the Low Down

“In”dependence Day

 

Independence Day marks the day we declared our nations liberty from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  After years and years of being under the rule of Great Britain we were now free.  Free from restrictions, free from taxation, free from the rule of Law that would hold us back. 

Now that didn’t mean that we were free to do whatever we want whenever we want to.  We still had a government structure and laws that we had to abide by.  However it was reason to celebrate because we now lived under a system that was better for us as a country.

What a great reminder for us as Christians.  Our nation’s story is our story. Before we knew Jesus we lived controlled by sin and subjected to its power in our life but that all changed.  Romans 6:6-14 speaks of how Jesus destroyed the power of sin.  Verse 10-11 read ¹⁰He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. ¹¹So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

We are now free from the oppressive control that ruled over us.  With a little bit of effort all of us can think back to a time where we felt hardship and pain as a result of our bad decision making.  The guilt, the shame, the pursuit for personal gain and the disregard for the wellbeing of others.  But the beauty of the story is that we are not imprisoned to stay in that place.  We are free from guilt, shame is removed, we can afford to be unselfish and we can bless others because we are blessed.

That doesn’t mean that we can just live anyway we want to and treat others any way we feel like it.  We too must live with a new set of guidelines and govering priciples. Verse 18 gives a new and better way to live¹⁸Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.

But there is reason to celebrate because God’s system of us being slaves to righteousness is a perfect plan for us to experience all the beauty, joy, love and excitement that this life has to offer.  The more we embrace the lifestyle of righteousness the more we will experience the quality of Life God has wanted for us all along. 

Our country celebrates our Independence as one of the greatest gifts we have ever been given as a nation.  We as Christians should celebrate our “In” dependence with Jesus Christ.  We are truly dependent on His word, His guidance, His Protection, His forgiveness, His power and His love.  Without Him we would have no life at all

This was poignantly captured in 1775 by Patrick Henry when he made a decisive speech that inspired Key leaders regarding our efforts to gain our independence.  In his speech he declared “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” The same rings true of us who call Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Without Christ we have no life! 

Thank you Lord for how you have liberated us. Help us use that freedom to bless others and bring Glory to our Father in Heaven. Amen!!

 

My Wife the Lock Picker

We were having such a good Monday.  It was our day off and we were able to run errands, be outside on an amazing SoCal day and we got plenty of R&R.  So I figured we would cap it off with dinner down at the beach.  So I asked my wife if she wanted to walk downtown and grab some El Ranchito. 

What a great idea.  Lets leave the cars here and take an evening stroll.  In my mind I figured since we wont be driving we wont need the cars keys.  So I closed the door and off to dinner we went. 

My stomach dropped as I realized that just because we wont need the car keys doesn’t mean we wont need the house keys.  My relaxing perfect day off immediately turns to “What an IDIOT”  for the next 30 minutes I just beat myself up mentally. 

Thanks to God I have a wife who is an all star.  She talked me back up and we went to dinner.  I sent facebook posts and texts to all my budds.  I found out some were very familiar with how to break into houses.  Scarry the skilled ones all seemed to be guys from church.  Great picture of life change in hindsight.

Everyone seemed to have a little advice on “Hide a Keys” but that just became annoying real fast!  I know I know “I’m an IDIOT”.  We finally got a wall post from a friend who is a locksmith and he gave us some direction.  My wife was so excited to try to pick the lock based on the tutorial.  She plucked a bobby pin from her hair and was cat burglaring in no time.  Unfortunately the only progress we had on our own skills were calloused finger tips.

The real advice we got from our locksmith buddy was not to pay more than $95 to have it professionally oppened.  So I eventually called Templar Lock and Safe and we were inside after 2 minutes of expert door picking.

Today I paid 8 bucks for a bunch of spare Keys we will be hiding all over HB so this doesn’t happen again.  It was not a waste of $85.  I learned that my wife is very supportive and calm even when stranded on a chilly night.  I was reminded that my money is not my own it can come and go without warning.  I was forced to give myself some slack because the alternative is just dishonoring to God who did not create “An IDIOT”.  He orchestrated a very spontaneous adventure that allowed me and my wife to be reminded of just how much we love each other!  What a great Monday!

