting me with various objects, seemingly oblivious to the conversations Luz and I were having. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Victoria asked a question that piqued my interest: "Daddy, what's your mommy's name?" "Georgia." I replied. "Where is she now?" Victoria continued. "With Jesus." I answered. "How did she get there?" Victoria followed up. I paused. "How do I explain this?" I thought. "Well, I guess I just need to say it." I sat Victoria on my lap and began to more directly engage her in conversation. "She died." I stated plainly. "What does die mean?" She inquired. "Well, it's when your body stops working and your spirit goes on to Forever. For people like Grandma who know Jesus, those people go to be with Him." "Will you die Daddy?" I really didn't want to think about that, but it was a great question and a good reminder of how I should approach the rest of my life. "Yes." I said. "When?" She retorted. Another good question. I thought of friends who have passed on from accidents, disease, mishaps and considered my family history and other factors as well. "I really don't know. I'm asking Jesus to let it be a long time from now so I can be with you for a while. But, it's up to Him. It will be when He has planned it." I answered. She responded immediately. "What about me? Will I die?" Wow. "One day Sweetheart. Everyone dies. Most likely it's a long time from now, and Jesus has plenty for you to do before that. But it's a good thing to remember." Her questions had me reflecting on some pretty critical issues. She frowned. "I don't understand everything you're talking about Daddy." I reassured her, "That's OK. It can take a while to understand what dying is and even Daddy doesn't understand it all yet." That satisfied her curiosity for the time being. "Can I go play now?" She asked. "Of course!" I answered. She hopped out of my lap and was once again on her way.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that God, "...has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." Human beings have been created to understand that there is more to life than what we can see in the here and now. Even a four year old has a cosmic curiosity that causes them to ponder deep questions and seek meaningful answers. Jesus was well aware of this a took time to address the spiritual needs of children. Many of us are familiar with Jesus' advocacy for children as expressed in the gospels. Mark 10:13-16 reports,

1People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus became indignantly angry when His disciples became too absorbed with their own goals and agendas to recognize the clear responsibility and opportunity of ministry that stood right before them. I am thankful to Victoria for reminding me of the reason we do our Kids Adventure Week each year. Children are of the utmost importance to Jesus and deserve our prioritized focus, our loving attention, our nurturing touch and our spiritual blessing. Keep your eyes open in your daily walk for the opportunities the Lord will give you to bless a child. The attention you give will please the Lord and may help to provide some important answers to the spiritual questions the Lord has placed in their hearts. until next time...

Sam.

Real Men and Umbrellas

An endearing character in a 70's slapstick comedy had a recurring line that boiled down the challenges of manhood in a sngle phrase: "It's hard to be a man, Baby!" During my own growing years, my father must have felt the same way. His sentiments about the difficulties of manhood were expressed in a careful mixture of tenderness and toughness, designed to make me a caring, but tough man. One of the elements of my dad's toughening process was teaching me to deal with being wet. If it rained, we didn't stop any outdoor physical work activities. He held to the Army axiom, "If it ain't raining, we ain't training!" Besides that, I was never allowed to carry an umbrella. "You're not made out of sugar! You won't melt!" My dad would teasingly taunt. The principle that real men couldn't be stopped by water was reinforced time and time again. When I walked to school and it started to rain, I knew better than to expect a ride. "I wasn't made out of sugar. I wouldn't melt." The years passed and it kept raining. Even after I left my parent's home, through military training, missionary ventures, ministry experiences of all kinds, married life and fatherhood, it kept raining. I still wasn't made out of sugar and I still wouldn't melt.

Then came my latest visit with my father. I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to see Dad for a day in North Carolina this week. We spent a day laughing and recalling times past - retelling stories of the tough and tender lessons my parents meted out and how those lessons had provided wisdom and guidance for me in all sorts of situations. My father was curious about the "full details" of many of the stories I had abbreviated over the years to keep him from worrying and to prevent him from knowing just how painful some of the events of my life had been. I shared about the loss of our daughter Samantha and just how close we had come to losing our daughter Victoria at birth. I told of almost being shot in the Philippines on a couple of occasions. I shared some of the more harrowing stories of our ministries among the poor and some of my most emotionally trying times in ministry, like the time when fellow minister absconded ministry funds and used them to corrupt a vulnerable coworker and to support an extramarital affair that almost collapsed our ministry. I shared the victories too, the funny tales and the miracles - all of which made my dad laugh with glee. Still, I could see that he continued to reflect on the tougher times I had just shared with him.

