the Low Down

I Walked My Block

I just got back from my Walk The Block prayer time.  I took 15 minutes and just …well, walked my block.  I started off asking God to give me a heart to care more and be more active in the lives of all these people around me.  House after house after house, I felt forced and kinda like it was an assignment until it clicked.  It wasn’t about doing more it was about Him giving me a clearer view of why it was so important and making me into the type of man that would just do it naturally.  So then house after house I wondered who lived there and what were their lives like. 

It started to get overwhelming because my life is already pretty packed and I neglect more people than I care to admit.  Sorry Family.  So I just started to ask questions. 

Me:  As a pastor and a member of Your Church God, what am I supposed to do? Here is what immediately came to mind:

God: intertwine your life with others.  Not just church folk but people living near by.  Become friends and take a genuine interest in their companionship and how I (God) has created them.  Get to know them well enough to know their story.  Their highs in life their lows.  Their likes and their dislikes. 

Me:  OK OK but there are like 500 people on my block alone, how can I possibly make a difference? 

God: be steady and take your time.  Its an investment.  These people will bring quality to your life.  Just see what I can do over time if you make this part of your lifestyle.  Oh and Low…  Train my people to do the same.  Pastor them to care about others and teach them how to do it naturally.  YOU MODEL IT!

Me: Ok but you have to help me figure out what that looks like.

The rest of my walk became a brainstorm session as I started to see a glimpse of what could be.  The truth is that we Christians posses the most incredible gift that we could ever recieve.  Forgiveness, salvation, relationship with an almighty God and companionship and all the power we could ever need in His spirit.  But other people dont seem to want it!  Why?  Well thats the question of the millenium and if I figure it out I’ll write a book and make more than you do! 

People dont want it because we dont have permission to tell them and most of us dont know how to explain Jesus in a way that is actually attractive to the average peson. 

People dont want to hear about sin and their failures.  People dont want to be told what they should do.  People dont even want to hear about heaven.  But I’ll tell you what people do want to hear.  People want to hear that they matter. That there is an answer to their lonliness. That they do not have to be ashamed of past decissions.  People want to hear that they are not failures.  That they are worthy of being loved.  That they are important not becuase of what they have but because of who they are.  People want to be showed that they are loved. 

As I write that I’m having an aha moment that maybe we need to show our neighbors that we love them before they will hear that God loves them. 

I want my neighbors to know they matter, dont you?  So here are some ideas of how to get started.  Bake cookies and knock on their door.  Plan an open house and invite people on your street.  Invite specific peopel to have a meal with you.  By the way I plan on doing all these things as well.  Find out what their favorite movie is and invite em over to watch it. 

Now here is something I cant believe I’m writing.  Dont go telling them all about Jesus.  Pace yourself.  Let it come up in conversation but you are not having a movie and popcorn so you can convert them by the end of the credits.  Enjoy their company and make new friends.  They will know soon enough that not only do you follow Christ but that you are a safe place to share their lives with including questions about your faith.  Start simply and plan for a long friendship where lives are shared.

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

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

One OF millions…one IN a Million

One of millions…one in a Million

 

The streets are bumpy, there is dirt everywhere.  It looks like a wind storm has blown through leaving a brown coat on everything from the streets to cars and even the wall of the homes.  It is dry and at times you have to be very intentional about taking a deep breath because the air quality.  We are driving through narrow neighborhoods made of brick cinder blocks, metal siding and occasional fiberglass rooftop.  There is garbage in the streets and the crumbled stone of broken walls lay crumbled on the sidewalks.  Rivers of murky water run down from the streets above. 

We make our way up street after street.  Then we stop.  We have come to the house of a teenage boy in need of a wheelchair.  We scale down stones to get to his front door and are met by his mother who looks excited but overwhelmed with so many people in her modest home.  Her home has wall of brick and a floor of cement.  The front door consist of pieces of plywood that swing freely on make shift hinges.  A curtain draped from the ceiling acts as a back door.  The space is cold and dark.  The roof is made of metal sheets that keep the weather out but it keeps the cold dampness in.  There is no furniture just pieces of various junk being used as places to sit or lean on.  In the corner there is a small figure who slowly stands up to cautiously greet us.  It is her father a man in his 70’s.  From a nook off the living room we hear sounds of a young man.  He is in his room which is simply a brick closet.  Just enough room for a cot.  There is no light except that coming from the one lamp in the entire structure.  This cot is where this young man spends his life.  Not just where he sleeps, not just where he hangs out, not just where he goes when he wants to be alone.  It is where he spends his entire life.  He has no control over his legs, he has advanced Cerebral Palsy.  He is too heavy for his mom and aging grandfather to take him out of his room.  He cannot speak or make eye contact.   When we lifted him into his new wheelchair it was the first time he had been off his bed since he was a young boy.  He was scared with all of us being there and he clung tight to his mother.  But he was excited.  His mother told us he was content and she began to see what is possible for her son now.

