You can skip this post. It means nothing and says nothing, but I have to get it off of my chest.

My flight to Indianapolis through Chicago was cancelled last Thursday. No problem. I was there early and had time. I waited to speak with a United representative. Beware - the people working behind the kiosks may or may not be United agents. Mine were not. They are there to transfer your luggage tags to a bag and hand them to you after your kiosk check in. If all does not go well at the kiosk - you get to go stand in another very long line (after already standing in a long line) to speak to the real agents.

It all worked out okay. I was rerouted to Philadelphia - which makes perfect sense if you have no sense of geography. The flight was two hours longer and longer on my way back to Indy as well. I don’t mind - it allowed me to plant my flag in Pennsylvania, a state that I had never set foot in prior to Thursday. I can now say I have been there. HOWEVER; when in Philly, what do you want for lunch? That’s right. I know that the univeral answer echoing through everyone’s head is “A Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich”. Do you think you could find a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich in the Philly airport (with only 50 minutes to spare)? Nope. Found a Deli. No cheesesteak. Found pizza. No cheesesteak. Found a shirt with a Philly Cheesesteak on it. Nothing I could eat. I had to settle for a hot Reuben - good, but not what I was craving in Philly.

For those of you who did not refrain from reading this post, I both apologize for the selfish ranting and thank you for listening. I feel better now.

I’m back from a long weekend in Indianapolis, IN. For those of you who did not know where I disappeared to, I went back to East 91st St. Christian Church for an annual gathering that they hold. Pathway Church is the 39th church plant that East 91st has participated in. I believe they are up to about 45 now. Each year they invite the planters of those churches to come back for a weekend of connection and vision for the future. The connection is part of what I love. I had the opportunity to visit with some friends that have walked where my family has walked. Some are further ahead of us on the timeline, while others have yet to even launch their new church. I met with guys who live from Seattle to North Caroline to Calgary, Onterio to Toronto. Each of us had one thing in common, we have a passion to see God’s Kingdom expand through church planting.

This ride is a joy for me. Thank you for participating in the mission of redemptive influence in this world. I pray that as we continue to seek God’s heart and listen to His voice, His influence will grow within our community and the impact that we have in Mill Creek and the surrounding area will grow as well.

You are making a difference!

Last week, we were reminded that to be the church is to be “called out.” It is more than just a place or a service on a Sunday. But what are we “called out” to be?

As we chase an understanding of what the mission of the church is, we can’t go very far without understanding what God’s mission in the world is. The “Kingdom of God” (sometimes called the “Kingdom of heaven“) is mentioned over 80 times in the New Testament. The Kingdom of God is where God’s will, or God’s mission, happens. So, in our desire to understand the mission of God, and therefore the mission of the church, this week we are looking at the Kingdom of God.

Our questions are simple, but loaded, this week. This three word phrase is packed with different meanings for all, so let’s learn from each other:
What is your understanding of the Kingdom of God?
What does the Kingdom of God look like?