The Art of Mission...

Dear family,

I am trying to encourage Daniel to jump, but it is a challenge. He has this soft slide/ladder combo that cushions his fall, so we started moving the two pieces further apart from each other. That could, in theory, cause him to jump from one piece to the next, and it gives me the security knowing if he misses the jump or lands on his back, its a soft landing, and he wont get hurt, too badly. Anyway, i encourage, Kendra says push, Daniel to take the leap. Go ahead Daniel, i say, it wont hurt, you can do it. He measures up the distance. He looks up at me. He counts, "1, 2, 3," bends his knees and then steps down. All that build up, i thought for sure he was going to jump out of the room, and nothing. He steps down, safely, securely.

What do i do? I get him back on the top of the steps and invite him to "jump" again. I know he will be safe, but he doesn't. He has to learn to trust me, more, before he will actually jump. He stands up at the top of the steps, counts again, bends his knees, grunts, gets determined, i am sure he will jump. But no. He steps down again and runs back to the steps, yelling, "Again."

His fear of the unknown keeps him from letting go and jumping the distance. Will he make it? Yes he will. I have seen him do it before, with help. Will he get hurt? No. I'm there to protect him, make sure he doesn't hit a wall or bang his head on the floor or really miss the target. I will catch him. I will protect him, in the face of real danger. But for Daniel, who doesn't fully trust that i will catch and protect him, though he is getting there, the fear of the unknown is stronger than his faith and trust in me and himself. And it keeps him from being free.

Isn't that what we all do, in truth, when God/Jesus and the church call us to step out and live in mission? Aren't we afraid of the unknown? What if we can't afford it? What if people don't listen? What if we get really crazy and lose our lives? What if our families abandon us? What if, what if, what if? It seems, as i reflect on Daniel's journey of trying to build up the courage to jump is akin to our own attempts to build up the courage to change the church's narrative and paradigm.

We are comfortable with the way things are, because it is known, it is normal. We have experience with focusing on budget and meeting on Sundays as examples of being church, but Jesus never called us to "meet" and worry about money. No. Instead Jesus says in Matthew 10, "Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey; or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep."

Jesus tells the 12 that they should just go and get to work and trust that God would provide for them. If people, per custom and expectation for those in first century Palestine, didn't welcome them and take care of them, well the 12 were to wipe off their feet and pretty much offer a condemnation similiar to Sodom and Gomorrah, and we all remember what happened to them for their lack of hospitality, right? Sulfur anyone?

Jesus tells them that they will face persecution. Men will betray them. Their families will turn against them. And when, not if, they deal with pain and oppression, they are not to fear. Why? Because the Holy Spirit, which Jesus is freeing to guide them and empower them, will give them the strength and courage to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. They, the new 12, must trust. Trust that Jesus will keep His word. And as we read in Luke, the 12 return to Jesus and tell Him all that they were able to do. They, like Jesus, changed lives. They were amazed at the power that God had entrusted to them. My sense is that Jesus, like a proud parent when their child feels good after an accomplishment, my sense is that Jesus sat back and enjoyed the report of His disciples. They got it. They had faith, not just in Him but in themselves too.

Oh yeah, which brings me back to Daniel. He just wouldn't jump, not really. So i stood on the steps and showed him. He still hesitated. Then i got desperate. As he stood there, ready to jump, i had an idea. I was going to "assist" him in the jump. As he lifted, slightly, off the ground, i gave him a little more lift and gentle push so he would clear what must have been a chasm to him, and he landed softly, on his backside, on the mat. At first he was stunned then a smile and a cheer and a laugh came out of him. Now he wont quit jumping. He knows he can do it. He knows it is safe. And above all, no matter what he faces, I am there to assist him. Just like God is for us. Amen.

Shalom,

jerry

FAITH moves mountains...

Dear family,

What do we believe in? Honestly. Where do we give our trust? Do we trust in social security for our retirements? Do we believe, honestly believe, that our bank accounts will be strong, secure, and sufficient to supply and meet our needs when all hell breaks loose? Do we have faith in our government, our military, our families? Maybe we trust our health will be good? I dont know. But i do wonder, what do we believe in?

