Yesterday we received the tragic news that a dear friend of ours, Tim Posey, died at the young age of 39.  Tim was pastoring in North Platte, Nebraska, where he and his family had moved a few years back.  As a loving husband and proud father, Tim always spoke highly of his family.  They were his pride and joy.  Our prayers and condolences go out to his wife, Vicki, and his children – Blake, Jessica and Austin.

In simply a few words, Tim was a joy and encouragement to be around.  He had a strong faith in Jesus Christ and a hopeful vision for the Church.  I spoke with him a while back and recall him talking about the joys and challenges of pastoral ministry.  Yet, in his discussing things, he always remained positive and hopeful regarding the work of the Holy Spirit in empowering the Church to bear witness to Jesus Christ.  Tim was scheduled to graduate from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary this May, with hopes of pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree thereafter.

Having had some classes with Tim at PTS, as well as hanging out with he and his family at East Cleveland CoG, one recognized very soon Tim’s heartfelt concern for the well-being of those around him.  He was easy-going, had a good sense of humor and was a blessing to be around.  Conversations with him always gravitated to his central joy, discussing Christ and His ministry to the hurting.

There is so much more that can be said, but I thought it better to put up a few quotes that Tim recently posted on his Facebook wall.

Often the problems we face are no more than the reflection we see in the mirror. God help me to have enough windex and paper towels in order to see more clearly. (March 11, 2010 1:08 am)

Too often life is exactly the way you expect it to be. The problem is how much our expectation influences our decision to live life with great expectations or expectations of failure.  (March 11, 2010 1:02 am)

The question is not one of belief in God, but rather one’s belief in LIFE! No one sets out to choose death! So, my question is Who will chose LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST? IT is because God loves you that Christ died in order for you to choose Life eternal! Grace is free! And so is God’s Forgiveness for those who choose to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior! GOD BLESS YOU ALL! I AM PRAYING FOR YOU! PASTOR TIM POSEY.  (January 23, 2010 4:28 pm)

Getting ready to pray at church. Lord speak to our hearts and reveal your will. Lord recieve our sweet aroma of praise and send down your wonderful blessings. Amen  (January 19, 2010 7:07 pm)

Often times I wonder, Has these eight years of school taught me anything more than realizing I know nothing in the sea of knowledge? Then I remember that it is God who works in me to do his good pleasure. Wow! Thanks God for taking what little I give and expanding it by your power to advance your kingdom!  (January 5, 2010  1:10 pm)

May you be at peace Tim, in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Our lives are in the hands of He who raises the dead.  We love you, bro.

John 11.25 (ESV) – “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

Well, it’s been an eventful few weeks.  Dee and I traveled to Georgia the weekend of the 16th in order to preach the homecoming service at Cornerstone church.  My mom and grandmother were able to join us in service, which is always a tremendous blessing.  The message, The Cruciform Life, was from Ps 19 and 1 Cor 6.  It just so happened that I injured my neck the day before service.  Wouldn’t you know it?  A neck injury to bring in the 30th birthday!  Thankfully, our chiropractor is anointed to deal with such issues.  Yet, it still was a bitter reminder that life is on the move.  :blink:

I was blessed by my family with a very helpful birthday gift.  They gave me the German edition of Rosetta Stone, which I’ve been considering for a while now.  After working through several lessons with the program, it seems to be an excellent resource for introducing one to the language.  From what a RS representative told Dee, one could have “conversational fluency” after several months utilizing the program (of course, that’s studying for an hour  a day, at the least).  So, we’ll see how things go.

This past Saturday, several friends from our local church surprised me with a “you’re over the hill-now-you’re-30!” birthday party.  It was hilarious.  They put up signs in our neighborhood (thanks Carrie and Brandy!), grilled out (thanks Brett and Ken), and, all in all, helped Saturday to be a blast for us (kudos to all!).  [a special shout out to Sonny for the bookstore-breakfast distraction!  It worked like a charm... :biggrin: ].  I’m grateful for their friendship.  At the core of being in the faith family is doing life together.  And what better way of doing life together than partying your socks off?  :w00t:

As many of you know, D’s been swamped writing a computer program with a “research language” (Python) that is required for her comprehensive exams (in order to become an official PhD candidate).  Good news.  Yesterday, she completed the program (thanks Clinton for all the help!) and is submitting it for approval this morning.  As of right now, she will be graduating (Lord willing) next August.

