When I Think About The Way…

I attended church today. I went in early, helped with the tech run and getting things organized. But when it came to the actual service, I attended – I did not serve. I went to Westchester at 9:30 and had a terrific experience, seeing first-hand what it’s like to go to church in a movie theatre and watch a message on video (in a word: AWESOME. And the seats are unbelievably comfortable!)

At 11:00 I walked into the Powhatan campus of PCC. The music was stellar; it was so fun to sing along and clap and really worship under the leadership of the great musicians on the platform.

Brian’s message – though I’d heard it earlier that morning at Westchester – was compelling. God’s been twisting some truth throughout my heart and I’m wrestling with a few things regarding generosity and my lifestyle (more than likely the impetus for a blog post later this week; I’m still processing).

And then today I receive an email from my friend Beth Anthony. The text said, “PLEASE WATCH THIS”, and a link was attached.

I watched it. And in light of 1) a worship song that I find almost unbearably powerful and quite meaningful on a personal level, and 2) the current teaching that we’re experiencing at PCC, it hit hard.

And I think it’s worth sharing.

It’s cute, to a point. But then it becomes a good bit more than cute.

Watch. And think.

http://www.tangle.com/flash/swf/flvplayer.swf

Just Enough Strength To Live For Today

I’m freaking out about the weather, because apparently we’re going to get hammered with another snow storm. We had a stroke of good fortune and holy inspiration last weekend when we stumbled upon a way to broadcast a PCC service live via ustream. It was fun and exciting and lots of folks tuned in and we were glad we didn’t have to miss church completely.

But here we are again – maybe – and it’s not feeling quite so fun this time. Why? For starters, we want to do a better job than we did last week. We’ve got a little bit of a learning curve to make some improvements on the experience we can offer online. I’m feeling the pressure – from myself – and it’s going to require some serious work over the next two days, if the weather is as bad as predicted.

Also, we miss church! We don’t WANT to miss another weekend of services!

Lastly, we’re hurting. If indeed we have to cancel weekend services, it’ll be the third time we’ve done so in the past eight weeks. At the risk of sounding crass or offending somebody – nobody ever likes to hear church people talk about money – I’ve just got to be honest and say that it’s killing us financially. I heard a great leader say today that “it is a noble thing to give money to a work that God is doing through the local church.” True, that; but when folks don’t have the usual opportunity to give, the impact is huge; more than you might imagine. We hope people will give online, via the mail, or catch up later – but it’s not happening yet and we are facing a difficult situation.

That is stressful.

However, I am learning something new in the midst of this, and it’s been really cool. It’s not necessarily a spiritual thing.

It’s about the weather.

My friend Scott pointed me towards a new resource. I’ve always been comfortable watching the local news and getting the info I need – or maybe checking out weather.com. But this forecaster takes the time to explain the most basic, rudimentary information – and it’s fascinating! I’m not only finding out what is going to happen (according to his predictions), but why.

And that kind of knowledge is a good thing.

The spiritual application might be a bit of a reach, but it’s a common theme. Struggling through finances, revenue, service planning – it can certainly preoccupy my thoughts. Cause tension and stress. Become an obsession.

And when it does? Time to remember a few important things. Look through new eyes. See a different perspective. Step back and think about the why behind the what. And remember the how.

Joy unspeakable that won’t go away

Just enough strength to live for today

So I’ll never have to worry what tomorrow will bring

‘Cause my faith is on solid rock – I am counting on God

FYI: As of right now – Thursday evening – we are still planning on church at PHS on Sunday morning. If the weather does not cooperate, we WILL stream a live service again. News will go out via email, the website and Facebook. Stay tuned!

ADDITIONAL FYI: If you are a regular financial supporter, please continue to give; support what God is doing through the local church so that we can continue to focus on our mission.

Helping Haiti!

I am thrilled to share an exciting bit of news with you regarding the generosity of the PCC community. During Sunday services we provided an opportunity to assist the Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief Team as they offer aid to the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. At the end of the service, we invited folks to participate in a special offering by bringing their gift to baskets on the stage.

As of today, the total amount headed to Haiti is

over $6,500!

If you were not able to give on Sunday, mark your offering with ‘Haiti’ in the memo line or in an envelope marked ‘Haiti’ and drop it in the offering basket this Sunday. You can also bring a donation to the office (4480 Anderson Highway) or drop it in the mail (P.O. Box 834). You can also donate online through the PCC website.

Your generosity is stunning. We are overwhelmed and extremely grateful!

Photo by Getty images, originally found here.