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Where is our hope?

by Donnie Thompson  |  November 5, 2008
Today I again observed that hope is a funny thing.
 
It would seem that that there is a sudden euphoria for about 52% of the nation.  Now don’t read too much into my making that statement because the statement is true every election (though the percentage may change).  No matter who wins, hope surges on the side of the people who elected the winning candidate. The winning candidate is always heralded as the new messiah.  Yep…hope is a funny thing.

I remember after the last election, there was a general feeling of shock on one side and a surge of hope on the other.  I suspect it is like that again.  I remember after the last election it was reported that there was a major increase in depression, later called “Post-election Depression”.  Yep…hope (or the lack thereof) is a funny thing.

Our next president ran his campaign on a motto of hope and change.  I don’t watch television and I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the campaign…but I certainly knew who the candidate of hope was.  That might bother some that I don’t spend much time in politics.  Politics and religion are the two taboo subjects of society.  I guess because I’m very involved in one, I try to sidestep the other.

I’ll be honest.  I have no more and no less peace or hope than I would have had if the election had gone the other way.  I just don’t think that one man has that much power over my life.  I’m happy for him and his realization of his dream but I feel a little badly for President-elect Obama at the same time.  He is a mere man that has been thrust into expectations reserved for gods.  Could any man live up to that?  It reminds me of the old adage of how we wish that we could be like our dog thinks we are.  If President-elect Obama can live up to only a quarter of the expectations placed on him…he’ll be doing very well.

While I was never an avid supporter of either candidate, I now consider myself an intercessor for this man.  My hope will never be in President Barrack Obama.  But like David the Shepherd-King said on many occasions, “My hope is in You”.

Please join me in interceding for this man.  My prayer is this:

“Lord, you know all things.  You know the heart of this man.  I pray for an anointing of wisdom as he courageously leads me and my nation.  Give him discernment, knowledge, wisdom, grace, and humility.  Give protection to him and his family.  Imbue him with boldness and all the traits of authentic manhood.  May he resist pride.  May he reject passivity.  Give him a heart of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Be his source of strength.  Grant him favor in the eyes of the international community.  Use him to turn hearts back to you.”

For some of you this prayer is vital.  Because your man (or woman in this case) didn’t make it you are feeling deflated, defeated, and caged.  Friends, know that my hope has never been greater or my heart more excited for this nation as it is on November 5, 2008.  My hope is placed not in a mere man but in the One who died for me.  My hope is in the One who is over all.

Is your hope in the wrong place?  If it is, then yep...hope is a funny thing.

Called DESPITE OF or BECAUSE OF Who We Are?

by Donnie Thompson  |  May 15, 2008
I went to Cold Stone Creamery the other day.  It was Mother’s Day and I wanted to bless my wife.  Okay…maybe I had ulterior motives in that I knew that I was going to get to partake as well.  It was Sunday evening and the line stretched out the door and there was no place to sit.  I didn’t see one person get out of line and say forget it.  20-30 minutes later I had my (wife’s) ice cream and was $11.00 poorer.

This begs the question…”what do they do with their money?”  The answer was obvious on Sunday evening.  They don’t put their resources into a bigger dining area.  They don’t pour money into additional marketing.  They don’t seem to focus on customer service training.  They do one thing extremely well...ice cream.  Their ice cream is nothing less than amazing.
 
I think that most Christians don't like to admit and/or talk about what they are really good at.  Perhaps it sounds like pride, perhaps they are afraid someone will disagree with their personal assessment, perhaps the conditioning to be and stay humble has just given way to a focus on weaknesses.
 
I asked the congregation this past Sunday, "What do we do well as a church?"  Response was a little slow on the uptake.  In their defense though, it wasn’t like they had any time to prepare for an answer.  When the answers started coming out, I was kind of surprised by what was said and probably more surprised by what wasn’t said.  I think that it revealed that, for whatever reason, we don’t think and focus a whole lot of time, energy and thoughts on our strengths.
 
I am really good at conversation.  I am really good at getting somebody to open up.  Phew…there, I said it.  You see, I’ve never met a stranger.  People might accuse me of being a little too personal too fast; they will never accuse me of being shy and withdrawn.  I like to ask a lot of questions and people are usually open to talking about what they do.  I guess if I had to sum it up, my strength is in interpersonal relationships.
 
