BCC Heals

Holiday suffering

In this season of celebration, I'm noticing that many of us are suffering loss and might never feel the same way about Christmas time again.

Brian Drinkwine, who is BCC's associate minister to students had his father pass away Thursday night of a heart attack. Brian's calling is to bring children closer to Christ.

My friend for many years, Brian Bates, saw his father finally succumb to cancer last Sunday. Brian had been a primary caregiver to his family throughout.

A man I call my brother - Carlos Velasquez or Miami FL, lost his father to a heart attack a week ago.  Carlos made his way to the U.S. from Honduras in the early 1980's to get an education and leverage his strong work ethic in the American economy.  His work supported his family back home all these years.

I saw a horrible car accident Tuesday morning in which a woman, 6 months pregnant, was seriously injured and trapped inside her vehicle after a Suburban hit her square on the driver's side. I don't know what happened to her and her baby.

This week in Madison, robbers shot and killed two customers for no reason in a mini-mart. One of the alleged killers was a 16 year old girl. The victims are believed to be Egyptian immigrants.

How many US and other servicemen and women have been killed in Iraq since Thanksgiving? Dont's forget the hundreds of Iraqi citizens killed every day.

Personally, my mother passed away Easter week 19 years ago.

Forgive my dark litany of sadness only 10 days before Christmas.  I can't help dwelling on the hurt these families are experiencing while I'm running around, commuting and during prayer time.  Jesus was born so that death could be conquered, right?  But the sadness - it's palpable.

My prayer is for a Christmas miracle of comfort and love covering those who are hurting today. God is able to do that and should do that.

A friend needs your prayers

I'm reaching out to anyone in the BCC community to please pray for my friend Brian Bates who lost his father early Sunday morning.  Brian's dad has been sick with cancer for some time. I've looked up to Brian for sacrifices he made to care for his family all along.

Visitation will be Monday for Denver Bates at Ligon and Bobo Funeral Home in Lebanon, TN.  Services will most likely be Tuesday.

"Open to God's call"

Let's call him "Pastor Mickey".  This weekend, we met the first candidate who could replace David Foster as lead pastor of BCC.  Out of consideration for his delicate position, I'll not use his real name here.

There was palpable excitement around campus this weekend. It seemed to me a larger than usual Saturday night attendance and on Sunday morning cars filled the upper and lower lots on the far side of the building. Clearly BCCers were anticipating the chance to hear from this preacher who could possibly continue the healing that's underway here.

I was so interested I arrived early Saturday night.  By the time I left campus Sunday morning, I was quite impressed.  I'll explain why.

It's critical that our next pastor be able to deliver the Gospel in a way that reveals it's timeless message to those who need to hear it here and now.  And that's what I experienced in Pastor Mickey's retelling the story of Simon, the disciple Jesus renamed Peter.  In his final point, he challenged us who make up BCC to embrace the name Jesus will give this church as He mends us through our brokenness.

Sunday morning friends and I wondered how much we'd be able to tell about the man by his preaching.  After all, who's wonderful on stage is not always who's wonderful off it.  So I felt compelled to reach out to this minister one on one.  I found him completely approachable and friendly.  Approachability and friendliness are about attitude and not behavior, someone I respect said earlier.  It's a myth that a pastor leading a church of thousands cannot afford to mingle casually because there's not enough of him to go around.  Bill West has proved that over the last 4 months.  So how encouraging it was to see our lead pastor candidate gracefully available to anyone who wished to meet him.   I even noted him standing in a line to get a cup of coffee. If his candidacy progresses, I hope there's an opportunity for the congregation to ask Pastor M questions in a cottage meeting type setting.

Another question is why Pastor M is interested in BCC when he's already leading a growing church in another city.  He told me in no uncertain terms that he was not shopping his resume around.  BCC approached him.  But he and his wife "have always been open to God's call," adding there is no schism at his current church.

Pastor M told me he currently leads a similar kind of church.  BCC's vision is likely compatible with his own.

Where does it go from here? Maybe we'll hear more Wednesday night.  We have to trust God's wisdom that is leading our elders in this process.  "However long it takes we'll be fine" a friend reassured me this morning.   Pastor M agreed that now is a great time in the life of BCC.

Name me "Hopeful" this weekend

In this weekend's message, What's in a Name, the speaker connected the dots between Jesus' disciple Peter, and followers of Jesus today.  It was a strongly gospel driven talk evoking Jesus' ability to embrace our weaknesses.

What's in a name? Jesus renamed Simon "Peter" and said "upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16).  This weekend's speaker taught us that Jesus empowered Peter to greatness although he was far from perfect - daring to rebuke Christ and later denying he even knew him.

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I'm thinking I have all the weaknesses in the world for Christ to work with.  I heard if I'd only bring them to him, He would embrace my weaknesses and do something mighty through me just as He did with Peter.  I want to do that so badly, but how?  So far it's been a wall I can't get over.  I've prayed.  I've been broken.  I've dreamed.  But I think I have to keep waiting on the Lord.

I heard that God will see in us what He envisions us to be.  I believe it deep down, but even as God can see it, I can't right now.  This doesn't discourage me most of the time.  The Holy Spirit keeps me searching in the right places - at home and at BCC with many wonderful people in the same boat.