Mark Waltz | ...because People Matter

Spiritual Transformation: A Question of Feeding

This past Thursday evening I had the opportunity to launch our midweek series: Bringing Up There Down Here Starts Here. The focus was "feeding myself." I find that it's a topic that's challenging to address for a number of reasons:

• Christians tend to think their local church pastors should feed them more... at least more "meat."
• Local church pastors tend to feel frustrated when they hear from Christians that "it's not deep enough."
• Individual Christ-followers often feel an enormous amount of guilt because they feel they don't self-feed well or enough.
• Christ-followers often feel ill-equipped to understand what they read in the Scriptures. "Where do I start?", "How do I make sense of this?", "Been there, read that, know the story."
• Local church pastors often feel a similar guilt because their own "self-feeding" is almost completely focused on "feeding" their people.
• People who don't know Jesus are dependent on the clear teaching of God's Word, his Story.
• People who are new in their experience of following him are just trying to figure out what to read, how to study, and how to apply what they read to their lives.
• People who are "veterans" in their faith journey aren't entirely independent and have often assumed they've applied more from their reading than they have.

It's a perplexing...

Over My Shoulder

Here's a quick summary of some "keeper" memories as I look over my shoulder the past several days:

• My wife is back home from our annual GCC women's retreat. I'm really glad she went. And I'm really glad she's home.
• Mark Beeson, Bob Laurent, Kathy Guy and Rob Wegner all shared the responsibility of speaking at our women's retreat. Mark launched with strength (it's what he does!) on Friday night, reminding the nearly 200 women of the "appointment" they had opportunity to keep with God over the weekend. To read more about the retreat read here, here, here, here and here. These women encountered God this weekend and experienced the wonder of relationship with him and each other. (And I got to speak a session so I got to see my wife - at the retreat!)
• Dad-daughter date time with Olivia while Laura was out of town was priceless. Movies, pizza, talk of friends, hopes and summer plans. Good times.
• Enjoyed a great talk with God and a nostalgic listen of Chicago on my Zune while mowing the grass. Talk time with God and my Zune redeem the mowing task for me.
• This past weekend service featuring Seth Bible and Trace Rorie, singing Red Letters was a one-two punch with Rob Wegner's solid call to be people of the Book. And that Halo 3 media clip? Who is this Jeff Petersen guy? Watch the service here.
• We launched our New Community series, "Up There Down Here Starts Here" this past Thursday night. I talked with our people about the need to feed ourselves spiritually in order to sustain the process of heart change Jesus wants to work in us. It's all about transformation. It starts in the heart. My heart and yours.
• I had a fun meeting with Kathy, Jeff and Kristin about an incredible story of God's grace and transformation in the lives of real people. We're going to unpack this story at the end of the month. I can hardly wait!
• Coffee with my new friend, Don, was inspiring.
• Lunch with my friend, Tom, was encouraging and stimulating.
• Coffee and conversation with my wife, Laura, birthed a new goal and a promising journey. More later. I'm stoked. We're both scared. And she's willing. More later.

Person Rob Wegner

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A Friend of GCC Speaks Up

Tim Stevens has been the steady diet in a vulture-like feeding frenzy of Christians who see Granger Community Church (and others who tap pop culture as parable and platform to communicate Christ) as the antithesis of Christianity. Tim pointed to the string of posts and comments from his critics here. Ingrid is a frequent critic of GCC's philosophy of ministry, and wrote her own review of Tim's new book here. What's hilarious about her review is the incredible book promotion she provides her readers with links to his blog, his book website, and sites to buy his book. Thanks, Ingrid.

But, she's not the friend of GCC I'm referring to in this post's title. Among the many scathing comments about Tim's book and GCC, I read the following thoughtful rebuttal. Interestingly enough, this man doesn't attend GCC, but lives in our area. His comments not only speak to what Ingrid's and Old Truth's audience don't understand, but his comments encourage me as a pastor at GCC. I hope Tim was encouraged too.

This comment is lengthy, but worth the read.

Have you ever seen or heard another pastor you trust and respect (someone making great strides for the Kingdom of God) interviewed by secular media - did they really bring out all the truth as you know it? Do they always get the story 100% accurate? Have they ever misspelled something you know should be spelled differently? Do you realize how much is edited from the interview as the Church is simply something that doesn't get much news coverage?

Would you want your church to be featured in just a short amount of time and be judged by that one interview? I'm afraid my friends that many would be having a conversation about you and your philosophies in the same manner.

