Faith is a Gift that takes Practice

A wise person once said to me, "There is no stagnant place in your relationship with Christ - either you are growing toward Him, or you are growing away from Him.  I have found that statement to be true and instructive.  

It is a joy to receive the aspects of this relationship where God is pouring out His grace upon me.  I receive that willingly and eagerly... but there in lies the difficulty... as I am receiving it, He asks me to grow in my ability to demonstrate the same, through my own life, towards others.  

Tension... Choices!!! 

I'm continually learning how to live in, and live out, this faith relationship.  

Here are a couple of nuggets to ponder:

The writer of Hebrews describes faith in this way:
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.  HEBREWS 11:1

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines faith in this way:
  1) allegiance to a duty or person
  2) fidelity to one's promises, sincerity of intentions

Faith requires trusting someone or trusting in something.  

It begs the question - is the object of our faith trustworthy?  This is truly the underlying question when it comes to matters of faith.  Throughout the New Testament it is evident that as people came to know who Jesus was, they put their faith in HIM.  Following Jesus' first miracle, this was the response of the disciples:

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. JOHN 2:11

At another point, Jesus says to his disciples:  

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  JOHN 14:12

Believing that Jesus can do these things is one element of my faith, but believing that He will do these things through me is a whole other issue.  Faith invites me to go beyond believing in Jesus, that He is who he claims to be and believing in the things that He has done... TO believing Him when he says that I will be doing the things that He has been doing.  

For this... my faith requires practice!

Mission, Jesus style is a daily response to His invitation, as He asks those who believe to step out in faith.  Small steps are one matter, bigger steps take more trust and more courage, and each step provides the space for our faith in him grows as we reveal Him to others. 

Lord, may my heart be willing to take the

steps of faith that you have set before me today!

"As."  That two-letter word caught my curiosity today.  Check back later this week!

Preparing an Unlikely Missionary

I was in my late twenties when I sensed a calling from God to serve him in a more intentional way.  I can't explain it logically, I just knew that His Spirit was calling me in that direction.  As I took those first steps in timid obedience, I could have never dreamed what would unfold in the years to come.  The Lord was beginning to shape me into a missionary.

Missionary: a person undertaking a mission, especially a religious one.

My first mission field was a Sunday school class of 4 and 5 year old children.  The Lord knew that since I didn't yet know the stories that children learn from the Bible, that this would be a good way for me to learn them.  As I taught alongside an incredible mentor, I learned the stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Paul as we prepared lessons for children.  

At the same time I was teaching aerobic classes, which I was to discover as my second mission field.  I genuinely loved these women.  We were together three mornings a week and journeyed together for about 18 years!  I was learning the ways of the Lord and sharing my journey. Friends share their joys and woes and sorrows, so I had many opportunities to extend loving care in these years. Without realizing it then, I was encouraging others in their faith.

All the while, I'm praying for the Lord to open a door to work in the church!

About 10 years into this journey, a training opportunity opens up!  I timidly inquire and enroll, only to find myself as the only woman studying with a group of men.  It's one of the few times in my life that I wanted to turn and run, but my instructors and the men were gracious and provided lots of encouragement. My missionary calling was becoming more clear.  


This led to a Master program in Christian Outreach at Concordia University in St. Paul Minnesota.  At this point I began to realize that maybe I had found my calling!  Three years of study and a Capstone Project the size of a PhD thesis were like summer camp.  I loved every minute of it!!!

The Lord was preparing a missionary

It was during this course of study that the concept of God's mission was introduced to me for the first time.  The Missio Dei - the mission of God.  I had not heard that before.  It would forever change my perspective on life!

Missio Dei: the mission of God.

The mission of God, Missio Dei, is evident from the creation of the world throughout eternity.  I understand the Missio Dei as God’s desire and action to have a close and personal relationship with His human creatures for all eternity.  As humans, we are challenged because the relationship intended at creation was broken.  From that point forward, God has been acting throughout history to bring His human creatures back into relationship with Him.  He is still acting for humankind, through those who know Him, to accomplish that mission today. 

