Goin' Mercer…ramblings and rants!

Awesome Night

Renovation Prayers

I was stunned as I read the prayers the students had written on paper. And besides having to edit a few for grammatical reasons, they were awesome prayers. They then wrote them on the wall and then they prayed out loud over every one of the prayers. It was so cool! These junior high students are building a heart and vision for ministry to their peers. Who would have thought that renovating a room, would have turned them into ministers? I guess God did! It was a great night!

Graduate school has been calling my name and I have used selective listening. Now there is no drowning out its call with other duties. I must take the time to do my assignments and projects. There is much due on November 15, not to mention weekly things. I will overcome this small burden and receive a good grade.

The Red Sox won it in four. I can’t help but think it would have been different with the Astros as the competitor. However, the curse of the Bambino was released. I think we all know it wasn’t a curse, but rather a mental block, but anyway we won’t go there.

We have a fall retreat coming up a week from Saturday. We have 39 students and six adults. We are going with two other churches and should have a total of around 60-65. I am excited that my friend Jason Noble is coming to speak to our groups and that my other two friends Jeff Brooks and Sean Palmer are bringing their groups. I just need two more drivers to get us there and then I will be a happy man!

I will be off tomorrow and Saturday, Sundays are crazy and will be back Blogging on Monday.

-Michael

Renovation Prayer Night

Tonight is the night when we pray over our future room. Each student will write a prayer of how they want God to use this new room for ministry. After they have written their prayer on paper, I will give them a crayon. They are then to choose a spot on the wall to write their prayer. After writing their prayer on the wall, they will then go from one prayer to another individually praying those prayers out loud. After the room has been prayed over, we can then finally begin to build and develop their new room.

Prayer is a powerful element of the Christian discipline. We use prayer for many different reasons, but in its simplest form it is conversation with God. Many times portrayed through media, prayer is this distant mystical supernatural occasion between human and powerful being. While, I agree that prayer can be supernatural and involves humans, I believe it to be to the “One and Only Powerful Being, God” and that it is not distant, rather it is intimate and close. I believe that prayer is not so much an occasion, rather it is constant and informal. When we pray corporately prayer becomes more formal, because anything naturally does when you speak for others or lead others. However, it is still our longing and relationship with God through conversation that brings this God we know and understand in many different facets to be our God who is close, personal, and intimate.

The room tonight will have prayers written on the walls that soon will be covered with paint that make them sealed into the very being of that room. The prayers prayed tonight are intimate reflections of relationship between God and His children. The students will ask for blessing of their ministry and room, which in turn will bless someone else. The blessings will call others into God’s Kingdom beckoning them to create a relationship with Him. Those relationships will then in turn be an awe inspiring reflection of Jesus Christ. And Jesus will be seen as Savior and friend. The prayer is that this room will not merely be a building, but a blessing and inhabit Salvation, Ministry, and Grace.

-Michael

Homecoming Outcome

Well Leah and I traveled to Abilene and back from Thursday to Saturday. Leah saw many of her friends and two of which just had baby boys. However, I saw one close friend and only two old classmates. It was my reunion year, but I guess five is such a small deal that no one shows up. We are still all out of money and can’t give to the gift anyway. I wasn’t able to go to the dinner because it was on Saturday evening and we needed to get home. I am pretty sure though, that I would have sat at the “class of 99″ table by myself. It wasn’t a total loss though. Leah and I needed the drive time. We got to talk without any interruptions the entire time. Even on the way up as we tried to listen to the Astros’ final game on the radio we talked. It is amazing how you can be married to someone and never get a chance to talk with them. The trip was a blessing. And the one friend that I was able to see was worth the trip. He was my best man and is my best friend. The times have changed at ACU and the faces are not the same. Instead of seeing friends I saw my youth group members who have graduated and gone on to college. The gray hair on the side of my head tells a story. The title is “No Going Back: You will be Old.” I don’t mind though, I am closer today to my God, than I was yesterday! Praise His wonderful name. Plus there are many people who read this blog that are way older than me! Yikes!!!

-Michael

Spouses In Ministry

What is Their Role?

This question has been the source of much conversation within ministry circles in my past five years. I will lay out the disclaimer at the beginning that all marriages and ministries are different and unique. With that said I have my opinion on this subject.

