Name:
Neil McClendon
The best book I have read lately:
Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris and Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church by Michael Lawrence. Both are deeply rooted in fertile soil of historical, biblical theology which, strangely as it may sound, makes for a great devotional life. By reading books like these I find truths that I have to think about for a long time in order to grasp. This process of sustaining a spiritual thought for as long as necessary has produced a faithful fire than I can always come back to in order to warm my soul. There comes a point in our faith journey where we are no longer trying to sustain something as much as we are being sustained by something. Reading books such as these is sustaining.
I experience Grand Parkway to be:
An authentic gathering of people from all walks of life who come together under a shared passion for the Truth. There is a connection that we find together in worship, fellowship, preaching/teaching and doing life together that is slowly liberating individuals from the unnecessary nature of religion and Calling us towards the wide open spaces of relationship. Because this connection is not just with each other but with God we are growing as individuals and as a church.
I'm realizing in this season of life:
That the church doesn't need to be fixed as much as she needs to be equipped. She is not a broken down car on the side of the road waiting for the fresh ideas of the next mega wonderful, super pastor as much as she is a Bride who has lost sight of the fact that her Groom is coming again and the time He has given us on this earth is to be spent getting ready to be received. Most people have gone to church their whole life and been told what to do and what not to do but they've never been taught who they are. As a pastor, my privilege is to live and teach my people who God is, who they are and why this matters. Pastoring my people affects the way I preach to my people.
On my time off, chances are you will find me:
In mind neutral somewhere unknowingly singing the lyric to some country song or just drifting. So much of my life is schedules, appointments and meeting to just drift for a few hours in the wide open spaces of unclaimed time is good for me. Sometimes I end up at Starbucks with a book or two and other times I find myself wandering the aisles at Sam's wondering who can really use five gallons of mayonnaise. Breakfast or lunch with my wife is usually somewhere in the mix. She knows me and I'm better for it.
What are you listening to these days?
God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise by Ray Lamontagne
Parenthood: Season One Soundtrack
Bethel Live, it's a worship CD from a church out in California and when they sing old songs like "I Need You More" they seem to feel what they are saying and mean it.
My congregation when we sing hymns. We're old school in some regards in that most every Sunday involves a hymn. When that happens I often don't sing and instead I look around and see people who have more life behind them than in front of them and in the next row I see a young couple just starting out and I am reminded that there are few songs that cover the spread like a good doctrinally sound hymn. Sometimes I cry and other times I sing even louder which makes people around me cry.
What's captured your imagination lately?
My wife. We've been together for twenty years now and I still find her to be one of the most fascinating people I've ever met. She presides over the chaos of our house with a centering calm and nourishes her faith with a fierce allegiance. She inspires me, loves me and is an incredible mom to our kids.