            This stirred up many emotions.  It seemed so overwhelming to make a difference.  This was one child of possibly millions of children in need.  He still will struggle with his condition and it will take enormous support from the neighbors to get this boy out of the house.  How many more like him are out there?  Where do you begin?  Then it hit me.  It may seem overwhelming to us but to them their world just became brighter.  It became more accessible.  We added to their joy by being a messenger of God bringing them the gift of mobility.

            Yes this young boy is one OF millions in need. 

But this young boy is one IN a million.

We were able to show him love and that is the gift we get when we go out and choose to be a blessing to others.  We are blessed.

 Pastor Low

$5 Can Go A Long Way

What can you get for $5 dollars?

• A matinee movie ticket if your lucky
• A cheese burger deal from In-N-Out
• A smoothie with a protein boost
• A venti Caramel Machiado
• A greeting card that you can brighten someone’s day with

 

I have another way to brighten someone’s day for $5. 

• Send me to Peru instead of a greeting card.
• We will help at a medical clinic
• We will give malaria pills and other vaccinations
• We will play with kids at orphanages and give them basic supplies
• We will work with abused women giving them so hope for tomorrow
• We will pass out free wheelchairs to the handicapped  LEARN MORE

 

God has blessed me with so many good friends and so many acquaintances over the past several years.  Rather than ask a few people to give much,  I want to ask a multitude to chip in $5 so we can go change the lives of those in need.

You can give online by filling out a form.  It’s secure, somewhat quick, and can be done right from your computer.

My total need is $2000 that covers airfare, lodging, food and supplies needed to care for our Peruvian neighbors.  The trip is 7 days long and our time there will forever change the lives of several people.  I look forward to coming back with stories of how your $5 changed lives.

Giving on line:

Click on this link:Online Donations  

Step 1:  Fill in your information

Step 2:  Designate Global Outreach – Trips

Mission Trip Name: Peru Fall

Team Member name: Low Norris

Step 3: Fill in your financial information

Step 4: In the Additional Information area, list again Peru Trip, Low Norris

Thanks for your help!

If you have any questions please write me at lnorris@marinerschurch.org

Pastor Low

Taking Time To Let It Sink In

I have been putting this post off for awhile because I’m not sure how to say what should be said.  Should it be funny?  Should it be formal?  Should it be long or short.  There are times in my life when I can remember not doing anything of any worth.  I felt like I was wasting my life.  I knew I wanted more but I felt powerless to do anything more.  In looking back I was powerless.  So when I get to do something of significance now I hesitate to just gloss over it without soaking it in.

I still feel like my life doesn’t have much significance.  The only difference now is that I know that is a lie.  Just over 2 weeks ago I got a phone call from a friend who told me that he knew someone that just lost her husband to cancer and needed to talk to a pastor.  I told him I’d be glad to talk to her.  Rhonda lost her best friend after 30 years of marriage Matt was 73 years old.  A strong man who never backed down from a challenge.  He was a 23 year vetran of the Police Department and a former Sheriff and Member of the Coast Guard.  He built houses from the ground up and could fix any car.  He was now gone.

Who will service the car?  Who will fix the heater?  Who will manage our savings?  Who will do our taxes?  Who will I spend all my time with?  These were all questions that Rhonda had.  What can be said in response to these questions.  She asked me to honor Matt by procedeing over his memorial.  I didn’t know the man but I knew I was able.

God walked through it with me.  Matt was laid to rest that day and his memories lived on with great joy and sadness.  I had a chance to reflect back on earlier times in my life when I felt like a waste.  Look at how God can change a life when we let him.  It was an honor to represent Matt that day.  It was a joy to walk with a wife who is heartbroken and whisper compassion, hope and the love of Jesus to her in her greatest time of need.

Although I never knew Matt, I learned that he made a profound impact in several people throughout his life by making them think and ponder and often about Jesus and God.  Even in his death he had a profound impact in me, through reflecting on what a great and powerful God we serve.  A God who can change a waste filled life into one that hopefully….no certainly….can change the world.  Thanks Matt!

