My Friend, Mary

17 May

Many of you Ebenezerites know her voice… She has answered the phones at Ebenezer for over 16 years now.  Mary Todd is more than a part of our church staff … She is my family.  And I will miss her working in our office.

Mary came to Ebenezer in January of 1997.  I had not quite been here two years as Minister of Youth.  We quickly learned that Mary was actually Marion County Royalty:  EVERYONE over there knew her father, Albert Courie, who had an appliance store on Main Street.  He brought the first television to Marion.  He was more than that:  He served in the US Army in WW2 and afterward was an integral part of the SC National Guard.  Everyone I know from there now knows her sister and brother-in-law, Ken and Margaret Baker.  But Mary doesn’t need the family ties to define her .. She is quite capable of doing that herself.

When Mary came to work with us, we quickly learned that she was really good at her job:  Good at reading people.  Good at handling issues and helping people when she could.  Good at running interference when we needed it.  She was a natural in her role.  We also learned what Kevin (her son) meant when he called her “Scary Mary.”  (I am thankful I was never on the business end of the scary part)

Mary will be missed in our office.  A few months ago, doctors starting running tests on her and discovered a small mass.  Two surgeries later, they feel they got it all, but have prepared her for the fight of her life:  She will undergo chemotherapy and radiation.  And she has to put all of her energy into that fight.  So, she regrettably resigned her post.  We did not want to see her go… Especially with this reason … But, she needs her strength for her fight.

Will she have enough strength for this battle???  YES!!  Because when she feels like she is running low, I’ll give her some of mine … Ed will give her some of his … Pam will give her some of hers … Andi will give her some of hers … Dusty will give her some of hers … Kitty will give her some of hers … Lisa will give her some of hers … Edwin will give her some of his … Billy will give her some from California … Omerea, Michelle, and the Weekday crew will send some up the hall to her … and Tory will bat cleanup, and give her plenty!!!  And that list of those who are putting their strength with Mary and Roy in this fight GOES ON AND ON.

Because we are family.  And that is what family does.  As I write this, Mary is taking her FIRST chemo treatment.  Doctors have prepared her that this will be a long road and a serious undertaking.  And I am helping her out right now.

How, you might ask???  I am praying that GOD will give her some of His strength.  Because, the truth is, that is ALL WE CAN DO and THAT IS EXACTLY ENOUGH.  His strength is perfect and plenty!!!

Pray for my big sister, Mary Todd!!!  Thanks!

Seeing the future

13 May

What is the vision and direction for Ebenezer??  There are many pieces of this puzzle in place.  And for it to be complete, EVERY MEMBER will need to find his/her place to plug in.

When you think about strong ministries at EBC, you cannot help but talk about our children’s ministry.  Our youth ministry.  Our Weekday Early Education Ministry.  Our music ministry.  Our Family Life Center.  The list can go on and on…  Considering all of these things AND the fact that of the 25,000 people within a three-mile-radius of our front door, 17,000 claimed on the latest Census to NOT have an ongoing relationship with a church, one cannot help but understand that God put us here to REACH THE LOST.  And that He has given us many tools to use in this mission.

And here we are…  We started the HOW Campaign to save money for a new sanctuary, new classroom space, and a new Youth Assembly Building.  Then the economy took a downward spiral.  HOWEVER, God allowed us to build the YAB WITHOUT DEBT!!  The next steps have yet to be taken, and for good reason…

We are NOT USING THE SPACE WE HAVE NOW to the best of our abilities.  I believe with all of my heart that until we are good stewards of that which God has entrusted to us, we WILL NOT BE GIVEN MORE.  We will not be allowed to build.  This is where we really need to pray and seek His face.

What to do??  We could consider changing our Sunday morning schedule and doing two Sunday Schools and two Worships.  We could add another service on Sunday evening that mirrors the Sunday morning worship service, and have Sunday School during that time as well.  We could add a service on Saturday night.

What SHOULD we do??  HERE IS THE ANSWER.  HERE IS THE VISION FOR EBENEZER:  We SHOULD … WE MUST … SEEK GOD AND HIS WILL FOR EACH ONE OF US.  AND WE MUST BE THE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT EACH OF US IS, EMBRACE IT, AND MOVE FORWARD AS THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS US.  EACH ONE OF US.

Period.

Changes come fast

13 May

Anyone who knows us knows we (the Wikes) have been through a lot of change this year.  Krissy graduated college.  Drew graduates high school in less than three weeks.  My children are both at major milestones in their lives and it’s all coming so fast!!

I am thankful .. Thankful my mother, father, and little sister were able to be at graduation.  Thankful Krissy has worked so hard and graduated with honors.  Thankful Drew is working hard and preparing for his next step to Francis Marion University.

But it all happens so fast.  Seems like only yesterday I was driving a U-Haul to Florence from New Orleans…  Drew was 1 month old when we walked into EBC’s Sanctuary for the first time as Minister of Youth.  In a little more than a week, Nathan Neighbors and his family will be here and hopefully another family will make Ebenezer their home for a long time.  And, while Nathan’s arrival has been long anticipated, it will be here before you know it!!

It’s funny how changes in life come so fast, and we can do two things with them:  Take them in stride and adapt, or fight them and live with the lack of peace involved in doing that.  Change in life is inevitable … And some of it IS good!!  Praying God will give us all the strength and sensibility to navigate the changes of life in a way that glorifies Him!!

Today’s sermon: A Safe Place

12 May

A Safe Place from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

Today’s sermon: Part-time Christian

5 May

Part time Christian from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

BEEE Positive

2 May

Yesterday I was walking down the hall of our Family Life Center.  One of our Weekday Ministry kindergarten classes created a bulletin board on which bees were present, along with desired traits (ok … I didn’t pay THAT much attention as I hurried down the hall).  And that bulletin board spoke to me just now.

