An Explanation for My Absence

Here's why I haven't been on here this week....

Logan Joseph Libby

March 10, 2010

1:22 p.m.
7 lbs, 10 ozs

20 1/2 in

Check out more pics on Facebook!

"Groundhog (Easter) Day"?

OK, if you're a church nerd (like me) then this might be funny. If you are not, then just wait for a serious post tomorrow.

In case you didn't know, today is Groundhog Day. A day where the whole nation (maybe even the world) focuses its attention on a little town in Pennsylvania and a famous rodent ("Punxsatawney Phil"). Isn't it interesting how some many people trust a groundhog to tell them what the weather will be like? Isn't it interesting that no matter which outcome Phil has there will still be six weeks of winter?

With that in mind, I thought I would take a "Groundhog Day" look at some Christian holidays, specifically Easter and Pentecost.

Each spring (sometimes in March, sometimes in April) Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter Day. What if when Mary and the disciples get to the tomb that morning, instead of Jesus being gone, he walks out to check and see if he can see his shadow? If he sees his shadow, then there will be seven weeks of Easter!

In late spring (seven weeks after Easter) Christians celebrate the birth of the Church on Pentecost. What if when the tongues of fire come in and land on your head, instead of speaking in various languages, you check the person next to you to see if there is a shadow? If you see a shadow, then there will be twenty-eight weeks of Pentecost!

I know, I know - it doesn't really matter whether Jesus sees his shadow or if we see a shadow from the fire on our neighbor - just like it doesn't matter if Phil sees his shadow or not!

Again, I have to ask...why do we look for silly things to tell us what's coming up next instead of looking to the author and perfecter of our faith? Why do we trust in things that make no difference when we could trust in the One who makes all the difference?

Anne is on her way!

I am so excited that I get to meet Anne Jackson this weekend! She will be talking about her book Mad Church Disease and spending some time with a few local area pastors, church staffers, and lay leaders on Sunday evening here at University UMC.

We are very proud to have her coming to speak and look forward to her words of hope, encouragement, and enlightenment.

And, yes. That is my personal copy of MCD!

Easter Extravaganza

Saturday, UUMC's Children's Ministry hosted our first Easter Extravaganza and the place was hoppin'!!

I challenged AndyK to a sumo wrestling match and we both decided that the thought was better than the execution - it was HOT Saturday! And those suits are not made of the most breathable material! Here's the proof of our adventure! Enjoy!

Another First!

Tonight's going to be my first attempt at premarital counseling via Skype!













Don't I look cool? (I know, not really!)

Reflections on a "Not Yet"

I apologize for not posting this sooner, but life in ministry never seems to slow down when I have something that I want to spend a little time reflecting on. Oh well!

On February 23 I interviewed with P&Q to determine whether or not the Board of Ordained Ministry of the North Texas Conference would recommend me for ordination as an Elder in Full Connection this June at Annual Conference.

After 3 hours of interviews and 1.5 hours of deliberation, P&Q came back with their decision - "not yet." I must admit that I was stunned at first, but when I look back on the three interviews I see the validity of their decision. I listened quietly as they explained their reasons for continuing me and I held it together until the three people who came to give me the news prayed for me. I broke down again when Deb came into the room and I had to tell her the news.

As I listened to their reasons for continuing me in the process I visualized the disappointment on the faces of my congregation - how they might not understand, how they might be angry at me or at the Board. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell them.

Fortunately, as I heard the reasons for the "not yet" they also affirmed my gifts and graces for ministry, my effectiveness in ministry, and my potential for a successful, long-term career in the North Texas Conference. They also unequivocally stated that each member of the Board want me to be part of the connection - they want to ordain me, but they also want to make sure that the people whom they send to the Bishop for ordination have a solid, Wesleyan theological foundation from which to do ministry.

As I look back on my "not yet" I see that their comments were right on. I see that my Wesleyan theological reflection was shaky at best during the interview. I see that I still have work to do in obtaining a solid, Wesleyan theological underpining for my ministry.

I see that they love and support me and want me to succeed.
I see that my church loves and supports me and wants me to succeed.
I see that my family loves me and wants me to succeed.
I see that God loves me and wants me to succeed.

My "not yet" is not the end of the world for me. It will be hard for me to watch my residency group get ordained without me this summer, but I am committed to working hard on the items the Board has identified. I am committed to serving University UMC with all my heart over the next year.

Now, let's get to work!

UM Reporter Article

I thought you might like to see the article about University's journey to pay apportionments that appeared in the February 6th issue of the United Methodist Reporter.

My continued thanks to all of you who made our 100% payout possible!

Have you ever had the feeling that you haven't had an original thought in months? That you have just been riding the wave of someone else's creativity and passion? That you just don't know where your next good idea is going to come from?


I'm getting close to being there and I don't like it. Am I getting MCD?

Are You Afraid of Being Amazing?

When I pre-ordered Mad Church Disease I had no idea that it would send shivers down my spine three months before Amazon.com shipped it to my office.

I downloaded a free chapter from MCD last month, but I didn't read it right away. In fact, I didn't read it until Tuesday morning at about 1:30am. The chapter, as a whole, is amazing and it really got me pumped for February when I can read the whole book!

As I was reading about "Processing Through Pain," Anne quoted Penelope Trunk as saying, "People are afraid of being amazing." (173) This statement leapt off the page at me, hit me square in the jaw, and then came back around and punched me in the nose!

