Open Mike

I Stand By the Door: An Apologia For My Life

This week is our church's 17th birthday.  Last week I ran across the manila folder that holds my handwritten agendas and content of our six months of Sunday evening 'Core Group' meetings leading up to the launch of Lake Forest Church in October of 1998.  We met in a back room of the bowling alley at Exit 25 in Huntersville.

It reminded me of several things.  In the folder are mimeographed worship song sheets with chords on top, because I led us in singing with my little guitar.  My how far we've come!

I was also reminded that I conducted the entire first meeting of our 42 pioneers with my zipper down. No one knew me well enough to point it out.  This assured that I began in humility as a leader.

My favorite re-discovery in this file is a poem I read to the group at our first or second meeting.  "I Stand By the Door" is a poem I ran across in college that came to describe my understanding of my life calling - not the calling for everyone, but a bit of the uniqueness of my own passions, gifts, and relational leanings in ministry.  I read the poem to the group and we discussed being an entire church for the Lake Norman community that lives out its message. 

This poem represents my ongoing highest aspirations in my ministry today, and for our church. Join me in seeking to live as a door-keeper.

I Stand By the Door

By Sam Shoemaker "An Apologia For My Life"
I stand by the door.
I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.
For the old life, they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.

"I had rather be a door-keeper..."
So I stand by the door.

Don't Be Fooled By The Fun: Parents of Teenagers

One of the things I'm most thankful for in our church over the past year is the renaissance that's happened in Re:Mix, our youth ministry.  Which means I'm uber thankful for Mike Hall, who has taken point, and Cammie Howard who ably oversees all of Family Ministry.

If you attend LFC-Huntersville, you've noticed the fun pictures and activities they've been doing (like that running in a bubble thing) as we've made announcements in worship.  But don't be fooled by the fun. I wanted you to see a brief snapshot of the serious vision for discipling and mentoring teens to follow Jesus that's behind the madness and the growth in numbers.

Below is Mike Hall's outline for his vision talk with the LFC-H volunteer youth group leaders last Saturday in a mini leadership retreat. It makes me fired up to know the teens and their families at LFC are being shepherded with such solid biblical underpinnings.  Even while, yes, having crazy amounts of fun. 

My life changed when my parents strongly led me to begin attending youth group back in the day.  I formed a friendship with one of the adult leaders who taught me how to follow Jesus. 

If you have a teen, consider how you might lead them into an environment at church, or a Christian club at school, where they can potentially connect and grow under a Christian mentor.  Its worth stepping up your level of intentionality and assertiveness with them, as their primary spiritual shepherd, and doing what I encourage parents of teens to do this time of year:

"Hey bud/budette - this fall you will be growing intellectually at school, you'll be growing in your sport/hobby.  Dude, God says that spiritual growth really matters and in fact brings the rest of life into focus and power.  I want to make a deal with you.  Let's agree that you will attend Re:Mix (youth group) for the first month of Sunday nights.  And let's think of a friend to invite with you.  At the end of that month, we will sit down and discuss if its helping you grow spiritually, and if its good to continue.  And hey, if you make all four Sunday nights, I will give you ____ (a week off from chores/certificate for Froyo/etc.). Deal?" (find out details for LFC ReMix at Lake Forest Youth Ministry

That's my suggestion to you parents of teenagers - the younger they are, the more important it is right now. Here is Mike Hall's vision talk outline:

        Vision casting: 15-16  Bring them to the fountain.

Give someone a cup of water, you quench their thirst for a ______.

Show someone where the fountain is and quench their thirst for a _____________.

The top five changes youth desire for their youth group were: time for deep conversation, missions trips, service projects, accountability and one-on-one time with leaders.

How many MS and HS kids in our area?

13,000 and growing.   366 at LFCH

How we will accomplish our mission:

 

 

Gospel fluency

Understand and can articulate their OWN story with Jesus

Grasp of the IMPLICATIONS of the gospel

Desire to LIVE out the gospel

A growing ATTITUDE of grace.

 

Spirit dependency

John 14:26

 

Biblical community

With a group of peers

With the church as a whole

God is a common topic of conversation

 

We are not COACHING kids, but rather DISCIPLING them.

What’s the difference?

 

Give someone a cup of water, you quench their thirst for a ______.

Show someone where the fountain is and quench their thirst for a _____________.

 

However, show someone how to show someone where the fountain is…that’s when you change the world.

(here's the devotional book Mike Hall wrote for ReMix this spring - killer content to help teens develop good habits of meeting with God personally)

 

LFC Prayer Trail & My Big 'EPC Moderator' Decision

Friends, would you please pray for me today?  This week I'm in Orlando for our denomination's annual national gathering.  I will be accepting and beginning a leadership position, Moderator, for the next couple of years in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.  The role of 'Moderator' is essentially moderating, or leading, the elder board of the EPC.  I'm humbled, honored and energized by this.  

