Brandon Ives

I once heard someone say that a good author quotes, but a great author steals. I know that pastors are not supposed to say things like that, so forgive me my transgression.

But this last Sunday, I happened to steal a bit from a famous sermon written by Martin Luther King Jr. Although I have rewritten certain sections of it to make it my own, the main theme is quite certainly his.

Having recently celebrated the holiday honoring Dr. King, I feel it appropriate to share part of our sermon with the community at large. Its goal was not only to honor the legacy of Dr. King, but also to honor all of those great saints who have refused to accept the world as is. My hope is that we might once again dream as if we were children, seeking a world that is transformed not by power or strength, but by love and compassion.

So...Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations that exist all over the world--in places like the broken and turned-upside-down roads of Haiti, in the war-tattered deserts of Sudan, and in the stifling ghettos of Uganda...

...I still have a dream.

And I believe it's a dream deeply rooted in God's dream for humanity. I have a dream that one day God's people will rise up and live out the true meaning of Jesus’ creed: "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them."

I have a dream that one day in the dry wells of Africa, clean water will rise up.

I have a dream that one day those who live in Darfur, a people sweltering in the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into a community of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my son Augustine will one day will love every man, woman, and child regardless of the color of their skin.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the country of Haiti, whose people cry out in pain, desperation, and hopelessness, will be transformed by the light and furious grace of God's people.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be lifted up, every hill and mountain shall be torn down, the rough places will be made smooth, and the broken places will be pieced together, and the glory of the God shall be revealed, and all humanity shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I go today into the streets of Chase City.

With this faith God's people will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to stand up for justice together, knowing that all people will one day be free in Jesus.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within; grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!"

And if the people of God are to be the hands and feet of Jesus, this must become true:

Let freedom ring for the child of drug addicted parents in Wylliesburg.

Let freedom ring for the single mothers in Chase City who know not where rent will come from tomorrow.

Let freedom ring for the hungry children in our poorest neighborhoods.

Let freedom ring for the business owners on Main Street who struggle to keep their business going from month to month.

Let freedom ring for the abused and battered woman, who hides her bruises out of shame.

Let freedom ring for the Haitian child who still hasn't found his mommy.

And let freedom ring for the young boys and girls of our counties schools who have begun to find hope in the good and loving hands of their dedicated teachers.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every trailer park, from every state, from every town, and from every city.

When we let freedom ring, from every food pantry and AA meeting, from every small group gathering and deacons meeting, from every home that needs food, medicine, and hope, and when we let freedom ring from the sanctuaries of Chase City and from our hearts and from our lips.

We will be helping God's kingdom find a reality here on earth and in Mecklenburg County, making true the words of the old Negro spiritual...

Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.

Join me this week in dreaming new dreams. Dreams that will help bring a renewed spirit to our beloved community. Amen

Labels: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dream, Sermon

So I want one. I know I shouldn't. But I do. I'll have to decide what to put on hold and what other things I can do without. Is this bad??? Probably, but do I care...

Here's the link to Apple

Labels: Apple, ipad, tech

When I was in high school, my football coach used to talk about focused intensity. He used to say, “It doesn’t matter how hard you work or how fired up you get, if you can’t focus your energy we might as well go to the ballet on Friday night.” Now we would laugh at the image of this huge ex-marine talking about going to ballet, but as I think back on it he was right.

Our greatest effectiveness as a team was during times when we focused our intensity together. When all five linemen worked together to protect our quarterback, when our wide receivers ran the correct routes, and when our quarterback dropped back and made a good pass to the open receiver. But what happened when we lost focus? A linemen would miss a block and the quarterback would get sacked. Or perhaps the quarterback would lose focus and throw the ball into double coverage and be intercepted.

Now, what about our church? If the choir isn’t focus during the anthem, would they sound very good? What if the pastor wasn’t focused during the sermon? What happens when a group from church loses focus and doesn’t do their job? The church would not accomplish its mission very well. The last two weeks, we collected money for Haiti Relief. The total amount collected was $670. Thank you. Our church showed some great intensity, now let’s make sure that we keep it focused over the coming months!

Labels: Football, Newsletter

In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, many of us have been moved to act. Local officials have encouraged us to give to the Red Cross. Many churches have set up ways to give through special offerings or programs. (This includes First Baptist Church. Click Here)

And Christians around the globe have united in prayer for the people of Haiti. From the images that have been pouring in through TV, Newspaper and the internet, it is apparent that it will take years and not weeks for Haitians to recover.

