Backseat Drivers

Instead of putting him on the bus, I decided to take my oldest son to school today. At one point, I looked in the rearview mirror at my boys (my other son is 3) sitting in the backseat...and that's when this thought hit me:

I hate backseat drivers!

If you've been driving long enough, you've had a least one passenger in the car with you who felt it was their responsibility to alert you of every perceived danger on the road, constantly check your speedometer, and point out every time you failed to use a turn signal. And to top it all off, they have assigned themselves to the task of using the imaginary brake pedal located on the floor mat immediately in front of them. It's so annoying! If you couple any (or all) of these together with the gasping, squealing, and "look out! look out!" sounds that seem to flow like mighty rivers out of the offender's pie hole, it's enough to make you want to drive the car off of a cliff!

So, what does this have to do with my boys in the backseat? Did they aggravate me today with their backseat driving? No. In fact, it was their lack of backseat driving that started this train of thought.

My oldest son is 8. Every now and then he will remind the driver about turn signal usage, and I caught him one time trying to see the speedometer, "just to make sure daddy was doing the right thing." Mildly irritating, but not bad. There are other passengers much older than 8, and that experience is...well...um...let's just say it's the polar opposite. To prevent my own demise, I will leave well enough alone.

And then there's my 3 year-old. He's strapped in his car seat, safe and secure. He has a few toys to keep him entertained, a juice cup to quench any thirst, and depending on how long the trip will be, there are snacks, too. He spends most of his time playing, talking with the other passengers in the car, and watching all of the scenery that goes by. Sometimes he'll point out things he sees to the rest of us, but for the most part, he's simply enjoying the ride and looking forward to the destination. He has total trust in his dad driving the car. No fear. No panic. No backseat driving.

As I thought about the journey on which God has placed me, I couldn't help but realize I more often resemble the older passengers in the car when I should be following the example of my youngest son. If God really is in the driver's seat in my life, then I don't need to freak out about all of the things I perceive as potential hazards, I don't need to check and see if He's doing everything correctly, I don't need to offer my assistance, and I sure don't need to tell Him to "look out!" Instead of being a backseat driver, I need to have the child-like faith that my precious 3 year-old exhibits so well:

• I am safe, secure, and can totally trust Him (Psalm 91:2; Prov. 3:5-6).
• He will supply everything for the journey (Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:19).
• He has a great destination in mind (Jer. 29:11; Eph. 2:10).
• I should appreciate the scenery and enjoy the journey (Psalm 118:24).

Keep Walking

Sometimes on the journey, you realize that you are surrounded by cold and death.
Keep walking; this is the journey you are to take.

Sometimes on the journey, your hopes, plans and dreams are uprooted and come crashing down.
Keep walking; this is the journey you are to take.

Sometimes on the journey, a little bit of light shines through.
Keep walking; this is the journey you are to take.

Sometimes on the journey, you notice things you haven't been able to see before.
Sometimes on the journey, you realize the death around you has enabled sight.
Sometimes on the journey, you can't make out all of the details.
Keep walking; this is the journey you are to take.

Prayer with Thanksgiving > Anxiety and Worry

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

I don't know about you, but there are many times I struggle with not being anxious. I know I’m not alone because there are psychology textbooks that are devoted entirely to this issue, people all across the country are taking medication to deal with their anxiety, and the research community continues to analyze the reasons and effects of worry. One such study was done by Dr. Walter Calvert, and here’s what he found:

• 40% of what you worry about will not happen (that's almost half! Almost half of your worries are never going to happen in the first place!)
• 30% of your worries concern the past (does anybody else find this ridiculous? What are you going to do about it? It's the past!)

***For those keeping score, 70% of your worries aren't going to happen or you can't do anything about!

• 12% of your worries are unfounded health issues (have any of you ever worried yourself back into health?)
• 10% of your worries are insignificant and petty issues
• Which leaves only 8% of your worries having actual legitimate concerns...8%!

Pretty shocking statistics! They certainly don’t resemble the trust in God that Paul advocates in our passage. And even though Dr. Calvert says 8% of our worries are legitimate, I think the Word of God says otherwise!

Here’s the good news - Paul tells us there is an answer to anxiety, and that is prayer. Not just any old haphazard prayer, but prayer with thanksgiving. See, when we are worried about everything, what happens to our vision? It starts to get clouded, and we fail to see all of the blessings that have already been poured out onto our lives.

