Hiking Trip

I took my three oldest children on a hike in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and it was awesome. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done ----- but truly a meaningful experience all around. It is nice to have bathrooms and tables ----- but it was awesome to be out in the woods for 5 days.This is the last day of our journey. We had just ascended 1800 feet in 3 miles.We had an opportunity to see wild elk. They ended up coming about 100 yards from us.We spent a lot of time near creeks. We got to play in the creek.This is the day we left on our 24 mile journey. It just a few hours we were wet and I was told a tropical depression came through. We did end up getting soaked on the next day. The sun did come out and all of us started to really enjoy our time out in the woods. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who likes to hike. It was tremendous.

Jars of Clay

Jars of Clay is one of my favorite bands. And with this video I can continue to see why. Good friends of ours, Pol & Michelle Buckingham, helped make this video.

Coffee House Event at Tricia's Espresso

Join us at Tricia's Espresso for a Coffee House Event featuring live local musicians. This is being sponsored by the Outreach/Missions Committee at Warren's Grove. Tricia's Espresso is at 43 Abbitt St. in uptown Roxboro. This is a great event to invite friends and neighbors, and those who are turned off by the church. This will be a safe place to hang-out and enjoy a good latte, iced coffee, cappuccino, or espresso. All are invited!

Jeremiah 8.18 - 9.1

This coming Sunday I will be preaching from Jeremiah 8.18 - 9.1. One verse that sticks out to me at first glance is 9.1, where the prophet says: "O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!" I wish that we all were like this ----- where we have cried and wept for the people of our communities. And we have done that for so long that we have run out of tears. Oh, if we were to have broken hearts ---- like God's broken heart over the indifference, the devastation, the murders, the losses, the grief, the hypocrisy........ Here the prophet is grieving over the situation and place the people are in ----- specifically the "slain poor people". What would the church look like if there were people that wept day and night?

A Monk's Meal

Last night we had a Monk's Meal at home. It was a tomato based soup with carrots, celery and lentils. This was served with dried toast. This was part of my children's education for the day. They learned that Monks in a certain area of Britain do not consume any thing from four legged animals. So they could not have butter on the bread. Also, you are to eat in silence while listening to the holy scriptures being read. So we popped in a tape of Revelation chapter 17 and ate in silence ----- which was a huge accomplishment for an 8 year old, 6 year old, 4 year old, and a 1 year old. Yes, even the one year old was silent for the entire meal. Monasticism ----- what will be next in our wonderful world of homeschooling?

What I have been reading

Now that I have not been in school I have been reading some interesting books. One in particular that I have been with for a long time ------ is a book by a man named Nicholas Lash. It is called Easter In Ordinary: Reflections on Human Experience and the Knowledge of God. One fascinating quote that he has that has caused me to want to finish this very thick book is: "I am almost inclined to say that philosophers have no expertise except disciplined attentiveness and somewhat suspicious curiosity. They may be industrious but theirs is a service industry. They conquer no new territories and fashion no new products. All that philosophers (and, I would argues, theologians) have to work on is other people's conversations." What do you all think he means by "disciplined attentiveness" and "suspicious curiosity"?

What does Jesus mean by hate?

In Luke 14.26 Jesus says: "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple." I thought Fred Craddock had an insightful comment on hate. Craddock says: "To hate is a Semitic expression meaning to turn away from, to detach oneself from." He said that at the time Jesus is saying hate it does not mean the same thing that we would mean by hate. We would think of hate as to loathe someone or something ----- here Jesus is saying that we are to make our priorities line up with our love and trust of God. This is a verse that has caused a great deal of angst ---- but in light of this view we are to make sure we do not put family / friends / self, before God.

Luke 14.25-33

This coming Sunday we will be focusing on Luke 14.25-33. This is oftentimes called "The Cost of Discipleship". One thing that has really stuck out to me are these phrases: in verse 28 it says "sit down and estimate the cost", and verse 31 says "sit down first and consider". There is something to be said about sitting, estimating, and considering. Are we taking the time to reflect in our daily lives? Are we actually looking at the grand perspective and asking what God would have us do? Or are we just doing things by impulse, and never considering to be intentional with using the time that God has given us? I think that these verses could easily be called "Counting the Cost of Discipleship". How do you count the cost?

Personality Festival

Today at the Personality Festival the Warren's Grove Praise Band and the DunHuffTon's will be performing at the Main Street Pavilion Stage. I hope you all can come on out and support the bands. They have been working really hard at practicing and preparing for this opportunity to share the love of Jesus through song. They perform at 10:30am till 11:30am. See you then.

Luke 14.1-14

As I have been studying this passage it is one that I see all the time. Especially when I go and visit my grandmother. Jesus tells a parable about how you shouldn't go and take the best seat at a wedding feast ---- and that is because the host might come and make you move. When I go and see my grandmother she would never want to take a good seat. In her mind she would rather just sit on the floor and let everyone else have a comfortable seat. Is this what Jesus is saying to us? That we need to make sure we are uncomfortable all the time and let everyone else live a comfortable life. If that is all that he is saying ---- then I don't know why he was killed for saying those kind of things. Instead, I think that Jesus has something to say with humility and who we sit down and fellowship with. Are we always trying to rub shoulders with the big muckity-mucks? Or do we fellowship with the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind? (see verse 13) My grandmother is an awesome woman ---- but I would love it if she would just take the good seat ----- because she deserves ----- not because she wants it ---- but because of what God has done in her life.

Sunday, August 15th @ 6pm

This last Sunday was a powerful time to discuss what death is ----- and how death does not have the final say. Colin Knapp truly did a terrific job leading that difficult discussion. This coming Sunday, August 15th @ 6pm we will be diving into a theme called: Christianity in the World. One particular question sticks out to me as I prepare for Sunday ----- the question is: "How can the church assist every parishioner in discerning and answering the call God has for them?" In order to live as Christians in the world we must recognize that we are all called by God to live out our faith in real and tangible ways. I am looking forward to the discussion that will follow. See you then.

Sunday, August 8th @ 6pm

I wanted to give you a little information ahead of time about our next WikiWorship event. It is going to be on Sunday, August 8th at 6pm at Warren's Grove. Associate Minister Colin Knapp will be leading the discussion. It will be about Death, Dying, Suffering, and Hope. This is bound to be an intriguing subject and I encourage you to come on out. Andrew Hungate will be cooking and he is making a taco bar that night. Also there will be children activities as well. Look forward to seeing you then.