Pastor Low

Makes It All Worth While

I sat in the City Planning offices for an hour the other day.  Everyone is there with the same goal in mind. ” To get their plans approved.”  Plans for building, homes, backyards, decks, you name it people are trying to get it approved.   The room is filled with a wide range of characters.  There are guys with work boots, guys with top siders.  Guys with dirty clothes, guys in suits.  Guys with hard hats and guys with comb overs. 

Now if you have ever been in the City Planning Department at Huntington Beach one of the first things you will notice is that they know their clientele and how to keep them calm. On the wall in plain site is a nice plasma TV with Sportcenter beaming in all its glory.  I didn’t watch it even for one second.  I was on the clock and working if anyone asks.

When it my my turn I walked up to ask some questions about parking and traffic restrictions for 3 sites that were are pursuing.  My questions were answered with percision and clarity that impressed me.  At first I was discouraged because I did not get the answers I wanted.  Again everyone is trying to get their plans approved, but sometimes I really would rather just get my way.  Is that too much to ask?

So I had to regroup.  With the occasional set backs its difficult to keep in mind why we are doing this.  Luckily God is a master at giving us just what we need just at the right time.  when I got back to my desk I had a voicemail from a lady by the name of Trisha.  Trisha’s message simply said that she had heard that I was starting a church in Huntington Beach.  She was so excited because her kids and grand kids all live in Huntington Beach.  She went on to say that she “really hopes that this new church is like Mariners Church because that is where she attends now” and she “just loves it.”

Hearing that voicemail from Trisha makes it all worth while.  It is an encouragement to navigate all the obstacles so that her family will have a chance to become a key part of our new community.  A community where kids can come with their parents and people can find God in a real way.  How fun is that?

So bring it on Planning department…we have more tricks up our sleeves.  Before I get too brave and macho I could use your prayers in this area.  Prayer that our minds would be sharp, our preparation would be thorough and that God would go before us and soften the hearts of people who have an influence in this process.  Till next time.

Pastor Low

Multi Site Churches: Trendy or Transforming?

     

There is a new trend in the Christian community across our country and beyond.  Some churches are calling them satellite churches, campuses, multisite locations, or even venues. Over the past couple months I have had the opportunity to get a first hand look at nearly 2 dozen churches that utilize this new model of church to minister to their communities.

I noticed incredible diversity during my travels.  I have attended services in Elementary schools, Middle schools, high schools, cafeterias, theaters, performing art centers, auditoriums, Shared churches, shopping malls, business parks, charter schools, gymnasiums, and even a library.  These congregations ranged in attendance from 200 all the way up to 1400 on an average weekend.  Some people wore ties others wore tee shirts. Some sported wingtips and others flip flops.  I saw pressed slacks, designer jeans, wranglers and everything in between.  And that was just the Pastors. 

With all the diversity there were many constants.  The teaching was strong, the worship was engaging, the people were friendly and the churches are growing.  More people are finding a spiritual home, and more people are becoming more fully devoted followers of Christ.  This was such an encouragement to see God stirring in the lives of so many people from so many different walks of life in so many different parts of this country. 

Multisite churches are an effective way of extending the message of Hope in Jesus Christ and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit into neighborhoods that are desperately in need of the Love of God.  They are utilizing the giftedness of their church leaders to reach an entirely new population of people. 

Now it is not all roses when it comes to this new ministry approach.  In my journeys I did stumble across a few ineffective efforts.  I want to be clear that this is not as simple as opening up the doors of a School cafeteria and presto a Thriving God centered community is born.

 There are certain areas that are critical in the success of a Satellite campus:

It takes an acute awareness of our churches core competencies.  The question has to be asked. “Where is the Holy Spirit working in our church?”  Is it in the Plasma TV’s or in the stories of growth that are told through them?  Is it in the height of our ceilings or in the altitude of our prayers?  Is it in the number of Parking spaces or the number of Godly men and women who use them to gather with the body of believers?  Is it in the wide variety of ways we serve our local community or in the wide variety of gifts we serve our community with?  Is it the size of our children’s building or the size of the hearts of our adults who serve the kids who walk through he doors?  As we identify the DNA of our church we can have confidence in what we need to bring to the Satellite campus

It takes excellent organization and execution of ministry.  There must be a readiness for the flock that Jesus brings through the doors.  The weekend services have to be well thought out and Small groups need to be prepared to embrace all our visitors that are thirsting for a deeper connection to God and His people.

