Christ - The ReeseSource: October 2007

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Christ - The Reese Source - October 2007

“It doesn’t get any better than this!” That is what the advertisement says. Last Saturday night, that is what I was thinking. I had spent a magnificent fall day with two close friends in the mountains of north Georgia where the leaves had already begun to turn, watching four great hunting dogs run free in the woods. After that, we shot skeet at a challenging sporting clays course. Then, we went back to the cabin to sit by the fire to watch Georgia beat Florida! After enjoying a great steak dinner together, we shot a game of pool and watched more football before retiring for the evening. Back home, I have a beautiful wife of forty years, two wonderful daughters and their godly husbands, and six terrific grandkids, all who follow Christ. I am blessed with a job I love, a nice house and a lovable dog.
I am surrounded with many friends. What a great day!

I know that when tragedy strikes, people tend to ask God, “Why me?” But, I find myself asking God the same question, “Why me?” “Why am I so blessed?” I feel like the “poster boy” for God’s grace. You would only have to look into my heart to know how undeserving I am to receive any blessing from God’s hand apart from His grace.

I have had my share of trials and tribulations in my life. I know that there will be more to come. But right now, I feel so blessed. Should I feel guilty when so many around me are suffering from loss, illness, broken or strained relationships? Do I wait anxiously “for the other shoe to drop, expecting for calamity to strike because things are going too good? How should I respond?

As near as I can tell, I believe that I should have an attitude of gratitude for the blessings I enjoy, acknowledging that all good things come from God’s hand. I do think that having the feeling that these good times cannot last is wrong. We do know from scripture that “in this world you will have tribulation.” Possibly it will come sooner rather than later. But, I do not believe that God would have us live in fear, unable to enjoy His blessings for fear of what lies around the corner in our lives.

I am learning to hold onto things lightly. Life is transitory by nature. Change is inevitable. If God wants to take some things away from me, He should not have to pry them from my hand. Do I trust that whatever He does is in my best interest? So, today I thank God for the myriad of blessings in my life. I am humbled by His goodness towards me. To paraphrase what St. Paul says in Phillipians 4:11, “I am learning to be content in all circumstances.” I celebrate the day, trusting in the statement, ”I do not know what the future holds, but I do know the One who holds the future.” God is so good!

(Over)

MINISTRY NEWS AND NEEDS:
Contributions are off by 40%. If things do not improve, we will not be able to meet payroll. We will definitely have to postpone it. As of this writing, we have received $44,000 in donations. Last year at this time we had received $62,000. Budgeted contributions through October 31st should be $72,000. Our annual budget is $86,000.

We are not sure how long this can go on before drastic measures are taken. I know I sound like an alarmist, but this is the situation as it now stands. We will cut spending as much as possible to do what is necessary to keep the ministry viable but the time may soon come when we can no longer operate.

Enough bad news… the good news is that the ministry continues to flourish. The Gospel is being presented. Our three groups are healthy. Men are being ministered to on a regular basis. Families are being helped. Plans are being made for mission trips in 2008. We have a faithful core of partners. God is in control.

Each one of you is a part of the blessings I mentioned in the newsletter. I thank God for you! We are together in His love and service.

Buck

Monday, October 8, 2007

Christ - The Reese Source - September 2007

I saw an interview the other day on CNN featuring an ex-NFL coach and a religious man, whose denomination I will not mention. The discussion centered on religion in sports. Specifically, does religion have any place in sports? One issue that was discussed was the practice by some athletes to kneel down, seemingly in prayer, after scoring a touchdown. Also noted was the practice of some players meeting together after a game in the middle of the field to pray.

The religious man and many who emailed their responses said that God has more important things to worry about than whether that guy scored a touchdown or whose team won the game. Issues like war, famine, crime and the like were things that occupy God’s time and attention, not trivial things like sporting events. The ex-NFL coach said he was happy that someone would acknowledge God’s presence in his or her life. He liked the fact that athletes could come together after a hard fought contest and lay aside differences and pray together. He did acknowledge that when he asked some of the athletes about their faith that they did the “touchdown thing” for show rather than a heartfelt gratitude to God for giving them the talents they had in order to achieve the success they were having.

In our Friday morning men’s group we are studying Phillip Yancey’s latest book, “Prayer”, subtitled, “Does It Make Any Difference?” There have been some very strong opinions voiced on the subject of religion in sports, specifically the “kneeling in the end zone” issue. We have honestly discussed the idea that God is personally involved in all aspects of our lives.

The thing I did not hear the coach say regarding the issue of God being more concerned with more important stuff than what team wins or loses a game or who scores a touchdown is the fact that God exists outside of our space-time continuum and is omnipresent. To put it so that somebody like me can understand it…God can do more than one thing at a time! I feel it gives Him pleasure when one of His creations acknowledges Him. He knows our hearts, so He knows whether or not the athlete is just “showboating.”

I do not claim to be a great theologian. Maybe I am wrong to be so simple-minded about these things, but I will leave it up to the academics to debate the question of God’s personal involvement in the world. I guess, to use a football analogy, I just like to stick to the fundamentals (throwing, catching, blocking and tackling.) In the theological world for me that would be “that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Also, that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Does God care about the seemingly trivial things in our life?
If He, in fact, knows the number of hairs on our head or when a sparrow falls to earth as it is stated in the Bible, then I feel relatively sure that He cares about all aspects of our life. Let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you. My contact information is on the bottom of the other side of this newsletter.

