stories: Tell Your Story
Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been publishing a series of blog posts called “stories“. In this series, I’ve been sharing experiences that people have had serving others in big ways and small ways. Some of these experiences have been my own; some have been the experiences of my friends; some have been the experiences of readers who have sent their stories to me.
The purpose of this series is to provide examples to encourage each of us to follow Jesus by serving those around us – both believers and unbelievers. We see in Scripture that the authors often use their own experiences to encourage their readers to do likewise. Similarly, we are exhorted by the author of Hebrews to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Hopefully, this series has been a method of exhortation toward love and good works for my readers.
Now, I want to give you, my readers, another opportunity to share your stories. The stories can be short or long, big or small, individual actions or group actions. Simply email me your story (my email address is aknox [at] sebts [dot] edu) and tell me if you would like to remain anonymous or not, and if you would like me to link to your blog or website.
Some of my readers have told me that they are reluctant to share their own stories because they are afraid that it would be seen as boasting. Here is an opportunity to share your stories in a way that cannot be perceived as boasting (if you do it anonymously) and yet can still encourage other believers to follow Jesus Christ in serving others.
So, here is your opportunity. Think about what God has done through your to serve others. Consider the people who may read your story and be exhorted to serve likewise. Then, if you feel comfortable, send me your story, and I’ll publish it here.
This type of “story” reinforces that teaching is by example as much as by words, and the importance of “doing” not just “talking” or “studying” or “thinking”.
Missional Idol
(I want to thank John Lunt for the inspiration for this blog post.)
Many television shows never make it past the pilot episode. One such show was a new reality show called “Missional Idol”. Based on the popular show “American Idol”, this new show attempted to crown America’s “Missional Idol”. People appeared before a panel of judges who would vote on the most missional person in America.
Unfortunately, only a few people showed up for the auditions, so they all made it through to the pilot program.
The first “Missional” contestant took the stage. He taught for 45 minutes about the necessity of believers living their lives in ways that demonstrate the love of God to the world. He explained the good news of Jesus Christ clearly, called people to follow Christ, and exhorted believers to faithful living in their home, neighborhoods, and workplaces. The audience cheered! The judges thanked the contestant and praised him for his eloquence and passion.
The next “Missional” contestant presented a detailed plan for developing a missional movement. He had graphs and charts, statistics and books and articles. He showed his conference and seminar plan as well as an exhaustive speaking schedule. He included an impressive list of Christian authors and celebrities who endorsed his plan. Once again the audience cheered, the judges gushed over his three-color charts.
The third “Missional” contestant used music. He played guitar and sang songs about reaching the world. The audience cried when he sang about a young girl in Asia who was sold as a sex slave and about a young boy in Africa who was dying of AIDS. The audience raised their hands and swayed to the rocking rhythms. The judges said they had never heard such powerful songs, and many people purchased the contestant’s new CD.
Another “Missional” contestant put on a puppet presentation. Another passed out several colorful and humorous tracts designed to convince people of their need to follow Jesus. A professor presented a detailed plan for courses and degree programs. Contestant after contestant impressed the judges and the audience with their skills and talents and gifts.
Finally, the last contestant left the stage and the judges began their deliberation. After a long pause, they turned to the audience. “We can’t decide,” the judges announced. “Everyone seems very talented, but something seems to be missing for each presentation. Can any of you help us decide?”
A young lady near the middle of the auditorium raised her hand. “What about Joe?” She asked in a timid voice.
“Who’s Joe?” one of the judges asked.
The lady pointed to a shadowy figure just to the side of the stage. The judges recognized Joe as the man who brought them drinks and snacks throughout the show. “Why Joe,” they asked, almost in unison.
“When I was coming into the auditorium,” the woman started, “Joe saw me struggling with my bags and my baby. He helped me carry my things and find a seat. He stayed with me until I was situated. I tried to tip him, but he told me he was not an employee. He said that Jesus loved him and gave him everything – even a new life – and then Joe told me that God loved me and that because of that he loved me. I think Joe should be the Missional Idol.”
An older man at the back of the audience stood up. “I vote for Joe also. When got out of our taxi, I realized that I had left my wallet at home. We didn’t have money to pay the cab fare. We were about to get back in the taxi to go back home to get the money – and miss the show – when Joe walked up and paid the cab fare. I thanked Joe and asked for his address so that I could repay him. He asked me not to repay him. He said that God had paid everything for him, and he explained what God had paid for me. I also think Joe should be the Missional Idol.”
