Eve of my 66th Birthday....first posted on FB 2 years ago

I Saw Her Standing There & Twist And Shout  (click)

On the eve of my 64th birthday, I was reflecting on what I have liked best about the "era" in which I've grown to this age. Was it the great athletes and sports teams I've watched and enjoyed (Mickey, Willie & Duke....Dodgers, Yankees, Giants, Pirates, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals...LA Rams & Green Bay Packers)? Was it the great movies that were made in the 50's through the 80's (from Ben Hur to The Godfather)? Was it the muscle cars of the 60's & 70's (GTOs, Corvettes, Mustangs)? Was it the bell bottomed pants and the bleeding Madras, paisley and surfer shirts? Was it the real drug stores that had soda fountains? Was it Ozzie and Harriet (with Ricky and his band)? Was it my southern roots and fried foods and gravy? Was it being raised on the farm with chores to do twice a day...every day (including holidays)? Was it church picnics and family reunions complete with all day gospel singing and dinner on the ground? Was it camping in the Sierra Nevada Mts and deer hunting every fall? It was all of this and more...HOWEVER, the thing I think I liked the best was the MUSIC I grew up on. I loved it all....from southern gospel, to country, to western, to top 40 pop (KYNO, Fresno and KOMA, Oklahoma City), to classic rock. Oh..the music! It had soul...it had lyrics you could sing along with...it had emotion...it had rythym...I LOVED THE MUSIC! My father was a very good musician, and I was his lyric prompter. I love all kinds of good music. I was in grade school when Elvis was the man, and in junior high when the Fab Four hit the music scene. Loved the Beach Boys, Ricky Nelson, Three Dog Night, CCR, and many, many others....The Eagles are still one of my favorite bands to listen to. Just in case you are my age, here is a link that you just might find FUN! Enjoy, and God bless you all...my FB friends.

The Gatekeeper’s Beef Stew

Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven Beef Stew

·        2-3 pounds of stew meat (a good chuck roast works great)

·        1 pkg frozen green beans (fresh if you desire)

·        1 pkg frozen corn (fresh if you desire)

·        3-4 whole carrots, peeled and sliced

·        3 large russet potatoes peeled and cut in medium large cubes

·        1/2 onion, chopped

·        2-3 bay leaves

·        salt and pepper to taste  (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt is good)

·        1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes  (fine chopped fresh if you desire)

·        2 cups beef or chicken stock (you can easily add an additional cup of water at the end of cooking if you want more broth)

·        1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

·        Cast iron Dutch oven with lid

Cube the meat into the size you desire, and brown it in your Dutch oven on top of the stove using a couple of Tablespoons of  EVOO.  Add the potatoes, carrots, corn, salt & pepper.  Add the can of diced tomatoes over the top, with the juice.  Then pour in your Worcestershire sauce and stock. Add your bay leaves.  Preheat oven to 275, and cook for 4-4 1/2 hours. Cook it with the lid on. It is done when the meat is very tender.  This can easily be done in a large slow cooker, as well.  I think it’s perfect to set the oven to cook for 4 hours, and then just leave it in the oven without opening the door until it’s time to serve.

***Cooking Tip***  when browning your meat, be sure and get the Dutch oven very hot and let the meat caramelize. You want some nice color on your beef.  For extra flavor, you can deglaze using a bit of your chicken/beef stock. The flavors will be intense and you can easily add another cup or two of water at the end if you want more broth in your stew.

***Serving Tip*** Serve with Gatekeeper's Buttermilk Cornbread

Preparation time:  Apprx 20 minutes 

Cook time:  Apprx 4 hrs

Feeds:  6 to 8 people

Thoughts On Racism

Racism is a huge ball of twine with many ends sticking out. Which one to pull to unravel the thing is seemingly impossible to determine. There are so many aspects to the issue that simple statements indicating that "this" is the problem all fall short of addressing the situations. My own definition of "racism" also has it's limitations, but it is what I work and think from: "Race based thoughts and actions that wound people emotionally, harm people physically, and cause breakdowns in human relationships." For me the answer is quite simple: "Love your neighbor as yourself..." Jesus Christ. Working that out seems to be monumental! I don't know all the answers, but I do know that starting young, and breaking down the color, ethnic & cultural barriers is a good start. Education is multifaceted. This photo of the daughter of some of my dearest friends, shows that there is no substitute for real life education when it comes to breaking the chains of things like "racism." It starts here!

