an email from the fall

Hey gang - thought I'd share an email that I sent out to some friends in November.

Dear friends,

Saturday night , I got to take my oldest son Matt up to Bridgeport CT to see a Christian concert featuring Casting Crowns and Toby Mac (his favorite). I haven't been to an arena concert in many years, so I was a little anxious. But I also recognized it as an opportunity to hang out with Matt and have some special time together. Well I won't bore you with too many details, but it was awesome to see 8000 people (mostly kids) rocking out for Jesus. There were 5 bands, each with a different, and I mean DIFFERENT, style. But they all were singing about their faith. They were going out with their faith too (as in Go and make disciples) - I'm reminded of the youth anthem "hide it under a bushel? NO!". But each band/singer had a similar story - they had significant problems and burdens that Jesus had lifted from them. And now they were free to live life as God had intended.

Another thing I saw was some VERY gifted, talented people. And unlike what you would expect, they were humble men. They weren't pointing to themselves, they weren't grandstanding and they weren't showing off. They gave God glory for the gifts and for their redemption. As one band sang: "they were broken down, so they could lift Him up". We had a great time.

Also, I have been doing a lot of yardwork, which for me is a good thing for several reasons. The obvious first reason is because I like the yard to look nice. And second, because my kids and wife don't particularly like it, I get a few hours of contemplative "thinking time". So, I have the lawn mowed and I got my yard raked up and decided to tackle a few trees that needed to be removed. I have a beautiful oak tree in my yard that just could use a little space, the area around it is overgrown with brush and few smaller, trash trees that are growing up into it. So, I got out the chainsaw and started taking them down. Well as I got into the job, I saw a few trees overgrown by some vines. Not sure what they are called, but they were all over some of the trees and had obviously killed a few. I know of some vines called "strangler figs" maybe these are relatives. I came to one, smaller, living maple about 20 feet tall, it was literally bent over in two by the vines pulling it down.

I was reminded of scripture: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12: 1-3

For me, I was thinking of the young men that I saw Saturday night. They had been released from their burdens and sin. And this had allowed them to flourish, using their God given talent to glorify Him and encourage the church. Literally, the vines that were threatening to pull them down had been pruned away and they had been allowed to grow straight, strong and tall.

This is all in the context of Ted Haggard stepping down as a church leader due to integrity issues. If you don't know the story, this was a man that was in the highest circles of christendom. He was the president of the National Association of Evangelicals and also senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. In sum, he was an "important" man in the church. But over the last few weeks, he was dismissed from both organizations due to some significant impropieties. The details are not very important. What I'd like to focus on is how it happened. From what I've read, he was carrying on some secret habits that led to his eventual downfall. We ALL sin, and we are ALL tempted. It is how we react to these things that determine how we are impacted. The following quote, tells us how he ended up in his dismissal:

"The fact is I am guilty of sexual immorality. And I take responsibility for the entire problem. I am a deceiver and a liar. There's a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life," - Ted Haggard

He kept these struggles secret from his elders and brothers that were walking with him because he thought the sin was too repulsive. He lied and deceived and eventually, like the maple bent over in my backyard, the sin pulled him down.

So my challenge to you brothers is: don't believe the lie that your secret sin is so bad that you can't share it with a brother. Remember 1 Cor 10:13 - we all have similar struggles and you are not alone. If you let the vines grow, they'll eventually pull you down.

Peace to you,

Brad
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13