Orders in Hand and a New Season on the Horizon

We received our orders today, and the dawn of our new season is on the horizon. Rising up out of the east will very soon be the base chapel at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Virginia and the souls of men and women in need of the Light of Christ. In a matter of days the packers will start marching in and out of our apartment and the cars will be readied to hit the Dallas interstates for the last time. More to follow . . .

What Will the Church Do with Social Media and the Millenials?

Commissioned into Navy, but Water is a Problem

I was commissioned April 26 with Reta holding the Bible as I took the oath of office. My commissioning documents were then uploaded into the Navy personnel system and received by the support folks in Millington, TN. Leaving the Navy recruiting office we were giddy with excitement for our new Navy career. Then it rained . . . in Millington, TN. It rained so much May 1 that the nearby levee broke and flooded the city and the Navy base.


It is now the second week that the Navy personnel folks have been cleaning up the damaged offices and computer infrastructure. Needless to say we are slightly less giddy. It feels a little like being in an airplane circling the runway waiting for clearance to land. As soon as we are cleared for landing and have orders in hand we will let everyone know. At least we can be glad that we have a dry place to wait, unlike our friends in Millington, TN.

Chaplain Selection and Going to Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA

Last Tuesday we learned we were selected by the C.A.R.E. Board for an Active Duty commission to the US Navy Chaplain Corps. This is an answer to many years of prayer and the beginning of a new season for our budding family.



We are "penciled" in for Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA, where I will be serving in a base chapel and ministering to the families and civilian worker community on the base. Reta and I are very excited about this assignment because we will be back in the Hampton Roads area (home of our last military assignment before departing for seminary and ministry) and there are dear friends and family near by. We consider this a tremendous blessing from our great God.

I will receive my commission Monday, April 26, and then we are waiting for orders and a report date. Everyone is asking when we are moving. All we can say is . . . soon. More to follow . . .

He's back. Now what?

I arrived home last Wednesday night after graduating from the Navy's Chaplain School. So, now what? Technically, I am still a Chaplain Candidate waiting to be selected for Active Duty. The good news is my packet is already submitted for the the April board. That means we should know by the end of the month if we will be transitioning into Active Duty or possibly trying again in October (the beginning of the next fiscal year). God knows. Shortly we will, too.

South Asia Mission update

$1,100 came in yesterday. With that we only lack another $1,100 for this mission. We are very excited about what we will be a part of in South Asia. We have an great method for the church planters to share the scriptures with their villages. We are also bringing resources for them to reach out to the children in practical ways.

We appreciate everyone's support of prayer and funds so far. Keep 'em both coming.

The Dissenting Minority in the Church

The dissenting minority can be a nasty little parasite that, when inhabiting the almost-heavenly host, causes all manner of ill effects. In one especially dark and ungodly experience there was a minority of people that disagreed with the pastor that was relatively new to the church. He had been there about a year, but had probably tried to change too much too fast. This disequilibrium proved to be the motivation the dissenting minority needed to find fault.

At the time of the dissension I was a young worship pastor brought on to help with a new, contemporary service. As my relationship with the senior pastor developed I became aware of the growing dissension. The dissenters started out with one-on-one conversations with the pastor. They would voice negativity about some aspect of the changes happening and challenging the pastor on decisions made. The pastor, in hind-sight, can tell you that the negative remarks were from a small number of people; but they were persistent. What did not help was possibly the lack of positive feedback or at least additional positive voices to combat the negative ones. I think I am correct in saying that no more than one or two spoke up against the nay-sayers apart from the pastor.

The dissension came to a head as it often does in Baptist churches. A business meeting was called and the dissenting minority went into action like an aggressive spreading cancer. The few turned into the many as they worked the phones and had long absent “members” show up to vote. I remember walking into the sanctuary sensing the presence of darkness. Noting the multitude of folded arms, and the cross looks on unrecognizable faces I had a feeling the situation was terminal.

