SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Category: Service

  • You Welcomed Me

    We live in times of great division.  There is real palpable stress and it seems the smallest difference sets off sparks that create fireworks of heated disagreement.  Election time is always challenging.  It appears to be a pitting of one group verses another.  If you are in one camp, you can’t talk to the other.  This year, it seems that the animosity has grown even thicker – causing constant unrest.  It is evident everywhere you turn.  There are differing opinions on most everything you can imagine and voices rain down louder than a symphony of broken instruments all being played in disarray.  It is confusing and hurtful and punishing.  Unfortunately, the church is not immune to this either.  

    The church is to be a beloved community made up of different people with different backgrounds and different affiliations.  There are unique gifts and talents brought to the table.  There are strong personalities and quiet hard workers.  There are people of different ethnicities, different upbringings, and different ways of viewing the world.  Actually, if the church is optimal, it is made up of people that are completely unique who express their authenticity in a community which comes together in a way different than the world.  We do not need to vote the same way.  We do not need to have the same color skin.  We do not have to agree on much of anything.  If we are all alike and all have the same opinions, we haven’t done a really good job of being the church.  All we have done is sought out people like us and excluded anyone that didn’t fit that description.  Jesus had a whole lot to say about that – and none of it was good.  

    In a world so ravaged by division, how does the church respond?  How do we come together when we are so different?  What is it that unites us?  What are we doing and why are we doing it in the first place?  

    The answer is, well, complicated – except it isn’t.  What is always the right answer when an answer is asked in a Christian church?  The first response is Jesus.  And yep, that is the right answer today, too.  So good job if that was your answer.  Seems easy enough, right?  Jesus is the common factor, the great equalizer, the ultimate Savior for this whole mess.  But with Jesus as the answer – it complicates things.  

    Jesus was quite the controversial person.  He stirred up more than his fair share of trouble.  To really read his words and follow his teachings calls us to be someone different.  It calls us to come together in unique and challenging ways.  To follow Jesus means we seek his will and way, leaving ours behind.  For Jesus to be the answer means we can worship together, no matter our backgrounds, because it is all about him and not at all about us.  Our political opinions, our views of the hot topics, our decisions in everyday life can all be different and we can still come together as God’s children – adopted into the family because of the sacrifice and love of Jesus Christ.  

    We didn’t become a child of God because of the way we talked, walked, or thought.  It wasn’t because we were born into the right family or we were made powerful by the world or because we hold some position in life.  We didn’t become a child of God because of who our mama or daddy is, because of our origin or ethnicity, because we were born in the right country or because we deserved it.  Quite the opposite is true.  None of those are factors God considered.  He created you because he loved you.  Jesus died for us because he knew we were a big messed up bunch that basically gets most everything wrong.  God understood that we wouldn’t get it without the saving love and grace only he could give.  And since we couldn’t be good enough, nothing we do qualified us.  You are a child of God because Jesus was willing to stretch out his arms in an expression of the ultimate love – and welcome you in.  

    If that really is the case – if it really is because of the love and sacrifice of Jesus – if it really is when we follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior – if it really is about the call and welcome of Jesus and not the qualifications of anything we put in place…then we have a starting point for a community of the beloved.  That starting point is Jesus and not us.  Our purpose, our goal, our focus, and our whole reason for being has to be Jesus.  That means we leave our egos checked at the door – and if we are honest, that’s not easy.  

    This morning, I want to look at a scripture that packs a powerful punch – and often is taken as a wake-up call for the church and for Christians to reorient back to the mission and vision of Jesus.  I want you to hear this, but I also want to focus on one particular teaching.  This could be something we miss and also could be the key for coming together, even and especially in times like these.

    Matthew 25:34-40

     34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 

    I do want to offer that this scripture is the positive note in this teaching.  There is an equally negative note about what happens when you do not do these things.  I chose this because this should be where we are aiming.  You can decide of the opposite is where we already are.  We often hear that we are to feed, clothe, visit, and provide water.  Those are tangible teachings we hear and understand.  Sometimes we even try to do them.  But what we may miss is something in the middle of all of this, and may be more challenging.  It says, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”  You welcomed me.  You…welcomed…me.  That seems to be one of the main challenges of the church.  That seems to be one of the most difficult parts of this whole thing.  We can hold a feeding ministry, we can have a clothing closet, we can have or support a prison ministry, and we can help people have access to water.  These are all things we set up ministries to accomplish.  We seek to do them as God’s children.  And they are good and needed and more valuable than we can imagine.  But is not the whole deal.  You welcomed me.  Now that is a little more challenging.

    We can give someone food without developing a relationship.  We can give away coats without actually talking to others.  We can set up all kinds of barriers between us and those in need so that we are doing what we need to do but don’t have to get closely involved.  Those people can stay those people and we can stay comfortable as us.  We can form a group of people like us which doesn’t overly challenge us.  But to welcome – that’s a different story.

    To welcome is to see something in someone that is useful and valuable.  We see a person, a child of God, someone worthy of love.  We are required to see past the exterior.  To welcome means you look past all of the things you would normally judge.  You don’t worry about appearance or background, you don’t think about their political affiliation or opinions, you don’t care about the native language or where they were born.  To welcome means that nothing matters except to show the love of Christ.  In Matthew 25 – it does not give qualifications to be welcomed.  It doesn’t list things to accomplish before being welcomed.  It isn’t based on anything.  Humanity is welcomed.  And the point is that we welcome without judgment because we never know when we have welcomed Jesus into our community.  

    But, let’s be honest, that really is the kicker, isn’t it?  It makes us uncomfortable to have people we don’t agree with.  It causes us to evaluate how we do things if there are people from different backgrounds or ethnicities.  It challenges us to change because we grow stagnant in the way we do things and changing is just hard.  But Jesus never said it was to be easy – he said it was the mission.  

    You welcomed me.  Those words ring so powerfully to me in the times we find ourselves.  Who will you welcome?  How will you welcome?  What will you do to show welcome – to the least of these?  Christ…may you be welcome here.

  • transformation

    I really enjoy watching transformations.  There are home transformation shows on all the time.  They take an old, abandoned, neglected home and transform it into something completely different.  What seems to have no potential becomes something truly remarkable.  It is hard to believe they are even the same houses in the end.  They look to improve functionality and update the style while keeping character pieces.  I find it fascinating.  And there are shows about body transformations.  People go through complete transformations as they learn to eat better and exercise.  They take on a whole new lifestyle and become someone completely different, at least on the outside.  When they are done, you can’t even believe your eyes.  It is truly something you have to see to believe.

    What is it about these transformations?  What we don’t fully understand or see is the amount of work that goes in.  If we are not involved in the steps of the transformation, we don’t really know all the struggles and sacrifice it took to get there.  For the home, they had to tear out all the old stuff.  Inevitably there are problems.  It is to be expected.  There are setbacks.  There are hidden issues that no one is prepared to tackle.  There are the long days and nights of sweat labor poured into the new drywall and the new floors.  Everything has to be rethought and reimagined.  If it is done correctly, it is a matter of remaking this house with careful detail and intention.  

    For the person that goes through their own transformation, we don’t really know what it was like to get up each morning to exercise.  We don’t get what it meant to make better food choices and stop the habits that had caused the issues initially.  We cannot comprehend the mental, physical and emotional fatigue that goes into every step, every decision, and every setback.  So much of a person’s life is poured into this transformation.  They have to learn to believe in themselves and their own potential.  They have to see themselves differently.  It is way more challenging that we could ever understand unless we have been there.

    Transformations are like that.  They look incredible on the outside, but so much work and effort…so much sacrifice…has gone into the change.  It is not something that is done in a day or a week or a month.  It is a lifetime of continual work.  Transformation is about sacrifice on a daily basis.  It is not easy.  

    Yet, this is what we are challenged with in the scripture today.  This is what is put before us.  We are called to a place of sacrifice in order to transform.  We are called to live differently.  We are called to put in this daily difficult challenging work to transform.  Let’s consider this as we hear from 

    Romans 12:1-8

    12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
    12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God–what is good and acceptable and perfect.
    12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
    12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,
    12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
    12:6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;
    12:7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;
    12:8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

    We are encouraged in this scripture to work for transformation.  We struggle with this ultimate call to be something unique, different than this world.  We are called to do this incredible work of love – to live it, to live by it, to let love guide us.  We are called to something that pushes us to become more like Christ.  And this takes work.  Just like transformation of houses and of bodies takes daily, difficult, struggling work – sacrifice, even – so does our spiritual transformation.  

    The good news is that we have the ultimate trainer for our journey.  We have the transformation guru to help us.  We have someone that has been doing this forever and he is the best.  We have the Holy Spirit as our trainer.  He is with us, he takes up residence – really – in us.  He becomes so much a part of us that if we listen to him, we become a new creation.  We still do the work, but he guides the process.  We still struggle daily to become all he has created us to be, but he encourages us to keep going.  Trainers do not do the work for others, they simply guide the process.  They know what we need and what we don’t.  We choose to listen or not.  If we don’t listen, we don’t change.  If we do, we find results.  Sometimes they are slow, painful, rough results – but they are results, nonetheless.  And results brings really good news.

    Sacrifice means we have to give up things.  It means we give up our hold on earthly goods.  It means we give up our single minded focus on ourselves.  It means we give up the baggage that is holding us back.  And it means we work on this daily.  We are constantly giving it our all.  If we take a day off, we can get off track so easily.  We can’t give up to achieve real transformation.

    God really is the master of transformations.  Look at his good creation for an example.  The most obvious is the butterfly.  What a miracle it is to watch this take place.  But there are so many more.  From tadpoles to frogs – from seeds to fruit – from tiny specs to flowers – trees transform every season – flowering, providing shade with their leaves, changing colors, losing leaves – always in the process of transforming.  It happens all around us without us even noticing.  

    For us, we transform by hearing God, by listening.  We transform when we read and study God’s word.  We transform when we daily work to use our gifts for God’s glory.  We transform when we hear God call us and we follow.  We transform when we love others with a radical love.  We transform when we share kindness with an unkind world.  We transform as we seek God every single day.  We seek him actively.  We seek him with our whole hearts.  We seek…and when we seek, we find.  

    When we transform, we begin to work together for God.  We begin to transform the church and the world.  We transform the places around us when we share God’s love.  God’s love will always change things, always.  God’s love will transform, always.  

    Are you ready to put in the effort to become more like Christ?  It is a daily struggle – a willingness to listen to the Holy Spirit – a giving up of self and embracing what God has for us – sacrificing our own wants for God’s – working with others, sharing our gifts for the greater good.  These challenging times call us to do the difficult work of transformation.  Are you willing to sacrifice?  We are in this together.

  • Who Are YOU Calling?

    We are living in strange times.  No one would have guessed this is where we would be at this point in this year.  It is a time of extreme uncertainty.  There are difficulties at every turn.  Mixed messages are thrown all over the place like an overload of bad confetti.  Any resemblance of normality seems to have been thrown away and can’t be found.  This can be both scary and confusing.  For people that like consistency…for those that like a plan…for those that seek security in some sense of rhythm – this can be a nightmare. 

    We have choices, though.  We can fight it all the way.  We can embrace the newness.  We can slog through the day trying to figure it out as we go.  We can throw a tantrum, we can follow, or any of the combination of the like.  And we do.

