Reformation Day 2007

History was made today.
In some ways, history began today.
Some of us will never forget today.

While fully expecting to post a message about our 490 years of Protestant heritage since Brother Martin Luther posted those historic "95 Theses" on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on this date in 1517, I must defer to a more timely and ultimately more important event which occurred this very day.

It seems that another was even MORE fully expecting!
In Salisbury, North Carolina, at precisely 10:45 am Eastern Time, within the comfortable confines of the Rowan Regional Medical Center, a marvelous arrival was heralded as LYDIA MARIE VRIESEMA was welcomed into the arms and lives of her delighted, humbled, and pretty much exhausted parents, Katherine and Chad. These three along with the staff in the birthing suite pulled an "all-niter" as the labor progressed for almost twelve hours. All are doing well. Amen.

The Numbers.
First child of Katherine & Chad Vriesema.
Weight: 8 pounds.
Length: 20 inches.
Future: eternal.

That's a pretty grand miracle to be wrapped in so diminutive a package! She is a series of miracles, really. Every child is. Your parents thought the same of you all those years ago. At least, I hope they did, because they would have been right.

Before Lydia moved into her third hour of brighter light, louder sounds, and breathing air I was afforded the memorable privilege of holding this perfect angel in my arms. Thank you, Katherine and Chad, I shall never forget the honor or the awe I experienced when you placed the mother of your grandchildren into my ready hands today. Okay, that may seem like I am rushing things a good bit.

Nevertheless, Lydia is tangible evidence that our Creator God is exceedingly loving towards His people, as He has entrusted the care and nurture of this precious little one primarily to Katherine and Chad, yet additionally to her extended family, and her extended faith family as well. We are ready. We are eager. We are able to assist loving and shaping her in the years ahead because Christ has placed within us the desire and granted the permission to love her in His name.

I could not help myself from singing a phrase or two of "Jesus Loves YOU" as she peacefully looked up at me. If memory serves, I also said something like this to Katherine, "Perfect! Beautiful! And so is your daughter!"

Prior to holding her, with the proud Papa and maternal Grandmother along side, I watched through the Newborn Nursery glass as Lydia passed all her neonatal tests with flying colors, and donned her very first piece of clothing, a fairly sporty and casual tiny tee shirt, followed quickly by a hand-knitted pink cap made especially for her. Not surprisingly, both were perfect fits.

Okay, StillWaters, let's allow the Vriesema family to establish their own "normal" routine before we inundate them with our presence and our presents. They all need their rest right now, and for the foreseeable future. Each of us wants to be, and will offer to be available to help in various ways, no doubt, so let's be sensitive to their needs, wants and desires now. Sandy, Katherine's mother, is here from Durham until next Tuesday, so let's coordinate with her on things such as meals and helps of all kinds, including visits simply to see the baby.

Nearly five hundred years ago today the spiritual world was influenced for change by an event which would reverberate throughout human history forever onward. Today in Salisbury, North Carolina the lives of the Vriesema family members were forever changed for the better, too. A covenant child birthed on Reformation Day -- how memorably wonderful. And, while the Reformation teachings will fade away when time and space are concluded on this old earth, Lydia will continue in her eternal spirit in paradise for all eternity! (Told you this was a more ultimately important event.) What an honor to pronounce the first benediction over her, knowing that our Lord will continue the choruses of blessing and joy over her for eternity. His song is already resounding through the halls of heaven over Lydia. (Zephaniah 3:17)

Welcome Baby Lydia.
Well done Katherine (and Chad, too).
We worship You, oh God, for this marvelous gift.

History was made today.
History began today for the "Three Vriesemas." We will never forget.
God's best to you, dear ones. . . is that the sound of baahing from a new sheep I hear?

Oh Rats! A Thought for Many Days

“…Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way, the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light. Apparently the rats of resentment and vindictiveness are always there in the cellar of my soul. Now that cellar is out of reach of my conscious will. I can, to some extent control my acts: I have no direct control over my temperament (emotions). And if what we are matters even more than what we do—then it follows that the change which I most need to undergo is a change that my own direct, voluntary efforts cannot bring about. And that applies to my good actions too…I cannot, by direct moral effort, give myself new motives. After the first few steps of the Christian life we realize that everything which needs to be done in our souls can be done only by God…and in reality, it is God who does everything. We, at most, allow it to be done to us.” C S Lewis, Mere Christianity.

Good Ingredients, Good Flavor

There must be someone out there that actually eats Fruit Cake. The Claxton family is banking on it. I do not eat fruit cake. Never did, never will. (Why do those colorful little morsels embedded in the batter taste so skanky? Really, is that fruit? Was it grown near a nuclear test site?) But I digress.

