Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Vintage

17 January 2007
I'm still looking back through the notes I took at the 2007 SE Calvary Chapel Pastor's Conference.

Pastor Malcolm Wild of Calvary Chapel Merritt Island is the granddaddy of Calvary pastors in Florida. He was the first Calvary Pastor to hang a dove down here. Every Calvary Chapel Pastor in Florida benefits from Malcolm's deep well of wisdom and experience.

I think the first time I ever saw or heard Wild was at the 1994 SE Calvary Chapel Pastors Conference. It was the first conference I attended. Pastor Malcolm reminded me of pop star, Rod Stewart the way he looked with that full head of blond hair that seems impossible to comb. When I was thinking how much he looked like Rod Stewart, Malcolm welcomed conference attenders to Calvary Chapel Merritt Island with an English accent and that convinced me that somehow, this dude was related to Rod Stewart.

Not only is Wild a granddaddy Calvary Pastor, he's a granddaddy in Christian Music. Before there was the giant Christian Music industry with all of its shrink-wrapped pop stars, there were Malcolm and Alwyn. They released they're first record, Fool's Wisdom, in 1973 on vinyl and 8-track. That's vintage, baby.

So Wild sings, produces, writes, records, and preaches. Below are some of the scribbles from my notebook:
Close friends are rare...
betrayal is grieveous... Facts of life learned the hard way in ministry. A close friend in ministry i something to treasure. Betrayal is something to expect.

Timothy and Epaphroditus
But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need
(link)

Paul sent men of proven character to do the work of the ministry. For Timothy, Christ's business was his business. Christ's business comes first. Nothing should take priority over His call on our lives. Timothy was willing to risk his own life to get the job done.

He learned to labor with others; for others. He learned to hold others in high esteem.

Malcolm posed this question: how often do we esteem men of proven character, not proven charisma?

Note to self: There is a genuine tendency in American culture that has been carried over into the church: we rather be charismatic rather than men of character. Is it possible to have charcter first and charisma second and be a man that we can follow?

Final thought from Malcolm: I am the incarnation of the word of God as I live it...


listen to malcolm on the radio here (link)
download podcasts here (link)

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