Tim Harlow

The Future

I witnessed a beautiful wedding last night.  They were two young people who met in our youth group and fell in love.  It was one of those stories that just makes you sit back and think “I know why we do this.”

I’ll be honest with you, there are days when you wonder if this “church” thing is headed the right direction and days when I wonder if we’re doing it the way God wants.  We spend a lot of money on buildings and staff and put a lot of energy into our services and programs.  This wedding reminded me of the big picture.  We just spent money on new youth and children’s space.  We certainly could have spent more, I think we were more than financially responsible with what we had.  But it is going to be awesome, we will open up the youth space next weekend!

It is worth it.  Jamie and Natalie found faith in our youth program and found love and are starting a union that will produce fruit 100 times more than anything we “invested” in them.  The investment will grow exponentially, and will last through eternity.  When I think of my friend Bailey who passed away last year, who found her hope and her joy and her eternity through this youth group, it makes me know it’s worth it. 

If you are a teacher, you get this.  If you had a good one, you know what I mean.  Every once in a while you get a glimpse of why we do this.  It’s not often in the daily grind, it’s usually in some special moment when you see how it all comes together.

God Bless his church!  This one and every one – that poured into our minds and souls the very heart of God.  Whether it was a VBS, a Sunday School, a CCD, a youth group, or a special trip or program – if you were blessed by a youth program somewhere, you should stop and give God thanks for those people who sacrificed and made it possible for you to be blessed.  I am so thankful both for those who poured into my life, and even more so for those who poured into my kids.  It all happened for my kids at Parkview.  I’m committed to making sure it keeps happening for your kids.

And when you see our new space in the next few weeks around here – do the same thing.  Be thankful, and be a part of the future.  Eternity is in the balance and the future church is at stake. 

I saw proof last night - the future is good.

Tim

 

Jim Beam Club

We had some friends invite us to the Sox game a few days ago. They had tickets to get into the Jim Beam Club. Well I’ve been to a lot of Sox games and have been around the park, but I had never heard of this place. What a deal!  It’s basically a really big box seat section that is right behind home plate. Just below the announcers and probably the best seats in the house. There is an inside club and then leather seats to sit outside and watch the game.  They put out a full buffet and open bar (I never get my money’s worth).  

The irony in the whole thing was that no one in that club cared about the game.  This was Friday night after the Sox had been handed their worse loss in history – by 20 runs – the night before.  This was the day after we found out that Jake Peavy decided not to come and play with us.

It was a pitching duel and we won the game 1-0. The game was over in less than two hours.  But that was only half the problem.  The other problem was that the Blackhawks were playing the third game of their series against Detroit.  And people CARED about that game.  So most of us spent more time inside in front of little TV’s watching a game in another stadium, instead of going out to sit in the leather seats in the best spot in our own stadium. (That was, until the dessert bar was put out and then we all reunited for banana bread pudding).

It struck me that this is the problem with most churches. They get distracted. They forget what the game really is.  They are off watching hockey when they are supposed to be at a baseball game.  Don’t take the analogy too far, you aren’t supposed to be watching anything, you are actually supposed to be playing. But we have to at least decide which game is important.

Evidently this was the case with the church in Colosse.

Colossians 1:3-5 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.

They have been playing the game and doing it well.  And because of it, check out this next verse…. 

Colossians 1:6 All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

I love knowing that because of you, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing – literally ALL OVER THE WORLD.  But most importantly it’s growing in us and around us, because we aren’t distracted by the “other games” going on all around us.  

Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Keep on pressing,

Tim

Darfur and Memorial Day

I know this holiday weekend snuck up on us.  It’s so early this year.  Did you know you have Monday off?

In 1868, Commander John A. Logan inaugurated the observance of Memorial Day in honor of fallen soldiers from the Civil War.  Over the years it came to serve as a day to remember all US men and women killed or missing in action in all wars.  Most of us just think of it as a day to finish planting the flowers and have a barbeque.

But I was given a Memorial Day gift this year that will stick with me for a long time.  I had to take a cab home from the airport and God put me with a driver named Inwar.  I could immediately guess that he was from East Africa found out He is from Sudan, which borders Kenya. We had a great time talking about his homeland.  I think he really enjoyed having someone who had actually been there, and I certainly enjoyed talking to him.

Inwar is originally from Darfur.  You may now know much about what’s gone on there, but it’s basically the recent equivalent of Rwanda.  And if that doesn’t ring a bell, it’s because we live in such a secluded -“the news is all about me” – information market.  Darfur is a place with a very corrupt government, tribal warring, genocide, and other horrible human rights atrocities.  At least 400,000 dead and millions displaced. Learn about Darfur

Inwar’s family is one of the displaced ones, and maybe some of the dead.  He just doesn’t know.  They are lost from each other. 

