Video Post: Interrupted

Interrupted from Threads on Vimeo.

Found this video online today (part one of a series you can buy from Lifeway). It captures the seed-planting part of a story of change. When you get down to it, this theme is how God has been stirring and continues to stir further my heart since 2007. I have a LONG way to go yet, but I am not giving up on God's work in my heart.

The video series is an accompaniment to the book Interrupted, written by Jen Hatmaker.

Intentional Quiet Times

Check out this insightful/helpful blog post by JR Vassar about planning for intentional "quiet times" in 2010. Staying "in the word" (reading your Bible) and praying daily are keys to perseverance in the faith.

Book Review: Interrupted

My favorite piece of summer reading so far has been Jen Hatmaker's latest book, "Interrupted." It's Jen's personal account of how God shook up her & her husband's faith and started steering them to interact with & befriend "the lost, the least, and the last" in this broken world.

They've been church-going people since they were kids & vocational ministers their entire adult careers... yet in 2007 they couldn't shake the lingering question inside their heads "God, isn't there more?" She prayed and asked "God, raise up in me a holy passion." And God responded.

"Interrupted" puts words to an inner angst that has gnawed at my insides for almost 2 years now. I have been a Christian just long enough to have gotten a good hold of the "routines" of American Christian life-- I go to church weekly, pray & read the Bible almost daily... I have attended plenty of "Bible Studies" and classes on what we think, I've studied theology, I've read a billion Christian books-- I have learned plenty (that is NOT to say I know it all, or even anywhere close to it). But at the end of the day, what was I doing with any of it? Mostly just talking to other church people about it.

I feel sometimes like we are all just "playing church", and that can be a suffocating place at times (just being honest) because... well, here's the way Jen put it: "Why did I spend all my time blessing blessed people who should be on the giving side of the equation by now?" (p. 21) Answer: because its safe and because its comfortable.

Joey Shaw charged a group of us one time with the parable of the shepherd who went in search of the one lost sheep-- he left 99 other sheep behind to go and pursue the 1. Joey reminded us that we like to stay with the 99 because that's easy, its comfortable, its safe.

But if we want to act like Jesus, we go out from the flock, in search of the lost, the least, the last.

I am hungry. Hungry to serve outside the four walls of the church. In Austin. My city is full of poor people, hurting people, hungry people, beaten-down and broken people. Do I know any of them? Do I spend time with them? Do I know their stories? Have I listened and loved well? How much of my life (my time, my energy, my money, my sleep, my home, etc) have I sacrificed in order to love them well?

I am increasingly wondering... not just "have they HEARD about Jesus?" but "have they SEEN & EXPERIENCED Jesus through MY interactions with them?"

This book will challenge you to live beyond Christian comfort and mediocrity. It will tempt you to be crazy enough to actually DO things Jesus talks about in the Bible.

"Small Groups" Impact Ethiopia

(pictured above, our team visits the home of a young HIV widow living on the mountain.)

On my recent trip to Ethiopia, our team got to partner with a church in the capital that is really getting things done. Not because they have these big outreach "programs" or church wide service "projects". They are reaching their city because the people, the everyday believers in their church body, are living out their faith to those in their city that are hurting, hungry, sick, unemployed, and homeless by building relationships and serving them with love.

Our team visited several different "small groups**" from this church, and each one had a different heart and different vision to serve a segment of the local population (usually unchurched people).

One "small group" we worked with told us how they heard about a group of people, infected with HIV/AIDS, that move to a mountain outside the city because of rumors there is healing water there. Many of those infected with the disease become outcasts in their families and villages, they lose their jobs along with their ability to provide for their own needs, so moving to the mountain seems like their only choice. When they move, they are not only hoping to be cured, they also just seek to disappear, believing what society tells them: they are unworthy of love, care, or help.

(pictured above, our team visited homes of several HIV/AIDS sufferers up on the mountain to hear their stories and pray with them.)