The recipes I most appreciate are those which combine the foods and flavors I enjoy. Therefore, it stands to reason that the most important element of the process for creating dishes that tantalize the taste buds is selecting the proper ingredients. Fresh, ripe, natural and organic are modifiers which I like to see on my produce, grains, meats and such. Although the procedures for combining the various ingredients for each recipe will vary, there tend to be tried-and-true methods for assuring a satisfying outcome for both the palate and the ego, and the special touch which often makes or breaks the final product is the experience of the baker, chef or cook.

Church planting -- or "church" in general, for that matter -- seems to require that a diverse list of ingredients to be brought into proximity under just the right conditions, for the proper amount of time, and with exactly the correct amount of light and heat -- let simmer.

Wrong.

Church planting is entirely the responsibility and exercise of the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Despite the common tendency to suspect that human beings are tasked with the job of gathering the right people with the right gifts and blending them all together in just the right place often enough, it is foolishness to imagine that the outcome could ever be a pleasing aroma in the nostrils of our Lord. He builds His Church. He selects the ingredients. He places them together under all the right circumstances. He, alone, is Creator of the outcome.

Our Part.

We are some of the ingredients our Lord selects and employs to create the special flavor and after-taste He desires to be introduced into and linger in the community around us. How "tasty" are we as a congregation? What flavor do we put on the crowded faith-plate of Salisbury and its environs? What is the after-taste which most commonly remains following our interaction with our neighbors?

Is our presence in the community around us characterized by:

Freshness? Do we speak, act, and invest ourselves in ways that are understood by the culture around us today? Are we observed to involve ourselves in activities which do not require the Cleaver family's approval? (have we moved beyond 1950s American Christianity?)

Ripeness? Do we appear to be knowledgeable and also mature in our understanding of the truth which we profess? Are we perceived as folks who have a message worth considering? Do others sense that we are at a place in our own personal and corporate growth that is enviable?

Organics? Do we rely for impact upon our relationships with people we already know and are situated near, or do we only seem to be interested in people "out there?" Is our approach to multiplying the Gospel's reach reliant upon a seminar, or common ground?

Naturalness? Do we make impressions on our neighbors as folks who have integrated Truth from God into our daily lives (including conflict resolution, forgiveness, confession, rejoicing, dealing with adversity, celebrating, and etc), or does our message about spiritual things seem detached from the rest of our "real" lives?

You tell me.
How am I doing in your estimation... how an I as a leader among the folks at StillWaters living my life in your eyes? How are you doing in your own eyes? Let's talk. I mean it, let's get together and talk about our influence and how we might improve the ways in which we project our beliefs to the community at large. We can do it in a group setting, we can do it one-on-one, we can do it soon or later. But, let's do it. Talk to me.

And, if it were up to me and my grocery choices, future generations of the Claxton family will be on welfare. "Ain't buyin' it!" (However, I HAVE heard of some novel applications for uneaten fruitcake . . . the mind boggles!)

Give thanks even when you are truly unhappy and the world will wonder how and why you can.

Tell the same message to everyone and the world will believe that you sincerely mean what you say.

Help those who cannot help you in return and the world will think that you are generous and kind.

Do all the above and God will smile for His own reasons. So will you as you lay your head on your pillow daily.

Shalom,
Cameron
Unashamed

A Message From The Word (and the Administrator)

"I am going fishing."

Quote Of The Day

But what is repentance? Is it grief and sorrow for our sins? That is part but only part and not even the most important aspect. It is not just remorse but a transformation, a reorienting of our lives toward God. It is a state of being in which we find ourselves in a great light. It is not a dark place. We may think all this emphasis on repentance is dark and oppressive, where is the joy of the Christian life? The answer is in repentance! We can only truly repent when we have come into the light of God's presence and we see ourselves as we are.

Repentance is the daughter of hope and denial of despair. The ultimate sin is to despair of God's mercy. To live a life of repentance is a life of great faith, we must believe that God loves us and desires to extend His mercy to us and we must believe that He has the power and is willing to change us and make us holy. Many experience great anguish over their sins but are unable to forgive themselves. They have not repented; they have not come to the revelation that love is more powerful than their own failings. They are still too self absorbed and without faith in God's power and mercy. Their eyes are on themselves and not on God. They have not been converted...

To repent is to look, not downward at my own shortcomings, but upward at God's love; not backward with self-reproach, but forward with trustfulness. It is to see, not what I have failed to be but what by the grace of Christ I can yet become.


- Rev. Patrick Cardine

Quote Of The Day

I ought to pray before seeing any one. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o'clock before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system. It is unscriptural. Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: "Early will I seek thee; Thou shalt early hear my voice.''

Family prayer loses much of its power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek from me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed. Then when in secret prayer the soul is often out of tune, I feel it is far better to begin with God -- to see his face first, to get my soul near him before it is near another.

— Robert Murray McCheyne 19th century Scottish pastor

The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever!

Here is a great link to a video about a Muslim Imam who had a "road to Damascus" experience and gave his life to the Lord!

