Lucky

The Conference

This week I have been at a conference in New Mexico! I know... I missed a cold week in MN. Lorri and I attended an Evangelical Free Church Pastoral conference called "Midwinter Theological Discussions". The topic was "an evaluation of the emerging/emergent church movement. Are you on the edge of your seats? I was.

It was a great conference... I hope to write more later. But the quick notes are: God is up to some wonderful things in the emerging church. Are there some dangers? Sure... but there is danger in any effort to reach people. I am encouraged by the tone of the Free Church towards the movement. I learned a ton... my brain is tired.

The other insight I had is that relative to the values of the emerging church crossWinds has much in common. Some key words: honesty, transparency, authenticity. These are values I think we hold in common. Anyway more to come... as my brain cools off.

Reflection Time

The other thing I wanted to say tonight at 11:30 PM from New Mexico is that I've had some time to reflect. That's what happens when we leave our normal patterned lives. Most pastors announce major life changes after time away from church... I have no such major announcement to make.

But I will tell you this... I realized again this week how blessed I am. I'm not one to use the word blessed often or casually. In fact I wanted to say I'm lucky... but blessed would be a more accurate term.

Why am I so lucky, I mean blessed? I feel blessed to be a part of this church - crossWinds. To be with you (cW). I realized again what an incredible church you are this past Sunday. The topic was forgiveness... and without much prelude or time for the spirit to massage hearts... I asked you (cW) to write down on some index cards we had provided a resentment or bitterness... an instance where forgiveness was a challenge for you today. I told you no names because I was going to read some of them during the message that morning.

I didn't know how this one would go. I was a little afraid we wouldn't get any cards. Or that we'd get a few but it would be low level trite stuff. We got back about 80 cards (of about 250 adult attending). And there was nothing trite or shallow written... it was real and painful. It made me so proud that we would tell the truth about the fact that even those of us who are following Christ struggle with forgiving.

I took the cards back to the office and left them for the staff to read and pray through. We don't know who wrote what... but our prayers are that God would bring healing and power to our lives... that the work on the cross done for our forgiveness would empower us to bring freedom from resentment to others.

It was a morning I will not forget... I am blessed to be so lucky... or lucky to be so blessed! I love this church and how God is at work within us.