This past week we bid a fond farewell to a valuable member of our team. We say “goodbye” with very mixed feelings. Brad Causey will be greatly missed.

A couple of months ago, Brad let me know that he was contemplating leaving his post at CMN and accepting the position of Executive Pastor with Randy Quackenbush. Randy has been the Worship Pastor at James River Assembly in Springfield until he recently accepted the invitation to become the pastor of a 52 year old church plant. Literally. The founding pastor has been there for 52 years and decided it was time to conclude his leadership role with St. Paul Evangelical Church.

Randy has known Brad and his wife Christin for years. He invited Brad and Christin to join him on this adventure. In some ways, Brad will be doing what he did for CMN…high quality management of a diversity of projects. However, this opporunity will give Brad the chance to “get his hands in the clay” of local church leadership.

So, these last few months have been a bittersweet time…first, I hoped that God would speak to Brad or Randy or somebody and tell Brad he was supposed to stay right where he was! But, of course, that was a selfish prayer, and so we just prayed that God would lead Brad to the center of His perfect will. And so, today, Brad and Christin are arriving in Lexington, Massachusetts to begin a new chapter of life.

One other feature of this story is that Brad and Christin are expecting their first child sometime in January. They know he’s going to be a boy and I’m sure they’ll name him Steve after Brad’s favorite boss ever! That’s a joke folks!!!

Anyway…thanks Brad for a job very well done. It has been a great privilege to serve along side you for the past two and a half years. We are praying that God will richly bless every aspect of your journey!

Disclaimer: The link below takes you to a video that is just funny. It’s actually footage from funny things that happen in church. I’m not promoting anyone or anything associated with this particular video. I’m not in favor of this particular website and I’m not endorsing any organization, person or business associated with it. It’s just funny things that have happened in church when a video camera was around to capture it. And as far as I can tell it’s all too real! Once again, if laughter is something you try to avoid, don’t not follow the link below.

Blogosphere pundits have made a big deal about the fact that Sarah Palin has spent most of her years as a follower of Christ attending an Assemblies of God church. They take pleasure in finding obscure video’s of aberant teaching and bizarre incidents and claiming that these examples represent a normal day in the life of an Assemblies of God church. I’d say that about as fair as saying that the following video examples represent life as normal in an average non-Assemblies of God church. Here’s the link… True Church Life Revealed?

In the last 30 days, I’ve lost two friends…one to cancer, the other to an accident….

Joe was 50, missionary to Scotland, husband of Jayne, father of two. Scott was 33, founder of a ministry to the children of inmates called Shapes Mentoring, husband of Cori, father of four with another on the way. Both of them died unexpectedly before anyone was ready for them to go.

I know death is part of life, but it just feels wrong when young people die. I believe in God’s sovereignty over all, but I struggle with why God would “let this happen.” A much loved missionary taken by cancer during perhaps the most productive time in his life. A young, already accomplished leader brimming with potential for future impact, gone too soon. None of this makes sense. Where is God in all of this? Why didn’t He heal Joe? Where were the angels when Scott had his accident?

Asking “why” is normal. But in the end, I just can’t know the answer to “why” with absolute certainty. I can speculate, but I will always end up at the same place. I’ve got to trust God.

As simple and even simple minded as that sounds, it is actually a complex yet wonderful place to be. His thoughts and ways are higher than mine. My capacity to grasp and understand everything is limited. He has the infinite perspective. He knows all, sees all and holds it all together. My brain can’t even begin to comprehend what God knows and experiences. If He told me “why” I still would not understand.

And so, I trust. And I grieve. And I rest.  And I continue to live.