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time. 1 THESSALONIANS  2:1-6

Mission, Jesus style calls all people who know the Lord to
serve as missionaries within their network of relationships
so that all people would come to know him.    

I could have never imagined that one day I would be serving as a missionary in urban Baltimore, and helping to prepare others who will serve as missionaries in the places where they live, work and play.  It's not complicated...  What's necessary?

Love God - - Spend time in His Word - - Serve Others - - Help them do the same

In what ways are you being prepared to serve as a missionary
in your network of relationships?

Wildfire Season

The news of recent days has contained reports about massive fires burning in the West. Each year during wildfire season I think about what I would take with me if I ever had to suddenly evacuate my home because of pending disaster.  The short list is:

• People
• Pets
• Laptop
• Bible
• Pictures

Images like this burning house are a reminder of how suddenly life can change and how fragile the "stuff" we accumulate in our life can be.  Fire is all consuming!

I have spent the last couple of years helping my aging mother downsize.  It was a humbling experience as my brother and I worked to gracefully dispose of her treasured possessions.  

The Lord urges us to view life from an eternal perspective.  

Our time in this life is temporary.  The stuff we accumulate in this life can be lost in a moment.  The Lord calls us to be mindful and focused on those things that endure.  His Word tells us that created things can be shaken and removed, but the things of His Kingdom remain.  The way of the Kingdom is love.

We love because God first loved us.  1 JOHN 4:19

Mission, Jesus style calls us to sincere love from the heart 

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.  For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For,

  "All men are like grass,

    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

  the grass withers and the flowers fall,

    but the word of the Lord stands forever."  1 Peter 1:22-25

Paul's great chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13, is often read during marriage ceremonies.  It tells us that "love never fails."  It calls our attention to the eternal, enduring matters of life and instructs us that we can do all kinds of good things, but when they are not done with sincere love from the heart, they do not endure. 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-3

As the people of God spread HIS enduring love and grace to others around them, there is the potential for the Word of the Lord to spread rapidly.  

Let there be an outpouring of love today...

Love each one that God puts in front of you!

Farm Fences and Corn Rows

I live in the rural suburbs.  The remaining farms have soy beans, corn fields and pastures framed in fences.  We've had a steady amount of rain this summer, so the colors have remained exquisitely green!

As I was driving along a fence-lined field the other day, I was struck how it provided a visual reminder of the life of a disciple!

Eugene Peterson described discipleship as "a long obedience in the same direction." 

The rolling fence line that seemed to go on for miles has become a visual reminder of my walk with Christ.

The fence - a life, segmented by blocks of time, extending for years...

The rows of corn - planted as kernels of dried seed, that grow into tall stalks, which usually produce only one ear of corn...

one life to be lived...

I began to wonder...How am I spending these segments of time?  The following day I spent time with some friends.  We talked about life and ministry and making a difference. If we don't live intentionally, it's hard to think that in one or two generations, just 50 years, only our family will remember our name.  But...a life lived to intentionally make a difference for the generations to come will leave a legacy.  

It made me think about something Jesus said: 
" I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."  JOHN 12:24 

Paul said it this way:
" If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." PHILIPPIANS 2:1-3 

Mission, Jesus style calls for perseverance... a long obedience in the same direction.  Like a fence, we're called to be consistent, even though there will be ups and downs.  

We're called to spend our days for the good of another.  When we invest in other people's lives for eternal purposes, our lives have impact that lasts beyond our lifespan.

Like a broken section of fence, our lives can have periods of inconsistency or brokenness, but that doesn't impact the entire fence line.  The next section can be solid.  

Broken sections can be mended and there can be a long span of living on purpose after the repair work is done.  

Imagine your life like the stalk of corn.  

One stalk...one life.  