Well, that’s an abridged update.  We hope everyone is doing well and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Blessings

We just finished up our last night of the Kids’ Rally held at Alabaster CoG.  All in all, things seemed to go very well.  Our children’s pastor did a phenomenal job with the messages over the last few days (especially tonight!).  What stands out more than anything, though, is the teamwork amongst all the volunteers.  I am grateful for the Spiritual focus, passionate committment and Christlike attitude exemplified in those who labored this week.  It is a tremendous blessing to serve alongside you guys and gals!

Also, it is a wonderful delight to have some of our very best friends (family) visiting with us this week.  AJ, Vicki, Bradley, Dawson and Christian were able to be with us in service tonight.  It’s such a blessing to have them here.  Well, this post will have to be short and sweet, considering I’m a bit fried-eyed at the moment.  Yes, yes.  I know, I know.  Turning the big 3-0 takes its toll!  :biggrin:

Grateful for Jesus’ love,

Shannon

PS:  If you’re curious about the title of the post, I named it after the pie that was smashed in my face tonight at the rally.    :cwy:

Shannon and I went to Georgia this past weekend to visit our new baby nephew, Alex Emanuel Acosta.  He was born Wednesday, June 14, 2009, weighing 8 pounds and measuring 21.75 inches in length.

I was amazed!  How beautiful he is, and precious, and innocent.  I am amazed at how wonderful God is – that God can form a child.  Wow.  And to top it all off, God knows each and every child that is conceived, even if they do not live long enough to be given a name.

Moreover, each one is different from all others.  Even identical twins are not “identical.”  They may be similar enough to make it difficult for me to discern between them, but there are differences.  I just want to thank God for his unimaginable creativity and ask him to help me celebrate the differences in all of us. 

Dee

Shannon and I have been out of town for about a week and a half. I had a math conference in Gainesville, Florida for a few days. On our way back to Ga, we visited some friends in Valdosta (Jason, Candy and Joshua). Then, we went to visit our families in Vidalia, GA while Shannon was preparing to preach in a series of meetings at Cornerstone Church. Everything went well, and I thank God for his mercies during both the conference and the church services.

It is amazing to see God work in the lives of people and change them into new creations. That is what happened this week in the services. Shannon spoke three messages from Romans 12 (Holy Rebellion, Rebel with a Cause, The Heart of the Matter) and once from Acts chapters 1 and 8 (Turning the Church Inside Out). They were timely messages about rebelling against the worldly system and living a transformed life in the midst of a secular world (as one follows the Holy Spirit). He spoke about the need for community – that one cannot be “saved” without developing relationships within the community. He cried out for the church to reach beyond our own comfort and into the community which surrounds us that is dying without our intervention. We must reach out even to those people around whom we may be uncomfortable, as they need to see the story of Christ exemplified in our lives.

While we were grateful for this time, we are both happy to be back home in Birmingham. We missed all of our Alabaster Church of God family and our friends in the Birmingham area while we were gone. We missed our fellowship at The Bridge meetings and going to Habaneros after church on Sunday. To all our family at Alabaster: We missed you; we love you; and it was so good to see you last night. (To those who couldn’t make it last night, we look forward to seeing you soon.)

Just one last thought: Where would we be (as Christians) without a family of faith? How has your church family impacted your life? Please take a moment to thank those people who have helped you along your journey to living in Christ.

Peace,

Dee

Today, I would like to continue our journey through Vondey’s work, People of Bread: Rediscovering Ecclesiology.  In previous posts (Feb-8 Theological Imagination, Feb-9 Imagine That, Feb-11 To Image or Not to Image), we surveyed the importance and role of images in the Church.  Chapter two is called Companionship: The Social Nature of the People of God.  Before reading the chapter, I was intrigued by the chapter title.  How would the author connect the relationships that exist (or should) within the Body of Christ with the image of bread?  

The author methodically explores key Scriptures which point to the importance of bread as a central theme of fellowship in both the Old and New Testament (e.g. Gen 31.54; Exod 2.20; Ruth 2.14; 2 Sam 9.7, 10; Prov 23.6; et al).  Interestingly, in the Hebrew culture, joining someone for a meal meant the parties involved were entering a relationship together.¹ Of note, the derivatives of the Semitic root for the word bread “are the Syrian ‘to join,’ the Moabite ‘to fight,’ and the Arabic ‘weft,’ ‘weld,’ or ‘relationship’” (p. 37).  With my dad a sheet metal worker for the past 20 years or so, I have observed the effects of welding. So, the Arabic nuance of “weld” sticks out to me.  Welding brings parts together in the undeniable context of focused (intentional) energy (heat).

