porchpondering.com

Gotta Grow

I've been reading a challenging book this week, Extraordinary Leaders in Extraordinary Times, edited by H. Stanley Wood (for some reason the picture doesn't appear when I add it to the column on the left and so I've added a picture here; you can read my short review on Amazon.com).

Stan was my original advisor at Columbia before he moved on to San Francisco Seminary last fall. The book is the by-product of Stan's research into the leadership characteristics of effective New Church Development pastors. As you can imagine, I am reading it with great interest. Stan clumps many traits into a catagory he calls "Catalytic Innovator." The cluster of traits include charismatic leader, tenacious perseverer, risk-taker, flexible adapter, and self-starter. While I don't lay claim to the whole of these traits, I have been learning in recent months what it means to be a tenacious perseverer. Stan writes, "Like workers in every field, these developers go though times of ease and times of difficulty; despite the times, though, they persist in growing and building the church. These are leaders who often grow and build in the darkness of uncharted territory. They must have enough agility and intelligence to keep the vision of where they are going, and they must continue to nuture a fledging organization regardless of whether the environment is favorable or adverse" (42-43). These are words of encouragement for me. If I'm nothing else, I'm going to be a tenacious perseverer. Perhaps a flexible and gracious tenacious perseverer but a perseverer none the less. Please keep me in your prayers even as I'm praying for the church.

Taking Pictures

One of the traditions we have as a family is taking a family picture on Easter. It started many years ago when Matthew was just a wee lad. I was serving Saint Peter's By-the-Sea in Huntington Beach. Through the years we've taken the picture in front of three different churches. Here's the most recent...taken by Rick Brotherton. It's actually a picture of someone taking our Easter picture.

Mexico in the Morning

We're heading out at 6 tomorrow morning to spend the day at Miracle Ranch in Tecate, Mexico. I'm eager to see how things are after the fire last Friday. I'm not exactly sure what we'll be able to do (we're bringing cleaning supplies, clothes, toys, a bike, and more) but I hope our presence will offer some reassurance to Cesar and Cheryl. We've got a total of 11 going on this venture. Let me know if you're interested in coming along on a future trip. Well, it's time for bed...long day ahead of us tomorrow. Peace, out.

Life in Suburbia

This is an interesting resource I came across this week. I wonder if this might be helpful to us in Ladera Ranch. Practice number three recommends friendship with the poor. Wow! That's what we're doing when we head down to Miracle Ranch on Saturday. As for the other practices, I find number six most intriguing. I haven't yet read the book but it's caught my attention.

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter celebration on Sunday, thanks to the hard work of many people behind the scenes. The music, the sight and fragrance of beautiful flowers, a tangible sense of God's presence and favor, good food to share, an egg hunt for kids, special banners, good friends, new neighbors, THE story of hope for the world...I loved it all. I'm looking forward to seeing some of Rick's pictures.

On a more serious note, I received word that a fire broke out at Miracle Ranch last Friday morning. Fortunately, there was no loss of life but the damage to the property looks severe. I'm trying to get in touch with Cesar to discuss our trip on Saturday. At the very least, I think our presence might be an encouragement to them. The fire was no where near the boys dorms but it started in the olive processing warehouse. Please keep Cesar and Cheryl in your prayers. I'll keep you posted.

Holy Saturday

Well, rain it did. Our Good Friday service was accented by periodic showers and several strong blasts of wind. Even so 46 people from Pathway and Village gathered to hear the story read from John 18-19. As I listened I was struck again by the determined love of Jesus. Other options were available to him and yet obedience to the Father outweighed them all.

And the rain continues to fall today. Typically this is a quiet day of rest in preparation for the Easter celebration. I'm doing my best to enjoy the rain and not worry about the implications for tomorrow's service. Will rain keep people away? What about the egg hunt after the service? I didn't really plan on wearing on Easter jacket but it might be necessary tomorrow. Oh well, I'm determined to do less worrying about the weather. Why worry about something you cannot change? Instead, I'm going to give thanks for the gift of life that is ours through Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ can make even a gloomy day shine bright.

Rain or Shine

Our observation of Good Friday includes a service of worship on the Town Green at 5 o'clock...only now it's raining like crazy. The rain might last but let's not let it dampen our determination to hear the story once again. You might think that the Lord would clear the skies and provide perfect weather for this weekend. I wish it worked that way but we've got to go with what we've got. Maybe dark clouds and water falling from the sky is an appropriate backdrop for the story tonight. Though the sun may shine on Easter, Good Friday is far more subdued.

I've had a few people contact me today asking, "What will we do if it rains?" If it rains, we'll get a little wet. It's really not all that terrible. We might not get the same turnout that clear skies could provide but, I'm going to be there rain or shine. What about you? For more information about the weekend happenings at Village Presbyterian Church, click here.

In the Womb, Again

When I graduated from Fuller, Joy gave me a gift that our family has enjoyed very much through the years. It's a single-person hammock. My in-laws had one like it and they used to call it "the womb." It's a strange name but when you sit inside it, you get an enveloped feeling (is that a true feeling?). Well, the womb was a popular household accessory when we lived in Huntington Beach and in Fullerton. One of my favorite pictures of the boys was taken in it (they look so young when I look at the picture now).

For some reason when we moved to Ladera Ranch, we never took the time to install it. Well, the wait is over and I now have yet another reason to spend time "porch pondering." With the weather getting warmer, you might see us hanging out on the porch more often.

If you want your own "womb," you can get it here from Amazon.com.

Times and Dates

Just a reminder that our Good Friday service will take place on the Town Green on Friday, April 14th at 5 p.m.

Easter Sunday will begin with muffins and coffee at 9:30, on Sunday, April 16th followed by a service of worship at 10 and treats for children following the service.

What's Up with Judas?

Yesterday the Los Angeles Times had a front page story about the "Gospel of Judas." It was a paper commercial for a program that runs on Sunday night on the National Geographic channel. I haven't seen the program (and we don't get that channel either) but the topic is one that might raise questions in the minds of thoughtful Christians. If you happen to be looking for a helpful resource on this topic, then let me recommend my friend and covenant brother, Mark Roberts. With a Harvard PhD. I really appreciate his ability to sort through the issues. You can find his reponse to the "Gospel of Judas" here.