Thursday, August 21, 2008

michael Guglielmucci fooled us all, even his family


It was a sad day yesterday in Australia and around the world when Michael Guglielmucci confessed to making up the whole story of having terminal Cancer for the last 2 years. You may remember I wrote about a powerful song sung by Michael on the latest Hillsongs cd/ dvd just a few weeks ago called "Healer". He even sang it with oxygen tubes in his nose.
Here is the article that broke the news in Australia "The Australian article"

When you talk to people who were close to him, they are shocked and hurt. Even his wife, mom and dad did not know. How hard is it for them? On the one hand they would be ecstatic that there son or husband was not really going to die but on the other hand he had just lied to them and the world for 2 years and has wrecked there lives. Mike will not have a future in ministry, at least in the near future. I say near future because I feel the Christian community in years has changed. I feel we have gone so Grace driven that allows fallen men back into the pulpit way to fast. I know this first hand as a friend of mine was a victim of a pastor who had an affair with my friends wife. Its been 3 years since that and my friend is still battling with the affair. Yet the pastor was back starting a new church with in 2 years of the affair. It was and still is completely wrong.

So what do we do now. Well we must pray for Mike and his family. It is times like this that he needs Gods help and guidance. Perhaps "Healer" was written not for the fake cancer but for his, as well as everyones, sin and wrong doing. We all still need a healer, we all still need a savior. Lying small or lying big , its all sin and we all need a healer for that. Thank God Mike know 's the true healer, Jesus, and can still call on him for healing and forgiveness.
Yes, I am hurt and upset. I am really upset for his mom and dad as Danny(his dad) is an amazing man who will take this hard. A friend of mine had emailed me who has friends at the church saying that Danny may be taking 3 months off work (he is a pastor of one of the biggest and fastest growing churches in Australia) due to the effect of this on him.

Over the years we have seen good, Godly men rise and fall. We must focus on the one and only man who will never fall and thats Jesus. Even death could not make him fall and give in.

I just ask that even though we may be upset, mad, frustrated or angry, we must still hold the family up in prayer, especially Michael Guglielmucci.

Monday, August 11, 2008

A Prayer to make you "uncomfortable"



I had the privilege of attending the Willow Creek Summit, via satellite, last week. It was an amazing week and I got challenged in many different ways. One of my all time favorite speakers was their, Craig Groeschel, from Life Church. (www.lifechurch.tv )
He spoke about the 'IT' factor in life and ministry. He was challenging, thought provoking and direct. He left the session with this Franciscan prayer that I feel I pray every night for all that are, or need to be, involved at Dream Center. I pray it bothers you like it bothered me.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

- A Franciscans Prayer