Each one does not stand alone, but alongside many others.  As the stalk grows and matures, it produces an ear of corn with many kernels.  As the ear matures, each of those kernels has the potential to produce another stalk and ear of corn.  




Imagine that each of the kernels are the lives of people with whom you come into contact during your lifetime. You have the opportunity to share God's love so they can know the Lord and help each one grow and mature.  When that person grows in the way of the Lord, they have been planted as a new stalk.  That kernel then has the potential to produce another "ear-full" of people who know the Lord.

Mission, Jesus style calls us to live for the eternal well-being of others,,, to live our lifespan on purpose... to grow and mature in the ways of the Lord... to help others know the Lord... and to journey next to each other as we mature together.

...living a long obedience in the same direction!

Rescue & Recovery

I was watching something yesterday evening that used the illustration of the catastrophe and chaos following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, comparing it to the cultural earthquake that has happened in the western world. 

The question posed was...

If there was complete devastation and you were part of the rescue and recovery team, what would you do?

I imagine we would move into action! A team would form and each person would do their part.  Each one would be focused on the task at hand, doing what they could to help others:

• removing debris 
• giving aid to the injured 
• encouraging those who are stuck
• using all the available resources
• praying for a good outcome

A disaster calls for full engagement!

The whole community moves into action, doing whatever they can to help.  Special resources, like search and rescue dogs, are mobilized.  Attention is focused, the workers are doing their part and the onlookers are praying.



Working in the city, I see all kinds of devastation.  Some is obvious like homelessness, poverty, disease and crime.  However, the observable is only a manifestation of the desperation that lives in the human heart.  Every person I've met, regardless of their circumstances, has hopes and dreams.  Some have been realized and some have been shattered.  Some people are resilient, but some lose hope and move to despair.
  

The Lord is on a rescue mission, restoring hope!  

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  ROMANS 5:6-8

Mission, Jesus style calls those who know Him to be part of the search and rescue team - - called into action, helping all people to know the love that the Father has for them.

The Lord spoke these words to Paul:

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'  ACTS 26:17

The Lord speaks these words to every believer:

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  EPHESIANS 4:16

The members of the Lord's rescue team speak these words back to Him:

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.  REVELATION 1:5-6

Each day, I'm learning to be a better
member of the Lord's rescue team.  

Will you join me?

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Reflections

Reflections...

...beautiful images come to my mind!

Some are clear...

Some are distorted...

In most cases, you can gain a sense of
the original image in the reflection.

When it comes to living as a redeemed child of God, it's the same in many ways, there are times we reflect Him more accurately than others.
Humans were made in the image of God, made to reflect Him to each other.  

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  2 CORINTHIANS 3:18

As I interact with people, how well am I reflecting the Lord to them?

Today, when we do good things, most people don't recognize that as a reflection of God in us, they see us as being a "good person."  Several years ago I began to wonder how to communicate in such a way that others would know that it is my relationship with the Lord that makes the difference.

...are we being merely "good" people,
or letting others know we are "God's People" ?

Mission, Jesus style calls us to always give credit to the Lord.  When I take the credit for God's work in me, I'm not reflecting Him accurately.  It makes me think of a conversation between Phillip and Jesus, when Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'?  Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  JOHN 14:9-10

Jesus always pointed people to the work of the Father.  Although He was God, Jesus continually provided examples of how to give glory to the Father, to help people know of His goodness and the love he pours out for His creation.  

The writer of Hebrews tells us:
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. HEBREWS 1:3 

Jesus prayer is that those who know Him will reflect the Father,
just like He has

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. JOHN 17:20-23


As a redeemed child of God, I am part of the Body of Christ, the church, whose purpose is to reflect Him well and make Him known.  Paul writes:

Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. EPHESIANS 3:8-11 

Lord, I pray that I will reflect upon you well today 

and give credit of Your glory, where credit is due.