When the "small group" heard about these people, numbering around 4,000 at the time, they began to pray-- asking God how do you want us to help them? For a year all this "small group" did was pray, research the needs and situations of the people on the mountain, and BUILD RELATIONSHIPS with them. Every person in their group would go to the mountain top a few times and week and just meet the people, spend time in their homes, bring them a decent meal, listen to their stories, and love them. During that year, the "small group" even held a feast on the mountain top, where they cooked for several hundred people.

After a year of knowing and understanding those they sought to love, this "small group" banded together to try to create sustainable, tangible ways to impact and better these peoples' lives. First they started a small business in order to employ those adults battling the disease. Many of the people infected with HIV/AIDS are refused work or are too sick to keep regular jobs. So the "small group" started a jewelry making business to provide work for the HIV/AIDS friends they had made. They give each person two 3-hr shifts a week and pay them several times the average wage in the city. The "small group" taught them how to make the jewelry, they provide the supplies, and they sell the finished products at NGO bazaars, local churches and to international teams that come through the city. This is a job they can do while they are weak or strong.

(pictured above, our team visited some of the jewelry makers hard at work.)

As they started the business, they decided to rent a small house on the road to the mountain top to make it easier for the sick people to get to work. This home quickly became not only a place for their job, but also a safe place to come and hang out. Like a small community center.

Once they started this new jewelry making business, the "small group" noticed many of the people brought their kids with them to work. And the kids would just sit around. So they decided to start helping the kids too. Now, every Saturday, they hold a Kids Club where they teach music, art, sports, and English (using the Bible and Bible stories). Plus they feed the kids a healthy meal while they're there.

(pictured above, Shara & Melissa from our team taught a lesson from the Bible about Zacchaeus & Jesus to the Kids Club.)

(pictured above, Birukti & Melissa join the kids in a game of jump rope during the sports class.)

With the Kids Club underway, then the "small group" started noticing that the parents would come with the kids on Saturdays and just sit around. So they started teaching a class for the parents during the same time-- different topics each week like health classes, parenting skills, computer skills, English, and a ton of other stuff.

(pictured above, a nurse from our team taught the parents' class health tips for HIV/AIDS sufferers.)

While we were in Ethiopia, the "small group" was gearing up to implement their latest idea to serve the HIV/AIDS population on the mountain. They are starting a library where adults, kids, or families can come and check out books to practice reading and learning English.

All of this started from one "small group"-- literally a few dozen believers who knew each other from church. They are sacrificing their own money, they are spending their own time, they are using their own ideas, they are investing PERSONALLY in the lives of those they want to serve. They are not waiting for the Big Church to help, they are simply being intentional themselves. They are meeting the needs of this HIV/AIDS community together, as a band of believers who love the suffering people in their town.

It was really neat to witness and really inspiring when I think about the "small groups" in my own church. I hope we are as visionary, bold, willing, and intentional as the pockets of believers I met in Ethiopia!

** There are so many buzz words for what Stone calls "missional communities"-- like small groups, community groups, home care groups, cell groups, home groups, core groups, etc.-- but for this post, I'll just call em "small groups". What I mean by that is a group of 10-30 Christians from the church that meet together weekly, outside of a Sunday church service, to share prayer, encouragement, service, Bible, etc.

Uncovering Paradigms in John 2:1-12

Day two of reading through John trying to see through the lenses of "shame/honor," "defilement/clean," and "fear/power" (from this blog post) and tripped upon all three in John 2:1-12. I am remembering that the culture in which Jesus & the Israelites lived was full of situations reflecting these worldviews.

In this passage, I see a situational example of the "shame/honor" paradigm. The hosts of the wedding party had run out of wine for the wedding celebration. The footnote in my Bible says: "To run out of wine was more than embarrassing; it broke the strong unwritten laws of hospitality." So Jesus, in this situation, was responding to a heartfelt need... the need to restore the honor of the hosts. And He was capable to do just that.