I am really bad at administration.  I am really bad at hospital stuff.  I am really bad at organization and details.  I still do each of those things, but they really don’t come naturally.  Those that know me aren’t surprised by these admissions of weakness.  I didn’t even have to think to come up with them…it just gushed out seamlessly.  I think it is a lot easier to admit my weaknesses than it is to talk about my strengths.
 
I repeated a statement I’d read during my message on Sunday.  “Our best chance for a great contribution to kingdom work is to get better at what we are already good at.” The more I think about it the more it gets me stirred up.
 
I think many of us could go a long ways in breaking any personal legacy of weakness simply by not giving it the same attention that society gives it.  Why do we continue trying to bring talent into areas that are weak and leave areas of strength without nurture?  I traded emails with a friend this week and he conjectured that “well-roundedness” could be a throw back to the American pioneer spirit of self-sufficiency.  He may be onto something there.  Certainly, self-sufficiency was required in the harsh times and climates on the American Frontier but it would seem to me that the Holy Spirit through the New Testament authors taught that dependency upon one another was God’s way.
 
I suspect Jesus Himself was perfectly balanced and yet He and His disciples relied upon the charity of others to provide a means of support during His earthly ministry.  If Jesus was fully human though, could He do all human things well?  Was He the fastest runner or the best salesman or the most proficient carpenter?  I doubt it.  I suspect that Jesus was a lot like us…limiting himself to ordinary abilities with superior giftings in a few areas.  As God, He does all things well.  As man, He was a man like us.
 
What do we do well as a church?  We love on God well.  We love on people well.  We serve well.  All of these are evidenced by the ministries that continue to blossom.  The school, children’s and youth ministries, men’s and women’s ministries, service projects, and worship…we will continue to pursue excellence in those things that we do well.
 
I don’t believe that we can be everything to this community.  I don’t think that we would want to be everything to this community.    Could it be that churches each have a niche in their community?  Could it be that churches each have a God-given wiring to excel in different areas and it is up to them whether or not they will pursue their strengths instead of continuing to only improve their weaknesses.
 
Bring this principal back to our church now.  Instead of trying to do everything, what if we were about just a few things?  What does God want us to be and do so that when someone thinks of Mt. Hood Christian Center…they think “their ________ is nothing less than amazing?”

Clearing the Air (pun intended)

by Donnie Thompson  |  February 11, 2008
I felt that I needed to address a statement that I made in our morning service. My statement was unplanned, unrehearsed and poorly communicated. I am referring to the statement regarding my intention of placing an ashtray outside of the church building. I have received some manner of responses that range from the very excited (because of the philosophy behind it) to the very upset (due to health standards and/or sending a message that condones behavior.) One thing is very obvious through this and that is it would seem that everyone has an opinion.
 
The human side of me wants to let people get uptight over this. The human side of me wants to challenge people to get as excited about our lost community as they are about an ash tray. The human side of me wants to not say anything and see what happens. Having said that, it is better that my human side be avoided and I’ll address this from a purely pastoral perspective. :)
 
I would like to put to rest any fears that you have about having to walk through a cloud bank of smoke to get inside the church (though I would be thrilled to see that many smokers here at church) because the ash tray will be well removed from the front doors. The pastoral side of me is grieved that this is even an issue. I am saddened that we are willing to put our tradition and comfort before people. I get a righteous anger that we would even consider leaving up roadblocks to people whom Jesus loves so extravagantly. In July we made a commitment to be an externally-focused church, building bridges to our community and tearing down walls of tradition and religion. We said that we would love God, love people and serve both.
 
The part of this “controversy” that rises up within me the greatest is that it would seem that we have elevated the issue of smoking to the same level as the sins of fornication, drunkenness, debauchery and a myriad of other things that the Bible clearly speaks about. The one verse that I consistently hear referred to regarding smoking is 2 Corinthians 2:16…referring to how we are the temple of the living God. While I think I could make a defensible argument that using this verse to address this issue is taken out of context, I would also have to say that there is no dispute on whether or not smoking is harmful to your physical body. This is not the point though. If it were, then we need to remove our soda machines, stop serving donuts, stop having pot lucks and close our coffee shop.
 
The point here is that we ought not to be about beating up on someone who already has an addiction. I have never met a smoker who wasn’t already beating themselves up over their habit.
 