Matthew 28 simply states: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

I need to clarify I do not attend Granger Community Church but I do reside in Granger, IN and I am quite aware of Granger Community Church and the impact that has been made on this community in the last 20 years and countless individuals lives that have been away from God and are serving him wholeheartedly.

Granger simply takes that verse quite literally -

Person Tim Stevens

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Slasher Time

It's in the editor's hands for the first mark-up, or slashing, as the case may be.

It's book number two for me: Lasting Impressions. By Friday I'll have the first round of edits to review, correct and add to. This process will go back and forth a couple more times until my editor is as happy as I am with the book. Or the other way around.

The final is due in mid-July, so it can hit the shelf in December.

Meanwhile I keep seeing recently released or soon to be released books on the same topic. I hope there's something new and helpful here by the time this makes it too press.

To Look or Not to Look

I have a standing desk in my office that holds my laptop. I frequently think better (or stay awake after lunch) when I can pace or stand. The desk is directly in front of a floor to ceiling window that overlooks the front of our church. Others may see it as a view of pavement and parking spaces, I see it as a view of entry to all that happens on our campus. There lots of opportunities to pray and think of our people (and be distracted, quite honestly).

Anyway, this morning I was standing at my laptop, enjoying the brief sunlight we'll have today. With my window blinds completely raised, I quickly realized that I wasn't the only one with a view. People coming in could see me clearly.

And they didn't know what to do.

People who know who I am, but who don't know me well, made eye contact, then quickly looked away, perhaps feeling they had just looked into a private office they weren't supposed to see. They felt uncomfortable. They nervously shifted their glance and moved ahead quickly to the front doors of the building.

People who are my good friends have literally thrown themselves at the glass, unconcerned about whether or not they are invading my space. They've laughed like annoying little kids when I've jumped at all. Then we share a smile, while they point and I shake my head. Friends.

Reminds me of the importance of recognizing relational space. Vulnerability should be chosen carefully. It must be safe for everyone. There are things I tell my wife, I wouldn't tell anyone else. There are things I tell my comrades, I don't tell acquaintances or casual friends.

It's what our Turning Point groups are all about. They start up again on May 13. If you're a GCCer, check it out here.

It's what we've learned some important lessons about in Starting Point and other "small" groups.

Just because I feel better being vulnerable, doesn't mean everyone else is better off because of it. Know when to close the blinds.

Get in the Game: Week 1 - Mario Party

It started this weekend with a life-size, human rendering of Mario Brothers - hilarious! Follow this series each week at GCCwired.com as we invite our people to get off the couch, out the door and into the game.

Mark Beeson was at his best, communicating biblical truth about community with side-splitting humor. The invitation was simple: we need friends; we're designed for relationships; live life with friends! Whether you're just having a good time (like, really, playing), serving, worshiping, studying, or inviting others to join community - do so with friends!

For a brief and timely post from my friend and our director of community, Kathy Guy, go here.

Tim Stevens on Fox-Indianapolis

Tim Stevens was interviewed on Indianapolis' Fox Morning News a couple weeks ago. The topic? His latest book: Pop Goes the Church. Watch this clip, then get your copy here.

Here's the clip:

Person Tim Stevens

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Today I Answered This Email...

Just today I responded to an email from a seminary student doing a paper on discipleship. Here are her questions, followed by my responses in italics.

• How would you define discipleship?
  • Discipleship defines the process and journey taken by anyone who chooses to be a disciple of Christ – that is, a learner, one who watches and interacts with Christ to take on his agenda in the world, namely to bring up there, down here. That’s all relational stuff. It’s about realizing that “I matter to God” and so does everyone else.

• Do you feel your church does effective adult discipleship? 
  • Yes, but there is always room for improvement to increase effectiveness.

• If Yes - what do you do and how?
  • I think there’s confusion between discipleship and indoctrination. My guess is that a traditional model of discipleship really risks  being the later.
  • That said, I believe much of the effective work of taking up the Great Commission (Matthew 28) occurs in the space of ministry that many would not deem discipleship. I’m speaking of our weekend services which are designed with seekers in mind. Jesus says, “Make disciples.
    • For starters, people must be invited to accept the call of Jesus.
    • Secondly, people will accept such an outlandish call when they understand how much they matter to God. Void of that knowledge, disciples can become legalistic religious zealots who make discipleship all about correct behavior. When people get that they matter to God, that their life has worth and purpose, the rest of their worldview can begin to change. This includes how they see God, themselves and other people. When I hear someone move from knowing that they matter to recognizing that other people matter too – it’s big-time celebration stuff!
    • Jesus said, “teaching them to obey what I’ve commanded you.” Interesting that the specific command Jesus gives to this disciples is “love one another.” This follows his summary of the entire law: love God with everything in you and your neighbor as yourself.” When people love, life changes.
    • Seems to me that at the end of the day, the question of effective discipleship is simply and completely: “Am I more loving than I was last week, last month, last year?”
  • Therefore, we see everything we do as discipleship. Weekend services, our midweek service, Bible classes, groups of friendships, groups of growth and support, personal practices/disciplines – they all “count” as effective means of discipleship.