Street Evangelism

This week our church staff had an assignment to go share our story of faith and tell people about Jesus.  Below is a raw account of my thoughts and recap of that experience.

 

MY INNER DIALOG JOURNALED

Lord my mind is all tangled.  I am flooded with excuses! Remove my barriers Holy Spirit, and help this be a natural connection.  Help me open my mouth.  Help me see the opportunity, help me start a new passion for those longing for you! 

Im disqualifying everyone:

·        They aren’t the one

·        Too White… too different

·        Too Young ….too old

·        Too weird… too cool

·        Too busy!

 

What should I do? 

Make a friend, say hello and learn their name, get some back-story on their life.

This might be a future friend, or part of our small group

They could be a possible volunteer, they could be a future leader.

What do we think is cool about church that non church people think is lame?

          Would they like the music?  The worship?  The persistent greeters?

Or would they like honest questions?  A genuine explanation?  Normal hospitality?  Natural conversations

What should I ask?

          What was Jesus’ purpose?….no

          Who was Jesus?…. nah

          What do you know about Jesus?…..lets try

 

 

 

As I muster up the courage and try to find someone to approach I find myself being so much more friendly as I see each person as a possible conversation.  I’m nicer, I make more eye contact, I say hello, I’m outwardly focused and alert to those around me.

 

I’m worried that they will think I am gay.  Honestly why else would a guy approach another guy?  Quickly that lie is dismissed I’m ready.

MY CONVERSATION WITH “BRETT”

“Excuse me…are you waiting for someone?  While you wait could I ask you a question?  What do you know about Jesus?”  One hour later this is what I learned.

 

His name is Brett and he grew up in a semi conservative family with a Dad who is a career Navy Officer.  He is 19 and now living local and fascinated with Music.  He is lonely and an intellectual.  He is well read and likes to share opinions and ponder deep topics.  He has a medical marijuana card but is getting tired with the Pot culture.  He has parents at home who are aware of his struggles.  I imagine they are worried about him.  He appreciates compliments and would love to have friends he can relate to.  He is learning from mistakes as fast as he becomes aware of his missteps.  We spoke for about an hour and as I got up he told me he really was glad that I took the time to come over and talk.  He then asked me where the church was and if he could have my business card.

 

MY THOUGHTS AFTER

Each person we shy away from could be a Brett.  Someone who wants to make a difference, who wants more out of life and doesn’t know where that will come from.  Someone who is a daughter, son, brother, sister, husband or wife who has a family that is worried, concerned and praying that God would take care of them.  We have the opportunity to be an answer to their prayers.  I went out worried how am I going to possibly lead a stranger to Christ, I ended up making a friend who is really interesting and I enjoyed spending time with. 

 

How Many Brett’s do we cross paths with each day?  How Many Brett’s is God hoping we take the time and muster the courage to start a conversation with? Keep your eyes open they are all around us.

Pastor LOW

Spiritual Warfare or Spiritual Development?

Seems recently that everywhere I turn people are being faced with very interesting situations in life.  Work conflicts, car crashes, deaths in the families, property damages, friendship issues, marital strains, pet tragedies and homelessness.  It seems to never end.  In some ways it seems to line up with Daryl Worley’s lyric “Sounds like life to me”.

But when they line up one after another one has to think….is there more to it?  In the church world there are some who will be quick to point straight to Spiritual Warfare.  That Satan and his crew are menacing at each step and anything that doesn’t fall into our convenient gentle lifestyle must be the work of the devil.  Others will take the opposite approach that its just life and there is no spiritual element to it at all.

As I navigate this life and spend time with more and more people I seem to think there is another more important conclusion to land on.  They are all opportunities for Spiritual development.  The less time we spend wondering where our circumstance comes from the sooner we can start understanding what God might want us to learn from it.  Romans 8:28 states “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

This week I have been reminded to look for the good that God wants to bring from the situations in my life.  Uncomfortable? yes!  Inconvenient? Yes!  Annoying? Yes!  Aggravating? Yes!  Disturbing? Yes!  Opportunities? YES!!  Growing pains are a natural part of life and the result is a mature, strong, fully developed version of our selves.  So let’s look forward to the growth.  Let’s appreciate the development and let’s look forward to being stronger so we can handle all that life has to offer.

