Don't just do something...stand there.

I know the title of this post seems backwards... as a church planter we are people of action... always on our cellphones, blogging, preparing creative ways to communicate God's Word, bouncing ideas off of other church planters and always trying to connect with disconnected people. Some days I have gone nonstop all day long and have been very productive...but we have to always be aware of the habits we're forming... if we go constantly and never stop to think, contemplate or  meditate, that can wreck our ministries and churches just as much as laziness can.  I heard Andy Stanley say one time, don't just work IN your ministry, work ON your ministry.  One of the things I think that God is doing in me right now is SCREAMING LOUD to plan some THINK TIME.  Carve out some time in my schedule to think about what we're doing as a church that just turned 1 year old.  What are we doing well?  What are we doing poorly?  Who are we reaching?  How are we reaching them?  How are we helping transform them into Passionate Christ Followers?  Are people's lives being transformed?  Tons and Tons of questions... If I'm too busy to think about them... we'll just keep putting things off and pushing things back and soon... we'll be a church that's 5 years old and hasn't changed or grown a bit.  That's not acceptable for me... I know God has more for us than that... God has more for YOU than just to leave you the way you are.   I ran across a post from Bil Cornelius... I haven't read his blog in a while but it was just what I needed today because I've fallen into that "hurry up -- we've got so much to do we can't slow down" mode... in it he said said that we've lost the art of reflection... the art of thinking.

"One of the greatest reasons why we do not see more “fruit” in our lives, or more results is because we are not thinking. When is the last time you just sat down and contemplated why you do what you do and what needs to change in your life?  There is a forgotten art of contemplation and meditation found all through the scriptures.  If Jesus wandered off into the forest, wilderness, hills, or across a lake, maybe we should too.  I find that the greatest move I can make to see God move through me is to grab my Bible, a journal and a pen and wander off.  When you wander off with God you get to experience His wonder."

Man, I needed that today... It stings to think that I've let our church suffer... I haven't led like I should, I haven't planned strategically like I should, I haven't cast vision like I should... all because I've been trying to work IN Journey Church... so for the next few days... I'm going to grab my Bible and my journal and listen more than I talk, slow down more than I speed up and think and dream and recapture the vision that God burned in my heart years ago for a church that would rock the world by helping transform people who were far away from God into passionate Christ followers.  There may be some big changes... there may not be... but this I know... I anticipate God rocking my world and I'll never be the same.  I let you know what He's saying to me and what He's leading us to as a church.