When I Die

Yesterday was my Uncle Don Kilcrease's birthday. On his gravestone are the words: "Think not that stone can hold my spirit" which are taken from one of the many poems he wrote. In honor of him and his influence in my life, last night I took that line and wrote a short poem of my own.
Love you, Uncle Don!

When I Die
Think not that stone can hold my soul
When to earth I bid goodbye
While mourners seek to hinder me
And keep me from true home on high
One moment more I will not tarry
Nor leave here with a bitter sigh
My last adventure has begun
When I take flight and split the sky

Mark Morgan / August 11, 2017

Exciting opportunity

Hi Folks,

This letter is to inform you of a Skype call I received from Noel Issacs (Himalayan Region Vineyard leader).  As you know, our girls have been living in Kathmandu at the church for the past several years as they have been getting an education.  Two of our girls, Benita (Gorkha) and Mingmar (Nessing), graduated this year.  We are extremely happy about that, but there is more.  Benita had a final score of 92%, which qualifies her for further education.  It is her dream to continue her education and become a professional nurse (a staff nurse).  We are very excited about this possibility. Benita scored higher than any other girl from her “low” cast has ever sored. It is very rare for girls from her cast to be educated at all. It is an amazing accomplishment.

Initially, we thought Benita would be able to receive a scholarship for nursing school, but due to the Nepal government’s policies, they award the scholarships to students who have attended the government schools. Benita has been attending a private school for these years, and though her scores are significantly higher, the other girls from the government schools will receive the scholarships.  It isn’t fair, but that’s the way it works in Nepal.

Noel informed me that Benita has just taken the entry test for nursing school, along with 450 other girls.  She received the second highest score of the entire group!  Again….beyond amazing for a girl from her cast.  Nursing school will cost $6000.00 for the three year program.  This is for the total cost, room, board, tuition and expenses.  In order for Benita to enter nursing school, she will need the first $2000.00 for year one within ten days.  We want to see her take this opportunity and become a nurse in three years.  This is absolutely life changing….culture changing….again, unheard of for a Gorkha girl.  We really need to raise this first $2000.00 as soon as possible.  We will have some time to figure out how to pay for year two and three.  Any donation would be very welcome, and of course, is tax deductible. If you have any ideas on how we can pay this amount in the next few days, that would also be a help.  I have a few ideas that I will need to discuss with our senior staff.  Obviously, if we start this process, we will need to finish it.  However, as you know, this is a very modest fee for all expenses for three years of nursing school.

Thank you for reading this, and I would ask you to pray about how we are to respond to this unbelievable opportunity.  We never could have dreamed of this outcome when we started this ministry a few years ago.  Benita was 9 years old when she came from her village. She was our very first girl, and it appears that God has certainly blessed her and our involvement.

Blessings to you!

Mark Morgan

If you wish to contribute, you can give a tax deductible gift at the VCC website.  Online Giving...click on "Quick Give" no log in required, and then see the "tithes & offerings" drop down box and select "Benita Nursing School".
Benita's Nursing School  (click on this link)

Charles Wesley's poem to George Whitefield....on their differing theological positions

Come on, my Whitefield (since the strife is past, and friends at first are friends again at last.)
Our hands, and hearts, and counsels let us join, in mutual league, t’advance the work Divine.
Our one contention now, our single aim, to pluck poor souls as brands out of the flame;
To spread the victory of that bloody cross, and gasp our latest breath in the Redeemer’s cause.

Too long, alas! We gave to Satan place when party-zeal put on an angel’s face,
Too long we listened to the coz’ning fiend, whose trumpet sounded, “For the faith contend!”
With hasty blind-fold rage, in error’s night, how did we with our fellow-soldiers fight! We could not then our Father’s children know, but each mistook his brother for his foe.

Foes to the truth, can you in conscience spare? “Tear them, (the tempter cried) in pieces tear!”
So thick the darkness, so confused the noise, we took the stranger’s for the Shepherd’s voice;
Rash nature waved the controversial sword, on fire to fight the battles of the Lord,
Fraternal love from every breast was driven, and bleeding Charity returned to heaven.

The Saviour saw our strife with pitying eye, and cast a look that made the shadows fly;
Soon as the day-spring in His presence shone, we found the two fierce armies were but one;
Common our hope and family and name, our arms, our Captain and our crown the same;
Enlisted all beneath Immanuel’s sign and purchased every soul with precious blood divine.

Then let us cordially again embrace, nor e’er infringe the league of gospel-grace;
Let us in Jesus’ name to battle go, and turn our arms against the common foe;
Fight side by side beneath our Captain’s eye, chase the Philistines, on their shoulder fly,
And, more than conquerors, in the harness die.

