Most folks familiar with the "Christmas story" know the detail from Luke's gospel that there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn. So Jesus was born on the outside, just like he carried on his ministry--outside the established religious expectations and structures.


Matthew makes the same point in the genealogy of Jesus in the opening chapter of the gospel that bears his name, but he does it in a different way. Matthew 1:5,6 reads: . . . Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. Matthew here highlights the names of two women, Rahab and Ruth; most mothers in the ancestry of Jesus are not mentioned. Why these two?



Both are outsiders. Neither of these two women who were great-great-great-etc-grandmothers of Jesus on Joseph's side were Israelites. Rahab was a Canaanite, a "working woman" of Jericho when the Israelites came out of the wilderness to possess the promised land. She came to believe in the God of Israel and attached herself to the community of Israel by faith. Ruth was a Moabitess, a foreigner who attached herself to the God of Israel in an act of covenant loyalty that resulted in her marriage to Boaz.



Matthew is telling us by highlighting these two women that Jesus came to be among not just those on the inside. In fact, some of his ancestry came from completely outside the community of God's chosen people, Israel.



Point? God is always for those on the outside. Those who aren't part of the "in crowd;" those who aren't part of the establishment; those who aren't the ones we would expect him to hang out with. In fact, the "in crowd" is only "in" with the Lord as long as they realize they are called to be for those who have yet to make their way into the flow of God's grace and love.


Jesus was born outside the inn. Rahab and Ruth were his grannys. Feeling distant from the Lord? On the outside looking in? Look again. He may be closer than you think.



See you this weekend. We will be checking out Solomon in Jesus' ancestry and celebrating the Lord's table. Remember, Jesus said, "Whomsoever will may come."

First off, let me say a BIG THANKS to everyone for all the kind and encouraging words, cards and gifts to mark our 25th anniversary as your pastor here at KBC/Wellspring. Wow! Like I said to Pastor Wes in the second service, "Twenty five years is a long time!" It has been my privilege and joy, along with Debbie, to walk with you and serve this congregation for the past quarter century. Thank you. By the way, I am planning to hang on to the cards for quite some time. They should come in handy in the future on a discouraging day.

Secondly, let me say a word about the upcoming sermon series. Yes, this weekend I am scheduled to preach--we'll see if I have remembered how to string some meaningful thoughts together. I plan to focus on Matthew 1 and the genealogy Matthew employs to introduce his gospel. On first glance this just seems like a long list of boring and unpronounceable names, but I have found it to be a treasure trove of stories and encouragement as we meditate upon the Lord's ways in bringing forth his redemption into this broken and twisted world.

This week I want to reflect upon David's place in the family tree of the Savior; the next week his son, Solomon; and then, on the weekend just before Christmas we will look at a lesser known figure, Zerubbabel.

Lastly, we are getting settled back into the routines and rhythms of life in Connecticut and the congregation. Good to be back.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

Debbie and I drove into Connecticut about noon on Monday and saw evidence of the snow bomb that went off across the state while we were away. Wow! We had been keeping track of the storm via internet, e-mails, and phone calls, but nothing prepared us for the devastation we encountered upon our return. We walked through our neighborhood and chatted with neighbors who were very happy to have some uninitiated with whom to share their personal storm survival stories.

I can't say I am sorry we missed the storm, but it was strange to be away from the action when so much was going on around here.

Anyway, we have stories of our own journey to share in coming weeks.

First the raw data. We travelled over 11,000 miles and drove through 26 states. That necessitated 3 oil changes along the way, but thankfully no other vehicle issues. We visited 7 national parks (Theodore Roosevelt, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Crater Lake, Redwoods, Zion and Bryce Canyon) in the course of our travels. We visited several family members, my mentor from seminary, a friend from our first church now in pastoral ministry, and the Norton family from Wellspring who are on assignment in Nashville. We spent six weeks in California, immersing ourselves in the life and culture of Bethel Church in Redding. We took advantage of three conferences hosted by the church during our weeks there, featuring revival leaders from Argentina (Claudio Freidzen), Canada (John and Carol Arnott) and the Bethel family. We met many amazing people while at Bethel. Most importantly, we consistently encountered the presence of God in that house of revival.

On our last day in Redding we had breakfast after church with Steve and Wendy Backlund, who are on staff at Bethel and who have been here to Wellspring on two occasions. Steve asked us what were our biggest 'take-aways' from our time there. I answered for my own experience with two big blessings. First, I experienced significant rest, refreshment and deep renewal during this time away. The six months prior to our departure were some of the most difficult of my entire ministry and fatigue and emotional stress were very much with me upon our leave-taking from Connecticut. Secondly, both Debbie and I came away from our time at Bethel with the clear conviction that there is a whole lot MORE to the reality of the Kingdom of God than we had ever before imagined. We heard testimonies and experienced encounters with the power and presence of the Kingdom that have definitely stretched our capacity to believe, hope, dream and seek. We look forward to sharing many of these stories with you in the days to come.

For now we are glad to be back home. On the agenda tomorrow at Thanksgiving will be gratitude for our amazing adventures on this sabbatical and for a great community of believers to return home to and with whom we can share the greatest adventure of all as we seek first this thing called the Kingdom of God.

Pastor Rick

Debbie and I have wrapped up an amazing five weeks in Redding, CA where we spent lots of time reading, reflecting, praying, resting and immersing ourselves in the life of Bethel Church.

First of all, I hope by the time you read this everyone has their power restored! What an amazing season in Connecticut to have half the state shut down twice in the span of a couple months. We have tried to monitor progress from across the country and have been amazed by the the devastation caused by that freakish storm. I can't say I am sorry we missed it all. In fact, it was amazing to experience four full uninterrupted weeks of sunshine.

By way of tallying up how I have invested my time while away: I have read several books and scholarly articles on a theme I felt the Lord has given me to explore in the next coming season. This theme has to do with how a righteous God administers justice and governs a world filled with nations, societies and individuals who are in rebellion against his goodness and his ways. This is a theme that has been growing in its importance to me over the past several years and increasingly so as we see global stresses and tensions increase.

Debbie and I also had the privilege of attending two amazing conferences while at Bethel. At both of these events and the many other services we attended at the church made major deposits in our minds, hearts and spirits. Mostly we have been stretched--big time--at all the Lord is doing in and through his people during these amazing days. The testimonies we have heard from leaders and ministers from across the globe are very encouraging to say the least. I look forward to sharing some of these with you when we return. More importantly, I hope to increase the body of testimony that is building from our Wellspring family of how the Lord is changing and shaping lives through us.

However, I cannot give the above tease without sharing one amazing testimony we heard our final night at Bethel Church. This was a "regular" Sunday night revival service, with the addition of having several folks baptized. One of those being baptized was an African-American single mom who had recently come back to the Lord and was making her way into the life of the fellowship. She lives in an apartment complex and had been consistently harassed by one bitter woman who was making life miserable for her. The neighbor had called her names and called the authorities on her several times. Not pleasant.

But "Linda," the renewed believer, had been taking training classes at Bethel in how to walk in the power and love of revival. One night the Lord spoke to her in a dream, "lupus, 34." Apartment 34 is where her unkind neighbor lived. Linda sensed the Lord calling her to minister to her neighbor. "No way, Lord. I'm not talking to that racist woman!" The next night the same message from God came again. Then a third night in a row. Linda yielded to the Lords's prompting and wnet to knock on the door of apartment #34 the next day. "What do you want?" came the 'greeting.' "Does 'lupus' mean anything to you?" Linda asked.

At this point the angry countenance behind the door melted and the woman began to sob. "I have just been diagnosed with lupus!" Now Linda knew the Lord had indeed been speaking to her. "May I pray for you?" she asked. The next day Linda got a call from Melissa at the doctor's office. "The doctor said he must have been mistaken--there is no lupus in my body!" But these tow new friends knew what was up! God had healed a body and built a bridge that transcended fear, hate and division.

Now Linda leads Bible studies in Melissa's apartment. She leads outreaches to the teen-age girls in the complex. She was asked one day by "Drunk Harry"--"Are you the woman who prays for people?" "I guess so," replied Linda. "Well, would you pray for me?" he asked. "What do you want prayer for?" Harry looked incredulous, "Can't you tell--I'm drunk all the time." Linda prayed for Harry and he received a powerful touch from God. He has not had a drink for the last month.