Limit Your Intake of Processed Food

One of the best parts of summer where I live is the access to fresh farm produce. There are farm stands on many of the country roads and in the city neighborhoods.  Corn, melons, zucchini, tomatoes, peaches, peppers...straight from the field and a source of great nutrition.  Nutrition experts all agree that processed food does not carry the same nutritional punch as farm fresh produce.  

We live in a time where nutrition is frequently in the media. Supporting local sustainable farming is a popular topic.  In one article it was said:

"Purchasing local food makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside."

The Word of God is like that too!  It's best and most beneficial when it's picked straight off the vine, just like produce.  

Jesus says "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.   JOHN 15:1-5

The Word of God is like fresh produce for the soul.  I'm thankful if you are reading this blog and post and I pray it encourages you, but in a way it's like processed food, and we miss out on some of the nutritional value that God has especially for each one individually. 

There is no better teacher than the Lord himself!  He knows you individually and personally, so as you digest the Word for yourself, he'll provide insights that are just for you.  



All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

For your heavenly GPS (that I wrote about yesterday) to work at optimum capacity, it needs to be directly connected to the power supply.  There are great resources available to help you, like a 365 Day Reading Plan.  There are a couple of different plans to choose from.  Just sign up and you'll receive an email each day with the verses for that day.  

Make sure you eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day!

Feed on the Word, direct from the source, every day!

Map, Compass, or GPS?

My work takes me all over the streets of Baltimore.  I rely on maps and my GPS to navigate, tools created by people who have charted the territory and provide instructions, making it easier for those who come after to navigate.  

I pass many church buildings.  This city has no shortage of churches, structures that were once filled with people and thriving with activity.  Almost every pastor, church member and civic leader I speak with expresses the same challenge, in one way or another, it seems that the church is losing it's influence. Attendance is shrinking, congregations are aging, there are fewer young people, the neighborhood has changed and the people who attend the church no longer live nearby.  


Even in one year's time, I am seeing more and more church buildings with FOR SALE signs on them.  Some are even listed on Craigslist!  One listing read:

$350 on the Avenue in Hamden: Single offices, open work areas in amazing renovated historic church. Free use of conference foom. Utilities/cleaning included. Offices start at $350.  Ready right now!

What has happened?

Navigating the cultural landscape.   

When the current route is blocked we can let it stop us, or find a new route.  Sometimes new routes are temporary, like a detour, and sometimes they are permanent such as a new highway or bridge.  In either case, the solution is found by having enough perspective on the situation in order to discover the options.

Maps, Compass or GPS?

When it comes to God's work, only He has enough perspective to help us discover the solution.  It seems that the maps we've been using are not working in the same way. However, the writer of Hebrews calls us to remember:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  HEBREWS 13:8

Our maps may fail us, but when we use the Lord as our compass, He always points us to true north!  GPS (Global Positioning System) technology uses a system of triangulation from satellites way up in the atmosphere to help us re-route and navigate another way.  

Our Creator, the Lord himself is our GPS (God's Positioning System)!  His system of triangulation that helps us navigate the world is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!  

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  HEBREWS 12:2-3

Mission, Jesus style belongs to the LORD and comes only from Him.  It comes to us by His Grace, through His Word, which we receive in Faith.   We cannot shortcut that, otherwise we end up creating merely temporary detours.  Knowing that we are covered by His Grace, we receive direction through His Word, as we take steps in Faith.  Jesus is the perfect example to follow:


For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  JOHN 6:38-40

So...turn on your GPS and let God do the navigating!

The Church of "What's Happening Now"

In a recent conversation I was speaking with someone about the statistic that only 4% of my children's generation are connected to a Christian church or community of faith.  When I mentioned that we can see evidence of this in our own church, that there just weren't many people in their 20's or even 30's and 40's, she replied with, 

"yeah...that's cause they're all going to the 

church of what's happening now."

Do we look upon that as a good thing?  ...a bad thing?  ...something we should criticize?  ...or maybe, something we should learn from?

