Mark Waltz | ...Because People Matter

Merry Christmas from the Waltzes

I've been reading a lot of old testament the past few days, considering the Promise of the coming Messiah. He has come. He is here. Emmanuel. God with us.

It was always spoken to people. Even when it was directed to a person, it was for the people. A collective group. The people of God, a nation, the family. The promise has always been delivered and experienced in relationships.

The promise matters to our family. We're still banking on the promise... that the world will be set right by God. That his justice will prevail. That human dignity will be the rightful gift of all God's created humanity regardless of labels of race, economic status, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or gender. That all humankind will see and know the wonder, the grace, the gift of Jesus Christ as Lord and Creator. People matter to God. His promise through Jesus is for all people.

• That's why Laura, Olivia, and I celebrate family and friends.
• It's why we give to the annual Christmas offering at Granger.
• It's why we'll be part of the big Food Drop on January 10 at Granger.
• It's why we're are still praying for change in our own hearts and lives.

We want to continue to embrace the kingdom, not merely acknowledge it's here. We want to be embraced by the King of the kingdom and live our lives with creative gratitude.

My blog and Twitter will likely be quiet the next few days as I focus on the promise within my personal relationships. Make your days count. Celebrate the people in your life (think about that). And as you wait for the ultimate fulfillment of the Promise - live it. Step into it.

Merry Christmas!

Waltz Art

Cody Baker is a whiz-bang artist. He's an extraordinary videographer, combining stunning imagery with engaging storyline (here's a great example of his work). I recently discovered what a talented artist he is and found this Facebook tagged pic he sketched of me in a recent class I taught.

  

I think he's pretty darn good, huh?

Starbucks. Church. What if?

Several people have passed this video on to me. Maybe you've already seen it, too. Then again, maybe you haven't. At any rate it's Christmas, and I feel like sharing. Enjoy!

Perspective | Advent

 

This morning I walked into my office and rather than sitting at my desk, I grabbed my Bible (just wanted you to know I read it) and sat in one of the cool chairs my guests sit in. As I got comfy I glanced across the room and saw this sight (below).

The stacks on my desk that are working piles I'm familiar with and don't see as "stacks" loomed in front of the window. Then I saw the stuff to the left of my chair below my desk. I never see it. It holds stuff I use: DVD resources, study guides and some accent paint I've never had applied to the bulkhead in my office.

Gross. My guests have to look at my crap. The clutter, the stacks, the storage.

That's their perspective.

I've experienced over forty Christmases now. I've heard the story, taught the story, sung the story. I'm familiar with the story. I haven't always seen everything that's in the story.

I need to be in touch with the longing of a world waiting on tiptoe for hope that really brings peace, not just empty promises. I need to be in touch with the hunger of people in my town and around the globe. I need to be in touch with the homelessness, abuses, and other effects of sin suffered all over the planet. The deep longing for justice and wholeness that's promised in the Messiah.

He has come. I want to fully engage the story as one of billions of earth's inhabitants who long for the hope that we the Church hold out.

Get a fresh perspective this Advent season. And help others get a fresh perspective as well. The Savior has come. His kingdom is here.

If you're a GCCer - invite your friends and family to join you this weekend. It will help them grasp a perspective of hope in an otherwise crappy world.

(P.S. - I'm going to give my office guests a fresh perspective too.)

We Need to Meet

Danny Franks, Connections Pastor at Summit Church in Durham, NC posted this anticipation back in November. With wit and hyperbole he wrote about our parallel roles as connections pastors. The hyperbole is found in all the places he calls me hero and final authority.  That I am not. His comments do, however, offer one of the most fun endorsements for a book before it's ever read! I'll be tracking Danny down to see what he's thinking post-read of the new book. Danny writes:

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve pre-ordered a book, and I’d still have five fingers left over.  (In case you’re wondering: no, I’m not a genetically altered six-fingered mutant.)

Editor’s Note: ask him about the toes.

But today, I count myself in the ranks with you oddball Harry Potter and Nicholas Sparks fans.  Today, we are four weeks away from a book I’ve been anticipating like Jason Gaston anticipates duck season.  Last week, I pre-ordered a copy for myself and one for every member of my Connections staff (sorry to ruin the Christmas surprise, guys).  I even ordered a few extra, because you never know.

The book is called Lasting Impressions by a hero-I’ve-never-met, Mark Waltz (his blog has been a constant presence in my “You Need to Read…” links).

Before you get snarky: yes, he is a Connections Pastor as well.   No, we’d never heard of him or that title when I was hired as the CP here back in ‘03.

Yes, he calls his guest services team First Impressions.  No, I’d never heard of him or that title when we named our guest services team.

Yes, his last name is Waltz.  No, I don’t know how to dance.

Even though I’ve never met Mark personally, he’s a kindred spirit.  He was the First Impressions Guy before First Impressions were cool.  His first book is the first and final authority on the subject of caring for and loving on the guests at your church.  My copy is so marked up and written in that I should probably order another one just for the heck of it.

But on December 9th, I get to read Mark’s take not on how to greet guests, but how to keep guests.  And as a guest-services nerd, that excites me very, very much.  If you’re a pastor - or if you have anything to do with people at your church - order this book while I catch my breath from all the obnoxious sucking up. 

Editor’s Note: got any ideas of a good book title if J.K. Rowling and Nicholas Sparks ever co-authored something?

I'd like to meet Danny. I'll bet he'd write a different post. That'd be interesting reading.

Read this article and more (and see Danny's mug shot) in the Book News section of this blog.

Environments, Success and Advent

Mark Beeson has been writing Advent posts each day leading up to Christmas. Reading his posts daily may be a great resource for your personal preparation for Christmas (go here).