Muhammed's Story

How exciting to know that God didn't and doesn't limit His exploits to the ones we have read about in the Bible! He truly is the same yesterday today and forever! We don't follow a dead religion or a guidebook of dos and don'ts. We serve the Living God who created all things! Can we believe Him to do exploits through US?

Bella

A movie is coming out Friday that is at least partially about saving the hundreds of thousands of children aborted each year.

The movie's title is Bella and, unfortunately, it is only opening in select cities around the country. I think the closest ones to us are Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville, Washington, and Baltimore. You can check out the official web site HERE.

I first heard about the movie HERE. The article is very interesting. Here is an excerpt:

…while Academy Award recognition would be nice, it’s not the primary motivator for Eduardo, Sevorino and Monteverde. These “three amigos” as they’ve been labeled know all too well that so much of what is coming out from Hollywood is “poison”—and they wanted to start a company whose films have an uncompromising positive message. For Eduardo, “Bella” marks a very abrupt change of course. He has been described in a number of outlets as the “Brad Pitt of Latin America.” Yet he became disillusioned and dissatisfied as his career led him down the path of the Latin lover. After a renewal of his Catholic faith, he now says, “I knew I was not born to be a movie star…. I was born to know and to love and to serve Jesus Christ, and that’s my goal.”

Through “Bella” the three amigos have set out to do something different, something decidedly non-toxic. “We’re excited and we’re just so passionate about this film because for us it’s [not] just another film, it’s a mission about using the media and film to elevate the dignity of the human person. [I wanted to do a film] that I can invite my grandmother and mother to and I don’t have to cover their eyes in any scene.” Through their film company, Metanoia Films, their mission is to serve others; they want the audience to leave the theatre “with a candle in their heart … with hope.” Partnering with the three amigos behind “Bella” are financier Sean Wolfington and Executive Producer Steve McEveety from The Passion of the Christ.

The part of the article that is the most compelling to me is this testimony by Eduardo.

Prior to filming, in an effort to understand what the character Nina was going through, Eduardo made a visit to an abortion clinic. “I wanted to build my character and do some research and investigation.”

“I went there thinking that it was going to be something very simple and easy … stop the first lady and ask her a few questions, do my notes.” He was not expecting the emotional experience of what followed. “I was in shock when I saw all these 16- and 17-year-old girls going in and I didn’t know what to do. I forgot about the film and then I saw a few people outside trying to convince [a young girl] not to do it.
“I approached that group … introduced myself and I told them, ‘I am here to help,’ so they thought I was one of them. Next thing you know one of the young ladies from the group tells me: ‘Eduardo this couple, they don’t speak English, we don’t speak Spanish, can you talk to them?’ I said ‘yes.’”

He was quickly recognized from his work on soap operas in Mexico—the telenovelas—and they started a conversation that quickly became a friendship. “We ended up talking for 45 minutes about everything: life, food, Mexico, dreams—and I gave her a little teddy bear and a little stroller and I showed her a little video called ‘Dura Realidad’ in Spanish and it shows what abortion really is. She cried and she left and she cancelled the appointment.”

After they finished filling their cast, Eduardo and team moved on to New York for the shooting for the film. Then, “I came back to Los Angeles, and a few months later I received a call from the man who was with [the pregnant girl] that day and he tells me, ‘Eduardo, I have great news for you. My boy, my baby was born yesterday. I want to ask you permission because I want to call him Eduardo.’

“It changed my life…. I didn’t plan to do that. I was only doing my investigation as an actor. I never thought that, by the grace of God, I was going to be used as an instrument to save this baby to be Eduardito…. It was just amazing, to the point that I thought: Even if ‘Bella’ never comes out and nobody sees it I rejoice in the Lord for Eduardito’s life.”

That's what it is all about. Please be praying that it will be heavily viewed in the communities where it is playing. If you can please go see this film. Opening weekend is critical in determining the fate of a movie like this. If the box office is pretty good the first weekend it will receive an expanded showing. I am so pleased that there are people out there making movies like this.

Quote Of The Day

If we believe the Lord is sovereign, as I firmly do, then perhaps hardships are meant to expose His acceptance. If we never face rejection, then we never truly know what we have in His acceptance. I know of His love and acceptance and it is sweet. Once you let Him in those areas of hurt and rejection, man's approval is dull and not worth the pursuit.

- Deborah @ Thoughts Along The Way

Quote of The Day

Jesus realized that without the refreshing of His Father’s presence and the providence of His Father's words, He would quickly lose His effectiveness.

Have you learned this lesson yet – the lesson that your time with God is the very foundation of success in your life? If you haven’t, the lack of what you could be having is already affecting you more than you even realize.

Until you are experiencing the benefits of seeking God on a regular basis, you won’t even know what you have been missing. If this is where you find yourself today, remember it is never too late to start seeking the God who has always been waiting for you to pursue Him.

