Dr. Jay's Blog

Perhaps you fall in to the same trap I do when it comes to "regular" meetings with people. I think that I know what to expect in my 'slot' with them in terms of the content or exchanges.

Last evening, I broke most of my personal disciplines and stayed up until nearly 1:00 a.m. watching the 6th game of TheWorld Series. I'll say right out of the gate that I'm not a huge baseball fan, but the playoffs and particularly The World Series are simply too compelling to lay aside.

Last night, I fully expected to watch a portion of the game and be content but nearly 4 hrs. and 30 min. into it I was at the very edge of my seat!

In what will be called one of the most exciting games of all times, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers 10-9 in eleven innings! What was so remarkable about the game was that the Cardinals trailed four different times in the last few innings and were down to their last pitch on two occasions when the batters came through with clutch swings delivering tying and then eventually winning runs!

The real drama is to watch a highly trained bull pen "closer" who can throw the ball over 95 miles an hour (which is incredible) and get it almost precisely where he wants it to be in the strike zone. In this case the pitcher thought he could simply overpower the hitter and in fact the hitter (David Freese) connected twice to bring home the tying and the winning runs!

Face to face, head to head, one to one, is what makes baseball a unique game even though it's a team sport. Yes, there were eight other men on the field or waiting to bat, but in that one on one match up it was simply two guys giving it their best and only one could come out on top!

However, the enthusiasm and joy, actually the almost childlike explosion of delight following the winning run, reminded all the viewers that baseball, like life, is a "team sport" and when one person excels everyone benefits! There's another parallel here to how I see life being lived in community and the joy that happens when one individual makes an impact that all of us can celebrate.

Baseball is simply a game, but it also is a slice of the wonderful culture that God has allowed us to enjoy here in America. Last night was simply one of the best moments of enjoying that gift that I can recall since the '79 Bucks "went all the way"!

Can't wait for game 7,
Dr. Jay

As some of you who read this space would recognize, I've come to a new found appreciation for some of the more recent country music that's being produced by some very talented artists around the nation.

For me, the essence of this music is a little different than the average "pop" or "top 40" in secular music because it seems to have a thread of values and even spirituality at times that is totally absent from most other purely secular music.

One phrase in a particular song called "The Boys Have Fallen" singer songwriter Kenny Chesney writes "When you take on one of us, you get us all." It's an interesting way of saying we are one, we are united, we stand together no matter what.

I wonder how many church splits, sectarian battles and broken relationships would be erased if that simple concept were embraced by followers of Christ. Too often we tend to "be open" to the comments and criticisms of someone who doesn't even know the people to which we're committed.

We have an Elders Covenant in our church that speaks to this issue but it's not widely held throughout the congregation and would certainly be an amazing step of building unity if it were embraced in spirit, if not in literal detail.

So just remember that simple line, "When you take on one of us, you get us all." That certainly would slow down the tendency of people to lob grenades of criticism and even supposed discernment that end up simply dividing believers.

Blessings!
Dr. Jay

You may find it strange that something instructive should come out of having a root canal procedure but it has!

Just today I headed to the specialist for what was sure to be a painful and perhaps complex procedure known as a "microscopic" root canal.

However, I learned a few things because the experience was unusually affective and straightforward (at least for now)!

In some ways, having a root canal evokes about as much fear for some of us as sharing our faith. We may not feel like we are prepared to do what's needed or have the right words to say and as a result we often try to avoid those situations.

But here's what I learned from a root canal:
- Be confident! (My endodontist was supremely confident in her skills and therefore put me at ease.)
- Know your stuff! Having had much experience she knew exactly what needed to be done and just how to go about the process to cause minimal pain and maximum effectiveness.
- Check and double check! Along the way she took several x-rays to be sure she was doing things exactly right and then requires a follow-up visit in about 3 months to make sure everything has been affectively addressed.
- Have a team! She had an associate who knew exactly what she was supposed to do on cue and did so seemlessly.
- Keep it brief! (She did the entire procedure in about 45 minutes with no fuss or muss.)