Person after person began to share stories about how Joe had helped them in small and big ways during the evening.
The judges eventually stopped the audience. “When Joe brought us drinks and snacks during the show, we also thought Joe was an employee of the production company. We started asking him to get other things for us, and he never complained. Looking back, we treated Joe like a servant, and he kept acting like a servant.”
“We realize now,” the judges continued, “that this is exactly what was missing from the contestants’ presentation. They talked about, conferenced about, sang about serving and loving other people, but none of them actually got their hands dirty while serving other people.”
“So, by unanimous decision, we are crowning Joe as the ‘Missional Idol'”. The audience erupted in applause. They jumped to their feet and continued clapping and cheering for several minutes. However, the stage remained clear. A few stage hands began rushing across the stage and looking backstage for Joe. Eventually, someone walked up to the judges and whispered to them.
One of the judges quieted the audience and made a final announcement. “Apparently, Joe slipped out the back door while we were talking about him. The last time anyone saw Joe, he was helping a family move their belongings into their new apartment across the street. We don’t know how to find Joe to give him this award.”
He paused a moment, and then continued: “Does anyone know how we can honor Joe?”
stories: Prison Ministry Story
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
I asked one of my friends to share how God is using him to serve in a prison. This is his story:
———————————————————–
I work in a prison, although my platform for being there is a little unique. I am a contractor for the prison through a local community college’s prison education department. Inmates at certain correctional facilities throughout the nation can earn an Associates degree while in prison. My position with the college is Instructor of Religion and I currently teach Old Testament and World Religions. I must say I came into this position by, what seems to me, divine providence. I had no desire or plans whatsoever to spend time ministering to inmates. Yet last summer I found myself right in the middle of another world that was right in front of me all along, the sub-culture of “corrections.â€
A recent Pew report shows that more than 1 in 100 Americans are incarcerated. This comes out to at least 1% of the United States’ population being in prison (the highest number of inmates in the world, more than China and Russia combined). Yet, despite such an obvious segment of the population behind bars, I had no conception of that reality outside of the occasional documentary on the History Channel. And before I knew it I was standing before a classroom full of student-inmates who were ready to learn the Old Testament. The strangeness of the atmosphere almost immediately faded away and I quickly fell in love with this new and surprising opportunity. And I learned quickly that prison is a place of suffering.
What follows are just a few images from the lives of a few of my students. MJ was shot in the head when he was a boy and unexpectedly survived. He claims that an angel came to him in the hospital and saved his life; this encourages his belief in God today. He hopes to provide for his wife and pre-school daughter when he is released in the next few years. Mike told me he began using drugs when he was 7 years old (his parents kept marijuana around the house). After he was arrested for dealing (at 16) he turned to heavy using. He was using cocaine and heroine when he was arrested again at age 19. He says that prison saved his life; he would like to assist in drug rehab programs for youth in the future.
One student told me of his time at the US Penitentiary in Atlanta, a notoriously violent maximum security facility, when he would call his wife crying every night, just trying to survive. He witnessed another inmate’s throat cut in front of him and multiple beatings, an all too common reality in such maximum security facilities. William is finishing up a 20-year sentence for a drug charge when he was 23. He is now 43 heading back to a world that is now foreign to him. Another student, Jamal, has not seen his son in three years; he and his wife are in the process of divorce. Todd is at the beginning of a 30-year sentence and has recently been diagnosed with terminal diabetes. The doctor estimated he has 5 years to live, which more than likely means he will die in prison.
I could go on with stories of pain and suffering from behind the walls of prisons, from society’s forgotten citizens. The amazing thing about prison is that these stories are the norm. Each individual inmate has a story of suffering.
Apparently prisons were important to Jesus and he says that they should be important to us. According to Matt. 25.35-40, Jesus taught,
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.
What we learn from Jesus is that serving the lowest of society is serving Christ. The poor that we are called to love include those who find themselves behind the bars of prisons. Thus, the result should be, I believe, that each inmate is the responsibility of society (especially the community of Christ), not simply a liability. Further, this leads me to believe in restorative justice as opposed to strictly retributive justice where only vengeance is sought through punishment. According to Christ, prisons are a place to serve. We have an opportunity to work for restoration instead of simply punishment.