However, that is not the point of my Memorial Day blog.  What struck me so about Inwar was about how much he loved the United States of America.  He has suffered much, and he is working a difficult job (probably with some difficult customers).  But he loves this country.  His voice rang with excitement as he told me about going to college, transferring to the University of Chicago, being befriended and practically adopted by his professor at the University who happens to live close to him.  He will get his U.S. citizenship in 2010 at which time he plans to go back to his homeland and try to reunite his family.  Inwar says they will treat him differently when he goes back as an American citizen. He will be safe and have rights to information and justice.

He couldn’t say enough about how much he loves the United States of America.

Now I know we have our problems, and I know we all gripe about the things that we think are wrong, but I also know that a lot of men and women have sacrificed a great deal to provide a place for you and I to worship freely, work and get paid fairly, and live and love fully - all under the glorious umbrella of freedom.

So how about if we all just spend a moment this weekend thanking God for this place and thanking God for those who provided our freedom.  Maybe we should look through the eyes of a guy from Darfur, and appreciate again this land of opportunity.

For those of you who have served our country, and especially for those who have lost loved ones doing it – WE THANK YOU!

Happy Memorial Day,

Tim

PS. I’m preaching on Anger Management from James this weekend.  If  you skip out, I’ll be ticked.

Providence

When I look back, it’s hard to imagine how it’s all transpired.

Walking away from graduation we passed by the historic Belmont mansion, which dates back to the Civil War (or the war of Northern Aggression as they like to call it).  I so distinctly remember the feeling when we drove by it 7 years ago, and thought about what it would be like if Rachel went here.  It is such a beautiful campus and our firstborn thought she wanted to go there, and there was emotion and angst. Kim and John Bretzlaff were the ones who told us about Belmont – I’m thankful for that.  

Now, as I walk back by the mansion in the rain -  all the memories are amazing.  4 years went so fast. But God was here.  Do you blog readers recognize the hand of God?  You can only see it backwards, but I sure am seeing it more lately.

Two weeks ago I had invited Lee Strobel to come and speak.  Actually over a year ago we booked him, and this was the date he had open.  Long story short, in the process of meeting Lee I told him about my book idea (WWJH).  I haven’t pitched it to any publishers; I just really wanted to get a literary agent so that someone else could do all of that (it’s kind of like Real Estate – mom).
Lee was (is) a great guy.  He liked my idea and told me he knew an agent and would make a call for me. And he said, “by the way, he was Rick Warren’s agent for Purpose Driven Life – the best selling non-fiction book of all time.”

I thought, “well THAT would be a good connection.”

So he did.  And the guy wanted to meet me.  Forgot to mention the agent is in Nashville.  So after the very inspiring Baccalaureate service for Rachel (read my blog) I met with him for two hours.  It was a great meeting and the ball is back in my court to get some stuff put together.

So I’m on it.  I don’t really want to be an author, but I feel like God is pushing me on this one.  And this is a good sign.  

The whole weekend in Nashville was like that.  As we walked into this church that Rachel goes to, Lauren recognized a boy from Wheaton.  It turns out his sister is a good friend of Rachel’s at Belmont and graduated with her.  Crazy.  Then we met this man next to us – during the meet and greet and found out he had graduated from Wheaton (in the 70’s).
So I introduced him to Lauren.  Asked him what he did for a living.  Works for Compassion.  Told him I knew Wess Stafford (the pres) and had been to Ecuador with him.  We really struck it up.  He used to manage bands and now he does communications, radio, etc. for them.  He was a communication major at Wheaton (which Lauren now is).  He says, “if you want an internship with compassion, let me know.”

Then he told me he used to manage bands and he mentioned some names and one of them was “Six Pence none the Richer” which is Rachel’s ALL TIME favorite band and the main inspiration for her music career!  Then he told us that Leah Nash (rachel’s idol – lead singer for the band) sometimes comes to this church.

Then I struck up a conversation with the Pastor and they are in some familiar growing pains and maybe we can help them through some of them.

If God really is there, and really is who I think he is – then why would it surprise me?  I love working things out for my kids, I think God does the same thing.  It’s not always good things that I can see.  He doesn’t always intervene in nature and fix my stuff.  But he sometimes does and he always can and I love this journey with him at the helm.

My Old Testament reading in Psalms this week included Ps 50 which says, “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.  If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.”

Thank you for that reminder.  And the love of my life is studying “Acts” and as we got a chance to share this week, she reminded me of the sermon of Paul’s to a bunch of intellectuals who knew there was a god, but didn’t know The God…

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17

In Him, we live and move and have our being.  He set the times for me and the exact place I should live (maybe we should quit griping about the winterJ)

In Him, we live and move and have our being.