For whether I am born to “blush above”, on earth suspicious of electing love,
Or you, o’erwhelmed with honourable shame, to shout the universal Saviour’s Name,
It matters not; if all our conflicts past, before the great white throne we meet at last.
Our only care, while sojourning below, our real Faith by real Love to show:
To blast the alien’s hope, and let them see how friends of jarring sentiments agree:
Not in a party’s narrow banks confined, not by the sameness of opinions joined,
But cemented with the Redeemer’s blood, and bound together in the heart of God.

Can we forget from whence our union came, when first we simply met in Jesus’ name?
The name mysterious of the God Unknown, whose secret love allured and drew us on
Thro’ a long, lonely, legal wilderness to find the promised land of gospel peace.
True yoke-fellows, we then agreed to draw the intolerable burden of the Law.
And jointly labouring on with zealous strife strengthened each other’s hands to work for life
To turn against the world our steady face, and, valiant for the truth, enjoy disgrace.

Then, when we served our God through fear alone our views, our studies and our hearts were one:
No smallest difference damped the social flame in Moses’ school we thought and spake the same:
And must we, now in Christ, with shame confess, our love was greater when our light was less?
When darkly through a glass with servile awe we first the spiritual commandment saw,
Could we not then, our mutual love to show, through fire and water for each other go?
We could – we did – In a strange land I stood, and beckoned thee to cross the Atlantic flood:
With true affection winged, thy ready mind, left country, fame and ease and friends behind,
And, eager all heaven’s counsels to explore, flew through the watery world and grasped the shore.

Nor did I linger, at my friend’s desire, to tempt the furnace, and abide the fire:
When suddenly sent forth, from the highways I called poor outcasts to the feast of grace.
Urged to pursue the work by thee begun through ill and good report I still rushed on,
Nor felt the fire of popular applause, nor feared the torturing flame in such a glorious cause.

Ah, wherefore did we ever seem to part, or clash in sentiment, while one in heart?
What dire device did the old Serpent find, To put asunder those whom God had joined?
From folly and self-love Opinion rose, to sever friends who never yet were foes;
To baffle and divert our noblest aim, confound our pride, and cover us with shame:
To make us blush beneath her short-lived power, and glad the world with one triumphant hour.

But lo! The snare is broke, the captive’s freed by Faith on all the hostile powers we tread,
And crush through Jesus’ strength the Serpent’s head.
Jesus hath cast the cursed Accuser down, hath rooted up the tares by Satan sown:
Kindled anew the never-dying flame, and re-baptised our souls into His Name.

Soon as the virtue of His Name we feel, the storm of life subsides, the sea is still,
All nature bows to His benign command, and two are one in his Almighty hand.
One in His hand, O may we still remain, fast bound with love’s indissoluble chain;
(That adamant which time and death defies, that golden chain which draws us to the skies!)

His love the tie that binds us to His throne,
His love (let all the ground of friendship see)
His only love constrains our hearts to agree
And gives the rivet of eternity!

Written by Charles Wesley to George Whitefield
In 1755.

I Grew Up In Church

This is not a confession, just a fact.  I have my “Cradle Roll Certificate” hanging prominently on my office wall that was awarded to my parents when I was taken to the Madera, CA, Methodist Church for the first time at the ripe age of EIGHT DAYS OLD.  It is signed by an uncle who was the Sunday School Superintendent (another uncle was the choir director). I have very, very rarely missed a Sunday since, and I am now 23,890 days old (65 ½ for those who are challenged mathematically).

My family roots were planted deeply in the south (Tennessee, Alabama and West Texas).  My church culture consisted of pot luck dinners (home fried chicken in a cast iron skillet), revival meetings and a good amount of southern gospel music.  I loved the church…still do.  Oh, I don’t love everything about it, but I do love the church.  It’s in my blood. My great-grandfather, Silas Oliver Jennings, was an old Methodist preacher and church builder.  There is still at least one country church building that survives somewhere in the hills of southern Tennessee.  My gospel music roots are just as deep.  My paternal grandmother, Cora Lucille Jennings Morgan, was a first cousin to Mom Speer, of the famous gospel singing Speer Family.  I think you get the picture.  It is what is commonly called a strong Christian heritage.  I am thankful for it. 