    The interesting thing is – in different ways and different circumstances, we have been here before.  While this particular situation feels so foreign to us, this is really not as strange as we want to make it.  Life is made up of twists and turns, challenges and successes, difficulties and struggles.  That’s what life is about – navigating the difficult and finding God at every turn.

    As I thought about all the changes we are facing, I couldn’t help but think of Abraham – still known in today’s reading as Abram.  They encountered more challenges and difficulties than we can hardly grasp – and that was in an effort to follow God.  They were not running…they were seeking to be obedient.  And still, this is where they find themselves.

    Genesis 12:1-9

    12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

    4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

    Abraham and Sarah (as they will later be named) find themselves in an interesting place in their lives.  God has called them to leave all they know…their familiar – their creature comforts – family, friends, way of life, their own home – and follow, at the age of 75.  Follow simply to a land that God will show them.  No specifications of the land.  No idea of where they will stay.  They didn’t get the luxury of touring the new place online and checking out the hot spots around.  It wasn’t as if they had the choice to see if this was a better option or not.  It was simply a call to go…go to the unfamiliar and uncomfortable.  And they went.

    Their willingness to go comes with joys that they cannot even imagine.  There are lands to be seen and peoples to be discovered.  There are children to be born and strangers to take care of.  But there are also more challenges than one would ever want to encounter.  They face the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  They encountered famine and devastation.  They hid their identity to hopefully save their own lives.  They took God’s promise into their own hands and ended up doing harm to more lives than their own.  They had tests of faith – some they conquered like champs and some they failed miserably and embarrassingly.  Would they have taken the journey if they knew it all?  We really don’t know.  All we know is that they were willing to step forward into the unknown, following God.

    That says a lot to me in the situation we find ourselves.  We are wandering through the unknown daily.  There are way too many opinions and newsfeeds and voices shouting for our attention.  There are people that insight fear and those that uproot ignorance.  But all of this does not mean this is the end or the worst situation or the absolute biggest nightmare.  This is moving forward in the unknown and it can be okay.  It can be okay because we do not move forward alone.  We do not move forward without God.  He is with us.  He is guiding us…but we must listen to him.

    If we listen to God in times like these, we hear the words he tells Abraham and Sarah.  These words include his presence, his provision (he will take care of them), and his guidance (you are not figuring this out alone). He has promises that are yet unfulfilled.  He is not done yet.  And neither are we.  But we sure act like it sometimes.

    Did you hear what Abraham and Sarah did in this particular scripture?  Sure, they were obedient.  They were willing to leave it all behind to follow God into the unknown.  They heard him and they said yes.  God made promises – that he would keep in his time and in his way.  At the end of this reading, don’t miss what they did.  Yes, they built an altar.  That was common to build something to remember – to signify a moment in time. God’s call was huge and this was to be commemorated.  They pass along what has happened through story – verbally telling their children what God has done.  This was a physical marker of a part of the story.  But that isn’t it.  Don’t miss it.  He built an altar and what?  He called upon the name of the Lord.

    That doesn’t sound like such a big deal.  But remember – this is the beginning of a relationship, the beginning of a call to something big, a part of a promise.  This means that Abraham already sensed that it was important to not only mark the place, but to call on the name of the Lord.  He began to pray.  As he began the journey, he called on God.

    Take a step back for a moment.  God called him to this.  God has called him from his ordinary life to something extremely unfamiliar.  God had made extraordinary promises that would completely blow his mind.  He is setting out on this journey of the unknown and still he found it important to call on God.  He wasn’t told to.  He wasn’t given a command or a list of ways to do it.  He wasn’t given rules on how to call on God and the right times.  He simply did what came to him…he called on the name of the Lord.  It was a part of who he was.

    As we move through these difficult and unfamiliar times, has it been instinctive for us to call on the name of the Lord?  We have fussed and worried and complained and struggled…but have we called on him?  We have done a lot of talking and a lot of whining but have we called on him?  Maybe we start back at the beginning.  God is with us. God has promises for us.  And we should be calling on him – right now.  All those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

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  • Real Freedom

    What would you give to be rich?  What would you do to have it all?  How much would you sacrifice to have the biggest house, the nicest cars, the finest clothes?  What would it mean to you to not have to think about how much money you had, just spend whatever?  If I could just have…if I could just get…if I can just achieve…if I could…if I… What would you do for it all?

    Would you be willing to give up your integrity?  Would you be willing to work so much that you never really did anything but work?  Would you be willing to give up your family?  What cost seems appropriate?  You may be thinking you can’t put a price tag on happiness, but there sure are a lot of people trying.  What would you give?  People put value on things all the time – maybe not blatantly or outright.  But how much something or someone is valued becomes obvious over time.  What is it all worth?  So what if you become the richest, greatest, most achieved…what if?

    We seem to have it upside down too often in our culture.  It seems to be that we value things we can buy and prizes we get to accumulate.  We put a high price tag on wealth and worth.  We treasure fame and reward too often.  Yet, those things are fleeting.  We work so hard to achieve that we are left drained.  We could end up sacrificing what means the most to us in order to achieve things which end up meaning nothing.  We give up our families so we can make more money.  We give up our time so we can achieve more.  And we are rewarded for this.

    I had someone tell me the other day that they were the most accessible person ever.  He carried two phones with him at all times and never ever wasn’t available.  He thought this was a selling point.  I actually found it pretty sad and quite disturbing.  I don’t know him so I don’t know if he has a family.  But if so, they always take second place.  It also says he doesn’t value himself enough to provide self-care.  Frankly, it made me even more determined to not do that.

    So what do we value?  What is important to us?  What really means something to us?  We may think it is one thing but realize it is quite something different.  Our actions…our everyday decisions really tell the story.  What we decide to do reflects our values.  How we live each day says more about us than anything we could speak. And too often, we might be giving others a message we had not even considered.  We may show others we value our own opinion rather than listening to the voices of others.  We may show we value ourselves so much that we are not willing to learn from others.  We may show we value money more than people.  We may show we value winning over growing.  We may show that the only thing that really matters is…me, myself and I.  If it isn’t one of those three, it doesn’t matter.  What does your life say about you?