(MINISTRY NEWS:

We held a planning meeting to begin a new Net Work Ministries weekday group in conjunction with the company, Goshen Trading, Inc., that hosts our Wednesday lunch study. We will begin a Friday lunch study for the personnel at the Goshen Trading Inc. warehouse. The group will be led by Jim Finch, who has extensive ministry experience with the Hispanic community. I will supervise and attend the group on a regular basis. Current plans are to study the book, “Man In The Mirror” by Patrick Morley, after several introductory sessions. The group is scheduled to begin meeting on Friday, October 12th at noon. We are grateful to Seng and Amy Ng for their vision for their company to be a Christ-centered enterprise.

If you are interested in starting your own company lunchtime or breakfast study, please contact me at 678-986-4814.

MINISTRY NEEDS:

Þ Donations are off by more than 36%. Expenses are being held to 96%
of budgeted expenditures.

Þ A group of people committed to pray for Net Work Ministries on a
regular basis. They would receive regular e-mail prayer requests.
Contact us by e-mail at peggyandbuck@yahoo.com or call
678-986-
4814.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Net Work Ministries, Inc. Purpose Statement

The purpose of Net Work Ministries is to bring hope and healing to men and their families by exposing them to the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Net Work also encourages men in living out their Christian faith in their day-to-day lives.

Net Work Ministries, Inc. is a pastoral counseling and resource networking ministry that brings God's people together for mutual support and enables them to use the abundant resources He provides. It is directed towards men, to bring them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to help them use the power of this relationship to become the men God intended them to be. This ministry helps men deal with issues that affect their everyday lives. It is a faith ministry that depends entirely on the Lord for resources and does not charge for its services. It is a fully accredited 501c3 I.R.S. organization.

Net Work Ministries was begun 1991 by a group of men who knew Buck Reese's giftedness in the areas of pastoral counseling and resource networking. Buck, who is a native of Atlanta, has been in ministry since 1975 and is an ordained minister. He was responsible for starting the Young Life high school ministry in Cobb County in 1977 and served as Area Director for 12 years. Buck was the Director of Church Relations for Rapha, Inc., a Christian counseling program, as well as serving as a pastoral counseling intern at Wesley Woods Geriatric Center. For 20 years Buck served as chaplain and assistant coach of the Marietta High School football team. Buck was selected to be a member of the 1998 class of Leadership Cobb and the 1999 class of the Honorary Commanders, programs of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

Buck's full-time commitment is to Net Work Ministries. He is in contact with men of all ages and walks of life. A typical routine would include: Having breakfast or lunch with a businessman to offer counsel and encouragement to strengthen their commitment to Christ and to enjoy each other's fellowship and support. In all these situations, Buck offers a listening ear and a caring heart and shares Scripture and wisdom given by the Holy Spirit. The goal in all of this activity is to bring those who do not know Christ into a saving relationship with Him. To those who are committed to Christ, but are dealing with issues of day-to-day living, he gives loving and effective counsel, encouragement and support.

Recently, I have added a new role to my ministry. I have accepted the role as volunteer Chaplain to the Staff of Young Life Southeast Region, which consists of the states of Georgia and Alabama. There are currently 50 local area ministries with staff. I will be the"minister to the ministers."

The Concept of Net Work Ministries

From Henri Nouwen’s book “Gracias”:

“It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.

From "The Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, President of World Vision:

It is rare that a simple recitation of the gospel will cause people to instantly change their minds. It usually takes much more than that. Our own narrative typically involves a journey of discovery marked by relationships with respected friends and loved ones, reading, discussions, learning about the basis for Christian faith, seeing the difference faith made in the lives of people we know, and witnessing genuine faith demonstrated through acts of love and kindness towards others.

I Stand At The Door - My Calling To Men's Ministry

I Stand at the Door

By Sam Shoemaker (from the Oxford Group)

I stand by the door.
I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.
For the old life, they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.

'I had rather be a door-keeper
So I stand by the door.

Net Work Ministries Testimonials

Quotes

“I have been involved in Net Work Ministries for almost six years. I am privileged to serve on the Board of Directors and work with Buck on a variety of projects i.e.: Young Life, Good Samaritan Health Clinic, P.A.C.E., working with the poor and indigent, and supporting the men who attend Buck’s groups.

Buck and Peggy have been there for my wife Rita and I through our most difficult times. They are always loving, always supportive. Buck and his ministry are a wonderful example of what it means to serve. It’s what the love of Christ encourages all of us to do for each other.”

Dwayne Lambing,
Regional Vice President
Nordco, Inc.

The Friday group began as an opportunity for me to have in depth conversation about subject matter that I was not totally comfortable with i.e. formal religion and my personal relationship with God. I believed intellectually that the universe was not an accidental explosion, but it demonstrated a purpose that only a Creator could know. I felt a part of that universe and was comfortable with my life and the roles I played in it. But I still asked myself, is that all there is to life.

Through a series of very diverse and interesting books it became increasingly apparent that no growth in self is possible without the "pains" of self examination. Sometimes this would occur during the course of "intense" discussions and other times would occur in moments of quiet reflection on these conversations. I began to notice that in this crucible of frank and honest discourse that I could find a voice for my beliefs and at the same time be intellectually true to my beliefs in science.

As it has turned out for me, the books have been less important than the comfort and strength that I find in the relationship of men willing to discuss matters that are not in their comfort zones , and that require an intellectual and emotional honesty that are not found alone on an island.
Thank you for your role in making all of this possible,

Dr. Peter Re’,

Neurologist

Wednesday, October 31, 2007