Because after all for those of us that know Christ, this is simply a brief moment in time before we spend eternity with Him.

Pastor Low

 

 

Into the Wilderness

         I have some solid men in my life.  The kind of guys that you would go to war with.  Literally!  Guys that are trustworthy, courageous, inspiring, honest, and adventurous.  Last month we were hanging out during our normal Wednesday night Bible Study and we were talking about how distracting our lives can be with everything that is going on.  In a moment of inspiration he came up with an idea….” We need to go out to the desert”!! 

Now let me clarify what “going out to the desert means in this context.  It means heading out to the wilderness. It does not mean going out to a condo in Palm Springs.  It does not mean renting a room in Las Vegas.  It does not mean driving out for a round of Golf at La Quinta.  And it most certainly does not mean visiting friends overnight for a relaxing getaway.  It means grabbing the tents and sleeping bags and driving out to a remote road where we can set up camp.

When he threw this idea out there we were all amped.  So we settled on a date and the 3 of us began looking forward to our adventure.  Quickly three became 4 and a fifth was added and leading up to the day of the trip we had 6 guys on board.  There was another last minute adjustment to our plans. A 30 year storm that hit Southern California with the lowest snow levels it has seem in 3 decades.  It was amazing. 

So that Saturday morning we met before sunrise and began to transfer all the gear into two cars.  A Ford F150 and a Toyota Sequoia.  We were on the road in time to see the sun creep over the horizon.  We were fired up and looking forward to a day in solitude.  We made great time into Vacaville and then cut into the mountains on a side road.  The terrain was amazing everything had a fresh coat of powder turning the desert into a winter playground.  We made it to Pioneer town and took one final rest before making our way to camp. 

The main road was nothing more than worn gravel and two shoulders that could barely fit a car if it had to pull over.  We turned off to head into the foothills and were met with roads that were wide enough for one car with snow pilled high on each side of us.  We came to a fork and came to a stop.  Our guide bounced out of his car and asked…”how committed are we?”  We all said “lets do this” and with that we took the road to the left and made our way down a fresh packed road flanked with snow.  Feeling the car slip from left to right and right to left we kept going until we came around the bend only to see our guide’s car gently deposited into the snowy bank.  As we slowed our car followed suit and slid sideways into the 3 foot high white embankment. 

            It was 8am and both cars were stuck on a one way snowy trail.  At this point it is important to disclose that both truck and SUV are 2 wheel drive.  After numerous attempts to push and pull the truck free, we humbled ourselves and went up the road to ask for help.  What we thought was a road was actually a driveway and as we made it to the house we learned that the family had a party to get to and that road we were stuck on was the only way out. 

            The only help he could offer was a huge piece of used carpet.  Used Carpet?? What good was that going to be?  So with 4 shovels and a big piece of Carpet we went to work.  6 hours….SIX hours it took us to dig out and inch our way on the carpet (for traction) down the driveway to a cleared landing that we dug with our own hands.  We made it just in time to get the family out and be free before the sun went down.  So we made it back to the road and decided that the best idea was to just go ho…..errr go look for a campsite at Joshua Tree.

            So we went to the park and found a campsite.  Yeah we were committed to staying the night in the desert.  We found a great site set up two tents and all our gear just in time to enjoy a raging fire.  So we rested and got out of our damp pants and clothes….well most of us.  Some of the guys hadn’t planned for a day of Snow walking and plowing with working up a sweat.  They had nothing to change into. 

It was nice by the fire and the sun was completely down by now.  28 degrees started to drop to 26 then 24.  It was a beautiful night and the guys were starting to make observations.  “did it just get considerably colder?” “My sleeping bag was only $20 at Target will it keep me warm enough?” “My feet can barely feel the fire”.  “The fire seems to be going out” and my favorite upon looking at our friends pants the comment came. “dude you have icicles growing off your jeans”.