Revival has begun in the apartment complex!

So, with these stories and more. With lots of rest and refreshment. With loads of encouragement poured into our hearts we are on our return trip to Connecticut. We are with our daughter Kate in San Luis Obispo for a few days. Then we head east, stopping to see the Nortons in Nashville and our parents in southern Ohio. We plan to be home for Thanksgiving and look forward to seeing all of you that weekend.

Thanks again for the privilege to invest this time in renewal and for all of your prayers and support.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

Debbie and I have enjoyed two wonderful weeks here in Redding and at Bethel Church. We are very grateful for the privilege of being your representatives here and for the benefits of this time away.

So what are we doing here? We are resting, studying, praying and immersing ourselves in the atmosphere of this global ministry. At our first staff meeting we were the guests of Steve Backlund and listened to 90 minutes of testimonies of what the Lord had been doing through this ministry in the past week. The testimonies ranged from Berlin to Paris to the poorer neighborhoods of Redding. People healed, saved and equipped. To say it was inspiring would be an understatement to say the least.

We also have had the privilege of sitting under the ministry of Claudio Freidzen from Buenos Aires. He has been a leader in the Argentine revival for the past 25 years. I first encountered Claudio in 1996 when I went to Argentina to intersect the revival there. Then, less than a week later, we experienced the ministry of John and Carol Arnott from the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, a ministry that has been experiencing and ministering revival for the past 20 years. Bethel Church has been in revival for the past 18 years. Wow! The level of anointing flowing in these meetings was remarkable.

We have been in the room while several healings have occurred, including one of note. One of the Bethel pastors had a word of knowledge for someone who had their neck injured in an auto accident at least ten, maybe fifteen years ago. Oh yes, in a red car. “Did that description fit anyone?” A woman from Minnesota stood up. She was in a crash fifteen years ago driving a red VW beetle. Since then she had suffered from fibromyalgia that was triggered by the accident. Her husband had offered to send her to any spa in the country for a week in order to ease her pain. Instead she said, “I want to go to Redding and Bethel Church.” As she stood and responded to the word of knowledge, the people around her prayed. A bit later she shared the testimony that her pain was gone and her range of motion was restored. Desperate desire for healing fueled her faith and the Lord released the word that led to her healing.

So we are soaking in this atmosphere, being fed, being stretched, being refreshed. Thanks again for the opportunity to be here. We are enjoying every moment and looking forward to returning to Wellspring and sharing with all of you the fruits of what we have been receiving here.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.

Pastor Rick

Greetings Fellow Americans and Friendly Foreigners!

Debbie and I logged some more amazing miles on the Pacific Coast Highway today. We sojourned into the mountains for a day to visit Crater Lake National Park. It is the deepest lake in the country and fills the collapsed rim of an inactive volcano in the Cascade mountain range in southern Oregon. The rim is about 7,500 feet high. Very beautiful. Very eerie landscape. Very remote location.

This morning we woke up and decided where to head on our last day on the road before we head into Redding tomorrow. Our decision was to head southwest from Crater Lake--back to the coast and Highway 101.

So we crossed over the coastal range and drove into California. Immediately we both felt the difference from Oregon. So good to be back in California again. When we hit Route 101 we were on the section called "The Redwood Highway." That's right. This amazing highway runs for miles through the forest of massive giant redwoods that runs along the coast here. Many of the trees are just a couple feet off the side of the road.

There is no describing these trees. They have to be experienced to be believed. Massive grandeur and hundreds and thousands of them. No picture can capture them (besides I haven't uploaded any pictures yet).

Then the bonus. In one stretch along the highway there are several herds of elk just off the roadway. We stopped and made the acquaintance of a couple of the small herds--one was about fifteen feet from our vehicle. Elk--called 'Wapiti' by the Indians, which means 'big white rump.' Yep, they have that distinctive marker.

That's the report for this day. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we roll into Redding to set up shop in our new digs for the next six weeks. We will be staying at "Glory Mountain Retreat" just north of Redding.

Blessings,

RM

My Fellow Americans (and those few non-Americans who read this blog),

Walked the beaches of the Oregon coast today. Also drove about 150 miles on Highway 101. Magnificent! Some of the best days of my life have been enjoyed driving up and down this magnificent road. Every turn presents another orgy for the eyes. Makes the Atlantic coastline look like the bank of some farm pond.


And get this--you can actually SEE the Pacific coastline from the road! For miles and miles and miles it is visible and not obstructed by houses or shoreline private roads. And you can walk on the beaches--for free! And no town or county or state charges you to park your car! In Oregon most of the shoreline is state park and totally accessible.


Some other observations about Oregon:


Personal grooming and dress are low priorities throughout Oregon. The grungier one looks the better--especially the men. Most women here at least comb their hair. But if I were to move here I would have to invest heavily in flannel shirts (ripped preferably) and hoodies--and I would have to let my hair grow and faithfully comb it once a year.

Eastern Oregon is the west and Portland is the east. Eastern Oregon is ranch and farm country and very dry where not irrigated. And Portland is liberal northeastern in its politics--but it has a laid back tempo and ethos like California. Also Portland has amazing formal gardens. It ain't called the Rose City for nothing. And you can't pump your own gas in Oregon--it's like New Jersey that way. But the gas prices in Jersey are cheaper. You think a lot about gas prices when you are logging about 400-500 miles a day.


75% of Oregon is brown and dry and 25% of Oregon is green and lush. And the people and the cities are where its green. Except a lot of where it is green are mountains and trees on a rampage. You have never seen such trees in your life! There is a reason the Oregon license tag has a picture of a Douglas fir on it.

I actually wrote more stuff for this blog post and it was brilliant, but my wi-fi connection crapped out and it got lost in cyber space. And now I am tired and going to bed.

Happy Trails!

RM

Greetings from Jackson, Wyoming!

We have had three fabulous days in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. I have had more sun in the last three days than in the entire summer in New England.

The parks are amazing! We saw plenty of bison, mule deer and one elk. Alas, no grizzly bears.

We saw geysers, geysers, and more geysers. Also hot springs, bubbling mud pots, and steam vents. Of all the geo-thermal features in the world, half are in Yellowstone. Tough hiking at 8,000 feet we found out. Yellowstone is as big as Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Then on to Grand Tetons park. Wow, wow, wow! What a spectacular day--crystal clear blue sky and 70 degree+ temps. We kayaked on Jenny Lake in the park.

Another thing. People are friendly in this country. I mean real friendly. Everywhere except the northeast, that is. I find that it is stunningly different.

That's all the travel news for now. On through Idaho tomorrow to Boise.

RM

Greetings Sports Fans!

Debbie and I spent yesterday tooling down memory lane. We visited Northfield, MN--where we lived for 6 years following seminary and where I served in my first pastorate at Emmaus Church.

We walked downtown through this idyllic college town, home of Carlton and St. Olaf Colleges. "Cows, Colleges and Contentment" is the town's tagline on T-shirts sold at the local historical museum. The town's main historical claim to fame involves the Jesse James-Cole Younger gang's last attempted bank heist. The local citizens foiled the bank raid with the rallying cry, "Get your guns boys, they're robbing the bank!" Every September the town holds the annual "Defeat of Jesse James Days" festival and street fair. Hey--it works for them.

In Northfield yesterday Debbie and I walked downtown; walked the street past the house where we used to live--802 College Street. It is run down and shabby looking. Sad. The back yard is now torn up--looks like they are going to put in some kind of garden. I remember the yard as being the scene of hundreds of wiffle ball games with Mark and Mike when they were growing up.

Then we drove north to the Twin Cities and visited the campus of Bethel University and Seminary, where I went to seminary and graduated in 1980. We lived on campus in an apartment in Sem Village. We walked around the college and the seminary. Good memories.

After that we drove north two hours to Aitken, Minnesota. We have been visiting the home of Jim and Bev Mason. Jim was my mentor while in seminary and has been a good friend for 30 years. He and Bev live on Lone Lake outside Aitken. We have been catching up and sharing laughs and rants. Good times. This morning we went with them to their Wednesday morning breakfast group from church. The "Forever Old" group Jim calls it. Good people. Good food.

Signing off. Happy trails!

