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Dear Friends,

Former "Yard of the Month" Tree Coming Down Soon

I paid an arborist to come out to my house a few days ago and look at the tree in my front yard. The leaves have been wilting and falling off for a few weeks. There is one branch on it that just died. There is a swing attached to that branch, but now I am reluctant to let my little grandchildren use the swing. All around the tree, the grass is green. I water the tree on a routine basis. And the ironic thing is that just six weeks ago I won the neighborhood “Yard of the Month” award!

The tree specialist looked at the 60 ft. tree and made a noise. It was hard for him to hide his verdict. It should probably come down, Mr. Roseberry. But why? Just a few weeks ago, I won Yard of the Month! What happened? The tree has been stressed…too hot a summer for the species. He mentioned he could see a little root-bounding going on.  Despite all the water I had put on the tree, the roots weren’t getting what they needed.

He is the second specialist I had paid to come out and he told me the same things as the first. In short, the tree didn’t make it through the hot summer. It got stressed for lack of water.  Then it caught a virus, dropped its leaves, and the rest will soon be history.  It’s coming down.

There is a broader lesson here for us all. The heat of the summer stressed the tree…and led to its demise. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. In two different locations, the Bible puts up a warning:

In Psalm 1, King David talks about a man who is strongly connected to God’s Word, i.e. the Law of the Lord. The poet/king writes:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
(Psalm 1:3 ESV)

The prophet Jeremiah is even more vivid when he picks up this same idea. He writes:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

(Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV)

Could it be any clearer? Do you see the sign from God in your own life?

As we begin a tremendous program year at Christ Church, make a commitment to know His Word and to trust in Him. If you do, your own roots will go down, down, deep into a supply of refreshment and nutrition that will carry you through the difficult days.

What does that look like? I say to do three things. Just three…but do them all. 1) Worship our God week by week. 2) Grow in faith and knowledge and depth of insight.  3) Serve Him in and/or from Christ Church. How? Go to our website and find the dozens of offerings and programs, and get involved.

In a week or so, that huge tree—the one that was the cornerstone for our Yard of the Month prize—will be wood chips. Take the lesson, and don’t let this happen to you.

‘See you this weekend.
In Christ,
David+



Click on the image above to view or download or print the Sermon Study Guide for August 28-29, 2010.

Dear Friends,

How can I improve the weekly sermon study guides?

After my sermons, on my way home, I always have a series of ‘”gee-I-should-have-said-it-this-way” moments. Until now, I have had to live with the frustration that all messages are completely preached on Sunday morning. But now I can get one more chance…and I am thankful to take it.  I get to come home and write out a Sermon Study Guide for members of our small groups and many other individuals who want to take a second look at the message. Go here to see what I am talking about.

The Sermon Study Guides come out every Tuesday in The Call and are a helpful tool for thinking and sharing at a different and deeper level. For example, this week, the newspaper article I referred to (the one about the church and the dance club) is referenced and linked to in the study guide. Additional ideas about what Paul means by “adoption” are linked to in the study guide. An extended quote from C.S. Lewis about the glory of humanity is listed in the study guide. I do hope you will make it a weekly discipline to use the study guide in your small groups and personal life, too. And if you have any suggestions about ways to improve the study guide, please let me know. You can email me, or leave comments at the end of this post.

Here are a couple of things you should know:

Fall Kick-Off Was Fantastic!
Our Fall Kick Off this past weekend was fantastic. After the 9:15 sermon, I ran over to Archgate Center to see our youth ministry program take shape. I was very pleased.  I spoke to 56 high schoolers, 67 seventh/eighth graders, and 47 sixth graders. I invited them to worship with us in the Sanctuary week by week at 11 a.m. I hope to see many of them in worship, and I invited them to stay connected to the sermon series through Facebook, too.

I also heard a few stories of the youngest members of our church yelling out to their parents after Sunday School. One little guy, without really caring who heard him, shouted that he had attended his Sunday School…and he loved it. He was proud of himself. And you can be proud of our Children’s and Youth Ministries, too. Both programs depend on the commitment of students and their parents to make it work. Christian education does not work without the parent(s) being thoroughly involved! Our staff is dedicated to partnering with the parents to raise their children to know, love, and serve the Lord.

On Point for Men
By the time you read this, the men will have met for their first session of On Point Bible Study. This is a great joy for Fr. Jason and me to teach. Over the six years that I have led this men’s study, I have seen incredible growth and spiritual strength emerge in these men. I love these guys and I try to prepare material that speaks to where they are in life. We deal with issues that connect directly to the life of the men of our church. All men are welcome to attend…and you don’t need prior Bible knowledge to come and get started.

Men, I hope you will make plans to be here next Tuesday at 7 a.m. We are studying the Book of 2 Samuel. You will be welcomed with fresh hot coffee, and we end promptly at 8 a.m.

On Point - Tuesdays 7 a.m....You're Invited!

Finally, I would want you to know that our church offers Christian support for many important areas of life: finances, grief, divorce, marriage, illness, etc. If you are seeking to not just “get through” some issues in your life but also to grow through them, you may want to contact our clergy staff. Don’t be shy. Fr. Clint Kerley can be reached at 214-291-5056.