• Why do you feel it's effective?
  • We’re trying to help our people not segregate discipleship as the catch word to describe or understand their spirituality. If we live in a way that honors God and the truest self he made us to be, we’ll understand that we can only live life fully integrated as committed followers.
    • Growth shows up in my marriage or it doesn’t. Growth shows up in my parenting or it doesn’t. Growth shows up in my leadership, or it doesn’t. Growth shows up in my finances, job, recreation, secret thoughts and church life – or it doesn’t. Growth is growth. I am either more loving or I am not. And if I’m more loving, then it’s showing up in my behavior, in my lifestyle.
    • We rely on stories a lot. There are health measurements such as attendance on the weekend, in midweek services, in groups, in baptisms, and in giving. And those all matter; each is about interest, steps in growth and about lives being changed. But stories bear out the life changes in relationships, in work, in lifestyle where loving shows up. And the stories are abundant.

• If No - what keeps your church from engaging in effective discipleship?
  • We can improve in providing more emphasis on the core spiritual disciplines that only individuals can own. Giving people teaching and tools to own these practices as steps that prepare and shape them is something we’re doing over this summer. We are planning for more steps in the fall out of what we learn this summer.
  • Additionally, there’s a deeply-engrained mindset that suggests discipleship somehow means it’s all about “getting to know Jesus better”, as if salvation and knowing God is only about one’s relationship with God in a two-way interaction. Yes, it is - but it's more.
    • This has Christians crying for the local church to “feed me”, expecting that Bible classes, weekend services, and midweek services should be set up to help me feel better about being a Christian (or something distorted like that).
    • The greatest growth I’ve seen in my own life and in the lives of others is when they begin to experience...
      • ...there are others. I need to care about someone else besides just me. As people serve, reach out and take genuine interest in others, they grow. God shows up. Their intimacy with God deepens; their prayer routine turns conversational – and often.
      • ...God is in my pain, in my right-now circumstances. When they begin to look at where they are right now and ask, “God, what are you up to?”, there is generally a building of trust – true faith – and a sense of hope.
      • ...connection with God in scripture on their own. They sense the Holy Spirit bringing the story into harmony with their story.
      • ...other spiritual practices that they create or experiment with not because they are following rote outline, but because they intentionally position themselves to love better.
      • ...friendships with other Christ-followers that are supporting, challenging and invited.
  • Ultimately, discovering multiple ways to help people engage a 24/7 disciple mindset is the ongoing challenge. What’s effective today won’t be so much tomorrow. What helped yesterday, isn’t so helpful today.

• Is your discipleship ministry the same today as it was five years ago?
  • No. Five years ago we weren’t really recognizing that people had various pathways to growth. We finally got honest when we realized that we were asking our people to give 9 days a week to serve, be in services, share with their neighbors and co-workers, be with their family, belong to a small group, … the list went on.
  • We realized that some will grow best through the practice and experience of midweek service designed for Christ-followers, others will benefit from a small group or a Bible class. We began to promote a “here’s the menu – you choose what best helps you at your particular point in your journey.”

• Have you done anything within your adult discipleship ministry to address the changes in the way people process, study, work, think today compared to 10-20 years ago? If yes - what?
  • We’re trying to address the relational component well. We see people processing in conversation, in life lived out together over time. People are more hands-on. So, we’re making every class/group highly relational. We’re sending discussion questions home with everyone on the weekends.
  • Nearly ten years ago we launched a series of Core Classes (via Warrens' Purpose Driven Church) that still functions as an essential discipling track in our church.

• What do you feel is the greatest challenge to true adult discipleship in today's world?
  • Unlearning what it is not. It is not a set number of classes. It is not a checklist of activities. It is not a prescribed anything. A number of those things may show up along the way, but it is journey. It is learning, relating, practicing. It is life for the follower of Jesus.