RM

It is good to be back in Minnesota.

Debbie and I take off after church this Sunday and head west. I will be preaching a message that was sparked in me by something Mandy Adendorff shared recently in her weekly Monday inspirational devotional. I am looking forward to sharing this with you--I have her permission to preach her message, by the way!

We are also excited to be going away for a season--looking forward to a time of rest, some time with old friends on the way to California, and an immersion in the life and ethos of Bethel Church in Redding, CA.

Once again we are grateful for the opportunity to go. We hope to come back rested and refreshed. We also hope to bring back something of the abundance of blessing, anointing, boldness and creativity that is in the atmosphere of Bethel Church.

While away, Pastor Wes will be leading the ministry and the staff. Elders are on duty. Team members are carrying on the work. Pastor Wes is putting together an exciting fall teaching series that many will share in--it focuses on getting back to our radical core. You won't want to miss a single Sunday.

Pray for Debbie and I while we are away. We need travel mercies and trouble free miles. We are asking God for rest, refreshment, and renewal of vision. Pray for divine appointments with key people and divine encounters with the Lord himself. Pray for fresh revelation and strategy for the way ahead.

Blessings and Happy Trails to you--'til we meet again!

Pastor Rick

This coming Sunday is the tenth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon by radical Islamist terrorists. The nation is gearing up for all manner of observances and ceremonies of remembrance. It was the worst attack upon our citizens on our own soil since Pearl Harbor in 1941. However, everyone knows what issued forth as a result of the day that lives in infamy--December, 1941. Our nation entered the Second World War and we helped to lead the Allied effort win through to victory both against the Nazis in Europe and Imperial Japan in the Pacific.

But ten years later, we still don't know or understand the significance of the 9/11 attacks. We have entered foreign wars in two nations as a result of those attacks. But today few see that connection as primary; and besides, our men and women are still fighting in both of those nations as part of a global war against terrorist activity. We remember 9/11 as a day of great heroism by first responders and by the men and women who brought down the fourth plane before it could fly into the Capitol building or the White House in Washington. It is right and proper that we honor these citizen patriots. 9/11/01 also ushered in one of the most tumultuous economic decades our nation has ever seen. And indeed, the primary attack was upon the American center of global trade in New York's financial district.

I myself don't claim to have the answer as to what 9/11 'means.' But I do know that it was and continues to be a pivotal day in our history as a nation.

This year as we gather for worship on September 11 I plan to begin a short, two-week series on King Hezekiah of ancient Judah. His story and his lifetime of leadership was likewise pivotal for the southern Kingdom of Judah, and is told in II Kings, II Chronicles and in the book of Isaiah.

I have long been fascinated by the way Hezekiah was used to turn the nation back to the Lord and to his ways. I am also fascinated by a huge opportunity that Hezekiah did not lead through--and ultimately missed. In these two upcoming weeks, as we reflect upon our nation's recent crises and current turmoil, I hope to bring some light from the Scriptures that will illuminate our way forward as God's people in the midst of a land that is at a major turning point in its history.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

"Irene" comes from the Greek--it means peace. There's a good name for a devastating storm!

I hope all of you survived the storm and are up and running again. At our house we were without power for 36 hours; had to bail water from our basement when the sump pump stopped running. And--for the first time in my entire pastoral ministry--we had to cancel Sunday morning services!! This never happened during our tenure in Minnesota, despite having several Sundays one January where the wind chills dipped below -50 F with blizzard conditions.

We are thankful that there was little damage to the church--some water damage through minor leaks in the roof. Those are currently being patched and repaired. Shout out to Josh Kellam for his help in this matter.

And we are grateful to those of you who gave on-line or who mailed in your offering to the office. Thanks! In years past we would not be paying that much attention to such matters, but this year we have been tight in terms of cash flow. I do want to report that your faithfulness in giving has been awesome this summer. Even with missing last Sunday, due to economy measures put in place and some cutbacks in benefits and due to your giving we are coming to the end of the summer at about a break even point between expenses and budget income! From where we started out the summer this is really remarkable. Thanks for your faithfulness. And we encourage you to keep it up as we move into a new ministry season this autumn.

Sabbatical for Pastor Rick. Debbie and I will be heading out on sabbatical after services, Sunday, September 18. Our plan is to be gone for two months, returning November 21.

Those who have been around Kensington Baptist/Wellspring for some time will realize that this will be my third sabbatical during my tenure as Senior Pastor of this fellowship. The plan for sabbatical leaves was part of my original call here, intended to provide a time for rest, renewal and refocusing every seven years. This has been intentional in order to facilitate a long tenured ministry.

I am very grateful for the two sabbaticals in the past and for the one upcoming in mid-September. I utilized my last sabbatical to bring the manuscript for Equally Yoked to completion.

For this coming sabbatical, Debbie and I will be starting with two weeks of vacation to drive across the American west on a northern route, making our way to Redding, California. We plan to retreat in the foothills outside Redding for about six weeks, within ten minutes of Bethel Church. It is our plan to immerse ourselves in the life, ministry and ethos of that great church to glean what we can and bring back fresh perspectives and impartation for the ministry here at Wellspring. We have been invited to do so by Steve and Wendy Backlund and will have access to the inner workings of the staff and ministry while there. I will also be doing some uninterrupted study on an issue the Lord has spoken to me about. More on this in the future. On our way back to Connecticut we will take a more southern route, pretty much driving straight home except for a day or two visiting our parents in the Cincinnati area.

As has been our pattern in the past with my two prior sabbaticals and with the sabbatical Pastor Wes enjoyed a few years ago, no church funds will be utilized for costs of the trip or expenses while in Redding. I will be paid my salary, as has been the practice in the past for prior sabbaticals.

Again, I am grateful to the congregation for the opportunity to be away for this season of renewal. These past several months have been quite trying for all of us. I intentionally sought the Lord and the counsel of others as to whether I should postpone this trip, but felt consistently the nudging of the Lord to proceed.

Please pray for us as we are away--and for the staff and elders who will carry on the ministry and leadership. Debbie and I are asking the Lord for safe travel, for divine appointments with key people, for rest and renewal, for fresh vision and for encounters with the Lord himself.

Thank you again for this privilege to serve such a great congregation as Wellspring and for this upcoming time of renewal.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

This rally cry, voiced each year by Jewish people at the Passover Seder was given to me as a prophetic word two years ago by Prophet Bob Hazlett. Since having received that word, I have been to the Holy Land twice. Both visits were incredibly stretching, instructional and inspirational.

Now--in concert with Rabbi Librach--I would like to invite you to come with me to the Holy Land next March. The Rabbi and I have worked out an itinerary that focuses primarily on visiting sites of biblical importance, and secondarily on gaining a sense of the miracle of modern Israel. I am excited about this itinerary. We have packed a lot into a week and have managed to avoid most of the sketchy uber-touristy, overly religious sites that have little real connection to the land or the biblical drama of redemption.

We will connect with believers in the land and Rabbi Cliff and I will share biblical teaching while we are on site. There is also something very special about a devoted rabbi and an evangelical pastor co-leading a spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I think God is up to something very special in this trip. It will be a true adventure, a vacation and a spiritual seminar all rolled into one.

Brochures are available in the office and at the Welcome Center. More detailed information is at www.wellspring.net/israel2012. I hope you can make this trip with Rabbi Cliff and I--it's going to be great!

Pastor Rick

Greetings Sports Fans!





It's been awhile since I have posted anything. My fertile mind has been composting. So here goes!





SUNDAYS @ SEVEN prayer times. These times of simple worship and prayer this summer have been awesome. The Lord gave Pastor Wes a word about back to basics at the beginning of the summer and this prayer/worship time has been in response to that directive. Each week we have gathered with a simple format to seek the Lord in prayer and worship--and to let him lead and direct that quest. His presence has been powerfully present and I believe that many of our prayers for our congregation are being answered. We plan to continue with this simple format/basic quest beyond the summer season.





On that note, on Sunday evening, September 4 at 7:00 PM, there will be a joint GateKeepers' worship and prayer time to give thanks for the Purpose outreach this summer and to continue to pursue the advance of the Kingdom in our communities.





