Last Thursday and Friday a group of leaders from CVC went to the Willow Creek Summit via satellite in Reno, NV. I'll be honest; I went with very low expectations. I've been to seminars and summits where they get you all fired up about how to do ministry and how to be and do whatever the speaker is hyped up about at the moment... Now, I've learned a lot and have always tried to take something away...but I'm not in the mood to waste my time talking about ministry... I want to get in the trenches and DO ministry- not church.
Well, the bar was set pretty low, but I was completely overwhelmed by most of the speakers and the entire conference last week- I'm still digesting and processing and writing and trying to figure out what God was saying to me through all of it. And I will probably devote a few more posts to various topics that stem from the conference.
Pastor John asked us today at staff what we took away from the conference. And though I am totally an extrovert who loves to speak in front of people and share the spotlight- I didn't speak up today...so I'm speaking up here. God DID speak to me at the conference. But one of the biggest things He said to me, I'm not sure I'm totally excited about. At the end of the conference, Bill Hybels did a final 'talk' that not only pierced my heart, but spoke to my soul.
It turned my head upside down, and I'm still grappling to find all the pieces to put it together again. Hybels had done an extensive study on Mother Theresa- who is inspiring, yes, but I never knew what a true woman of God she was. But even more than that was how LONG Mother Theresa had to wait before she was 'allowed' to pursue her ministry... Mother Theresa- she had to WAIT to do ministry?!?! How wacked out is that? But God whispered to me, "Be still...and know." I'm on the starting line with my feet in the blocks, chomping at the bit to DO ministry... But God is telling me to wait... I don't know why or for what, but I'm being obedient... Some leaders want a bigger 'deal' more than they want more of God in their lives...and I don't want to be one of those leaders.
It comes down to what Bill Hybels called 'cart-blanche yieldedness'. I'm there... And though I'm not writing letters to the Pope so I can minister to people, I am petitioning God. "Speak to me God...I will refuse You nothing." (Mother Theresa) I am honored and ecstatic that God would notice me, and I pray for Him to use me as HE wants to use me and where HE wants to use me and when HE wants to me. I want to love God as He's never been loved before, and serve Him as He's never been served before, to worship Him at that same level... If I were God for a day, would I pick ME for leadership???
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
My Brain Hurts
Last Thursday and Friday a group of leaders from CVC went to the Willow Creek Summit via satellite in Reno, NV. I'll be honest; I went with very low expectations. I've been to seminars and summits where they get you all fired up about how to do ministry and how to be and do whatever the speaker is hyped up about at the moment... Now, I've learned a lot and have always tried to take something away...but I'm not in the mood to waste my time talking about ministry... I want to get in the trenches and DO ministry- not church.
Well, the bar was set pretty low, but I was completely overwhelmed by most of the speakers and the entire conference last week- I'm still digesting and processing and writing and trying to figure out what God was saying to me through all of it. And I will probably devote a few more posts to various topics that stem from the conference.
Pastor John asked us today at staff what we took away from the conference. And though I am totally an extrovert who loves to speak in front of people and share the spotlight- I didn't speak up today...so I'm speaking up here. God DID speak to me at the conference. But one of the biggest things He said to me, I'm not sure I'm totally excited about. At the end of the conference, Bill Hybels did a final 'talk' that not only pierced my heart, but spoke to my soul.
It turned my head upside down, and I'm still grappling to find all the pieces to put it together again. Hybels had done an extensive study on Mother Theresa- who is inspiring, yes, but I never knew what a true woman of God she was. But even more than that was how LONG Mother Theresa had to wait before she was 'allowed' to pursue her ministry... Mother Theresa- she had to WAIT to do ministry?!?! How wacked out is that? But God whispered to me, "Be still...and know." I'm on the starting line with my feet in the blocks, chomping at the bit to DO ministry... But God is telling me to wait... I don't know why or for what, but I'm being obedient... Some leaders want a bigger 'deal' more than they want more of God in their lives...and I don't want to be one of those leaders.
It comes down to what Bill Hybels called 'cart-blanche yieldedness'. I'm there... And though I'm not writing letters to the Pope so I can minister to people, I am petitioning God. "Speak to me God...I will refuse You nothing." (Mother Theresa) I am honored and ecstatic that God would notice me, and I pray for Him to use me as HE wants to use me and where HE wants to use me and when HE wants to me. I want to love God as He's never been loved before, and serve Him as He's never been served before, to worship Him at that same level... If I were God for a day, would I pick ME for leadership???
Well, the bar was set pretty low, but I was completely overwhelmed by most of the speakers and the entire conference last week- I'm still digesting and processing and writing and trying to figure out what God was saying to me through all of it. And I will probably devote a few more posts to various topics that stem from the conference.
Pastor John asked us today at staff what we took away from the conference. And though I am totally an extrovert who loves to speak in front of people and share the spotlight- I didn't speak up today...so I'm speaking up here. God DID speak to me at the conference. But one of the biggest things He said to me, I'm not sure I'm totally excited about. At the end of the conference, Bill Hybels did a final 'talk' that not only pierced my heart, but spoke to my soul.
It turned my head upside down, and I'm still grappling to find all the pieces to put it together again. Hybels had done an extensive study on Mother Theresa- who is inspiring, yes, but I never knew what a true woman of God she was. But even more than that was how LONG Mother Theresa had to wait before she was 'allowed' to pursue her ministry... Mother Theresa- she had to WAIT to do ministry?!?! How wacked out is that? But God whispered to me, "Be still...and know." I'm on the starting line with my feet in the blocks, chomping at the bit to DO ministry... But God is telling me to wait... I don't know why or for what, but I'm being obedient... Some leaders want a bigger 'deal' more than they want more of God in their lives...and I don't want to be one of those leaders.
It comes down to what Bill Hybels called 'cart-blanche yieldedness'. I'm there... And though I'm not writing letters to the Pope so I can minister to people, I am petitioning God. "Speak to me God...I will refuse You nothing." (Mother Theresa) I am honored and ecstatic that God would notice me, and I pray for Him to use me as HE wants to use me and where HE wants to use me and when HE wants to me. I want to love God as He's never been loved before, and serve Him as He's never been served before, to worship Him at that same level... If I were God for a day, would I pick ME for leadership???
2 comments on "My Brain Hurts"
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Continue to be a Carte-Blanche follower!
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Awesome take away Wendy. I too have been incorporating that carte-blanche aspect into my prayer life. It was indeed powerful stuff and I am sure that God isn't done with either one of us yet. It is all about being yielded. Sounds so easy, but as Paul says, I do that I do not want...
Thank you for sharing. Kimberly -
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2 comments:
Continue to be a Carte-Blanche follower!
Awesome take away Wendy. I too have been incorporating that carte-blanche aspect into my prayer life. It was indeed powerful stuff and I am sure that God isn't done with either one of us yet. It is all about being yielded. Sounds so easy, but as Paul says, I do that I do not want...
Thank you for sharing. Kimberly
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