The week in review

i suppose it’s a good sign when you can’t remember the details of your past week…too many good things going on.   or i’m just losing my ability to remember…

1. i’m going to start writing things down to keep track of the previous week.

2. i’m on a new plan to start keeping track of my receipts and mileage, anyway…

3. had a great meeting with my friend casey and some of his co-workers at gospel for asia.   they’re discussing the creation of  a marketing plan for reaching a new generation of people.   it was pretty cool to be around some people who believed so much in what they are doing,  they’re willing to change.

4. why is change so hard?

5. i’ve said it before,  but only an idiot keeps doing the same things and expects different results.

6. we’ve made some pretty substantial changes around north point over the past couple of years.

7. definitely seeing some different results!

8. started up the spring bowling league this past tuesday.

9. i’m pumped.   i’ve figured out how to improve my bowling.

10. glad we have persevered and made bowling work.   it’s now part of the adult ministry culture of NP.

11. we get new people to join us every season.

12. we have so many new folks at NP…it’s getting harder and harder to keep up.

13. we need a plan to help all of 20-30 somethings connect with each other.   i think they all would be blown away to see each other in the same room…at one time!

14. josh’s idea for the simple chainsaw massacre is pure genius.

15. it’s lawn mowing season again.

16. neither one of my lawn mowers is working.

17. my love-hate affair with this time of the year now in full bloom…

18. thanks to richard for coming and mowing my back yard.   another week without mowing would have created a texas rain forest…with all the rain we got this weekend.

19. i’ve got to have a breakthrough…in the next couple of days…on getting my big lawn mower running.   i’m almost out of options on things i can fix myself.

20. i’m such a whiner when it comes to taking care of my lawn.

21. sermon prep this past week was cool.   lots of reading.

22. the history of how the church was shaped by culture (and not necessarily by the bible)  is sad and frustrating to me.

23. it still shocks me that the word “pastor” only appears once in the bible…yet the reality of pastor-as-leader is the most dominant characteristic and face of the modern church!

24. it really bugs me…i mean, super, over-the-top, bothers me…when pastors refer to their church family as “this is my church”…not as in association,  but as ownership.

25. it’s probably time for me to write about the whole pastor-leadership thing again.   it’s good therapy…and accountability…for me.

26. i know i say this every week, but i love getting up on sundays to be with our church family.

27. it is the most awesome way to start my week.

28. can believe how big a hit the idea of a “clergy pass” was.   i hope our local family christian bookstore doesn’t have a run on them this week…since, technically,  we are all part of the “clergy”!

29. people asked me yesterday, “so, what should we call you?”  take your pick…

30. apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, rabbi, shepherd, elder, presbyter, bishop, overseer, deacon, servant, steward, minister, preacher, or…

31. clergyman, rector, vicar, reverend, right reverend, most reverend, priest, father, friar, abbot, or…

32. rev, father farra, padre, holy man, holy boss man, preacher man, chief overseer of all things north point, or…

33. farra, mr. mike, dude, bro, brah (for west-coasters), G, dawg, sir, el hefe, big papi, or simply, mike.

34. like i said…take your pick.

35. great attitude in the house yesterday.

36. music rocked.  anybody surprised?   the best band around.

37. i got to have conversations with some of our newer people yesterday.   great stories.  so glad they found north point!

38. lots of people missing,  but both services felt really full.  this is a good sign.

39. lunch with friends at alfredo’s.   we took over their back room.   pretty sure we scared people away.

40. had a leadership team meeting last night and i’m really inspired by their commitment and love for the north point family.

41. these are great days.

live up to the full measure of the stature of christ this week.   don’t settle for anything less.