Upcoming in April

April promises to be a special month for families at FBC. Our annual Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday April 7th at 10:30am. We also have a family movie night on the 13th most likely featuring the movie, Charlotte's Web. I'll give the details on the week after. In addition, we will have a concert featuring a band that has two of our youth members taking the lead.

What I'm Reading

If you've never read anything by Shusaku Endo, do so. I know that he is popular in many circles but many have never read anthing by him. Start off with Silence and then read The Samurai. You will be blessed. I am now reading, The Life of Jesus and truthfully am a bit disappointed. But this was a book written for a Japanese audience and not originally intended for my Christian, American eyes. Endo remains my favorite author. I also just finished, The will of God as a Way of Life by Jerry Sittser which gave me many insights that I was able to share with the teenagers here at FBC. Remember, God has a hidden will and a specific will!

And do this sometime if you want to slow down your pace just a bit! Pick up a Hemingway novel. Blah! you might say. But seriously, do this and try to read just a little of it in the evenings and or mornings. Heminway's, Islands in the Stream, has actually had an effect me. Man, how I wish I lived on that island! Before that I read, For Whom the Bell Toles, and it was wonderful yet haunting.

In church related areas I find myself consumed with The Simple Church. It deals with a new approach to ministry and church that has given me some needed energy. Google is simple. So why can't the church be simple. Could it be because we want to give the impression that there is life instead of offering real life to our members and our community?

From time to time, I go to Seeds by Thomas Merton. Don't try to read it as you would a book lest you ruin its true meaning. Rather, when feeling empty or too busy to stop, simply turn to it and let God guide you by the writings of a great man.

If you are looking for a good book, check one of these out and let's talk.

The Acoustic Spoon

It has been a wonderful spring at The Acoustic Spoon. We have seen Bethany Gulke, Adam Wheatley, Ken Weatherford, Paul Berkes, and many more. Each Thursday night at 6:30pm in the basement, these musicians open up for our featured house band, The Edge. We have had great moments of worship. We may have 5 people in our coffee house setting or we may have 35 depending on what else may be going on in the city.

Everyone needs to come out and experience the night.