The World Series

I'm sitting here right now, on edge of the stairs, watching Game 5 of the World Series. My friends reading this will laugh at me. Chris? Watching baseball? Not just watching baseball, but getting into it? Never in my life have I declared allegiance to any team in any sport at any time. But, for some reason, it really has been fun to get caught up in the buzz of the World Series. As many of you know, I have always described the chore of watching a baseball game on TV like this: 3 minutes of action packed into 3 hours of television.

But there is a buzz in Detroit. We have hosted the Superbowl AND the World Series in the same year up here. You will never find more dedicated hockey fans than the fans of the Redwings. There is just something different . . . My initial guess is that it gets so cold up here, that professional sports is about all there is to enjoy- cause you can't bear the weather for months. Still, there is something in the air, you can feel it. It makes me want to go to Chelio's ( a restaurant owned by a Redwing player) and watch a Redwings game in the midst of the crazed fans.

So, the Tigers just lost. Wainright just threw the winning pitch. Disappointing. But I didn't think the Tigers could've come back. They just weren't playing as well as they should have- especially the pitching. Ahh, but it was fun . . .

So, hopefully my friends have stopped chuckling to themselves while reading this. Yes, times have changed. I'm a daddy, and I'm watching sports on TV. You'd better watch the skies for Jesus to come back. I think I hear the horsemen of the apocalypse now.

P.S. Anyway, Vicki and I took some "artsy" pictures of Genesis before she gets to big. Vicki got some great shots of her. So, I'm sure you'll be seeing some of them very soon!

ZOE Worship Conference

This weekend, we took a group of 12 from RCC to the Zoe Worship Conference in Nashville, TN. We had an incredible experience worshipping with 1200 worship leaders, praise team members, and ministry leaders from churches all over the US! The keynote speaker, Mike Cope, knocked every sermon out of the park!! I was so blessed to be there.

Initially, I was a little worried about getting everyone down there, since a week before we lost our van rental accomodations. So, we got a few voluteers to drive and caravaned all the way to TN! It ended up working out for the best- since we got an opportunity to bond and get closer with our little group. AND, I got to show them a little piece of Nashville too! Man, do I miss it . . . especially since a big part of the trip was the food. From CheeseCake factory to El Mariachi to Sonic, we ate very well for the three days we were down there. And I didn't get a chance to take them to Baja Burrito. ( there's always next year . . .) But a few of us DID stop to grab a latte at one of my favorite coffee joints- FIDO'S.

But more than anything, I enjoyed the friends and the fellowship. I loved showing off little Genesis to our friends ( Mike was way smitten with our little girl) and spending time with BT and Steve. I loved seeing our group laugh, make fun of each other, and draw closer to each other.

Which was the theme of the conference, by the way. CLOSER.

How do we draw closer to God? With all the avenues and ways in which we open ourselves up to Him, I have one for you to think about. When the body of Christ does what it is supposed to do- be in community with each other, admonish each other, build each other up- then we ARE closer to God.

We become closer to God not as a result of community, but through it. He lives and breathes between us. "Whenever two of you are gathered in my name, there I am with you" (CLV version ;)

Something to think about . . . .

Genesis Nicole Lindsey

Announcing our new little girl: Genesis Nicole Lindsey. She is 7 lbs. 1 oz., 20 inches long, and absolutely beautiful, so she definitely takes after her father :) ! Here are some pics of the newest addition to our family.

Some Fun Random Pics

I hadn't posted any pictures in a while, so I thought you might like to see some fun random pictures of us over the course of the last year. So here's the game: can you match the event with the pic?

a) Lunch in New Orleans

b) Worship at the Emerging Artists' Series

c) Dinner at Benihana's

d) Baby Greyson's first concert

e) Peyton at the Invisible Children's Global Night Commute

Have fun!