It is also crucial for you to realize that devotional consistency will not come without a fight.

Luke tells us when the people found Jesus in prayer, they tried to keep Him from leaving them (Luke 4:22). Like Jesus, you will find that the needs of the people you love the most will pull you away from your time with God, if you do not guard that time arduously.

For some of you, the ringing of the telephone and the busyness of your schedule will become your greatest enemies. Others of you will have to battle to detach your emotions from the stressful pace of life you are forced to endure.

Remember, your time with God is priceless. No matter how early you have to get up in the morning, or how radically you have to adjust your schedule, every precious moment you spend with God translates into hours of strength and faith for your life.

-Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

How Badly Do We Want It?

Our church is in a state of transition. For months we have been busy putting in foundations - building relationships with each other, bringing key players onboard, learning what it takes to make things run, getting people in the right positions, and developing a church personality. It is pretty safe to say that our foundations have been laid in and are pretty solid. Now begins the work of becoming significant in the life of our community.

The big problem with significance is that it involves actually getting outside of our little safe havens and our comfort zones into the real world of our community. To be significant, we have to be willing to get up next to people and develop enough relationship with them to earn their trust. That is both scary and messy. It is scary because we have to be willing to put down our masks and "stand naked on the battlefield" so to speak. We have to be real about our shortcomings and our trials and risk the judgment of our neighbors. We have to be willing to let our lives be interrupted by the needs of others.

It is messy because as we are able to be vulnerable in front of our neighbors they will find it easier to be vulnerable with us. It is in that vulnerablility that true ministry begins to happen. As their masks come off we discover that their lives are as messy or messier than ours. We discover brokenness, and loss, and need right in our own neighboorhood.

I am reminded of a testimony shared by Scott several months ago about his time in China. He talked about how one of his evenings was interrupted by a neighbor who had gotten drunk and locked himself out of his apartment. Scott was able to help the neighbor out and as a result a lasting dialogue has been continued between the two of them - a dialogue that has allowed Scott to effectively share the gospel with this man.

The October 20 post at Our Daily Blog really seemed appropriate to our situation. here is an excerpt:

...as much as Jesus desired to minister to His own people, He was compelled by His Father to bring the Gospel to these others (the Gedarenes) who were hurting and broken.

No matter where you are today, God will call you to go to the "other side." Just as He led His own disciples, Jesus will bring you into the lives of needy, wounded people.

No matter how different they are from you, or how much you abhor their lifestyle, they are part of the reason Jesus put you in this world. If you are unwilling to follow Jesus into these darkened places, you will miss the joy of the harvest He has intended for your life.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

So the question that we really have to ask ourselves is, "How badly do we want it?" How badly do we want to be an agent of change to Salisbury, NC? Are we willing to overcome our fear, our inconvenience, our insecurity and our prejudices and offer our lives as a sacrifice to God to be part of His solution to the hurting people in our community? I pray to God that we will.

God please give us the grace that we will need to overcome ourselves and go wherever You send us. Fill us with belief in who You have told us that You are. Cause our hearts to abound in love for You. And cause our lives to overflow with that love to our neighbors - even the unpleasant ones. Forgive us for our fear and unbelief and self-righteousness. Cause us to be pleasing to You. Amen.

A Must Read

You really have to go and check out the new blog of a very dear friend of mine. It is called Thoughts Along The Way. You can click HERE to go directly there. I promise you will be blessed by what she has to say!

Quote of The Day

People all around us are dry and parched -- craving to be "rained" on by His presence. The Lord blesses us with daily opportunities to join Him in "raining on people" the truth of His existence. He so deeply wants us to pass on the joy, peace, love, etc. we find only in Him to those people who don't even have a clue what it is that they are missing!

-Deborah @ Thoughts Along The Way

A Message From The Skipper

Dear Friends

"Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity." Joel 2:13 NIV

The God of grace is the God of your reality.
The Lord of glory is the Lord of your heart and spirit.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is your strength and help.

That is why He is so approachable, even though He is holy and sovereign. It is His desire that each of us have our heart's desire to delight in Him. It is my heart's desire to be a leader among many who do exactly that... daily.

This Sunday morning and evening should prove to be important in our corporate life as a congregation after God's own heart.

I will make my plea here: please join the gatherings on Sunday as they may well set the course for our immediate and longer range future as an extended family of faith. It is important to me, and I hope you will join me and Carol, and the rest on Sunday.

Worship gathering at KidSports 10:30 am,
"What Happened to THEM?"

Oasis Diner at Kirker home 5:30 pm,
"Christmas in October" - Carol is roasting Turkey and you may bring all the trimmin's! Rick and I will present some of the opportunities relating to parties in the months to come.