Now without making this blog even longer, let me say that people are already smoking outside of our building, we are already picking up cigarette butts. Why not acknowledge their life and struggles and send a message that they are still welcome…as each of us is…regardless of the struggles they are carrying? The truth be known, you and I are people who can’t kick our habits and attitudes unless Jesus does a miracle within us. If you think you have “arrived” then that pride reveals otherwise, doesn’t it? :)
 
As I’ve told others, I know that despite our differing views we can still journey and worship together. I am prepared to address any practical problems that may arise from this but would like to see if any surface first. If you would like to take me to task on this, fine. I can handle it. I would happily talk with you about it.

Challenge for the Holidays

by Pastor Donnie  |  November 21, 2007
On behalf of the staff at Mt. Hood Christian Center, we would like to extend every blessing to you as we officially enter the holidays.

For most, the holidays are a time of excitement, hope and anticipation.  I hope that this would describe you.  Unfortunately, for many, the holidays are bitter.  They are a painful reminder of what once was and what could have been.  My heart goes out to two segments of people during this time of the year.  Those who have lost a loved one in the last few years and those who simply find themselves at a low place in life that was brought on by divorce/separation, unemployment, or wrong choices.  I see so much of it and get overwhelmed with the magnitude of need.

I have hope because the church is an amazing thing…when it is working right.  Regardless of your station in life, you have an opportunity to come along side hurting people.  We all know them.  This year, may I encourage you to do something different?  I read about a church in the Portland area that began something a few years ago which they dubbed the “Advent Conspiracy”.  If you missed the article, you can view it here: Advent Conspiracy Article. This idea has always resonated with me during my adult life…I just never had a name for it.

You are confronted every holiday with an opportunity to jump on the consumerism bandwagon.  This Friday is what retailers call Black Friday.  It marks the beginning of the fanatical shopping blitz leading up to Christmas.  The Thanksgiving day newspaper will be the biggest paper you receive all year because of the ads trying to entice you in to your local retailer.  This shopping day is actually a holiday tradition for many families.  They get up early, hit Fred Meyers at 5 AM, get a free donut and fill the shopping cart with socks…or at least some version of this scenario.

As Christians, how do we reconcile the blatant consumerism with our mandate to live simply and separate from the world?  I believe the answer to this is our own version of the Advent Conspiracy.  I’m all for finding great deals.  I get more excited about a good deal than my dog gets about a full bowl of food (if you know my dog, it makes sense).  What I’m not excited about is the missed opportunity to instill values and social awareness into our children.

I would like to invite you to join me and my family in approaching Christmas a little differently.  I’m not asking you to refrain from spending this year; I’m asking you to spend with the hurting in mind.  We are still buying gifts for our children but we are also using this time as a way of turning their minds away from themselves.  Over our married life, my wife and I have come up with a few ideas and guidelines that help us to do more in the areas that really matter.  I’ll share some of these with you.

  • Consider the kids' wish list a suggestion, not an order form.  Spend a reasonable amount on things you want them to have, rather than feeling obligated to buy them everything they want.  I remember the inordinate amount of gifts that my toddler niece received one year and how too much raised future expectations.
  • Get your extended family involved, if you are expected to buy gifts for all of them.  Let them know that you're giving to those in need and gifts for them will be modest/homemade/nonexistent this year.  Maybe there's even a project the whole family could take on.
  • Focus on traditions that don't involve large expense--spend time together, make cookies, etc . . . .
  • If you love the Black Friday shopping craziness, use the sales to find great deals on things you can give to someone who really needs them i.e. Fred Meyer sock sale for Bridgetown.
  • Get creative.  Creativity is not exactly one of my strengths, but I serve a creative God who gives creativity to me when I seek it.

Do expensive, impersonal gifts really express our love? (For those of you that watch “The Office”, do you remember when Michael bought the IPod for the gift exchange?)  What about giving in more relational ways this year to your loved ones?  Use the money you save to then address the tangible needs around you.

Join me during the Sundays in December as we re-discover how to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.  

Movie Concerns

by Pastor Donnie  |  October 31, 2007

In light of the sheer number of forwards regarding an upcoming movie that is soon to be released, I felt impressed to send out a church-wide word of exhortation in the form of a blog.  Dependant upon your station in life, this may or may not be worth your reading.  The purpose of this writing isn’t to convince you of anything as much as it is to share some of my thoughts about a current event.  Read at your convenience.

The Golden Compass is being released by New Line Cinemas on December 7, 2007.  You can see the preview trailer here.