WELLSPRING SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP. The new fall term begins on Tuesday, August 30. We are extending the deadline for application for the new entering class of first-year students. The first course, Spiritual Formation, is something that will benefit every believer. It will be team-taught by Debbie McKinniss and Linda Johnson. Contact Mike@Wellspring.net for more information. But don't procrastinate any longer! Come on--you know you want to do this!





ANOTHER BREAKTHROUGH FOR ISAAC CAMPBELL!! Jenn Campbell, mother of the miracle boys Christopher and Isaac, passed me a note this past Sunday that Isaac had lost 2 and 1/2 pounds in the previous week, had lots of abdominal pain and had the worst diaper rash she had ever seen (and she has seen a lot of diaper rash). The congregation prayed during the 9:00 AM service for these needs and once again Isaac experienced breakthrough! She emailed me Tuesday at 2:22 PM (a good number for miracles--see Acts 2:22) to say that Isaac's rash had cleared up and that he tipped the scales at 30 pounds for the first time in his young and courageous life! How's that for an answer--the champion fighter boy moves up a weight class!





Then Jenn related that she had just come back from another doctor's visit. The doc wants to remove Isaac's tonsils because his tonsils and adenoids are huge and they inhibit good sleep for Isaac. Jenn is pretty reluctant to put this guy through yet another surgery. So she is urging us to pray for a shrinkage of Isaac's tonsils and adenoids. So Lord, we agree for this need. We call upon you to touch Isaac's tonsils and adenoids and shrink them in Jesus' mighty name! Amen.





FIFTH GENERATION REDS FAN. If you will allow me a point of personal privilege--and after all it is my blog--allow me to note that Elijah McKinniss will accompany his father tonight to see the Cincinnati Reds take on the Washington Nationals in D.C. This initiates Elijah as a fifth-generation fan of baseball's original professional baseball team and links him to the city of his forebears. It also initiates him into the company of the miserable, as he can expect about one good team a decade. Alas . . . .

I was painting yesterday--a door, not a canvas. On the radio was the oldies station playing, "It's a Beautiful Morning" by the Rascals. I was immediately transported back to the home I grew up in on Westgate Drive in Oxford, Ohio. I was on a ladder one summer morning painting the trim on my parents' house, listening to the radio. Not an oldies' staion, but Top-Forty radio. Playing? "It's a Beautiful Morning!"


Wow--the power of memory! The power of music! The power of painting!

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government can not pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, 'the bucks stop here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."

Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006--before voting against raising the debt limit.

What he said as senator was true then and it is still true today. The debt is the problem. And in the first term of his presidency Mr. Obama's administration will have created more debt than all the presidents before him combined.

God has been stirring up the hearts of people in New Britain this summer in a quest for PURPOSE!


PURPOSE is a burden and a vision birthed in the heart of Pastor Rha-Sheen Brown of Right Now Ministries for the teens and young adults of the city. Like the name of his church, the time for the vision is Right Now! It is an invitation from heaven to escape the life of the street and the shadowy purposelessness that has swallowed so many lives in recent years. When Pastor Rha-Sheen shares this vision the pulse of heaven can be heard and felt through his words. It has captured the imagination and involvement of a number of churches in and around the city of New Britain.



The dates for this outreach are Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30.



Friday night is a Festival of Hope held at the band shell in Walnut Hill Park that begins at 7:00 PM. Musical guests include The Mike Smith Band to lead in worship, Junior Fountain & God's Generation and Janeen's Diary. The festival will also feature a "Words of Hope" tent as gifted folks will be sharing prophetic/encouraging words of destiny to any who desire such a word. And Pastor Rha-Sheen will bring a message of hope in his unique style and dynamic presentation to challenge the youth who are there.



Saturday features a March of Hope/Prayer Walk that also begins at the Walnut Hill band shell, convening at 10:00 AM. Several points in the immediate downtown area will be visited and prayers offered to break the chains of despair and release hope upon the city. Pastor Rha-Sheen has had a vision of 1,000 marchers, all wearing white T-shirts to symbolize a break with darkness and hopelessness.



I have been part of the planning effort for PURPOSE, along with several of our intercessors and youth leaders. We plan to have an information table in the cafe the next couple Sundays to promote this outreach. Also, you can call the PURPOSE hot line at 860-817-7710 or go to: http://www.purposenewbritain.com/ for more information.


I purpose to be part of PURPOSE--I hope you will join in!



Pastor Rick

It's not often that we use the weekly e-news, or that I utilize my blog to promote upcoming Sunday services. But that is precisely what I'm doing in this post.

Sunday morning, July 10. Pastor Wes and I will be teaming up this Sunday, along with Terry Griswold--one of our elders, to address our current financial situation at Wellspring. The elders have been meeting to get an accurate picture of where our finances are and to own both the reality of where we are and to set a course for the way forward. We will be sharing a summary of that report on Sunday along with some encouragement and teaching from God's word and a testimony of God's faithfulness.

Sunday Evenings @ 7:00. Beginning this coming Sunday evening, the elders have called for weekly times of seeking the Lord in worship and prayer as we go forward. These are not "programmed services;" there will be no teaching or preaching planned for these services. Rather these gatherings are seen as times of seeking the Lord for his favor for our future as a church body and ministry.

There will be a couple of exceptions to this general tone of congregational prayer time. On Sunday evening, July 17, the Christian band, Ascend the Hill, will be ministering at 7:00 PM. And on Sunday, August 7, another awesome band, The Ember Days, will be ministering at the evening gathering. Both of these bands have led worship and shared their own music at Bethel Church in Redding, CA, where Pastor Bill Johnson is the senior leader. A shout-out to James Allen for lining them up to be with us this summer.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

The July Fourth holiday greets us on the calendar this coming Monday. For many it is merely an extended summer weekend with fireworks, cook-outs and time at the beach. But it stands on the calendar of real human progress as a red letter day for the entire family of mankind.





Not only did July 4, 1776 mark American independence from Great Britain, it launched a radically different form of government from what prevailed around the globe at the time and from what had marked human history in the centuries prior.





The American revolution was not simply a Declaration of Independence from George III of England, but it was a Declaration of Independence from the autocratic rule of kings, emperors, potentates and every other form of elitist, autocratic rule over and against the rights of "the people." This revolutionary step forward, won through a hard-fought and heroically contested war with the world's greatest superpower of the day, was codified in the first three words of the American Constitution that was later enacted in 1789 by the independent and newly united former thirteen colonies: "We the people . . ."





These three words and the philosophy behind them clearly mark this nation and its experiment in self-government as exceptional in the history of this troubled planet. It is fashionable today in some circles of political statists, academia and other cultural elitists to pooh-pooh the notion of American exceptionalism. Indeed, even our current president has questioned the very concept as a mere expression of nationalistic pride, stating that Americans believe in American exceptionalism in the same way that Greeks or Brits believe in the exceptionalism of their respective countries.





This does a disservice to the radical ideas that launched this nation, to the courage and vision of those who signed the Declaration over two hundred years ago, and to all who have served this nation in pursuit of this exceptional expression of human liberty and limited government. See, at the heart of American exceptionalism are two corollary concepts. The first is that both the state and the people of that given state are subject to God ("having been endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . .") Second, is the still-radical notion that the state is subject to the people ("We the people . . .")





Some so-called "progressives" today challenge the notion of constitutionally limited government as being out of step with the advances, demands and threats of the 21st century. In its current cover story, Time magazine asks of the Constitution: "Does it still matter?" Such a question, raised over the Fourth of July in one of the premier mastheads of American news and opinion ought to send chills down the spine of every liberty-loving American.



The lead article goes on to detail the obvious that those who drafted and ratified the Constitution "did not know about" all sorts of things in the world today, including airplanes, computers, television, and DNA. This may sound clever at first glance, but it is totally irrelevant and a "straw man" argument. The Constitution has never sought to micro-manage the details of the lives of the citizens of this nation--in any era or century. What it does seek to do, and what it has accomplished for two marvelous centuries of self-governance is to limit the tentacles of the over-reaching state to invade, circumscribe and control the lives of "we, the people."



Despite that, the author of the article, Richard Stengel, Time's managing editor, erroneously states that "if the Constitution was intended to limit the federal government, it certainly doesn't say so." Apparently Mr. Stengel has not troubled himself to read the very foundational document he seeks to declare irrelevant. The Tenth Amendment, one bookend of the original Bill of Rights that guaranteed the ratification of the Constitution, states clearly: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."



