...in your presence...

"Father I am waiting, I'd like to hear from you..."
--Jason Upton, In Your Presence

Blue walls. picture Windows. Great art. Brown tables. And bussiness all around me. As I am beginning my YouthWorks training week in Denver, Colorado today, it will come as no surprise to many of my dear friends that I find myself sitting in a Starbucks sipping on a french press. The thing about Starbucks is this; they are consistent. They can be counted on. You can go almost anywhere and find what feels like home. They are for me a safe place. Ok, so some of you are thinking, "Wow Lance, I think you may have a problem." Maybe. But isn't it what we are all looking for...a place that is consistent and where we belong. Maybe it's just me.

So if you read my post last week, you will know that I left Saturday morning, driving to Denver, Colorado. I drove nine hours on Saturday, spent the night in Wichita, Kansas (nice city), and drove 8 more hours yesterday to Denver. Typically, I think this would have been the most boring drive known to man. THERE IS NOTHING TO LOOK AT!!! But this was not typical. I found myself finding the most simple of landscapes, beautifully and wonderfully made. I found such a peace in the wind blowing across my face and the sun making my left arm more tan than the right. I felt so surrounded by the love of Christ. It was as if His creation was drawing me into a greater relationship with Him.

I found a song today in my itunes that I had never heard, and even as we speak it nearly draws me to tears. It is the topic of today's post. Jason Upton sings a very simple chorous:

In your presence, it's where I belong
In your presence, all fear is gone.

This is my prayer as you and I journey together through this week. A prayer that we would understand and embrace the presence of Christ. It's a presence that for many of us is familiar, yet not fully embraced. For some it is a presence that we long to rest in but dont know how. For me, (right now anyways) it is a place that is consistent. It is a place that can be counted on. It is a place that feels like home. It is a safe place.

Father God, that we would know your presence. That everything we see would be covered in your love and blatantly visible to our hearts. Lord, in Psalm 28, you tell us that you are the strength of your people. That we would know and feel that strength no matter where we are in our life. God that these words not be be empty. That they might draw glory to your name. And Father I pray that I and others may be drawn deeper into your presence by writing and reading them. Praise be to the creator of all. The one who sustains and strengthens. The one who is company for the lonely and hurting and grounding for the preffered. "Let us have all things, let us have nothing. I freely yeild all things to your pleasure and disposal." Peace rests on us now. Amen.
My prayers for you friends. Be well. Lance

the beginning...

As I sit here tonight, I prepare with great anticipation for the next steps I will be taking in my walk with Jesus Christ.

In this my first post to "...no longer central," I want to begin by telling you what has been going on in my life lately. Two weeks ago tomorrow, I was asked to meet with the Senior Pastor and Senior Associate Pastor of the church for which I was working. In that very cordial meeting, they regretted to tell me that they felt that I was not a successful fit for the program nor the congregation. I have not told a lot of people outside my immediate circle of friends for a couple of reasons. First, I just haven't felt like answering questions. Second, part of me has simply been embarrassed. Let's face it friends, I have been fired 3 times in the past 5 years from the institutional church. I have felt so called to be in ministry with students, but I just can't seem to make it work. For this reason, I have decided to step away from ministry within the institutional church, at least for now. A nine year chapter of my life has officially come to an end.

So here I am, in the blank space. You know, the space in between the last word of a chapter and the bold title at the beginning of the next chapter. I'm not totally certain of what God has store for chapter two, but I going to really embrace my time in this blank space. That brings me to the inspiration for this new blog. Grant me just a few more lines?

I had a painting in my office and it now hangs in my home. It was given to me by a dear friend, Jamie Sanders. Jamie is one of the most phenomenal men of God I have ever met in my life, and does some of the most amazing artwork I have ever set my eyes on. On that painting, Jamie has poured out his heart through these words:
"I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God and it didn't work. So I quit. Christ's life showed me how and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is NO LONGER CENTRAL."
This summer I am setting out to find out exactly what the next chapter of my life is going to be about. I have accepted a job with YouthWorks Mission Camps (www.youthworks.com) where I will be working with Senior High Youth Groups on a weekly basis to help them do mission work in the area we are located. I am very excited about my mission assignment. My team will be working with the Cheyenne people in the northern territory of Montana (about an hour outside of Billings). This is going to be very different for me. I will be working under the very capable leadership of people that are younger than me and I am certain to be the old man on the team. In addition, some of you may know about me, I am more of a, um well, how do I say this? Inside work guy. We will be doing home repair and painting all summer. Should be interesting to say the least. This blog is going to be updated on a regular basis if you would like to join me on this journey from the comfort of your laptop.

In closing I want to thank God for all of the beautiful things that have transpired in my life. I am so grateful for my friends and partners in ministry and life. I am grateful for God's provision (In the month of May my car paid off, my insurance cut in half and I got a roommate that cut expenses in half.). I am extremely grateful to have for the first time in a long time, a Pastor that cares about me and not just my job performance (Dr. Tom Harrison, Broadmoor Baptist). Lastly, I am grateful for the opportunity God has given me to have another chapter in life.

I will write again next Monday from Denver, Colorado. I hope you will take this journey with me in your prayers and reading.

Lance