I write this to illustrate that I am not a malcontent, occasional church goer.  I know church.  However, at this point in my life I am feeling what I think is a holy discontent growing inside of me.  I have been fortunate (we would call it, “blessed”) to have been part of several dynamic churches during my lifetime.  Most of them I have served in some leadership capacity from teen group leader to senior pastor.  I have planted one church from scratch (starting with 5 people in my living room).  I am the recipient of a few great mentors and a couple of leaders that emphatically showed me what not to be!  I have the experience of having attended and served in three church denominations/movements (Methodist, Nazarene & Vineyard).  I have loved, and still do love all of them.  That is rare.  Each one made contributions in my life that are immeasurable.  Why then do I come to this point in my life when I am feeling the need for something different?  Good question.  Let me see if I can unpack it enough to share some understanding.

I am longing for simplicity.  My desire at this point in my life is not for long sermons with special effects and PowerPoint illustrations.  It isn’t for intriguing and complicated music, whether sung from a hymnal or projected in HD quality on gigantic screens (with complimentary LED colored lighting, etc).  Don’t get me wrong.  I still love good Bible teaching.  I still love good music of various genres.  I just have this desire for a simple, organic church service (or what would be considered one) that focuses on some very simple realities:  1. Devotion to God 2. Inner transformation. 3. Mission…letting those I encounter each day get a sense of who Jesus is by hanging around me. 4. Hearing other’s stories, on a regular basis, from the current days and weeks of their busy lives. 5. Allowing the timeless, tested and true wisdom of the Bible to illuminate the pathway we are traveling. 6. Lots of dialogue and not much monologue. 7. Simple fellowship together, and compassion for every human being no matter how marginalized or how gifted they happened to be. 8. A safe place to be for a few minutes each week where true Christian love and charity abound. 9. A challenge to be even more fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ in all areas of life. 10. As little as is possible to keep up with in terms of buildings, payments, organization, programs, structures and equipment.  I am longing for SIMPLICITY.

If you read into this article a disgust, distaste or critical attitude toward the current church, you are missing my intent by miles.  We have different needs at different points in our lives.  Young families have different needs than older adults.  I am simply trying to explain what I would love to try as “church” for the next 10 years.  It wouldn’t be for everyone, but I am wondering if it is for some?  Does this ring true with anyone else?  I welcome your comments, thoughts and even criticisms, as long as they are meant to be constructive and not negative rants.  Really, folks….we do not need more of that kind of dialogue.  If you feel the need for that, please consider what my cousin, Jon, calls a “PoliPost.” 

Blessings,

Mark Morgan

(The Gatekeeper)

Take My Hand, Precious Lord

“Thomas Dorsey's "Precious Lord" has been called "the greatest gospel song of all time." People around the world know it, sing it, and love it because of its profound message of hope and faith. Written in 1932, it continues to appeal deeply to new generations of listeners. Though composed by a young African American blues pianist, the song crosses the lines of race and culture. Everyone from gospel legend Mahalia Jackson to rock 'n' roll king Elvis Presley has recorded it.

Like so many great hymns of faith, the song was inspired by a horrific tragedy in the life of its composer. Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born in rural Georgia in 1899, the son of an itinerant preacher.

By age 12, Dorsey left school to become a professional pianist. He played at house parties throughout Atlanta's black districts.

In his early 20s, Dorsey settled in Chicago. There he played, sang, and published blues compositions under the name "Georgia Tom." Music critic Stephen Calt described Dorsey saying he "ranked as the most self-conscious, serious, and accomplished blues lyricist of his time."

In 1925 Dorsey married Nettie Harper. A year later, he experienced a nervous breakdown and was unable to work for two years. To survive, his wife took a job in a laundry to support them. At the urging of his sister-in-law, Dorsey attended a church service where he experienced a spiritual healing. That event, combined with the sudden death of a young neighbor, prompted Dorsey to commit himself more fully to God and Christian music. To mark his new life, he wrote his first gospel song, "If You See My Savior, Tell Him That You Saw Me."

In 1932 Dorsey accepted an invitation to become choir director of Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church, a position he would hold for nearly 40 years. As the Great Depression wore away at the spirits of Americans, Dorsey viewed his songwriting as an important ministry. He believed his songs "lifted people out of the muck and mire of poverty and gave them ... hope."

In August of '32, Dorsey was scheduled to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting in St. Louis. At the time he and his wife were living in a little apartment on the South Side of Chicago. Nettie was pregnant with their first child. He kissed her goodbye and made his way to St. Louis for the revival. The next night, as soon as he finished playing, a Western Union messenger came up to the stage and gave Dorsey an urgent telegram. "I ripped open the envelope," he recounted later, "and pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: 'Your wife just died.'"

