Christ - The ReeseSource: June 2012

Thursday, June 28, 2012

MAY 2012

A contemporary Christian song that I have recently encountered has become quite meaningful to me. It is "Blessings" by Laura Story. Here are some the lyrics:

"Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise"

May I take some liberties with the lyrics to personalize them?

What if your blessings come from a year of unemployment?

What if your healing comes through the pain of foreclosure?

What if a thousand "why's" are what it takes to know you are near?

And what if your struggles are God trying to get your attention so that you can really learn how much He loves and cares for you?

James Chapter One Verse Two says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (The Greek word for testing used here means to tear down and build up as in developing muscle or the training of a Marine Corps recruit) Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

I have experienced two different seasons of unemployment in my life. One time I was without a job for a year. The next time it was for about six months. For a man, losing his job and waiting for the next opportunity to arise is as taxing on his self-esteem than anything I know. So much of our identity is tied up in what we do. Although I cannot say I enjoyed those experiences, at this time in my life, I can truly say I would not wish for anything to be different. God taught me more in those difficult times than I can tell you. At the time I was terminated from my job, I quoted a saying that I had heard, "I do not know what the future holds, but I do know the One who holds the future." I sensed a peace that passes all understanding that day.

I have not faced foreclosure but have experienced financial loss. Again, God showed me things through that process that I would probably not have learned in prosperity. I saw His hand of provision in ways you would not believe. In addition, He taught me, through his Word and through godly counsel, how to be a better steward of His resources.

(over)

I admit there were times when I shook my fist at God and told Him to "lighten up"!

I think that He appreciated my honesty rather than some pious platitudes. He is a big od. He could understand my anger and lovingly walk with me in my pain.

The song ends with the following:

"What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy and what if the trials of this life...the rain, the storms, the hardest nights are Your blessings in disguise?"

Are you willing to allow for the possibility that the struggles you are going through are His blessings in disguise?

MINISTRY NEWS

Our Friday Morning Group has grown to include seventeen men since we have moved our meeting to the Marietta Country Club Men's Grill. We have been studying "The Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, President of World Vision. It has been a very challenging study.

We are planning a much larger Wounded Warrior Golf Outing in conjunction with Marietta Country Club slated to be held in November with soldiers from Fort Benning and Fort Gordon as well as Wounded Warriors living in the Atlanta area.

We continue to walk daily alongside men, meeting with individuals over the breakfast or lunch table, to discuss the challenges they are facing, whether it be marital, financial, employment or family issues.

We continue to plan for a trip to Guatemala next winter during their dry season to help with The House of Hope Project.

This is all made possible by the generous support of people like yourselves to whom we are most grateful.

JUNE 2012

I have been reading a book "Falling Upward" by Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest who lives in New Mexico and is the founder of The Center for Action and Contemplation. Its subtitle is "A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life" My spiritual "father", Dan Hayes, who led me to Christ some 37 years ago, recommended it to me." I must say it is an intriguing book. I was attracted to the book because it talks about living the second half of our lives. Previously, our Friday Group had read Bob Buford's book, "Halftime, Moving from Success to Significance, which dealt with the practical issues of living in the second half of our lives with significance.

I am taking the liberty of quoting from the text of "Falling Upward" to describe some of Rohr's ideas about living the second half of our lives:

"In the second half of life, we do not have strong and final opinions about everything, every event or most people, as much as we allow things and people to delight us, sadden us, and truly influence us. We no longer need to change or adjust other people to be happy ourselves. Ironically, we are more than ever in a position to change people - but we do not need to - and that makes all the difference. We have moved from doing to being, to an utterly new kind of doing that flows almost organically, quietly, and by osmosis. Our actions are less compulsive. We do what we are called to do, and then try to let go of the consequences. We usually cannot do that very well when we are young."

"Yes, the second half of life is a certain kind of weight to carry, but no other way of being makes sense or gives you the deep satisfaction your soul now demands and even enjoys. This new and deeper passion is what people mean when they say, 'I must do this particular thing or my life will not make sense' or 'It is no longer a choice.' Your life and your delivery system are now one, whereas before, your life and your occupation seemed like two different things. Your concern is not so much to have what you love anymore, but to love what you have - right now. This is a monumental change from the first half of your life, so much so that it is almost the litmus test of whether you are in the second half of life at all."

In the first paragraph, the author talks about doing what we are called to do and then try to let go of the consequences. This idea struck me as being very relevant to my situation at this stage of my life. In 1992, I received a call to minister to men and their families in a different sort of pastoral counseling ministry, one where I would walk alongside of men and meet with them, not in an office setting, but over the breakfast or lunch table. I would also create safe spaces where men could meet and discuss the issues of their lives without fear of judgment or condemnation. I sought out the counsel of men who knew me best, warts and all. They confirmed this calling and thus began the adventure of Net Work Ministries that continues to this day.

'I must do this particular thing or my life will not make sense.' I want you to know

I still feel this way about Net Work Ministries and I know I am still called to this ministry. Thank you all for making this possible.

MINISTRY NEWS

Summer is a difficult time for most non-profits and, in the current economy, even more so. We would ask your prayers for

Net Work Ministries at this time. We know one of God's names is Jehovah Jireh (Our God Provides). This is where we place our trust. Please join us in praying expectantly. We know whom God calls, He equips. We also understand that we must continue to be excellent in what He has called us to do. We welcome your suggestions and comments on how we might achieve this in a better way. We are also open for more opportunities to serve Him and you. Let us hear from you.

E-mail us at buckreese41@yahoo.com or call at 678-986-4814.

We continue to minister to men in our Friday Morning Men's Group as well as meeting individually with men for counsel and encouragement. We also minister through a Third Monday Bible Study featuring John Riley (formerly of Metro Bible Study) as the speaker. This meets at the Parc at Duluth Senior Living Facility. Joe Carroll is the host and sponsor of this group.

I am grateful for your friendship and partnership in ministry!

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