God's best to you, now and always,
Cameron
Romans 1:16,17

I Know What He Meant

Some years ago a thoughtful friend and colleague peeled back a portion of his soul's veneer to provide me a fuller, more insightful glimpse into what made him tick -- and delight. The revelation came in the form of a pithy comment almost off-handedly embedded in a dialog we had engaged concerning our shared vocation of "Church Planter."

I will not soon forget the whimsical ease with which John delivered his gift of self to me that day, as in a mere moment he provided the easel, canvas and hues to produce in my mind's eye the vivid picture which summarized his humor and expectations, as well as our profession. With casual aplomb Rev. John Montgomery (Lake Mary, Florida) invited me into his inner world when he simply stated, "Sometimes I like to go down to the airport and just sit in my parked car at the end of a runway. It thrills me no end that something is getting off the ground with absolutely no effort on my part."

This Blog represents a marvelous means of intimate communion with one another, and it has "gotten off the ground" with absolutely no effort on my part. Hallelujah!

Church Planters, you see, come outfitted with a closet full of hats that must adeptly be worn and interchanged with regularity. On one hand, we are tasked with various duties and challenges which can be wonderfully fulfilling and novel, it is true. Yet, at the same time the sheer volume of (often) quite diverse activities and demands on our ministerial plate seem laughable and mutually exclusive to the point of ridicule.

Dealing with people can be "messy" as you already know, since you are one. It can also be gratifying to the point of tears. Either way, and at any given moment, it is consuming of time, energy, and emotions. Nevertheless, I did volunteer. Twice.

I would do it again.

All that to say that this Blog represents a "take-off" for which I was unnecessary. Excellent! And, as I stare towards the cyber skies into which this vessel has launched successfully, I settle into my virtual 1960's vintage muscle car and smile with amused and relieved delight.

Thank you, Cephas, and all those who contributed to erecting this forum for hearts and souls to connect. May it be said in the days to come that many folks of the Salisbury Piedmont community of North Carolina -- and, perhaps, kindred spirits in the Siberian tundra; Tibetan highlands of Asia; tropical climes of sub-Saharan Africa; glacial antiquity of Antarctica; watery expanse of Oceania; vast interior of the Amazon Rain Forest; verdant forests of Western Europe, and all the concrete jungles here on our home planet -- are blessed and served by this powerful blogging tool called "Conspiracy of Kindness." Fly high and far, C of K!

Dreams, hopes, passions, fears, failings, prayers, questions, answers, real life -- all are welcome here. Stay tuned and you will become more acquainted with my own. Warning: mining the depths of the human soul can be scary. Enter into this communion with caution -- and with confidence that the Maker, and re-Maker of that soul is God.

I wish I had said what John said.
I guess I just did.
I know what he meant.

God's best to you, now and always.
Cameron, (a.k.a. SouthernViking.)

Corporately Speaking...

I doubt that anyone reading this message would argue that corporate prayer is critical to the life and success of any church. It was with this conviction that the Tuesday night Power Hour was begun. However, after nearly two months of Power Hour meetings, it has become evident to me that it just isn’t feasible for everyone to be able to take another night from their week to gather in prayer. At first this concerned me, but I couldn’t see a way around it. However, I have begun to witness something in the past several days that I believe is God’s solution to our dilemma.

The answer is for us to take time in each of our small group meetings to pray. By praying in these meetings, we will see a number of things happen. First of all we will begin to see the barriers that we have erected between ourselves fall. Corporate prayer begets community and relationship. As we draw nearer to God we are also drawn nearer to each other. Secondly, we will begin to minister to each other more effectively. We will all begin to do the work of the ministry. (It’s not just Cameron’s job!) Finally we will begin to see God move in our lives and in the life of our church in very tangible ways!

There is one problem that we will still have to overcome. How can we all pray corporately when we are all meeting at different times and in different places? I believe that the answer to this challenge can be found in the Stillwaters’ Prayer Points. Much like the talking points that political parties use to keep their spokesmen promoting the same message, using the Prayer Points will help us to keep on the same page (no pun intended) as we pray individually and corporately. This list will be included in the bulletin every week and will also be posted to the church blog weekly at http://conspiracyofkindness.blogspot.com.

Pastor Cameron has also rolled out the new prayer initiative called 7 at 7, calling each of us to pray for Stillwaters for 7 minutes at 7:00.

Here is this week’s list:

Stillwaters’ Prayer Points

1.) Praise God for who He is. Praise Him for His mighty works.

2.) Thank God for what He has done for us.

3.) Pray for individual needs. (We won’t list them here. As you develop relationship with your brothers and sisters in the church you should be learning about needs that they have. Pray for the folks and the needs that you know about.)

