Ridgell's Originals

Marsha and I were in Denver last weekend with Matt and Nikki Wallace and Dry Bones. This is a ministry to street kids in downtown Denver and it is powerful. Matt is a Southern Hills product so we have been involved for several years. Two other elder couples went with us and it was great.

Matt and Nikki are outstanding ministers. Their passion and their heart is to be Jesus in an environment that is often not seen by most of us. They affirm value, share lives, demonstrate friendship, and serve as the hands and feet of Jesus. I love them.

Robbie and Karen Goldman work with the Wallaces. I have known Robbie since he was a little kid at Duncanville and he and his brothers were "adopted" by that congregation. Great to see what God has done in his life -- and what he and Karen are doing in the lives of others.

Got to hear Reg Cox preach. I have known Reg since he was in high school He is doing a great job at Lakewood. Appreciated what God spoke thru him Sunday.

We went just to bless Matt and Nikki. No "elder agenda". Not to check up on the work. Just to let them know we loved them and wanted to bless them.

Lots of praying, laughing, fellowshiping, loving, and eating.

And for the Southern Hills folk reading this -- be proud that your money goes to Dry Bones and to Matt and Nikki. Be humbled that you are led by men like Ed Greenlee and Todd Hooper who went with us. Great shepherds. And I was reminded again how important shepherd wives are to leadership. Thanks Marsha, Carla, and Evy.

God is doing great things in our world. Aren't you glad to be a part of it?

OK. Help me out. In Luke, Jesus talks about counting the cost so that the money doesn't run out before the building is done. So is that a passage about commitment and discipleship... or is it about stewardship?

I admit I am not good with budgets. I am always cranked up by discussions that start with the great things God will do and end with "...but the budget...". I just do not get how we say we are asking God to do great things but then restrict him to what we are currently giving, or what we think we can give. That seems to me to be asking God to bless what we can do. I don't see how there is much faith in that.

And I am probably too hung up on the feeding of the 5000. Phillip worked out a budget while Andrew brought a child with his lunch. Jesus thanked God for it and fed 5000.

So I am asking for input. Do we limit God by our insistence on budgets? Or does that reflect good stewardship?

When death comes too soon. This is the story of Kay's journey when told her husband had only a few weeks to live.

Kay's story at www.hopeforlife.org.

Kay is a co-worker, friend, and a woman of great faith.

It happened again Sunday. Someone asked why I don't go into preaching. I first reminded them that I preach a lot for Herald of Truth -- just a different place each Sunday. When I am not preaching somewhere for HoT, I am often preaching somewhere as a fill-in or as a guest preacher. And even at Southern Hills I preach most Wed. nites during the school year. But I know what they mean. Why don't I go into full-time located preaching?

It dawns on me that I have the wrong philosophy for today's preachers in the church of Christ. I think preachers ought to preach. The hot phrase for preachers today is Senior Minister. I am not sure I would want to do that.

I don't want to lead a church. I'd leave that to the elders. Senior ministers want to lead churches.

I think preachers should be evangelists, not pastors. I think there is Biblical evidence for preaching elders, but I don't think it automatically comes with the territory. I think elders should do the pastoring. And by nature I am an evangelist.

I think a shared pulpit is the best approach to communicating God's Word today. We do a lot of that in HIP, our Wed. nite service. I think that is a good model for Sunday too.

So in today's church culture I am not sure I could even fit the model for what churches, and preachers, are expected to be.

So maybe I am not cut out to be a local preacher. Some day it will come full circle and once again churches will want preaching evangelists. I figure I'll be about eighty by then.

So maybe that's why I am not interested in being a local preacher any more. But I do think some of my reasons need to be thought thru by preachers and churches. What should local preachers really do?

What do you think?

We showed this at Southern Hills Sunday as part of our introduction to our 2010 focus "Go Fish".

Here is Bobby's story again for those who have asked.

One neat thing about this is that Bobby's best friend came Sunday with his two kids to see this. Anxious to see where that goes.

Love you Bobby and I'm proud of you.