I wonder what could have been done to change what happened. I know the pastor did not make wise decisions all across the board and could have done some things differently. I think of another pastor in another church who is so patient. He has seen tremendous change from many long-time members. The pastor who suffered a tragic demise at the hands of the dissenting minority could have done two steps differently. First: He could have been more patient and not pushed for so much change. That is a classic mistake. One pastor/mentor related to me that many times parishioners see pastors as little more than chaplains. Just like a chaplain at a hospital, their time with a pastor is brief since he will be gone in only a few years. Why commit to this guy and his vision if he will not be here long enough to live with the consequences? If the pastor had been patient and more intentional he could have had more buy-in.

Second: If the majority had been more vocal they could have countered the opposition. Now, I am not saying there should have been a loud confrontation at the business meeting. I am thinking about an Ephesians 4 style empowerment of sanctified, growing saints. If there were more who felt empowered and felt ownership they could have incrementally addressed the dissenters (e.g. Matthew 18:15-20) before the issue came to a head. The battle should not have been the pastor's. The majority should have seen the issue as an affront to Christ and spoken up long before the meeting.

-Jeremy

NETBible Tagger Added

I found the NETBible Tagger on Bible.org and added it to this blog. Now whenever a passage is cited here, such as Romans 5:8, the verse will automatically pop up in a box for your when you scroll your cursor over it. Very cool. Enjoy.

Navy Graduation and Fun

Waiting for graduation to begin. The four companies are standing off to the side waiting for the go ahead to enter on to the field. Jeremy was apart of the Zulu company and served as the drill leader which is why you will see him standing out in front.

Picture of Zulu company after entering the field and the beginning of the graduation.

Jeremy out in front and sword in hand. He makes that uniform look good. Way to go hon!

At this point the chaplain is beginning the ceremony with prayer.

If you look to the right of the picture Jeremy is leading in the Pass and Review. This is where they pass by the commander one last time for inspection prior to the official graduation.

Taking the Oath.


Janet and Jeremy after graduation.


Jonathan, Jeremy, and Traes. Jeremy was blessed by making some good friends at ODS.








A picture of Mystic, CT. New England is wonderful!


This pic was taken on the Morgan which is the last wooden whaling ship in the world. It is being restored at a shipyard in Mystic.


Jeremy on top of the stairs leading to the Morgan.


Jeremy snapped this shot with his phone while we were in Boston. Can you believe we forgot the camera in the car! The women behind me was our tour guide. She was great. Boston is an awesome city to visit. The cemetary pictured here contains the graves of John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere. There is some great history in Boston.

We took these pics in Bristol, RI. A quaint small town on the water.



Having some silly fun in Mystic, CT.


This picture was taken at the Wharf in Newport. We went down to this area to have dinner. We ate at the Black Pearl. They had really good seafood. Imagine that? :)

Jeremy on the Wharf before dinner. As you can see there were a lot of boats docked here.

Graduation was a lot of fun and so was the rest of our time in New England. This marks the conclusion in the first step to becoming a Navy Chaplain. Jeremy will graduate this May and finish his chaplain training next summer. We will know more in terms of timeline as the summer of 2010 approaches and progresses. Please pray for us as we embark on this journey.

Picking Berries

This morning we got an early jump on the day so we could drive out towards Terrell, Texas to pick blackberries on the Walls Family Farm (http://wallsfamilyfarm.com). Together with our friends, the Spanns, we had a good time stepping out of the big city and taking in an activity as old as humanity. As we drove through the farm of workers, crops, irrigation, patient anticipation and creatively playful children without electronic devices, it seems like another world; but we are glad people still inhabit it.

I find it fitting that our ripening little one poses in front of a berry bush full of ripening blackberries. If you look closely they are small and red, just like her!

Picking berries reminds me of the amazing providence of God. He can use such seemingly simple means (not that farming is simple) to make food for us. No warehouse, no store, no shelf-stocker or checkout cashier. Just the stuff of antiquity that still works today. Thank you, Father for food and family fun.