Dorsey believed his songs "lifted people out of the muck and mire of poverty and gave them … hope." 

Dorsey remembered the evening as a surreal moment. "People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out."

Racing home, he learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. "I swung between grief and joy," he recalled. "Yet that night, the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together in the same casket." He managed to get through the funeral visitation and service. But when it was all over, he withdrew from family, friends, and even his beloved music. "I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn't want to serve him anymore or write gospel songs. I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well," he said.

In the midst of despair, a friend visited Dorsey and arranged for him to be left alone in a music room with a piano. "It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows," Dorsey recalled. For the first time in many days, he sat at a piano using his fingers to browse the keys. Soon, the young artist experienced a personal revival: "I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, one I'd never heard or played before, and words [for "Precious Lord"] came into my head—they just seemed to fall into place."

"Precious Lord" was an immediate and permanent hit. Dorsey himself said, "This is the greatest song I have written." He went on to sing and direct "Precious Lord" at churches and concerts around the world. To date, the song has been translated into 32 languages.

Dorsey died in January 1993 in Chicago, but his legacy thrives. With his innovative blending of sacred and secular styles, he is remembered as the architect of modern gospel music.
Christianity Today

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When my way grows drear precious Lord linger near
When my light is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When the darkness appears and the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

Being black in America is tough

Recently, someone spray painted the “n” word across the gate to LaBron James’ Brentwood home in LA.  In a news conference James made some statements that will surely be criticized. The basis for the criticism will be the fact that James has a net worth of approximately $300 million dollars. 

"Just shows that racism will always be a part of the world, part of America. Hate in America, especially for African-Americans, is living every day. It is hidden most days. It is alive every single day…..No matter how much money you have, how famous you are, how much people admire you, being black in America is tough."  LaBron James

Some people will resent that no matter who the person is or what they have accomplished.  In fact, it’s much like racism, itself.  The problem is that people have a selfish bent to life. It’s a heart thing, not a color or money issue.  It is an “I want to be richer than you” attitude. It is an “I want to be more important than you” attitude.  So, in order to achieve that, I will do my best to keep you down….on a lower value scale than I perceive myself to occupy.  If I can exploit the color of our skin to my advantage, I will.  It certainly isn’t just an American thing…it is all over the world, and that’s because it is a heart issue.  We see it in the various cast systems in parts of the world.  I have seen it on every continent I have been on, and in every country.  The human heart, without a fundamental change, is brutally selfish.  Don’t criticize LaBron on the basis of his net worth…that in itself exposes your selfishness. I don’t begrudge his wealth or his fame. I wouldn’t disagree with LaBron’s statement that being black in America is tough, I’d just expand it to:  “Being alive in a world filled with people who have selfish hearts is tough.”

The Gatekeeper

The recent executions in Arkansas…

have once again made me think….am I for or against capital punishment?  I have read several responses to the recent executions in Arkansas. Most of them are from folks who have deep, emotional sympathy for the families of the victims who were murdered, which landed the perpetrators on death row.  Most of those comments are in agreement with the sentence and the executions.  Many of the comments include something like: “lethal injection is too easy for them.”  Meaning, they ought to be tortured in a similar way that they inflicted pain and ultimately death on their victims.  They are getting off way to easy.  Many include a sentence like: “may they rot in hell forever.”  Emotions are high…understandable. 

Not having experienced such a horrific event, I will not pass judgment on the pain and grief of those who have had to deal with the murder of someone they loved.  I really do not know what I would do or say.  It does leave me with some questions that are very difficult to process.

Does another person’s death ever pay the price for someone who was murdered?

Does the execution of the rightly convicted person make the pain any less, or does it in any way soothe the hurt they have caused?

We know an execution brings nobody back to life. We hear that all the time, but I think it is a pretty insensitive and shallow comment to one who has been so severely wronged and injured.

Is anger, pain and bitterness ever satisfied by retribution?

Is there really any such thing as closure?  Does execution produce it?

Why do we feel the need to kill them, as they have killed someone we care about?

Is focusing on, and carrying out punishment of the guilty a way to personal peace of heart and mind?

Does revenge lock a person into the emotional torture and prison the perpetrator created with their heinous action?

Is forgiveness the only way to peace of heart and mind?

Is forgiveness misunderstood by most of us, and therefore seemingly an impossible task?

Are we content to allow the repulsive actions of a twisted individual to control our own thoughts, feelings and comments?

Do I want what I deserve, or do I need mercy?