Now I could go down each one of these and draw a parallel to sharing your faith. By far the most important one is to be confident. When people know that you simply are telling your story and offering it to them as something that you know very well because its "your story" it sets them at ease and makes them listen rather than be defensive.

All the other ones help if you think about them in parallel language. However, being confident took away my fear of "getting hurt" and replaced it with a sense of assurance that this was something I needed to have done even though I didn't want to!

At any rate, I don't plan to run back in for another procedure any time soon, but it was certainly instructive to me about a number of things related to dealing with issues that people may not want to look at. Sharing our faith with someone who may not want to hear it is just such a matter.

And so, witnessing is not exactly like a root canal but in some ways you can be enormously blessed if you think of those simple guidelines.

Smiling with a drool,
Dr. Jay

While scrolling through one of the numerous emails I received today I came across this link http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=drazmveab&v=001tn3vzqXP0za0o_txv3QW6MVx4qboJ9c47u8g5XdtWfaSiEaBZJl6nB0RAY4eDt0kseBuvmi60juthj89YGsQB2mJ_Zpnxya3L6Ta2GBGa3v0EFCts0J4e_pi7CL5G5MLSvut43FhZWY%3D from Davidmays.org quoting some interesting observations by R.C. Sproul.

For those of you who do not know, R.C. Sproul has been a person of major influence in the theological dialogue of conservative evangelicalism for the last nearly 40 years.

When I first arrived in Pittsburgh R.C. was the "hot young theologian" who was conducting seminars and speaking to young aspiring leaders from his home base in Ligonier.

His ministry has been influential both in writing and speaking as he represents one of the purist positions of reformed theology that is readily accessible to "everyday" believers.

In this fascinating summary, R.C. comments on the matter of "unseen realities" which is something that I find quite interesting. This would not be his normal focus of dialogue and the presentation of it reminds us that even conservative, reformed theologians take seriously the matter of "the unseen" versus the world's tendancy to measure everything by what they can touch and feel and measure.

Over the past months I've been made increasingly aware of the "spiritual warfare" of this unseen reality as the apostle Paul describes it in Ephesians 6 and several other important scriptural passages. One of the great issues that we must face is that ignoring these "unseen realities" does not make them go away nor does it help us advance the Kingdom by neglect.

I received his comments on heaven, hell, angels, demons, etc., as great encouragement to continue to delve into these matters and to teach them broadly both to our aspiring leaders and to any believers who will listen with open hearts.

I urge you to not only read the link but to do some digging on your own and discover what may be the key to unlocking amazing spiritual freedom!

Have a wonderful day.
Blessings,
Dr. Jay

Last week, we hosted a gathering in our home to introduce some of our friends and acquaintances to our new Lead Pastor. When I first thought of hosting the 'meet and greet' at our home, I expected about 20-25 people to accept the invitation on each of two nights. (that would have been about 50% of invitations sent out.)

Last evening was very special for us. One of the elements of life at North Way is that we consistently meet in homes according to the pattern of Scripture.(Acts 2:42ff)

However, we occasionally push that envelope a bit and have special meetings in homes when a large number of folks gather to meet one another, share thoughts and dreams about Kingdom growth and simply reaffirm the fact that we are committed to what we believe God wants to do to change lives throughout our region.

The ingredient of meeting in a home is significant because it brings down the level of formality and raises the bar of authenticity and engagement. People open up dramatically in homes and talk much more freely than they normally would in a more formal "church" environment or just simply in a restaurant or some other meeting place.

Last night was no exception as over 40 people talked for nearly an hour in personal conversation and then engaged our special guest with listening hearts and a clear sense of anticipation about the future.

A home is a wonderful thing to share and certainly helps to create the right environment for people to let down their guard and be real with one another. It's one of the things that the early church knew and regularly embraced because those values are enduring.

I'm looking forward to the next event which is just a week away.

Blessings,
Dr. Jay

P.S. Have you had some folks over to your home recently to talk about the things of God? Give it a try!

