For Our Heads, For Our Hearts

We step into pulpits before 20 and into the spotlights before thousands. We look down at our notes as the clock ticks down in our heads. Our deep breath cuts off that prayer that it all comes out right as we begin to pray, speak, and preach. We are battling for heads and hearts. We speak so persuasively, so powerfully, so carefully that others might think differently. We hope that our words continue down beyond the intellect to where the heart is. That our hearers might live differently (and for the better). We struggle to convince them of spiritual realities and that we understand their physical realities. Our spirits soar at "mm-hmmms," "amen"s, and sheepish chuckles of agreement. We love 'em.

So.

We look down at our notes. Like the notes that came before them, they are tied to memories. Notes that are tied to memories of the one time you saw good, but could NOT find the courage to do it. Notes that are tied to memories of fights you could not walk away from. Notes that are fruits of long lessons in living above that one temptation that continues to dog us. Notes of that one time you time you saw evil itself (and how the shudders made you a better person). Notes that (hopefully) have not been washed of your emotion, scrubbed of your story, scoured of your "I just don't know"s until all that is left is the clean plate of good principles.

Notes that remind us, in situation after situation, God has been fighting for our minds and our hearts. Speaking to change our minds, showing himself to chainge our hearts. So that we can live a little better, a little closer to Him.

We look down at our notes, we pray one more time (because, in God, we believe)

So we...

Speak.

The Reverse Mission

BACKSTORY:

There is a young lady (she's been around since the 1940's) that I mowed for in the summer of 2004. She was one my best customer that summer and I loved talking to her. I was mowing her lawn when I found out that I was accepted into the Howard University Prefreshman program (Thanks and Rest in Peace Dr. Aboko-Cole).

STORY:

I went to see her later that Saturday. I wanted her to know that I graduated. I walked up to the door but her car was gone. I went and knocked anyway. No one answered. For what seemed like a minute, I knocked on both her front doors (she has two). Finally, I saw a dog, it belonged to one of her friends that was just visiting. As her friend Ann and her dog left, I got to see my friend. I was overjoyed to see her. Last I saw her, she was in a wheelchair. Now she was up, walking around with a supportive boot. We talked about my plans for the future and went over some of her memories of DC. She was amazing, so happy, so caring, so proud. I was happy to see and am still happy just thinking of her light spirit.

Later that day I went to go see L'Arche. It is a community of non-handicap and mentally handicap people living together. I couldn't find the street address or see a sign. I asked a young man sitting outside (with his laptop) if he knew of such a place. He said but he could check on his laptop. Which took forever (5 minutes) to boot up. We talked a little, his name is David and he goes to Maryland. He was good help and came up with two addresses. Both of which turned out to be right.

I went to the first one and walked in right-on-time for dinner.

Right-on-time to pray with students and staff.

Students visiting DC from Notre Dame.

Former and current volunteers who showed for the day of the dinner and fund-raiser/gala (somewhere in Adams Morgan).

Right on time to meet the great people of L'Arche DC. It was wonderful.

I visited my friend to see how she was doing, to make a full circle in letting her know how things were going. I came away happy and loved.

David tried to help a stranger and found a new acquaitance, a new (slightly random) friend.

I visited L'Arche to share a little time and experience and walked away blown away at the awesome, open love I was shown.

The reverse mission. Henry Nouwen (Here and Now) says that it is the mark of the Holy Spirit's work. Folks who seek to give are often given more in the process of doing so. It's great to live out a principle.

The Best of all Possible Worlds

I was watching a movie and I stopped to analyze the author's and director's view of human nature. The author believed that in a perfect world, full of family values, the desires of the people are repressed. The desire for art, sex, relationship, and discovery is fully repressed and no one seeks to know about it. (Sidenote: sex should only occur in the context of a monogamous, committed God-honoring relationship.) 

I believe different. I believe that a God's perfect world is much different from our dream. Our dream of a perfect world is where everyone fits, and plays nice. Everyone does everything perfectly and is acts in each relationship perfectly. I believe that God created us to do so much, to be so much more than we will ever know (on our own). I believe that as Chrisitian that we have a duty to enjoy the good things God gives us (1 Timothy 6:17); Ecclesiastes 2:24 is another good verse. I believe that we have a duty to enjoy nature, to our nature, and to enjoy the beauty of God that is showcased in others. We are born with talents, we are blessed with gifts, we work hard to gain skills; through these we can see the beauty of God and we should take the time to enjoy it. We are encouraged by the company of others, by the humor and comfort they bring. I believe it is our duty before God to enjoy those moments and to be grateful for it. 

In Isaiah 55:1, and Revelation 22:17 God invites to come to Him. He invites to enjoy Him, to be satisfied by Him, to adore Him. I believe that one day we will and the "perfect" world that we see will be MUCH different than our dreams (a verse should go here). 

I think we will always be moving satisfying our need to give  (and be recieved), satisfying our need for beauty, for hardship, and for relationship. I think (in my own imagination) that a perfect life with Him would be quite invigorating/interesting.

I didn't mention the name of the movie because I wouldn't recommend it for anyone else. 

Jesus at a Party (A Short One)

John 1:1-3
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there,
2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."