Some of this revisits some earlier posts, but provided a platform for a recap in the midst of the REVEAL survey that Willow Creek has initiated and is now responding to.

How would you answer these questions in your church?

Pop Goes the Church Makes Some Noise

Tim signing a copy of his new book, Pop Goes the Church, for my assistant, Julie Smies

My friend, Tim Stevens (Granger Community's executive pastor) hates signing books as well as stepping into the media spotlight (see his comments here). But he's going to need to suck it up, 'cause it's comin'! His new book, Pop Goes the Church, is available, and it's making some noise.

You'll note in his post that he's in Indy today doing interviews with the Indianapolis Star and appearing live on Indy's local Fox morning news show. Although I've told him this is just the beginning of an escalating interest in his book, this is about more than book signings, media appearances and conference engagements.

Tim's new book will make some noise because:

• Christians can't keep "doing church" in a vacuum as though the only place God shows up in our church buildings.
• Most of pop culture isn't an intentional tool for exploring God and faith; it's most often a simple reflection of desired hope, painful regret and, though unrecognized, an indelible stamp of God's image on every human life.
• doing church without acknowledging and speaking into the culture with an engaging, hopeful message is to choose blindness to the context in which we live.
• Christians tend to wear "badges of holiness" based on what they stand against rather than reflecting the gracious, redemptive image of God by living out what we stand for.
• America is skeptical of the evangelical church; this book's message is not self-righteous and condemning.
• This book reveals the approach to ministry that Granger Community Church has practiced for 21 years under the leadership and teaching of Mark Beeson, Granger's senior and founding pastor.
• Tim's style is engaging and humorous; his passion is God-driven and his calling is undeniable. He loves God and the people Jesus came to redeem through his here-and-now kingdom.

I thank God for Tim... for his leadership, his passion, his live laid out for the kingdom and for his personal friendship.

If you haven't gotten your copy of the book yet, check it out here.

Person Mark Beeson

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Critics and Context

I've been amazed at the blogsphere critics who have both watched and even posted the Easter weekend  interactive media that our church posted on YouTube video (featuring the song, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk). Here's the video that's drawing the critics' fire lately:

If you want context, watch the entire service here. It may have been the best Easter service I've participated in for some time. Thanks for the inspired teaching, Mark Beeson!

Person Mark Beeson

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Multi-site Systems and Strategies: Early Questions

A while back I was asked this question related to our multi-site launch this fall:

You guys do a great job with people and systems, what aspects of these systems will need to be changed as you go from multi-site from one site? In particular guest services and children's?

Here's a quick and early response:

It’s been a big topic of conversation – although not too detailed yet. Here’s what we think we know today:

• We want every site to be directed and influenced by the expertise and excellence of our current children’s director and our experience specialist (guest services). These ministries will play a prominent role at each site. Reporting will still be centralized, while noting specific teams, membership, attendance and leadership per site. Training may initially be centralized with unique OJT (on the job) specifics rolled out per site.
• Each site will have a stellar leader overseeing, pasturing, that site. They will work extensively with their entire staff/volunteer teams onsite, including children’s and guest services. This is where we expect OJT and JIT (just in time) specifics to be led and strategized by the volunteer  leaders and staff at each site. I expect we'll learn very specific best practices from each site that will impact our performance and function at every other site  - including our existing site.

These two bullets represent macro and micro. We’ll want the macro vision, leadership development and Granger DNA at every site. But we’ll need the micro personality and cultural context that will bring uniqueness to each site.

Again, that’s not too detailed today, but we’ll be working with all the key stakeholders over the spring and summer to arrive at our fall launch. Keep watching, and if you don’t see more related posts as we go forward, please ask again!

Redefining Normal

Several weeks ago a young couple in our church, Brandon and Jill, experienced the painful death of their 10-year old daughter, Audrey. Most people would meet Audrey and understand that she had special needs. She was wheel-chair bound, could not see, and was not able to speak. But she was in an extraordinary family who helped her get into a tremendous school (Horizon Elementary in the Penn-Harris-Madison school district). She attended school every day where faculty and students reached out to touch her young life. Truth is, Audrey's life touched, marked and changed most every person who encountered her.

What follows is an excerpt of the message I shared at her memorial service. I'm not posting the entire service, but this is still an unusually long post. I'm posting to say just what I said that day: sometimes we grossly misunderstand normal. Being human is divine, created by God as image-bearers, imago dei. I long to live life free of my selfishness, my propensity to judgment and my occasional slip into wound-nursing.

