Mind Sweeping

Here are several thoughts bumping into one another in my head...

* In last night's small group one of the newest members of our church family mentioned how he felt like he felt a sense of "belonging" at Pathway, and another said that this is one of the best things our church has going for it. The first guy said that he spent two years at another church before coming to Pathway and never felt the sense of belonging he feels here. Inside, I was thanking God that one of our primary goals is being reached - the desire to be a "No Perfect People Allowed/Come As You Are" church! You don't have to wear a mask around here for people to love you. The longer I follow Christ the more I see the need for authenticity. My wife Deb shares a deep desire for authenticity with me - she is one of the most "real" relational people I know.

* It's good not to have to fight innovation battles any more. This is one of the many things I like about Pathway Church right now. No one is going to feel uncomfortable with a video in the middle of a sermon or a contemporary song with a syncopated beat, or changing something to make it more effective, etc., just because, "We never did it that way before."

* Celebrate Recovery has begun on Saturday nights at 6:30! The potential for this program to help people is astronomical! Funny thing was, we had our first meeting on the same weekend that the National Alcoholics Anonymous convention was in town! Hilarious! Who Knew? Well apparently most of the people who were supposed to attend our first meeting knew - because they went to the big dance instead. But those of us who got the program off the ground felt a unique presence of God in our small group!

* "Faith in Action," not just "Faith in Advertising": People at Pathway get excited about service. We had such a spiritual lift last fall observing "Faith in Action Sunday" that we're going to do it again this spring! On the last Sunday of April we'll cancel the morning worship gathering and go out into the community performing acts of service instead.

* When I mentioned to some of the young couples in the church that Deb and I recently went to see the movie "Cloverfield" they said, "Really?" I know its a teen and twenty-something movie but I like to watch what the young adults are watching - besides - I have always liked amusement. The word amusement comes from the word "muse" that means, "to think," and the prefix "a" which means, "not." Therefore amusement is something you can do that doesn't require thinking. That's why I like amusement parks. Most of my work week is spent thinking - and I like thinking - but if I "don't think" sometimes, I blow fuses.