#ChurchVideo

The other day I was excited to check out a church I had never been to before. While in the Chicago area, I thought I would take advantage of a rare "Sunday off" to visit a church where no one knew me. Not one family member or friend of mine attended this church, and believe it or not, I was really looking forward to seeing what I could learn from being a guest. As a pastor of a church myself, I relished the opportunity to be a "secret shopper".

I was welcomed at the door by a nice young woman who promptly handed me a bulletin. I walked to my seat in the sanctuary and was immediately taken in by the motion backdrops displayed on three LARGE screens draped across the left, center, and right stage walls.

The worship band greeted the congregation, and we were off and running (I mean, worshipping). After around 10 minutes I began looking around for a pastor, or anyone for that matter, who looked like they would be leading the service that morning. I didn't see anyone...But before I could really get nervous about it (because that's what us pastors do), a young man walked out from behind the stage curtain and made a few announcements. He then introduced what the message would be that day and welcomed the Lead Pastor to the stage.

The lights faded down...and the video screen came on.

For the first time in my life, I sat in a church sanctuary with hundreds of people and watched a 30+ minute pre-recorded video message by the pastor of the church. The message was good. The content was strong. And the worship team took the stage when the screen faded to black for a closing song. When the song finished, the congregation filed out. It was over.

I had unknowingly visited a Campus Church. It had a nice building, a nice sanctuary, and a nice sized congregation, but it was just one of multiple church locations, each under the banner of one "Mother church", with each congregation watching the same video message from the same pastor. (Although I am sure this pastor must have been speaking "live" at one of them, right?)

I know that campus churches are a huge trend in the Christian world right now, but like I said, this was my first experience with one. It left me with many mixed emotions. But before I write any more about what I felt, I wonder what you think of the experience I just described above. I really don't want to sway your opinion, so just tell me your thoughts...

A Christmas Story

Tonight my family and I sat down and watched A Christmas Story. That's right, the classic movie that is probably on the watch list for most people this time of year. The list of Christmas movies I have to watch every December is currently:




1. A Christmas Story
2. Christmas Vacation
3. Home Alone
4. It's a Wonderful Life
5. Elf



These movies are filled with moments that bring plenty of Christmas nostalgia for me. I love the childhood memories they spark in my mind, and now as an adult, I love the little messages I am able to pull out of their storylines. Although I'll admit, Christmas Vacation brings pretty much nothing to the table in terms of a message.

Anyway, while watching A Christmas Story tonight, I was reminded of an awesome message that has always stood out to me at the end of the movie. But in order to capture the message, let me give you a quick story recap. Throughout the hour and a half movie, Ralphie will tell anyone who will listen that he wants a Red Rider BB Gun, with a compass and a stock, and this "thing" that tells time. He hides advertisements in his parents magazines, he writes a theme for his teacher, and he tells Santa Claus at the store. Each time the response is the same, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

As the movie goes on, and you watch the interaction between Ralphie, Randy, Mom, and Dad, you get the impression that the mom is the one who takes care of all the kids needs. She's the one who takes care of everything around the house, while the dad just goes back and forth to work and doesn't seem to be paying attention to much else, other than the electric leg lamp in the window.

When the presents under the tree are discovered on Christmas morning Ralphie and Randy tear into them. It's the type of Christmas morning we all love to have, but Ralphie gets through all of his presents to find he didn't receive the one gift he had been pleading for.

THIS IS THE PART OF THE STORY I LOVE!

Seemingly out of nowhere, the dad points out that there's one more gift, and it's for Ralphie. The mom obviously has no clue about this, but her curiosity is peaked. Ralphie finds the gift hiding behind the dresser, and opens it to find the Red Rider BB Gun he has been wanting all along. The look of pure joy fills Ralphie's eyes, and a look of disbelief comes across the moms face as the dad says, "I had one when I was a boy."

The dad had come through...YES...you see, the dad had ALWAYS been listening. When Ralphie placed the advertisements in the magazine, it was the dad who saw them. When Ralphie was asking, the dad was always listening! More importantly, he knew his son, and he knew what his son would want. The dad was not aloof, as it appeared throughout the movie, he was right on point. The whole thing just warms my heart.

I relate this to my relationship with my Father in heaven. There are times when I just don't feel like He's listening. I feel a distance between us and I'm just not sure my prayers are getting through. But just when I want to give up and throw in the towel, Psalm 139 rings in my heart...

Psalm 139
You have searched me, Lord,  and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise,  you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down,  you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

You see, the Father is not aloof. He hears you, he's been listening, and that blessing you've been hoping for just may be hiding in the corner, waiting to be found and opened.

I hope that warms your heart...

Merry Christmas!

Josh