OCU Reaches Out

Oklahoma Christian University recently hosted President Kagame from Rwanda. Below is an excerpt from an article about the event:
Oklahoma Christian University also announced that it is creating five scholarships for Rwandan students beginning in the fall of 2006, and will add two to that total each year for several years. One-half tuition will be available to additional Rwandans. Oklahoma Christian University president Dr Mike E. O’Neal visited Rwanda in 2004 and invited President Kagame at that time to visit Oklahoma. O’Neal said he was moved by President Kagame’s efforts to reunite the country.
My wife and I visited Rwanda in 2003 and were forever affected by the destruction that still lingered from the 1994 genocide, and the undominable determination of the Rwandan people to rebuild the country for their children. I'm so thankful OCU has made this partnership that will help breathe the true spirit of Christianity into a country seeking a firmer foundation. Praise God when his people reach out and extend the hand of Jesus to those for whom he came.

Read more about it at:
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4411&Itemid=1

Great job Dr. O'Neal and OCU!

Involvment Ministry

In a few months I will be the involvement minister for a church in Florida. What is involvement ministry? I appreciate the description by one of my professors of ministry as "a resource person." Our job in professional ministry is to make connections. Most of our training at the graduate school in Memphis is dedicated to connecting people with God's Word. We help people connect with Christ.

Fred Craddock has said that often a minister's job is to say what the people have been wanting to say, but didn't know how. Bruce McLarty has said that A minister often must ask the questions that others don't want to or know how to ask. These are connections; between people and articulated questions and answers in our Christian walk.

As I reflect on involvement ministry I keep seeing the job as making connections between people. The involvement minster has the task of knowing everyone and helping them to connect to each other.

Help me out. What should an involvement minister do? What are ways to connect people to each other, the church and to God?

If you aren't able to make a comment (I have tried to make a comment and failed so maybe you have difficulty) feel free to email me at danielpcherry@gmail.com.

My Harding University chapel talk today

My name is Daniel Cherry. I’m proud to be a Cherry. My great grandfather, Edward Gamble Cherry defended this country in WWI. My Grandfather, Paul E. Cherry made advancements in the field of Chemical Engineering. I’m especially proud to be the son of my parents, Dennis and Kathy Cherry who searched scripture with a passion and found Christ. My family isn’t perfect, but I’m proud to be a Cherry.

I’m also proud to be a Harding alumnus. I’m proud to be a part of an institution whose founding president preached on the weekends and used the money he received to pay his faculty during the week, just to keep this school going. I’m especially proud of this university’s commitment to pursuing excellence in Christian education. I’m proud to be part of a school whose faculty, staff and students strive to grow in their Christian faith. Harding isn’t perfect, but I’m proud to be a part of Harding University.

I’m proud to be the husband of my wife, the father of my children and the brother of my sisters.

I’m proud more than all things to be a Christian. I am proud wear the name of my savior who bought me with his perfect blood, who redeemed me from a place where I was so lost, only God could find me, only He could bring me home. I’m proud to be a part of the Christian family. What ties you who are Christians and me together is a blood that runs so deep, that all eternity cannot fathom it, nor can angels see into, though they long to look into these things.

I am also proud to be an American. Many of you are from other countries and proud to be; you should be. Every one of you come from a place where your nation’s history has added positive contributions to the global community of which we are all a part. Last year I was able to spend two days with some students from Panama. What a rich culture they have. My sister is in her second year working in China. I still marvel at how long the Chinese people have existed as a sovereign nation. I’ve spent four months in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda and have always been impressed with ability of the African people to laugh in spite of incredible adversity. My family lived for three years in Germany. Germans have contributed so much to philosophy, theological studies and archeology.

It is okay to be proud of the place where you are from. No country – no group of people for that matter, is perfect. But we can be positive about where come from. I want to be positive for the next few minutes about the United States. There is a trend right now among people in our generation in this country to dog our country our church and our school. I think that trend is shameful. It doesn’t help anyone, it only breaks down the people who are trying to make them better. There’s a difference between constructive criticism to someone and just talking bad about them.

Every country has something that ties its citizens together. For many, it is an ethnic relationship. A common blood and history, certain facial features coming from certain family lines.