Admittedly, I haven’t seen the movie...it hasn’t come out at the time of this writing.  While watching the preview I was under the impression that this was a classic good-versus-evil epic written in the style of the Chronicles of Narnia.  With the recent success of fantasy type movies, the current glut of these types of films are sure to increase as evidenced by The Lord Of The Rings, Eragon, Harry Potter, Pirates Of The Caribbean, and Star Wars to name a few.  Of course this isn’t a recent phenomenon in light of King Kong (1933), The Wizard of Oz (1939), It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), and my personal favorite, Princess Bride (1987).

I think movies of the fantasy genre have mass appeal for a couple of reasons.  First, perhaps it could be because of how they translate us out of our current frame of mind, problems, and current situation (what I call the “escape factor” evidenced in forms of entertainment or any mental distractions) even if it is only for 90-180 minutes.   I’m somewhat opposed to the idea of a steady diet of escape just for the sake of escape…it shouldn’t be used as a drug.  I’m not opposed to enjoying the results of someone’s God-given imagination as well as the effect that it can have on my own imagination and creativity, the idea that it is being stretched because of it.

Secondly, we can all identify with the protagonist suffering trials, hardships and temporary defeat only to rise from the ashes to ultimately declare victory over his foe.  There is something wired in each of us that rejoices when the underdog wins.  We have all been an underdog at one time or another.  Just yesterday my dad mentioned an 80’s movie to me called Red Dawn which he says he watches every time it comes on TV.  What young boy (or man) hasn’t visualized his personal world confronted by a military crisis with himself using primitive means to defeat the invader?  I can hear it now…”Wolverines!”

I suppose that the underlying question for a lot of Christians is, ‘can the message be lost in the medium?’  In other words, can a positive message be lost within all the stuff surrounding it?  I can answer “yes” pretty confidently to that.  I know that a lot of otherwise funny, powerful, and/or historical movies were reduced to garbage because the makers added additional storyline that completely detracted from the context of the story.  Cases in point: Titanic and Pearl Harbor.  Though older movies, I haven’t seen either one out of principal because I heard from others what movie producers added to a couple of the most amazing and heart wrenching stories in U.S. History.

Of course, the church does that all the time too though don’t we?  We have an incredible message of love, hope, and forgiveness.  We then seem to add our own clutter (in the form of traditions, judgmentalism, prejudices, and lovelessness) and so convolute the most amazing message in the history of the world.

Perhaps I digress though…:)

The Golden Compass has produced a profound uprising against itself by the Protestant and Catholic Churches.  Without rehashing the storyline that you can read at your leisure as posted by the Snopes website here, may it suffice to say that the movie is based upon a series of books written by professed atheist Phillip Pullman.  It appears that this has an extremely anti-religious tone and storyline.

Having said that, I want to make clear that I am NOT calling for a boycott of this movie, nor am I suggesting that you rush out to secure your tickets for the first available showing.

I would like to stretch your thinking for a moment as it relates not to just this movie but whenever we are presented with a message that is contrary to the values we are raising our kids with.  I will use this movie as an example but understand that this could translate to any decision you need to make as a parent or leader.  Let me give you a couple of thoughts to chew on and I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.  I have a couple of filters through which I recommend you draw your conclusions.

  • Some of the message(s) presented (atheism in this case) are messages that aren’t unique to the movie but are in fact being fed to children and parents in a variety of methods in our society.  You may be concerned about not letting your kids see a certain movie because of the bad message, but are they getting that message through other means (education, music, media, friends etc.)?  Probably.
  • Are you an involved parent?  If you are un-involved, not letting your kids see this movie really doesn’t matter in the broad scheme of things.  They will hear the identical message through other formats and you won’t be there to educate and provide a balance/truth to the message.
  • Could viewing something like this together be more beneficial than simply not watching it?  I’ve enjoyed some great dialogue with my kids when we viewed something that had some “questionable” parts.  I was able to bring it down to real life and talk about what God has to say about those messages being portrayed.  I have used the pause button more than once to discuss the subject matter right then.
  • Be Spirit-led.  Is it the Holy Spirit prompting you?  Are you careful to examine the accuracy of any tunnel-vision upbringing that you might have had?  A favorite saying of mine when I first started parenting was, “I don’t need to dig around in the dumpster in order to know that there is garbage in there.”  I forgot that my family and I were already living in the dumpster (the world).  I now prefer helping my kids to process and disseminate the messages that they are already getting when I’m not around.  I’m not saying to expose your kids to every evil available…that’s ludicrous.  I don’t subscribe to the ‘they are going to do it anyway’ mentality.  I’m saying that as a parent, it is your responsibility to discern what is beneficial or truly detrimental to your kids.
I will not say that watching OR not watching this movie is recommended.  In all honesty, I haven’t decided for myself yet.  I do encourage you to be informed though.  Do your homework.  If you aren’t familiar with or can’t articulate what you believe, get started on that.  Your kids will automatically decide their own (and possibly contrary) beliefs if you can’t walk them through how you arrive at yours.

