Pray For Mark...

Hey gang...

For some of you Bethel folks, this will hit home, but I'm asking any and all who stop by here to pray for my friend, Mark Tunnell and his wife, Kellie. I haven't known Mark and his family very long, but they are amazing examples of faith during a very hard time.

A few months back, Mark was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Mark went through all sorts of stuff...surgery, treatment options, etc. God was faithful to strengthen Mark and Kellie and to bless them during that journey. In December, it appeared as if Mark had come through the sickness and was on the way to a full recovery.

In mid-February, Mark started experiencing some seizures and intense pain and I just got word today that Mark is back in the hospital. At this point, the doctors are unsure of what's going on and Mark and Kellie are desperate for answers.

If you could, you please pray for Mark and Kellie Tunnell? I'm praying for wisdom and peace for Mark and Kellie. I'm also praying for agreement among the doctors. If you've ever spent anytime in a hospital, regardless of the illness, you know it's a scary, frustrating thing. Mark and Kellie are confident that God is in control. Mark has a great attitude, facing pain and the unknown like a champ.

I'd really appreciate it. If you'd like to drop a word of encouragement to the Tunnells, you can leave a message for them at their Facebook group. (Search "Praying for Mark Tunnell.) Or you can shoot me an email message and I'll be happy to forward it to them. (toddwrightband@gmail.com)

Thank you for praying, guys. It would mean so much to this family.

WHY COLLEGE MINISTRY STINKS, An Introduction

Over the next week or so, you'll be seeing and hearing a lot about "Immerse," a community Bible study for college students in Tyler, Texas.

While I am both honored and excited to be a part of this ministry, that's not necessarily fueling all the posts, videos and "tweets" you're going to be seeing.

I'm doing this because it's my way of asking you to walk with me in this and to help me.

Because it's hard.

In my experience, there are common "challenges" when trying to pull of something like Immerse is trying to do. And I commend them for it. I believe in it...I wouldn't be leading worship if I didn't. (Trust me...I don't like gigging that much. I play for places I can believe in!)

Over the next few days, I'll be looking at a few of these challenges from the perspective of a worship leader. Here's what I'm asking of you:

1. Comment. My perspective is mine alone. I'm just one dude and I'd love to know what your take on the whole issue of city-wide college ministry. Many, many of you are deeply invested in God's Kingdom and a lot of you spend a lot of brain power asking questions about our motivations and how we judge success.
   
   
2. Pray. I won't lie. I need prayer. I love leading worship and it's a big part of my life, but taking on a new place is always tough. I'm asking God to bless me in my ability to get to know the kids at Immerse and I'd be honored if you'd join me.
   
   
3. Talk. Services like these are not for everybody...but they are for somebody. I'm specifically asking those in the Tyler area to spread the word to college students who might benefit from a Monday night worship and Bible study time.

Personally, I'm not big on hyper-spiritual blogs. They tend to bore me. So I'll try to keep the posts practical and simple...so I won't bore myself!

As always, thanks for checking out the site.

And be back tomorrow for Part 1 - "Nobody's Got It All Together."

Prayer...

Michael Hyatt offers this great prayer over at his blog. It's a great prayer...definitely the type of thing I want to be praying!

"O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon thy holy will. In every hour of the day reveal thy will to me.

"Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with the firm conviction that thy will governs all.

"In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by thee. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.

"Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day and all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray thou thyself in me. Amen."

Originally composed by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow (1782–1867)

Blessed Are Those...

Hospitals are no fun.

Really...there's nothing fun about them, is there?

But through Kristen's recent health woes, I realized something about myself.

I need to walk through hospitals.


You see, this where pastors and preachers have a leg up on those of us who don't make it a habit to visit the sick. And I don't, by the way. I don't visit the sick.

I know it's something I should do. It's something that God wants me to do. But I don't. There are a lot of reasons why, but none of them are any good.

But as I recently walked that same stretch of hallway to the elevator on the way to Kristen's room, I noticed stuff. I noticed the bleary-eyed families in the ICU waiting area. I noticed the open room doors in the middle of the day, revealing people in the hospital, all alone, with no one beside them. I noticed the hundreds of hospital staff walking back and forth, some quickly, as if to help. And others slowly, as if it didn't matter.

I've been praying for these people as I pass them, and it's been good for me. It's been good to get out of myself and try to talk to God about people and situations I don't know. It's hard to pray those prayers, but I'm trying. I'm trying to listen to God as I pray, asking Him for the words; asking Him what it is that family or old lady or lab technician needs.

I'd like to start walking through these places more often. I need to walk through and interceding for these strangers because they need it and I can do it. I don't know that I really need any other reasons.

...Matthew 3:4

Update

Update on the Chapmans...

Jim Houseman posted this update today:
________________________________
Everyone wants to know... how are they doing? I understand the question. So many care so deeply, so many can't imagine this loss. But the question is unanswerable, really.

I think Caleb did it best when he said at the visitation and at the funeral that the best term he can find is "confused." "We're sad and happy. Together and Lonely..." and then he stopped, realizing you can't describe confused, in his words, "it's sorta the point of the word." So much wisdom in this young man.