Do we believe Jesus when He says, "Whatever you ask for in my name; it shall be given to you?" Do we take Jesus at His word when he says, "Where two or more are gathered, in my name, i am with you?" And do we hold to Jesus' promise to "always be with you, even to the end of the age?" I ask these questions, because at the core of this weeks text, Matthew 9 second half, are stories about faith. Not the kind of faith that says, "I believe Jesus is the Savior." But. "I trust Jesus to heal my sickness, meet my every need, and guide my steps." The faith found in Matthew 9 moves mountains.

But what do we believe?

Can those outside the walls of our church accuse us of trusting Jesus to meet our needs? Balance our budget? Use us to build His Kingdom? The questions of faith are profound and deep ones, and i wonder, i have to wonder, what truly motivates us. If we are a people of faith, does our budget reflect that faith? If we are a people of faith, does our worship, our ministries, our outreach, and our educational efforts illumine that faith? If not, why not. If so, where is the fruit?

The question was raised, at Tuesday's Leadership Team meeting, are we seeing the fruit (im paraphrasing the question)? Are we experiencing the fruit of God's blessings? The overwhelming sentiment was, whether spoken or unspoken, no. No we are not experiencing the fruits of God's blessings. Which raises the question why not?

Why arent we experiencing the fruit? Faith moves mountains, and as we glean from the biblical narrative, that is a powerful truth of all who live lives of faith. Faith moves mountains. Faith grows. Faith matures. Faith evolves. Faith heals. Faith strengthens. And faith refuses to stay put; faith goes into the world making it better, more Godly, more whole. When faith communities have lived this, statistics prove that fruit becomes their byproduct.

If we have no fruit, are we living lives of faith? Are we honoring Jesus? Are we proving Him to be true? Faith moves mountains. We have plenty of mountains standing before us; we can't get over them, we cant move them, and we cant ignore them. What do we do about them? We trust in the power of Jesus to guide, direct, motivate, and move that which impedes our narrative. Faith moves mountains. Unfaith builds them. Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

By Who's Authority?

Dear Family,

When i worked at McPherson College there would be times when i would have to buy supplies for my job. I would have to buy a new battery for the truck or new blades for the lawnmowers or flowers for the gardens, and often times i would make sure i had permission before i purchased anything, because money always stirs issues. But one time in particular, i acted without asking, because i felt the situation was dire enough, i didnt want to wait for permission. And boy did i hear about it.

The first question out of my bosses mouth, "Who authorized you to spend that money?" I said, "No one, but the tractor wasn't working, and we needed it running, because it's supposed to snow in a couple of days." "I dont care," he replied! "You do not have the authority to spend money without my approval!" "Im sorry," i said, and i left.

I realize that many of you face similiar situations, and that this is nothing new to you, in fact we have similiar boundaries in the church, dont we? But all these boundaries got me to thinking, why are they there?

Why do people need authority? Or more troubling, at least for me, by whose authority to most people act? Speak? Represent? The more i think about authority, the more it angers me. Why? Because, at least in the church, too many people claim to have a right to it, and they simply should not. Contrary to popular belief, the church is NOT a democracy. Never has been. And it should never be.

I can hear the mumblings and protests now. Wait for it, please. Though the church needs to listen to all voices, the church is not a democracy. Not everyone who speaks at church has the right to do so. What do i mean? Well, folks, the church is not like the American Government. It is not for the people, by the people, of the people. Nope. The church is a theocracy. For God. To God. By God.

What that means is that God alone has the authority. But God uses people, right? Yes. Yes He does. But we have to be careful who we listen to. Not everyone who speaks represents the Divine Wisdom, and if one who speaks serves to only further their own agenda, well we should, at least if we want to honor God, simply silence them. Yes. You read that right. If someone in the church is speaking only to hear themselves or further their agenda, we need to silence them.

We should give the podium to those who spend hours praying, studying, listening, and doing their best to honor God. Those are the leaders God calls. Sisters and brothers humble enough to name that they do their best to listen to God, they ask great questions of mission and vision, and everything they say, EVERYTHING, can and will be supported by Scripture. If not, well as our tradition holds, then we simply say thank you and move on.

I know this is hard to hear/read, but we have to return to being a theocracy if we are to remain viable, healthy, and fruitful. None other than letting the voice of God speak through and guide us can carry us through this season of struggle. His authority alone matters. Amen..

Shalom,
jerry