I’m not sure what you did to celebrate July 4th yesterday, but I had a very enjoyable time hanging out with my family and with a couple of very good friends.

We allowed our 4 year old daughter, Hannah to stay up late to watch fireworks and we had a wonderful view from the comfort of our own driveway.  Hannah kept saying to me (with arms clenched around my neck) “daddy, I’m not scared, are you?”  Keep in mind, this was during the”grand finale” when it sounded like everyone in the neighborhood got out their half-sticks of dynamite to really end the night right.

As we watched the fireworks, Hannah also started asking me why we celebrate the 4th in that way.  I explained to her that in 1776 our country declared independence from England, and that is why we celebrate because we declared our freedom from England’s tyranny (ok…I didn’t really say ‘tyranny’ to Hannah…).

I thought about an even greater freedom that was bought for us.  This freedom that was bought for us cost the life of the only perfect person that has lived.  Jesus died for us so that we would be free from the tyranny of sin.  We no longer have to be bound to a life that ends with death.

Declare your dependence on the One who bought your independence.

Peace,

Neil

The last few days have been very divinely inspired…and I don’t take such language for granted. On Saturday, my church went back to Bluff Park in East Aurora and we served the community hundreds of hot dogs and a lot of lovin’.

I wasn’t sure what the neighborhood would think of us because it had been about 3 months since we were last there. As soon as we arrived, kids started pouring out of their homes and let us know that they remembered exactly who we were…that was so heart-warming!

Two kids stick out in my mind and they happen to be brothers. Mikos is the younger brother and Marcus is the older (and WAY bigger) and very protective brother. Mikos rode his bike right up to me and said “hey…I remember you. You said that you would come back and you did!” His brother rode over to me and said “I still wear that puffy coat that you guys gave me when you came here before.”

These were just a couple of the wonderful encounters that I had at Bluff Park. It was a very blessed day and I know that God’s heart was warmed at the sight of his people dropping dividing lines of pretense and demographics and region and stigma and societal status to just hang out together and to start the important work of building relationships.

As if all of that wasn’t enough (and my right shoulder has REALLY had enough of spinning kids on the Bluff Park merry-go-round) I also had a tremendous morning as I had the privilege of meeting Kirsten Strand, who is the Director of Community 4:12 @ Community Christian Church in Naperville. Yep…we met at the typical place that we pastoral types like to frequent…Starbucks (even though their Pike Place Roast has made me like them just a little bit less recently).

Kirsten is a wealth of information and energy and passion for life and for ministry that fulfills Jesus’ call to us to love ‘the least of these.’ She and her husband and family have now lived on the East side of Aurora for about a year now. Kirsten believes in the concept of relocating to the area in which you already minister, and she gave me a lot of food for thought on that one, too.

God is surely up to something! I’m so excited to see what God will do as he goes about his business of transforming hearts in the Naperville area and in the East Aurora area, too.

Lord, thank you for lighting and guiding my steps over the past few days. Please lead me and Naperville Christian Church into the next adventure that you have chosen for us. Help us to be bold and courageous. Please bless CCC and the incredible work that Kirsten is doing through Community 4:12.

Peace,

Neil

Who doesn’t need a little R&R?? We all do, but a lot of us don’t take care of ourselves in this fast paced culture that we’ve found ourselves in. What about marriages…don’t our marriages need some TLC, too? When is the last time that you took your wife out on a date? Probably not too recently if you are like me or if you have young kids.

Well, our church is officially jumping into the arena of directly blessing marriages. So, on July 26th at 4:30pm, you are encouraged to drop your kids off at our church and then you take your wife out on a two hour date. When you come back, we will have a fabulous dessert and some great coffee waiting for you and you will get to hear a little talk about some aspect of marriage. Give your marriage a little R&R…you deserve it.

Peace,

Neil

Jesus makes it very clear that we are supposed to actively take care of people who are in need. God gives the poor and orphaned and widowed high priority in his “to-do” list. My church is taking this very seriously as we strive to become more outwardly-focused.

If you are in the Chicagoland area, I’d love it if you would join us as we make a real effort to become a church after God’s own heart. We are learning that discipleship is a process that includes learning and doing. Jesus said that we are to follow after him…not learn what he said.

We have 5 serving opportunities this summer. I’d love to hear from you and partner with you as we chase after God’s priorities.

Peace,

Neil

I was sad to learn today of Tim Russert’s (from Meet the Press) untimely death.  Please keep his father “Big Russ,”  wife Maureen, and his son Luke in your prayers.  Russert just returned from a trip to Italy to celebrate his son, Luke’s graduation from Boston College.

What a difficult Father’s Day they will have.

Lord, please surround the Russert family with your love and your Holy Spirit, as they begin to grieve Tim’s death, just before Father’s Day.