It is so easy to simply respond out of the anger and emotions brought on by terrible, terrible crimes of senseless hate, perverted passion, greed, selfishness and depravity.  However, those responses seem to do nothing but stoke the fires of hate and anger.  It doesn’t call us to a higher level of love, compassion and understanding.  What are we to do? I have a few friends, whom I love, who must endure and somehow process these kinds of nightmares. All I feel for them is deep, genuine compassion…not judgment.

No easy answers…many hard questions…but somehow, in the end, mercy triumphs over judgment.

The Gatekeeper
Mark Morgan

On My Mind......

This is not a solicitation!  This is a genuine reflection of where we’ve been, and an anticipation of what might lie ahead.  For the past 8 years or so, we (Gilbert Vineyard Church in Arizona) have supported and helped raise 4 wonderful girls and one boy from the remote mountain villages of the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal.  Here in the shadow of Mt Everest, are so many young girls, in particular, who will never have a chance for an education or to make life choices for themselves.  It has been our privilege to see these girls become educated, trained, and mature into young women who have skills to make their own life choices.  Two of our girls are nearing their completion of school (our equivalent of high school) and will be finding jobs or making decisions on what is next for them.  All of these young girls were at risk of being sold, abused, or just taken by someone as their own personal property. One of our girls was sold when she was 10 years old.  She is now 17, and is a remarkable young woman.  They are all bright, devoted and equipped for life.  I cannot communicate how fulfilling it has been to see this transformation in their lives.  They live in Kathmandu, Nepal at the Vineyard Church. This is wonderful environment in a family atmosphere.  I will be seeing them again in a few months.

It is easy to find young girls, like ours, who need help if they will have any chance at a quality life.  Getting more girls is the easy part, supporting them is a huge commitment of time, energy and money.  It takes about $100 a month to fully support these kids, and it is a 10 year commitment.  That gives you some idea of the investment that is required.  This is not an emotional decision that can be forgotten in a few months or years.  These are real lives we are involved in, and once begun, must be followed through.  Anything else would be irresponsible and self-serving. 

My question:  Should we continue?  Should we find more young girls (approximately 8-10 years old) and give them the same opportunity our girls have had?  Do we have another 10 years of that kind of commitment in us?  Are there others who would love to be part of this kind of rescue and redemption ministry?  Over the next few months, we have decisions to make.  Do we continue, is the biggest one.  Are there any of my FB friends who are looking for this kind of opportunity to change a life?  If so, message me and we can talk further.  In order to continue this ministry, we need more people involved. It is as simple as that.  I am not asking anyone to get involved.  I am asking if you have any interest or inclination to do this with us. 

Thanks for reading this rather long post, and for taking it into consideration.

Mark Morgan

One Way To Create And Lead A Small Group Study

There are many tips, principles, and do’s and don’ts, but here is a sample of how I put together a “study” or “discussion” for a small group.

What scripture are you exploring?

Ask unique, searching questions to draw everyone in right at the beginning.

They can be light or fun to begin with

They can progress to something much deeper

Spend most of your time crafting GOOD questions….it is more than half the battle.

Ask the questions, and don’t anticipate the responses.  You must be willing to allow the group to take you some places you had not anticipated going.  That is the freshness, and fun of a small group.

Somewhere, ask for personal, specific applications or illustrations. They can be positive or negative, but they must be real life, real experiences, examples and applications..  No general or hypothetical stuff…it is worse than boring and helps no one.  Include people’s stories!

Let the flow take you to the conclusion of your time.  Try something new….go with a hunch….take a risk and go with your gut feeling of how to end. Allow spiritual gifts to be expressed.

A jump start for you:  sample study

MOVING ON!

Phil 3:13 “forgetting what is behind, and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on…..”

What is your favorite childhood memory…of an event or experience?

When is the first time you can remember feeling DEEP sorrow?  What was the occasion and what conclusions did you draw from it?  Were your takeaways from that time accurate or faulty?  Are they still affecting you today?

Sometimes we must “de-construct” things in our past, and re-construct them with accurate information in order to be free to move FORWARD.  We can get stuck in our childhood emotions and find it difficult to move forward, as this scripture is urging us to.

How do you relate to this?  What do you need to do to move ahead, rather than continue to live in the past? What can you do, or at least begin to do, right now?

From here, you may go several directions.  Be sensitive to your group. Go with the LIFE that is surfacing.  I have not led this particular study in a small group…I am just at Starbucks thinking through this passage from Philippians, and jotting down my thoughts on how I might lead it.  You can do the same thing.  Get a passage….give it a try!

