Dad and I went on a little road trip today.  Can you guess from the pictures below where we might have gone?  (If you live in Georgia, you better get this one right!)

I was looking through some old pictures recently and I found the most humiliating picture of myself. 

And even though it is an extremely embarrassing photo, I thought it was too funny not to share, so I thought I’d post it for your enjoyment. 

Now, let me try and set the scene for you.  It was 1987.  It was my family’s first year in Warner Robins.  My coach was Southside member and legendary Warner Robins citizen, Philip Campbell.  Our team was the Pacers. 

It was my first attempt at playing organized basketball, and I quickly fell in love with the sport. 

But what I didn’t fall in love with was this uniform. 

In fact, as I was thinking about this picture, several things stand out to me that makes this the most embarrassing photograph ever.

1. The uniform is purple

2. My brother’s shorts are significantly longer than mine (as a result, this makes me look much goofier than him)

3. I have a terrible haircut

Of course, there are multiple other problems with the picture.  The socks.  The awkward pose with my brother.  A terrible background (it’s got “smelly gym” written all over it!)

Anyway, I know that this technically has nothing to do with our church, but I thought you might need a laugh today.

Our pastor recently asked us to read through Gordon MacDonald’s newest book, “Who Stole My Church”.  The subtitle, “What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21^st Century”, clearly indicates that the book is aimed at those who struggle with seeing the church they’ve always known go through the sometimes difficult process of changing with the times.

I think what’s most intriguing about this book is that it’s written as a novel.  Mr. McDonald creates this imaginary church in New England, and tells the story of a core group of people in this church who are resisting the change the pastor is introducing. 

I don’t want to give too much away, but this group of people in the church are described as “long-time Christians, mature adults, and dedicated church members”, and throughout the course of the book, we watch them struggle to accept and embrace the direction their church is heading in. 

As I read it, I thought a lot about Southside and some of the changes that we’ve made over the years.  I thought a lot about how easy it would have been to just maintain the status quo.  But at the same time, I also thought about what we would have missed out on if we hadn’t been willing to take a few risks along the way, and what we might miss out on if we refuse to take risks in the future.    

Although I’m tempted to tell you how the story ends, I’m not going to because I think it would be beneficial for some of you to read it. 

Also, because it’s written as a novel, it wasn’t easy for me to come up with the usual handful of quotes that I try and pass along, so this quote from the preface will have to do…

“Any church that has not turned its face toward the younger generation and the new challenges of reaching unchurched people in this world will simply cease to exist.  We’re not talking decades- we’re talking just a few years.”

I couldn’t agree more. 

And I’m so glad that we are a church that is committed to doing just that. 

I’ve read multiple books on prayer over the years, but I’ve never read a better one on the subject than Philip Yancey’s new book, “Prayer:  Does It Make Any Difference?”.  It’s well over 300 pages long, but it’s definitely worth you spending the time to read through it. 

In fact, in my opinion, this is the book on prayer!  And although I usually don’t push books onto people, this is one I actually think most of you should try and set aside some time to read. 

And you need to read it because (and now I’m quoting Yancey), “If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer.” 

I can’t say it any better.  Anyway, here are a few other classic thoughts Yancey shares about prayer throughout the book:

• “Only he who is helpless can truly pray.”
• “The main purpose of prayer is not to make life easier, nor to gain magical powers, but to know God. I need God more than anything I might get from God.”
• “The Son of God, who had spoken worlds into being and sustains all that exists; felt a compelling need to pray.”
• “Sometimes, like the boy who asks his parents to solve a math problem while he plays video games, we ask God for things we should be doing ourselves.”
• “Of all the means God could have used, prayer seems the weakest, slipperiest, and easiest to ignore.”
• “We should pray like a salesman with his foot wedged in the door opening, like a wrestler who has his opponent in a headlock and won’t let go.”
• “Prayer sets God loose.”“Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.”
• “If I want fluency in a foreign language, I must set aside time, no doubt giving up something else in the process. I must keep working at it, persisting despite the awkward feelings of a beginner. I persevere only because I value the final result. Nearly everything worthwhile- learning a sport, mastering the guitar, improving computer skills- involves the same process.”