Christ - The ReeseSource: August 2015

Friday, August 28, 2015

AUGUST 2015 EDITION

This week I attended the Young Life Southeast Region Fall Staff Conference as part of my new role as Chaplain to the Staff. While there, the staff heard from B.B. Hobson, who is Vice President for Multicultural Ministries for Young Life. B.B. is a dynamic and challenging speaker and he directed his message to the staff as they begin a new school year of ministry. His main question to the staff also challenged me. It was this: “What are you going to do differently this year?” His thoughts were that it is easy to get complacent, to do the same old things in the same old way. Some would say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While that may ring true some of the time, I think it is always necessary to examine what we do and the way we do it. I need to ask myself, “Am I keeping things fresh or am I just “phoning it in”?

Net Work Ministries began in 1992 and shortly thereafter began a weekly Wednesday Morning men’s meeting. That group lasted for about ten years. We would study different Christian books as well as the Bible. That group ended with kind of a whimper as people drifted away. I recognize that there were diverse needs within the group as well as diverse personalities and backgrounds. I do recognize now that at least some of the demise of the group was caused by my complacency.

Fast forward to 1995, a group of six men began meeting together on a Friday morning at the Marietta High stadium conference room ostensibly to discuss “life views”. Primarily, this group was comprised of men who played tennis together at Marietta Country Club and knew each other. Soon they began inviting their friends. We discussed Christian books that dealt with men’s issues. In both groups, we would try to get away together on a retreat for a weekend to get to know each other better, share laughter, enjoy outdoor activities such as golf, tennis, fishing or hunting, as well as having devotional times each morning. The Friday Men’s Group continues to this day, some twenty years later. Here we are in 2015 and I feel challenged to examine what I can do differently to keep the group fresh and honor God who has called me to this ministry. I announced today that starting next week we will go in a slightly different direction by hearing a series of video talks by Andy Stanley, whom I consider one of the most relevant and dynamic ministers of our day. We will discuss what we have heard after viewing the message. I feel that the men welcomed the change.

Now, when I talk about doing things differently and keeping things fresh, I am not only talking about men’s groups but all aspects of our lives. In particular, for those of us who have been married for some time, what can I do differently this year to add new excitement to our relationship? What new ways can I discover to serve my wife? What new ways can I express my love for her? Am I just “phoning it in” like Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof, when asked by his wife why he never tells her he loves her. He replies,” I told you I loved you when I married you, if that ever changes, I will let you know.” This is not a great way to keep things vibrant in a marriage!

Has my relationship with God grown stale and routine? Do I take God and my salvation for granted? Do I “get my ticket punched” at church on Sunday or at men’s group on Friday and then forget Him during the week? What can I do differently?

Ask yourself, “Are there areas in my life, in my work, in my marriage, in my family, in my friendships and particularly in my spiritual life that could use an infusion of fresh thought about doing things differently. What would honor God? Just askin’!

MINISTRY NEWS

If you purchase anything from Amazon, may I ask you to use “Amazon Smile”. They donate a small portion of the purchase to

Net Work Ministries. Here is the link:http://smile.amazon.com/ch/58-2009795. If you will bookmark this link and go to it when you wish to purchase something from Amazon, it will benefit Net Work.

I would be so grateful if you would consider this.

As always, I am truly grateful for your friendship and partnership in ministry by your prayers and financial support, both of which I need as never before. Blessings to you all.

JULY 2015 EDITION

I belong to a hunting club in central Georgia. I spend a great deal of time there on weekends in the fall and winter and have done so for many years.

Currently, our source of electricity comes from a small portable generator. It has power enough to charge the batteries on the camper trailer but not our bunkhouse. The generator also consumes a great deal of gasoline over a weekend’s time. Our source for water comes from a two hundred gallon storage tank that we must fill up from the city water department about three miles away. This is an arduous process. Additionally, this water cannot be used for consumption. It can only be used for washing dishes, bathing or the toilet. We must buy bottled water for cooking and drinking. Our two great desires are for constant sources of clean water and electricity. For fresh water, a well must be drilled. For electricity, we must get the local EMC to run a power line to our camp. The nearest pole is about half a mile away.

The Apostle John writes about Jesus encountering a woman who had water problems. First, she was not able to go to the well with the other women in the cool of the morning because she was a woman of ill repute and was ostracized by the other women in the village. Instead, she had to go to the well at noon in the heat of the day when no one else was around. When Jesus stopped at the well to get a drink of water, he asked the woman to get him the water. Here, she perceived another problem. She was a Samaritan. Righteous Jews were forbidden to associate with Samaritans because their people were Jews that had intermarried with the local Gentile population and had different beliefs about the worship of God. The woman was amazed that Jesus even spoke to her. She, then, had the tables turned on her. Jesus told her that He could give her living water and with it, she would never thirst again. Problem number three arose. Jesus had no bucket so how was He going to draw that “living water?” In an abrupt turn of events, Jesus told her to go get her husband. The problem there was that she did not have a husband. She admits as much to Jesus. He astounds her by saying, “You are right in saying you have no husband. For you have had five husbands and the man you are living with now is not your husband.” At this point, she changes the subject and talks about where people should worship God because she recognizes that Jesus is a prophet. After a short discussion, Jesus first reveals Himself as The Christ to this woman. She, in turn, convinced the whole town to come and see for themselves, and, as a result, many of the townspeople believed that Jesus was the Messiah.

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke talk about a power problem. After Jesus was crucified and was resurrected, Matthew recounts Jesus charging the disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey all that I have commanded you, and, remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Maybe the disciples were thinking, “O.K. Great! But how are we supposed to do that?” In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus gives them the answer. “Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were all assembled together and filled with the Holy Spirit. Two thousand years later, you and I are witnesses to what the power that was given that day accomplished.

Is there something missing in your life that you thirst for? Do you desire the power to live a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.? Jesus promises to quench that thirst and give you the power to enjoy the life listed above through His Holy Spirit. Just Ask Him!

I have begun serving as Chaplain to the Staff of Young Life Southeast Region. I began by setting up monthly meetings with two young staff men . Both of them got married within the past month. I attended the funeral in Elberton , Georgia for the mother of a staff member. I met with the local area director. As the staff returns from summer camp assignments, I will have more opportunities for ministry with staff. My plan is to attend the Fall Staff Conference to be held at the end of August at Young Life’s SharpTop Cove camp located in Jasper, Georgia.

I continue to have a vital ministry to me on Friday mornings with our men’s group. We are currently discussing Josh McDowell’s “The Case For The Resurrection.”

I continue to meet individually with men over breakfast or lunch for counseling and encouragement.

I want you to know how grateful I am for your friendship, prayers and financial support. You make it possible for Net Work Ministries to have an impact for Christ.

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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