Yet this really cannot happen outside of relationships. The nature of the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25 shows clearly that relationships are at the heart of all acts of love and compassion. Every example of service he gives involves one person serving another, which makes it clear that restoration cannot take place outside of community. There are scores of prison “ministries†out there but I have found that only few do a good job of building real relationships with inmates. It is easy to enter the prison every so often and deliver a “powerful†sermon but it is quite another to just be there with the inmates and know them and understand their world and their suffering. These relationships are invaluable and the potential for restoration is so much greater.
So what if our perspective on inmates is informed by a vision of restoration and compassion instead of anger or revenge? In short, what if we view guilty inmates as Christ does? When we see human faces made in God’s image as opposed to seeing a person simply by their crime we will begin to see the beautiful power of the gospel to make all things new. Jesus gave a transforming vision in John 13.34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Our love must not be dependent upon what we receive in return or the worthiness of the other; it must be rooted in the love of Christ shown to us. Therefore, let us love one another as Christ has loved us, especially our neighbors in prison who so deeply need it.
Staying home = missionary
There’s a misconception among many Christians that only those who travel away from home are “called” to be missionaries. In fact, this dichotomy is foreign to Scripture. Instead, all followers of Jesus Christ are “called” to be missionaries.
While the various “commission” passages in the Gospels and Acts indicate that God expects all of his children to “make disciples” and “be his witnesses”, there are other passages as well that show that this is exactly how the early church understood their purpose. In other words, the early church knew that they were to bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ if the Spirit led them to travel away from home or if the Spirit led them to stay near their home.
For example, consider this passage from 1 Thessalonians:
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-8 ESV)
Paul says that he recognizes that they were changed by the power of Holy Spirit because of the way they responded to the gospel. God was now working through them (the Thessalonians) to both strengthen other believers in their regions (Macedonia and Achaia) and also to spread the “word of the Lord” through that region. In fact, Paul says that they were “imitators” of him and of those who were traveling with him.
This is very important: they were imitating Paul and other believers who were traveling away from home to spread the Gospel, but they were not traveling away from home to spread the Gospel. Instead, they were allowing God to use them in his work of reconciliation right in their home city and region. They were “missionaries” even though they did not travel away from home.
Unfortunately, when we use the term “missionary” today, we usually mean someone who travels away from home – either to another part of the world or another part of the country. There is certainly an indication in Scripture that the Spirit called some believers to travel from place to place. And, there is an indication in Scripture that the Spirit called some believers to stay in their home area.
But – and this is key – God worked through his “itinerant” servants and his “local” servants in much the same way! He used both to strengthen churches and to spread the good news of Jesus Christ – wherever they happened to be.
It is wonderful for us to recognize those believers who are following the Spirit of God to go to foreign lands to be used by him. We should recognize them, and pray for them, and send them, and encourage them!
We should also recognize that we are all “missionaries”, regardless of where God leads us to live, or whether or not God calls us to travel from place to place. Our “work” is the same: strengthen churches and spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
So, are you a traveling missionary or a stay-at-home missionary? How’s the missionary work going for you? To be honest, it’s not going that great for me, and God is pointing that out.
stories: Gospel and community and pizza
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
A friend of mine works in a local Italian restaurants while he’s finishing college. He hopes to eventually open his own restaurant (see my post “Pastor of a Restaurant?“). While he makes pizzas at this restaurant to earn money, he doesn’t see his occupation as being separate from his life as a follower of Christ.
In fact, he’s introduced me to several co-workers with whom he’s talked about the gospel and community in Christ. He often invited his co-workers – believers and unbelievers – to his apartment. Since many of his co-workers are high school age, he spends alot of time playing video games with them.
He spent alot of time with one young man in particular. They would work together and play video games together. They would talk about Scripture, and Jesus, and church, and many other “spiritual” topics as part of their normal conversation. My friend introduced this young man to many people in the church, letting the community of Christ surround him with love and acceptance and encouragement. I wish I could say that this young man is now follow Christ, but I can’t. In fact, he recently moved to another state.
This young man lived near two men – he called them his “uncles” – they were homosexual. He introduced my friend to them. Last week, my friend found out that one of these “uncles” committed suicide, and the other one as AIDS.
My friend told the church about this situation Sunday. We prayed for them all, and then my friend went to visit the “uncle” with AIDS. Again, I wish I could say that this man decided to follow Christ, but he did not. But, my friend did reach out to him in spite of the stigma associated with his lifestyle and disease.