There are those all-important words again--"the people." Here is the key concept of the American experiment that makes this venture exceptional in the history of humankind: the power of the state is expressly limited so as to guarantee the rights, opportunities and liberties of the people.



Does the Constitution matter? Only if your freedom matters to you.



Celebrate these revolutionary concepts as you shoot off some fireworks this Fourth of July or as you raise your glass to celebrate the most exceptional experiment in human liberty and limited governance the world has yet to see. Fortunately, "we, the people" still have the right and reason to celebrate.



Pastor Rick (with grateful acknowledgement to Thomas Sowell)

On April 29 of this year I had the distinct honor and privilege of being the guest preacher at the Friday evening service of the United Jewish Center in Danbury. Several folks from Wellspring joined Debbie and me for that evening of worship and fellowship. It was so great to see the two congregations interacting with one another.

I also had the joy that evening of presenting Rabbi Cliff Librach a check for over $1500--a gift offering from the Wellspring congregation to bless UJC. That gift was received with gratitude and joy.

Now they are giving that gift away!

That's right. Rabbi Cliff informed me that the board of UJC has moved to donate the funds to a center for orphaned youth in Israel. They deemed our gift to be a holy offering and did not want to use it on their own budget. So on June 29 Rabbi Cliff and his wife Miriam will present the offering to the Yemin Orde Wingate Youth Village as a joint gift from Wellspring and UJC.

I am sharing this news with you by way of reporting and because I think it is a very exciting development. An offering, jointly given by an evangelical church and a Reformed synagogue to bless Israel makes a powerful statement. The Apostle Paul invested great effort during his ministry to raise an offering from the Gentile congregations he had planted to bless the needy in Jerusalem. (cf I Corinthians 16: 1-4; II Corinthians 8,9) He saw this as both practical outreach and as a prophetically symbolic act of God uniting Jew and Gentile believers in Messiah.

So where is this journey with Rabbi Cliff and his congregation going? Short answer--only God knows.

I don't say that facetiously. I do have a deep sense that God is up to something in this personal friendship being forged with Rabbi Cliff. And I believe he is up to something in building bridges between the two congregations. I can't begin to predict, however, how these relationships will proceed. But for the time being I am enjoying the journey and seeking to stay open to God's surprises.

And some orphaned children in Israel are being blessed. God be praised!

Pastor Rick

My dad and I took each other to lunch today. I drove and steered him toward the table. He pulled out a $10 bill, sure that would cover the tab. Like most things these days, his calculation is a bit short of present day reality.

My father has dementia--bad. It is getting worse. Sadness is what I feel most these days on this visit from Connecticut to a familiar territory that I still call home.

So we went to lunch at the local Skyline Chili. Skyline is an institution in Cincinnati and surrounding environs. Skyline is a spicy, sweet chili sauce spread over spaghetti noodles and laden with finely grated cheddar cheese. That is "3-Way." "4-Way" adds onions; "5-Way" adds onions and red kidney beans. If you grew up around Cincinnati, like I did, you were probably weaned off the breast straight onto Skyline chili. My standard order is a "3-Way" and a cheese coney--that is a steamed hot dog with chili sauce and lots of grated cheese.

So we went to Skyline for lunch and to share a meaningful activity when talk is difficult because my father hardly remembers anything to talk about these days.

Skyline is "The Official Chili of the Cincinnati Reds." Another point of memory and contact--the Reds. My earliest memories include listening to Reds' games on radio as the family drove in the car. Wearing a Reds' uniform, made for me by my grandmother. Leafing through a scrapbook my dad put together of the 1939 and 1940 pennant-winning Reds' teams when he was a boy. Going with my dad to Crosley Field to see the Reds play. Trying to pronounce the surname of the great Ted Klusewski, # 18, my first favorite player for the home-town team.

My dad is not big on emotions; not big on communicating feelings; not big on 'sharing' his inner thoughts. He grew up in a time when people didn't have "inner thoughts." So the Reds have been the main connect point with my dad for over fifty years. The Reds are my main connect point to so many things related to home; family; growing up. My oldest son was born just outside Cincinnati on October 16, 1976. Later that day the Reds shut out the hated New York Yankees in the first game of the World Series. Today that son, and his younger brother and my grandson all bleed Cincinnati Red, though they live hundreds of miles away from my hometown along the Ohio River.

Its crazy--I know.

So today we are sitting in Skyline and the waitress comes to take our order and she teases my dad, "Looks like Trouble's here!" It was just like he has teased her countless times over recent years. But he doesn't recognize her; it even took him a while to recognize Debbie, my wife of 38 years, when we arrived here a couple days ago. But he did recognize the "3-Way" when it was set before him. Some things are etched indelibly on one's senses.

On the television screens in the chili parlor they were playing a replay of last night's Reds game. The Reds won--that always brightens the mood of the local populace. I had been at the game last night, seated nine rows behind the Reds' dugout. Had been there for two dramatic late inning home runs to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Like thousands of other fans I stood during the last batter for the opposition and cheered the final out, celebrating along with the fireworks that mark every home win.

But today at Skyline I was not celebrating. Trouble is indeed here for my dad; his mind is just not working. And I found out today what "3-Way" tastes like when washed down with tears.

I drove into Ohio yesterday about noon--May 31, 2011; Memorial Day; the day a good man resigned under a cloud of scandal. Jim Tressel resigned as head football coach of The Ohio State University.

It is a sad day. A decent man and a man of principle resigned looking like every other cheat and slick-talking major college football and basketball coach. He had to resign; he deserved to resign. He violated NCAA rules in covering up rules violations by his players. The national media have made him out to be a fraud, a hypocritical pretender of righteousness in a tie and sweater vest. Fans of other programs will believe the national media.

The reality is much closer to a much less cynical reality. A good man believed too much in his ability to steer marginal-character young athletes in the right direction and was tripped up by his own over-confidence. Then he covered up some of their rules violations. Over-confidence in one's own goodness is another way of describing a subtle form of pride. The Bible says pride goes before a fall.

No excuses from this fan and admirer. Only sadness. It is a shame.

So--God, please bless and restore Jim Tressel. And, Go Bucks!

The United States has come to a critical crossroads.

Throughout our history our nation has been the best ally/friend the Jewish people have ever had. We have welcomed Jews from all nations and in all expressions of Judaism--from ultra-orthodox to secular Jews. We were one of the first nations to recognize the state of Israel in 1948 when President Truman took the morally courageous step to do so.

Genesis 12:3 promises that those who bless Abraham's descendants will be blessed. This is a foundational promise of God in his initiation of redemption to all the world through Abraham's faith. This is a promise that is still in effect and one that God still watches over.

Currently there is a global propaganda campaign to de-legitimize the Jewish state of Israel by historical falsehoods and by accusations of apartheid against the Palestinian people. Our current President has sought to reverse US policy by calling for a return the the borders of Israel in 1967, before they were attacked without provocation by three Arab nations on three fronts. Israel won that Six Days War and consequently held land won in a war of aggression they did not start. This land, the West Bank and Gaza, gave Israel defensible borders in a very hostile environment of nations pledged to push the Jews of Israel into the sea.

Earlier this week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of our Congress and detailed the special relationship the United States has had with Israel since its inception. In a written press release to accompany the speech Mr. Netanyahu also recounts how the Jewish state came into existence from the early days of Zionistic hope until the present day. It is a release you can read in full here by clicking this link:

http://wellspring.net/sites/default/files/Netanyahu_speech_20110523.pdf

I am very concerned that the United States not reverse its friendship and support with Israel at this critical hour of turmoil in the Middle East. I believe that the blessing of God upon this land has been linked, in part, to our historical friendship to the Jewish people. To desert them in this critical hour would be disastrous.

I have travelled in Israel twice now in the past 18 months. I certainly am no expert on the Middle East. But I do know that the Palestinian Arabs living inside of Israel proper have more freedoms and opportunities and more economic viability than Arabs anywhere in the Middle East. I know that Arabs living inside of Israel have citizenship, civil rights, can vote, can serve in the Knesset. I know that Arab villages in Israel proper are much more prosperous and safe than those villages and cities in the West Bank that is now under the Palestinian Authority. I know that Gaza, recently given over to the PA, has becoming a refugee camp and a massive munitions site for weapons that pour in from the Arab world to attack Israel.