These days here in Western Pennsylvania the last glimpses of the beautiful autumn foliage are everywhere to be seen. Remnants of the blazing maples trees, the still changing Bradford pears and the bright yellow ash are all around.

At the same time, the increasing number of gray skies causes the palette of this beauty to be somewhat dulled as we are clearly between the seasons of autumn and winter.

As we sojourn through these days it reminds me to start to prepare for winter by thinking a lot more "internally." I mean that both in the physical sense of not being able to be outside nearly as much during the winter months and also with reference to spending more time reading, reflecting and examining my inner man.

I find that winter lends itself far more to such reflection than the other seasons. Because you're not free to run about at every whim, you necessarily make more time to read, journal and reflect about what's happening in your life, what the Lord might be saying to you through Scripture and what specific missional things He wants you to be about.

I trust that as you prepare for the changes in your own life that you'll make the time to slow down enough to hear what God is saying. The great rush that so many are in during the other three seasons should definitely be put aside for some respite during this season which I believe in the mind of God was created just for such a purpose.

Blessings!
Dr. Jay

Last evening we had an awesome gathering of about 80 people here in our Wexford Atrium to celebrate another successful season at the Wexford Starlite Car Cruise.

These folks represented the whole cross section of our volunteers, vendors, leadership team and supporters who helped to pull off this summer long event that reaches tens of thousands of people every season.

Last night was particularly special in that we acknowledged the "hidden hands" of the scores of volunteers who wave the flags, direct the traffic, serve the people, pick up the trash, start the conversations and literally do a hundred other tasks that help families, bikers, hard core car enthusiasts and everyone in between have a great experience!

We also identified that one of the reasons that people primarily came to the Car Cruise (and this came from the mouth of several non-church participants) was the family friendly and "warm and accepting" environment that we have created. Unlike other places where people are basically measured by what they drive or excluded for one reason or another, everyone felt welcome to attend and beyond that, valued for being here.

This is no small epiphany to me as there has to be an explanation to me as to why 7000-8000 or more people would show up every friday night for an event like this on a church campus! I wonder what hidden lessons there are for those of us in the church community about what draws people and what they're really looking for as a place to start a journey of making friendships and getting connected even if they don't share all the same spiritual values.

All in all it was a great night and a wonderful time to honor many people who helped to create an unforgettable experience for thousands of others.

We will hopefully be able to repeat this experience many times to come!

Blessings,
Dr. Jay

This past week, I spent a great deal of time in preparation for the weekend message and the responsibility that comes with teaching God's Word to a pretty large group of people. Not everyone realizes what it takes to put together a weekend message but in my case, it's at least 20 hours of rather intense study and preparation of various kinds, not to mention the underlying prayer and indirect spiritual preparation that goes on.

It's a great privilege, to be sure, to teach to a church family in multiple locations and one that I cherish. On the other hand, I still believe that the most significant impact in my life comes through the one on one contacts and connections that I make with individuals.

Today, I met with a couple members of our leadership team, but the best hour or so that I'll spend in the day will be with my son who works in the city and with whom I spend nearly every Tuesday at lunch.

The things that we talk about are personal and have to do with discovering life in our respective seasons, but its really a joy to me to spend time with him (that is any of my kids or their families).

Something "clicked" in me during that time about the way that Jesus spent His time with the crowd, the twelve and the few, even individuals for whom He made every effort to be available.

You may not have a crowd to speak to, but we all have individuals and small bands of folks that we influence. Never lose sight of just how much your testimony, your expressions of care and interest in the lives actually mean in helping them shape a Kingdom based set of priorities and values.

By the way, its likely the most blessed time you will know as a person who is seeking to follow Christ.

There's a real balance between the "saying" and the "doing" of the gospel.

Blessings,
Dr. Jay

Last evening, I was privileged to be part of the "Women's Choice Network" annual banquet which was held at one of the nicest restaurants on Mt. Washington.

The program for the evening included a number of videos and a talented guest speaker, but the real power for action came when three young women, whose first names all started with "J", shared their stories of how they discovered the Women's Choice Network and chose to keep their babies rather than have them aborted.

