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Thin Places

Pastor Mark Batterson is the author of a new book just released called "Wild Goose Chase".

Many parts of this book stir my spirit, but here is quote from him concerning "thin places"

The Celtic Christians had a name for places where heaven and earth seem to touch. They called them "thin places." The burning bush was one of those "thin places" for Moses. Now I better qualify this theologically. God is omnipresent. He is all around us all the time. He is never absent. What's absent is our awareness. But I also believe there are times and places where God reveals Himself in a unique way and we're never the same. We experience an epiphany. And those holy moments are "thin places."

There are many moments in my life that I can point to some "thin places" - my wedding day, the birth of my children, climbing Longs Peak in Colorado in the dark, just to name a few. There have been some trying and challenging times when God brings you through and sets forth that glimpse of heaven, revealing His glory.

I need more '"thin places" in my life. We all do. It is the pursuing of God for the sole purpose of knowing Him and worshipping Him that will bring us to those places.

What we do with those "thin places" is crucial. Those thin places need to turn into deep well reservoirs in our relationships with others. These epiphany seasons should be a catalyst for us to deepen our desire to know, love and follow Him and to lead others to Him. We need to be "Samuels" in the sense that we constantly look at our circumstances, regardless of what they are, and say "Here I am Lord - send me..... send me".

Send off for one of our own

On August 24th, we said goodbye to Pastor Burt Garwood, as he leaves King of Kings to become senior pastor at Lord of Life Lutheran in Leawood, Kansas. We will miss our pastor, our brother, our leader... our friend. We sent on to Lord of Life ahead of him a short letter of introduction. Here it is:

To the Lord of Life Staff and Members:

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

As Paul sent letters to the church in Corinth, Ephesus, to the Galatians and others, so do we send a letter to our sister church in Leawood, Kansas as a way of support and encouragement for you and as an introduction to your new senior pastor.

We, as men from King of Kings Lutheran Church and servants of Jesus Christ, greet you with the grace and peace poured out into our lives by God our Father and our Master Jesus Christ.

We thank God for you and your faithfulness in calling a senior pastor that will lead you, comfort you, challenge you, support you and do whatever it takes to have more people in Kansas come to know, love and follow Jesus, that His kingdom may be advanced.

Our letter no doubt comes to you with mixed emotions, as both joy and sadness can be found in our hearts. We lose a mentor, a friend, a spiritual father, an encourager, al leader, a listener, a visionary – a brother that is one of us. But we release him with excitement, as we know that God has a special calling for him and Michele in Leawood.

Know that Pastor Burt has touched many lives here in the Omaha area for Christ. He has had an immense impact upon the men of this Body of Christ and other men in the Omaha community. His leadership and passion has laid a strong foundation for Band of Brothers Omaha and we humbly accept the passing of the ministry into the hands of loving, creative and passionate leaders.

We are excited to see what God has in store for Lord of Life and for the community of Leawood, Kansas and are thrilled that God has called to the front line one of our own.

Love Pastor Burt and Michele. Encourage them. Support them. For we know that Pastor Burt and Michele will be throwing all of their energy, passion and excitement into the people at Lord of Life, to enrich their lives and to connect others in the Leawood community to Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 27:17 has been a rally cry for men here at King of Kings. We pray fervently for Lord of Life Lutheran Church and the arrival of their new senior pastor, that “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”.

To our brothers and sisters in Leawood, Kansas, we send you our brother. We love you and may what Jesus gives to us freely be deeply and personally yours!


Band of Brothers Omaha
http://www.bandofbrothersomaha.com/

New location - New site!

Band of Brothers Omaha will move from its current location on the web and be folded into the new King of Kings Church website that will go live on September 3, 2008. The old site is still live right now.

We will still have the same URL - http://www.bandofbrothersomaha.com/ , but a new look.

Look for even more great resources and connections on the new site....

Escape the Madness

EscapetheMadness.net

Why Blog?

Here is a neat little video on what blogging is and why people do it.

"Hoosier" Miracle - Creighton style

Just got back from a Creighton/Wichita St b-ball game. Went with three of my favorite ladies (three of my four daughters). Not much of a Creighton fan, but it is fun to watch college b-ball.... especially with your kids. Lots of simple life lessons and a huge amount of fun and important "hang time". It also gives you a chance to embellish your own b-ball career! Kids remember an amazing amount of things and my oldest (10) said as she watched a player sink a three pointer "yeah but you held the Iowa high school record for a while for three pointers didn't you?" We probably talked about that once ..... at least two years ago!

Hooisers. One of my all time favorite films. I grew up a gym rat, as my dad was a high school basketball coach.

Creighton is down by 15 in the second half to a very mediocre Wichita St team. They mount a comeback. They draw within 5 with about 3 minutes to go. The best play all night comes from the arena's media folks during a timeout.

Hoosiers. The clip in the locker room where the coach (Gene Hackman) is encouraging his team to play hard and together. No matter what happens, if they do that, they are winners in his book. Then one player begins the clap. Others follow in unison. At the same time, the 16,000 watching the clip at the Creighton game begin to clap as well. The Creighton players are clapping in unison as well. Powerful moment.

Hooiser miracle. Creighton miracle. The Bluejays tip one in with 11 seconds left and hold on to win by 2.

I just love basketball. Memories flood back into my head of games won in similar circumstances in my b-ball career. I can see that my girls love it too. We were a team tonight... my girls and I... even though we did not play.

Men - we are team.... a band of brothers.... even though some guys may not be in the game, maybe on the sideline or may not be playing at all. The Hooiser miracle was all about everyone on the team pulling together to accomplish the unthinkable. God has done the unthinkable in giving his Son for us. It is our honor to pull together and play for an audience of One - The Holy One. Find your teammates, encourage them and mentor them. You are already winners in The Coach's eyes.

Carrie Underwood? How about Cletus?

Carrie Underwood had a cross over hit recently called "Jesus Take The Wheel". You probably all know it.

Well....... I don't think she has anything on old Cletus...

Take a look at this parody - good laugh on a Friday.....