And what an awesome promise we see in verse 7: if we will trade in our anxiety for prayer and thanksgiving, the God of all creation will give us His peace! A peace that not only completely satisfies, but that is greater than anything our feeble, little minds can even fathom. And that peace which passes all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds and protect us from all of the things that might destroy us. But, we have to trade in the worry and the anxiety.

May 2014 be the year when we worry less, pray more, and experience the peace of God in our lives like never before.

New Wife, New Friend, New General Director

When you travel, it's hard to maintain your diet and exercise routine, but I have been trying my best while I'm here. However, last night I went out with my oldest son for some "guy time" and we ingested things like: French toast, bacon, sausage, and sweet tea. So this morning I decided I needed to put a little more effort into my walk to try to combat all of the calories and sugar I consumed the night before. I normally walk for about 2.5 miles which takes me about 30 minutes. This time I walked 3.84 miles in 52 minutes and burned 594 calories! So thankful for the beautiful morning and the gorgeous Anderson University campus - definitely makes walking more pleasurable.

I have to address the morning service because I put a comment of Facebook and Twitter that left some folks curious. It was one of those "you had to be here" type of moments and it didn't translate well at all. I said, "Shopping for a new wife and arranging dates on Skype - all part of our global mission work :) #whereisChuckWoolery #StandingTogether" This was hilarious if you were in attendance, but if not, made you think I had lost my mind. You can watch the service here, but I will briefly explain. Edward Nkansah was preaching and in his opening statements made mention that his wife passed away 3 years ago. And in a half joking/half serious fashion, he told us that he is looking for a new, young wife, and if we have anybody we would like to hook him up with, he'd be happy to meet this new potential bride. Watch the video and you'll see and hear the humor in this. My apologies for the confusion.

I randomly picked a seat for the afternoon service and ended up sitting next to the gentleman pictured below. Rev. Bob Moss was sitting behind us and as we sang "I'd Rather Have Jesus," our 3 voices were harmonizing and it was beautiful. Add that to the hundreds of other voices in the room and it was one of the most beautiful things I've heard all week. Now here's where it gets interesting. The older gentleman next to me is named Bob, too. And, he's from Parma, Ohio (I'm from Akron). And, he attends the Lakeview Church of God where Rick Carrell is the pastor. And, I did pulpit supply there once before. And, Bob was the treasurer who signed my check. And, Bob's last name is Hanak. And, I know that last name because his sister was Helen Alspach who I knew my whole life because she attended my church in Tallmadge. HOW COOL IS THAT!

Our dear brother from Russia, Andrei Kolegov was our preacher for the afternoon service. I always love to hear him and he always has a great story or 2 to illustrate his point. You can watch the service here. I learned that "Slava Bogul" means "praise the Lord!" in Russian, and we even had the opportunity to sing "How Great is Our God" or "Nash Bog Tak Velik" in Andrei's native tongue. This message was very powerful, but also very down-to-earth. We were reminded of the importance of relational discipleship, and that we are to be bearers (not holders) of the Good News!

Monday afternoon provided an opportunity for us to put our words into practice by helping to pack meals for Change This World. The goal was 60,000 meals packed by 400 volunteers. Well, God had bigger goals than we did so He provided 800 volunteers who packed over 93,000 meals!

I am so thankful that the Planning Committee was intentional about having women bring the Word of God to us; and last night was a perfect example. What a great opportunity to show the world that we affirm and empower women in ministry! Mailesi Ndao of Zambia preached with a fire and a passion that brought everyone to their feet when she had concluded. After sharing her testimony of Divine healing, she warned us about being silent and reminded us that we have fertile ground in which to plant seeds - it's our children. Please take the time to view this service - you will be blessed!

Our new General Director designate, Rev. Jim Lyon took the opportunity to speak to us following the evening service. He addressed several issues and questions including: women in ministry, homosexuality, and the role of the General Director. I have to say that his answer to the homosexuality issue is the best I think I've ever heard. You can learn more about Rev. Jim Lyon and where he stands on key issues by clicking here.

I'll conclude with this: Church of God, I fully believe that our movement is getting ready to move again!

