I’m so proud of our Renaissance Church folks for how they gave, served, and ministered to over 100 folks over Thanksgiving.

We delivered all the groceries for a complete Thanksgiving feast to the homes of families who needed a helping hand for the holidays.  We also delivered a lot of warm smiles, and shared a lot of hugs.  We were able to pray with almost everyone we served. Our volunteers did a great job ministering to our new friends.

Renaissance Church kids hand-decorated gift bags to distribute to the children of the families we served.  There were all kinds of cool things inside the bags, but I think the best part was the love that was conveyed on the outside.

Thank you to everyone who took part!

Some wonderful volunteers

A young man was going down from State College to Happy Valley, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A football coach happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, an athletic director, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

A “good Samaritan” was no where to be found within the athletic department in Happy Valley.  For it appears they loved the praise of men and the reputation of their football program more than they loved their neighbor.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”    Matthew 22:37-39

The part of this whole story that is so flabbergasting to me is not the heinously evil nature of the crimes committed by one man.  Sadly, we all knew that human beings were capable of such depravity.  No, what punches me in the stomach and drives me to my knees is the failure of otherwise good, moral human beings to do something about it when they had the opportunity.  They saw the unspeakable injustice, and they essentially crossed to the other side of the road to avoid having to deal with it.  And other young men were victimized because of their lack of action.

Before we “cast stones” at those men for their tragic moral failure, horrific as it is, Jesus reminds us that we should always be willing to see where we come up short as well.  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Luke 6:41)

Questions we all need to be asking ourselves:
Do we hate sin and injustice?  Wherever we see it?
What are we willing to do about it?  What does God want us to do about it?
Are we willing to ‘pay the price’ to love our neighbor, even if it costs us?
Because that’s what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

May God bless and heal the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families.
God, please help me to be willing to pay the price to love my neighbor, just as Jesus paid the ultimate price for me.

"Some real Renaissance men"

What great time we had at Church@theLake!  The weather was beautiful, and everyone had a blast relaxing, swimming, and canoeing.

We shared a nice meal together, and then listened to the Word of God, along with some great worship led by Marla and Anitra.  Perhaps the highlight for me was getting to baptize two more precious folks.

To see a lot more pictures, visit our Renaissance Church group on Facebook.  (And if you haven’t joined our group, why not do it now?)

We were about 80 people, and such a beautifully diverse group (including people who hail from 5 of the 6 inhabited continents!)

Did you attend Church@theLake?  Leave a comment below and tell us what you thought.

Listening to the Word of God after lunch

Baptism… it sure brings up a lot of questions, doesn’t it?  In this space, I’ll try to address a very important one:  Why should I get baptized?

The first reason is obedience.  Jesus commanded his church to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)  In the book of Acts, the church followed this pattern:  the good news about Jesus was proclaimed; those who repented and believed in Jesus were then baptized.  So, if you’ve made a decision to follow Christ and put Him at the center of your life, trusting in Him for your salvation, you should get baptized.  For many, their baptism serves as a “stake in ground” that serves as a reference point for their faith – a physical act that marks their decision for Christ, and salvation received by grace through faith.

Baptism is also a public ceremony that declares your identification Jesus Christ, and symbolizes your allegiance with Him in His death and resurrection.  Our Christian faith is not meant to be a “personal matter” to be kept secret. Rather, we unashamedly identify with Christ’s death and resurrection, and testify to the new life that we now have in Christ.  By going down into the water we are symbolizing the “death” of our old self.  Coming out of the water represents our new life in Jesus Christ.

Now let’s deal with a couple of common misconceptions:

1.  Baptism is not a means to join a church.  I’ve heard stories of people moving to a new church and being asked to get baptized again… simply because, “Well, you haven’t been baptized by us.”  Baptism is not about church membership.  It is, in part, a ceremony to celebrate new membership in the Church, the Body of Christ universal.  But there’s no need to get baptized again because you have changed churches.
2.  Baptism is not the means of salvation.  It is a beautiful visual picture of your salvation.  You should get baptized when you become a Christian, as discussed above.  But it is not absolutely necessary.  The thief who died on a cross next to Jesus apparently repented of his sin and trusted in Christ, but he did not get baptized.  And yet, Jesus said to him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  (Luke 23:39-43)

Got more questions about baptism?  Or about becoming a Christian?  Ask them here by replying to this post, or email me directly.

We had a great time with the young men and women from Eglise Le Chemin in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada last week.  They spent their spring break in Charlotte – not to enjoy the (mostly) nice weather, but to share the Good News of Christ.  They were “on a mission”.

A missions trip to Charlotte?  Absolutely.  Any place that hasn’t been totally transformed by the power of God’s love and forgiveness is a target for us as Christians to go “on mission”.

Yes, that would include your home town, be it Charlotte or somewhere else.  All of us are called to share the message of God’s offer of grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  And the best place to do that is in your own back yard.

Many thousands of people who live all around us are still living apart from Christ.  We can’t wait for them to come to us.  They drive by church buildings every day.  If they haven’t come inside yet, it’s going to take more than a sign reading “All are Welcome”.

We’ve got to go find them.  Before they will open their hearts to Christ’s message, we must accurately represent Christ with our actions.

That’s what our week with the Quebecois was all about.

This was a Christmas gift from my wonderful and hilarious sister.  What can I say about this brilliant work of art?

I’m not sure I can access the deeper spiritual meaning of the electronic yodeling pickle.  Instead, here are a few points for you to ponder today.  I hope they enrich your life.