‘See you soon,
David+

Dear Friends,

No, it’s not Thursday yet! We have moved The Call to Tuesdays so that we can get the Sermon Study Guides into your hands earlier and give you a chance to take advantage of them throughout the week. During this current sermon series, “More Than Conquerors”, which began this past weekend, I will write a companion Sermon Study Guide each week. It is to be used by Small Groups or anyone who wants to walk deeper into some of the points I illustrate in the sermons. My hope is that these Study Guides will give you plenty to think about and to share with others. Please let me know what you think. See the left-hand column for links to this week’s Sermon Study Guide and Sermon Audio/Video.

“He Made Us Better”
As the rector here, I have the great privilege of knowing the unique life stories of so many people in our church family. I am often privy to their challenges, struggles, heartaches, blessings and victories. It is an extraordinary honor. This week, I learned of such a victory for someone many of you know well: Ian Rawn (son of Fr. Jeff and Cinde Rawn). Ian serves on our altar party and as an usher, and is beloved by this church family.

To know Ian is also to know that he was born with Down syndrome. Despite that challenge, he lives a full and wonderful life with the help of his awesome parents and many people who come alongside him. God has richly blessed Ian with a great Christian community where he can serve. Here’s one story of his service, as written by Cinde:

Ian is pictured below after a training routine with the volunteer firefighters in Sewickley, PA who welcomed him as part of their team. He completed 66 hours of state mandated fire school training, as well as twice monthly routine training sessions with his team of 32 firefighters. Ian was an integral part of the team and was trained as a hose, hydrant and equipment man who would not enter burning structures. When Ian left the squad in 2003 [due to the family's relocation to Plano] one of the firefighters said, “He changed us. He made us better. He taught us about dedication, passion, and never giving up…no matter what limitations we might face.” Ian credits the firefighters, and many other people in his life, with giving him opportunities to be part of many great causes and organizations.

I submitted the photo into a national search for a promotional video about inclusion to be played later this year in Times Square. It was selected by the National Down Syndrome Society as one of the examples of the full and wonderful lives people with Down syndrome live. We are excited for Ian, ever so grateful to the firefighters who fully accepted and included Ian at Cochran Hose Company, but most thankful for the way God keeps pouring such wonderful people into Ian’s life! Everyday we see how good people support and bless Ian, and then delight as the world that gets to witness such acts of kindness and inclusion. To my mind this video is a little bit about Down syndrome and a whole lot more about the people in the world who make life better for those with disabilities. If you happen to be in Times Square on September 25, 2010 at 10:15 and 10:35, look up and see Ian and “his guys” showing the world what inclusion looks like!

Ian Rawn (front row, 2nd from left) and fellow buddies of Cochran Hose Company in Sewickley, Pennsylvania several years ago

God bless Fr. Jeff and Cinde who have worked hard to teach Ian that, by the grace of God, none of us has to walk through life alone, but that we are all made in His image and uniquely gifted to serve Him and one another.

Here are a few other things you should know this week:

My Bible
My ESV Bible is signed by the General Editor, J.I. Packer. It is a prized possession for me, and I am so glad that we are now fully in the ESV.  Pick up a copy in The Bookstore for yourself. And remember, if you cannot afford one (for whatever reason), please let our clergy know. We will get you a copy of the Scriptures for your own personal use. By the way, our NIV Bibles were donated to the Parkland Hospital Chaplaincy and to TRAC (Transition Resource Action Center) for some 18-year-olds who are transitioning out of foster care to independent living. (The timing is perfect: Two weeks ago a Christ Church volunteer was helping these young adults assemble their first apartment kits and approximately 40 of them had asked for Bibles but there were only seven. Now there are plenty.)

Orphanage Construction Beginning
I received a letter from Bishop Bill Godfrey who has just come north from a weekend at our orphanage in Arequipa, Peru. He tells me that construction of the new facility is about to begin very soon. This makes the Roof Dog Run all the more important.  Will you join me and hundreds of other supporters of this ministry in our fifth annual Roof Dog Run? Great fellowship. Handsome T-shirt. Beautiful route (you’ll run right by my house and I’ll hand out water to thirsty runners). Good exercise. And a great way to get the whole family involved in supporting a tremendous ministry to orphan children in the Diocese of Peru. Visit the Roof Dog’s own personal Facebook page and register here.

“Everybody must hear this!”
Finally, speaking of children, we received a precious note in an offering envelope from an anonymous 10-year-old boy this weekend. Here is the translation; it sounds like he’s been listening!

If you get this, read it. God and Jesus are my Heavenly Father. They will help us in time of need. What I’m saying is God and the Holy Spirit are tapping on my heart. God will not let us suffer. He will let us live. If you’re reading this, God loves you. If you get this, pass it on to another person. Everybody must hear this! God does not care how you look or  dress like. He loves your heart.

‘See you this weekend for sermon #2, “His Spirit is Alive in You.”

In Christ,
David+