Thanksgiving... Literally

It’s that time of year again. For me, it’s when George Strait’s Christmas CD gets put on repeat and the smell of burning dust fills the house because the heater hasn’t been turned on all year. All the leaves are pretty much on the ground. Consequentially, these leaves hide the roots that cross-stitch the trails and provide a lair from which the roots are able to grab my ankles and send me sprawling to the ground.

And then there is this holiday known as “Thanksgiving.” It comes right at the beginning of the busiest season of the year. Perhaps this was the rationale of those Plymouth Puritans: let’s remind ourselves of what we are thankful for before we get so busy that we forget. Actually, they were approaching the most boring part of the year when they would be locked up in their houses to escape the freezing Massachusetts winter. In spite of this, let’s just pretend they foresaw the pending season of the retail frenzy that was to bring about phenomena of the likes of Black Friday and the inevitable “Visit of the In-laws.” So, in honor of the Puritans and in view of God’s command to do so, there are a few items for which I would like to give thanks.

My Oasis Church family. In an age when people simply go to a church, these people have taught me what it means to belong to a church. Each one of us is so different from the rest, but God has taken this motley crew and flexed, plied, molded, and blended us into a body that is developing into microcosm of the bride of Christ. They have loved Lindsi and me and poured so much into us. Men and women have invested their time, wisdom, finances, business, and reputation into us. What means the most is that they show no indication of future change. Their faithfulness pushes me forward.

Fifth Quarter. Oasis held a party after Amherst High’s last home football game. Our intention was to attract as many kids as possible in order to share the gospel with them. One young man was saved, making the entire event worthwhile. Dozens of our people handed out pizza, operated games, operated sound equipment, passed out flyers, and partied with the kids. Without them, there is no way we would have handled the 450+ people that walked through those gym doors. The entire event was a success and I am so thankful for what God will do through the contacts that the event has made possible.

Life Group. God sent Bradshaw, Gabby, John, Ping, Sarah, and Mrs. Susan to join us on Wednesday nights. While the student:adult ratio is miniscule, our capacity for receiving students is huge. We are blessed simply by their presence in our basement gathering.

The Richardson and Slabach families. Weddings are a big deal. What they represent is the bigger deal. Their support of us and help with all the planning has been invaluable.

Work. Godly roommate. Health. Food…. The list goes on. It is a healthy reminder of God’s immanence as the holiday season lies immanent on the horizon. I’ll keep twanging along with my country Christmas carols and brave the cold in my trusty running shoes, but the thought of what God has done puts a content smile on my face. At least I’ll be wearing a pleasant facial expression if I freeze to death.

NASCAR

Never before have I joined in on any kind of event in which 100,000+ people are captivated for three hours by 43 cars moving at speeds of up to 125mph in a counterclockwise direction. Honestly, attending the Last Race Before the Chase at the Richmond International Raceway was pure culture shock. Yet, it was ripe opportunity to connect with people on a common ground that would have been otherwise impossible.

Oasis was blessed with NASCAR tickets and we were able to mesh with people from Amherst on a new level. Lindsi and I crammed in the car with some new friends, Norman, Kimmie, and Ashley for the two hour drive to Richmond. It was good to hang with them and get to know them better. I was continually impressed by Norman's automotive knowledge. He is a senior at ACHS and it will be cool to see where God takes him in his pursuit of diesel and all it has to offer.

God is teaching me what it means to "know the condition of your flocks" (Prov 27:23). It is hard to develop people when you do not know who they are, what their lives are like, and what their needs are. Pray that God will continue to open avenues into meaningful relationships with junior high and high school students, even if they are as ordinary as through the fanaticism of a perpetually left-turning sport.

A Core Group

It's fun to think about the experiences that Jesus' twelve closest friends may have lived during those three years of ministry at the turn of the century. Then, it's daunting to think that those same twelve guys were catalysts for turning the world upside-down! It is this vision that excites me about what God is doing in the lives of students who call Oasis their church home. The very same Jesus that walked and talked with men like Peter, James, and John is able to walk and talk with the handful of students at Oasis. It will be these students that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, turn their world upside-down.

We had our first LifeGroup this past Wednesday night. After making signs to root on the Amherst Lancers in tonight's football game, roasting s'mores, and an intense competition of Bocce Ball, the seven of us sat down to apply what the church did in Acts 4:23-31 to our personal lives and the way that Oasis will take the gospel to the community. The discussion that ensued was intuitive and reminded me that the next generation will not be lost if hearts such as these are channeled to take the gospel to their peers in an authentic and culturally comprehensible manner.

It is exciting to see a group of students and their families so ready to take Jesus to their community. Pray that we will follow God through the venues where He is already working. Entry points through FCA and high school athletics have been knocked on. Pray that doors will be opened. Ultimately, pray that Oasis will champion Christ, the family, and the church in order to disciple students in Amherst, Virginia.