My friend is a constant reminder to me that living a missional life is not about whether or not people decide to follow Jesus. We cannot force people to believe and to become disciples. However, we can demonstrate the love of God to people. We can share the gospel and the community with them. We can love them, exhort them, encourage them, and spend time with them.
My friend is also a constant reminder not to separate my life into categories. Every aspect of life must be lived for Christ – whether I am teaching the church, or making pizzas. Every moment is a moment to speak or demonstrate the love and grace of God in Jesus Christ.
stories: Raking leaves as the church
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
One Sunday last November, we met with the church like we normally do on Sunday mornings. Someone led us in singing some songs. Someone read a chapter from the Bible. Someone taught. Several people shared exhortations. This happens every week, and God often uses this weekly meeting to encourage, convict, rebuke, admonish, teach, train, comfort me – and hopefully others.
We also shared the Lord’s Supper that day. After our meeting we set out some tables and put some chairs around them. Someone talked about the significance of the bread and the cup as we took the elements. Then, we ate lunch together. We eat together every week, and specifically share the bread and the cup about once per month.
But, after our church meeting and after eating lunch together, we did something different. We had already been meeting together for just over four hours. But, the most exciting part of our church meeting was just about to begin.
Several of us changed clothes, and drove about a mile to a nearby government assisted housing project to rake leaves. As my regular readers know, my family and some other friends spend time in this neighborhood every Saturday. When Margaret (my wife) found out that no one raked leaves for this housing development, she asked if we could all go over on Sunday afternoon and rake leaves for them. Many of the residents are elderly, or in poor health, or single moms.
So, for a little over two hours – until it got dark – we raked leaves for the people that we knew in the neighborhood and for a few neighbors that we do not know… yet. We were able to talk to many of the neighbors while we were raking. We even sang “Amazing Grace” with one of the elderly ladies. Some of the children who lived in the neighborhood asked if they could help rake leaves. We also enjoyed piling up the leaves so the youngest children could jump in the piles!
At one point, a man who lives across the road from this government assisted housing development walked up. I met him, and he introduced himself. He asked if we were “a church group”. I explained that we were part of a church, and that we were raking leaves to help out some of our friends who live in this neighborhood.
He told me that he “goes to church”. He told me the name of the church. I know this church and many of the leaders. I’ve asked those leaders if they would like to do a service project together with us so that we could show the unity of Christ and the love of Christ together. They said that they would get back to me about it. I’m sure that they’ll get back to me one day.
Anyway, this man said that he was glad that we were doing something to help “those people”. He said that he often thought about doing something to help them, but he never seemed to have time. I told him that we were in the neighborhood every Saturday morning and that he was always welcomed to join us. He said, “ok” and went back into his house. How I wish he had come back with a rake to help us. But, he didn’t.
By the way, we ended up raking leaves for six different housing units (nine families).
While our group was raking leaves, another group from the church was also serving someone. One of our friends has a coworker who was trying to move out of her boyfriend’s house because she decided she was in a bad situation. My friend asked the church for help during our church meeting, and at least eight people helped this young lady move. Of those eight people, only one of them knew this young lady.
It is so exciting to be part of a church that actually serves people! And, we don’t just serve people that we know, or people who are part of the church, or people who can serve us back. We serve people who we have never seen before and who we may never see again. But, we serve people because we love them. And, we love people because God first loved us.
(If you would like to see some pictures of us raking leaves, I’ve posted some on our family blog in a post called “Raking Leaves With Friends For Friends“.)
stories: Missional without the label
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
In the fall of 2007, some good friends of ours decided to start spending time in a local nursing home. This wasn’t a “church program” or a “ministry”, but a desire on their part to spend time with “the least” in order to demonstrate God’s love. They talked to the administration at the nursing home, completed the forms and classes and tests necessary to spend time with the residents, and started going to the nursing home one morning each week. They all went – the husband, wife, and their children, even their 3 year old.
They invited me to go with them, and I wanted to go. But, I couldn’t go because of scheduling – work, teaching, and school scheduling. However, last summer, when I was only working, I was able to adjust my work schedule to spend time with them in the nursing home.
I arrived at the same time my friends arrived, and I walked into a common room with them. There were already fifteen or so residents sitting in a circle – some in wheelchairs, some in chairs, some on sofas – waiting for them to arrive. My friends started greeting the residents, and I could tell right away that this was more than a “program” to them. They genuinely love these elderly men and women. Some of the residents greeted them with smiles and hugs and words expressing their gratitude for coming. Other residents nodded or moaned, but were unable to communicate more than that. Some residents seemed completely unresponsive. But, my friends made their way around to each person, holding their hand, speaking a kind word to them, showing them the love of Christ, even if the person could not respond.