Screaming Kids, Donkeys, and Fire Ants

I want to start by saying how thankful I am that my family is able to join me this week in Anderson for the Global Gathering - what a blessing! However, those among us under the age of 3 may or may not be able to sit through a 2-hour worship service. Yesterday proved that to be true as my beautiful wife carried a screaming 2 year old out of the room. Not only was he screaming at the top of his lungs, but he waited until the most quiet part of the service to do so. I know we are all family and 99.9% of the people understand, but there is that brief moment as a parent when it feels like 3500+ people are forming opinions about your child and your parenting skills. Thankfully, somebody else's precious child started screaming 5 minutes later and we were quickly forgotten :)

Speaking of children, Kid's Place started yesterday. What a great opportunity for our children to be ministered to, as well as experience many different cultures and practices. Wyatt got to play drums to one of the songs that day and it was an experience he won't soon forget. I know he is looking forward to going back today, and I know that he is in good hands with good people who want to see him do great things for the Lord!

Donny Franz from Paraguay brought the afternoon message to us, and I thought he did a fantastic job! You can see for yourself here. He prefaced the sermon by being transparent and letting us know that he had made these mistakes himself and wanted us to learn from them. And then it happened. A moment that caused everyone in the room to laugh like they were 5th graders. He began referencing the story of Samson and how he (Samson) had killed 1,000 men with the jawbone of an...........ass. Nothing wrong with this at all. It's accurate. It's not a curse word. It's just not what we, in the U.S., call donkeys anymore. But the giggling started here. Keep in mind, Franz is referring to himself as one who made mistakes. And then the statement came that provided the loudest laughter I have heard thus far: "If God could do something so great with the jawbone of an ass, what could he do with a whole ass?"

After dinner with the family (If you are ever in Anderson you need to make sure you go to Pizza King. Great pizza with "toppings all the way to the edge." So, so good!), Wyatt and I went to the evening service. I was so proud of him when he said, "Dad, can we go sit in the very front so we don't miss anything?"

David Ravell from Australia brought the message to us, and he definitely "invaded our personal space." I encourage all of you to watch this message (it begins around 58:00) and hear from God on the dangers of autonomy and independence. I don't want to give too much away, but I loved the analogy of the fire ants. David said that one fire ant in a glass of water will drown, but many fire ants in a glass of water will lock together and work together to survive. I promise, it's very powerful. You can watch the message here.

Last night was an opportunity to participate in Global Communion. Not only did the 3,500+ people in attendance take communion together, but thousands all over the world were able to participate via the internet! I am so thankful for the technology that allows us to do this. Knowing that my brothers and sisters all over the world are experiencing this precious moment with me is overwhelming.

And what could be the greatest part of the evening took place at the conclusion of Communion. The gentleman sitting next to me was Jerry from Tempe. He asked if I could keep him in prayer because he was going through a difficult situation. We took the time right there to be like "fire ants" and cling on to each other and went to the Lord in prayer. I cannot begin to describe how powerful the presence of the Holy Spirt was at that moment, and I truly don't remember what I said when I prayed. But I do know that God was there, that Jerry and I helped each other survive one more day, and the he now knows he is not going through this alone. Oh yeah, and one more step was made toward killing autonomy...praise the Lord!

We've Only Just Begun

What an amazing day! Beautiful weather (at least for a while), got my walk in, and took the obligatory trip to Gaither Family Resources to stock up on music and DVD's - good thing I don't live in Anderson or I'd be broke quickly!

The opening ceremonies took place today and I am still basking in the awesomeness of the whole thing! I have to say that I really like the change of venue from Reardon Auditorium to the Kardatzke Wellness Center, and I think some of the changes (including the way the schedule is put together) could and should be implemented in the future. I think I'm going to like the idea of multiple worship services every day!

The flag processional is what kicked-off the service this afternoon and I couldn't help but cry the entire time. I don't remember the numbers exactly, but I believe there were 86 nations represented in this powerful parade. I tried to get a few pictures of this awesome display of unity, but couldn't quit crying long enough to get anything worth looking at. So, I want to give credit to CHOG Blog for posting this picture on his Twitter account:

If that wasn't enough, Jay Rouse and his team not only led us in worship, but did so in a way that brought no attention to themselves; all focus was on God...there's a novel idea! The different cultural flavors were inserted throughout all of the songs, and the creative use of video was top-notch. In fact, in the "He Reigns" video, there was a transition from African music to Irish music that was so smooth and well done that I almost stood up and applauded. Whoever edited that audio together is a master and should be given a raise immediately! I hope worship leaders all over the Church of God pay attention to what was accomplished here today. You can watch the service at this link and see for yourself.