It was not an easy decision to say 'yes' to.  I thought you might like to see a letter I wrote to our elders and staff last February, after I had sought their counsel whether or not this was the right time to make this committment. It expresses the final way I decided, and my hopes for the EPC the next few years (by the way LFC, its a volunteer deal, so you're still stuck with me as full-time pastor, tripping out most Sundays on the Bible in our worship services).

Hey LFC Elders and Staff and a few other people (if reading this by email click to see pictures)

Today’s snow day coincided with my DAWG Day (stands for Day Alone With God for our staff).  The theme for today: now that I’ve received counsel from so many wise folks, decide: Am I called to be Moderator-elect of EPC? Do I want that role?

This morning Angie and I talked and assimilated the themes that I heard from so many of your helpful thoughts and questions.  Then we prayed together. 

Then I took my dawg Copper and my favorite pipe for a long snow walk.  We decided to pray the Lake Forest Prayer Trail’s ‘Journey With Christ on Good Friday.’ Here we are identifying with Christ, taking up our small cross at the trailhead.

We enjoyed the presence of God informed by the Word of God along the trail, which had already been prayed once before today by a holy bunny.

 

We paused for some time at the heart of the prayer garden, snow falling like the Spirit. What a gift to have my discernment-oriented prayers shaped by this careful selection of God’s Word and crafted thoughtful prayer responses.

 

And then we finished, led by the sign to pray a prayer of thankfulness, renunciation, and laying down our life for our friends. (Thank you Jeff Hathcock and the Motley Crue community group for the prayer trail!) As we gazed at the church Copper and I love so much.

 

 That’s when I Done Did Decide.  I accept the calling to be Moderator-elect from the EPC.  And I want to do it.

 1. I hope to serve the EPC to accelerate its transition from transfer growth into a church planting movement.

 2. I pray I can serve the EPC by contributing to culture change that increasingly values missional creativity and experimentation,  especially by giving permission to young leaders.

 3. While keeping my eye on the ball of Lake Forest Church vision forward and staff health.

 4. While living a personally healthy life with much play, recreation, and time with Angie, Dmo and Amo.

 

I have journaled practices and goals that I think will support these four priorities (based upon many of your helpful suggestions).

 

Thank you for ‘doing life together’ with me in Christ.  Especially for praying with and for me.

Your fan in Him,

Rev. Dr. Mike Moses

Lead Pastor, Lake Forest Church

www.lakeforest.org

www.openmikeblog.com

 

Let Young Eagles Fly

A leadership speaker we've had at Lake Forest the past couple of years has a drum he beats constantly with other church leaders - find the young eagles and let them fly.

When Larry Osborne says this, it's a way of following the example and teaching of the Apostle Paul, who exhorts Pastor Timothy this way:

2 Timothy 2:2        And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will also be qualified to teach others.

This teaching is for every leader at every level of vocational and volunteer ministry.  During our early years as a church (we're now 16 years old), Mitch and I and our elders loved giving permission to younger spiritual leaders to emerge, flap their wings, and learn to fly.  This happened most markedly with Davidson students who worshipped with us and had an inkling God might be calling them to lots of ministry the rest of their lives. I just had lunch with a 10-years-ago-Davidson-grad-LFC-dude who is now planting a church with his wife in Florida.

A few years ago, as our church continued to be graced with serving more people, I conducted a personal study of consistent elements of the leadership of some of the most notable Early Church Fathers (in the 300's and 400's, leaders like St. John Chrysostom and St. Martin of Tours). What I discovered was they were all known for personal holiness, involved service to the poor, anointed biblical preaching, and the raising up of younger pastors and priests.

Now that we are maturing as 'One Church, following Jesus in three Lake Norman communities,' we are constructing what we hope will be powerful, sustained pathways for 'young eagles' to learn and experience spiritual leadership under seasoned mentors. We will continue to do this relationally and organically throughout our ministries (the best spiritual leadership development role at LFC has been when people lead a mission trip for the first time). But we are stepping up formal pathways of training as well: College Interns (summer), Ministry Fellows (college grads for two years), and EPC Church Planting Residents (post- seminary). 

Monday night I hosted this crew, our summer college interns, on my back porch for dinner and conversation over Henri Nouwen's book about healthy spirituality for ministers, "In the Name of Jesus."