To God Be The Glory!

by Pastor Donnie  |  August 20, 2007
It is with a very humbled heart that I am able to present myself as your newly installed Senior Pastor of Mt. Hood Christian Center. The journey to this point has been unlike any journey that I’ve ever seen or heard of before. God works and operates as He will and I can’t say that I fully understand His design and purposes for the roller coaster that this past 11 months has been. I am confident that His way is perfect.
 
Typically, whenever a pastor finds himself at a new church, he understands that relationships have to be built and the dynamics of the church must be observed before any movement can take place. I have great anticipation and hopes for Mt. Hood Christian Center and am excited that we don’t have to start from scratch in building our relationships…we’ve had the luxury of spending over seven years together in discovery. Just as you have chosen me, I have chosen you. Mt. Hood Christian Center is my home and it is where my heart is firmly planted.
 
I know in all probability that some of you reading this didn’t choose me to be your pastor…I was thrust upon you. I don’t understand why God does things the way He does but I’ve discovered that He will advance, promote, and give authority to those whom He will. I don’t feel worthy, gifted or even ready to be what you need in a senior pastor. As I spoke on this morning though, “can we still walk hand in hand even if we don’t see eye to eye?” It is my hope and prayer that you will bless me with your prayers and in so doing we can join hearts and hands as we move through these uncharted waters. Specifically, don’t begrudge God His glory when He uses a flawed vessel like me to lead His bride into her new chapter of effectiveness.
 
I commit myself to this body. I commit myself to the principal of growing as a leader. I commit myself to the principal of growing as a learner. Know that I have already started praying for you during this season of our church’s life. I covet your prayers as I shoulder this burden that both you and God have entrusted me with.
 
May God richly bless you this week! I hope to see you all this coming Sunday as we share in what God has in store for us. I’ll be thinking of you this week while I’m with several families up at Wallowa Lake.:)

Our Declaration

by Pastor Donnie  |  July 6, 2007
July 1, 2007…
 
This is a date that will inevitably stick in my memory for the rest of my life. What a wonderful service we had this past Sunday! I knew that God had been stirring that message for a long time but I must confess that I didn’t anticipate the spontaneous response to the message that happened. If you didn’t make this Sunday, the message was about declaring our independence from “business as usual”. We acknowledged and declared our intentions of becoming outwardly focused in our community instead of inwardly focused at our church. It was obvious that a chord was struck as dozens came to the front without being asked…dozens who wanted to verbally declare their own statement of independence. I have had numerous requests for this declaration and will make a copy available to you this coming Sunday upon request.
 
As I said on Sunday, a declaration of that nature causes us to be accountable to what we professed. Now begins the more difficult part…the process of change. In the weeks ahead, I would very much like to hear from you about what has changed or is changing in your own attitudes and/or mindsets. July 1, 2007 wasn’t a flash in the pan or just another message to think about. It was the beginning of a very clear mandate that God is giving us for our church. I believe that it already started among our individual members and attendees. The response proved to me that this wasn’t just a “Donnie idea” but a God wave that we are getting set to ride. So…what has changed in your life?
 
As we continue to move in this direction, it is important that we bathe every step in prayer. Please mark your calendars for August 1st. I am asking that everybody participate in some form of special fasting or personal sacrifice leading up to our evening service. You set the length and format of your fast but we ask that you break the fast with us at our evening meal @ 6 PM. Following our meal, we will have a focused time of worship and prayer where we will seek God’s direction as we move forward.
 
Join us this Sunday as I have asked evangelist, Daren Lindley, to come and bring the Word of Life to us. I have known Daren for years and I know that his style of preaching will keep you engaged. I know that the Word he shares with us will fit right in to what God is doing.
 
Until Sunday, may God richly bless you and cause His face to shine upon you.
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