I also know that the Israeli state and government is not perfect by a long shot. I know that there is considerable fear and resentments in both Jewish and Palestinian populations. I know that the current state of Israel is mostly secular and not the godly, renewed Israel we pray for and long to see. But I also know that every time Israel trades land for peace they get more aggression and insecurity.

And I know the God of all the earth promises to bless those who bless Abraham and his descendants.

Pastor Rick

This coming Sunday, April 17 begins Holy Week, the observance of our Lord's final week and passion preceding his resurrection. This year it also coincides with the festival of Passover, which falls on April 19--of course because it is a Jewish observance, it begins at sundown the evening prior. I have been thinking a lot about these great celebrations of the faith for a lot of reasons this year, not least of which is my new friendship with Rabbi Cliff Librach of United Jewish Center in Danbury. That friendship has been a great surprise and blessing. I have learned much from the good rabbi and my life personally has been enriched. (By the way, Rabbi Cliff will be back again to teach enrichment classes on the Hebrew Bible on three Wednesdays in May--4th, 11th, 25th) But let me get back to my reflections on Holy Week. This year at Wellspring we will have our annual observance of Maundy Thursday at 7:00 pm on Thursday, April 21. Pastor Joel Shirk will minister to us that evening as we prepare to gather around the Lord's Table to remember our Lord's sacrifice for our salvation. The word "maundy" is from a Latin root that is similar in meaning to our English word "mandate." Jesus mandates us to observe his table and remember him. Let me remind you that Jesus did this as he was celebrating Passover with his disciples. We believe that his death on the cross for our salvation is the fulfillment of the Passover when God delivered his people Israel from Egypt. It is a perpetual festival, called in Leviticus "the Lord's Passover." In other words, it is not simply Israel's Passover--it is the Lord's festival that is now opened for us to celebrate in the sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus, for our forgiveness and liberation from sin. Then on Resurrection Weekend, Saturday@5 and at both Sunday morning services we will celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. This mighty act of God serves as the vindication of Jesus' obedience and is his triumph over sin, death and hell that he makes available to all of us who believe. We are using the term, Resurrection Weekend, both because we now have a Saturday evening service--and also because we are seeking at Wellspring to move beyond the term "Easter." Why, you are probably asking, would we want to move beyond using a term that has been traditional and is on everyone's calendar? Good question. Two reasons are predominant. Number one, "Easter" is at root a pagan term and is associated with an ancient germanic goddess "Eostra." All of the essentially pagan associations with Easter that have to do with the spring equinox, like eggs and bunnies and flowers and butterflies, are caught up in this term which speaks of the pagan rites of the renewal of nature. Resurrection is the transcendent victory of Jesus over the forces of this fallen world. It is not about nature--it is about the breaking in of the supernatural dimension of the Kingdom of God to accomplish salvation and renewal of this fallen planet. Secondly, "Easter" speaks not only of syncretism with paganism, it also represents a divorce of the festival from its Jewish roots. At the first Council of Nicea, the church convened under the direction of Emperor Constantine. Among other things, at that council they established a separate reckoning for setting the date of Easter. In large part this was motivated by an express desire to separate Easter from its Passover roots. Constantine wrote in the letter calling for action: It appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews . . . For their boast is absurd indeed, that it is not in our power without instruction from them to observe these things. The specific issue had to do with when and how to "set the date" for Easter in the church. At that council the church moved formally to de-link the festival of resurrection from Passover--motivated by overt anti-Semitism. Yet Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples in preparation for the cross to provide salvation for Jew and Gentile alike. For some of you this may seem like a minor detail. But Ephesians tells us that God's desire is for a united humanity of Jew and Gentile to come together in Messiah Jesus. Institutional anti-Semitism in the church has for centuries warred against this express desire of God and it needs to be addressed and rooted out of the church. At Wellspring this year we are doing two things to contribute to that end. First, we are speaking of this highest celebration on our spiritual calendar as Resurrection Weekend--not Easter. Secondly, at our Maundy Thursday service, when we gather to observe the covenantal meal Jesus gave us from the Passover Seder we will repent of the de-linking of "the Lord's Passover" from the celebration of our Lord's resurrection. I will lead in that prayer of repentance and we will give all of you an opportunity to "sow into" that repentance in an offering we will receive with which to bless the United Jewish Center in Danbury. I plan to carry this offering to present to Rabbi Cliff and his congregation on Friday, April 29 when I preach there at their Sabbath service. You are all invited by Rabbi Librach to attend those services, by the way, and I hope many of you will come to pray for me and to release blessing upon those folks on that evening. (You can go to www.unitedjewishcenter.org for more details.) Shalom and Resurrection blessings to you all--the Lord is risen indeed! Pastor Rick

This morning during our staff prayer meeting we just had an amazing time listening to all that the Lord is doing here at Wellspring and through Wellspringers to touch lives with the goodness and power of God. This past weekend conference on Abounding Hope was an amazing time! God was so manifestly present in all the gatherings. We had great speakers and they had an important message to share, but a lot of what happened occurred when the congregation was turned loose to encourage one another and to minister to one another. A lot of what happened occurred during worship times when we just went after the Lord in praise and adoration and then watched the Holy Spirit lead us into different initiatives. Steve and Wendy Backlund serve at one of the great congregations in America, Bethel Church in Redding, CA. They are used to great seasons of worship and exciting expressions of the Kingdom of God in their midst. But they had really great things to say about the atmosphere and worship they were able to enter into during their time at Wellspring. I hope you are encouraged to hear that--I am! Let me share some other things we heard today in staff prayer. One of our high school teens was so encouraged by what she heard this weekend that when her grandfather complained of debilitating back pain on Sunday afternoon, she gathered the rest of the family to pray over that back. She figured she didn't have to be some big prophet or preacher to release the Kingdom. So they prayed and her grandfather's back was touched--pain gone! Recently someone in our church was diagnosed with 70% of his heart not functioning--blockage and no blood to 70% of his heart. Constant chest pain and greatly restricted activity. After one of our prayer teams prayed for him following communion a few weeks ago, his heart was fully restored! After a stress test two days later the doctor called him stunned--"This has never happened before! Your heart is fully functioning." A "random" encounter in the mall led to a couple of our members praying for someone who had just been diagnosed with MS. That same person came to Wellspring the next day and received more prayer. After tests the doctor told him--"No more symptoms, no more indication of MS!" We also heard of someone telling a parent who had their child in to see their pediatrician, "You should go to Wellspring and have your child prayed for." Here is the interesting thing--none of us know who that person was who recommended Wellspring. He doesn't go here, he has just heard about our ministry. He was cleaning the fish tank in the doctor's office and overheard a conversation and said--"You should go to Wellspring." This is all awesome stuff. And this is only part of what is going on. Wow! One last thing before I sign off of this post. This coming Sunday I will be preaching on I Corinthians 14--a very interesting and (historically) controversial chapter. It talks about Spirit-led worship and charismatic expression in worship gatherings. I am looking forward to exploring this passage with you. Then, the following Wednesday evening, April 13, I will be taking questions during our enrichment course, "Going Deeper in I Corinthians.." Pastor Rick