Doesn’t that take a load off for you?

Tim

She is Ready

I'm trying to type this on my phone as I wait through the tedious announcement of 400 graduates from Belmont University. (I should have brought my laptop.)

Denise and I have been commenting that this transition doesn't feel as hard this time. That's probably because she's been "gone" from home and far away for 4 years, and partially because she is staying here to begin her career. So the transition doesn't seem that drastic.

(I guess they do have to read all the names, right? Man this is getting long).

It’s hard to believe how the time has flown by. I distinctly remember driving by this campus six years ago on our way to a vacation and thinking how beautiful it was. And then coming back a year or so later to try out for the School of Music. The transition four years ago was very hard. The first one out of the house and to be moving 8 hours away, it was a very rough deal. I remember that like it was yesterday.

And now she is done. It's hard to believe. God has really opened a lot of doors and she has found a producer for her music and meeting with several publishers to get her music-writing career started. She's still going to be waiting tables to pay the bills but she is getting a good start in a hard field to break into (and a hard time to do it). But it's time.

rachel's myspace

We are very proud of Rachel. She is graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music degree with a Commercial Music major and a Composition Minor. She also won the Heart of Belmont award for being the student who best exemplified Belmont’s values. Belmont is the best music school in the Midwest, but it is also decidedly Christian. It’s been a great combination for us.

Which leads me to the point. It was at yesterday's Baccalaureate ceremony that it hit me, “like a ton of bricks,” what was happening. Even though other transitions have been significant, this is the most significant from God’s perspective.

A Baccalaureate service doesn’t have to be religious in nature, but in this case it was really meaningful. The leader at one point asked, “Do you desire to engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage, and faith? Do you desire to worship God throught the high calling of your daily work? Do you desire not to be served, but to serve others through your career so that together you might heal the broken, lift up the poor, let God’s light shine in the darkness and give glory to your Creator by becoming co-laborers with God?”

That is when it really hit me. It’s her time! It’s time for God to take all the talents, gifts, temperament, and drive he put inside of her – and let it loose.

Then all of us were asked to commission them with this prayer; “Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good for God’s will, and may God work in you that which is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever.”

That is my prayer for all of you reading this blog today. But most especially for my sweet Rachel. Who knows the plans God’s has for you? I know that they will be amazing. I pray for you every day – to know the joy of serving and the joy of being used by God. Welcome to the rest of your life, baby.

Tim (Dad)

Don’t forget to change your home page to Hunger Site and click everyday so you can give a cup of rice today!

Am I a Traditionalist?

Am I a Traditionalist?
 
Bill sent me this blog from Tony Morgan
 
About how one third of the top 100 hits in radio are R and B\hip-hop\ rap\soul and yet very few churches are using that genre in their worship services.  It is appropriate because I have a Ne-Yo song we almost used this weekend on temptation (we couldn’t pull it off, but we are using it in a series in January).  Part of our discussion was around how much grief we’d get over it and the other part was about the fact that we’ve just discovered that the average age of our church is getting older.
 
It seems crazy to me, because we’re the youngest church I know of, but I do recognize that as I grow older – we grow older.
 
Tony Morgan’s point was that a lot of "contemporary" churches are really just starting to become "traditional" in their own way.  How long will it be before we feel the same way about Tomlin that our parents felt about Wesley (Hymns)?
 
Then in my Bible reading today, I was in Philippians, which I always consider one of the most positive books in the New Testament.  But in the middle of it Paul says, " Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh." (Phil 3:2).
 
Who were the dogs? They were the Jewish Christians who were trying to get the new Gentile Christians to get circumcised. Now, if there is ever a old tradition that I would think guys would want to do away with – it would be this one, don’t you think?  I mean, it’s one thing for a baby, but if a part of the conversion process to your faith means…that…then you really have a tough evangelism assignment. (Read the book of Galatians if you really want to see what Paul thinks.)
 
Paul says they are "dogs"!
 
I guess I just want to continually keep re-evaluating my positions on things in my Christian life and in our church because I know how easy it is to go from the Prodigal Son to the Older Brother.
 
These are the questions we should be asking.

Can you think of something we do at PCC that borders on traditionalism?  Are you open to hip hop? Why not, because you don’t like it?  Is church supposed to be about what you like?  How old are you?  How can we keep the next generations coming?
 
Don’t worry; I’m not announcing some big change.  I’m just an old guy thinking out loud.