Happy group leading!

The Gatekeeper

A great read

A Hidden Wholeness

Parker Palmer

            A Hidden Wholeness, by Parker Palmer, is aptly named in that the journey toward becoming whole must be sought after in order to be found. It is hidden. It does not sneak up on us unannounced and somehow bury itself into our being without our knowledge or permission. In most cases, it requires an effort that at times seems impossible.  The author began his own journey into wholeness from the depths of a long enduring clinical depression.  His painful journey is the seedbed from which this book springs. It is not theory.  It is not merely anecdotal.  It is an account of things learned, of principles and practices applied, and the transformation that can take place when one decides to take the journey toward wholeness.  This is his description of that journey.

            Wholeness does not mean perfection: it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life. Knowing this gives me hope that human wholeness-mine, yours, ours-need not be a utopian dream, if we can use devastation as a seedbed for new life. 

Becoming a “whole” person is certainly not automatic. It is the result of fearlessly searching for and accepting the truth about ourselves, and being willing to embrace that truth, no matter how unpleasant the process may be. The bottom line is that we must be willing to practice personal honestly instead of ignoring, burying, and stifling our inmost being.  It is the only way to achieve wholeness.

Themes

There are several significant themes in this book, any of which could be a book of its own.  Palmer is, obviously, writing out of his experience, but it is deeper than a simple story of how I was transformed from the depths of depression.  He has such a good grasp on the psychological, spiritual and physical aspects of becoming a whole person.  Here are a few of the notable themes in A Hidden Wholeness that are impacting my life.

1.     The True Self.  Palmer says that we find evidence of a “true self” when we identify and experience life events that are not explainable in terms of biology, psychology, and sociology alone. They are not the whole of who we are.  Our own self-awareness confronts things and wrestles with who we are on the inside that can’t be explained by science alone.  There is a temptation within  that would urge us to give up, lose our desire for life, and sink in despair if it weren’t for that life force that will not let us die. 

Our true self is assaulted by life and forming forces, both without and within, are at work to rob us of our true self….that for which we were created.  Racism, sexism, economic injustice, and other social cancers assail us.  Jealousy, resentment, self-doubt, fear and other demons attack our inner life.  These things that attack our true self, also can lead us into, and keep us in depression.  Palmer’s description of his depression is excellent:

            But the strongest evidence for true self comes from seeing what happens when we try to live as if we did not have one, a lesson I learned on my journey with clinical depression.` Depressions come from a variety of causes, of course. Some result from genetic bad luck or imbalanced brain chemistry and must be treated with drugs. But others result from burying true self so deep that life becomes one long, dark night of the soul. My depression was of that kind: it responded to drugs only temporarily, returning again and again until I embraced my own truth.

2.    Community of Solitudes.  Palmer calls this, “learning to be alone in the company of others.”  I love that.  Being alone together is likely the strength of this book as it may be compared to other works on the themes:  depression, formation, soul care, the inner life and spiritual direction.  Palmer’s view of solitude is not to be sequestered in some off the beaten path place or environment.  It is not what is typically thought of as a monastic existence (though that concept is often greatly misunderstood).  Solitude is not necessarily living apart from society, but rather it means that we never live apart from our true self.  It isn’t about the absence of other people, it is about being fully present with ourselves, whether or not people are around.  By the same token, being in community does not mean we are always (or nearly always) with people.  It means that we never lose the awareness that we are connected to each other. It is being fully open to, and engaging in the reality of relationships, whether or not we are alone.  Palmer says, “the soul is shy.”  Meaning that we must learn these elements and principles of solitude if we are to give our souls an avenue to make itself known! 

Formation happens in this context of being in community and solitude….being alone together!  It is when our lives have the opportunity to conform to the shape of our souls.  It is not about adhering to a set of rules, beliefs or accepted practices.

Parker’s description and treatment of solitude and community are worth the read.  It is sometimes said that in nearly any book, 80% of the benefit can be found in 20% of the copy.  This book stretches those percentage considerably, but this theme is definitely a strength of his work.

3.    Circles of Trust.  Circles of Trust are the methodology Palmer often uses on retreats.  It is essentially that same method of group direction that we have practiced here together.  His insight helped me to see the depth and the importance of such experiences. After reading this book, calling the activity of “group spiritual direction” an exercise, is too trivial and doesn’t account for the profound change and formation that can happen when it is properly employed.  It is actually a way of doing life together.  Again, I love his take and his insight coming from his own place of darkness, pain and need.