In the United States what holds citizens together is not ethnic make-up or even a common history. Many Americans came as immigrants in the last few generations. What ties Americans, citizens of the United States together is an ideal. That ideal is basically the pursuit of freedom. It is an ideal that our founding fathers procured from scripture.

They read passages such as:
(John 8:31-32 NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Our founding fathers were immigrants who wanted freedom to teach the truth, freedom to evangelize, freedom to worship God – Freedom to tell people that they could be
redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to them from their forefathers. (1 Pet 1:18)

In our first major founding document, the Declaration of Independence the following statement reads “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

This country was founded upon the notion that all people are created by God equal, and should be able make choices for themselves. We haven’t ever practiced it perfectly, but it has been our country’s constant pursuit. Is this a pursuit worthy of a Christian?

The statement in the Declaration of Independence consists of three basic tenets.
1. All people are given life by God
2. All people are created Equal
3. All people are free to make own choices

I think the first two are obvious to all of us. It is the third one we have problems with.

Once we were lost. Without Christ we didn’t have a choice between heaven or hell. We were all condemned in our sin. But because of his death and the glorious resurrection we celebrated yesterday, we are made free...you now have a choice.

I want to pursue freedom with a passion – Christ’s freedom. The United States government protects political freedom. But the only thing that gives spiritual freedom is when people know about the choice they have. When people know about Christ and that he died for them – then, then, they can be free - when they know the Truth.

I’m proud to be a Christian because I’m proud of my Lord
I’m proud to be an American, because my country pursues the ideal of freedom

And when I put those two together it means that I talk about Him, who is Truth - spreading Freedom.

Are you free? Are you truly free? Are you leaving people in the bondage of ignorance? Or are you passionate about bringing this freedom to a world that longs to be free?

What is the reason for the hope you have?

On Sunday nights at church we have been discussing the qeustion, "How do you know?"

How do you know there is a God, Jesus rose from the dead, scripture is reliable. I'd like to generate some discussion on this question. If you have some thoughts, please share.

So, how do you know? What is the reason for the hope you have?

"Happy"

My 22 month-old son, Corban, is extremely perceptive. He's learned the difference between happy and sad. We can point to a person and ask if that person is happy or sad and he will tell you pretty accurately which he/she is. He makes the facial expressions on demand.

For the past 4 months Corban will randomly look up at us with a huge smile on his face and proclaim, “Happy!” He does this when he has been blessed in a particular way. He’ll have candy juice dripping from his mouth, or sitting on a stair with “dadda” playing "bus" and look up and shout “Happy!” Its his way of saying, “Thank you.” Nothing makes our day like that simple expressive word.

Do you proclaim to God when you are satisfied with His gifts? Like Corban, I want to look up into my Father's face today and tell Him, “Happy!”

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Mat 7:9-11)

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. (Psa 107:31)

What has God done lately for which you can say to Him, "Happy!"?

What is your cover? part 2

What is your cover?

In part 1 I laid a positive foundation of what our cover should be, Christ, our armor. This week, I want to discuss covers we Christians should destroy.

Conservative Christians rate similarly to non Christians on many moral issues. Divorce rates, for example are the same for both. Why?

One main cause is the façade we put before the world, the church, our family, and friends; hiding our real selves. Non-Christians realize it is okay not to be perfect. Christians often struggle with that concept.

I have never been to Landmark church of Christ in Montgomery, Alabama, but I’ve spent time with their preacher, Buddy Bell. People respond at Landmark virtually every Sunday with public confession, laying their burdens before the cross. They let go of the “I am a Christian, so I have to look like everything is perfect and I am no longer struggling with sin” façade.

It is amazing what kind of healing and purging affect public confession has on Christians. Landmark’s divorces have gone down, and conversions have skyrocketed (they are now an 1,150 member congregation and growing). People from the community come and see a church full of sinners on a journey. They say, “I can be a part of that group. They are like me.”

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mat 11:28-30 NIV)

You can give Christ your burdens; confess your weaknesses, and find rest for your soul.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed... (James 5:16 NIV)

Have you constructed a façade? What is your cover? For what burdens can I pray for you?

Open for comments

New at blogging, I just realized that I had blocked everyone from making comments on my blog site. That would be totally counterproductive. I have changed that option, hopefully, so please feel free to make comments.

God Bless!