MarkDeYmaz.com

Giving Thanks in All Circumstances ...

Well, it's New Year's Eve and I'm blogging from St.Vincent's Hospital in Little Rock where in about an hour or so, my oldest son, Zack, will undergo back surgery to repair a herniated disc pinching a nerve at L5/S1 in his lower back. A freshman quarterback on scholarship at Taylor University in Indiana, the kid is tough as nails having played through the pain of broken bones in his back, too, for the past two seasons. And after a year of message therapy, chiropractic treatment, steroid injections and epidurals, it's finally (and thankfully) come down to this: surgery. The prognosis, however, is very good and this gives us much cause to celebrate with Zack tonight in spite of our circumstances. 

"Be joyful always ...

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ."

  I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Dr. Richard Peek is a highly skilled surgeon and partnered with the Great Physician, we know Zack's in good hands. Dr. Peek will make a one inch incision and trim the disc at the point of the bulge eliminating the pressure on the nerve and, consequently, the chronic pain shooting down the back left side of Zack's body from buttock to knee. The procedure will take no more than a couple of hours. Assuming no complications, Zack will be walking within a few hours and for the first time in more than two years (God willing) free of pain.

Our family would appreciate your thoughts and prayers for Zack in the days and months ahead, indeed, as we seek for him a full recovery and return to the playing field. Of course, through such experiences,  resolve is tested; and I have no doubt, Zack is growing in character, patience and responsibility through it all. May God continue to have his way and will in our son.

PBS Features Multi-ethnic Churches in Houston

Wilcrest Baptist Church in Houston, TX, led by my good friend, Pastor Rodney Woo, is featured in Lucky Severson's exceptional piece at PBS.org's Religion and Ethics Newsweekly documenting the incredible power of Christ to break dividing walls of racism and segregation via the  multi-ethnic church. The piece was posted on December 19, 2008. 

Another Houston area church, City of Refuge, led by Pastor Rufus Smith, is also part of this brief story, and the transitional journey of both churches - from homogeneous to multi-ethnic congregations - is chronicled. In addition, Dr. Michael Emerson, author of several books on the subject including the groundbreaking title, Divided By Faith, is interviewed, as are two members of Wilcrest who have forged a wonderful friendship through faith in spite of past conditioning and experience. I encourage you to watch now.

The increased interest and attention, including new books and articles now being published on the subject, provide may exciting signs of changing attitudes and a coming integration of the local church throughout the United States! Beyond this, I believe Obama's election will also have a significant impact on the movement, expediting the desire of Christ-followers to get beyond the blatant segregation of the past and in these days, present a more credible gospel message through multi-ethnic and economically diverse congregations of faith.

Indeed, it is an increasingly favorable time not only to ask but also to address the question, If the kingdom of heaven is not segregated, why on earth is the church? 

Church on the Couch: A Book Review

Time being a premium these days, I am more likely to scan a title than to read it.  So when I do take time to turn a page, it's got to be worth it. With this in mind, Church on the Couch: Does the Church Need Therapy by Elaine Martens Hamilton (Zondervan, 2008) does not disappoint. In fact, Hamilton's simple, yet significant work is worthy of your time and attention as a straightforward, practical guide for creating spiritual and emotional health within your church.  

From the start, Hamilton does not so much tell us what to do; rather she encourages leaders to authentically consider just who we are while providing many practical tools to help others do the same. The section on creating "a new kind of group" (pp. 45-48) has a concise explanation of Genograms which is - in my opinion - worth the price of the book. In addition, the complexities of handling affairs and sexual addicitions is skillfully summarized in "We've Got Issues" (Chapter 8). Here, too, Hamilton displays a knack for explaining complex issues in terms anyone can understand; and when necessary, apply in evaluating and/or speaking into the lives of others.

Now for hard core counseling theorists, the book may seem shallow. Yet many more will find it a welcomed resource for quick, sound guidance and worthy of their shelf. Indeed, I predict a return to its pages time and time again.