Tomorrow is Opening Day in my hometown, the birthplace of professional baseball, Cincinnati, Ohio. That's right sports fans--in 1869 the hometown Red Stockings became the first pro team of America's national pastime. From long before my birth Opening Day has been a holiday in Cincinnati, along with a parade featuring local celebrities, schoolchildren and city businesses. Opening Day has always been important in my family. One of the prized possessions I had as a boy was a scrapbook my father had kept when he was young. Subject matter--the Cincinnati Reds. My favorite piece in that scrapbook is a picture from the Cincinnati Post taken of my dad and three of his high school friends camping out on the sidewalk overnight to be first in line to buy bleacher tickets for Opening Day. That picture inspired me when I was in high school to skip school with four of my friends to go see the hometown team on opening day. We didn't need to be too secretive about our adventure. I told my high school principal about our plans--he expressed envy that he couldn't join us. My oldest son, Mark, carries on the tradition. For the past several years he has taken off work and hosted an Opening Day party at his house--or at the local sports bar--wherever we can watch the Reds open the season. This year--tomorrow--the tradition continues. Mark will pull his first-grade son, Elijah, out of school to join his dad, Uncle Mike and grandfather for opening day festivities. When Ezra, Mark's youngest, wakes up from his nap he will join us. Ez will parade around the family room reciting the mantra of the day, "Baseball! Baseball! Baseball!" It's a funny thing--this bond that baseball brings between generations of males. My father and I have always been able to connect over our passion for the Reds. He took me many times to old Crosley Field when I was a young boy to see them in person. Now, with much of his faculties fogged over by dimentia, we can still watch a game together and he is engaged and conversant. Mark was born in 1976 on the morning of the first day of the World Series. Later that day the Reds shut out the New York Yankees. A great day! When Mark was about 18 months old his mother and I took him to his first game at Riverfront Stadium. He was absolutely mesmerized from the moment he saw the field. "Baseball! Baseball! Baseball!" Last year marked the return of championship baseball to Cincinnati--the Reds won the Central Division crown. It was a long time in coming. Mark and his brother Mike and I made pilgrimage to Cincinnati to see the first playoff game at the new Great American Ballpark. First post-season game in Cincinnati in 15 years. The Reds lost, but it didn't really matter. Another memory cast in bronze. But just the annual rite of spring--the return of baseball--is enough cause for celebration. A Reds' victory would be a decided bonus.

OK, so this weekend Prophet Bob Hazlett was with us again for a weekend of meetings. I have some reports to share about progress with Isaac Campbell. I felt led to have Jenn bring the twins from the nursery following the 9:00 service to have Bob minister to them. It also turned out that about half of the early service crowd stuck around to join in the prayers for Jenn and the boys. Awesome response!

The immediate need is for Isaac to absorb more nutrients through his shortened (but miraculaously grown) small intestines. He has not grown physically in over a year and his gut is often very painful. He also has been walking with a leg brace to increase stability and endurance in his right leg.

This past Sunday, Jenn felt led to NOT put the leg brace on Isaac when she got him ready for church. She asked Isaac if he wanted the brace (he ususally says 'Yes'). He said, 'No;' so Jenn left it off. When Christopher and Isaac came into the sanctuary from the nursery, they proceeded straight to the altar and marched up the steps to be in the middle of the action. We called Jenn up also and began to minster to them.

Here are some reports we have received from Jenn the past couple days:
Wellspring Family, your prayers rocked the heavens! Isaac always wears his brace for support walking. Today (Monday) Isaac is running! He still has a limp, but our little boy is running through the house without his brace! God answered that prayer! Just in time for Isaac to go to the neurologist on Wednesday. Let's see what the doctor can say about him now! :)

Later . . . Wellspringers. Isaac grew! Last Thursday he was 34.5 inches; today 35 inches!!! I am in awe watching each of our prayers being answered! It's been a year since he grew! Plus today is Isaac's first time going to his school without his brace. We are so excited for him! God is so great!

Later still . . . I have never seen Isaac this happy . . . NEVER! He is a whole different child. I am so excited for the neurologist to see him tomorrow (Wednesday)! The first time we met the neurologist he walked out of the room thinking he had the wrong child. Imagine now. A child that was not supposed to function is now running and talking!

Good Evening My Fellow Americans,



I have two sets of two numbers for your consideration. They have a lot to say about where our nation is headed.

First number--161 billion. As in $161 billion. That was the total federal deficit for fiscal year 2007. It's a lot of money, but that number represented a mere 1.2 % of the country's gross domestic product. It also represented a major reduction from the deficit in fiscal 2006.

Second number--223 billion. As in $223 billion. That was the federal deficit for just this past month of February, 2011. That's right--the federal deficit for the smallest month of the year is greater than the entire year's debt just four years ago!

Two other numbers.

The first is 6 billion. As in $6 billion. That is the maximum of budget cuts that Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid says is acceptable.

The second is 57 billion. As in $57 billion. That is the amount of budget cuts recently passed by the House of Representativies to address the crisis of deficit spending that is strangling our economy and mortgaging our childrens' future.

One other number to consider. At the current levels of our national debt--about 50 cents of every dollar in our deficit goes to pay INTEREST on the debt our nation owes.

You run the numbers.

RM

Over the years people have asked me, "What kind of church is Wellspring?"





Recently I have taken to giving them this response--"A good one."





I realize, of course, that some who ask this question are inquiring about our denominational affiliation--"What brand of church are we?"





Well, our brand name is Converge Worldwide. But what is Converge Worldwide? It is the missional name of our movement of congregations and ministries. Notice I didn't use the word denomination. That's right. Our leadership--and our member congreagations have come to recognize that denominationalism is not something we want to be about. Denominationalism divides and categorizes churches according to their distinctive doctrinal beliefs and unique church practices. Movements coalesce around the move of the Holy Spirit and Kingdom cooperation.





Over the past decade our movement leader, Dr. Jerry Sheveland, has led our group beyond denominationalism. Today we are positioned to partner with the Holy Spirit and one another and other Kingdom-minded ministries to see the Great Commission fulfilled. That is Converge Worldwide.





We used to be know as the Baptist General Conference. Today we are Converge. We have moved our movement's offices to Orlando, Florida, where they are adjacent to the headquarters of Campus Crusade for Christ and Wycliffe Bible Translators--two of the most visionary ministries of the past half century. Converge actually share space with these ministries at a state-of-the-art national training facility. Our thinking and vision have moved beyond denominational distinctives and institutional survival--we are now thinking in terms of global convergence with the Body of Christ in pursuing the objectives of the Kingdom.

I am very excited about this direction and more encouraged than I have ever been to be part of this fellowship of congregatrions and ministries that are now called Converge Worldwide.

So what is Converge Worldwide? We are. What kind of group is that? A really good one!

In the past couple weeks we have been witness to a major turn-of-events in Egypt. Major demonstrations in Cairo's central plaza have led to a long-term dictator stepping down and the overturning of his regime. No one knows what this will mean for the future of Egypt and the Middle East. Some see it as the dawning of liberty and democratic rule in the Muslim world. Others see it as a portent of greater unrest and an opportunity for an extremist Islamist regime to take over in a land that has been an ally in the region to the United States and Israel.

I have no predictions to make--although I see the latter scenario as much more likely than the former. As a side-bar, democratic elections are no guarantee of liberty. If liberty is not enshrined in the rule of law and part of the cultural and societal values of a nation, democracy simply becomes the tyranny of the majority. But this post is not about the philosophy of governance, it is about a 'wake-up dream.'

Jane Harris shared the dream with me. She received it from the Lord several weeks before the upheaval in Egypt. I believe it speaks to the church in the Western world.

Jane was in a dimly lit restaurant, watching a man wait in line at the counter. He looked familiar to Jane, like someone she might have seen in the prayer room at the International House of Prayer (IHOP), where she serves on staff. Suddenly a policeman in uniform and his wife entered the restaurant. They were holding documents, were discussing something quietly between themselves as they looked around the restaurant. Then they approached the man waiting in line and began to talk with him. It became apparent that they were trying to arrest him quietly.

The man began to argue and protest. Voices were raised and soon the whole restaurant was watching as they began to handcuff the man. In the middle of the arrest, with everyone watching, the policeman suddenly stood up on a table and began to yell that Africa and Asia were uniting against us--that is, against Christianity.

As he was proclaiming this, Jane had a vision (within the dream) of people in Africa and Asia chanting in unison and releasing demonic power.

Once the policeman had finished proclaiming the message of warning, he and his wife and the man who had been 'arrested' sat down at a table together and began to eat lunch together. Jane went over to them because they all seemed familiar. They invited Jane to have lunch with them. They told her that they were going to various public places and repeated this performance in order to get people's attention and to release their message of warning.

Jane found herself trusting these three implicitly. She recognized the couple as having attended the Door of Hope Church; the man who had been in line was an intercessor from IHOP. She remembers being filled with admiration for their courage as she woke up.

That is the dream she sent me. What follows is my interpretation and application to Wellspring.

The restaurant speaks of the church--a place where (spiritual) food is served to the faithful. It is dimly lit--that is, the church in the West has a bit of light, but we are not exactly filled with spiritual illumination. The man in uniform speaks of authority; the man at the counter is recognized as an intercessor. The disturbance is created to get people's attention because the message is of critical importance and comes with the endorsement of heaven.