The "defilement/clean" paradigm is more subtle in this text, but it is still there. Jesus sees 6 stone water jars at the wedding party and uses those very jars to turn water into wine. Those jars were used for Jewish ceremonial washing. My Bible footnote reads: "According to the Jews' ceremonial law, people became symbolically unclean by touching objects of everyday life. Before eating, the Jews would pour water over their hands to cleanse themselves of any bad influences associated with what they had touched." This cultural notion of defilement still exists in many modern belief systems. Although we don't see Jesus doing an act of cleaning here, we learn that "defilement/clean" is a common paradigm at play in His audiences' lives. And we know that (later) Jesus provides the answer to 'how can I be clean?'

Third, we see the "fear/power" paradigm at play through the miracle that Jesus performs. There is not so much an expression of fear in this scenario, but a bold demonstration of Jesus' power. My Bible footnote reads: "The miracle showed Jesus' power over nature... Miracles are not merely superhuman events, but events that demonstrate God's power." For those who witnessed this miracle of Jesus, do you think they wondered- in awe- if He had the power to change or rule over the things in their lives that made them feel fear? Jesus has the power to meet our needs, the ones we are desperate for intervention in.

Although the 3 paradigms at work in this passage don't specifically address salvation in these instances, they DO point to it. Because they touch on the issue of JESUS' ability to restore HONOR where there is shame, to offer CLEANNESS where there is defilement, and to demonstrate POWER which alleviates fear. These things point to Jesus' character, His powerful ability, and His role in our salvation!

Isn't that COOL!

Why Do We Notice the "Guilt/Righteousness" Paradigm More?

(an excerpt from pg. 152-153 of this book.)

"The Bible is loaded with all four paradigms (that I wrote about in yesterday's blog-post), but for various reasons, we Christians, especially in the West, have been trained to take notice only of the "guilt/righteousness" paradigm. Here are some reasons:

1. Paul's letters are loaded with legal terminology such as guilt, penalty of sin, judgment, and justification.
2. Some of the early church fathers were not only theologians but also lawyers, such as Quintus Tertullian (ca. 160-225) and Aurelius Prudentius (ca. 348-405). Not only that, but some of the Reformers, such as Calvin, were also lawyers in addition to being theologians. So our commentaries are loaded with legal terminology.
3. The famous tools for evangelism that were created in America and spread all over the world through organizations and mission agencies all use legal terminology. The "Four Spiritual Laws" is just one example.
4. The famous evangelists whom God used in the twentieth century in the lives of many people used the "guilt/righteousness" paradigm. Billy Graham is the prime example.
5. Perhaps most of us reading this book, as we remember the message we believed that transformed our lives, woudl come to the conclusion that the message was based on the legal or "guilt/righteousness" paradigm.
6. Christian commentaries around the world are colored by the Western culture. English is the international language, the church in the West tends to be wealthy, and there is an abundance of well-known Bible scholars in the West. Therefore, it is more likely that a commentary written in English by an American Bible scholar using the "guilt/righteousness" paradigm would be translated into other languages than a commentary written in Arabic by an Egyptian Bible scholar using the "shame/honor" paradigm.

For these reasons and others, we have developed some blind spots when we read our Bibles. This blindness influences not only how we understand and present the GOOD NEWS of the GOSPEL but also how we interpret many texts in Scriptures."

Just thought this mapping of our influences was interesting to think about in light of yesterday's blog post.

How We View The World Affects How We Share the Gospel

Did you know that we (Americans) most often present the gospel to people on the basis of "guilt and righteousness"? And did you know that this paradigm* is only one of many lenses through which people in the world view life and need?

The "guilt/righteousness" paradigm exists in the Christian West, but the paradigms of "honor/shame" and "defilement/clean" exist mostly in Muslim countries. It is simply the more natural way that they look at the world. Worldviews like these exist not just in Muslim countries but spreads all the way from North Africa in the West to Korea and Japan in the East.

A fourth paradigm- "fear/power"- exists in the minds of folk Muslims all over the Muslim world and in some African (and Caribbean) countries where some people are occupied with the demonic and magic.

Now, did you know that although most of the way we read our Bible relates to the "guilt/righteousness" paradigm, the Bible actually addresses ALL FOUR of these paradigms. So, the challenge we face is learning to present the gospel with all four paradigms in mind, starting with the paradigm appropriate to the person we are connecting with.

