We love people, not money

Well, I've stepped out there and starting talking about issues that are going to be very controversial. As expected, names have begun dropping off the facebook list.

It's funny how the moment you step on one of those sacred cows, how quickly people drop off the band wagon.

I remember how my Bishop struggled with doctrinal positions with his overseer. He was willing to gracefully bow out of the organization so that he would not cause division, confusion or strife.

I wonder where we will stand as we come forth with our position on various topics. I've been doing quite a bit of research and study on early church history and there was an awful lot of debate over everything. Now I find myself in the same spot where I can either polarize our people or try to just present the facts, and allow them to decide how they will walk out various issues.

The current debate that I have stirred up is the issue of tithes vs. free will giving. Arguments are strong on both sides of the debate. Now as we minister to people who don't know anything about this stuff, there is no way we can hit them with this when they are just walking in the doors, or just deciding to return to church.
So right now, we are presenting both sides of the argument and trying to bring balance. I'm sure that our strategy for balance will be disagreed with and challenged. But I'm more interested in leading people to the Lord and welcoming them back into the family than hitting them over the head with financial requirements and the on-going debate as to if whether they should tithe or not.

So after reading this blog, I'm sure that even more people will drop off the list, but we gotta do, what we gotta do. We love people, not money. I'm not looking for support of our ministry. We're looking to give support to these young lives.

Some will say that I'm hurting them by not enforcing the tithe. I don't believe that. We are teaching them to become givers. We're teaching the law of sowing and reaping. We're teaching about first fruits (which was not a tithe), AND we're presenting the tithe. We're leaving it up to God to lead them in what they should do. We will not enforce or mandate it.

I'd rather take the position of the Apostle Paul and continue to work and support myself than hinder the gospel because of money.

What NOW?

Well, we just launched our new What NOW teaching sessions. After revising the original book, with help from DeVata Davis, we are finally starting to teach the one series of lessons that we have desired to release in Harrisburg ever since we first moved here almost six years ago.

Just as we were preparing to do this, a couple which went through our pre-marital preparation class, contacted us by email. They were asking to meet with us again. I told them that we were about to start a new session called What NOW. The timing was perfect and they came this past Sunday.

We really had fun this past week. It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to say that. This has happened following the surprising set of events on my job. All of a sudden we have experienced a couple of breakthrough incidents.

Already, I’m looking forward to next week, and the week after that, and the week after that. Could this be the start of the new thing for us in Harrisburg? We find ourselves asking the same question as the title of the sessions: What NOW? What is God about to do now?

Our future is not in limbo, but everything is hanging in the balance. I know that we (meaning my family) have reached a point where we are tired and we have no desire to put forth any effort to try to make anything happen. Funny how the very moment you decide to do that, how things always begin to open up and happen.

I look forward to watching how all of this unfolds over the next few weeks and months.

Music from the Heart

I was thinking the other day about the scores of songs that Carol and I have written over the past 20 years. I don’t think that we have ever sold any of the music. Frankly, that is because it is not of the professional level of execution and quality that it would need to be in order to merit being sold. I wouldn’t dare require someone to pay for what we have right now. The goal isn’t pay anyway. The goal is to release the music at the level in which I can hear it in my heart.

I don’t say that with any sense of false humility. That’s just plain reality. I remember when I was in high school and I came face to face with the reality that I didn’t have what it takes in talent and skill to play football. It was quite disappointing and I was depressed about it for a while, but eventually I moved on to find my true gifting which was writing.

I know the same thing applies to music. Even though I have the ability to write songs and place lyrics within a melodic structure, it doesn’t necessary mean I have the ability to play or sing it. I look forward to the day when I’m able to produce a music project where I can employ great musicians and vocalist to play and sing the songs that we have written.

In the meantime, we have recorded and posted most of the songs on our Fruitful Life music webpage. We have even sung a few of them in live settings, but that is not the ultimate goal for me.

I’d like to do a couple of Quincy Jones type projects where others play and sing the songs that we have written. So right now, our songs sit in cyberspace until the day that dream comes true. They are copy written and protected as we await the day we can finally officially and professionally record and release the music from our hearts.

We didn't fail...

I was asked to MC the African American History Month Luncheon Celebration for the PA Dept of Education. Due to the weather, none of the guest, including the keynote speaker, was able to make it. Soooooo, I was asked to fill in and give some remarks.

It's funny how God will set you up for those Once-In-A-Lifetime-moments....I'm sitting at home in a snow storm one day. I'm standing in front of my peers at a podium the next day. Boy, I sure didn't see that coming.

Well, I MC'd the event from start to finish: Trivia questions, introduced the Secretary of Education who greeted everyone and gave a short speech, read the Governor's official proclamation, and played a video clip. Then came the moment to give the closing remarks.

I only have space for highlights: I thanked the Secretary and the Executive Deputy Secretary for the opportunity to work for the Department. I sited Dr. King's "dream" speech and thanked them for hiring me based upon the content of my character and for not judging me based on the color of my skin.
I explained that Faith is always a part of African American celebration because even though there is discussion about separation of Church and State, there is no separation between FAITH and state.