    I am drawn to today’s passage for that reason.  This is not to be critical…but to encourage us all to take a look at what is being taught to see how we are living.  This is an opportunity to stop and evaluate how we are living our lives and what it is we value.  And we just might be surprised at what we find if we are truly honest and we take a real look.

    Mark 8:34-37

    34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 

    What are you willing to give up to follow Christ?  He has some pretty serious lessons for us if we choose to follow.  He calls us to learn to love…loving God and loving others.  He calls us to learn to sit at the table with those that make us feel uncomfortable.  He demonstrates for us what it means to give up the us versus them mentality.  He opens the minds of the religious and offers freedom in following him.  That’s right…freedom.

    How can we be free if we are following?  What does freedom really mean?  Does it mean getting what we want when we want it how we want it regardless of others?  How about we redefine freedom.  What if freedom is…free of the heavy load that we try to carry.  We are free of the constant thriving for attainment.  We are free from the load of trying to be like someone else.  We are free from needing things to impress people.  We are free from worry that we are not good enough.  We are free from the judgment of others (not because they don’t cast it but because it doesn’t matter – we are his beloved regardless of someone else’s view).  We are free from the demands to be someone we are not.  We are free to live – really live.

    Living is a gift.  And if we can travel this life without a heavy load, even better.  Imagine if we were free to travel without the burden of things.  Imagine if we were free from worry.  Imagine if we were free from constantly having to be someone for others.  Imagine if we could simply live as we were created.  Imagine if we understood we were enough.  Life would certainly change.  That takes freedom.  To really live takes freedom from the daily anxieties that damage us.  That does not mean we do not work.  It doesn’t mean we don’t try to achieve or work to be better. It doesn’t mean we don’t pay bills.  But it does mean that life begins to take on an entirely different view.  We begin to see things differently.  We don’t have to have the latest and greatest.  We don’t have to worry about keeping up with anyone else.  We begin to value our time enough that we spend it sharing love.  We begin to understand that our time on this earth is short and is not best spent trying to get more stuff.  We begin to see that some of the greatest gifts come without the cost of money.  Life begins to take on an entirely different view when we follow Christ.  It is freeing.

    If we are following Christ – it is good to look at his example.  What does he show us?  What does he teach us?  What life does he lay out for us?  He didn’t have things, he had relationships.  He built friendships.  He fought for justice.  He gave people a new view of the world.  He developed relationships with sinners, tax collectors, diseased and forsaken.  He challenged the beliefs of those who thought they knew it all.  Most of all – he loved.  He loved God and he loved others.  He lived and it didn’t take things to do that.

    What is keeping you from living, really living?  What do we value?  Do we value time and relationships and love and opportunities to know God better?  Do we value sharing and reaching out and listening?  Do we value the gift of creation and all that has been provided for us?  Do we understand that following Christ is the greatest life ever?  May we be free.  May we learn to truly live.  May we give of it all to truly follow…and live.  And may it begin with me.

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  • Love Without Agenda

    There are a lot of things I still don’t completely understand about the Bible.  No matter how long I study or how deeply I read, there will always be things that are part of the unknown.  They are mysteries and I am okay with that.  It doesn’t mean I stop searching and digging.  Some mysteries are revealed just as we need them.  Some are meant to be understood in just small fragments, for that is enough.  But there is one overriding, obvious teaching that is not a mystery.  There is one concept that is taught and re-taught and taught in new and different ways.  It is new and old.  It can be easy and it can be challenging.  It is done and it is forgotten.  I personally don’t think we can talk enough about it.  One reason for that belief is that the Bible speaks so much about it.  It fills the pages and is the background of so many of the teachings.  It is not a mystery, even if we treat it like it is.

    1 John 2:7-17

    7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister,  is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves a brother or sister  lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.

    12 I am writing to you, little children,
    because your sins are forgiven on account of his name.
    13 I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
    I am writing to you, young people,
    because you have conquered the evil one.
    14 I write to you, children,
    because you know the Father.
    I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
    I write to you, young people,
    because you are strong
    and the word of God abides in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.

    15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; 16 for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.

     

    Yes, you have heard this before.  Yes, you may already know you are to love God and love others.  Yes, it is written over and over in the Old Testament and the New.  Yes, Jesus said it was the hinge for it all.  Yes, I know we say we understand it.  But 1 John is pretty direct about it.  And it should cause us to do a little more exploration of ourselves.  It should give us pause to consider our love.  There is a lot of talk about love.  But this gives us clear direction that there should be action as well.  And maybe you have this without a problem.  I would challenge you to continue to find new ways to love.  You may even want to evaluate your motives and your heart.  We could all use a check-up from time to time.  Maybe this will be ours.

    1 John teaches us that to love is to live in the light.  By loving, we have a clearer path and a clearer direction.  Love lights the way.  It is, by the way, the love of Christ that makes the difference.  It isn’t a simple, cheesy type of love.  This is an intense, deep love that causes us to give of ourselves even when it is uncomfortable.  This is a love that is not always easy.  This is a love that reaches beyond borders and knows no color.  This love pushes us to love those we would not ordinarily consider loving.  This love makes us reach beyond political boundaries and finds new ways to create relationships.  This love calls us to bust down the walls we have built and cross artificial lines we have made.  This love is life changing.  This love does not have room for hate.