            We all started to admit what was really on our minds.  “It was way too cold to sleep out here”, “I’m miserable and want to go home”, “we could be in the car on the way out of here in 30 minutes”, “we could be home and in warm beds by 10pm.”  So that’s exactly what happened.  We broke down camp in record time and were on our way home by 7pm.

            We didn’t end up spending the night in the desert but we certainly went into the wilderness.  We might have come back a little earlier than originally planned but we packed more into that trip than humanly possible.  We came back with great stories, great memories and stronger friendships.  All in all it was worth every minute!!!  Want to go with us on the next trip??  

Pastor Low

I Hope It Fits

I don’t have a tradition or philosophy regarding Christmas Shopping but in my older years I have become more proactive in buying presents for my family.  I am not a big fan of buying presents just because you have to, or buying anything just so you have something to give.  I like to buy present that have meaning or that I know fits someone’s style.  This year I have been uncharacteristically ahead of the game.  This summer I came across a few things for my brother and the rest of the men in my family.  This Fall I was able to go to Peru where I saw a few items that would be perfect for my nieces and Nephews.

When December finally arrived I was almost completely done with my shopping. 

Now this proactive approach comes with a couple very real challenges.  The first challenge is waiting to give these gifts. I just knew that this year’s gifts were going to be enjoyed by my family.  I’m not a very patient man and I genuinely like finding that very cool gift.  So at times it can be torture just waiting. But I have learned that if you just pile them away in a place you don’t see very often you quickly forget you even have them.

            The second challenge comes as a result of buying as you go.  When you pick up presents on vacation its not that easy to drive down to the store and exchange the item in the event it’s not the right one.  When you buy gifts in other countries it’s kinda a pain to return it.  Luckily for me I know my families style but where I am not completely confident is when it came to size. 

            So as I began to wrap this years presents I started to feel a certain anxiety creep in.  I started having a frequent concern echo in my mind…”I Hope it Fits”.  I hope the shirt fits because It was from a store that’s out of business now.  I hope that hat fits because it was from a store that is out of state.  I hope that sweater fits because I’m not sure I’m going back to Peru any time soon.  I hope those slippers fit because I don’t think Miguel does shipping and receiving from his Corner stall at the Lima marketplace.  I hope the sweat suit fits or I’m going to have to explain that they were one of a kind and can’t be exchanged.

            I Hope It Fits.  One by one the presents were unwrapped and the faces lit up.  One by one I had peace of mind return to me.  There was only one last hurdle to navigate.  That was when I noticed how Christmas morning was shaping up.  As everyone made their way through their pile of presents I noticed that three people had placed my gift to them aside to open it last.  The suspense was thick.  I was going to have to endure a grand finale of anxiety.  I’m happy to report that I made it.  To my knowledge all is well and everyone was pleased with their gift. 

So another Christmas is behind us and it was a wonderful celebration of not only the Gift of Jesus Christ to us, but also of the gift we have in each other.  And if that is not enough the icing on the cake was…..It All Fit!!

 

 

Pastor Low

 

Mariners Church Beachside Campus

            We have an address.  It is with great joy that I share with you all that we have our new home for Mariners church Beachside.  Our new address is 18110 Magnolia blvd Fountain Valley CA 92708.  It is a traditional Community Church with a cross facing the street.  It has a sanctuary, classrooms, a playground, offices, parking and even a gazebo.  Our wait was so worth while.  Now that we have a location we are moving forward with our Easter 09 start date. 

When we started out on this journey back in April of this year we felt confident about a Fall launch.  As our location challenges became a reality fall became unrealistic so New Years became our next logical date to start.  Then came October, and the reality set in that none of our 6 location finalist had any guarantee of being secured any time soon.  It was discouraging.  So we prayer fully humbled ourselves and once again postponed our forecasted launch to Easter 09. 

            In hindsight I can see the brilliance in God’s plan for this Easter.  It has allowed Mariners to focus on all the excitement of our Central Campus buildings that are being completed.  It has allowed our staff to give their attention to new ministry that is happening with those new buildings.  It has removed one more strain that could have distracted us all from the significance of this Christmas Season.  And most importantly it has allowed us to spend quality time with our Mariners families that live in our new Community.

