24. December 2007 by David Alexander.

A Bed In My Heart
                  by Martin Luther

 Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled
Within my heart,
that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
My heart for very joy doth leap.
My lips no more can silence keep.

I too must sing, with joyful tongue,
That sweetest ancient cradle song,
Glory to God in highest Heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given,
While angels sing with pious mirth,
A glad New Year to all the earth.

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10. December 2007 by David Alexander.

God has called me to “entrust to others what He has entrusted to me.”  I live to give my life away in every aspect  -  total reproduction.  God has allowed me to be directly involved with 4 church plants in recent history, and since, I have had the privilege of working with many other new churches and ministries.  The experience has been and continues to be total exhilaration as it exemplifies and embodies completely what God has formed me to be.

            My core values of synergy and innovation come from the engineering and missionary background.  “Mcgyverisms” are the heart of flexibility and making do with what you have in order to get the job done.  That is engineering.  To always improve upon and challenge the existing structure.  Nothing is ever so perfect that need not be improved.  Yesterday’s innovation is tomorrow’s artifact.  As Electronic Arts puts it, “challenge everything.”  To be satisfied with what is given and still do the task with excellence is the only option for satisfying the Biblical command of Colossians 3.17.  The ministry I have been allowed to have with Mississippi Baptists exists, not to do a job, but as a natural extension of who God has shaped me to be.   I could do, in any environment, no less than what I do as a strategist for Church Planting.  The task of equipping leadership to start new ministries, teaching others all that I know, synergizing with the other ministries in the organization, and training someone to take over this ministry is the only task that God has given me.  This is accomplished enthusiastically, with every resource and technological advance at my disposal, because that is the most excellent, and most fun way of doing things. 

            It is not so much that I fit church planting, but that church planting fits me.  As God has put the many different puzzle pieces together to form who I am, this is an intricate piece.  Even greater still, is the realization that while I am a work in progress, I am also a piece of a greater puzzle that God has put together.  I cannot function, nor can God accomplish His ministry through me, unless I team together with the other pieces around me.  In MBCB life, this means that I cannot exist void of the other ministerial pieces.  Although I could do good enough by myself, that is not satisfactory.  Each member of the winning team fulfills their part with synergistic expertise.  If my piece serves to add a little multicultural postmodern diversity to the whole so that together we can refrain from obsolescence, then I have served my function well. 

            I am far from complete.  But I am continuously seeing the picture of my puzzle come into focus.  In time, God will reveal to me the scope of the pieces yet to placed.  The mystery of what lies ahead is part of the fun of the great adventure.  I look forward to seeing the finished portrait.  Until then, I’ll enjoy the ride!

David A

2 Timothy 2.2

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10. December 2007 by David Alexander.

It’s 6.30pm and he begins to yawn, snuggle up to me, and rub his eyes. As well as starting to be a tad bit fussy, these are clear signs that its time for the bedtime ritual. This starts with the nightly bath (aka swim time).

Swim time can be better explained as the attempt to rid the child of the day’s grime and keep him from drowning or giving himself a concussion, while he engages in an attempt to dominate all the floating toys, explore the mysteries of water weightlessness, christen all within 10 feet of the tub, and eat the bathtub and all its contents.

There are several songs that come to mind, Bible passages from Matthew 6 and Psalms when I think of the care that God gives me in life. It dawned on me that I many times take for granted the care God gives me that I am aware of, and then the protection God grants me that I will never know of. My son will never know how many times I have guarded his head, caught him before he hit the ground when he fell, sat him down before he busted his chin, how long I have placed my arms as barriers during every bath time and stood guard so he would not go face down in the water and drown. There have been moments of discipline that we is quite aware of, times when I have taken him out of the tub cause he was obviously ready to get out or for his own safety. But, so often, protecting him without him knowing that he was protected.

And so God does so much more for me. The simple fact that I am still alive is evidence of his graciousness, mercy, and protection on my life.

“His eye is on the sparrow, I know he watches me. . .”

Thank you Lord, for watching over me. May I always hide in the shadow of your wing, and listen while you sing over me.

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