Peace,

Neil

I realize that Father’s Day brings up all sorts of emotions for people. Some people had absent fathers and the day feels empty and is a sad reminder of what could/should have been. For others, the day is a celebration of good ol’ American grilling gluttony. For me, it is definitely different (except I probably will enjoy a couple of grilled yummies, too).

I am blessed to have a fantastic dad. My dad has always been there for me. When I was little, I remember that my dad always made me a priority in his life. Each day of the summer, my dad and I would take long bike rides on the back country roads and enjoy an ice cream sundae on our screened porch afterward. There was never a time that I wanted to play catch or play horse with my dad that he didn’t drop what he was doing to go out with me to play.

There has never been one time in my life where my dad has not followed through on a promise that he has made to me…not even once.

My dad’s example of being a good dad extends far beyond my youth. As a college student, my dad told me that if there was EVER a time in my life when I got myself in trouble with anything, anywhere in the whole world, that all I had to do was call him and he would get on a plane and come to get me…anywhere/anytime.

What’s really amazing about this is that my dad’s father died when he was 5 years old. My dad never had an example of what a dad was supposed to be, yet he became a shining example of fatherhood.

I don’t know what kind of emotions Father’s Day brings for you, but I know this…regardless of what kind of earthly father you’ve had (or didn’t have), you have a heavenly father who wants to have a relationship with you. He wants to wrap his arms around you and to tell you how important you are to him.

Lord, thank you for the dad that I have. Please bless him this Father’s Day in all that he does. Please help me to follow my dad’s example and to be the best dad that I can be to my beautiful girls. And for those who are fatherless and orphans, please show them your deep and unfailing love.

Peace,

Neil

I’m thrilled to be a part of a small group that wants to be characterized by actively loving our community. At our meeting tonight, it was clear that all of us are passionate about being an outwardly-focused group.

It is easy to talk about spiritual growth, but we’ve chosen to walk in the steps of Christ. It is simple to give a few dollars to a homeless person, but we want to invest in a community of people who have less than we do. I’m so excited that each of you are in my small group. I’m thrilled about Bluff Park because it is God-inspired and will be God-sustained.

Father, please help us to focus on you and on your people. That’s all…that simply.

Peace,

Neil

“Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” Philippians 2:3

The Apostle Paul was very serious with us about dealing with our selfishness. It is natural to look out for yourself, but other-worldly to look out for others.

Today, I went to foxnews.com and on the front page God spoke to me about how important it is to keep our selfishness in-check. A little bit of selfishness is ok, right? WRONG. If it is left un-checked, it will destroy your sense of right and wrong. I grieved as I watched this video of Angel Arce Torres, 78, as he was run-down by a hit-and-run driver, and then NOT ONE person stopped to help him.

Lord, please do whatever it takes for us to come to you. Give us back our bearings so that we will love our neighbor and love you. Help us to seek after only those things.  Lord, please heal Angel Torres and bring to justice those responsible for his condition.

Peace,

Neil

Senator Obama is now having to answer for another one of his prominent “supporters” and pastors this week. Last Sunday, Pastor Pfleger, of St. Sabina church in Chicago was the guest speaker at Trinity United Church of Christ. TUCC is the church where Rev. Wright made such inflammatory statements about the United States, and gave Barack Obama’s handlers such fits related to his campaign.

I just read on-line that Pfleger has reported that he has now been the target of many death threats. Death threats?? For making dumb statements?? WOW!

I’m not supportive of Pfleger’s statements whatsoever. However, if every dumb thing that I’ve ever said was posted on youtube, then I’d be in a TON of trouble.

Pfleger came forward and apologized for his sermon…just keep him in your prayers.

Peace,

Neil

I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine today at a Starbucks that is near the church.  My friend was telling me that he thinks that God is teaching him patience regarding his new business opportunity.  He has encountered trial after struggle after tribulation as he has waited for all of the pieces to fall into place so that the business can really take-off.

As I started to encourage him about his waiting period and frustration, he told me that he knew that God was going to come through.  He said that God has been teaching him what it meant in scripture when it says that God desires obedience more than sacrifice.

I think that I understand that concept more than ever now.  There is nothing that we can sacrifice that is not already owned by God.  We have nothing without him…period.  When we “sacrifice” something, we are acting like God, but it isn’t the same thing as obedience.

Obedience means that with all of the choices we have in our lives, we still choose to do what God asks of us.  Scripture tells us that if we claim to love God, but we then do not do what he tells us to do, that we are liars.  Obedience then, proves to God that we love him.  Part of obedience includes sacrifice, but we can’t sacrifice anything to God and be pleasing to him without first being obedient.

Lord, please help us to order our lives in a way that is pleasing to you.  Help us to be obedient to what you tell us to do so that in the end, we will be found in you.

Peace,

Neil