I gave a brief history of my grand parents and parents and said our faith brought us through and that is what was instilled in me...to be a person of character and faith. When I was hired by the Dept of Education to work in the press office, they were not only looking for a person of skill and education, but they were looking for a man of character.

I almost got choked up and emotional as I looked around the room and expressed my gratitude for getting to know many of the people as friends and colleagues. I told them that this has been one of the best experiences of my life to get to know and work with them. I received a very nice ovation.

Afterwards, there were several compliments and even a hug. A couple of emails of thanks came later on in the day. This was one of those special moments, set up by GOD. For 4 years I've just gone to work and tried to be an example as a husband, father, co-worker and friend. I never tried to be PASTOR, Chris. Then in one day, I was given an opportunity to share my heart with the people on my job. I'm still amazed.

If God sent us to Harrisburg to simply live the life, we could pack up and leave tomorrow, and would feel totally fulfilled and at peace. We didn't fail in Harrisburg. This special moment showed me that it has never been all about pastoring a church, but about bringing the life of Christ into the real world. Anybody can preach a sermon, but it's far more important to BE A SERMON.

I'm still in awe of what happened this week. I have talked about market place ministry for years, but to actually see it come to pass, and LIVE IT...I am honored and humbled that God would even think to choose us to represent HIM....there are no words to express this...

Be a Sermon: My African American History Moment

Chris Green, PA Dept of Education

Today, I was asked to MC the African American History Month Luncheon Celebration for the PA Dept of Education. Due to the weather, none of the guest, including the keynote speaker, was able to make it. Soooooo, I was asked to fill in and give some remarks....

...It's funny how God will set you up for those Once-In-A-Lifetime-moments.... I'm sitting at home in a snow storm one day. I'm standing in front of my peers at a podium the next day. Boy, I sure didn't see that coming.

Well, I MC'd the event from start to finish: Trivia questions: I introduced the Secretary of Education who greeted everyone and gave a short speech; I read the Governor's official proclamation and played a special video clip. Then came the moment to give the closing remarks.

I thanked the Secretary and the Executive Deputy Secretary for the opportunity to work for the Department. I cited Dr. King's "dream" speech and thanked them for hiring me based upon the content of my character and for not judging me based on the color of my skin.

I explained that Faith is always a part of the African American celebration because even though there is discussion about the separation of Church and State, there is no separation between FAITH and State.

I gave a brief history of my ancestry (which included the founding of a school in Mississippi) and said our faith brought us through and that is what was instilled in me... to be a person of character and faith. When I was hired by the Dept of Education to work in the press office, they were not only looking for a person of skill and education, but they were looking for a man of character.

I almost got choked up and emotional as I looked around the room and expressed my gratitude for getting to know many of the people as friends and colleagues. I told them that this has been one of the best experiences of my life, to get to know and work with them. I received a very nice ovation.

Afterwards, there were several compliments and even a hug. A couple of emails of thanks came later on in the day. This was one of those special moments, set up by GOD. For 4 years I've just gone to work and tried to be an example as a husband, father, co-worker and friend. I never tried to be PASTOR Chris. Then in one day, I was given an opportunity to share my heart with the people on my job. I'm still amazed.

If God sent us to Harrisburg to simply live the life, then we could pack up and leave tomorrow, and we would feel totally fulfilled and at peace. We would know that we didn't fail in Harrisburg.

Today showed me that it has never been about becoming the pastor of a church, but about bringing the life of Christ into the real world. Anybody can preach a sermon, but it's far more important to BE A SERMON.

I wanted to make you stronger....

Just last night, we attended the anniversary service of a pastor in this community. Like so many times before, we felt led to go even though we were very tired, having already been in our own service Sunday morning.

The guest speaker was a wonderful woman of God who pastors a dynamic and cutting edge church in the inner city. God gave her a powerful word and at the conclusion she shared a story that we know was a confirmation for what God is doing.

She shared a story in which a man was told by the Lord to go out every day and to push a large boulder. So day after day, week after week, month after month, he went out every day and pushed the boulder with all his strength. After several years, the boulder still had not moved one single inch. He felt that after all this time, since nothing had happened it had all been a waste of time and that he had failed.

So the man got discouraged and was ready to quit. He prayed and asked the Lord why HE told him to move this boulder if He knew that it wasn’t going to move after all this time. The Lord answered and said, "I didn’t tell you to move the boulder. I told you to PUSH the boulder. It was not my intention for you to move the boulder, I wanted to prepare you for the mountain that I’m about to take you to conquer. I’m preparing you for the next assignment. While you were pushing the boulder, your muscles have gotten stronger. Your back is stronger. Your legs are stronger. I wanted to make you stronger for your assigned task."

Carol and I just looked at each other. It was the final confirmation, of several, that have come this month during our time of prayer and fasting.