Come and Go

As Christians, God calls out of our comfort zones to a world that needs Him. He has called us, His vessels, vine branches, and body to those without. Make no mistake, His call for us to leave where we are and share ourselves is a call unto Himself. Every time we hear God say, “Go!” We must understand that His heart cries, “Come!” He calls continually from the self-made and man-provided into the divine Presence, where we are satisfied. We must receive His trust, in the faith He gave, with joy. For in His sending, He calls and trusts us to be intimate with a new side of Himself. How sweet and vulnerable He is.

So, don’t turn away from His call when your first answer reveals the desire of your character to miss the mark. Continue to look, for it is there He offers Himself anew. There He calls you to know more of Him (Philippians 3:10-14). There, in your weakness and his strength, worship anew.

A friend taught me.

A Friend taught me...

That while seek to teach others, I will recieve priceless lessons.

While to endeavoring teach a peer, he taught me, "the kindness we do is not always forgotten." I found this to be deeply true. The people the we are kind to, without audience or record, sometimes God allows them back into our lives. They remind us of what we did so long ago, and confirm who we are today. 

Cast your bread upon the water and you will find it after many days.

Ecclesiastes 11:1

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.