1.  First, you have to understand that on Christmas morning, of all the presents the family opened, our boys first and foremost gravitated towards this sonorous briny cucumber.

2.  The boys have perfected the lip-sync of the electronic yodeling pickle.  Classic.

3.  In my more philosophical moments, my mind drifts to an unknown factory in China, where workers there are fabricating the electronic yodeling pickle for export to the U.S.  What must they be thinking, as they complete their 10 hour shift on the assembly line of the electronic yodeling pickle?  What images of our society are conjured in their minds, as they contemplate a people who demand such a product?

Comments, please!

When I was in medical school, I got to spend two months training in a French hospital.  Every weekend, Marla and I (newly married) would take a road trip in our rented Citroen Saxo.  It would barely make it up the hills.  We became experts at locating the best pains au raisins, and all kinds of other French delicacies, and saw some very beautiful places.  It was one of the best times of my life.

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend (no, the French don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but we duly informed them that WE do, and that we would be needing a four day weekend), we visited Normandy, and particularly the famous beaches where the D-day invasion occurred.

The story of the invasion is truly fascinating.  It’s a story of great courage,  sacrifice, and teamwork.  Inspiring stuff.  There were so many heroes in those days of the summer of 1944.  Some came home, many didn’t (as the American cemetery at Omaha beach illustrates above).  Today, Veterans Day, we honor their sacrifice.

My strongest memory from the trip is my visit to the Airborne Museum in St. Mere Eglise.  As I left the museum,  a couple of French young men yelled to me from across the parking lot, “Thank you, Americans!”

Humbled, I smiled and waved.  I was painfully aware that I didn’t pay a price for France’s freedom.  Or America’s.  So today, I give credit where credit is truly due.

Thank you, veterans!

Before this camp I was feeling very distant from the Lord, but the
first day i felt this feeling that i cannot describe. I felt something
like circulating inside of me, and all the hairs on my body stood up.
I felt the Lord’s presence, and it was good. I repented and I felt
like a whole new person. The Lord put me back on the right track,
because before the camp, I was walking the wrong way. I feel revived
and ready to serve Him once again. I thank Pastor Kurt for preaching
to us, and Pastor Marla for leading us in worship, it was great and I
learned much.
-Bao

God did alot to me at camp. he raised my spirit so high that tears
shed down my face. He made me realized that if i follow his ways ill
be a better man in this life.
-Anonymous

Overcoming camp, Pastor Kurt and Pastor Stephan had help me build my
relationship with God stronger. i was able to reborn by Pastor Kurt,
and other pastor. i 4 got their name. (that means he decided to follow
Jesus and experienced spiritual rebirth.)
-Tai

I learned that your sins can be forgiven by God. Once you cry tears
for the Lord you should not take it for granted but you need to bring
yourself towards him. He is powerful and has been watching you from
the day you were born and that you need to be devoted to him. I just
wanted thank God everyday from the time I was born till now that I’m
grateful. Once you give yourself to him its like setting your spirit
free and it feels very good. I thank Pastor Kurt for his preaching and
blessings. I also thank you for the lovely time a camp and all the
worshipping and fun we had.
-Diana

I just want to thank Pastor Kurt and Pastor Marla for coming out to
preach and help us learn more about God. You guys made a difference to
those people that hasn’t experienced God well. The teen youth is very
appreciative and hopeful that you guys will visit us someday. :] God
Bless.
-Betty

Before camp, God never played an important front seat role in my life.
I was often prone to ‘do this’ or ‘do that’ because I knew I was a
Christian and that’s what Christians do. But camp has taught me that
there’s more to being Christian than just going through the same
procedure of praying, going to church and worshipping God. I learned
that being more intimate with God is what He wants and that in doing
so, I can deepen my love for Him in a way I never though possible
until now. During camp, God has taught me not to be afraid of what
might be ahead because I know that He will always be right there with
me. I’ve also learned to never be afraid to ask for God’s forgiveness
or help because that’s what he wants us to do. God has allowed me to
meet a group of incredibly amazing people that have helped me connect
and worship Him in a way I’ve never done before. And I’m extremely
thankful for this. Thank you so much Pastor Kurt and Pastor Marla for
coming and helping us become more intimate and learn more about God.
If it wasn’t for you two, I would still be the that girl who has never
experienced the true love of God and what he has in store for us.
- Bobbie

After the camp, i feel a revival in my relationship with God. I feel like i grew closer with him again…
-Pat

I had a great time hanging with the folks from the Vietnamese
Christian Assembly last week. While we’ve been planting Renaissance
Church, we’ve become friends with Pastor Timothy, Pastor Stephan, and
many of the great people at this church. I think the reason why we’ve
struck such a fast friendship is that they are so Kingdom-minded.

They asked me to be the speaker at their youth camp, and it was a
pleasure. God really moved, and the young people were great. I spoke
on intimacy with God. On the last day, several made first-time
commitments to Christ, and there were many more serious re-
dedications. Almost everyone was very touched by the Holy Spirit, and
many youths were weeping in the presence of the Lord.

And of course, we had a lot of fun, too. We even ate well! Who knew
you could make good Vietnamese food at a camp site?

Check out the blog above, “Awesome Testimonies from Camp” to read what the Vietnamese youth were saying about the camp.

Try out this little experiment.  The next time you chat with your friends, neighbors, or co-workers, ask them if they’ve been busy lately.  I’ll bet you almost everyone you meet, from any station of life, will confess to being “busy”.  ”Things have been crazy lately.”  ”Really busy.”  You might even notice yourself saying it.  {I’d love to hear the results of your experiment – leave a comment to this post.}