Who is holding you back?

Today, the service was about how we allow others to 'fence' us in, restricting us from experiencing the full life of adventure that God has in mind. We do this because of the expectations that others place on us to be more conservative or liberal, more or less reserved, more or less excited, more or less charismatic, more or less outspoken, more or less committed...we could go on forever. You get the point. We discussed Paul's teaching in Galatians 4 and 5.

But what I want to be sure of is that we are careful to not take one part of Scripture and not consider another. Specifically, there is clear teaching in the Bible about the special relationship between a husband and wife.

I know and have known many couples who were not on the same page spiritually. One is passionate about his faith, the other is...not. He is jealous of her commitment to God and the church. She feels that he's getting 'religious'. I've sat with many couples who expressed these anxieties in various ways.

The point is to simply say this: you cannot simply ignore the obligation to your husband or wife on spiritual grounds. When Paul talked about others 'cutting in on' the church at Galatia, he was not talking about husbands and wives.

If you are in this situation - where your spouse is skeptical, unsupportive, or even angry about your commitment to God or the church, you should handle that situation with great care. Yes, God must be first in your life. However, you are also called to honor your spouse, love her, respect him - even in cases of spiritual differences.

I know this is difficult. I've seen the anguish of many husbands or wives as they struggled with this. But you should remember that a spiritual disparity is not a license to not care or to not serve your spouse the way the Bible teaches.

I'd love to hear from folks on this. You can share your story or situation anonymously, if you'd like.

See you next Sunday,
Brian

PCCfit Update

PCCfit 10k Training Team – The Final Countdown!

Hey, everybody - it is almost race day! April 5, 2008, there will be approximately 30,000 runners and walkers on Monument Avenue. PCC will be represented on that day by approximately 50 folks! If you aren’t registered to run in the race you can still participate by coming downtown and cheering us on!

Here's some important information for you:

PCC 10k T-Shirt Pick-Up On March 30, immediately following both services, please go the back of the commons area to pick up your t-shirt, contact list of PCCfit 10k participants, and other info about race day.

10k Celebration & Photo Shoot April 5th at 6:00 pm we will have BBQ sandwiches and all the fixings at Mill Quarter Plantation – 1600 Mill Quarter Road, home of Roseanne Gutmann, our PCCfit Trainer. This will be our only chance to get that group photo and to celebrate together what we have accomplished individually and as a team. Runners and their families are invited! Please RSVP to Roseanne so we have an EXACT headcount by April 1 – Thank you!! Call 405-3820.

Getting to the race The race starts at 8:30 a.m. on Broad Street near Harrison. Directions and parking information can be found at www.sportsbackers.org./10kcoursemap.htm. Those who would like to carpool should meet at the new Food Lion (South Creek Shopping Center) at 6:45 am on April 5.

Thanks to all of you who have been working so hard. Can’t wait to see you at the race and at the celebration that night!

It's not about you...

Have you ever found yourself critiquing what we do at PCC? I know that I sometimes move into that mode. "I didn't like that song." "That drama didn't do anything for me" "I wish our service was longer." I could go on, but you get the point. There is one common denominator, though. Do you see it? It's...me. Or, to put it more correctly, each of these statements is all about me.

In a recent e-publication titled "Worship Hot Buttons" author and Creative Arts leader Nancy Beach writes:

"Meeting with worship and arts leaders from all kinds of different churches is one of the privileges that comes with my role at the Willow Creek Association. I’ve sat with worship and arts leaders in settings as varied as Toronto, Germany, New Jersey, Australia, Calgary, and Norway. Yet, in every one of these gatherings, and in dozens more conversations over the phone or through e-mail, these leaders are telling me they face very similar challenges at their churches connected to the weekly worship gathering.
This is what I most frequently hear:

• Some people in our church think the music is too loud and edgy.
• Other people in our church think the music is boring and not contemporary enough.
• ...Right now, it seems like nobody in any age group is really happy.
• People complain that the worship leaders up front don’t dress nicely enough for church.
• People say that we stand up for too long in worship and repeat the songs too many times.
• People want more of the traditional older hymns.
• People want more relevant, current music in church.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? These are what I call worship hot buttons, and I’m learning that they’re common at almost every church in big cities and small towns, in every country."