4.) Pray for the needs of the church:

- RAIN!!!!
- Church finances.
- Wisdom and clear direction in this transition period.
- A greater hunger to know God (through prayer, through the Word, through service.)
- Greater love for each other and greater love for our neighbors.
- Unity.
- Stillwaters Jazz Band (Pray for opportunities to play, pray that we will mesh as a band, and pray that our opportunities to play will produce opportunities to minister to others.)
- Greater freedom in worship
- Pray that the church will be led by the Spirit and not influenced by dead religion.

5.) Pray for lost and unchurched family members, friends, and neighbors. (Once again, you know them so you pray for them!)

6.) Pray for Sunday’s service:

- Pray that God will direct the leaders to include the things that He wants included in the service.
- Pray for God to empower the music team, those who speak or pray, and Pastor Cameron so that God’s message to the church is accurately and powerfully delivered on Sunday.
- Pray that God’s presence be felt in our meeting place.
- Pray that the hearts of those who attend will be prepared to receive the message of the Lord.
- Pray that God will be pleased with the worship that we have to offer Him.
- Pray that God will help us to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

From The Gatekeeper...

Cephas here, I hope you are doing well today. As things are getting up and running here on Conspiracy Of Kindness, I decided that it would be a pretty good idea to cover the bases with everyone about what we are trying to accomplish.

Blogging is a fairly new phenomenon, and for those who have never been around it before, it may seem a bit foreign. Perhaps you are wondering what the word "blog" means. Well, "blog" is sort of a contraction. It derived from the words "web log" which were eventually contracted into just "blog." A blog is really an interactive web site. Around the ones where there is a lot of audience participation (by way of comments) a real community tends to spring up. How much easier it should be to develop this community when many of the people reading are already in community at our church!

Blogs have a tendency to take on a personality of sorts. Some blogs are humorous, some can be quite acerbic, and some can be downright contentious! As the gatekeeper or editor of this blog it is my job to determine the personality of the blog and to maintain that personality by editing comments and posts and by soliciting and writing posts that will contribute to that personality.

My intention is for this blog to radiate kindness - just like the title suggests. I intend for it to be a forum where the members of our church can come to share the things that God has been teaching them through their time in the Word, their time in prayer, their times of fellowship with each other, and their time in the laboratory of life. It is a place where we can report on and chronicle our efforts to reach out to Rowan County and where we can come for encouragement and information and perspective. The whole point is edification.

To this end here are some rules that will govern all posts and comments on this blog:

1.) This is not a forum for arguing. Debate is OK - to a point. There is a fine line between arguing and debating, and I will determine that line. Just remember that any dialogue in this forum must be done in love, "seasoned as with salt," as the Bible would say it.

2.) 99.999% of the time all correction of individuals should be done offline (i.e. not on the blog). In cases of debate it would be allowable to show scriptural evidence (up to 2 or 3 examples) that support your perspective. But remember, this isn't a contest. Correction should be rare and it MUST BE DONE GENTLY IN LOVE.

3.) This isn't a forum for pointing out the errors (or perceived errors) in other ministries, pastors, teachers, evangelists, Christian literature, brothers or sisters. We're not in the stone-throwing business.

4.) It is OK to be transparent here, but remember that this is a public blog. Most of the people reading it will be from our church, but there may very well be people from all over the world reading. If you don't want anyone (or everyone) to know about it then don't publish it here.

5.) This isn't a place for us to try to fix each other. Don't write a preachy post (or comment) about someone who is bugging you. This blog is about unity, friendship, and kindness. The biblical model if you have a problem with someone is to first go to them one on one and discuss it. If you can't get a resolution you take someone else with you. If that doesn't resolve it, then the church gets involved. It shouldn't be played out here in the blog for the world to see.

6.) I think that it is reasonable to have a policy of no profanity and no bedroom talk here. I really probably didn't need to say it, but better safe than sorry.

7.) This is ABSOLUTELY NOT a forum for gossip.

8.) This forum should not be used to speak of any ruling authority (or even a candidate) in a derogatory fashion. Information can be shared about stances that candidates have taken or policies that a leader is pursuing, but no rhetoric here. This isn't a place for Democrat versus Republican or right versus left debate.

9.) This is not a forum for church business.

10.) This is not a forum to criticize.

I'm sure that these are rules that we can all live with, and I am sure that you understand why I have put each of them in place. If I find a comment or a post that violates these rules, I will either delete it or edit it. I am confident that I won't have any problem.

I want you to each use and enjoy the blog. So far the posts have been very edifying, and I expect that to continue. For those of you who haven't blogged before, the real fun and the real community comes when you begin to comment on the posts and comment on each others' comments. It's a lot of fun! I think that you will find it a great venue for ministering to each other, getting a deeper understanding of each other, and perhaps even being challenged in your walk with the Lord. If you contribute posts it is a great way to share what God is teaching you and a great way to express yourself.

If you are interested in posting either ask Jonathan at church, call him, or send him an email. If you have any questions about how it all works, you can do the same too. He'll be glad to help.

Happy blogging!