Birthing Classes and Concerts

Well, Vicki and I have finished our birthing classes. We got a certificate and everything! I have to say that those videos we watched are still with me . . . . UGGHHH! Anyway, we also are putting the finishing touches on the nursery, (pics coming very soon) and getting any last minute baby items we need. We did get an interesting item called ButtPaste. (Check out my myspace pics for more info . . .) To say the least, we are so ready for her to be here! We have three more weeks and they are dragging by SO SLOW. Still, I know that it will all be worth it when we hold her the first time. So, keep us in your prayers.

Next, I want to tell you how much of an incredible concert we had in Neosho, MO. We've been back to this youth event called JumpStart for a couple of years now, but the teens were absolutely amazing this year! They knew the words to most of the songs, and were singing them just as loud as we were! But the coolest time was at the very end of the concert- we closed with Face to Face (as usual). And they were singing every word, so at the bridge of the song, Mike just pulled his microphone down and let them sing it while we backed THEM up . . .

My eyes were closed, but if I had opened them, people would have seen my eyes well up. It was one of the most incredible experiences I've had, to have people who know your songs so well, that they sing them out loud at your concerts! WOW. It's one thing to sing a worship song like that, but it means something to me when it was one of OUR songs, you know? It makes me feel like we're still relevant, and that this ministry IS changing people's lives and making an impact. It felt good.

I hated missing out on the whole weekend, I had to leave early, just in case the baby decided to show up unexpected! And I wished I could have spent some time with our friends Free Indeed. I pray that God will allow us to cross paths soon.

That's it for now. I'll holla at ya'll real soon.

Ready For Summer To Be Over

I saw this on Mike Cope's blog. It describes me perfectly.

I am fall, not summer.
Cool, not hot.
Mountains, not beach.

Sunrise, not sunset.
Morning, not night.
Fall back, not spring forward.

Whatcha think?

Thinking on Unity

I started and finished Together Again by Rick Atchley and Bob Russell on the plane ride back from the Pepperdine Lectureships. It was an entertaining read! It calls christians from the Churches of Christ and the Independent Christian Churches, both rooted in the Restoration Movement, to rethink our historical lines of division and make a renewed stand for unity. This brief book does an excellent job of stating the traditional issues that have kept our tribes distinctive and how we have arrived at those interpretations (mainly the instrumental/a cappella issue), but also argues that what we have in common is so much richer and stronger than the peripheral issues. It also urges that the two churches should begin building bridges to unify with each other, and that it can be done without compromising ones individual preferences in regard to worship style. It encourages us to think creatively about ways we can support each other.

I’ll be honest- I am all over this!!! We have been in this “family feud” with the Christian churches for far too long. And though I still lead worship in an a cappella tradition, maybe I need to begin thinking of ways to build some bridges to our instrumental brothers and sisters. Now, unlike some of my COC brothers, I enjoy worshipping with instruments and have even led from time to time with a guitar (there are some great songs out there that just don’t work without one). Still, I suggest we need to think about unity beyond the borders of Sunday morning. Too often the issues will fall right back into the “worship service” paradigm. We really have to get over this!!! Think “out of the box” here, people! Very little about the kingdom of God falls within the borders of Sunday morning hour at the church building! The church and the move of unity has got about 5% to do with the worship times and 95% to do with serving the poor together, loving and praying for each other, do outreach projects together, etc. In other words: It’s about BEING church, not DOING church!

On top of this, the more I mull all it all over in my head, I feel like, in our context in Rochester, MI, that we could expand the borders of our thinking even more! How can we reach out even beyond our first cousins we’ve been talking about and reach to our second and third cousins?

I’m not making a case that we should assimilate and morph into a new entity. I am saying we should think creatively as to ways we can encourage and empower each other.

Maybe we should put on a musical or dramatic production featuring and directed by multiple people in different churches.

Maybe do joint mission trips overseas AND/OR to the gulf coast.

Host a Wednesday night series on the different branches of Christianity out there and have them come in to speak about their tribe, what makes them distinctive, what they can learn from us, and finally, what they feel we could learn from them.

This is just off the top of my head, but I’m sure there are more. Let us all find us ways to reach out of our little box and show the world how big our God really is.