It takes genuine love and hospitality  Big or small, elaborate or simple, fancy or modest, humorous or reflective the one key ingredient to draw people into the congregation and God’s family was the welcoming factor of the people interacting with visitors and members alike.  All the bells and whistles couldn’t match the effectiveness of genuinely welcoming and loving people who petition for the people of that community through prayer.

It takes desperate dependence on prayer and the Holy Spirit.  No matter how well thought out our plans are or how bulletproof our research is, our steps must be guided by the Holy Spirit.  Psalm 127:1 reads “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.” I have seen great facilities feel dead and lousy spaces overflow with life.  I have reviewed elaborate plans that never got off the ground and I have seen congregations thrive despite botched plans.  It is the Lords house to build and we need to rely on Him for each brick.

        This is an exciting time in the life of our church and in the Christian community.  In the months to come the leadership of Mariners church will be working diligently and praying frequently about God’s design for our Satellite Campus. We look forward to seeing how God will use our efforts to reach further into our communities and transform lives.

 

Pastor Low

A Lesson in “Trust”

I was given the chance to speak at our August 2nd Men’s Breakfast.  My message focused on “Trust”.  We all place our trust in something or someone and on occassion our trust gets broken.  For the last 7 years I have been on a journey that has and continues to define who I will place my trust in.  In the area of my career, my finances, my health, my family, my dating relationships and most importantly my life I have realized that only Jesus Christ is completely reliable and trustworthy.  I hope you enjoy this snapshot of my discoveries on my journey.

Link to Low’s Talk at the Men’s breakfast

Pastor Low

Get The Adrenalin Pumping

When was the last time you did something that got the adrenaline going or your heart beating a little faster?  Well I do not consider myself afraid of thrill rides and certainly not afraid of a water slide.  But this last weekend I was caught of guard.  I was visiting some friends over the holiday weekend and we thought it would be fun to spend part of the day at a local water park.

Ahh the thought of shooting down slides and into pools of refreshing water and floating around the lazy river sounded like a perfect way to finish out the summer. Nobody mentioned anything about the “Tornado”.

The Tornado is 75 feet tall spits out 5000 gallons of water with each ride and hurls you 40 feet up on the inside of a cone (see photo).  Being as though the tornado is the biggest attraction we had to ride it first thing before the park got too full.  Well at 10:00 in the morning it was still a little cool and the refreshing water of the park was still a bit chilled form the cold evening.   

 

Now at this point I have to explain gravity and inertia.  The higher something falls from and the heavier that object is the harder it is to change direction.  Watching a bunch of screaming teenagers ride this was non threatening enough as they swirled their way down looking like a feather floating down a gentle stream. Our raft however was filled with considerable more weight.  I’m not the lightest in the bunch but between 3 of us we were pushing the max weight on a raft built for 4. 

Once those 5000 gallons of water got its hands on us we were firing down the 75 foot ramp into the Tornado’s vortex.  As our momentum carried us up the slope of the cone I could no longer feel the comforting hardness of the wall under the raft.  We had gone vertical and for a brief moment my heart was suspended in my throat.

Unlike the screaming teenagers we did not make our way out the bottom just yet we had another slope to scream down and up the other side when for another brief moment we were completely separated from the wall.  We finally made our way out the bottom only to be doused with frigid water and dumped into a wadding pool.

It was a great adventure that we repeated many more times that day.  It makes the 20 minute wait seem a small price to pay.  The excitement and memories alone bring a sense of feeling alive and the thrill makes it worth while

I’m in the midst of another great adventure.  The adventure of starting a Satellite Campus for Mariners Church. The other day our Senior Pastor Kenton asked what about the fall are you looking forward to.  It was easy for me to answer that.  In fact as I thought of my answer my heart for a moment was in my throat as I felt a rush of excitement.

I’m most excited for the point in time when this new campus of Mariners church starts to have names added to it.  When faces come onto the scene.  Personalities are added into the equation.  Our campus will start to come alive due to the coming together of people.

I anticipate moments of fun and excitement and moments of stress and anxiety.  I’m sure it will have just as many twists and turns as the last season of “Lost” or “24”.  What will make this adventure worth while will be the people that are going on the ride together.

New families, Husbands, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Brothers, Sisters, Friends, Strangers, Believers, Skeptics, the healthy and the wounded, the strong and  the weak.  All of the above will walk into this new place that God is preparing for them to have an encounter with Jesus Christ and His people.

Some of you reading this right now I’ve never met, but in a matter of a few months that will all change.  And a few months after that we can look back and celebrate together what God has done. Are you ready for a new Adventure?  Then I can’t wait to meet you!!!

 

Pastor Low