Randy Wray’s Blog

I played pool with the guys again yesterday and made an astonishing discovery that changed my pool prowess. 

I’d always look at where I wanted the ball to go and then focused completely on the cue ball with a view of striking it correctly.  But then, I decided to quite focusing on the cue ball and keep my eye on the ball I was intending to strike with the cue ball and more importantly where I wanted the ball to go. 

The difference was amazing.  I began to actually make shots - more than the ones right next to a pocket.

There’s probably a real good analogy in this little anecdote about vision and other such leadership issues.  You don’t hear many sermons on leadership and vision rooted in pool playing.  Maybe I’ve found a new ANGLE.

Apple shareholders rejoice for another lost computerite has been added to the MAC fold.

Our new youth minister just made the switch from PC to MAC.  I’m not sure who was more excited.

I still remember the day my MAC box came.  The box and the packaging are truly things of beauty.

The moment you turn on the MAC for the first time, it’s like that moment in Eragon when the dragon bonds with the rider.

Sniff, sniff, oh the rewards of being a MACevangelist. 

Come on you PC users out there just say this simple prayer with me:  "Lord, I confess I’m a PC user . . . "

8th grade graduation was a more dignified affair.  Considering the 8th grade teacher comes from a military background I kept waiting for the 21 gun salute.  The three valedictorians gave their graduation speech together.  It was a great display of teamwork.  It was my first time to see an 8th grade graduation where the graduates wore caps and gowns. 

I was most impressed with the chosen speaker who was witty, articulate, to the point and kept her remarks to five minutes.  Good thing we don’t let women preach, I would be out of a job!

We graduated (promoted) our kindergarten class last night.  It was everything you would expect from a kindergarten graduation.  I’m not even sure why school’s rehearse kindergarten graduations.

What I did not expect, but probably should have, was the reaction of the parents.

As the kids were walking down the aisle to enter the auditorium, about the third or fourth kid in, the parents (along with friends and family of said kid) began to wildly cheer.  This, of course, caused the parents (and company) of the next kid to wildly cheer and so on.  

You could see what they were thinking: "no way you’re going to out cheer my kid."

The cheering competition resumed during the presentation of the graduation certificate. 

Honestly, get excited and all but come on, save some of that enthusiasm for 8th grade graduation or 12th grade graduation or college or medical school . . .

Surgeons were able to remove the tumor.  He called expressing gratitude and relief.  Time will tell as to the fullness of recovery.  It gives us all a reason to continue the journey of prayer. 

I currently don’t have the mental energy to wrap my mind around the instances where intercession seems to leave us empty.  I’m just grateful and relieved when our intercession brings about the results we desired.

Together they experienced the pendulum swings of life.

Together they experienced the joy of birth and the pain of death.

Together they experienced success and trial.

Today he will wait, alone, as she undergoes major surgery.

When you have spent all that time together, when you have shared so much together this is not the time to be alone.

When you pray, ask God to surround him with his presence that he might not feel alone.

"There’s a crisis of leadership in the church" the religious pundits proclaim.  Which is probably true considering the great void of candidates in the leadership pool.  In my ministry career it’s been my experience that few men are willing to serve as shepherds.  Can you blame them?  The pamphlet says something like . . .

When someone is hacked about something at church who gets called?

When something happens that doesn’t seem to you to be decent and in order who hears about it?

When you want to complain, criticize and condemn make a beeline for a shepherd. 

Shepherds are spiritual whipping posts, the clerk behind the counter you berate and belittle because your flight was canceled and your luggage is headed to Tupelo (which I hear is really nice this time of year).

From the treatment they receive you’d think we were reading a different version of James 5:14.

Is anyone among you sick of something?  Then call one of the elders and gripe about it.   Make sure your criticism is like hot oil poured over their head.

Honestly, who cares if something didn’t go the way you thought it should go?  Why do we continue to allow people with critical spirits to be the rudder of the ship?

The thing is, and make sure you get this, nothing has happened where I currently minister that has prompted this post.  I’ve just been mulling these things over for a long time now.

I know men who visit and pray with people who are sick, men who regularly invite people into their home, men who seize the opportunity to share their faith, men who regularly give of themselves to help others who have not one ounce of interest in being a shepherd.  Can you blame them?  The way we scrutinize them and their families testing their qualifications to serve and continue to scrutinize their every move.  We sure demand much of others that we do not demand of ourselves.

Why is it that we demand perfection from our leaders when we ourselves are not perfect?  Seems to me the most important instructions relating to qualifications for those who lead has more to do with those who follow.

Hebrews 13:17 (NCV) Obey your leaders and act under their authority. They are watching over you, because they are responsible for your souls. Obey them so that they will do this work with joy, not sadness. It will not help you to make their work hard.

Maybe the crisis of leadership in today’s churches has less to do with finding qualified leaders and more to do with finding qualified followers.

This Sunday we will honor our graduation seniors.  Along with the standard presentation of bibles and a slide show I wanted to share some words of wisdom with the utes (from My Cousin Vinny).

What advice do you have (we’re all waiting to see what Greg will say) that I can actually share with the church?

And yes, I will quote and credit you.