One of the constants in my profession is a flow of negative energy…  That is a sad sentence, but true.  In a church with over 1,300 members, there is ALWAYS someone unhappy about a decision… Or about the state of ________ … or about the color of shoestrings in the pastor’s shoes … I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how negativity, derision, and factions absolutely SMOTHER the vision and mission of any church.  And I realize I am the point of contact for that at Ebenezer.

This morning, I find myself realizing the more energy I put into fending off this stuff, the LESS energy I am able to focus on what God called me here for many years ago … (Well, Tommy Dowling has been telling me that for years.  And Marty Coates reinforces this constantly on his blog http://www.coatesandassociatesinc.com/blog.html).

It all makes sense now … BEEE POSITIVE!!  Tommy and Marty and John Maxwell and a bunch of other solid leadership gurus are right:  FOCUS ON STRENGTHS!!  Now, when there are legitimate problems that need to be addressed, the Holy Spirit WILL make that clear, too!  But I’ve got to stop worrying about the color of my shoestrings … or if John Q. Churchmember is upset about the brand of TP we are now using, or the fact we put a 42″ TV in his Sunday School room instead of a 46″ ….

Yes, in several ways I know I need to trust the Holy Spirit to show me the way.  And I’ve got to do a better job at avoiding the quicksand in which the devil desperately wants me to become swamped.  So, pray for me today!!!  And I’ll pray for you!

And BEEEEE Positive!

Am I allowed to have pride??

29 Apr

I did a wedding this weekend…  Third one this month, actually.  But there was something that really made this one stand out!!  I was part of a trio of ministers involved.  What made this one special, however, was the third man in the lineup…

When I came to Ebenezer in 1995, there were a handful of senior high leaders that were really active.  But the core group was mostly made up of 8th and 9th graders.  And one of those 8th graders was a skinny little blonde-headed kid who wore glasses.  His name is Jason Dorriety.  He had this cute little sister who could outplay ALL of the boys in her grade (3rd, I think) in basketball.  Her name is Jessica.  Jessica Graham, as of this past Saturday.

Jason was that kid who was there EVERY TIME THE DOOR OPENED.  And, he wasn’t just there.  He was diving in as deep as he could.  And, he KEPT DIVING IN, even AFTER he graduated high school.  This wasn’t a David Wike thing, even though he was one of my good friends by the time he was a junior in high school.  This was a GOD-THING.

This God-thing continued into college, where he was eventually the president of FCA at Clemson.  It continued into life, as shortly after college, he publicly surrendered his life to full-time ministry.  Since then, he has served at First Baptist Church in Gray, Ga, and now at Spring Valley Baptist Church in Columbia, SC, as Minister to Students.

Everyone else at the wedding this weekend teared up when Jessica took a microphone and sang to Joel at the unity candle, a move most of us had NO IDEA was going to happen.  I had already fought back tears when Jason started speaking as he did his part of the wedding.  A big knot came up in my throat and I thought about that skinny little 8th grader that was taking it all in …

So, if I am permitted to have pride in ministry, I was PROUD on Saturday night.  And thankful God allows me to be part of a wonderful church that generates young men like Jason Dorriety.

A heavy burden

28 Apr

This week, God gave me a heavy burden.  SPECIFICALLY for Ebenezer, but it also branches out to all churches in North America.  That is what this sermon is about:

Part-time God from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

What does love your enemies mean today?

22 Apr

Last night in evening worship, we combed through the commands of Jesus in Matthew 5.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ calls His disciples to live to a HIGHER STANDARD.  “You have heard it was said ‘Do not murder’, but I tell you ‘Do not WISH someone dead.'”  Jesus calls us to a holy life, one that hinges on the state of our hearts.

He also told us to turn the other cheek if slapped, and if compelled to carry a pack for one mile, to carry it for TWO.  He commanded us to LOVE OUR ENEMIES and PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US.  And now, one week after the brutal attack on citizens, on innocent by-standers, at the Boston Marathon, we are left to ask “What does this mean??”  Truth is, it takes on a whole new meaning for us.

Jesus did NOT say to let the remaining bomber off the hook.  He deserves to answer for his crimes, and will do this. But I believe Christ is addressing the hatred that we can possibly feel in our hearts towards this young man.

Every time I see a picture of that little eight year-old boy that was killed, my blood boils.  It makes me ANGRY.  I want to go do something about that.  And, I cannot even imagine how I would respond if that had been my son.  If one of the young ladies killed had been my daughter.  I pray I never have to face that, because I just don’t know how I would handle it.

I think most of us that love America probably felt the same way.  We would not hesitate to pull the trigger and end that guy’s life.  But vengeance is not ours to be had … it belongs to God Almighty Himself.

As hard as it seems, we have to realize that Jesus Christ died for that young man, “Suspect #2.”  Sometimes I wonder if someone had reached out to he and his brother years earlier and told them about the hope of Jesus Christ, if this bombing would have even happened.  I wonder if the church not doing our job is the reason these men plunged so far into darkness.

But, Christ made it clear we are to LOVE our enemies and PRAY for those who persecute us.  Even though our instinct is to do the opposite.  And if you don’t believe me, go read Matthew 5.

A tough thought for the day… But, I believe there is a reason for all of this.  I believe God is protecting us from ourselves when He reminds us to love our enemies, because He knows if we plunge into a world of hate and bitterness it will hurt US far more than it hurts anyone else.

Today’s sermon: A Spirit of Fear

21 Apr

A Spirit of Fear from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →