Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

You remember Scooby-Doo? What a great cartoon! I always thought I was being so rebellious when I watched it. It wasn't because my mom or dad disapproved of it or banned me from watching it. It just had all the elements of things that my parents normally tried to protect me from.

Ghosts! Goblins! Witches! Warlocks! Werewolves! Red heads! Teenagers in conversion vans!

Dangerous influences, all.

Hanna-Barbera were geniuses. They very neatly packaged all those things -- normally not age-appropriate for early elementary kids -- into a cute little cartoon. They mixed in a silly hound dog (not unlike our Lucy, Scooby-Doo might just be an over sized beagle, correct?) and a lesson in problem solving, and suddenly you had an after school gold mine.

They're still making Scooby-Doo videos today. Jacob, age 5 going on 6, absolutely loves them. Ironically, the Mystery Machine is still plugging away with it's airbrushed flowers, Shaggy's hairstyle is back in style, and the Velma vs. Daphne debate rages on!

Life for those med'lin' kids is still just one mystery after another.

How much mystery is in your life? Mystery is excitement. Mystery is drama. Mystery draws out emotion, which can be and should be a vital part of your life.

I'm not suggesting that you should go get your own conversion van and head out to investigate those Sasquatch rumors on your papa's old farm. I am suggesting that you start becoming more conscious of the mystery that surrounds you day by day!

God is a creature of mystery. The depths of His character, the fullness of His love, the breadth and width of his essence would all stretch beyond the investigative limits of our fearful, snack-loving quadruped and his sleuthing sorties.

Look into that mystery. Examine it. Pursuit it. I think I can promise something if you do. The rewards when you pull back the mask and reveal the truth will far outclass the pleasure of a Scooby snack!

We're talking about PEACE at Cape Naz. We're close to wrapping up the series. Just two more weeks left. The more I dig into the subject and the more I examine life (through the context of Paul's experience), the more mystery I discover. What a grand conspiracy God has laid for us to pursuit!

With each turn I take, each cavern I explore, each mask I remove, the bigger God and His involvement becomes. Our lives are the crime scene. Emotion is the smoking gun. Faith the evidence that forms the grand puzzle. PEACE the motive. God is hidden behind it all as one grand conspiracist, pushing us deeper into a mystery that Hanna-Barbera could never hope to condense to 30 technicolor minutes.

The TRANSITION

When I first heard that Pastor Brett was leaving Family Church for Florida I went into temporary shock. I have read Nazarene Polity. I knew what this meant for me. I would resign as our policy dictates, and pray the Board and the new pastor decided to keep me (and the rest of the staff) on. There was little or no risk of us being let go, but it doesn't mean the process didn't create sleepless nights.

I've devoted 8 of the best years of my life to Family Church and while I could accept that God was moving Brett on to something new, I wasn't getting that same feeling in my spirit. In fact, I entered 2009 with a tremendous hope that we were on the verge of new and amazing things. I could feel it. I knew it. It was palpable, tangible. It was exciting.

When the call came, my hope was momentarily shattered. A phantom of uncertainty rose over everything that I did and thought. All the strategy, praying, and planning I had done seemed wasted now as we entered crisis management mode.

Could God bless us and take us deeper without a senior pastor? Could I still bring about positive change in the church while in the midst of a transition?

As a wannabe theologian, I turned first to the Bible. What I found was both surprising and yet comforting. Transition, change, is a primary theme of the New and Old Testament. It's central. God chooses His leader, directs His leader in how He is to lead His people. Then, just when things are getting interesting, he moves that leader on to something new.

Why?

That's the question that I think everyone in Family Church should ask themselves and God. Why does God move leaders just when things are getting good?

I don't have an answer for you. I can just tell you the result. Transition and change in leadership bring crisis. Crisis spurs action. Action results in ministry. Ministry produces life change.

I'm amazed at what I'm seeing in Family Church. For the past 3-4 years we've seen the cancer of complacency spring up in pockets throughout the congregation. As staff and leaders we sought to battle that not realizing that the cancer was covertly invading our own hearts.

In the last few weeks God has healed our congregation of that debilitating illness. The entire church has sprung to new life and a willingness connect and minister like we haven't seen in years. We've created new ministry teams. We've installed new ministry directors. We have ministries writing strategic plans for growth and outreach. It's a beautiful thing for an administrative pastor charged with keeping this church and staff moving forward in a time of transition.

Change is good. Why do we fear it? Why do we dread the unknown? Our God who changes not sure changes us a lot.

My hope and excitement for new ministry in 2009? It's back and it's stronger than ever. This is going to be a great year for Family Church.