Furthermore, Vondey notes how the word “companion” “literally refers to partaking in the production and consumption of ‘bread’ (panis) ‘together’ (com-)” (p. 42).  Think about the times when you invite someone over for a meal or meet with others after the morning service in order to eat together.  For ACoG, oftentimes we meet at a local Mexican restaurant (after all, corn chips and salsa is a type of bread, right? lol ).  Something occurs during such fellowship other than everyone simply receiving physical nourishment (for me, the chicken fajitas!).  There is a spiritual nourishment of sorts that takes place as persons share thoughts, questions, stories, testimonies, hardships, etc.  Over the context of the meal, we embrace a vulnerability that is necessary in order to get to know people better.

Now, the reason for the title of the post is because we must be careful not to relegate “church” to merely attending Sunday and Wednesday services (for those of us in the CoG tradition, these are the usual times of corporate gathering).  ”Church” goes beyond meeting at a designated building (“going to Church”) and involves issues, stories, pains, struggles, triumphs, etc. of real persons. People make up the Church and at the heart of our being the body of Christ is the development of meaningful relationships with one another (and those around us).

A few questions: What are some ways in which a local assembly may foster stronger relationships?  What are the major obstacles facing the development of such meaningful relationships (between age groups, interests, handicaps, locales, etc.)?  As a Christian, is fellowship with others essential?  Can I be a Christian and not (intentionally) engage in meaningful relationships with others?

Blessings, 

Shannon

¹ Vondey, People of Bread, p. 37.

Recently, I read a thought-provoking article by John Ortberg called, “Your Hidden Curriculum,” found in the winter 2009 volume of Leadership Journal (a good journal I might add that can be found at Barnes & Noble). Below the title, Ortberg asks – “What do people learn from you about the Christian life?  Sometimes it’s what you never intended to teach.”  The author contends that if there ever is a contradiction between our “formal curriculum” (small group studies, sermons, lessons on prayer, etc.) and our “hidden curriculum,” folks always believe the “hidden curriculum.”  He describes the hidden curriculum of a church as

“Who gets fawned over, and who gets ignored?  How do the staff and leaders get along when they’re off the platform and think nobody’s looking?  How does a small group respond when someone shares a problem that is untidy and unresolved?  Do leaders respond with panic or irritation or confidence or gentleness when a problem strikes?  When there is a conflict, do people face it head on or go into avoidance mode?  Does the church staff run on fear?” (p. 50) 

A few months back, some dear friends of ours visited from Georgia. We were hanging out in the living room for some good ole’ conversation over coffee (or soda for some).  Knowing that the couple recently relocated, I asked if they had yet to find a local church.  The young lady shared with us how she and her husband visited several churches.  One particular congregation (of the same denomination of which they were part in their last locale) seemed to be very promising at first.  However, after the announcements were given before the congregation, our friend said that she was greatly dissatisfied with how inwardly-focused the church was.  

Now, if you took a sweeping glance in the bulletin, there seemed to be no way to arrive at such a conclusion.  There were all kinds of “ministry groups,” “community projects,” etc. that had the trappings of a “successful” church.  But our friends heard and observed something different than what was listed in the bulletin (or on the church website).  They observed folks talking about various fellowships, get-togethers, luncheons, trips, etc. that centered around the satisfaction of those attending.  What was missing was a missional message laced within the conversations and actions of those attending, particularly the leadership.  

Thankfully, our friends did in fact find a local assembly in which to participate; one whose body-life looked more like that of Jesus. However, this conversation, coupled with Ortberg’s article, sparked some questions in my own mind about the traditioning (discipleship) of the church.  What exactly are we passing on?  What legacy of love are our children learning?  If we slow down a bit and prayerfully observe our attitudes, actions, conversations and vision, are we leading people in the way that Jesus is the Way?  Eugene Peterson’s excellent work, The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way, highlights the ways by which Christ embodied the way of salvation.  It’s an interesting and helpful critique.  

• Do I affirm undying love for Jesus but treat others around me in an unChristlike manner?
• If I claim to love all persons, do I surround myself with friends who are only like me?
• Do I profess that all persons are important and then rush past everyone without slowing to hear their concerns?
• Do I preach reckless abandon in worship and then hoard my resources and satisfy my own impulses for stuff?
• Am I undermining God’s love for all by my negative conversations and snide remarks concerning others?
• Do I pray at home with my family or only at church when called upon?

Asking myself these questions and more,

Shannon

Well, school is back in full swing for Dee.  In addition to her own classes and research, she was asked to teach a graduate level course.  She is very excited to do so, to say the least.  We went home for several days over Christmas break and enjoyed hanging out with family and friends (esp. Cranium night at the Jay’s Inn!).  And as always, time finds a way of eluding us.  For the most part, I was hidden away in an extra room finishing up my thesis (entitled – Hospitality in the Spirt: A Christlike Embrace of the Other).  