Eventually, a few of my friends headed down the halls of the nursing home to the rooms of some of the residents that they knew well. A few minutes later they returned walking with or pushing someone who had forgotten that they were coming, or had been unable to come on their own. Soon, there were twenty or more residents chatting with my friends.
My friend reminded the residents that they had been reading through the Gospel of Matthew together. He opened his Bible and, he and his children started reading from chapter 25 – each one taking turns. They read two chapters, not just a few verses. I knew that some of the residents could not hear what was being read. I knew that some of the residents could hear but could not process or remember what was being read. But, they knew that my friends were there because they cared for them deeply.
Call it coincidence – or call it divine providence – but the chapters that my friends read that morning included this passage:
Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:32-40 ESV)
I couldn’t help but noticed that I was seeing this passage lived out in front of me at that very moment. My friends were loving “the least” – people who could not return their love except in a touch or a hug or a kind word, if that. But, my friends love them any. They were not looking for a response from this sweet men and women. My friends were the ones responding – they were responding to the awesome grace and love and mercy and forgiveness that God had poured out on them.
After they read two chapters from the Gospel of Matthew, my friends asked the men and women if they would like to sing. Several of them called out the names of popular hymns and we all sang. After we sang, my friends once again made their way around to each person, greeting them again and speaking to them individually.
My friends do not read my blog. They probably do not know about the term “missional”. They probably do not know about the discussion that surrounds the meaning of the word “missional” today. But, they don’t care. They do not lavish their love on these precious people so that they can claim the label “missional”. Instead, they love because they were first loved. They love because God’s Spirit is producing love within them.
Total Church Principles
A few months ago, I bought the book Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis with an Amazon.com gifts card that I received for Christmas. Several people had recommended this book to me, and the blurbs that I had read about it looked promising – although blurbs can be misleading.
Last week, I needed to read something “for fun” – yes, I had plenty to do and too many books to read for school, but I needed a break. So, I picked up this book and started reading through the first chapter. I’m hooked. I really like this book.
The authors’ premise is:
What we do is always defined by the gospel, and the context is always our belonging in the church. Our identity as Christians is defined by the gospel and the community. (16)
By being “gospel-centered”, the authors mean that we should be centered on both the message (word) of the gospel and the mission of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. The authors recognize that some groups of Christians rightly focus on the gospel, but fail to live in the significance of the community. Meanwhile, other groups focus on the community while failing to see the significance of the gospel. Therefore, the authors suggest that the church should focus on both.
We believe there is an alternative. We need to be enthusiastic about truth and mission and we need to be enthusiastic about relationships and community. (18)
In Part One of their book, they write about the principles involved in being gospel-centered and community-centered. For example, concerning the church being “gospel-centered”, they show how God rules through his word and his Spirit. They reject a polarization between the two. Thus, the proper understanding of the word of God is as a word through the Spirit of God. Similarly, they say that this word is a “missionary” word, meaning that the good news of the kingdom is meant to be proclaimed.
However, living a “gospel-centered” life or being a “gospel-centered” church is often easier said than done. They say,
The church exists both through the gospel and for the gospel… Few Christians are going to object to being gospel-centered… The problem is the gap between our rhetoric and the reality of our practice. The continual challenge for us is to apply this principle to church life and ministry without compromise. (33)
The challenge for us is to make the gospel the center of our lives not just on Sunday mornings but on Monday mornings. This means ending distinctions between “full-timers,” “part-timers,” and people with secular employment in our team and leadership structures. We need non-full-time leaders who can model whole-life, gospel-centered, missional living. It means thinking of our workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods as the location of mission. (37)
Next, the authors examine the idea of the church being “community-centered”. They point out that following Christ is not an individualistic endeavor:
By becoming a Christian, I belong to God and I belong to my brothers and sisters. It is not that I belong to God and then make a decision to join a local church. My being in Christ means being in Christ with those others who are in Christ. This is my identity. This is our identity. To fail to live out our corporate identity in Christ is analogous to the act of adultery: we can be Christians and do it, but it is not what Christians should do. The loyalties of the new community supersede even the loyalties of biology. If the church is the body of Christ, then we should not live as disembodied Christians. (41)
This does not mean that the church becomes something that we add to our lives – just another to ball to juggle along with other responsibilities such as work, family, finances, etc. Instead, the community of Christ becomes part of our identity, such that our “problems” with work, family, finances, etc. become their problems, and their problems become our problems. We now live life together.