Let me be clear, the point of the message is not to castigate or criticize Asia or Africa. But it is a warning that strong spiritual forces are at work to foment disturbance against the advance of the Christian faith in those regions. The Kingdom of God is advancing dramatically in those parts of the world, and the forces of the kingdom of darkness are being threatened in regions that have been strongholds for centuries. Violence, chaos, wars and upheaval can de-rail the advance of the Kingdom of God as whole nations and regions are thrown into tumult.

This is what we--the church in the West--are being called to understand and to respond to. Our prayers and intercession can hold off the chaos and release the intervention of heaven for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God in these parts of the world. These threatening scenarios can become a doorway of hope if we will wake up and begin to cooperate with the agenda of heaven through our prayers and intercession.

So how do we apply this message from the wake-up dream? To begin with, we need to become aware that we are part of a global Kingdom and that global events impact our brother and sisters in the faith around the world. Behind the headlines we need to see with Kingdom perspective. Then we can pray for God's purposes to be advanced in those troubled areas. We can pray for our Christian brothers and sisters to be protected and encouraged and strengthened through these trials and tumults. If the Lord gives us special revelation about specific situations, we can pray for these things he reveals.

I Timothy 2: 1-3 says: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

In the dream, after the message was delivered, Jane and the three messengers sat down to eat lunch. The point? We can integrate awareness and intercessory response into our daily lives and routines. This is the need of the hour. We need to become global in our perspectives and Kingdom-minded in our responses. God is calling us to wake up to the hour!

Pastor Rick

I got an email and an attached letter from a pastor friend in Newington yesterday. He is asking for our help in addressing an outrage at Central Connecticut State University. He has two children attending there; sends tuition dollars there; also pays taxes to the state to support this institution of higher learning.





The outrage? An "event" entitled: Fornication 101 That's right, scheduled to be held this week at the Women's Study Center of the university an educational event on fornication. For those of you who don't know what this more formal "F" word means, think of the "F" word you do know. Yep--our tax dollars, some of your tuition dollars are going to support a forum to encourage college students in the art of fornication. (But don't get too over-taxed. The university has also secured sponsorship for the course from two sex toy manufacturers.)





Part of the description for the event reads: This course is designed to introduce students to carnal knowledge. Let's set aside for a moment the consideration that college students hardly need encouragement in this heretofore extra-curricular activity. Now, it seems, fornication is becoming a sponsored activity. How in any possible way is this the business of the state--or the mission of "higher education?" At your state university funded by your tax dollars? I urge you to call and email the administration of CCSU to register your outrage. Please circulate this information to all other concerned citizens, politicians, and media outlets to get the word out about this offense to decency. Phone number for the Women's Study Center is 860-832-1655. E-mail address: cobbina-boivinj@ccsu.edu



Now to Corinth. We have just launched a study at Wellspring entitled Cultures Clash at Corinth. The first century Corinthian believers lived in a culture that was quite antithetical and opposed to the values of the Kingdom of God. To be Christ-followers, they had to walk in a different way than the world surrounding them; the world that had seemed normal before they came to know Jesus; the world in which they still had to navigate.



One way leads to life. Many ways lead to life-as-less-than-it-could-be, or to out and out destruction. For instance, they didn't need a course on Fornication 101 in Corinth. It was going on in the pagan temples, bars and brothels all around them. Just like 21st century Connecticut (minus the pagan temples). The sad truth at Wellspring is that the other pastors and I see really great people (teens, young adults and middle-agers) who love Jesus and really desire to follow him mess up their lives with really poor decisions in the arena of their sexuality all the time. It is heart-breaking to say the least.

Cultures clash. The ways of this world and the Kingdom of Heaven are in conflict. One way leads to life--the other, not so much. And it is not just in the arena of sexual behavior and choices that our cultures and world-views clash. That is just one of the most obvious.

So, I want to encourage you to voice your opposition to the Fornication 101 at CCSU. And I want to encourage you to engage with us in the sorting out of Kingdom values in our attempts and desires to be Christ-followers in this present evil age.

Blessings,

RM

Greetings Sports Fans!

For those at Wellspring, this is an update and follow-up on this past weekend's events. All others are welcome to listen in!

First, an update on Isaac (see previous post). Well, we prayed as a congregation this past weekend at services for Isaac's most immediate need. He needed his bowels to get unstuck, otherwise he was going to have to go to the hospital for a procedure. Yikes!! Not good. So there in church, in front of God and everybody, we prayed for movement.

Here's the report: "We have movement, Houston!"

Hallelujah! Go God, keep moving in this little boy's frame and bring to completion the miracle work you have been doing in his body.

Second, a word about our new word--BiHogg. It is becoming part of Wellspring vocabulary. In 2011, we are going for Big Hairy Outrageous God-sized Goals! That's what a BiHOGG is.

I want to encourage you to take this seriously and go for it by seeking God for what objective he wants to partner with you on for 2011.

I have a picture of some guy who has gone after a Big Hairy GoBucks Goal. Not a real BiHOGG, but impressive nevertheless. He has made a scale replica of Ohio Stadium out of Lego's.

This guy has too many Lego's and too much time on his hand. Love his passion, but question his priorities.

BiHOGG's change lives. BiHOGG's bring glory to God. BiHOGG's advance the Kingdom of God and make a difference for the betterment of the world.

If you want to learn more about BiHOGG's go to Wellspring.net and click on the link for the sermon from 1/16 and jump on the BiHOGG train.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

So, the miracle boys are at it again.

The video attached to this blog post was taken this past Sunday, January 9, 2011 at Wellspring Church. Isaac and Christopher Campbell, soon to reach their third birthdays, were chasing one another around on the steps and platform after the service this past Sunday.

Those of you who have been around Wellspring know about the Campbell twins and their amazing journey. For those of you who don't know Christopher and Isaac, let me give you some background.

These two boys were born very, very prematurely just about three years ago. Together they would fit in their father's hand. Both had major issues that jeopardized their viability, beyond their prematurity. Christopher's esophagus and windpipe were open to one another--had he been fed normally, via bottle or breast, he would have drowned in the milk being given him. Isaac developed major issues in his gut and had all but 14 centimeters of his small intestines removed. Both boys had bleeding in their brains. In short, these two little guys had big, big problems.

Jenn and Brian were told by the doctors that Isaac would never survive--his gut was too short to absorb enough nutrients for life to be sustained. Christopher would need surgery to close up his esophagus and to attach it to his stomach. Both might have severe physical and mental complications from the brain bleeds. Not good news. That was the doctors' report.

But Brian and Jenn had heard another report--the promise of the Lord given prior to birth through a trusted prophet that her children would be fine, not to believe the doctors. They stood on that word.

A new treatment modality was found for Isaac at a hospital in Boston. Then the time came for his intestines to be re-attached to his bowels. But the doctors said they would need to stretch his gut, because 14 centimeters was too short to sustain life. Brian and Jenn and their friends and the whole family at Wellspring prayed--believing God for a miracle. God--you can grow these intestines. Do a creative miracle in this boy's body!

Why not pray this way? We had already seen the Lord do a creative miracle in Christopher's frame. We had prayed for the Lord to grow his esophagus in order to reach his stomach when it was to be re-attached. The Campbells had been told then that the doctors would need to stretch his esophagus, because unattached it would not have grown along with the rest of his frame. But God grew it! When they opened him up--the esophagus was right there next to the stomach, ready for the doctors to stitch it on!

Then God did it again for Isaac! His intestines had grown out to 34 centimeters when they opened him up to re-attach it to his bowels.

Score at that point on the creative miracles front: Isaac one and Christopher one. On the messed up because of brain bleed front: Zero for each.

Yeah God!

That is the old news. About three weeks ago we got word from Jenn that Isaac needed more prayer because he had not grown hardly at all in the last year and he was not absorbing enough nutrients to sustain healthy life and growth. So we prayed as a congregation, while the elders laid hands on Isaac and commended further healing to him from the Lord.

Then last Sunday we watched our prayers being answered. Go Isaac--chase your brother Christopher! Go boys! Run hard, because the goodness of God is chasing you both!

The Campbell Boys from Wellspring Church on Vimeo.