Great day at Crossroads Sunday! Part Three in our continuing series 'GOD LOVES U2'. This week it was 'In The Name Of Love'. Here's some quick (and not so quick) takes from the weekend:
- Really strong attendance numbers. Crowd really showed up despite the gloomy weather. Lots of first-time attenders!
- Giving is staying strong! People continue to put their money where their faith is. Really encouraging!
- Several people made decisions today to re-dedicate their lives to Christ! That's what matters.
- Worship music in the main sanc. was great today. From a standpoint of sound quality, I don't think it's ever been better. Ditto for the tech on my mic, which despite my best efforts, I always seem to make it pop and crack and whistle and hum several times each service. Didn't happen today. Cool!
- Someone stop Ordway from working out on the stripper pole in the lobby. He's going to hurt himself if he's not careful.
- I LOVE going to Crossroads! I loved the lobby today, full of energy!
- The kids meeting for their own lobby time in the Filling Station is GREAT! We miss them during worship, but they have their own worship service now and everyone back there is really bringin' it. Great job!
- We dealt with a topic today that was tough. Intolerance. At times I felt like a dentist poking around exposed nerves. (Didn't really know when I might get a laugh, or a groan, or a knee to the midsection).
- Used the term "homo" in a sentence...Oops. If you missed it, it was spoken in the character of a hard-core, radical, right-wing, conservative, republican, Christian (emphasis on radical). A staff Roadie overhead someone behind them say, "I'm ready to leave, I don't like him". I don't blame them, I don't take the platform with the intention of offending anyone. I probably shouldn't have used the word "homo". But honestly, if that's all they got out of today's message...they probably won't like it at Crossroads. I hope they give us another chance.
- Just to set the record straight for anyone who misunderstood me (and that's MY fault, not yours), today's message wasn't about me not liking gay people ('cause THAT ain't true - I LOVE them and one of the big drivers for me in ministry is to find a way to minister the love of Christ to the gay community), it was about intolerant Christians who judge others for their perceived unrighteousness - while forgetting that fact that we are ALL unrighteous without Christ (Romans 2 - good read). It's epidemic in the church, and something we have ALWAYS talked openly about since we opened our doors. At Crossroads, it doesn't matter who you are, or what you've been through, or what you did five years ago, five months ago, five days ago, or five minutes before you walk through the front door. Our door is open for you, and so are our hearts. And that's the whole ever-lovin' point.
- I could have toned-down my message this morning and it would have been more palatable. Again, I'm not into making people mad or uncomfortable. There's plenty of other places you can go to church and feel that way. Crossroads should never be one of them. But, hey...it wasn't boring, was it?
- The BIG TAKE-AWAY today was the introduction of PlumpyNut. I am so excited about this opportunity to serve and to help. Now, for those who are concerned about sending all our food money overseas, let me encourage you with this: we'll be rolling out how Crossroads does outreach, feeding hungry people, clothing naked people, sheltering homeless people, in the weeks and months to come. With regard to the current emergency food initiative: Half of the money we raise will be sent to the Global Plumpynut Initiative (www.TheyWillDie.org), the other half will be spent on the creation of 3-Day Survival Boxes (enough food for a family of four for three days) for distribution right here at home. I look forward to your heartfelt participation in doing the work that God has called us to do (Isa 58:10, Matt 25:40).
I am going to blog tomorrow about what we shared about on Sunday. I am pretty sure that people have strong opinions about it, and I'd like to hear them. Have a GREAT Monday. Go out into your world and share God's love with someone this week. Talk to you soon.
I thought yesterday's service was mind opening and you did a great job delivering it. I suppose I can how some may have been offended, as it was a very...in your face message from the beginning. But I also agree with you in that, if all someone got from the message was the fact that you used the word "homo", then perhaps Crossroads isn't the place for them.
ReplyDeleteThis was yet another message that I felt was written especially for me and it really made me think about the person I really am. I mean, I like to think I'm a certain way, but when I pick myself apart, I can see that I still have a long way to go!!
All in all, I thought there was less fluff and more message and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Being a Christian isn't about sugar coating everything and only talking about "safe" topics. If you can't discuss controversial topics in the church w/ the direction of the Bible, than where should you go??
Great Job! :)
Thanks for your comments. I know what you mean by 'in your face' message. Even though I was the one sharing it, it was in my face just as much. In a sense, especially in an eternal sense, I think we're all a little like small children with a lot of growing up to do. I'm pretty sure (just like our kids) it doesn't happen all at once. It's a process that I think works best for me about a day at a time. God's Best!
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