But there is a lasting impression that will live on beyond disasters like these. It is the image of humanity coming together, putting aside racial, political, and personal differences to fulfill the command of Jesus to love one another. It strikes me odd that it takes such drastic measures for humanity to return to its true calling. Are we so swift to help a neighbor in need or the single mother turn her heat back on?

Perhaps…but as we give to the Red Cross or the Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief Fund (and let’s give well!) let us be mindful that there are many opportunities here in Chase City as well. Let us ask God’s help in our giving both abroad and here at home. So that His glory might be made known!

Labels: Newsletter

Suppose that I had asked you, in the mid-1980's, what you thought it would take to bring down the Berlin Wall? What would you have said? I can imagine the answer. Perhaps another world war. Perhaps some kind of multilateral, long-term rapprochement between East and West Germany. At the very least, some kind of intervention costing many billions of dollars.

Certainly that's the kind of scenario that was envisioned by all of the world's so-called experts on Eastern Europe. When it came to predicting the life span of the Soviet Bloc, the CIA, State Department, and Pentagon did not think in terms of months or even years. They thought in terms of decades.

But what actually happened? In September 1989, a small group of dissidents in Leipzig, East Germany, held a protest rally and-for reasons no one quite understands-the local police did not sut it down. The next day, in the next town over, another group of dissidents held a protest of their own, and it was a little bigger this time beause they were emboldened by what happened in Leipzig.

The police in that town didn't stop the protesters because, after seeing what happened in Leipzig, they thought that maybe they weren't supposed to do anything. The day after that, there was still another protest in the next town over-a little bit bigger than the last, the police a little more passive-and on and on. All through East Germany, the protests got bigger and bigger and the police grew more and more passive until a million people gathered in the streets of East Berlin in October 1989 and tore down the Berlin Wall as the police sat and watched.

This was the biggest change any of us will probably ever see in our lifetime. It took a month, it cost nothing, and it started with a handful of people in a town no one would ever have pegged as the birthplace of a revolution.

Remember that the next time someone says, "It can't be done."
-Seth Godin's The Big Moo

We have all seen the news about Haiti. Here's another way to help.



http://vbmb.org/glocalmissions/Disaster-Relief/100112_Haiti-Earthquake/default.cfm

Labels: Baptist, Haiti, VBMB

Years ago the professional golfer Arnold Palmer played a series of exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia. When he finished, the king was so impressed with Palmer’s expertise that he desired to give Palmer a gift. Palmer, a multimillionaire, demurred: “It isn’t really necessary. I just enjoyed meeting your people and playing in your country.”

The king indicated his extreme displeasure at not being able to give the golf pro a gift. Palmer wisely reconsidered and said, “Well, how about a golf club? A golf club would be a wonderful memento of my visit here.” The king was pleased. The following day, a messenger delivered to Palmer’s hotel room the title to a golf club, thirty-six holes, trees, lakes, and several buildings. The moral of this story? In the presence of the king, don’t ask for small gifts.

- story taken from Brennan Manning (the furious longing of God)

What are we asking God for?

Labels: Arnold Palmer, Brennan Manning, God, Prayer

Seth Godin has a new post about concerning bullhorns and how they are overrated. He says,

They cost too much and they don't work very well.

Most people ignore them, they don't last very long and they're undependable.

Anil Dash has discovered that having ten times as many Twitter followers generates approximately zero times as much value.

The goal shouldn't be to have a lot of people to yell at, the goal probably should be to have a lot of people who choose to listen. Don't need a bullhorn for that.

Labels: Leadership, Seth Godin, Twitter

I recently heard Brit Hume give a few thoughts about the Tiger Woods and the need for forgiveness and reconciliation. It is interesting to see views of faith and forgiveness bleed out during commentary on public figures. Yet there is something refreshing to the idea that a media personality would be concerned about the life and relationships of a prolific athlete.

Most of us have encountered these types of conversations, whether it is over athletes, actors, or politicians... what are we seeking when we jump on board with our dismay about what he or she may have done? I am sure that Brit Hume will be make more news with what he said about Buddhism, but what should draw our attention is his concern for Tiger and his family.

Labels: Brit Hume, Faith, Forgiveness, Tiger Woods