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!!

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

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!

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

Have you ever stopped to think about what influence you want to make?   Let me tell you about someone who’s influence is nothing short of Unbelievable.

This week My High School Baseball coached passed away.  He was in his 70’s but none of us thought he was even at risk of losing his life.  He was still coaching the El Segundo Eagles and coaching them with the same consistent success that decades of players have come to expect.

In 50 years John Stevenson must have coached over 1000 teenage men and taught another 10,000 students at El Segundo High School.  Who gives their lives to the development of young men and Women for 50 years?  When was the last time we gave so much as an hour to invest in someone outside our own family?

As news of his passing spread, stories quickly started to pour in about the impact that Coach Stevenson has had on people over the years; Stories on the field, stories in the classroom, stories in the community and personal stories of friends. 

My story started in the stands, was developed on the field and has lived on in my pursuit of investing in others.

As a young kid my brother Phil Norris played for Coach and I watched from the stands.  The dream of one day playing for the Eagles quickly grew and grew.  Now the stories of Coach Stevenson’s, tenacity as a coach and passion as a competitor were plentiful.  You know what I’m talking about everyone of us who ever played for coach lost part of ourselves on that field courtesy of a verbal chewing.  John knew how to get his point across when we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.  He knew what it took to win and expected us all to give it our best.

In the moment it seemed harsh and we might have hated him for his strong words.  In hindsight though I have greater appreciation for what he instilled in us.  John instilled in all of us a strong work ethic.  He held us to a higher standard and he spent time with us developing us every step of the way.  He knew how difficult life was and he used baseball to develop the skills we would need to not only survive but succeed in this life.

My days of playing have long passed but what remains is the drive to be a team player, the passion to never loose hope no matter how far behind we are going into the last inning, and the value to invest in those around me.  A part of coach will live on inside me in those ways.

These days I am a Pastor and I realize that the things that made me successful in baseball are not too different than what will make me successful in Life.

-Listen to your Coach.  God truly wants me to experience life to the fullest and has given me The Bible and Jesus Christ to instruct me.

-Be Ready everyday.  God is using life situation to make me stronger, more capable, more  seasoned, more complete and more prepared to deal with life’s challenges.

-Care about the people around you.  God wants us all to work as one so we can face life together and not be on our own.

- Debrief after the game.  You cant learn from your mistakes if you aren’t aware of what they are, so be receptive to constructive criticsm.

-Be willing to sacrifice yourself for your team.  Jesus gave himself so we could get home!  It was the ultimate Suicide Squeeze!!  In the same way we need to give up our own desires so others around us can know they are cared for.

One day we all have to hang up our spikes and our Playing days are over.  I encourage all of us to live life while we can!!!

Thanks for your Inflence Coach!!! 

So have you given it any thought?  What type of influence do you want to make on others?  What do you want people to say about you after its all said and done?

Pastor Low Norris

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

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

 

            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

 

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