    But that really is the kicker, isn’t it?  1 John teaches that when we have hate for another brother or sister…another believer…another of God’s children, we live in darkness.  The darkness brings on blindness and we don’t know which way to go because we do not have the light.  This doesn’t leave us a lot of wiggle room, does it?  This doesn’t give us any reason to hate others because of the color of their skin, where they were born, whether they are citizens or not, whether they worship like us, or whether they believe everything just like we do.  It doesn’t really give us a reason to hate at all.  If anything, it gives us more reasons to love.  We know that love conquers the darkness.  We know love can change the heart of a person.  We know that love enables us to shine bright in difficult situations.

    We get this incredible love by first loving God.  This is not your ‘love at first sight’ kind of love.  This is a powerful love given to us from the author of love.  This is one of a kind that takes away our excuses and gives us a heart to search to love others.  We don’t get to be picky and selective about who we love.  Jesus didn’t come to give us new life so we could be filled with hate.  There is no room for that.  This love isn’t the mushy kind of love either.  This is the type of love that causes us to get involved, become uncomfortable, reach outside of ourselves, and love like Jesus.

    The unfortunate part is that too many of us have decided who we will love based on a set of criteria we have created for ourselves.  We have built this internal list and given ourselves reasons to not love someone else. When it is hard or we don’t agree with someone, we just use one of our excuses so we can give ourselves an out from loving that person.  Surely God wouldn’t want us to love her – doesn’t he know what she has done.  I can’t believe God would cause me to love him – doesn’t he know the life he lives.  God would be okay if I didn’t love that person, he doesn’t believe everything just like I do.  God will give me a pass on loving this one because they don’t speak my language.  We build our list more and more until we are comfortable with whom it is we love.  We end up surrounding ourselves with people like us that believe like us, vote like us, look like us and worship like us.  And we might find we love most of them.  But that completely takes away the point of the entire teaching.  I would even say we have created blinders and we might just find we are really living in darkness.

    We don’t love based on what someone else has or who their parents are.  We don’t love based on agreeing with them or looking like them.  The light is in us so that we can share that light.  Love conquers the darkness but only if we live in the light.

    If you think you have all of this down without a problem, I would challenge you to take a long hard look.  I would push you to begin to seek who it is you love and why.  We may want to spend some time allowing God to show us those that we are not loving.  Too often, we have built our criteria list without even realizing it.  It just happens.  Our list may be long and exclusive.  Tear it up and start reaching out.  May we let the light begin to shine bright.  It is strong and it is powerful…it is, after all, the love of God that provides that light.

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  • Called Out

    We have heard a lot about the church in the last few weeks.  Lengthy discussions have been carried out over locking up the church.  Many are angry that they cannot come to church in person.  As churches begin to reopen their doors, many changes must be made that will make church services unlike anything in the past.  It will not be the same, at least for now.  That makes many upset.  Singing carries issues farther than talking.  Shared hymnals can cause problems.  Even something as simple as opening a door can be potentially serious.

    All of this has certainly caused us to rethink church.  What is the church?  Why do we go to church?  How do we worship as a church in a way that is safe and protected for everyone?  What does the church even do?  Is the church necessary?

    Today’s scripture helps me to begin in the search for these answers, and I hope it begins to help you as well.

    Ephesians 1:15-23

    1:15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason
    1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
    1:17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,
    1:18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
    1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
    1:20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
    1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
    1:22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,
    1:23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

    Do you hear anything about the church?  I do hear an intent and purpose.  Look closer.  Listen to what is being said.

    Christ is above all – ruler, guide, all powerful.  He has immeasurable greatness of his power that is given to those who follow him.  And his power changes things.  He is the head of it all, and that includes the church. The church is his body – his vehicle for doing his work.  The church is about wisdom and growth and seeking but it is also about going and living and loving.

    Maybe we have been shut up in the walls of a building too long and have forgotten that to be the church is to live for Christ.  Maybe we have gotten so comfortable in our pews that we haven’t allowed ourselves to follow Christ when we leave those pews.  It could be that we have grown so accustomed to the way things have always been that comfort was all we were seeking.  Could it be that we have made the church more about us than about Christ?  Could it be that we have made church what we wanted it to be – comfortable for us to sit with a group of people that look like us and agree with us?  Maybe, just maybe this is our time to be the church.

    IF we are the body of Christ, that seems to be a movement forward – a carrying out into the world.  It seems to me that this would be living out the vision and mission that Jesus lived as an example.  I do remember him gathering in the place of worship, but I don’t remember that being the only place he went.  Actually it seems like he spent more time with those that were discarded and forgotten than those that claimed to be devout.  He spent more time loving those on the outside that had never experienced love before.

    Do not misunderstand me – there is great value in gathering.  Jesus did it.  He taught in the place of worship and spent time there.  We gather to gain knowledge, we gather to seek wisdom, we gather to pray together, we gather to worship.  All of those are vital for our spiritual lives.  We gather in community.  We gather in resources and gifts to carry further the cause of Christ.  But this is a gathering.  This is not the end all, be all.  Gathering is only part of the equation.  And I think that we have gotten comfortable with gathering only because it makes us feel like we are doing what we should do – it is a box to check off on our holy list.

    But what if gathering is to prepare us for something more?  What if we have been taught how to worship and now we are being called out to worship in the world?  What if we have been given what we need to go out and serve?  What if we are being called to live for Christ as a unified body that isn’t in a building right this moment?  What if we are so worried about not gathering in a building because it is the only time we serve?   Could it be that we have been called out for times like these?  Could it be that we have been equipped to be God’s people right here and right now?  Could it be that we are to serve faithfully until we gather again?  And might we be changed when we do gather to value serving in and out of the building?  Maybe it will make us uncomfortable enough that we don’t get too comfortable when we return to the building.  That might just be an important gift in it all.

    The writer of Ephesians helps us to understand that in knowing Christ better, our heart is enlightened, we are given hope, and we are given a spirit of revelation and wisdom.  We have been given what we need.  Are we serving with a heart for Christ?  Are we filled with hope?  Do we live in wisdom?