Tim

P.S. Make this your home page and 1.1 cups of food will be donated by site's sponsors The Hunger Site

Honor Your Mother

Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 5:16

This is a command and as the New Testament reminds us (Eph. 6), it’s the only one that comes with a promise. Some might think it’s not that big of a deal to honor moms or dads on special days, and certainly this scripture goes a lot deeper than just honoring them on a day, but I think any time there is a promise attached to a command – I’m going to pay attention! “That it may go well with you” is cool with me, right?

I don’t know exactly why God put this in the Ten Commandments, but it does make sense if you think about it. If there is no respect for where we came from, there is no way society can survive.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “the mother is the one supreme asset of national life – she is more important by far than the successful statesman, or businessman, or artist, or scientist.”

So I guess we’d better do some honoring.

First, let me say how much I love my mother. She is the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman and I never cease to be amazed by her stamina, drive, love, service, and faith. Happy Mother’s Day Mom! Dana and I couldn’t have picked a better one. I love you.

 

And to my wife – the mother of my kids – what can I possibly say to let you know how blessed we all have been to have you in the role of mom, wife, leader, servant, worship director, and example of God’s love. I don’t know how you could have worn all of those hats any better. You are amazing in every way. I love you mostest of the hostest.

I’m showing this video in the service – it’s the birth of our first one.

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:28 & 31

Tim

By the way – congrats to Brian and Cherie Hunt on the birth of Baby Aniston Grace on Friday night at 7. The baby is in NICU for now with some lung issues, so keep them in your prayers, but she was 6 lbs 11 oz, so she was a healthy good size for being early. Happy Mothers day Cherie!

Time Flies

I’ve been watching old video’s to find some cute clip for Mother’s day.  It’s pretty weird to watch the life of Rachel, for example, as I realize she is graduating from college next weekend! It’s crazy to watch Becca’s birth and then go to her musical on Saturday (she’s a nun in Sound of Music – as close to a saint as she’ll get).  But first I move Lauren home from her first year of college on Friday.  (We have NO video of her birth because we didn’t get there in time for an epiduralJ)

But man, how time flies when you’re…old.

Wow.  The other fun thing about reminiscing is to see the different ministry stages we’ve been in.   I put together a little video to show you some of the stuff that is going on with our building.  God is doing great things.  You can’t really appreciate how amazing this ride has been, unless you’ve been here for a long time, but those of us who have can tell you it’s gone fast and it’s been a blast.  I hope you’ll join us on this journey.  “You can’t just sit there.”

 

 

Tim

PS - DON'T FORGET TO PRAY - IT'S THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.  JOIN US AT THE ORLAND PARK CAMPUS AT 7 PM OR SPEND SOME TIME TODAY IN PRAYER.

Also if you'd like a copy of Lee Strobel's talk on Saturday check out his web site at Lee Strobel - good stuff. 

Lee Strobel

Do you know how fortunate we are to have Lee Strobel with us this weekend?  I'm sitting in his morning session as I write this, and I wanted to encourage you all to make sure you are here this weekend.  For me, Lee is encouragement from God.  Because as much as I love Jesus and as much as I want everyone else to be in heaven with me someday, sometimes I'm just not that smart.

Lee is a brilliant guy, who graduated from Yale Law, he was a reporter and editor at the Chicago Tribune, and most importantly he was an atheist.  So when it comes to the questions about our faith, there is no one I'd rather have in my corner.  He's encouragement to me, and I have a doctorate in this stuff!

John the Baptist doubted when he was in prison, we are all going to second guess things from time to time.  That's why it's nice for me to have someone smarter than me come along and tell me why this is really true.

IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO DOESN'T BELIEVE IN JESUS - TWIST THEIR ARM AND GET THEM HERE THIS WEEKEND!  He will present the Case for Christ, and you won't be disappointed.

His talk this morning was on taking the risk of talking to people about Jesus. His new book just came out yesterday - The Unexpected Adventure - Taking Risks To Talk To People About Jesus

Here are his main points:

1.  Before he would talk to friend about the father – he should talk to the father about the friend.  Prayer is first.  He talked about his father-in-law whom he prayed for – for 20 years.  

2.  He would let his neighbor know that his door would always be open for questions. Key word is not debate – it’s dialogue.  It’s not really the tough questions – they are looking for relationships.

3.  He wouldn’t just share his faith, he’d show it.  Talk is cheap – Jesus showed his love.  Jesus was about service and sacrifice.  Matthew 5:16 says "Let your light shine that they will see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  Good deeds means "attractive" deeds. 

Above all else –

4. Jesus would be authentic.  His beliefs and behaviors would be congruent.  Their hypocrisy radar is on.

Lee said a key question to ask a non-believer is "If you could ask God one question - what would you ask?"  That will open the door.  

They have a lot of questions, and we have a lot of answers.  Don't be afraid to take a risk.  Eternity is in the balance.

Tim