These are challenging times in the church.  Seismic shifts seem to be happening culturally, economically, educationally, spiritually... the list can be long!  Many churches are feeling the impact of these shifts and trying to make sense of them.  

Jesus started the "Church of What's Happening Now"

God meets people at their point of need, demonstrating how He is working on their behalf, and how able He is to provide.  Christ Jesus humbled himself, coming into the world to meet people at their point of need SO THAT they could come to know Him for all eternity.  

Even those expecting Him were sometimes confused:
When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"  Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."  MATTHEW 11:2-6

Mission, Jesus style calls us to meet people at their point of need in ways that will make HIM known.  He calls His followers to care for all people at their point of need, even those who have done wrong to us:

  "If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

PROVERBS 25:21

Today, let's BE the 

"Church of What's Happening Now"...

I challenge you to look around as you go about your day.  Take notice of the needs around you.  Who may need you to pour out God's love in a tangible way, meeting them at a point of need?  

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...  1 PETER 4:13-15

Holding the Pitcher

I had the blessing of assisting with communion this morning, holding the pitcher containing the wine that filled the chalice.  As I watched each person receive the wine, poured out carefully for each one, I was filled with emotion over the price Jesus paid on the cross for humanity ...for me... the Spirit saying, "this is my love poured out for you."





We receive these tangible elements of bread and wine, the body and blood of our Savior, poured out for each person, around the world... throughout the ages... an endless supply!

Love never fails.

In that moment, those three words took on deeper meaning.  Agape love poured out... the pure love of the Creator poured out for all... selfless love... the kind that is always for the good of another.  

The Gospel text for the sermon was about the vine and the branches, from John 15:1-17, where Jesus refers to His followers and the branches.  


The pitcher... just a vessel.. .to be filled... 
to be poured out...

Branches... connected to the vine... receiving source of nourishment from the vine... providing a conduit that results in fruit...

Mission, Jesus style teaches us that as God's dearly loved children, we're connected to the vine that supplies an unending source of nourishment, SO THAT it can flow through us to others where God's love is deposited and grows.  

The pitcher didn't produce the wine... it received it then poured it out...

We love because He first loved us.  1 John 4:9

As I held the pitcher the Lord was whispering, "receive the love that I poured out for you, then pour it out for others."

Tangled Thread

Have you had those situations where something goes from bad to worse?  There have been times when the more I try to rectify something I’ve bungled, the worse it got.

Imagine the scene… a weaving loom containing multiple colors of threads that intertwine to make a beautiful tapestry of fabric.  A new employee is seated at the loom.  

Above her, the sign reads: 

As she works one of the threads gets tangled.  She tries her best to get the thread straightened out and back into place, but instead other threads become engaged in the tangle and she has a mess! 

Finally deciding that she is not able to fix the situation, she calls the supervisor.  Upon arriving, the supervisor asks if she saw the sign above?  Yes, she replied with shame.  Why didn’t you follow the instruction?  She said, “I thought I could figure it out on my own.”

How often are the circumstances of our lives like this?

Now, imagine this… someone offends us…there is one small tangle in our complex matrix of relationships.  Instead of calling the supervisor to help us deal with the issue when it only involves one person…one thread…we share our offense with another person.  That person doesn’t know how to help you, so they involve another person.  Now there are four threads involved in what was at first a simple situation.

A problem often starts with a small tangle and has a way of escalating into a complex tangled mess.  This makes me think about the tangled web of relationships that we navigate every day.  The family I grew up in fought in silence, so I did not learn the skills necessary to resolve even simple conflicts.  

 When we don’t grow up in family systems that teach us how to handle the difficulties in relationships well, we gather skills from others, which may or may not be helpful.  Mission, Jesus style seeks direct help from the supervisor…the one who established relationship and can teach us how to navigate.

The first instruction we receive for conflict is:  "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen…    MATTHEW 18:!5

Are you seeking advice about relationships from the one who knows them best?