I want to include in this book report an extended quotation.  It simply is too good to shorten or to leave out.  This alone, should inspire you to, not only read the book, but to absorb it.  This is Palmer’s comparison of sitting with a dying person, and the two principles that should be the same when we are doing small group (circles of trust) spiritual direction.  Again…I am being redundant, but this is worth the book!

Circles of Trust:  Like sitting with a dying person

When we sit with a dying person, we gain two critical insights into what it means to "be alone together." First, we realize that we must abandon the arrogance that often distorts our relationships- the arrogance of believing that we have the answer to the other person's problem. When we sit with a dying person, we understand that what is before us is not a "problem to be solved" but a mystery to be honored. As we find a way to stand respectfully fully on the edge of that mystery, we start to see that all of our relationships would be deepened if we could play the fixer role less frequently. Second, when we sit with a dying person, we realize that we must overcome the fear that often distorts our relationships-the fear that causes us to turn away when the other reveals something too vexing, painful, or ugly to bear. Death may be all of this and more. And yet we hold the dying person in our gaze, our hearts, our prayers, knowing that it would be disrespectful to avert our eyes, that the only gift we have to offer in this moment is our undivided vided attention. When people sit with a dying person, they know that they are doing more than taking up space in the room. But if you ask them to describe what that "more" is, they have a hard time finding the right words. And when the words come, they are almost always some variant on "I was simply being present."

Deep Speaks To Deep

“No fixing, no saving, no advising, no setting each other straight.”  The rule is simple, but abiding by it proves challenging.  We all tend to have some arrogance….and it desperately wants to find its way to the surface in our exchanges with others.

In circles of trust…we speak our own truth.  The deeper your issues go, the less likely that any advice I would give would make much of a difference.  Some Native American tribes use the “talking stick” approach.  It works much the same way.  Whoever is holding the stick is the only one who speaks.  The others in the circle, are there to listen, and to enter into the journey of the one who is speaking.

This, as much as anything in the book, has shaped my view of spiritual direction, and in so doing, has opened me to a new realization of how God longs to sit with me.  Not as a judge who is weighing the merit of what I say and do, but as a loving Father who desires to spend time with me….listening to me, without the compulsion of fixing, scolding or punishing me for my obvious inadequacies.  It has given me encouragement to just be open and honest…to not be afraid to look inside.  Lots of people in my profession and in my personal relationship have given me tons of answers, opinions and corrections…in other words:  THE RIGHT ANSWERS!  Maybe what I’ve needed most is to be heard, and accepted, and loved.  No strings attached.

Book report:  Mark Morgan (The Gatekeeper)

Vineyard USA.....a community of churches

I have just returned from the VUSA leadership meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  It was a great time of team building and hanging out with other Vineyard leaders, both new and from across the years.  Here is a link to our first digital Annual Report.  This report will give you a great snap-shot of who the Vineyard is, and what we are about.
Blessings!

Vineyard USA Annual Report

This country boy knows how to grill a steak...

Preparation

Use course ground sea salt and fresh ground pepper to season the steak on both sides (you can use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt if you prefer). Let the steak sit out until it is room temperature. This should be at least 30 min, so the seasoning can permeate the steak as well.  You can also rub with butter or olive oil if you desire.  It comes down to what flavor you like best.  Personally, I do not like to use much in the way of dry rubs on a good steak. 

Grill

For a gas grill, preheat to at least 600 degrees F. (I prefer over 700).  Brush the grill if there is any residue left on from previous grilling.  For charcoal or wood, they can be very, very hot, so you will have to adjust to the temperature of your fire.  I use a crossfire infared grill so there are no flare ups (see my blog post on a successful cookout if you want a rundown on my grill).

Cooking

Place the steak on the hot grill at 45 degrees to the left.  Let it cook for 2 ½ minutes.

With tongs (NO MEAT FORKS) then move the steak to a position of 45 degrees to the right. Let cook for 2 ½ minutes.

With tongs, turn the steak over and repeat the process:  45 degrees, left and right for

2 ½ minutes each.

Remove from the grill after a total cooking time of 10 minutes.  Put on a platter, cover with foil and let rest for approximately 5 minutes.

Your perfectly marked steak should be medium rare for a 1 inch steak.  You can reduce the ½ minutes if your steak is a bit thinner.  An 8 minute steak that is approximately ¾ of a inch thick should be medium rare.

It is not hard, but it is important to do it correctly.  I use the timer on my phone or iPad to make sure my times are accurate.

The Gatekeeper