This post, by its nature, will be a bit more personal. But since I don’t get much chance to just chat with many of our folks it seems this is a good forum to stay transparent before you. It is also a bit longer than most simply because a year is a long time!

Every year as the noise of Christmas starts to diminish a bit I intentionally turn my mind and heart to looking back on the ending year and surrendering the year ahead. It is a good time of evaluation, reflection, repentence and learning for me. It normally also serves to fill my emotional tank to keep swinging because there is a clarity of personal mission that comes out of times of silence and seeking God. (This is one reason I’m so excited about our coming 21 day fast)

As I jotted notes and random thoughts I realized that 2009 was a year of great progress. I rejoice over those who have come to faith in Christ and are, even now, taking steps on that journey. I celebrated marriages that have been healed or are in process of being healed. From my vantage point 2009 was our best year yet in terms of eternal fruit and taking back strongholds previously dominated by the enemy. Realizing this caused me to write down the names of some folks for whom I am very thankful as a part of the journey our church is on. I’m thankful for gifted counselors that slog through the murkiness of difficulty with those entrusted to our care. That is an exhausting job and I’m grateful that God has provided us with some fantastic counselors. I also listed our elders, who for well over two years sought God for His future for ebc and then had the courage to make the decision in March of 2009 to do all we can do to become a missional church. I also listed our staff. We have a staff that is first rate. They’re gifted and talented, but beyond that they are sold out to our mission. They work way beyond what any “normal” employer would require and do it for pay that is less than they’d make even at other churches. God has been so gracious to us with our staff. We also have the best church family and volunteers! The volume of ministry that happens through ebc is staggering and that is because of our volunteers. Yeah God. I also wrote that I’m grateful that God has placed us in a place that has a very real opportunity to reach the Susquehanna Valley. I believe God is building a perfect storm of His costly grace through which he will welcome more and more people to his family.

As a husband and father 2009 was wonderful. I got to know Brenda at a deeper level. We decided to put her degree on hold to get married 24 years ago, and she’s now getting back to that. She has a long way to go, but it has been fun to support her as she climbs that mountain. I’m ever amazed at her ability to adapt to whatever has to be done. My bride is one of my hero’s.

We are in the launching stages of parenting. Jake got back into college football and is only a few more semesters away from finishing his degree. Seth got to jump out of an airplane at the Air Force Academy in Colorado this summer as part of the Air Force ROTC program. And Caleb is learning that leadership is a messy business as he is appointed to be captain of some of his sports teams and student government at school.

I rejoice in God’s lavish grace over our family and 2009 was a continuation of that.

2009 was also a year of challenge. It was a  year of transition and transition is always hard.  No matter what we do 10% – 20% of our family will wish we were doing something else. That is just the nature of things.  It is hard to ask people to give up what they think is important and correct to do something else. Transition also tends to reveal truths about us that need to be corrected. One of the things that has become apparent to me is that some of us fundamentally misunderstand spiritual maturity. We equate spiritual maturity with biblical knowledge or church attendance, or attending a church that does things a particular way or with a particular style. Consequently we have a small group of people who act in sinful ways (complaining, murmuring, assuming negative intent, spreading rumors, gossiping and being unloving) in order to preserve what they mistakenly believe to be spiritual maturity. We must lovingly try again to confront that sin together this year.

On a personal level God revealed significant dysfunction within me personally. I have not built healthy boundaries in my own life regarding two things in particular; work and food. So I don’t take days off as I should and I stay in touch while on vacation. Then when I feel tired or stressed because my life is out of balance I eat food. Workaholism comes from nothing less that insecurity and pride and gluttony is a way to sooth myself without counting on God alone. So, in 2010 God is expecting me to restore a healthy rhythm to my life. No more email on days off, I’m going to take real vacations and try not to feel guilty about saying no to some things even though some may become upset with me for that. I’m going to stop dealing with over eating as a physical problem and deal with it as the spiritual issue that it is.  

As a family we are so well positioned for God-glorifying Kingdom impact. What could be better than that? See you on Sunday.  

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