Passion...

Passion week is here! Wait. Already? It sure feels like this year is just flying by! Either that, or I'm getting old(er). Probably a bit of both, really. Oh well. My wife comments frequently about the amount of grey in my hair. I just smile, and comment on how great her (new) hair color looks. :-)

Easter is such an amazing time in the life of a Christ-follower. This is the time of year that helps everything else make sense. How can you understand Christmas without Easter? How can you know God without Easter? How can you fathom why the death of Christ was necessary without Easter? None of those things make sense, unless put into the big picture of God's redemptive plan. Jesus had to be born a lowly birth, be raised a sinless man, suffer a horrible death, and rise after 3 days in order to fulfill God's relational plan for us. Without His death and subsequent resurrection, we would have no way to God. We would be lost in our sin. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God". If that's the case, then God must have some sort of plan for our redemption. I mean, why create us, only to have us perish? His plan included Jesus, God's only son, that He would become the spotless lamb of sacrifice, that His blood would pay the price for our sin. Death had to happen, so victory could occur. What a joy we can know, because God cared enough to provide that way for us to have a relationship with Him! Without Easter, none of this happens. Praise God!

One of the things that can be frustrating for the Christian during this time, is the merchandising and secularism of society in regard to Easter. I would encourage you to pay it no mind. This isn't to say you should run out, get a bunny costume, and show up to your sunrise service this way. Hardly. Still, remember that the world doesn't know Jesus in the way that you do, and they can't be asked to have a mind for the things of God until they come to know Jesus as savior. So, asking them to do "church" things on Easter is like asking a civilian to field strip and clean an M-16. They wouldn't have a clue! Nor would they care to learn about it, as it isn't something they think they need in their daily lives. The world needs to become convinced of their need first. For a Christ-follower, this means living our lives in a way that sets us apart. Then, as our relationships blossom with non-Christians, they will see God in our lives, and want it, too. Expecting them to want to come to church and take communion might be a bit much for the first "date". Talking about how God prepared you for your job might be just right.

Gotta run to a staff meeting. Love you all! Be the church!

some photos from the concert...

All these photos were taken by Danielle Martin, our photographer. Thanks, Dani! Video is coming soon!

whew!

Had a bit of a scare last week. Wait. I guess I should apologize for not having blogged for the last two weeks. With all the preparations for Easter, I haven't had much time for blogging. Then, last week, I had a possible cancer scare. See, my father has had melanoma about 7 or 8 times, so I always check my skin for changing moles. I found one that really started to scare me. It was changing shape around the edges, and changing color in the middle. I quickly made an appointment with my doctor, and she agreed to see me right away. After seeing it, she hustled me to a procedure room and took the mole off for a biopsy. A few stiches later, I was sent home to wait out the results.

Talk about trust! I mean, having no control whatsoever over the results is a truly humbling position. The only way to stay sane during a time like that is to trust God and His perfect will. As hard as it can be to wait for results, I know that I'm right where God wants me for today. There's real peace and joy in that, you know?

Anyway, the results came back negative, and I'm in the clear. Praise God! I know that God is good, all the time, and I'm thankful for His provision in this. For those of you who knew what was going on, thank you for your prayers and well-wishes. Your prayers mean so much to Jen and I. Thank you.

Infusion tonight...

Tonight is another great installment of that wonderful time we call...Infusion!!!! I'm excited about worshipping with the other guys in the band, and leading others to the foot of the cross through song. We've got a half hour of worship planned, and then we'll be off to let Pastor John (PJ) teach about Godly relationships. I love working with the people that volunteer on Wednesdays. Their hearts are truly turned toward God, and they give of their time sacrificially. I'm so proud to serve alongside them in the trenches. *getting teary-eyed*...:-)

Ok, I'm better now. I'm off to finish planning things for tonight. If you're in the greater PDX area, and want to drop in, it's at 6:34 tonight! Drop me an email and I'll give you directions!

Blessings!

Success!

The concert was a great success! I am so pleased to say that we raised almost $5000! With that money, Medical Teams International can purchase almost $200,000 worth of medicine! All of that goes right to Haiti, and the people there will be blessed. What a joy it was to partner with MTI and Deophobic. We look forward to more fundraising in the near future. MTI is currently serving in over 70 countries, so the need is real. Be praying!

Countdown to awesomeness....

The countdown has started...

58 hours until "The Most Awesome Concert The World Has Ever Seen"....

hehe

I'm so excited about this concert! We're planning on making it an exciting, loud, rockin' night of amazing music. My band has rehearsed sooooo much for this, and we have some great surprises with some of the songs we're doing. Our fans won't be disappointed! Plus, we're trying to raise money for a great cause. Medical Teams International has donated so much to this cause, and we are honored to help out in this way.

In other news...

Did I mention that I'm excited?

Sooooo....come join in the excitment on Friday. See above flyer for details. :-)

See you soon!