There is nothing wrong with a party. Most of us have been to at least one. Whether it was a wedding reception, a graduation party, a baby shower, spring festival, end-of-the-year party, gala, charity ball, Thanksgiving dinner, or family barbecue, we've been to some sort of party. Some of them have been good for all those in attendance (like my dad's 60th birthday.) Some have done more damage than good to those in attendance. As a Christian (or even otherwise) a good rule thumb is to ask "Why go?" or "Why throw the party?" Asking will help you to check your heart (Matthew 5:18-19). If your motives are pure, your actions more than likely will be pure. If your motives are self-seeking, solely pleasure seeking, your actions will show it. If you find yourself tempted to go to a party for the wrongs, then is the time to pray and ask God for help. Help to do the right thing and keep working on your heart (we can't follow God without his help). I wrote "your actions will more than likely be pure" because even with the right intentions, the wrong friends and the wrong crowd can convince to act contrary to what we believe. So even if YOUR motives are pure. The motives of everyone else at that party can make being in line with God an up-hill battle.

Jesus was invited to a party. One that his mother could go to (she was there!). He was invited to a wedding. A celebration of a new family, of purity over lust, community over individualism, and of hope over cynicism. He was there!

And for every good celebration, so should you.
(Further reading 2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Corinthians 10:31)

the standard

The standard.

2 Timothy 2:22
Flee youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

For those who work with youth, questions about dating are often raised. “How far is to far?” “Can I talk to a girl?” “What if we are not doing anything?” Youth are basically asking “What is the standard?” Please remind them/us (young adults) of the standard. God’s standard isn’t what romance looks like but what does following Him look like? (It’s what we are really asking when we ask “How does a Christian date? Or how does a Christian “do” romance? In Acts 11:26d it says “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” KJV. To be a Christian means one is a follower of Christ.) How does one date as a Christian? Better put, how does one follow Christ as she or he dates? Jesus lived a life of loving God. His love for God enabled Him to love each man and woman. As Christians is lust or like enough for a relationship? If He dealt with people only in love, are we to do less? Does His love look self-centered, possessive, or conditional?

How does one follow Christ as she or he dates or romances?

Paul wrote this letter while in prison. It was part of his final words to his legacy, the next generation of Christian leaders. He called this young man to follow after righteousness, faith, charity, and peace. He gave him a new aim to substitute the loss of his old one. Paul told Timothy not to do it alone but to go along with those who called on God after a pure heart.

There is so much more to this verse. For us and those we minister to let this be the standard. In all things we are followers of Christ. Wherever the practices and aims of dating and romance do not (and cannot) conform to our aim to live like Him, we are committed to letting go, getting rid off, avoiding, those practices and aims. We are determined to live at the standard.

Keep Bleeding

Keep Bleeding.

We keep trying to hold on to our time
Our energy
Our peace
Our comfort zone
Our friends and our phones
To the refreshing times alone
And cool rep with those who matter

except for Christ

We give a away time we'll never get back
Our energy to things that won't profit us
We are troubled by things we could let go
Be won't for Christ
Our comfort zone holds no comfort
Our friends and phones don't bring us support,
Prestige, and Convenience.
Neither do our refreshing times alone:
We get pressed and burden to get "loving-people-work" done
We give up the rep of the normal, the cool, the all-together look

But we are all-together the broken;
The bleeding.
Bleeding love in as many ways as we got
Spilling blood through things we touch
On those whom we hold.
Frankly we have to much hold
And still more in Jesus' next heart-pump
Hoping that such abundance
Convince you to try a blood transfusion
(To internally recieve some of His time,
His energy, comfort, support, prestige...ect (like manumission).)

To the youth pastors
Keep bleeding,
To the pastors
Keep bleeding,
To the evangelists, inviters, nurses,
architects, maintenance-men and lunch ladies
(Wherever you are ministering)
I encourage us
Keep bleeding.

His lost people don't need
More plasma, electrolytes,
platelets, nutrients, or supplements,
It needs us.
A bleeding, broken, forgiven,
in process and whatever the mess
Ambassodors and friends of the Man

Our lost loved ones need Us.

Give Your Life

We often make the mistake of saying "he gave his life" or "she gave her life" for a certain cause or person. The thought that when one's death is the most valuable moment in life is contained in this idea. As soon as we think it, we disagree with the thought. It has been ingrained in us that life is made up and valued by the time we spend loving life. The time we spend loving our friends and family and being loved on by them, the time we spend being loved on by moments themselves as we recieve awards we slaved for, drink the sweet, concentrated, and final drops of mountain top experiences... and other stuff. When we die for certain cause or person, we give our death... not our life. How does one give their life? Answer: Define life and then give it.

For me, I define life through the example of my dad. He gave his life for me and my brothers, while we were in elementary and high school. He gave his every waking moment to being with us and taking care of us. (He even gave the moments while he should have been asleep.) He gave us his remaining years of youth and strength, he gave us his dreams, his patience, his intellect, his stories, his peace of mind, his strength, (sometimes) his moments of weakness, he gave all he could and (by the grace of God) more.

For whatever cause or for whatever person, you will rarely be offered the opportunity to give your death. You can only take that opportunity once.

You are offered the opportunity to give your life everyday. You can do it again and again and again.

For all that's worthy take it!

Give your Life.