Thanks to Brandon and Jill for nurturing, loving and sacrificing as you did for this precious gift of life. 

As I've listened over the past several days I've heard conversation that would describe other children around Audrey as normal, suggesting that Audrey was not. The comments have not been unkind, rather intended to lovingly reference the many challenges that Audrey faced that most kids do not.

And yet, as I've listened to the impact of touched lives around Audrey, I've begun to think that Audrey may well be one of the most normal human beings any of us could know.

Normal is often what we just get used to. It's what we accept as "just the way it is." Over time in most of our lives, there are things that should, perhaps, never be normal:

• We judge others based on their appearance, their clothes, their brands.
• We hold grudges from our hurts and wounds.
• We require more stuff, more things to keep us happy.

  Not Audrey.

• She didn't judge anyone, for any reason, ever.
• So far as any of us could understand, she never held a grudge from someone's careless words.
• She accepted what she had as enough. She didn't need more.

Daniel, Audrey's classmate wrote it this way: "She knew more than anybody."

In more than one way, perhaps Audrey lived more normally than any of us. After all normal should be defined by our Creator's image on our lives. And as I'm able to understand what it is to be an image-bearer of God, he has created us as human beings to live in unity, extending forgiveness not bitterness and to live with humble contentment, not reliant on stuff to fulfill us.

           I think Audrey was more normal than most of us.

Secondly, Audrey's life called anyone who was around her to be more normal, more fully human. She literally pulled the best out of people. To be fully human is to:

• Be unconditionally accepting of others.

Somehow children and adults alike – if they were around Audrey at all, they came to love her. They didn't need her to talk, hold her head up, or run on the playground. We realized we weren't asking her to be or do more than she was. This is Audrey. And this room last night and today has been filled with people who unconditionally accepted and loved her.

• Call the best out of people. 

Audrey did just that, and in turn, those people found purpose and joy in serving her. Children clamored to be the one who pushed her around in her wheelchair, knowing the streaming bubbles from her bubble wand must be bringing her such joy. Adults baked, stopped for visits and rearranged their schedules to care not only for Audrey, but for Brandon, Jill and the boys as well.

Every time you stopped thinking about yourself, you set aside your own time, you expended your own talent, energy and resources on her behalf - you got to experience what it means to be fully human.

• Reflect God's character, his image.

Audrey called us to be fully human because every time we turned toward her we reflected God's character, his love, his image. God showed up.

Finally, there is another picture that I want to celebrate in Audrey's life. In the New Testament of the Bible Jesus tells us that when you feed, clothe, visit… when you serve and care for "the least of these" you actually care for Jesus himself. Jesus says your truest God-created humanity is lived out when you look to those who society doesn't consider normal… the least of these… and you care for them like they are worthy of your time, your energy, your resources, your heart. And "when you do", Jesus says, "I experience your love, I receive your gift."   

Matthew tells this story: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." (Matt.18:1-5)

Audrey literally gave us the opportunity to give to Jesus. To experience being fully human. To live out heaven on earth. Up there, down here.

That's really special.

Easter: the Good News Gone Viral

It's not linear. It's viral.

It's not one tells one. It's everyone tell everyone.

It was not a slow-spreading announcement, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It didn't travel one person to one more person. It was viral. Each person told everyone they knew. The Light caused ripple effects that impacted everyone and everything around it. All of history has been marked and changed by the resurrection of this One, the Light of the World, Jesus the Christ.

Observing the phenomenon of viral video and communication, where any one person on the planet - anyone - can communicate a message to the entire world about any topic, any time.

Mark Beeson, asked this simple question, "What if everyone told everyone, rather than everyone tell one?"

Using glow sticks to illustrate the power of viral over linear communication, nearly 9,500 people this weekend at Granger Community Church were invited to be part of the movement. To help bring up there, down here. To tell not just one, but everyone they knew. Reading aloud the resurrection narrative from Matthew's account where the disciples ran to share the news with others, Mark observed, "good news cannot be walked!" (For some great pics and early feedback see Mark's post here.)

The service will be uploaded soon (I'll update this link then), so watch GCCwired.com to see the entire service online. Until then, enjoy this clip that Mark used to illustrate the fun and wonder of each of us simply choosing to sing the song of the Good News to a world who may or not be expecting us to sing it. Watch this:

I'm Okay: Final Thoughts

I'm moving on to other posts and conversations after these final observations about the accident I was involved in a few days ago.