    We are in this together, church.  And I mean more than Trinity.  I mean THE church.  We are all in this together.  We have been given all the gifts we need.  We have been strengthened for service.  We have been given courage to do as Christ calls.  Until we can safely gather in this building, it does not mean you are free from being the church – unless you feel that being in this building is the only time you are a follower of Christ.  You are actually given a great responsibility to seek to serve in this time.  You are called to encourage, pray, study, and above all else – love like never before – not from a comfy pew but out in a world that is starving for Christ.

    We will gather again in a building…and when we do, I pray that God has so filled us with his power that we are even more eager to go back out.  I pray that our pews are no longer comfortable and our worship reminds us that we are in this together, for Christ.  When we return, I pray we return changed, challenged, and called.

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  • The Feet…Maundy Thursday – Holy Week

    It is helpful to know that I do not care for feet.  I appreciate and am grateful to have them.  I know they give me freedom and allow me to travel.  I wash them before I enter people’s homes because it is customary.  I work to make sure they look okay considering I spend a lot of time outside.  I try very hard not to take them for granted.  But, they are feet.  Feet are generally just nasty.  They get dusty and dirty with every step.  So who would have ever thought I could actually learn something from them?  It is a lesson that is forever burned in my memory.  And I have to say – maybe I don’t dislike feet as much as I once did.  After all, how beautiful are the feet…

    It was dinner time and we were all gathered together, me included.  I felt like I belonged.  I had never felt this sense of being a part of something so big and yet so personal.  The joy that welled up inside while in the presence of this person was simply indescribable.  I couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say next.  And he always offered the unexpected.  I don’t think he ever did all of the customary traditions yet he always had a variation of the traditions that felt so pure.  He didn’t seem to buy into all the extra rules, but gave his own spin that made you stop and consider what you were doing.  Most of what he taught hit me later.  I would listen intently to what he said and during the night I would awaken to what he had actually said.  I know my spouse thought I had lost my mind as I would sit up and explain – REALLY?!  It was like a lightbulb would go off and I began, in some small simple way, to understand his teachings.

    This meal seems to be no exception.  During dinner, at the least expected time, came the least expected event.  Jesus gets up from his place as if he is on a mission.  He has something on his mind, you can tell.  He grabs a towel, the one that is used by the servants when you enter the home, and he ties it around his waist.  First of all, I have never seen that done except by an actual servant.  That job is one of those that no one actually signs up for.  They wash the feet of the important guests as they enter.  At my house, we wash our own feet but I also don’t remember any important guests entering my doorway either.  For Jesus to take this place is almost embarrassing.  A man of his caliber has no business even having to touch that towel, much less putting it on.  But here we are.  He takes the towel and puts it around his waist and begins to wash feet.  All I could think was – I’m really glad I am not near the center of the table right now – I’m not sure my feet should ever be washed by him.

    The first few people he washed seemed to be in shock but didn’t say anything.  There were no words.  He had spoken volumes without ever uttering a single vowel.  They seemed dumbfounded.  So was I.  Had I missed something?  Was this a new ritual?  Was there a change in roles?  I could not wrap my mind around it.  Everyone just patiently watched him until he got to Peter.  I don’t know Peter all that well, but I do know he says what he thinks.  He seems to lack a filter.  He is never mean nor rude, he just doesn’t give consideration to what he is about to say.  So the only one with words is, of course, Peter.  I have to give him credit, though.  He said what I was thinking.  He told Jesus that he wasn’t worthy for him to wash his feet.  Jesus had no business taking such a menial task.  He is the teacher, the guide, the prophet.  This is not what he should be doing.  Peter even was willing to wash Jesus’ feet if he would just stop.  You could tell Peter was a bit taken back.  I wanted to confirm what he was saying, but Jesus quickly stepped in.  Jesus told him he could not walk alongside of him if he did not wash his feet – basically that he just wasn’t getting it right now but if he was going to follow, this was what he had to learn.  So Peter told him to wash it all, every part of him – again carrying things a bit too far.  Jesus, in his kind way, simply told him that it only needed to be his feet for him to get it.  It was almost like – calm down Peter, you will get it if you just give it a minute and pay attention.

    Jesus finished washing feet, then gets up, takes off the towel and takes his place at the table.  I had no idea what just happened.  All I know is that I just witnessed this loving, gifted teacher wash his follower’s feet.  I can assure you that this has never happened before.  He took the time to explain.  But his explanation blew my mind just as much as the action.  He knew what he was doing.  He knew he was the teacher and that he had humbly taken on the role of the servant.  He wanted them to do the same for others.  And that was that.  He wanted them, and us, to do what he had just done.

    I went to bed that night with my head about to explode.  I didn’t get it.  What was the deal with washing feet?  Why would Jesus, such an important leader, do such a menial, humbling task?  And what did he mean by us doing the same?  It seems it has something to do with being a servant, helping others realize their worth, and remembering that everyone is equal.  Now, those are concepts that could change the world.

    Focus Scripture: John 13:1-17

    13 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table,[a] took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet,[b] but is entirely clean. And you[c] are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

    12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants[d] are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

    Greatest Among You

  • Imagining Something Different

    Ever had the thought…this is never going to get better?  Ever wonder if it will always be this way and nothing is going to change?  It is difficult to believe things could really be any different.  We imagine a new world, hope for things to change, look for signs to see where God is at work.  And then we notice what we really see… fighting and backstabbing, lying and cheating, bullying and degrading.  And that’s on the 6 am news before the day even gets started.  Children are starving around the world and many of the world’s diseases could be prevented with something as simple as clean water.  Greed rules the day and selfishness is the theme of so many.

