You Were Born For This

So I just got back (Saturday morning, maybe not "just"...) from speaking at the Indiana Central District Youth Camp. Amazing! I don't throw this term around lightly but it truly was a life changing experience for me. Particularly the Thursday of that week. It's normal for me to have very clear sense from God of what I'm supposed to preach but I have never had a burden on my heart like that. It's normal for me to be passionate about what I'm saying but I have never been so compelled by the truth I had been called to share. It's normal for me to care about the folks I'm sharing with but never, and I mean never, have I been so broken for a group of people in my life. And in that Holy Spirit filled, tear stained, life changing moment I felt the one feeling I unashamedly pursue in this life, that feeling from the depth of my soul the goose bumps on my skin that says "You were born for this." There is an intimacy with God in that moment I don't find anywhere else.

I could tell a few stories but they will lose something in print. I could tell about some awesome folks I met but people are so one dimensional when you type them up. I could tell you how much the week took out of me (slept 12 hours last night and I could go back to be right now). I could wine about how hard it has been to get back into gear for my life and ministry here at home (my brain hasn't made it all the way back from camp yet). But for now I choose to simply revel in this latest of those moments where I hear my master say "you were born for this" and look forward to the next one which may happen tonight, or next Sunday, or next year and urge you to pursue yours.

Who Do You Love

I fallen in love or in love again several times in the past few weeks. Here are the people who have me all twitter-pated these days.

Matt Mays and El Torpedo - This guy is from my new hometown Cole Harbour. He has had a few big hits you heard if you live in Canada like "City of Lakes" and "Cocaine Cowgirl". He is a pretty heavy hitter on the Canadian Music scene. Last night I was able to attend a very intimate (like 150 people) concert at a "Dinning Room and Lounge" about 2 min from my house and had the distinct privilege of hearing them play most of their new album and all their standards. It was amazing. one of my favorite shows ever, especially for a band I didn't already know well. Their new album (Terminal Romance, drops July 7) is going to be awesome!!! His music, especially the new stuff, feel to me like Tom Petty being backed up by the Foo Fighters. Check it out.

Matt Epp - Guess who else was there. My new favorite deep and mellow troubadour Matt Epp. I just posted about him last week so suffice it to say 2 weeks and a second show since I first saw him I'm still a believer. That said last night wasn't quite as good as the last one but the crowd was there to rock hard so it was a tough crowd.

Rebekah Higgs - Haven't explored her as much as I would like but she is another local musician who has some phenomenal talent. I would describe her as "The soundtrack from Juno wakes up in an ethereal forrest full of elves and ferries"

Joel Plaskett - Another local Rock Star who should get more props than he does. You know some of his music two even if you don't realize it. Jangly guitars, hooky melodies, and a "lets not take this to seriously" vibe Barenaked Ladies fans will recognize Plaskett is awesome. One of these days I'll post a "best of" list of his work. Ever heard of the "100km Diet?" Distances vary but the idea is to only eat food grown close to where you live. I might have to try that one of these days with music. Mays and Plaskett are a good start and there are several other bands I like to check out. It's cool to live somewhere with a music scene.

David Allen - And now for something completely different. David Allen is the productivity wiz behind the "GTD" approach and he has changed my life. I started using his method a year ago but this week it's wonders were proved true again as I went from a work load I didn't think I could get through to having it all done in time to take the day off to paint my front door and post this. If you have work to do and you care about your time you should at least buy his book "Getting Things Done" and see if it is right for you.

Seth Godin - This blogger and author is officially a marketing guru but his wisdom has implications for many areas of life and ministry. Plus he updates at least daily. If you head over to his blog check out his posts "Not So Grand" and "Do You Own Trees". I know a lot of churches that own "trees."

That's who I'm loving - who are you into in a new way these days?

Please Help Me Before I Do Something I'll Regret!

In about 2 weeks I'm going to do something. Something I've never done before, something I'm not sure I've even seen done before, maybe once or twice. It's something that most of the good Christians I hang out with don't do, some Christians consider it to be wrong, I've even heard the word "wicked" kicked around. It's something I've given some significant thought to in the past and decided I was OK with but I never thought I'd be in a position to do it. Now I am, or will be. And although some godly folks may not be comfortable with it, may even condemn in I'm going for it!

Yes folks on June 15th I, the Rev. AJ Thomas, will baptize an infant. In fact I'll be baptizing 2 infants, twin brothers. I'm actually pretty excited. That's pretty much the only one (ceremonial type thing) I haven't done yet. As I always do in these situations I turn to my handy dandy "Wesleyan Pastor's Manual." That little book is invaluable. it lays out a nice little liturgy that draws attention to the fact that for Wesleyan's who choose infant baptism it's about a statement of faith in God's preveniant grace and, like dedication, a commitment of the parents to raise them to embrace what their baptism signifies. Anyway, I know where to stand, what to say, how to say it. I know know everything but how to wet the Babies. This is a big deal and if I mess this up I'll feel like an idiot so please give me some advice.

-Should I sprinkle (if so how, just drops off my fingers) pour (onto the theatre floor?) or anoint (I think i've seen a deal where you draw a cross with the water on the babies head.

-What do I keep the water in? We don't have a font so I'm thinking it's just going to be a bowl on the communion table. Maybe I'll try to find some sort of earthenware looking deal. I'm guessing the local anglican supply store would have something holy looking for about $250