As we move to Sunday's culmination of Beyond, complete with first-fruits giving and three year promised giving, I want to share a note I received from someone in our church who has been impacted by the entire movement. In particular, she had a response to last week's idea that when you realize what you've been given is priceless, you are eager to give back what is precious.  Here's the note: I have heard John 11 & 12 told many times, but never like that. I was really moved by the service and I just wanted to share with you. It is my prayer that people throughout the church were as moved as I was about what is precious that Good Shepherd has done. I immediately made a list that night and have written below. It is because of GS that I quit smoking over 11 years ago. Battling an addiction I thought I would never stop doing, but your message and the Holy Spirit spoke to me that Sunday. When I tell people the only way I quit was GOD (and the church) I feel like they are encouraged. I got involved in a life group at GS 8 years ago. Because of that life group I have life long friends and we are still in a life group with them to this day. My relationship with my husband is stronger because of GS. We have always made a vow that any sports or other activities are arranged around Sunday worship and not the other way. Because of GS my children have grown up in an environment that shows what GOD looks and feels like and opens their hearts even more than what we can do at home. They are surrounded by other Christian friends and if I asked what their 2nd favorite place to be it would be something related to GS. Because of GS my faith has grown and still grows so much every day. Because of GS I learned that serving is so easy to get involved in and it has opened a part of me that I never new really existed before coming to church. The serving doors that were opened made it possible for me to serve overseas. Made it possible for me to be connected with [a local mission], which is so dear to my heart. It also has made such an impact on my family as a whole. Talbot, GS is so precious to me and my family. Thank you for all that you do and continue to do to make this church no matter the size still be centered with an intimate relationship with GOD and each other. P/S I could go on and on... This was just the tip of my gratefulness of how precious GS is.   Wow.  That's why we do what we do.  That's why we're taking what we do beyond these walls, beyond this corner, and beyond our imaginations. And it will take all of us to make it happen. So that more and more people can live the same kind of story you just read. Sunday.  8:30.  10.  11:30.

   

  Not long ago, I had a chance encounter and random conversation with a Charlottean Muslim of Pakistani descent. He knows what I do for a living, and was more than eager to talk about the bible and Islam -- all of it in a conversational and not confrontational way. Anyway, towards the end of the talk some fascinating perspectives emerged:  "We believe in the Old Testament," he said.  "But we believe it got some of the parts wrong.  Like when it talks about the prophet Noah -- may he rest in peace -- getting drunk and naked in front of his sons or when it talks about the prophet Lot -- may he rest in peace -- having relations with his daughters.  We think those stories are wrong.  In our beliefs, the prophets are perfect." My mind was whirling inside my head at this.  "Oh," I answered, "At our church we're really glad the bible includes the stories of the failures of its heroes.  It makes them more approachable.  And it lets us know that God can use flawed people.  Like me."  (Ironically, one of the sermons I feel the best about in all my years of ministry has the title "After The Storm" and drills down into that bizarre story of drunk, naked Noah.  In fact, that sermon is the concluding chapter from the forthcoming book, The Storm Before The Calm.) But what a difference in perspectives: On the one hand, according to my friend in Islam the prophets and patriarchs must be perfect.  Therefore any description of their imperfections is instead an imperfection in the biblical text and not in the character of the hero. Or, for Christianity, the stories of our heroes are endlessly interesting and eminently preach-able precisely because the people described are so, well, human.  Which means they are messed up.  Which means they are like us.  Which means they, like us, are in desperate need of redemption. The conversation with my new friend left me glad yet again that in the ministry of Christian preaching, we get to explore characters who are rounded, flawed, and ultimately loved.    

So last night we had our monthly Healing Service at Good Shepherd. And in this particular season of our church's life -- reaching the culmination of our Beyond Capital Project -- it was tempting to call it off.  Or at least postpone it. But we didn't.  We had our typically intimate, reverent, painful, and poignant time together.  And it gave me pause to consider and then articulate:  why do we have these services in the first place? So here they are: the top five reasons why we at Good Shepherd have healing services: 1.  People Need Healing.  This may seem obvious, but it bears mention.  The people who come to our healing services have the typical array of physical maladies you'd expect, ranging from injured shoulders to cancer-ravaged lungs.  But beyond those physical struggles, the people of this community are brave enough to trust our healing teams with bruised spirits, broken relationships, and battered souls.  The healing we pray for ends up being holistic. 2.  We Give The Holy Spirit Room To Run.  I Corinthians 12:9 promises "to another [is given] gifts of healing by that one Spirit."  The focus there is not on the gifted person (that's coming), but on the Giver himself.  So if the Holy Spirit is in the business of bringing his healing to the gathered community, we need to give him the space to operate.  As we say at every gathering:  "Don't wait for a special person to pray for you tonight.  We don't have celebrity pray-ers.  The Holy Spirit is the only celebrity we need." 3.  People Have Gifts.  I told you this one was coming.  I Corinthians 12 isn't merely describing an ancient church; it's heralding today's reality.  We have people in our church who have the Spirit-inspired gift of praying for people with laying on of hands . . . and healing happens.  For some people, that sounds almost kooky.  For others, who have experienced it personally, it resonates with both power and beauty. 4.  It's Biblically Obedient.  Since James was Jesus' brother, we ought to listen to him, right?  Here's James 5:14:  "Is anyone among you sick?  Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord."  And that's what we do, oil included. 5.  There's The Personal Piece.  Some of you know that when I was 22 and a senior in college, a shoulder injury threatened to end my tennis playing days prematurely.  When the doctors suggested surgery -- which would have ended my final season before it began -- I went to a fellow student whom I knew prayed for healing.  He laid his hands on my shoulder and as he praised the name of Jesus, I felt an unmistakable surge of divine electricity enter my body.  And . . . I'm now 53 and never had that shoulder surgery.  I have come to believe that in those prayers God not only healed my body, but imparted the gift of healing to me as well.  So if I serve a church and we don't offer special gatherings for healing, that is somehow disobedient to the call and the gifts God has given me.