Discovering Ascension

Well friends, we've reached an important milestone in the life of our church. No, we didn't purchase a building or buy television rights to broadcast our worship services to the Ukraine or anything like that. The building thing's a way down the road yet and air-time? Not even a consideration.

The big thing is that this Saturday and Sunday, we will be having our first membership class called "Discovering Ascension." It's a big deal because until this point, while we have many regulars, we have only had one member. Me.

Over the last several months, we've been blessed with regular growth and now we are introducing ourselves to people, explaining whet we're all about, what church membership means and looks like, and, of course, bringing people under the authority of the church. It's a huge deal.

New Yorkers typically master the art of rubbing shoulders with great numbers who are routinely ignored. Ride on a crowded subway car during rush hour and observe the skillful manner in which people avoid eye contact by dozing off or reading. It's really quite impressive. It's so pronounced, that people here often carry that approach into the community.

Ascension Church want's to break the mold of this practice. As a church with members and one with a wealth of developing ministries, we seek to interact with our neighbors and engage them in Gospel discussions. Membership is yet another step we're taking toward that goal.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

After braving the traffic on the roads, putting up with crowds and delays at the airports, or battling the elements (at least here is the Northeast), the Thanksgiving Holiday itself is the very thing for which we are most thankful... at least from a man's perspective.

Think about it. The primary activities of the day center on eating a huge meal, watching football, and dozing off on the couch. Speaking on behalf of American men everywhere, these things constitute a textbook perfect day. When it comes down to it, I think most men would find that if they had a choice, everyday would be Thanksgiving.

Of course, I would argue that everyday should be Thanksgiving, though not because of the particular elements of the day itself. We serve a wonderful, loving and gracious God who is full of mercy and compassion, who out of His great love for us, sent his son Jesus to live and die to bring us into communion with Himself. Our thanksgiving should rightly flow from that.

When I consider the Gospel movement in central Queens through Ascension Presbyterian Church, I'm filled with awe at God's hand at work here and am humbled and thankful for that work. When I think ahead at the wonderful plans He has laid out before us, not even knowing many of the details of them yet, my thankfulness increases. Please continue to hold our ministry here in your prayers with thanksgiving, and accept my warmest wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving as well. May God continue to bless you all.

Parking in Queens

This entry may fall flat on my readers outside New York City so it might bear some fleshing out. Most of the homes and apartment buildings in my neighborhood were constructed before cars played such a major role in American life. My building in particular was built in 1931 when the automobile was a luxury item for the wealthy of which there were select few during the Depression. In 2006, however, parking in my neighborhood is at a premium. The problem is so pronounced that when I get home after 6:oo pm, it's not unusual for me to drive around for a half an hour looking for a spot within reasonable distance of my building.

Parking being what it is (NYC drivers will appreciate this), when I find a good spot, when I have a place I need to go, I jump through hoops to avoid driving there if I can walk for fear of loosing my precious parking spot.

Do you see the irony here? We want easy access to our cars and promptly avoid the advantage that very access provides. I use my car every day, but if I didn't, the city steps in by forcing cars to move for a few hours one day each week to send in the street sweepers. Were this not the case, I'm convinced that people with the best parking spaces would be content to let their cars rot and rust where they are rather than give up their spot.

In some sense, you could say Ascension Presbyterian Church has the best parking spot in Queens. We found parking right in the heart of central Queens. Unlike parked cars, however, we have sought to take full advantage of our parking job. We have been all about movement since we launched back in the Spring. Our ministries have grown and we still look for opportunities to keep moving. There is no advantage to simply rest on our prime location and suffer the spiritual rust that complacency brings. What good is a great spot if you don't use the car?

And God Created Coffee... and it was good

On the third day of Creation, God created plants and trees. Genesis 1:12 specifically mentions fruit and seed. I assume this would include beans. By way of extension, it would be appropriate to say, therefore, that God created coffee on the third day as well. Why mention this particular observation here?

During my time in seminary, I was amazed when I would come accross a fellow seminarian who remained caffine free. Typically I wondered out loud how a man who didn't drink coffee could possibly be called to Gospel ministry. Perhaps such a man could serve a small church as pulpit supply on occasion, but I can't imagine working in a church planting situation without the blessing of a piping hot cup of stimulation. I would never have graduated where it not for the Holy Spirit, prayer and coffee.

Until the middle of the summer, as most of you probably know, I was working full-time for the church plant which has developed into Ascension Presbyterian Church, and although I served in an essentially assistant's position, there was much work to be done. At least there was coffee.

Now, because my support is a bit low, I work full time elsewhere while continuing a 20 work week with the church. There's still a great deal of work to be done. At least there is coffee.

Of course, the holiday season is coming up. and we have many plans with Ascension Church to go out into the community and invite people in. It's exciting and exhausting and there's much to do. Hey, at least there's coffee.

People in ministry typically run the danger of burn out because they simply work too hard and rest too little. It's true. We need a stronger sabbath practice amongst my fellow brothers. Even with rest, ministry can be tiring, but when I have a headache, I thank God for asprin, and when I'm tired from work, I thank God for Coffee.

Musings on the Fall

At this time of year, I'm reminded of the three years I spent in Mississippi. No, the autumnal stretch in the deep south, with heat and humidity that doesn't let up until late November bears no resemblence to the cool crisp days and the beautiful reds, oranges, yellows and browns of the Northeastern foliage. I think I'm reminded of Mississippi less by the similarities and more becuase of the differences.

As the trees gracefully prepare themselves for a long and leafless winter's slumber (for the benefit of my readers who've never ventured north of the Mason-Dixon line, there are trees in Queens), the result is a smattering of colors, the greatest painters on earth couldn't duplicate. Ya just don't see that in Jackson, MS. It's no secret that I love New York, and Autumn is but and one of the reasons I'm glad to be here.

Of course, there's another Fall that's in our focus in ministry that also draws a comparison to that which is its exact opposite. Just like a walk in Flushing Meadows in November surrounds us with reminders of one Fall, a walk down Queens Blvd. or Metropolitan Ave. at any time of year reminds us of the other Fall. That, of course, if the primary reason I'm here. In our ministry here, we present the alternative to the Fall, the redemption and renewal of all of Creation through the Gospel by a loving and gracious God. This is the Fall that strained our relationship with God and our interactions with others, and by contrast, the Gospel brings us into communion with God and love for our neighbors. One always reminds me of the other, not because of the similarities, but because of the contrasts.

Brief partnership update: I haven't mentioned my finances here lateley, but there are a few things by way of update, that bear some mentioning. I need to thank my supporters for their continuing support of my ministry here. Thank You and may God continue to bless you. I also need to mention that my financial support is far from what it needs to be, as evidenced by the fact that I now have a full time, non-ministry specific job in order to pay the bills. I'm still looking for approximately twenty more people to commit to $20 a month and five or six churches to pledge around $200 a month. That would go a long way to offset my large bills (NYC is an expensive place to live and minister). For those of you who haven't partnered up for this exciting ministry in central Queens, I ask that you prayerfully consider joining me. Support checks should be made out to Ascension Church and mailed to me at my home address. They say money talks, but in the case of Gospel penetration in Queens, not only does it talk but it preaches and teaches as well.