I think I appreciate their conclusion to this section on “principles” more than anything else that I’ve read in the book so far. Why? Because they give the same advice that I often give to people who are seeking this type of community life:
If you warm to this vision of Christian community, then start where you are. Sell the vision by modeling the vision. Don’t become a pain to your existing congregation, telling them everything they are doing is wrong. Become a blessing by offering hospitality, showing practical care, dropping in on people. Create around you a group of Christians who will share their lives and encourage one another in the faith. (50)
The only thing that I would change in that last quotation is the word “create”. I don’t think that we can “create” a community centered on Christ. However, as Christ creates that community around us, we can foster it and encourage it and not hinder what Christ is doing.
The next section of the book is called “Gospel and Community in Practice”. The authors write about certain church “practices” and how they would look if the church centered on gospel and community. I have read the chapter on “Evangelism” and thought it was excellent. Hopefully, I’ll be able to read more soon and wrote more about this book.
Meanwhile, what do you think about my quick summary of the first part? Do you think the church should be both gospel-centered and community-centered? How would you implement this in your life and community?
stories: I needed to talk to you
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
I published part of this story a few months ago (see “I needed to talk to you“), but I’ve added some updated information about Sheila’s story.
Our family travelled from North Carolina to Alabama and Florida for a few weeks around Christmas. While our family was still in Alabama, I got a phone call from “Sheila”. She is one of the residents of the government assisted housing development (see “stories: The Neighborhood“) where we’ve been spending time since last summer. (see “stories: I thought she was rude” for the first part of our story with “Sheila”.)
She was very upset, and asked if Margaret and I could come over to talk to her. I explained that we were out of town, and I asked if she wanted to wait until we returned home, if she wanted me to find someone else for her to talk to (someone that she was acquainted with), or if she wanted to talk on the phone. She asked if we could talk on the phone.
Apparently, there had been some type of incident in which Sheila felt she was wrongly accused of something. Because of that accusation, she and her three children might have to move out of the housing development. This would be very difficult for her family because they can’t afford to live anywhere else.
Primarily, she said, “I just wanted to talk to you and Margaret. I needed to get this off of my chest, and I didn’t know anyone else that I could talk to about it.”
For the first time since we’ve known her, Sheila began talking about her faith. She talked about some of the struggles she’s had in life. She said that she didn’t understand why her life was going wrong while people who were violent or did drugs seemed to have a good life.
When we first met Sheila, she seemed cold and distant. But, through the time we’ve spent with her, we’ve developed a relationship that seemed impossible at the beginning of last summer. Now, when she needed to talk to someone, she thought of us. How amazing!
A few weeks ago, because of the incident that Sheila called us about, she and her family were forced to move out of the housing project. They decided to move down to Raleigh to live with her mother for a while until Sheila could afford to rent a place of their own. I contacted some of our friends, and several of us helped her move some of their belongings to a storage unit.
As we were packing her furniture and clothing into one of my friend’s trucks, I noticed that Sheila was always quiet whenever my friends were around. But, when it was just Margaret or me, she perked up and talked a little. During the last trip to the storage unit, Margaret and Sheila stayed at her home by themselves. While we were unpacking her belongings, Sheila began unpacking many of her troubles and struggles and questions with Margaret. She opened up even more about her life, her failed marriage, her broken relationship with her mother, and many, many more things.
We continue to stay in touch with Sheila. She still has to deal with the ramifications of the incident that I mentioned earlier. Of course, we don’t know if she was falsely accused or not. However, we plan to continue to walk with her through this ordeal.
Once again, God has confirmed to me that my responsibility is to love people in his name, and allow him to give me opportunities to help people in their faith. It is not my responsibility to force things on people, or to manipulate conversations and relationships in order to disciple people. I must let God lead them to himself.
So, we’ve loved Sheila and her family. We’ve helped them through various situations. We’ve served them in different ways. In every case, we’ve let them know that the reason that we love them is because God loves us and he loves them.
Please pray for Sheila and her family. Pray that even if this situation is not resolved the way she hopes, that she would learn to trust God through all circumstances. Also, please pray that whatever happens, she would allow God to reveal himself to her however he desires.
