I received a very nice voice mail this week from a Methodist preacher friend congratulating me on the Charlotte Observer article on our Fed Up Sunday project.

During the message, my friend gave some nice words about the creativity I had to "come up with such an idea."

There's only one problem with that thinking.

It wasn't my idea.

In fact, when some of my colleagues on the staff first mentioned devoting a Sunday to something other than the usual Sunday fare (music, message, creative element), I hemmed. I hawed. I retreated into the silence that usually tells people, "he's not agreeing with this idea."

Yet bolder heads prevailed.

I gradually came to see the wisdom of this particular Radical Impact Project, especially one that follows so closely on the heels of the launch of our mission: inviting all people into a living relationship with Jesus.

Because if people can't live in the first place they can't even begin to think about a living relationship with a living Lord.

Sunday.

8:30. 10. 11:30.

Not my idea. Maybe that's why it's such a good one.

It is very tempting in ministry to focus so much on the goal that you neglect the goal beyond the goal.

For example, I'm part of a team that puts a great deal of thought and effort into Sunday morning worship experiences. We want the Sunday gathering to be powerful, unexpected, cool, and inspiring. That's sort of the goal and that's where our minds and hearts focus.

But to what end? So that we can say we've had a worship service with all of those elements? May it never be!

We want that kind of worship experience so that, little by little, piece by piece, people are transformed into what C.S. Lewis calls "little Christs." So that they are captured by his love and as a result of that love become people who are themselves full of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

That's the goal beyond the goal.

Whether it's worship ministry, youth programming, or children's environments, don't get so locked into the goal that you neglect the goal beyond the goal.

By all measures, Christmas Eve was a success around here. We had overflow crowds, high energy, and reverent spirituality.

Yet behind the scenes, several things worked to frustrate me. I forgot some important things I needed to say. I broke the part of my wireless microphone that clips to my pants. We forgot to prepare for a couple of contingencies. I even had a crisis of Christmas faith: should we go with the traditional candles at the end or do something totally unexpected? Of course, when you ask that question at 7 p.m. on December 24, it's really too late to do anything about it.

But all in all, behind the scenes, I felt like we were something less than ideal. I wondered how it would look to all those first time guests.

And then, just before the 9 p.m., I heard something in my mind. Whether it was me speaking to myself or God speaking something into me, I don't know. But here's what the "voice" said:

Talbot, do you think it's more important that YOU look good tonight or that I look good?

That sort of puts it all into perspective, doesn't it?

If God wants to use all our imperfections to shine a still greater light on his perfection, so be it.

Because -- as much as this goes against my natural inclination -- it is infinitely more important that He look good on Christmas Eve than it is that I look good.

I recently heard a church consultant say that "younger generations of church go-ers want mission they do, not mission they send to."

Which is a way of saying that people want the hands-on experience of making a difference more than they want to send money to overseas missionaries who will then make a difference for them.

I think that consultant is probably right.

I also think that's why our First Serve launch was a good success this past weekend. Over 250 people from Good Shepherd served at venues ranging from a Friday night gang prevention ministry with middle schoolers to Saturday morning sites such as a local nursing home, a battered women's shelter, a transitional housing unit, and the Charlotte Rescue Mission.

I spent Saturday morning at McDowell Park, cleaning litter from the shores of Lake Wylie. It turns out that there have been staff cutbacks there, leaving only two people to clean 1100 acres. So they really needed the volunteer help. It was dirty, smelly work . . . but I firmly believe it was kingdom work.

So if the other 249 volunteers had half the experience I did, it was doing mission indeed.

(By the way, Good Shepherd still sends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to our overseas mission partners.)

The next First Serve is on Saturday May 3. You can find out more here.

Last week, I received this email from someone in the church:

I experienced something on Monday, while fasting, that I wanted to share with you. I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just say it. On Monday afternoon, I closed my eyes and prayed aloud that the Lord would loosen my tongue so that I could pray to him those things on my heart that I didn't know how to pray. Almost immediately, I began praying out loud in a language that I didn't understand. It lasted less than a minute and I felt a sensation, like a tingling, in my hands and arms as they were outstretched. It took me by surprise, and I almost didn't believe it had actually happened. I continued to pray out loud, in English, and then, once more, asked for my tongue to be loosened and my heart opened to receive whatever the Lord would deliver. I prayed to be emptied of me and filled with the Holy Spirit. Again, right away, I began to pray aloud in what sounded to my ears like a foreign language. This time, it lasted for several minutes and I felt like my heart was laid open and cleared out. The range of emotions I went through while in this prayer was amazing...joy, fear, mourning, pleading, anger, peace. I laughed and cried. It was all there. I couldn't believe it. The Sunday that you preached on speaking and praying in tongues, I wanted to go up to the altar to pray to receive this gift, but didn't. Was I embarrassed? Felt I wasn't worthy? I don't know. I have had a desire for this gift, but never proclaimed it out loud the way I did all alone and out loud on Monday afternoon. And God met me there...He heard my prayer. Hallelujah!
I wanted to share this with you to let you know how much I appreciate your courage in preaching on the power of the Holy Spirit. I long for more of Him and less of me in my life and over the past few weeks have really felt His presence more poignantly than I have in a long time. To have been open enough to receive this gift of a prayer language is huge and I just praise God.

So why did we devote an entire Sunday to teaching on the gift of praying in tongues? Why did I even say something so bold (or reckless) as "what Paul wanted for the Corinthian church, I want for you" -- that you would all pray in tongues? Why did we have a church-wide fast last Monday?

So the movement of the Holy Spirit would happen in people's lives just like this.

That's why we do what we do.