Of course, dissatisfaction about a church is not limited to the worship service. At PCC, I've heard folks complain about almost every subject you can imagine. Too many people, not enough parking, shouldn't pass the plate, give away DVD's, change the service times, stay in the High School, we need to hire a ______ (fill in the blank), invest more money in the building, invest more money in ministry, give fewer personal illustrations and teach more from the Bible, etc. etc., etc. Of course, there are many suggestions that people give that are really good. If it were not for folks throwing ideas our way, we wouldn't be nearly as far along as we are. Still, there is a frequent chorus in many of the suggestions we hear...a common denominator. Can you guess what it is? That's right...from the perspective of the one making the suggestion, it's often all about them.

I had a couple over to my house for dinner once. We had a nice meal. After it was over, the husband leaned up and said, "Brian, I just want to be honest with you. I like the messages and I like that PCC is reaching people who don't know Christ, but I just don't like the music." I was relaxed and reclining in my seat. I listened respectfully and empathically. When he was finished, I leaned up and said, "I also want to be honest with you. I like you and I like that you've come to PCC, but it's not about you!" I went on to tell him that, as a Christ follower, he was behaving immaturely if he was thinking about himself and his own preferences. We have a calling to fulfill, and God is less concerned with what you like and dislike as He is about changing the lives of those who are far from him.

I do understand that this is a difficult teaching. We live in a consumer driven culture that is nomadic and transient. When someone ticks us off or doesn't meet our wants, desires, expectations and preferences, we just pack up and head somewhere else. But when it comes to God's calling on our lives, is this the kind of selfishness that He had in mind? God already met our needs through Jesus' sacrifice and through His offer to live in us.

Our part is to set aside our wants, not to live for them.

The Bible couldn't be more clear about this. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul said, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1, NIV). Notice that Paul talks about pleasing God, not pleasing ourselves. Further, Paul's mission is summed up in this statement about his focus in life, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1 Cor 9: 22b-23, NIV).

So, at PCC, we are more interested in what God wants than what people want. We believe that God calls the Christ follower to set aside their preferences. The question is no longer, "what do I want" but "what does God want". That's where the real blessing comes - to be a part of something bigger than 'me'. It's not about me. It's about God.

Glad to be on mission with you,

Brian

A Special Day for Kevin Salyer

This coming Sunday, March 30, is a very special day in the life of our very own Kevin Salyer. At 3pm on that day, at the high school where we meet, we will ordain Kevin into the ministry.

Ordination is a process by which a person is 'set apart' for vocational ministry. I choose these words carefully because we believe that every person is called into ministry, whether they are a machinist, a lawyer, a teacher, a salesperson or a homemaker. God calls every Christ follower into ministry.

But some are called to vocational ministry. That is, God wants some to give their lives to the work of the church. This doesn't make them better than everyone else. It certainly doesn't mean that they are more holy than everyone else. But there is a special Biblical teaching about this. Luke tells us that the church leaders were together one day and..."While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." (Acts 13:2-3, NIV). And from that point forward, Barnabas and Saul (who would later be known as Paul) made the work of the church the focus of their lives.

God still speaks today, calling some to be 'set apart...for the work to which I have called them.' The process we go through to confirm that God speaks is like this: First, the person senses a call. Kevin did that, and came to me. In this case, after some time in prayer, I also believed that God was calling Kevin in this way, so I went to the Steering Team. They also prayed and confirmed that God was speaking and authorized a council to meet with Kevin, pray, and talk further. Kevin was asked to complete a series of questions, in writing, prior to this meeting. We met with him for a few hours and then, after a time of prayer, also felt that God was calling him to ministry.

Now it is your part. The last link in the confirmation of God's will is when you come and, as a church, participate in this service of 'setting apart'. It will be a really special time and I encourage you to come. You will honor Kevin, our church, and God by being there, if you are able.