I believe that spouses, in my case wife, play an extremely significant role in the life of your ministry. Some play more of a role than others. There has been an unwritten expectation over many years of a minister’s spouse. The expectation is that you get two workers for the price of one. There seems to be more pressure put upon youth ministers in this regard more than any other minister. There is an expectation that they don’t have their own career. There has been the expectation that the spouse of a minister must make their career or life choices based on that minister’s career. Most of these expectations are mere myths and fortunately are not held by my leadership at my church. My leadership made it clear that when I was getting married (I had already been hired as single) that my wife was not hired by the church and was not expected to be a second (free) youth minister. She should be able to decide her function within our ministry. That took care of myth #1 and our decisions as a married couple would address the next two. Leah is a teacher so her having her own career was and still is important to her and me. Also, we have not had many conversations about myth #3 because we are both happy where we are at in our careers and our church. However, I don’t believe that it is mandatory for Leah to follow my career choices her whole life. She must have some say in it as well and if she were one day to have the opportunity to be a principal in another town, I would consider supporting her career.

This may seem to be a random topic to write about on a Monday. However, Leah and I traveled to Abilene this past weekend for Homecoming at ACU. In our travel back, somehow we got on the conversation of spouses of ministers. I have seen too many ministers that were friends expect too much from their spouse in ministry. They did not support her career (maybe they did verbally, but not in action), they became frustrated when expectation were not met, and even marriages have been dissolved or ministries dissolved because of unmet expectations.

I believe as ministers, since our work is for a church and the “Big Guy” that we find that our job or career becomes more important than that of others. If you see that ministry can only be done at church, then your viewpoint will be skewed this way. However, Leah’s career at school sometimes creates more ministry opportunities than mine. She is surrounded by lost and broken people. I am surrounded by “church” people. Her career is just as important as mine. We are both ministers, one at a church and one at a school.

I also believe that as ministers if we are expecting our spouse to support our ministry through attending events, sponsoring, driving, counseling, and mentorship, then we need to recipricate to their career. I need to go to Leah’s school and volunteer each week, sponsor a field trip, help paint a pumpkin (that’s today). If I expect my spouse to support through care, listening, affection, and prayer, then I need to recipricate by listening to her day, showing care and affection and praying for her career.

NOTE TO SINGLE MINISTERS: If you are pursuing a relationship and intend to be married, please have an honest conversation with your loved one regarding expectations on both sides. This will save your marriage, your ministry, and many grief filled evenings. You are not a failure in your ministry if your spouse does not attend your events and become the “second youth minister”. You are only a failure when you put your ministry before your marriage.

Random topic I know! We began to talk about a mutual friend on the way home that we know is struggling with some of these issues. We pray, encourage, and minister to them. I hope this helps at least one couple in ministry or single minister.

What expectations do you share?

What expectations do you differ on?

-Michael

Spectators of Emotion

Two nights ago Leah and I watched the Astros take on the Cardinals. This is not typical at our house, sports. Leah hardly ever watches sports. I try to be nice and accommodating and don’t watch that much either. If the truth were told I never was that much of a sports fanatic. However, Monday was different. I pretty much watched the entire game, but only the last two innings with Leah. As Leah and I watched from bed, Kent hit the three run homer in the bottom of the ninth to win the game. Leah and I had somehow went from lying down to on our knees at the foot of the bed jumping up and down screaming.

Last week I was engaged in a situation where I watched one of my members at church go through a grueling ordeal. You could see the stress and literally his life is on the line. It wasn’t a game, but a courtroom. As I sat there I felt like a spectator for a big game. I was rooting and emotionally attached, but couldn’t do anything to help him win. However, unlike a ballgame I could pray. Sometimes showing up and being present is all a member needs, so that they know you care and God is on their side.

Who are you rooting for in your church? Who’s rooting for you?

-Michael

The Faith of Job

Last Night’s Bible Study Topic

Every first and third Monday evenings, Leah and I are hosting a high school Bible study at our house. The first two meetings we talked about the study and prayed. However, last night we actually began. We are studying a book by Andy Stanley “The Seven Checkpoints.” We talked about God’s Authenticity under the heading of Circumstantial Faith.

Job was the book we studied. We all found this story to be extremely hope giving, yet a feel that it is unrealistic. We weren’t doubting scripture, just observing the difficulty in our American Culture brains of seeing a man who could have unconditional faith.

In our church there are many people who are going through some major trials of life. Like Job they have continued in the faith. However, unlike Job’s friends we need not question their integrity and throw blame, rather we need to be the people of faith for them when their faith seems depleted. It was a discussion with my wife that really brought this subject to life for me. When we are involved in a church, a family of God, we should carry the faith for others when their circumstances have destroyed their faith.