All the talking made us hungry, so dad and I went out for Chinese Cuisine. I drove us both to the nearest take out restaurant and Dad decided to wait in the car. While the order was being prepared, it began to rain - hard. Remembering our conversation, I began to chuckle. It looked like I'd have another opportunity to prove my manhood! A few minutes later, I turned to face the cashier to pay for the order. I turned to see how Dad was faring in the car and couldn't believe my eyes. Dad was shuffling along towards the door with an umbrella in his hand. He came to the door and closed the umbrella as he stepped inside. I just couldn't resist the temptation. "It's alright Dad!" I gently teased, "I'm not made out of sugar!" He smiled but I noticed tears were in his eyes. "I know," he said. "But I think you've been rained on enough." Then he handed me the umbrella. The tears were mine now. I paid for our food,and Dad and I walked to the car arm in arm under the umbrella . The was nothing more to prove, just a whole lot of love to share. A great lesson in parenting, and my dad barely said a word. Just a day in my life, with the man who gave me life - a real man who continues to teach me what manhood is all about. Until next time...


Sam.

Remembering the Price of a Nice Day

One of my most cherished summer vacations came in the days immediately after the end of my Plebe Year at West Point. With the rigors and demands of Plebe Year behind me, I made my way to Fort Bliss, Texas, where my father was attending the U.S. Army Sergeants' Major Academy in preparation for his promotion to Command Sergeant Major and the fulfilment of the highest career goal an enlisted soldier in the United States Army can achieve. After relishing a few lazy days to just relax and regroup, my father invited me to accompany him to a social gathering of other "E-9"'s from the Army and as well as those from other branches of the military who were also attending the Academy.

One of his more colorful comrades whom I had the privilege of meeting was a Marine Corps Sergeant Major - a Recon Marine, Sergeant Major Solomon. He was a "typical" Marine - which means he wasn't typical to any average person you would ever meet - VERY highly motivated, very confident and very proud to tell you why he felt the Marines did everything better than everyone else and very ready to prove it! While these "Top Sergeants" were conversing, a bumper sticker on Sergeant Major Solomon's car caught my attention. It read, "Have a nice day America. Your Marine Corps is ON DUTY!" The truth of that statement grabbed me, especially in the context of standing in a parking lot alongside veteran service personnel who had all served their country sacrificially and had never forgotten the price that accompanies the freedoms all Americans enjoy so readily and that many Americans just as readily to often take for granted. It's just too easy to forget that while we work, play and sleep in comfort and safety, brave people driven by a love a freedom and a devotion to the principles for which this nation stands face continuous and innumerable perils for our benefit.

That is why any reminders of the cost at which our freedoms are maintained are appropriate and worth noting. I received such a reminder this morning as a friend and West Point classmate forwarded an article to me recounting the homecoming of an Illinois National Guard unit that her husband commands and that has just completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The Chicago Tribune article is entitled, "Not Everyone Comes Home". It is an excellent and touching article. The title alone stands a simple reminder that even when we celebrate the return of those who have served in harm's way, there are absences that go unnoticed by casual observations but that are all too conspicuous by those who returned alive, their families and the families of those who perished in the service of the nation.

After finishing the article, it occurred to me that had I not received this reminder, I would have very likely gone about my daily tasks without quite remembering that I am able to enjoy many pleasures casually because of people for whom the word "casual" in no way applies to any aspect of their lives. They are always "on" - standing ready to drop everything to confront the adversaries of liberty, even at the risk of their own lives. All of this, so that the rest of can "have a nice day."

As you consider the rest of your day, let me give you a little homework. When you have a little free time, click on the link I have included in this entry and reflect once again on the challenging work that is being carried out by those who serve in the military. When you've finished, think of how you might offer a personal message of gratitude to someone who is serving, has served, or who is paying a price themselves by being the surviving family member of someone who has demonstrated "the last measure of devotion." It will be a tribute that is well-deserved and much appreciated. Also, from now on, whenever someone addresses you with the benedictory salutation, "Have a Nice Day", use it as a reminder to remember the needs of those who are serving and the life-changing sacrifices they make for us all. Now, go on! Have a nice day! Just promise to remember how much it costs.

Until next time...

Sam.