In case you didn't hear, 100% of the offerings collected this year will be given to support water and hunger projects. Specifically, 7,000 wells in Africa and 250,000 meals in Latin America will be provided through the generous giving of the Church of God this week. A special "Thank you!" to the people of Water 4 for partnering with us in this Kingdom work. Maybe this will be the catalyst that will help us to see what we can do when we begin putting our resources together and are intentional about being the Church.

Now, all of this great stuff is taking place and we haven't even heard the sermon yet. Is it possible to get any better? Of course it is! Especially when the preacher is Bishop Timothy Clarke! As I tweeted during the service, "Not only did we just have church, but I think we saw the church, too!" Once again, the bar was raised for what it means to preach at future conventions. I encourage all of you to watch this message, and yes, I'll say it: Pastor, maybe you can take a week off from preaching and play this for the congregation instead. Bishop Clarke starts at approx. 1:18:00 in this video.

The post-service activities included an American-style picnic under the big tent and of course, the rain storm that left everyone and everything a little soggy for a while. This put a damper on any outdoor activities with my boys, so we wrestled and played in our room for a while. My apologies to the downstairs neighbors :)

It was getting late and the wife and kids were kind of tired, so I decided to go by myself to see Jared Hall - the illusionist. Amazing performer! If you are looking for clean, quality entertainment for your church or any other ministry opportunity, I highly recommend Jared; you won't be disappointed.

That's a lot for a first day, but we've only just begun...I can't wait to see what happens next!

Don't worry, it gets better

Well, the day didn't quite start off like I had hoped. I overslept, had to jump start the Neon before we could head out, and got on the road 3 hours later than I had planned. Yet through it all, my excitement for this trip never diminished. I just kept thinking to myself, "don't worry, it gets better!"

We arrived safe and sound in Anderson, Indiana and headed straight over to the Park Place Church of God to get our registration handled. Smooth. Simple. And everyone was smiling :)

Next, we got checked-in to our room in Fair Commons (dorms on campus at Anderson University). And I've got to say, every time I stay here I realized how blessed I am and how privileged we are in the Church of God to have facilities like this available. Thank you Anderson University for my home away from home this week!

Did you know - if you open the door for Marshall (my 2 1/2 year-old), he will invite himself right in and make himself at home? Well, Jeff and Joanie Frymire found this out tonight when we stopped to make a quick visit with them. After some cheese and crackers, and a very funny story about exploding toilet tanks (you'll have to ask Jeff yourself), we headed back out to do a little shopping (a.k.a. buying the things you accidentally left at home).

Now, you might think that it couldn't get any better than this, especially after the way the day started. You might even think that a late-night trip to Walmart could quite possibly undo all of the previous happiness and joy. However, you would be wrong. There was one more thing that would make all of the earlier problems fade off into the sunset, never to be remembered again. Are you ready?

Yes, that is banana pudding ice cream. I totally forgot that I could get this delicious dessert in the great state of Indiana. It might say Blue Bell on the container, but I believe this sweet treat is straight from the hands of God.

So you see, don't worry - it gets better!

Hearing Again for the First Time

During my walk today, the song "I Am Free" by Michael Gungor came up on shuffle. I love this song, but today I caught something different - something I had never heard before. Even though I've listened to this song hundreds of times, even though I have all of the lyrics memorized, a different meaning I had never pondered before seemed to almost overwhelm me.

Through you the blind will see
Through you the mute will sing
Through you the dead will rise
Through you our hearts will praise
Through the darkness flees
Through you my heart screams
I am Free!

I have always paid attention to the "results" in the lines of this song (blind will see, mute will sing, etc.). Never before had I heard such a strong emphasis on the word, "You." And as the tears began to roll down my cheeks, I realized that God was trying to free me. Free me from the pressures that I have put on myself. Free me from the responsibilities that are not mine. Free me from the expectations of others. Free me from trying to figure out how to implement the latest church growth methods. Free me from another 5-point list of what a leader has to be and do in order to be effective.

I am Free! I am Free! I am Free! Why? Because it's not about me!

Sometimes we need reminded of this. Sometimes it comes to us when we hear things again for the first time.

Getting Ready

Getting ready to head to Anderson, Indiana for the Global Gathering. I thought this would be the perfect time to start blogging, so I hope you enjoy the many posts that will follow in the days ahead. I am expecting God to show up in a powerful way this year!