In the very brief 15 minute period (in total) that these women shared their stories the evening pivoted from being very informative and somewhat inspirational to being very convicting and motivating. The stories of these women, told in their own words, were rivoting and courageous. They spoke of how they faced incredibly difficult decisions, sometimes without family support, but did so because of the partnership of the Women's Choice Network and the people who believe so sacrificially in their cause.

By the end of the evening, (which closely followed their 3 brief testimonies) I know many people wanted to be part of what's happening in this ministry in our city and indeed were now prepared to do so.

The entire experience reminds me that "telling our story" can be the most convincing way to share with others about the difference that God can make in their lives. Somehow, by simply sharing what He's done for us, it helps others to believe that He will do it for them as well.

Last night was more than a banquet, it was a reminder to me that I must never stop telling my story and I would encourage you to consider that same reminder for your life as well. It may take courage and certainly faith, but in the end it's the most powerful thing that we can do for the sake of God and His Kingdom.

Gratefully,
Dr. Jay

One of the most important virtues and perhaps the most difficult to maintain is that of humility. It seems like every time we enjoy a season of blessing or success our hearts get distanced a bit from trusting the Lord and our perspective on our own importance can be significantly over exagerated.

Humility is an awareness that we're both imperfect and worthwhile at the same time. Humility is a high ground that traverses the bogs and swamps of great achievement and at times, self-hatred. At times, humility choses to follow God's plan over our own. When we live humbly, which can be defined as consistently choosing God's way of doing things over our own way of doing things, amazingly good things begin to happen to otherwise difficult people like me.

Humility also involves a component of acceptance of ourselves, sin and all. Humility helps us to see ourselves with one eye which evaluates and another eye which appreciates. It's not an easy balance to strike but one that is essential if we are to remain healthy and productive without becoming prideful and wayward from our God of great love.

In His grace,
Dr. Jay

It was a wonderful weekend for Carol and me as we journeyed into Manhatten to spend time with our youngest son.

As part of the visit we met and worshipped with his church family that meets at several different sites at both the Upper East Side and in the heart of the financial district.

It was an interesting contrast to see the "protesters of Wall Street" juxtaposed against the "prayers on Wall Street" who were taking quietly peaceful positions of praying for change, not simply demonstrating for it.

It's not my intent to demean or even comment on the motivations or desires of the protesters. It is, however, my desire to elevate the incredibly devoted commitment that I witnessed in the next generation of leaders that populate just one church in a very influential city in our nation.

These quiet bands of disciples are everywhere and what we simply need to do is to see them multiply if we're really to make a difference and affect the trajectory of our culture for Kingdom values.

Blessings in Jesus!

Dr. Jay

Though many commentators and men and women of very high stature have written or spoken far more eloquently than I ever could about the life and impact of Steve Jobs, the founder and CEO of Apple Inc., I felt one particular observation of his was very noteworthy.

One could easily focus on the incredible creativity, drive, passion for excellence and pioneering spirit that Mr. Jobs evidenced throughout his career. (By the age of 25, he was already estimated to have a net worth of $100,000,000.)

However, what jumped out at me in recent days was the speech he gave at Stanford University, his alma mater, when he was speaking about the reality of the finiteness of life.

I'll only paraphrase this, and I would urge you to perhaps read his entire message which you can easily find online, but knowing that his time was limited and destined to come to an end far more soon than he had hoped he simply said that "seeing life through the eyes of our physical limitations and certainty of the death that we all face, we will live differently.

Again, this is just a paraphrase but the gist of his discovery was that there is a reality that exceeds whatever patents, designs, creativity and wealth that comes with all these gifts and that reality is the level playing field that we all must face: there's something more that should affect how we live the one life we've been given.

We'll miss Steve Jobs and the incredible ways that he brought technology to help us all move through life differently, but let's also remember the wisdom of his own discovery before we must face it ourselves.

Have a beautiful weekend.
Blessings,
Dr. Jay

This was a wonderful day for many reasons; the best of which was the affirmation of our incredible team of staff servant leaders here at North Way.