    Even in the church, the place where we should be seeking and striving for a new way, it is difficult to imagine sometimes.  If we are honest about it…we tend to be judgmental and cruel…we tend to think that people should act a certain way, dress a certain way, have their hair a certain way, smell a certain way, and should adapt to our way of life.  We don’t have a lot of patience for those that are different and if we do for a moment, it is because we have the expectation that they will soon enough change to be who we want them to be.  We don’t have a lot of experience with other cultures so we dismiss them.  We don’t understand our differences so we seek to eliminate rather than to embrace them.  We don’t often take the time to know someone else’s story because we are waiting for them to change.  We like the way things are and to do anything different would be…out of the question – even if we don’t verbalize that feeling.

    Now, you may think that this cannot possibly apply to us, as the church today…but I would challenge you to take a second or third look.  Do we really want people who are different with us…do we really want to reach those that come from different cultures…do we really want to welcome those that we might consider an outsider…and the fact that we can use the word outsider in this sense really does answer a lot of the question.  We don’t really want to consider that there could be another way.  To envision something different is difficult because we become comfortable and fear causes us to push back on anything that takes away that comfort.  We like the way things are because that makes us feel better.  We aren’t ready for anything different.  So we push out those that do not quite conform…those that do not quick enough make the change…that do not see like we do.  And we become a group of people…like us.  And to do any different is scary.

    It even happens among us…among those that are already here…that have stayed and are a part and we have accepted.  We have created a culture that rewards conformity to such an extent that it is sometimes difficult to express what you really feel.  For instance, if someone is struggling at home, it is better to keep that under wraps – for fear of judgment.  If one of us is facing depression or loneliness, anxiety or fear…if we mentally just don’t know how we are going to make it…we don’t express that in church – people tend to gossip about things like that.  And let’s face it, historically, the church’s answer in general to our problems has been one of…pray about it and if you have enough faith, all will work out.  The problem is that this a hollow, one liner that doesn’t really seek to understand the real struggles of the person.  No…having enough faith does not cure all things.  No…praying enough does not take away depression or anxiety.  No…pretending to conform just so you fit in is not the pattern of Jesus.  And no…this is not what is taught.  This is not okay.  We have to do better.  There is still hope, though.  And wouldn’t you know it…it is found in the Bible.  There is hope of a new way…hope of a new day…hope that this is not all there is…and it begins with words from God.

    Isaiah 65:17-25

    God is presenting a new vision…one that the Israelites can’t even wrap their minds around…and frankly, neither can we.  God is presenting a vision of peace, of justice, of health…it is a vision where no one is hungry.  It is a vision where his creation…which he created as good…really is good.  It is a place where there is joy.  There are tangible realities…eating from the crops that are grown…living healthy lives because of living off the land – a land that they take care of, love and tend…peace rules…not because everyone is the same, but because they use their gifts for the greater good.  All comes together, as God intended, created, and ordained.  This is good.  And it is to come, God says.  All being made new.

    When we read this, it is such a beautiful picture that we can see this as idealistic…a type of utopia that never will be.  We can miss the possibilities contained in the scripture.  We could easily skip over that God says he is doing this.  This is a vision that God has at work…is putting in place.  God can make this happen!

    We could say this vision is for the future  – it is a new heaven and new earth after all.  And that is true – it is a future glimpse.  But that is not all.  We could also look at it as beginning here and now.  God may just be at work reforming, renewing, remaking right now.  We could think of it as the kingdom of God.  We could think of it, as Jesus taught us to pray…Your kingdom come, Your will be done…on earth as it is in heaven.  Your kingdom is to come and yet is already here.  Jesus brought the kingdom and yet…there is so much more that awaits. But that begins with us doing as we are called and created – right here and right now.  That begins with us giving up our ideals of how we think things should be and focusing on what God thinks things should look like.  And I think this new…looks a lot more diverse.  I think this renewal looks a lot more welcoming and loving…accepting and exciting…I think it looks a lot more joyful and promising.  And I don’t think it is idealistic as we want to make it out to be.  I think it is accessible and real and right before us.  But we have to be willing to let the old things go…the things that we want…the ways that we want…the ideals that we have…

    Note…I am not suggesting giving up our values or beliefs…I am not suggesting giving up following Jesus or living by God’s word.  I am suggesting that the ways that we have of doing that may not be the right way.  I am suggesting that things could be different…joyful and peaceful and equal and above all else, loving of all.  I am suggesting we begin to follow Jesus, truly follow his lead.

    I admit…it sounds idealistic to me – I long for this picture to be so.  I so want to know that God is making all things new and that there is hope for a new creation…that God can once again say that it is good.  I want to see where God’s children come together in peace and no one is hungry.  What a joy it would be to see this vision to become reality.  But what if it means we have to begin to re-vision what we expect? What if it means we have to do some changing to be more like God?  What if it means that we have to be willing to take a step back and realize where we are not doing what we should – where have we missed it?

    If we are honest, keeping things the same is always easier.  Change is hard.  Doing things like we always have is much more comfortable.  Living where our ways are the ways and people conform to that makes us feel better.  Worshiping with people like us alleviates fear.  Giving quick answers is easier than getting to know people and their stories.  Ignoring what is going on in life is more comfortable that walking with others through their fears and struggles.

    But the problem is…I don’t read anything in the Bible about that being okay.  Jesus broke all the molds by fulfilling what God has taught.  What he did completely shook up the establishment.  How he lived was so radical that they wanted him dead.  He made the religious so nervous with his ways that they wanted him eliminated…silenced…done away with.  Are we living like that too?  There is a different way.  There is a better way.  But it is scary and uncomfortable and different…it means people that look different and act different will be with us.  It means that people will able to talk openly about mental health and their struggles and the church will have a better answer than simply praying and having faith.  It means that people don’t have to dress or smell or act like we do to be loved and welcomed and accepted.  I wonder…could it be so.  Isaiah’s vision says…it certainly can.