Reading back over the paper, the work seems more like a survey than a research paper.  The resources which I utilized are just so rich.  Take for example, Stephen Seamands book, Ministry in the Image of God: The Trinitarian Shape of Christian Service.  Wow.  Seamands offers insights as to how the biblical witness of God as Triune gives shape to what ministry should look like.  That the Church in her (Christlike) intra/inter-relations bears witness to God’s existence as Father, Son and Spirit.  And the read is very accessible.  Seamands is a pastoral theologian who clearly speaks to the relational needs of the local church. Another great resource is by Wolfgang Vondey, People of Bread: Rediscovering Ecclesiology. (ecclesiology = “study of the church”)  This one I am still working through; however, the section on hospitality is very insightful.  These are two examples of the various resources used.  I hope to continue reading and amending the work to reflect better my thoughts of the material.

For those who may be curious, here is a copy of my abstract for the paper:

The undercurrent of Western individualism tends to constrict our confessional reading of the Church of God Declaration of Faith here in the U.S.  By and large, our ecclesial structures tend to disclose a rather compartmentalized notion of spirituality and tendency to withdraw from our neighbors.  This study explores the grounding of the Declaration of Faith in the hospitality of God.  In so doing, this writer suggests that God’s relationality has significant implications concerning our confession of God’s providence, the nature of salvation and the agency of the Church.   

A Trinitarian framework informs our ecclesiological identity as a people of a transformed lens and Christlike embrace of the other.  The hospitality of God, therefore, should characterize the Body-life of the Church.  In this way, the missio ecclesiae mirrors the relationality in God and, therefore, grounds our confession of faith in compassionate solidarity with and Christlike love for our neighbor.

Anyhow, change is surely on the horizon.  The details of which are a bit fuzzy at the moment.  We do ask for everyone’s prayers during this season. We need wisdom and discernment concerning the post-grad transition.  Thanks.  All in all, God’s infinite wisdom and loving character give us confidence that he is working within our lives in order that our witness of him blazes.  

 Peace,

Shannon

I first read The Shack by William Young earlier this year.  My husband, Shannon, had heard a preacher talking against the book and decided to check into it.  He read the first chapter online and decided to buy the book.  He and I read the book together and really enjoyed the story.  Since then, we have heard some people give rave reviews of The Shack while others contend that it could be harmful to Christianity.  Since it has become such a hot topic, I thought I would give my opinion of the book here and ask for yours. 

The Shack is the story of a man, Mac, who has lost much in his life.  Through his painful experiences, he has also begun to lose his faith in God.  I do not want to spoil the plot, so I will try carefully to keep from doing that while giving you some vital information about the book. 

The book opens in the good part of Mac’s life, and we are taken through a series of events that cause Mac’s world to crumble.  He becomes only a shell of the man he used to be, and his wife and children also struggle through life in the face of extreme loss.  One day, while Mac’s family is away, he receives a letter that changes his life.  He travels to a remote shack in the woods, where he proceeds to experience God in a dynamic and tangible way.

I think Young’s portrayal of the nature of God is one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen.  He shows that God is not constrained by our misconceptions or limited imaginings of him.  God is more dynamic than we could ever imagine, and his utmost concern is that we have a thriving relationship with him.  This is easily seen in how God reveals himself to Mac in The Shack.  This has been an object of consternation to various people who criticize the book for not being theologically sound.  However, I think the portrayal of God in The Shack captures many beautiful facets of the love of God that we see in the Scriptures, even if it is quite untraditional.

While there are some theological nuances in the book with which I disagree from a Pentecostal perspective, I think this book is one of the best books I have read all year and would encourage anyone who wonders about the nature of God and where God is in the middle of a bewildering situation to read this book.

Please let me know your thoughts, especially if you have read the book.

Blessings,

Dee

Just a quick update regarding Robert.  He met with a liver specialist in Savannah who told him that his liver damage was the worst he has seen in years.  The hematoma has not dissipated yet; hence, his organs are pressed to his left side (causing much pain).  The doctors are waiting about another 10 days or so for the hematoma to shrink in size; if not, they say that they must take some sort of action.

Please continue to pray for Robert, Chasity and Parker.  Chasity hasn’t felt well these last few days and also needs God’s healing hand.  

Dee and I miss lil’ Parker… He lit up the house while in Birmingham.  

Thanks so much for your prayers and support.