I can't tell you how many times I have been afraid to be amazing. I don't even want to think about the missed opportunities in my life because I didn't want to "shine too much" or "stand out from the crowd." It makes me sick just thinking about it.

Penelope's statement brought up two questions:
1) Why are we so afraid of being amazing?
2) What would happen if we all unleashed the amazing-ness we have inside?

I believe that I have been afraid to be amazing because I have not wanted other people to feel bad about themselves in areas of ministry or life that I naturally excelled in. Even deeper, I think that I have also been reluctant to invest extra effort in some areas of ministry because I knew that the extra effort would move me beyond ordinary to extraordinary. Kinda self-defeating, huh?

If we truly unleashed the amazing-ness we have hard-wired into us from our Creator, we would tear down the walls of injustice, rid the world of life-threatening diseases, and bring "up there, down here" (as Mark Beeson likes to say). It would be awesome!

Are you afraid of being amazing? Why?

Caitlyn Starts Preschool

Caitlyn started preschool yesterday, so Deb and I took some pictures to commemorate the event. She looked so small with her new backpack on, but she also looked so grown up. She has come a long way since her entry into the world.






























I am now going to find place to cry. Excuse me please.

The Big 3-0!

I have officially entered my fourth decade of existence! I celebrated the ending of my 20s and the beginning of my 30s yesterday with a delicious steak from Texas Roadhouse and a piece of four-layer chocolate/chocolate cake from Margie's.

Thank you to all of you who sent cards and/or gifts. I thank you for not stocking our cupboards with Geritol or Fibercon as well.

I pray that my 30s bring me closer to my family, closer to my Lord, and further along in my ministry in the name of Jesus Christ.

Peace!

Prayer Request

Please pray for Custer Road UMC in Plano. There was a terrible car accident on Sunday involving a family that was greatly connected to the ministry of that church.

Please pray for the clergy and staff as they handle many calls, visits, and questions about processing the grief that the congregation will undoubtedly express over the next few weeks - and even months.

Please pray for Rev. Ron Henderson, senior pastor at CRUMC, as he leads the congregation through this time of trial.

Please pray for my friend, Rev. Leslie Herrscher, associate pastor at CRUMC, as the day of this accident was her first Sunday at Custer Road.

Please pray for the friends and family of the Hart family.

Please pray for the driver of the car who hit the Hart family and survived the wreck.

Please pray.

Touching Them All

I read about this story on Saturday afternoon and it brought me to tears. When people do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do, I truly believe that brings a smile to God's face. When we commit ourselves to living for the things of God, we are truly able to live.


HT: Tony Morgan

HD DVDs are History

Not that I own an HDTV or anything, but I thought that this news was interesting. I guess HD DVDs are this generations Betamax! I think I'll go do some research on Blu-Ray.

Grace&Peace

Secondhand Sermons

In November I preached at our daughter church when their pastor was filling our pulpit during the transition between Jim and John. When Deb, Caitlyn and I went to my parent's house for Thanksgiving later that month, I downloaded the audio of the sermon for them to listen to sometime later.

I didn't think much about it until my parents came to our house for Christmas and they told me that they used my sermon podcast as a lesson for the Sunday School class earlier in December. I thought - "wow, that's cool...hope they liked it." They told me that several people took notes the whole time and several others had no idea that a church needed to grow smaller in order to grow bigger.

Earlier this week, I received a letter in the mail from one of those people. She told me that my sermon impacted her so much that she realized that she needed to seek out a member of the church and ask for forgiveness for her behavior earlier in the year. I was blown away! I stood in the kitchen dumbfounded at the power of the Holy Spirit to change the heart of someone I have never met because of the words I spoke in the name of Jesus.

It's moments like this that keep me doing what I'm doing!

Grace&Peace

EDIT: For 200th Post

I was reading an article in Fast Company about thinking inside the box (as opposed to outside the box) when trying to be creative and I wondered if my earlier post was too outside the box without the necessary limits. So I am going to offer some limits to what I will post about in the famous Post #200.

Here are your choices:

1. Body Piercing/Tattoos
2. Secular Music in Worship
3. Church Leadership in the 21st Century
4. Radical Hospitality

Just vote for the one you would like me to blog about...if you're good I might do a multi-part series on that topic.

Top Quotes of 2007

"Don't Tase Me, Bro!" was voted the most memorable quote of 2007. I don't even remember hearing this quote when it first happened, but since then it has come up in numerous conversations and radio broadcasts...pretty funny!

Here is the article from Yahoo! News about the whole list (including that incredibly lucid response from Miss Teen S. Carolina). Enjoy!

Grace&Peace

Funny Imprints

If I ever wanted proof that kids are sponges, then Caitlyn's most recent "acquisition" seals the deal...

She has begun to lick her fingers before turning the pages in her books or before getting a new flash card or even before moving to a different page in her coloring books! It is hilarious...and the best part is that Deb and I don't even do that! She learned it from the teachers at her daycare! She is watching them close enough to see them turn pages in books or sort through the daily report sheets that they complete for each of the kids in her class.

I'll try to get a picture of it and post it here because it will make you smile (and possibly laugh out loud). It is so funny to watch her slather her finger with spit just to turn the page in a board book. She did it again this morning with her flash cards and Deb and I about fell over laughing.

Gotta love kids!

Grace&Peace

Blogging on the Road

This will be quick...I am blogging from the Connection Cafe (sponsored by Apple) at the Catalyst Conference. Pretty cool!

Grace&Peace

Smoking Pot

I just found a great article on smoking pot...take a hit and how enlightened you become.

Grace&Peace