The Phil Files

I’m sitting here at my beloved MacBook keyboard still drippin’ wet from working out this morning. Since returning from our trip as a family, I’ve rejoined the world of the committed to exercise, dropping weight, and eating properly — in other words, that “Big Guy” would just like to be that “Medium-sized Guy” once again!

As with any discipline, the first week back in the trenches of hand to hand combat with your own lack of discipline in an area of your life is tough. But alas, it is right … past due … and needed. So, I pedal forth and push onward seeking to leave bits of my former self in my vapor trail.

Meanwhile, we launch into some exciting stuff with Colossians and different types of targeted worship gatherings in August, so there is much work and prayer and study in prep. This one I’m not drippin’ with sweat, but drippin’ with great anticipation. Whether you want to call stuff missional (ah yes, all the rage the last few years in churchland lingo) or targeted or strategic, my hope is that it is a return to the integrity of real community and devotion (Acts 2:42-47 NLT).

Click the link above and notice that these early followers of Jesus were devoted to four things (vs. 42):

the apostles’ teaching

fellowship

sharing in the Lord’s Supper

prayer

What I find most interesting is that most folks miss Luke’s definition of each of these four in the verses that follow (click the words and see Luke’s description:

the apostles’ teaching - Acts 2:43 (NLT)

fellowship - Acts 2:44-45 (NLT)

sharing the Lord’s Supper [literally, “the breaking of bread”] Acts 2:46 (NLT)

prayer Acts 2:47 (NLT)

Even more impressive, they were devoted to these things — not just individually, but as a community. So while I’m committed to not lag behind behind in my renewed commitment to physical discipline, I’m even more committed to being devoted to seeing this kind of community truly formed in God’s people in my neck of the woods. What about you?

Onward ho!

(And tomorrow or the next day, we’ll poke around what each of these means!)

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In my Heartlight.org article today, I talk about our real Independence Day being on Sunday … every week. Sunday is the day of resurrection, the day our victory was assured and the power of death over us was defeated (Hebrews 2:14-18 NLT) . So let’s think through a few things:

How has Jesus brought you independence?

How would Sunday, and Communion, be different if we celebrated it in light of the resurrection and Jesus victory and not just remembering the crucifixion?

Do you think there is something important about the early Christians taking the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7 NLT) , the day of Jesus’ resurrection, rather than taking it on the day of his crucifixion?

I’d love to hear from you in the response section below.

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We are back home. On Tuesday, we got up at 3:30 Alaska time and arrived in our house at 9:30 Texas time. Connections went well, but it was a long day — the last hour was 25 minutes late boarding, 23 minutes waiting in line to take off on the DFW runway, and 22 minutes of flight time from DFW to Abilene. While we were exhausted, we felt for the mom of a two year old who was laughing hysterically waiting to board, but crossed that threshold from laughing hysterically to crying hysterically about 5 minutes on the plane. We were picked up by my mom and step-dad, threw our luggage in the house, watered our nearly expired plants, and then rushed to the hospital to see Donna’s mom. All in all, the day began at 3:30 a.m. in Alaska and ended at 1:00 a.m. in Abilene (that’s bed-to-bed). We got up early to head back to the hospital and work and were informed the next day my step-dad would have a heart cath and stint on one of his arteries. So … we’ve been home 2 days, spent more time in hospitals than at home, gotten caught up on most of our stuff, and are glad to be home. Looks like life is back to normal!

BTW, everyone appears to be doing better after heart procedures, major back surgeries, and driving each other crazy in the hospital room. For a light-hearted look at air travel, our daughter’s blog has a bit more fun take on flying!

Alaska was beautiful, cool, and wonderful. It was a gift to Megan for her graduation from college and acceptance into physical therapy school. I’ll post some pics somewhere — flickr, google, facebook — when I get some sleep and get past Sunday!

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Being in around Alaska this last week has reminded me of the dynamic, ever-moving, always changing, contantly in motion nature of life. This movement is necessary for life. Tides come and go, stirring the oceans and impacting our atmosphere with constant motion. Seasons change, the amount of daylight varies, temperatures shift and life is enhanced. Glaciers move, ice melts, rivers run and life is stirred. People move from region to another — for a variety of reasons and lives collide and life is changed.

Clearly, some things shouldn’t and mustn’t change. Jesus IS the same — yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 NAS). But even in His steadfast love and mercy, the LORD is constantly bringing fresh surprises into the lives of His people (Lamentations 3:22-23 NRS). Renewal and transformation are the vital dynamics, the ever-moving and always changing, constantly in motion parts of a living walk with God — the are evidence of the Holy Spirit’s essential work of conforming us to Christ Being in around Alaska this last week has reminded me of the dynamic, ever-moving, always changing, contantly in motion nature of life. This movement is necessary for life. Tides come and go, stirring the oceans and impacting our atmosphere with constant motion. Seasons change, the amount of daylight varies, temperatures shift and life is enhanced. Glaciers move, ice melts, rivers run and life is stirred. People move from region to another — for a variety of reasons and lives collide and life is changed.

Clearly, some things shouldn’t and mustn’t change. Jesus IS the same — yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 NAS). But even in His steadfast love and mercy, the LORD is constantly bringing fresh surprises into the lives of His people (Lamentations 3:22-23 NRS). Renewal and transformation are the vital dynamics, the ever-moving and always changing, constantly in motion parts of a living walk with God (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NRS).

So the question comes to me … and to you as well:

What needs motion a d change in my life and what needs to be more centered on what is unchangeable?

So the question comes to me … and to you as well:

What needs motion and change in my life and what needs to be more centered on what is unchangeable?

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Ministry can grind up people emotionally and spiritually in frightening ways. In my experience, it does so with frightening regularity! On the other hand, “professional ministry” can sometimes be a place for lazy people to hide, creating deep resentments in churches, making them cold to respond to those in ministry (church, non-profits, and other high care-giving vocations). So resentment, burn out, frustration, and exhaustion knock at the door of many I love in ministry. Off on a bit of break in the georgeous coasts of British Columbia and Alaska, I can’t help but hold in prayer those for whom I’m deeply concerned.

In my Heartlight.org, Moving Beyond the Ashes, I talk about burn out and how Elijah over it. Here are some follow up questions I would encourage you to consider and the respond to in the comments section at the botoom of this!

Many things can contribute to our spiritual burn out:

• Overextending our ministry to the point of exhuastion and fatigue
• Unaddressed sin in our lives
• Not having partners or apprentices to help & invest our time
• Trying to do ministry all by ourselves while not equipping others
• Having an over-inflated estimation of our importance and ability
• Losing touch with God in regular quiet time
• Direct and relentless opposition from the devil or others in our community of faith
• Family and health crises
• Serving in a survival-focused situation where we see no immediate reason to hope things can change

So which of these is hardest for you and which is your biggest threat?

Is there something else you have found that leads to burn out not listed? How have you seen that at work?

What have you found to be a solid path to walk to find yourself restored from being absolutely scorched with burn out?

I’d love to hear from you on my blog about this in the comments below!

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We were flat worn out by our travel yesterday and the hard work we did to get off on our trip. So when we finally all got to bed about 3:00 a.m. Texas time, we slept … then we got up and ate and walked around a bit and read and watched a little TV (okay, I watched Tiger’s charge at the US Open), and took naps. But, we also enjoyed the cool, the sun, and the view! (Yep, that’s the view out the 7th floor balcony window at hotel.)

We rested today, because we have an all day trip to Victoria tomorrow, including “high tea” and a great boat ride. So … don’t expect much tomorrow, but there should be a lot to praise God about on Sunday!

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