Solution pt 5

Click here for a PDF of the message text concluding our explosive "Solution" series. Wow--Oakbrook stepped up in HUGE WAYS! So proud and excited for what we'll continue to do!

We Are the Solution

Do you get tired of driving past homes in your neighborhood that look like this? Me too. Do you notice that it creates tension in you when you look at it? You furrow your brow. You squint. Tension.

I used to think I would call the city and let them know about it. Then I thought about how long that list is and how much money is spent for government employees to mow it and send a bill that will never get paid.

Then I thought that I am probably a better solution. We always think that the government or the church or some organization is the solution. But boil it down and it's people that are the solution. It's my neighborhood. "My" implies ownership. Responsibility.

So again this year I've started mowing a few yards within a block or so of our home by Highland Park. It's good for me. Good for my kids. Maybe even good for my neighbors.

A friend of ours started coming to church earlier this year. On about the third visit this person said through tears to our lead pastor as to how they ended up at Oakbrook, "Those dang Youngs--mowing people's yards and being nice to people--dang them!"

We all lead. We all influence. We all have the capacity to be the solution to something or someone. But, will we? Whether you're into God or not, you can be part of the solution. What needs done in your neighborhood, school or workplace?

Right now our church is rallying around this idea of "solution." We're trying to fill local food pantries. Serve physically throughout the city. Build wells for clean water, kitchens for orphans and houses in Haiti.

And here's a thought--if you think church is a bunch of pew-sitting, high-minded, low-impacting goofs; I invite you to check out our church as we try to be the solution, locally and globally. Doesn't that sound intriguing? When was the last time you stood up to be part of a solution? When was the last time you gave church a try. Maybe now's the time.

Oakbrook Church: imperfect people trying to make a difference.
Sundays 10am

Google: Helping to Wrangle my Life--for Free

There is so much going on in my life. You? Just the other day Sandra and I were exchanging emails of our calendars' highlights. "This is nuts," I thought.

So I grabbed 2 hours from my day and moved all the data from my Outlook calendar into Google Calendar. Now Sandra can share my calendar and see it anytime she needs to from any computer.

Why Google calendar?

1) I can put different parts of my life in different colors. For me: brown = home; green = Oakbrook; blue = Slate's baseball. (I can add more categories anytime I choose.)

2) I can see/print/share just individual or collective categories anytime I choose with whomever I choose. You want to know when Slate's playing? I'll send you a link to just that!

3) Access it anywhere from any computer. They back it up so I'll never lose data. Did I mention it's FREE?


What and Why is iGoogle?

Sandra turned me onto this. By subscribing to iGoogle and setting it as my homepage, I can now keep track of all the blogs I follow in one place.

It will display the most recent 3 posts of each. It also displays a miniature version of my Google Calendar and will display a whole page view of it w/just 1 click.

I like all the available blogs--but having them all run into my email was getting annoying. Now just the blogs I want are in one simple place.

You can add all kinds of apps to iGoogle, but for me it's just blogs, weather and calendar. Simple.
Did I mention that iGoogle is free?

Do you feel scattered? Use technology to focus and wrangle in some of your loose ends. For free!

Good Friday Creative Reading

Click here to download a PDF of my reading/writing for Good Friday at Oakbrook.

I must say this one was different. I felt the leading to simply start writing on Monday. None of my typical studying, reading etc. It all came in one sitting. It came fast within a very short period of time. Hardly any editing. It wrote itself. There indeed is a God.

To be the "Mariano" of Anything...

Mariano Rivera. Seventeen years with the New York Yankees. 41 years old. Eleven-time All Star. Five-time World Series Champion. 566 saves as a closer.

What's really amazing is at his age, when he comes in to close the game at 41, every batter knows what pitch he's going to throw--the cutter--but it doesn't matter. They can't hit it. He can put it anywhere he wants. He personifies pin-point-accuracy. He consistently plays at a level that few have ever played the game. His is the art of closing. It is amazing.

He nailed the game shut against the great-hitting Texas Rangers last night to win that series 2-1.

I walked away thinking, "Wow--to be the Mariano Rivera of...of...ANYTHING!"

What an elusive distinction in out culture: to focus in on one thing, to the point of having mastery. How many people do you know like that? I know people who are good, have amazing talent--but being "Mariano" in something is an altogether higher level of achievement.

Perhaps his good fortune has been to be paid to work on one thing. Or perhaps his working on one thing created his good fortune. Perhaps some of both combined with the grace of God and untold amounts of time refining a gift.

What are we working on, really? I know we're working and putting time in. I know we're sweating physically or figuratively. But is there something in life that we're giving our leveraged focus to?

I don't have any good answers today, just good questions. So in the wake of Mariano's close last night I greet this day convicted and a little fuzzy.

What did God design me to be the Mariano of? He hasn't put me here to throw cutters, but indeed, He has given you and me an ability to be a world class closer of something.

Will we seek to know what it is? Or will we seek to simply stay busy?

Thank you Lord, for Mariano's cutter...and for hitting me with conviction this day...

Doctrine: wk 3 "God Pursues"

Click here for a PDF of my message transcript.

On Tuesday a podcast will show up here.

Click here to check out the Baptism pics from the service.

Doctrine: wk 2 "God Loves"

Here's the talk in 3 Latin phrases:

Imago Dei (eh-mah'-go Day)
Made in God's image.

Sole Fide (soul-uh fee' day)
Saved by faith alone.

Coram Deo (core 'em day-oh)
Living all of life before the face of God.

Click here for a PDF transcipt of the talk. It shows up here on Tues as a podcast.