That’s what a church does, they share in the sufferings and the blessings of all involved and they share faith as well. Look throughout your church and see who it is that needs your faith, because they are exhausted, broken, or distraught. Be Jesus to them by coming alongside and having faith for them. Don’t try to encourage them to have greater faith (you will never understand their circumstance and never be able to spur on what you don’t know about fully), simply express your love for them and keep your faith high and strong during their life situation.

-Michael

Homecoming

This weekend Leah and I are attending Abilene Christian University (ACU) Homecoming. I have been out five years and this is my first ever reunion. However, because of my job and the need to be back on Sunday, I will not be able to attend the Saturday evening reunion dinner. I am not all that sad, because most of my friends will not be able to attend either and those that can I will see during the time I am there. It is hard to believe that I have been out of school for five years and then also find myself in school again for my masters. It is also hard to believe that I have been here in Clear Lake for five years. Much has happened and one of my assignments for myself is to reflect back and write about the last five years and see what the ministry has accomplished.

It is so easy for us to forget the past or sometimes worse just keep nostalgic memories. It will be a struggle to not completely sugar coat the past five years. Not that they were bad, but without the struggles there wouldn’t be learning, perseverance, growing, and faith.

I look forward to the weekend and seeing some familiar faces. I will not only see classmates from five years ago and more, but also I will see the faces of students that I have been in ministry with since that time. The faces of students who have grown in Christ and are now attending at ACU. I will not only be reminded of my 3 and 1/2 years at ACU, but also what those years have afforded me with in the lives of students from Southwest Central, Robinson St., Highland, Clear Lake, and the other random churches where students have crossed my paths through devotionals, camps, and retreats.

It will be a great weekend to get away with my wife and have twelve hours on the road to ourselves. We need that time to reconnect, talk, laugh, and act goofy together. Pray for our travel. We leave Thursday. I will not be blogging from Friday to Monday.

-Michael

Junior High Renovation

Tonight we discuss in our junior high class the need for budget request and giving. Have you ever tried to pinpoint biblically the idea of the budget request? It’s not there! Not one author of the Bible wrote on how you should write a budget request to the church treasurer. The only thing I can find biblically is that you ask God through prayer and faith. In our study we will look at chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corinthians. These two chapters deal with giving, but there is only one statement in the two chapters that actually could be taken as Paul actually asking for money or telling them to give.

The idea I want to get across to my students is not how important asking for money is, but that the Grace of God allows us to have what we have and give what we give. The class will learn about giving and then create a budget request to the youth team for some budget money to go towards their room. Then they will be given a pledge card for them to fill out prayerfully and decide how much they will personally give.

My hope is that we discover not just a need for giving to our room project, but giving in total within our Christian Walk.

Since you are avid readers of my blog and have somewhat traveled with us on this renovation journey I wanted to give you an opportunity to help. If you feel compelled to help out these teens who are learning about giving by contributing to their room, email me using the link below or to the side and let me know. Please pray for them that they will receive a good show of money so that they can remain excited. Pray that they are truly learning through this experience. Thank you for reading

-Michael

A Week Has Went By

A week has went by since I last put in a blog. I was gone from Friday until yesterday at a youth ministry conference. I want to tell you about it, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. My computer at home is way too slow.

-Michael

Rough Storm

Last night a tornado blew through our neighborhood. Fortunately, we and our belongings were spared. Leah and I were in the truck coming back from getting food. When we left to get the food it wasn’t even raining. However, by the time we left with our take out the storm had come. First rain, then hail, then wind, then a greater intensity of all three. There was a point when we were in the turning lane to our neighborhood but couldn’t turn in because we couldn’t see in front of us. I was worried we may get hit by another car. The truck was being rocked and moved by the force of the wind and the hail was rattling against my truck. All of the sudden a street sign was blown over and it was now time to decide to move. The truck in front of us turned as well as us. We made it home only to find that our electricity was off and would be for four hours. We managed only to get wet and no known damage to our house or vehicles. However, the neighborhood around us lost fences, trees, and even a trampoline. It was a massive storm and I was reminded of the power of God.

I recently preached a sermon on the storm in the sea where Jesus commanded the sea to stop and be quiet. As I was driving and the hail, rain, and wind was unloading on us I yelled, “Peace! Be Still!” As you could probably guess, the storm did not listen. God has some amazing power, yet allows us to enter his “promised land.” Nothing we have done has merited this gift, just because he loves us. There are some other storms that I would like to quiet: A friend’s inability to conceive child, an innocent man’s trial, a flustered single mom, and a boy’s inability to cope with life after his mom died four years ago are just a few examples. But the Lord brings about Strength within our weakness and one day our suffering will be dismissed and our joy complete. Praise to the Lord who has power over all things!

-Michael