In this difficult time, the Chapman family has not done any interviews. In fact, the only comments the press or media has had from anyone associated with Steven has been through this website, quotes pulled from what we were sharing with you about what has happened. And in a few other instances, Steven's pastor Scotty Smith or the Executive Director of Shaohannahs Hope, Scott Hasenbalg.

Still... it is just too painful, just too crazy, the grief too deep.

On Wednesday night and Thursday, they were truly despondent and wailing through this horrible unthinkable thing. On Friday late morning, I saw the family start to string sentences together. And then at the Memorial Service, Saturday, though the emotion was still raw and the pain is still so deep, profound things were said by these people struggling to find their way in a world without Maria.

I've been privileged to be with them each day of this horrible week... so how are they doing? It is unanswerable... but I'll say this... I see them holding on to the Gospel better than you could imagine or hope for, just as you might think they would. Today, the room is quiet, the talk is somber... but occasionally you'll see a smile. Once in awhile, you might even hear a light laugh. Hope never left, and hope is just starting to show itself again, in small ways. There is still profound sadness. There is still deep concern for some in the family and how they will chart their way out of these dark days. But, there is a Savior, they are sure of it, I hear them talking about it. Heaven is real. It's real-er than ever to this close knit family. Sadness with hope.

A wedding cake picked out today, hope with sadness.
A little girl crying missing her sister, sadness with hope.
Basketball practice and carpool and lasagna from friends for dinner.
The new normal is not much fun right now.

And then there is a community of family and friends (including you!) praying. Your prayers are often talked about and appreciated. The family is overwhelmed by your support and is comforted by it, be assured. Grateful for you.
________________________________

Please continue praying for this family. It's one-week today. Keep praying.

Talk About Your Revolution...

It's very rainy in East Texas. Not just a drizzle or a mist, but a pretty steady downpour that will eventually swell out of its gutters and runoffs and eventually flood our streets a little bit and generally inconvenience everybody.

This is the kind of rain you don't get out it. This is that sort of rain that makes you think crazy thoughts like: "Can I call in sick today?" or "I'll just pay that bill tomorrow," or "Where's the junk food in this house?"

Being the good worker bee that I am, I showed up at work today to brave the elements. There are just too many tasks and and I am a young, vibrant, passionate servent of God who's willing to do what it takes to make His praise glorious.

And then, I see it...

I'm walking down a hallway at the church and I glance outside across a tiny courtyard. From where I'm standing I can see perfectly into our "prayer chapel," that little known 20-seat sanctuary tucked at the end of our Education Wing.

The prayer chapel has a large window along its front wall, providing a nice view of the grass and sky for those sitting in the tiny little pews. And from my viewpoint, I can see through that window.

Old ladies.

I see their cars in the parking lot now, dripping with rain, the dirt long washed from the tires because these ladies have been here awhile. And they've been praying. No one talks about them or probably even remembers that they're praying in the chapel on a Monday morning, but this thing that they're doing - is massive. It's faithful and it's humble and it's wise, because those ladies know something that most of us don't.

Everybody talks about revolution. Everbody talks about young people and adults "rising up" or becoming an army of faithful followers of God. Everbody talks about this new wave of revival that's coming...

And this whole time, these ladies are praying. They're not going to conferences, they're not asking their pastor to pump them up every Sunday and get them spiritually super-charged. They're praying. Just praying.

While I sit here and work and toil and do my best to come up with stuff that's engaging and creative and dare I say "cool," they're praying.

Talk about a revolution...

A lot of you know John Sherrill...he's an anointed writer, pastor and worship leader and his family needs your help.

http://www.prayforkyle.com/

Strange Words From A Writer

I had never truly encountered the concept of "written prayers" until I began working in the United Methodist Church. In this case, I'm not talking about special, specific themed readings as acts of prayer. (We have those, too.)

No, in this case, I am talking about what seems to be a relatively common practice of writing one's prayers out. I see ministers do this, lay people, special guest speakers, etc. In my Baptist years, I never had much contact with this aspect of worship, but I'm getting of plenty of experience now.

I don't like them. I don't like a written prayer. For some reason, it rings "hollow" to me. I'm not trying to make any negative comment regarding those who opt to pen their prayers rather than create them spontaneously, but I have to say that I seem to have trouble spiritually connecting to a moment when someone is simply reading lines on a page during a time set aside for prayer. In all honesty, I hate written prayers. I find myself thinking things like,

"Where's the passion? Where's the poetry of a human heart open and naked before the Father?"

But here's where I struggle; I am a songwriter. A songwriter, in fact, who tends to make quite a big deal when worship songwriters don't spend much time actually writing their tunes. I'm the guy standing aside saying,

"Too much passion! Poetic, but no clear line of thinking!"

Anybody see Duplicitous Todd in this situation? With regard to prayer, I'm all about the spontaneous, non-linear approach. As a writer, I'm all about the line of thinking, the clarity of message.

Where do you guys land on "written prayers?"