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Day of Prayer

The Ministerial staff is on a rotating schedule to take one day a week to spend in prayer and meditation. Mine was last Tuesday. I have been trying to figure out what I got from that day because since then I have been under attack spiritually. I started by doing some meditation exercises and then I started to read chapter 3 from the book "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster. Chapter 3 was about the discipline of prayer.

Here are my thoughts in "raw" form.

To pray is to change. The central way God uses to transform me is through prayer.

isn't that the purpose of our lives? to be transformed by God? So that others can see our transformation and start their own by connecting to God? It is only through a transformed life that others see God.

Transformed means? To look completely different from when I started.

Allowing God to transform me is scary. It hurts. It's uncomfortable. it requires action and passion on my part.

I am tired. I am weary. I am ashamed that I try to hide from God so that He can't ask/require anything more from me.

I need to listen first. Listen for guidance. God--what is your will for FXCC? for me? for Jay? for Chelsea? for Alex? How do you want to use me to advance your kingdom?

God I don't want my desires to get in the way. I pray for courage to accept what you ask/tell/command me to do.

It was a great day! I went out their anxious and I came home peaceful.

Am I ready for this

Jay and I put Chelsea on a plane today bound for Abilene, TX. to go and interview for the Presidential Scholarship at ACU. I was completely fine with it. We came home...I have been very lazy today--it has been an emotional few weeks for the Sergio family. Alex went to help a family move this afternoon and Jay went to work. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door. It was the volunteer from Lake Braddock (where my kids go to school) she had the sign I ordered.

It says Lake Braddock Class of 2009--Graduate!

I cried. Today, I would tell you I am not ready for this. Good thing that my God is bigger than me. I need to rely fully on Him.

God's heart to your community

We have 2 new ministers on staff at FXCC. We welcome Geoffrey and Phil! Our new executive minister and student minister, respectively. We love having them here! Fresh ideas, fresh outlook and new blood! Geoffrey has been here officially for 10 days and he has already given us 2 books to read to carry out our vision to grow God's kingdom. One is called "They like Jesus, but they hate the church" by Dan Kimball. LOVE IT! It is about how this generation of 18-30 somethings view Jesus and the church. For the most part this age group is the group we are not reaching for Christ. I suggest that if you are part of a leadership group at your church then you should read this book. Remember as Christians we are to "Go onto all the world making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:18. As a Christian we have no higher calling. Too bad Satan knows how to distract us and focus on things that have nothing to do with saving souls.

About a year ago, our church took on the missional/visional motto "To be God's Heart to this Community". Since then we have been trying to figure out what exactly that means and how we will execute it for God's purposes.

So I want to ask you, when you see/hear "...God's heart to this community", what does it bring to mind? How would you be God's heart to your community?

I am curious to see/hear what other people think.