This morning Mark posted about the choice we have to put ourselves in environments that help us experience the outcomes we desire. He quoted Clement Stone, who said:

"You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward you objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?"

Environments define our DNA at Granger. We assume complete responsibility for the varying levels of corporate environments in our church. Environments where people can take next steps toward Christ and each other. Environments where people can make decisions about their relationships, their struggles, their goals.

Read Mark's entire post here.

Read more about our environments here or here.

Of Korn and Christmas...

This is an incredible story - told and produced in an incredible style. There's a GCC weekend series in the making here somewhere. Thanks to several GCC staffer friends (Jeff, Jason, Butch) who passed it on.

This is kingdom stuff. It's what Christmas is all about.

Check out more stories at "I Am Second".

Lasting Impressions | Mark Beeson's Thumbprint

 

Lasting Impressions, my second book, releases officially today. The truth about the two books I've written applies to any teaching, coaching, or future writing I'll do. My ideas and thoughts have been influenced, even created in some cases, by others. I've been influenced for good or bad by many people and sources. But the influence I've intentionally leaned into in my life has been the influence of people I respect, people I want to emulate, people who have marked me for the better.

It's the precise reason I dedicated this new book to my friend and senior pastor, Mark Beeson. Here's the dedication from the book:

To Mark Beeson, founding and senior pastor of Granger Community Church. This book is the result of your vision to reach people with the good news that they matter to God. For over twenty years you have been about helping people take their next step toward Christ… together. That’s been your mission at Granger since 1986 when you and your family moved to Northern Indiana to pioneer a new approach of ministry in the local church. You’re always asking, “What’s your next step?”

And everybody has one. Everyone has a next step. And you’ve led the way by leaning into your own next step. Thank you for modeling this norm. And for allowing me to do life with you, for allowing me to hear the tension you feel, to see the challenges you face and to experience the courage you find to take your next step. Your modeling reminds me that the title “pastor” behind my name doesn’t eliminate my need to grow, to take my next step. There is always a next one.

Thank you for taking such a genuine interest in my personal journey and my family. Your cheerleading has encouraged me to be faithful with my steps. You are my good friend, even as I respect you as my boss. Thank you for trusting me to lead beside you. Your vision is my vision now. And we share it with thousands whose lives are being transformed by the grace and power of Jesus Christ.

With tremendous gratitude I dedicate this work to you.

See what others are saying about the book here.

You can order the book here or here.

Advent | Waiting?

I've been thinking more about the anticipation of a people who understood their need for a Savior more than most of realize on most days. They knew waiting. 400 years of waiting in silence. The prophets were quiet. The signs were shut down. Nothing. No word. A promise from four centuries ago, that was it.

We don't know too much about waiting. Even at Christmas.

Christmas comes on December 25^th, only one day each year, and we do little to wait for it to get here. There are plans to be made, lists to be prepared, events to be scheduled, and shopping to be done. There is no waiting. Black Friday was the day after Thanksgiving; Starbucks’ holiday drink menu began the same day. Christmas dinners begin this week.

Wait for Christmas?

Not for most of us. We are already well into the Christmas season. We don't typically observe the one day. The tree is up and decorated. The parties and dinners and school events are already filling our calendar. The shopping list is made and many of us have already hit the mall. This Christmas is like any other. Our time-honored traditions will ensure we maximize the season again this year.

But, not all of us. This year isn’t like any other year. We’re not sure how to engage the season without our son, or our mom, or our best friend. They’re not here this year. They’re gone. Nothing’s the same. Never will be again. We can hardly wait for the holidays to be over.

Some of us are looking at the shopping list in our face, not sure how we’re going to look at the face of our own kids. It’s not the same this year. Our savings have dwindled, if we had any. All we want for Christmas is work to provide for our family. We can hardly wait for the holidays to be over.

Ultimately, none of us wants the holidays to be a blur that’s lost on a month of whirl-wind activity and a frantic pace. None of us wants to collapse into bed exhausted, only to sleep too little and have too much to do the next day. None of us wants to disappoint someone else because we got the wrong gift or no gift at all. None of us wants to miss the gift, the point of this season. We don’t want to look over our shoulder a month from now and realize that we missed seeing the King.

But it’s the kind of month many of us live every December. And it’s already started.

What are you doing to slow down? To wait? To experience the simplicity of Christmas?

Advent | A First

 

This is a little embarrassing. I was raised in the church. That's not the embarrassing part. This is the first year our family will observe Advent. Well, there was the one year someone gave us a daily pop-the-window calendar for Olivia. But that was Santa, elves, and toys. I don't think that counted.

I've always observed "the reason for the season." I know it's all about Jesus' long awaited arrival as the Messiah. I get that. After all, I've been in church all my life and I am a pastor.

But this is a first for us. In fact Laura and I just talked about it. Even though we've missed the first Sunday, we'll begin tonight over dinner at home.

Advent is all about waiting and anticipated arrival. We've done plenty of waiting in our lives. We waited 11 years for our one and only daughter to be born. We've waited through debt, jobs, disappointments, and depression. That waiting has always been about a longing. Longing for freedom, for a different reality, for a better us.

But Advent isn't just about us. It's about us in touch with our world. It's about getting in touch with the world around us. It's about remembering the passionate longing with which most of the world waits. Waiting for food, for justice, for freedom, for purpose. It's about being active in the waiting. It's about meeting the passion for change with compassion. Advent is about remembering, waiting, anticipating... and acting.

Is any of this new to me or our family? Not really, not at all. But to align the call on our lives as disciples with the practice of observing Advent will bring a fresh purpose to our season.

Looking forward to dinner tonight.

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What do you do to observe Advent? What is your long-standing tradition or your new practice?