• I have the greatest friends on the planet. Meals have been offered and dropped by, cell phone numbers have been left in emails, DVD libraries have been offered, rides for Olivia were provided (before Laura was back home), "taxi" service was provided for me. Thanks again to Kent for taking me to the hospital (and taking the picture above). And a big thanks to Jennifer Price who stayed with Liv while I was getting medical treatment (she also picked up Liv from school and helped arranging other meals).
  
• The "get-well" card system of the internet via Facebook, the blogsphere and email has made the world a little smaller and reminded me just how much I matter to God... and others.
• My mom, dad and other family members have called, texted and emailed as well, concerned and grateful at the same time.
• My friend and GCC member, Gary Weaver, was the driver of the on-coming car I hit. His car is totaled. He's been so gracious and kind. And, thankfully, he's walking around with a sore neck - that's it!
• Amazing. God's grace through people has been amazing.
• The advise my mom gave years ago was good advise: always wear clean skivvies and socks. My socks had been worn in the garage, to get the mail, you name it. They weren't clean. I thought of my mom's advise and how wise she was as I lay there in the hospital in my drafty gown and dirty socks.
• Why do they put the only two ties there are, on the backside of a hospital gown?
  • Nobody ties them, and if your ribs are broken, you can't either.
  • The staff kept pulling down my gown in the front to check my injuries. Ouch. Wouldn't that be easier if the gown were open in the front?
  • I'm a male. They wanted the obligatory test from the restroom. Again, the gown opened in the back. Why?
• With my gown in free-flow-flap, hanging wide open down the back of my skivvies-only body, they paraded me through the hospital for x-rays. I can't go anywhere in our town without someone recognizing me from GCC. What do you suppose the odds are that there will be at least two to three orderlies, technicians or nurses who won't be able to look me in the eye at church on Easter?
• Honestly, the ER staff at Memorial Hospital in South Bend were excellent. They were efficient, personable and professional. I was impressed.
• My 14-year-old Liv cared for me like she'd been cooking, cleaning and caring for years. She prepared meals, did laundry, dishes, cared for the pets, made my bed sleepable with an abundance of pillows. She's awesome. I couldn't be more proud!.
• Since my wife, Laura, has been home she's been a wonderful combination of a caring, nurturing, Gestapo. She won't let me lift anything heavier than a kleenex, but coaches me to cough like the doctor said to keep my lungs clear. She opens doors, pumps gas in her car and does the driving. She's awesome! I've missed her - I'm so glad she's home (and that her parents are doing well now)!

Now, it's Easter. Hundreds of thousands will celebrate the Christ's resurrection all over the globe this weekend. I will be among them tonight at our 7:30 pm, Saturday service. It's going to be a grand celebration and the launch of our series: The Viral Effect: It's Already Begun.

I'm OK

Some of you saw it at LeadingSmart.com from my friend, Tim Stevens. I'll bottom-line it. I was involved in a car accident on Wednesday evening that ultimately impacted 4 vehicles along with their drivers and passengers. Everyone who was injured seemed to only suffer minor injuries - which is amazing considering the highway speed impact and the damage to the vehicles.

I refused to go to the hospital, believing I'd surely only suffered some bruising on my right side - likely from the seatbelt. My friend, Tim was at the site within 5 minutes of my call to him. He offered to get me some medical attention, even urged me. My friend and senior pastor, Mark Beeson called and also pressed me to get checked out, just to be sure. My dear wife is out of town helping her parents with their own medical issues. She desperately wanted me to get to the hospital as well.

I stayed on the phone with friends contacting me for the next 3 hours. Phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, text messages. The love and concern from my community (here and beyond) poured out. And I stubbornly assured each of them that I was fine and declined their advise to get some treatment.

By 10 pm my friend, Kent Ross, pulled into my driveway and announced, "Get your coat. We're going to the hospital." He wasn't urging or recommending. The car was running. He was taking me. Within minutes, our friend, Jennifer, arrived to stay with Olivia until I returned from the hospital.

Reluctantly and painfully I got into Kent's car and checked into the ER. 3 hours later after x-rays, blood and other tests, CAT scans and IV drips, I was sent home to rest with 4 broken ribs and some minor internal bruising. I suppose the trip to the hospital was the right thing to do.

So, I am OK. More importantly I'm grateful. I have an incredible family, stupendous friends and a sore, but whole body and mind tonight (this morning).

The codeine is starting to kick in, my eyes are heavy. No profound theological points out of all this right now, except - you need community. You need friends.

Thanks to the scores of friends - here and beyond - for your prayers and care!