David Whiting Live

Some Recent Pictures

Here are a few pictures from this week...

This is the final wall.  It is the wall on the south side of the building (Ridge Road). The plain block will be covered with bricks.

This is the same wall from inside the worship center.

The stage and backstage area are scheduled to be poured this week.  The boxes you see are electrical and sound boxes where we will plug in mics and power.

Site Contract Is Signed!!!

Back in April, I blogged about a significant conflict the building committee was having. You can read about it HERE and HERE.

I want to update you (with a fuller update on Sunday).  The issues that we have spent hours and hours praying about and dealing with were settled yesterday and today.  Here is a picture of a MAJOR contract being signed by Jeff Mapes and our site contractor.  And believe me - this brings a HUGE sense of relief to me and our entire Building Committee (more on that Sunday).

Many of you know I was in Tampa all day yesterday (flew down and back yesterday). It went VERY well and we feel we were treated fairly and feel very pleased with the result. 

It Isn't Possible - Is It?

I just noticed the other day that "my little girl" isn't so little anymore.  Ali (14) is now taller than her mom!!  When did that happen?  Actually - - - I know the answer...

It happened sometime in the last two weeks.  I had them get back-to-back a couple of weeks ago and it was close... but not quite.  But now it is official.

Is it okay if I'm a bit sad about it?

Angels and Demons

The movie Angels and Demons has just recently been released.  It is based on the book by Dan Brown (who also wrote The DaVinci Code). While The DaVinci Code was a direct attack on the Person of Christ, Angels and Demons is more of an attack on The Roman Catholic Church.  Yet, throughout the book, there are attacks on many things pertaining to Christianity.

Throughout the novel, Dan Brown brings up many issues that very important to us as Christ-followers.  And although "only a novel", Dan Brown clearly attempts to teach the following:

• Science answers ultimate questions.
• The future of "religion"
• The "myth" of God's Creation of the world
• Religion's fear of science
• The "myth" of the Bible being God's Word

Reading Angels and Demons - you will clearly see his attack on Roman Catholicism.  But ultimately, he also assaults things that are very important to us.

I ran across a website that may be of interest to you if you hear people talking about the book or movie.  It may be worth checking out.  You can find it HERE.

New York Times had an interesting Op-ed piece about the movie.  You can read that HERE.  I really like the last paragraph of the article, "For millions of readers, Brown’s novels have helped smooth over the tension between ancient Christianity and modern American faith. But the tension endures. You can have Jesus or Dan Brown. But you can’t have both."

I like animals, I really do, but COME ON...

Most of you have heard the story of Michael Vick. He just completed a two-year prison term because of a dogfighting conspiracy. For the next two months he will be on home confinement - except for church attendance and work.  He will be holding a construction job. He desires to get back into NFL, but many are saying that he should have a lifetime ban from the NFL. It seems, from what I read, that a majority of people feel he shouldn't be allowed to play football again.

And what bothers me about that is the story of Leonard Little.

Little is a NFL player for the St. Louis Rams.  He got drunk after a birthday party, got behind the wheel of a car and ended up killing another woman. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, served 90 days in jail and went right back to the NFL. He was arrested again later for drunk driving, but he still plays for the Rams.

I just don't quite understand why Leonard Little takes a life because of a conscious decision to drink and drive and he still plays in the NFL. Michael Vick is guilty of cruelty to animals and many feel he should receive a lifetime ban from the game. What Vick has done is horrible and if being a felon automatically results in a lifetime ban from the sport, I'd be okay with that. But it is the inconsistency in people's judgments that bothers me. 

Am I looking too deeply into this to say that it is a result of our culture no longer believing that human beings are made in the image of God?  Am I reading too much into it to say that this is the result of a belief in atheistic evolution?  If atheistic evolution is true - why are human beings more valuable than dogs? They aren't because we are all here by chance - not by the special design and creation of The Creator.

In fact, it almost seems - based on these two stories - that perhaps the dogs are more valuable than people.

An Office Full of Notes

I walked into the office Tuesday and found notes posted all over.  I think it was about 60 notes posted on walls around my office.  Apparently, someone got some small groups involved to write me some encouragement notes.  I am slowly digesting them - rather than reading them all at once.  But, if you participated - thanks!!  I've been reading a few a day - and they are a HUGE blessing!!

And Zentz - don't think that I don't know who is behind this... (thank you)

Graduation Time

Years ago I heard someone say something ironic about graduation speeches.  It went something like this:

"A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that individuality is the key to success."

Now that's funny!

Books I Throw Away...

I throw away a lot of books.  I don't have much room in my office for new books.  So about once a year, I try to go through my bookshelves and throw away books.  Here is my "standard":

• Have I opened this book in the last five years?
• Can I imagine a time that this book may be helpful in the next ten years?
• Is there someone who may want this book and am I comfortable with the content to give it away?

If all three answers are "no" - I throw it away...

Last week I threw away four books about becoming or being a "senior pastor."  When I accepted the position to move to Rochester, I bought five books on being a senior or lead pastor.  I read all five of them during the fall of 2000 before moving to Rochester.  Four of them gave similar advice: "Don't make ANY CHANGES for the first two years you are at a church. You need to know the people and the church before you make any changes." 

BUT one book said the opposite, "If you KNOW you need to make changes - MAKE them. Don't wait.  If you wait two years, the church could feel deceived. 'Why are you changing this NOW!?!?!' But if you KNOW something needs to change and you have the ability to make the change - make it. Don't wait."  I agreed with the later book - not the former ones.

So that is what I did.  I didn't know if it was the right decision or not at first, but I am convinced it is the right advice if the leader has the spiritual gift of leadership. So last week - I threw away the four books that advised no changes for at least two yeas. But I did keep "The Senior Minister" by Lyle Schaller.

Great Billboard

I recently read about a great highway billboard advertising the town of Gruene, Texas.  The billboard simply says this about the town of Greene:

"Gently resisting change since 1872."

When I stop and think about all the changes at North over the last eight years, I am so thankful that there is much more anticipation for change rather than resistance to change at North. Speaking at a Men's retreat this past weekend, I met more than one pastor who feels like his church has the same motto as Gruene, Texas.

North, thanks for being willing to change the negotiables (clothing, music, schedules, programming, etc...) so we can elevate the non-negotiables (the Gospel, the glory of God, Jesus)!!

People Are Noticing Our Building

So - have you talked to anyone at work or in your neighborhood about our new building? I am amazed at how many people know exactly where our building is... people who never knew the church was on that corner before. In fact, four of us (Mark, Scott, Brad and I) were eating at a restaurant in Rochester (near downtown) a couple of weeks ago and were talking about the church.  As we were leaving - three women called us over to their table and asked what we do for a living.  As we talked, they asked where the church was located.  When I told them the location - ALL three of them knew we were building a new building - and we weren't anywhere near our building.

I am really amazed at how much more recognizable our facility already is as we build!!  And I'm amazed at how much bigger the entire facility looks.

I have also been pleased with how the new bricks and old bricks match up.  I think it looks GREAT!!!