You'll Have To Wait

Bad news, y'all. The inaugural concert of the Stillwaters Jazz Band has been postponed. Catawba's homecoming football game has pretty well rendered October 20 as a bad day for the Vriesemas to have their party. We'll be in touch as new plans are made.

One Of Those Days...

I hate to lose. I mean I REALLY HATE to lose. You might not know it from my mild mannered alter ego but it is very true. In fact, deep down, I'm so competitive that I don't much like the fellow I become when I lose. Over the years I have developed ways to cope with this dark little me. Most of them have involved locking competitive me away in a dark dungeon and not giving him an opportunity to come out and do his thing.

It is a poor solution, really, because I have allowed myself to shut away one of my most masculine traits merely because it is dangerous. If you subscribe to John Eldredge's view of masculinity, you know that that is a cardinal sin. But I digress. See, this post isn't about how I have managed this aspect of my life so much as it is about the warfare that we find ourselves in constantly and more particularly about the warfare in which I found myself yesterday.

One of the neat things about being a Christian is the foregone certainty that we are on a winning team. While this is true, it is also very true that our sanctification doesn't occur overnight. The reality is that we struggle against our flesh for the remainder of our days. Until we die we will contend against its desires. Our enemy does his part too to make sure that we trip often.

As a young Christian I had great success in the battle against the flesh initially. Quite a few of my more fleshly habits dropped to the wayside very easily. However, there came a time in my life (and from my observation the lives of all Christians) where the Lord allowed the enemy to start fighting back. This generally comes as a shock to new believers, and the real hard work of sanctification is begun.

Over the years you become more accustomed to the fight. Indeed, you can even get in the habit of winning these skirmishes with the enemy. Then God takes you to a new place where the demons that you are battling have entrenched themselves deep in the areas of your personality that are so close to your perception of who you are that it feels like the guns of heaven, the blasts of the enemy, and even your own weapons are turned upon you. The very things that we are fighting are the attitudes and mechanisms that we have used to protect ourselves from the wounds that we have received throughout our lives. They were adopted as means of the flesh to survive the awful attack of the enemy who sought to destroy us even before we came to know Jesus our Savior. The difficulty of this part of the fight is that the habits are so deeply ingrained that we often do them without even realizing that we are doing them.

Such is the battle that I have been fighting. Recently, the Lord began to show me that the very root of all of the sinful manifestations that I have been resisting for all of my Christian life are bound up in one thing: FEAR. He has begun to show me through the Scriptures that if we truly know Him and truly understand the relationship that He wants to have with us then we need fear nothing. When we have acknowledged Him as Lord and are submitted to His will for our lives then we have nothing to fear in all of creation.

I pretty well have this down in my mind. I understand the theology behind it. I assent to the logic of it. I believe it is right. And yet I discovered yesterday that there is a big difference between knowledge and true belief. Knowing your enemy does not guarantee victory over him.

Yesterday I had to deal with a financial matter that I was aware of. I knew that I needed to work on it, but wasn't afraid of it. I wasn't afraid, that is, until I sat down to start working on it. It was then that the enemy hit me with everything that he had, and I found myself resorting to all of my old tricks. In short, I totally blew it, even though I knew what was going on, and even though I knew to fight, I found myself totally overwhelmed.

I hate losing. And by God's grace, in the next battle it will be the enemy licking his wounds, not me.

Quote Of The Day

In order to prepare Israel for the gospel that Jesus would preach, John (the baptist) was chosen to break up their hardened spiritual soil through both his austere lifestyle and his cutting message. John experienced amazing results, but this is not always the case.

Some of you are not only in a hard place, you are having a hard time too. No matter how much you pray or how hard you preach, no one responds. You invite people to your Bible study or to church, and they don’t show up. Everything in you wants to quit. Let me tell you right now that this is no time to give up....

No matter how hard your task may seem, God is at work to change the very place you are laboring. It may take five months or five years, but that is not the issue.

If you are faithful to fulfill the task God has given you, sooner or later, your harvest will come.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

Coming Soon To A Neighborhood Near You...

Stillwaters' first Christmas party of the season has been scheduled for December 2 at the Kirkers' in Windmill Ridge. As details become available and needs are made known we'll be reporting on it here.

The rest of the church was challenged to schedule their very own Neighborhood Christmas party. Different families will host the events in their homes and other church members will supply food, help in making preparations, help in staffing, and help cleaning up. Cool, huh?

Initial sign ups were this morning, but I haven't seen the list yet. As we have information about additional parties, you'll be able to find the details here.

Please be praying for each party and for each host. Please pray that the parties will be well attended and that there will be opportunities to share God's love and grace with our neighbors. Most importantly pray for our neighbors. We want to make it hard for our neighbors to go to hell. As we show them God's love in practical and fun ways we'll do just that.

It's going to be a great holiday season!

