The Gospel According to Matt

After giving my other blog-friends lots of lip for not blogging enough, I have been crazy-busy the past week and am just now checking into the blogosphere.  Here’s what’s happening.

My brother James, who has worked for me this past year, packed up and moved home to Oklahoma for a new job.  He worked hard and did a great job here, but home seemed to be calling a little too strong, he and his wife had the opportunity, and they took it.  God bless them.

We added a secretary/administrative person (Rhonda) to our staff to help manage and accomplish alot of the detail work around the office—the bigger we get the more there is to do, which is very exciting actually.  We also promoted a part-time person to full time (Christine) to work in our children’s ministry department, replacing brother James.  Today was the first day for both ladies in their respective roles.

Today we also received bad news that a fellow church planter (Steve) passed away.  He planted his church the same month we planted Crossroads.  He was 32 with a wife and small daughter.  He was diagnosed with an agressive form of cancer just weeks before his Church Launch.  He belonged to our church planting assocation.  Likewise, he was the mentor of our Student Minister (Mike), so his loss hits very close to home.

Today I feel a bit tired and weary.  It’s 6:30pm and I’m still at the office.  But I serve an awesome God, have my health, my family, and lead one of God’s churches.  I am blessed—so very blessed.

On a very cool note, Dr. Jack Cottrell, a leading Arminian Theologian in America visited my weblog and offered some comments on my post “The Existential Centrality of Grace.”  He agreed with most of what I wrote, appreciated and affirmed the main theme, but always the teacher he corrected some of my theological mistakes.  He visited the blog per my invitaiton.  As Wayne Campbell would say, “I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy!”  Thank you Dr. Cottrell for your great legacy and influence.

Blessings to everybody in the blogosphere.

PS:  I will be making some corrections to the post in question when time permits.