Finally, as Paul asked, please pray for me and my family, “that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ.”
stories: Living the love of God
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
A friend of mine moved into a new neighborhood almost two years ago. He bought a house that was in need of many repairs, and, in fact, he’s still working on the house now. In less than two years, he has met most of his neighbors, inviting them to dinner at his house. He has started friendships with several neighbors, some of whom are Christians and some of whom are atheists. Although he doesn’t necessarily enjoy fishing, he has been fishing with one neighbor a few times. He has also helped several of his neighbors work on their houses. Spending all of this time with his neighbors has meant that the work on his house has taken alot longer than expected. But, he thinks that spending time with his neighbors is important.
Another friend moved from the United States to another country a few years ago. She spends most of her time with local college students teaching them English. Some students come for one or two lessons, other students come back several times. One or two students have been attending her English classes for over a year. She is building relationships with these students as she is able, even inviting them into her home and spending time in their homes. It is very difficult for her to live in a strange culture, to learn a new language, to break old habits, to leave behind family and friends and comforts and familiar things. But, she thinks that it is important for her to travel around the world and spend time with these college students.
Another friend and his family spend their Saturday mornings at the community center of a local government housing project. For the most part, they spend hours playing with boys and girls. They play on the playground equipment, ride boys and girls on their shoulders, play football with the older children, and even provide lunch. They have spent so much time with the boys and girls that they have gotten to know many of them – and some of the stories will break your heart… stories of broken families, abuse, neglect, missing parents, drugs, alcohol, prostitution. But, they think it is important to insert their lives into the broken lives of these boys and girls.
Another friend spends much of her time helping people with nutritional, health, and lifestyle issues. She spends hours every week talking to people, praying with them, encouraging them, and helping them recognize the importance of living a healthy life. She shows them alternatives to over-medicating and teaches them how to thrive in spite of constant pain. Although it is stressful to deal with hurting people all of the time, and although she doesn’t get paid for these services, she feels that it is important for her help people live physically and spiritually healthy lives.
Another friend and his family have “adopted” a couple of people who are struggling both physically and financially. Several times this family has found money, or furniture, or food that someone needs. They have given people rides to the hospital or the doctor’s office, even if the trip lasts several hours. This family takes care of people together, with the entire family getting involved. Perhaps some would think that this type of service would take too much away from “family time”, but they think that it is important for them to care for those who need help.
There are many other friends that I could mention – brothers and sisters who consider it important to give up something of their own lives in order to serve others – both those who are part of God’s family and those who are not in God’s family. I could mention the brother and sister who moved their family to an urban area to demonstrate God’s love in a desperate situation. I could mention a brother who gives up nights and weekends to work on people’s cars without charge. I could mention many brothers and sisters who cook dinners for those who have been sick or need a break for other reasons.
Which of my friends are living missionally? I think all of them are. They are living the love of God as he has provided opportunity and means and passion. And, they are all inserting their lives into the lives of other people. Their lives have been changed by God through the good news of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and they desire to demonstrate God’s love and proclaim that same good news to others in tangible ways.
There are dangers in describing the lives of some of my friends in the way that I have above. First, I definitely left out some people and some examples. God has surrounded me with many, many friends who are attempting to live the love of God in their lives. I could not mention all of them. Second, it is possible that someone could read my description of their own life and become proud. Knowing the people that I described above, that will probably not happen. Most will be embarrassed that I mentioned them, saying that they are not doing anything special. Third, there is a danger that someone will read my descriptions above and assume that those are the only ways that God works through his people into the lives of others. I would like to finish this article on this point.
Missional living means living the love of God in a way that impacts other people. As Paul said, we have been reconciled to God, and we are now to serve others with the goal of seeing them reconciled as well. This reconciliation affects all aspects of our lives, beginning with our relationship with God, but also affecting our relationship with other people.
However, the common grace of God and our common reconciliation with God does not mean that we all serve others in the same way. God has gifted us differently. He has given us different talents. We all have different opportunities. God has given us different passions and interests. Thus, we will serve others in different ways. There is a danger, especially among leaders, in thinking that every Christian will serve in the same way that I (or the leader) serves. This is not the way that God works.
Thus, missional living will look different for different people. However, in all instances, a life that mirrors the mission of God will live the love of God in the lives of others in order to reconcile them to God and to one another.