Our smiling interns are (from left to right) Alexandra (children's ministry in Huntersville), Alex (pastoral ministry), Ashley (youth ministry Huntersville and Davidson), Cesar (youth ministry at Westlake), and Landry (worship ministry in Davidson). 

We also have two Ministry Fellows who just started (one in Missio Dei, the other at LFC-Davidson in worship and youth ministry), and an EPC Church Planting Resident (particularly assigned to LFC-WestLake) who will start in the fall (we have room for one more Resident, and also are looking for an LFC family who feels called to host our Resident to live in their home for one year).

There are a lot of things I'm jazzed about in our church family (like baptisms and new Ministry Partners and God-stories last Sunday - I was out of my mind for joy).  But this LFC School of Ministry is exciting to me - just because its energizing to be around eager young eagles testing their wings, and because this is an important building block of being a long term Kingdom-building church that's not just built for our generation, but for every generation.

In your own ministry - leading a community group, mission team, men's or women's group, elder, deacon, elementary school small group, or a whole church - how about being prayerful today about applying God's Word in this way:

2 Timothy 2:2        And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will also be qualified to teach others.

Graduation Prayer Because We Love God's Word

When's the last time you went to a graduation ceremony?  It's that time of year, so maybe recently.  Well, at this one I was on the platform, so during the entire roll call there was no ability to 'let me check facebook' or 'what's a restaurant to google near here for when this is over'.  On the platform, you gotta have your graduation game face on the whole time, no matter how many hours it takes.  I think I did okay.

I had the honor of delivering the Invocation (opening prayer) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Charlotte graduation last Saturday morning.  I am on the board there, and I teach Church Planting there as well. Many of our staff and pastors (me, Mitch, Joe, Andy M) and key leaders (Amy G, Sam and Velda, Cheryl S, Courtenay, others) have or are taking classes there. Our association with the seminary is driven by one of our core passions(values) at Lake Forest Church:

To love like Jesus - With Grace and Truth. Loving and learning God's Word individually and with others.

We have a high value for our pastors and preachers to be able to study the Bible in its original languages, and for leaders at LFC to always be growing in their knowledge of the Bible and ability to teach it.  Partnering with the seminary for pastoral education (earning degrees) and training of lay leaders (through Bible Journey classes and more) is an important way for us to live out this core passion 'at the deep end of the pool.'

Here is the text of my opening prayer for graduation last Saturday (though I may have gone off script):

We say Good Morning to you, Heavenly Father.  We begin this magnificent day in the lives of these graduates, we begin this day of new milestones in the life of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and this new day for all God’s creation, by simply adoring you, most Holy One.  We adore you, the good God, the Triune Ruler of the Universe, we adore you, who speaks with a still small voice to the lowly and humble of heart. Speak to us.

We are attentive to you, LORD, in this moment.  This entire assembly, all of our words, and all that led up to this day, are for your glory, to your praise.  Simply because that is your due. We sit here, we sing, we speak, we listen, we pray, STUDENTS will dance across this platform and leave as GRADUATES – we do ALL of this, LORD, in your direction today, for your pleasure.

We thank you for your Son, Jesus, and even as we adore you, we also ask you something – would your sanctifying Holy Spirit even use this ceremony to conform us more fully to the image of Jesus the Christ.

Spirit, fix the eyes of our hearts on Him, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him.  Spirit make us more like Jesus.  We want to graduate for joy today – the joy of the reconciliation that is available for every woman, man and child with the Good and Holy God who loves them, through the saving works and person of Jesus.  May we celebrate graduation for the joy that you honor us by giving us each a role to play in the effecting of so great a salvation for people in our time, in our town, through our participation in gospel ministry, in the formal ministry roles for which we’ve been prepared, and in our personal lives, standing out in the cul de sac, or over nachos watching a game.

And finally Lord, we praise you for the endurance, in the image of Jesus, that these graduates have shown in order to be better prepared to serve your people and proclaim your Word. Thank you that they have endured for the sake of this joy of participating in your mission of love to the world. Thank you for the endurance of the families here – the spouses who’ve shared financial sacrifice to get to today, the mothers and fathers who’ve cheered their adult children toward this finish line, the friends and colleagues who have encouraged these graduates to persevere through the unique suffering they have endured, that few will ever understand, many for years. Thank you for the endurance for the sake of joy of all in this room,  to arrive at THIS day, THIS moment, that is a finish line of preparation and a starting line to run with perseverance the race of ministry you have set before them, better equipped by the instruction, the mentoring, the life-imprint of this great faculty and administration who give their lives to serve this purpose. We thank  you for them also.

WE’ve all done our part for joy, Lord, and today, we graduate these men and women for the joy set before us, of one more person at a time abiding in your love through trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It’s in his name we pray, Amen.