If you cannot come, you can still be a part of that day by writing Kevin a special note of affirmation. Write the note to him, but send it in an envelope addressed to me. We'll present all of the notes to Kevin at the same time. Our address is P.O. Box 834 Powhatan, Va 23139.

Thanks for being a part of this special day!

Brian Hughes

Easter thoughts...

Each year, a few weeks before Easter, I bring in several boxes from the shed that are full of our Easter decorations and set them on the back porch. Susan opens them up, unpacks the contents, and spreads them throughout the house. A week after Easter, she packs them all up again and I cart them back to their dark corner, where they'll remain for another eleven months.

Well, they're only decorations. Still, I wonder...are we guilty of approaching Jesus' resurrection the same way Susan and I do our Easter decorations?

You see, Easter is a strange time for me. I'm still a little uncomfortable with all the fuss we make for this one single Sunday. I mean, why is it that we only celebrate Jesus' resurrection once per year? If a church really believes that Jesus is alive, wouldn't every Sunday be cause for rejoicing? In fact, why wait until Sunday...don't we want to teach followers of Christ to live every single day like Jesus is alive, and like he's speaking, directing, embracing, comforting, and encouraging people who've chosen to give their lives to Him?

Oh well...I've got to run. I forgot one of the boxes in the shed. I need to make sure we get it. After all, Easter is tomorrow and we'll be packing everything up in a few days.

Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow....

Brian

An Executive View...

Incredible! Even that does not adequately describe the way in which you all have welcomed me to the PCC family. Thank you for all of the good wishes, thoughts and greetings. I am really glad to be serving here with you at PCC.

I am so impressed with the energy and enthusiasm with which you serve. But with all the good stuff going on here at PCC, I have been most affected by the “God Stories” you have shared with me. The stories of how you came to PCC, why you came back, and how God has transformed (and is transforming) your lives reminds me and confirms to me why we do this thing called ‘church’. I am blessed when I hear your story. And it occurs to me that others would be blessed to hear it also.

So, may I ask you a favor?

Would you be willing to write your God story out for others to read? If you would, I will collect them and publish them in a PCC publication so we all can celebrate what God is doing, and be reminded of the amazing way that God has worked in your lives and through our church. Send your God stories and/or any other comments, questions or suggestions to me at Dennis at powhatancommunitychurch dot org.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Dennis Green
(Your new) Executive Pastor

The McFormal

Last night the PCC Youth Ministry hosted the McFormal - a great, if slightly bizarre, event. The regular FOCUS environment was replaced by a scene out of the 80's, complete with red carpet, streamers and other decorations, and lots of great 80's music. Delicious food items were offered, like these excellent hor'deurves (which look suspiciously like McDonald's hamburgers...), chicken nuggets (with a wide assortment of sauces!), jelly beans and mixed nuts.

A great time was had by all. Congratulations to best costume winners Kayla, who was crowned McFormal Queen, and Marshall, the reigning McFormal King. Robert and his two female companions - Sydni and Maureen - had to split the crown as winners of the 'Best Couple' competition.

In case you missed the red carpet parade or any part of the evening's excitement, following are a few photos that might give you a sense of the McFormal experience:

Hey - isn't that Marty Balin of Jefferson Starship???

Happy couples...

Aly, looking mighty fine...

We never did figure out why a coat covered in plastic pork chops was relevant to an 80's themed event...but the goth girl was a huge hit.

How about that sun flower?

Happily dancing the evening away...

The tie...the jacket...the glasses...he's got the look!

This guy is stylin' in ANY era!

Wow. Just wow.

The newly crowned Queen of the McFormal.

Robert and his award-winning companions....

A lovely couple...but what's wrong with this picture?

Not only the McFormal King, but a newly minted knight, as well!

When asked about the horse, his reply was, "I have two heads."

Okay.

Not one but TWO Michael Jackson wanna-be's. They led the way for all to dance "Thriller".

Two incredibly handsome fellas....

Last, but certainly not least: keep your eyes open for these shoes to appear on stage at PCC sometime in the near future...we can only hope...