            Mariners Church Beachside will be serving people in the cities of Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Long Beach, Westminster and beyond.  The more time we have to spend with these future friends the healthier our church community will be and the better prepared we will be to minister to our neighbors.  Exciting times for sure.

 

Pastor Low

Gas Siphoning

So I’m watching the news and a clean cut newscaster is reporting live from some random city.  The story is about the rise of gas thieves who are siphoning gas from innocent people’s cars.  The result is a rude awakening for the victims who cannot get to work because they have empty tanks.  I’m thinking that this is just absurd that people would do this.  Then the absurdity jumped to a whole new level.  The well dressed newscaster reaches down and proceeds to show each piece of equipment necessary to quickly and efficiently siphon gas just like these thieves. 

 

Do we really need to educate the next wave of Gas siphoning bandits?  Who is the genius who says.  We should teach people how to commit the crimes that are damaging our society. 

Whats next? 

• “Illegal Gun trafficking” Where to find them and how much to spend”
• “Home Invasions: 10 household items that you can use to break into your neighbors home”
•  “Identity Theft: 15 Tips to Spend Money That You Don’t Own”

 

Maybe its just me but we need a healthy dose of Common Sense in this world.  Now if you will excuse me I must go by the hardware store for some supplies I’m running on Empty!!

 

Pastor Low

You Got To Start It To Start It

We were sitting in the airport of Atlanta eating a lunch in the food court. (I understand that expectations should not be that high at this point but…) There were three of us and as I was eating I noticed that Mariana had given up on her main course which was a grilled patty.  At this moment I heard a question that any restaurant owner never wants to hear.  Brian asked her ”Is that meat?”  Now it would be one thing if the question was “what kind of meat is that”.  I can live with that and its a reasonable question… but for him not to recognize what food group the patty was made from was a bit sad. 

It is nice to know what you are eating.  In mariana’s case it was a turkey patty.  (a very unimpressize one) But in life it is also nice to know who you are talking to, or what a person stands for. After all who likes to be around fake people?  Not knowing what people stand for or what they are made of.  Well this weekend I was treated to a very special event.  I went to a conference on Multi-Site churches.  Put in other words a conference on how churches can take their ministries and launch additional campuses all having the same basic ministries so other people can be blessed by finding a church where they can feel cared for, important, and learn valuable truths about God and Jesus Christ.

I’m surrounded by average people who are committed to living anything but average lives.  They are leaders of people and decision makers that each represent groups of people.  They have been put in a place of authority that requires them on some level to guide these people.  They are all Christians who love Jesus and are looking for direction themselves on how to lead thier churches.  The scene is energetic.  There is laughter, creativity, honesty, inspiration, emotion, truth.

There is also a spirit of courage and adventure.  Every speaker mentioned the importance of planning and asking the right questions, then……then there is a point when it is time to take off.  A time to step out and know that God is going to sustain you and even better yet, He will excede your expectations.  The faith of these men is contagious, its Godly, it’s scary and most importantly their faith is resulting in people coming to Christ and the Kingdom of God is expanding.

Are you ready?  Are you scared? Are you curious?  Are you excited?  Are you humbled that God would let us as a church play such a key role in reaching those in pain who have little hope for a future.  Well I am all those things but I am also confident that I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me.   Lets do this together.

Pastor Low

The Start of Something New

There is a presure of saying something profound.  Saying something that will accurately capture the significance of what this Blog was started for.  The truth is that it is hard to measure the excitement that is surrounding this new adventure for all of us at Mariners Church. 

What adventure you might ask.  We are going multisite!  We will be taking the best of Mariners; the heart, the soul, the DNA of who we are as a church and launching satleite campuses in cities around Orange County.  God is using Mariners Church to reach and minister to thousands of souls and we want to expand His influence in our neighborhoods. 

I will be posting weekly updates of what is happening in our pursuit of launching our first location by the end of 2008. 

You can come here for information about:

• The hunt for our location
• The calendar of upcoming events like Prayer meetings, or orientations
• What I’m learning about this new approach to ministry
• God moments along the journey

So come join me as we go on this adventure together with God.