(A shameless plug for the Stillwaters' Jazz Band: if you need the SJB for your holiday entertaining, please let Justin know! Book now ahead of the Christmas rush!)

MORE (10/8/07)

The Carangelo family has entered the fray! Their neighborhood party will be on December 15th. Mark your calendars! More details as they become available.

First Concert October 20?

It looks like the Stillwaters Jazz Band will be having their first public (well, semi public) concert at the Vriesema's on October 20. The date is still soft, but start praying for it anyway! More information to be posted as we have it.

Want to know more about the Stillwaters Jazz Band and its mission? Read Justin's excellent post about it HERE.

Quote Of The Day (Thanks, Luke)

"The true relation in prayer is not when God hears what is prayed for, but when the person praying continues to pray until he is the one who hears, who hears what God wills."
- Soren Kierkgaard

ex-Pirate speaks out (on 1 Peter 4:7)

The great preacher and teacher of preachers Haddon Robinson once said:

"Don't Just Do Something, Sit There!" ... spending time with God
is more important than getting many things done or doing all
things well.

In 1 Peter 4:7, Pete begins by refocusing the Church on the nearness of Christ and His coming judgment. "The end of all things is near, therefore be self controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers."

Like a fountain that overflows, it all is from, to, for, in and through Christ for God's glory. Peter admonishes the church, not so she will pray, or begin to pray, or set times of prayer, but so that her prayers (which are to be already ongoing and evident in God's redeemed people) will be effective and pleasing to God. The redeemed are no longer Pirates in the shipwreck of the world but are now new mates rescued into a new ship and freely given the treasures of God in Christ. His chest, the Church, is to full of sparkling jewels and a jewel must be clean for it to reflect light and shine brightest. If the jewel of prayer is not brightly displayed by God in His people, then we must ask ourselves this question: "Is Christ and His light present among us?" Now, we may deny and we may justify, but if the honest answer is the negative, then God has already begun to turn the rudder of His ship to the only place we can and should turn, that is, to Christ in repentance for seeking our own personal agendas, rather than His and His alone. (We need to synchronize our PDA’s to His rather than His to ours.)

Notice below that God’s desire for us to be “in-sync” with Him is not a new one.

"if my people,
who are called by my name,
will humble themselves
and pray
and seek my face
and turn from their wicked ways,
then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin
and will heal their land."
(2 Chronicles 7:14)

Notice God's promise if verse 14 really happens by His Spirit.

"Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers
offered in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:15)

Only through Christ can we be in a reconciled relation ship with God. Only through Christ will God hear our prayer, and only through His life being manifested in His Church can His jewel of prayer for others be displayed for God's glory. If we have gone astray, we're working on the wrong house. Jesus said: "My house will be a house of prayer." If prayer is done in our own strength, then it is done in the flesh apart from God, and therefore God's own household falls in denial of His supreme grace. But, the promise is that we can do all things for God's glory through Christ, and apart from Him we can do nothing that glorifies God.

Let us together then, seek the Lord Jesus in confession and repentance for pursuing our agendas that we might come together in earnest reconciled love of God. With that same attitude we can follow the Savior whose agenda took Him all the way from heaven to His neighbors on planet earth for God's glory. (...all we have to do is go across the street.)

Will we die to ourselves that Christ might live in and through us? That's the decision and choice we must make every moment of every day. As for me and my house, today, I will serve the Lord by being available to Christ for His plan, His purposes, and all this alone according to the map of His word alone.

(Note: If we follow His map, we'll get there... that's God's promise. - Num 23:19)

Amen?

rc

PRAY - (P)ray (R)elentlessly for (A)ll (Y)our neighbors.

"I urge, then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone... This is good, and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1,3,4

Global Cooling . . it's a comin'

"Christians are to be in the world like ice-cubes that never melt - always a means of grace that transforms the world in which we live. In Christ, we break away from the security of our ideas, programs, and traditions like an iceberg breaking away from the frozen caps. We are sent by being caught up in the current of Christ's life. In His current we are free to ebb, flow, and go where He goes. As we float along together, propelled by the wind of the Spirit, Christ touches others through us for God's glory. With contact, everything He touches changes, and contrary to the ways of the world, even some frozen hearts are melted and others made harder. (There is no middle ground) The change is either towards or further away from the Savior and whether the change is temporal or eternal, there must be contact. " rc

"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father,
he will testify about me. And you also must testify,
for you have been with me from the beginning."
John 15:26-27

Quote Of The Day

"Like the inhabitants of Bethlehem,..." (during the time of Jesus' birth)"many times we fail to recognize the hand of God on the people who pass through our churches and ministries. Whether it is because of their age, background, gender, or ethnicity, we miss the fact that the purposes of God are growing inside their hearts. When this happens, they do not receive the priority their calling requires, and we lose the blessing of participating in a divine moment."

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog