Ken Thompson

Ken Thompson

 

Debbie told me about this pastor at a Southern Baptist church in Austin from the day I met her. So when we first visited Austin, driving that long Lampassas road overnight from Lubbock, we went out to Walnut Creek Baptist Church which at that time was way out north of Austin. Now it seems like center city.

 

Ken Thompson was an instant favorite. A bit of an early sixties horn rimmed sharp dressing throwback kind of guy who quickly disarmed anyone with a huge smile and oozing with friendship. We visited at his office in the tiny church building and agreed soon afterward that he would be the one to marry us.

 

Ken was a God send for me because I was at a time in my life that was very critical yet I had few men in my life. He was practical with us and considering our path, he was forgiving and kind.

 

We never really got any pre-marital counsel and it was a rough go. Once I was ready to throw in the towel and we headed off for Austin to find Ken. Fortunately that road to Austin is a looooooong empty one and we had some time to talk. About an hour out of Lubbock we turned back and settled for a phone call to him which was very helpful. He not only talked me off the cliff but then got us through a very meaningful ceremony.

 

Walnut Creek is not an earth famous church and Ken Thompson is not a known pastor. But he made a difference in our lives and it is men like this that truly providing the fabric reinforcement for the kingdom of God.

I am His workmanship…

Workmanship…its like a piece of art.

 

A huge part of our lives has been the discovery and teaching that each of is gifted in special ways by God. The key verse for me has been Ephesians 2:10 which affirms more than I can ever understand. These few communicate that each of us in Christ are presently a work of God. Like a piece of art in His hands, a work of poetry where he is carefully inserting each perfect word. This is an ongoing creative work and the objective is that we actually do the work of God- the very thing we were created for.

 

I recall that when I was appointed as an elder (the pastoral role in our church) I found myself in a few days at an elders meeting. Naively I asked the other pastors what they thought my role would be. I wondered how they saw my gifting and how that would work out as a group. I found myself looking down the barrel of a ministry loaded with verses that say we all do the basics. Beyond this the teaching that elders are true equals meant that I would share “eldering” tasks equal with the others, regardless of their or my gifting.

 

This not only did not make sense, it began to trouble me because it meant that dreams I had (put there by God himself I am sure) were going to take second stage to the generic roles that all of us would do.

 

Well it wasn’t long before I began to focus on things I did well and had a passion for- and to encourage my compadres in ministry to “do their thing”. Numerous little conflicts ensued and within a year or so I was on my way to denominational headquarters with the other pastors for what I discovered to be a grand “put Dave is his pastor place” session.

 

I do not recall ever being so blown out of the saddle in my life. Why in the world I did not pack my family and move half way around the world? Not sure but I didn’t and working with this principle and seeing it come to life in countless people over those years is gold.

Names for our new blog

Here we are after all these years…how did we make it?

Our New Blog

Debbie and I are working on this idea of writing a blog about all of our experiences over these years – like how we made it and are thriving through marriage, church, family etc situations that were backwards and difficult. So we have been brain storming areas to write about and have agreed to start writing on different topics and comment on each others writing and see what comes out.

Like here we sit in Merry Ann’s Diner in Champaign Illinois a few hundred feet from the old Robeson Department Store where I had an office years ago. Had you tapped me on the shoulder back then- like 1987 or so and told me I would be who I am today- that we would be optimistically plowing forward today as we are, I would have called you crazy.

It Was Mostly Hard

It seems we either made choices or got left with situations that were difficult. Suicides, dysfunctions, poor health, you name it and it happened to us. Yet today we are so happy and looking forward. And what we invested in is going forward as well- family, church, and each other as well as our businesses. Amazing.

So would we choose to  have it hard if we were doing it over? No way of course. But we can see how God worked in spite of us and how we were  responding.

So help us understand

Read these scrawlings with us and tell us what you think. Give us some feed back. Maybe your experience is different. Perhaps you were there and you recall it another way. Maybe you think we are idiots and should cease writing. Or possibly it rings true to experience you have had and helps you along the way. Tell us.

Debbie’s blog is also being filled with our story.

London, WC2

I was leafing through an old Economist this am and my eye caught an ad for flats with a view in central London…WC2 to be exact. This is where I lived for 5 months in a formative period.

It was 101 Gower Street, a block over from Tottingham Court Road and close to Goodge Street station.

Milk came in bottles with cream on top at about 5:30 on weekdays.
Local pubs served room temp cider and bitter by the pint for 25 cents.
A short walk would land me at Regents Park, the British Museum, or the theatre where Zero Mostel was crooning away each night in Fiddler on the Roof. Hair was all the rage on Oxford street. We saw Deep Purple at Royal Albert Hall.

The Vietnam war raged and we got our first lottery numbers for the draft.

And I grew up a little.

Starting to get it..

For years I was involved in evangelical church work at every level. There are some basics that I was overjoyed to discover. The I studied them, loved them, began to learn and apply them, taught them, defended them.

Then I began to GET them.

Very simply they are:
1. I am deeply loved. Preferred, thought of, defended.
2. I am designed. And I am good at what I do.
3. I am the light of the world. Not my idea. Somebody way smarter than me stated this. I always took it to be a job. But it is more of an infusion of energy.

Let me say that I am just beginning to get some handle on these.

Live big in me…

BG is always saying “Live big in me, live big through me!” Strikes me this is one of the most basic of prayers.

Never lose this…

On my way to Copper Canyon last week I saw this from the train as we enetered Philly. If you know there is a reason and a design, you should have it…

Sometimes you just have to leave

Its all over the Bible and well spelled out inSeth Godin’s little jewel, “The Dip”.

Especially if it is toxic, leave.

Unfettered affirmation…Bill Russell

I was just watching a discussion between Bill Russell and Tim Duncan.

Bill was telling the story about being called by Jackie Robinson’s widow to be a pall bearer at his funeral. He asked her why. “Because you are one of his favorite athletes.”

Wow…to be placed in esteem by the best…true affirmation.

Then Russell lookied at Tim Duncan and said, “and YOU are on of my favorite athletes…”.

Wow…and Bill Russell said it face to face.

Don’t wait until after you die to affirm someone.

Ronald Reagan on Jesus

Our pastor here in Doylestown related a story about Ronald Reagan last Sunday. Some Christ follower asked the president what he would say if he were facing GOD and were asked “Why should I allow you into my heaven?”

Reagan answered, “Jesus”.

“Anything else?”

“No”,said Reagan. “Anything else and you ruin it.”

(The shot above is the churchyard in Cerocahui)