    Jesus began to change things…he challenged those that thought they had it all together…he loved on those that knew they needed him…he pushed people out of what they had always been doing and always had known.  Jesus began to help people see that it could be different…that the church didn’t have to be like it was…that faith was so much more…that love required action rather than just words.  Jesus understood the struggles of people…their mental struggles, their physical struggles, their health struggles…he got it and reached them where they are…he didn’t ask them to become more like the religious people…he helped them become their best – who God had created them to be.

    If we become more like Christ, this vision becomes clearer and clearer.  If we walk like Jesus, the reality that this is the kingdom to come and yet, is here becomes more apparent.  We begin working for reform right where we are.  And we begin with ourselves.  We begin with changing who we are so that we reflect Jesus.  We don’t worry about what others are doing…we work on us…who we are, what we think, how we act, why we judge, what we need to do to become who Christ calls us to be.

    I say…we look forward to this vision…make me an instrument in your plan, God.  Renew, remake, shape, form and help me to see what you are up to.  And Lord, use me to help make your vision of the kingdom a reality.  Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done…on earth as it is in heaven.  Amen.

  • Has it really been that long?

    The waters of baptism washed over me as I stood before the congregation I would serve, with my friend at my side and my father at the pulpit.  It is a day I will never forget.  The flood of memories overwhelm me like the feeling of the warm water.  I remember the gift of a study Bible, the people that laid hands on me to pray over me as I began this journey, the feeling of being loved.  On March 9, 2004, I was baptized by my friend Lynn Taylor and Ordained as a Baptist Minister, a service led by my father, Jerry Mitchell.

    There have been many days that I have questioned the calling, wondering if I heard incorrectly.  I have tried to do other things in the ministry.  I have felt like Job as I have walked away from the pulpit and thought that this was not for me.  But there have been many more days that I have been overwhelmed by God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness.  He has allowed me to walk with people in their journeys of celebration and grief.  I have sat at the table with people I now consider family.

    LaGrange First Missionary has always and will always hold a very special place in my heart and in the heart of my wife and children.  They took a chance on me when they could have chosen otherwise.  They loved me and accepted me and welcomed me into their lives.  They gave me grace when I messed up and walked with me through my own struggles.  I am forever grateful to God for giving me the privilege of serving this congregation…for I saw God in more ways that I can count as a result.

    I am grateful that God continued to be patient with me as I took a sabbatical.  I needed the time to breathe but that was difficult for my family.  I needed to be ministered to, but it is difficult to let go.  God worked through all of that in amazing ways.  He gave me the opportunity to complete a Master of Divinity degree at a school that taught me to think critically and love fiercely.  Campbell Divinity School was the right choice for me and I knew it from the first day I stepped on campus.  It was a place of learning and healing.

    I am grateful for Northeast FWB for allowing me to serve as an Interim.  It was a beautiful experience that gave me the chance to celebrate Advent and Christmas with a congregation that was welcoming and kind to this traveler.

    Today, I serve at Trinity Missionary Baptist.  Beginning as Interim, my intention was to remain interim.  God had other plans.  Four years ago, I accepted the interim position.  In July, I will have been the Pastor at Trinity for four years.  God directed and I did my best to be obedient.  I was hesitant, not because of Trinity but because of Brad.  I love with my everything but that doesn’t always reflect in the ways I serve.  I wasn’t sure I had enough to give Trinity.  I can say that Trinity has also been kind and gracious to me.  They have given me the opportunity to pursue my Doctor of Ministry degree.  They have supported the ways that I have felt God leading.  They have loved me despite me.  Together, we have become better.  I pray God continues to work in it all.

    As I write this, I am overwhelmed by the opportunity to serve God as a minister.  I cannot believe he chose to use me, but I am grateful he did.  I pray that I can continue to serve as he would have me to serve.  I pray that I will love as he teaches me to love.  I pray I can show others what it means to follow, no matter the cost.  I pray I can be his hands and feet.  15 years later, I say…”Lead on, God…Lead on.”

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  • Just ONE

    Sometimes it all seems too much…all of the devastation, the hurt, the pain, the hate.  It can all seem like just too much.  When we look at the tragedy of what is happening in Texas, the amount of destruction is overwhelming.  When we consider those who are starving all over the world (including right in our own part of the world)…when we think of the amount of people captured and imprisoned in the torment of human trafficking…when we see the amount of hate and despair all over our world…it just can all seem that the problems are insurmountable.  It can easily cause us to not do anything for the problem of not knowing what to do.  How can we make a difference when the problems are enormous?  What will our small contribution do in the overall complexity of the problem?  Since we don’t know what to do, we are frozen in fear and desperation.  We long for God to act, yet we are not willing to move our own feet.  We want to be the hands and feet of Christ, but we don’t know what that looks like in a world so in need.  What do we do?

    As a child of God, I am called to love others.  If I love, then I cannot sit by and do nothing.  I cannot watch all of the tragedy and sit by while others suffer.  I cannot do NOTHING.  My fears and my despair cannot trap me into a place of immobilization.  I must love.  And if I am to love, what does that look like?  I think it is about loving just one.  My response should be:  In a world that is so in need, I will love just one more person.  If I have a dollar above what I need, I send that dollar to someone who does not have…even if it is just one.  If I can support a cause that is being good stewards and really reaching out, I do that.  If I can provide for one missionary that is serving, I do it.  If I can provide support for one child that is caught in a cycle of poverty, I do it.  The point is not to allow the enormity of the problem to deter our ability to act in love.  We are to love others…one at a time.  When we offer our love to one other, it begins to spread.  One at a time, we really can make a difference.  It all starts with one…will you be the one?  I will stand up and love…and I will love the next one….and the next…and the next.  Love just one today.

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