For example, if I begin to share with a Muslim friend about humanity's sin problem and its resulting guilt, and how righteousness through Christ is the only way out of that condemning guilt... am I saying anything wrong? No. That is all true and of course is necessary to understand. But it just might not be the primary way in which my Muslim friend views the world, so it doesn't strike her as the most important issue she wants resolved in her life.

For her, maybe, she is more interested in knowing how Jesus can remove the shame she feels in her life and restore her to honor. Or maybe she is aching inside to feel clean and needs to know that Jesus removes her stains and makes her white as snow. Or maybe she lives in fear and would like to know how Jesus has overcome all the things in this world (and the next) that plague her with fear.

Tomorrow, I am starting a new study of the Gospel of John and I am going to pray that God helps me recognize in His Word the ways He teaches, heals, and gives hope to ALL people, addressing the key issues in all worldviews. I want to try and read the Bible like someone from another culture would so I can learn what stands out to them and what brings them peace.

(I learned about this subject and paraphrased the concept from this book.)

* Paradigm means: A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them.

7 Churches of Revelation

(from the sights in Laodicea.)

I just returned home from sightseeing the Seven Churches from Revelation. The common theme was: they were all once a church and they are now all ruins. I must admit, it was a little upsetting to see nothing but broken pieces of rubble in places that once had a thriving church. Some were off in the fields, and others in the middle of modern city blocks. They are empty spaces that once were beacons of light. How sad.

But praise God that He is risen, and that the Word is living and active, even when human creation falls and human relations fail. We did a short Bible study of each site and what I realized is that all the problems Jesus addressed in His letters to these churches are, sadly, still things the modern church struggles with today.

The main street in Laodicea.

The library in Ephesus.

The cisterns of Smyrna.

The stadium in Pergamum.

The gymnasium of Sardis.

The ruins of Thyatira.

The remains of the church in Philadelphia.

Conversational Opportunities at the Cairo Bookfair

During our recent trip to Egypt, my friends and I volunteered in the Bible Society booths at the annual Cairo Bookfair. The booth where I worked we stationed two girls at the front entrance smiling & greeting passing women, hoping they might come inside, and we stationed two girls at the back of the booth praying for the customers we saw and paying extra attention to the women who came in. All the staff workers at the Bible Society booth were men and they mentioned that the ladies would be more comfortable coming in to shop if they looked in and saw some women already inside.
Primarily our volunteer service was prayer (just in our heads). Watching each customer who came in to browse or buy, asking the Spirit to lead us in the exact prayers He wanted us to offer on their behalf. The customers were made up of a wide variety of people… orthodox Christians, evangelical Christians, born-again believers, nominal or cultural “Christians”, as well as cultural Muslims and even more fanatical looking Muslims. No one came in the booth to cause trouble. They all came to shop. And all we sold were Bibles & Christian materials.

At one point, I was standing along the back corner of the booth when I was approached by four Muslim men with questions. Two of the four had the physical appearance of quite serious Muslims, and the other two looked like average Egyptians. The first man showed me that he had just purchased an Arabic New Testament, already bagged and paid for, but when he wanted to ask a few questions. I found it interesting that he would choose to approach me when there were several men in the booth that worked for the Bible Society, but I was happy to try and answer his questions. (Because we didn't take pictures inside the shop, I drew silly pen-layouts to show you the story unfolding.)
His first question was “Can you explain to me what it means by ‘version’ or ‘translation’? Does this mean there are different versions of interpretations of the Bible?” Great question! As we began to discuss the real meaning behind this terminology, I noticed that the man would not look me in the eye, or really, wouldn’t look in the direction of my face as a whole. He stared down about 45 degrees and looked off to the left of my body the whole time we talked. I expected this, culturally, but in the moment it was really different to experience.

After talking through his first question, he went on to explain that he was “of course, a Muslim” but that he felt it was important for him to learn about other religions so that we can have a good dialogue between faiths. I agreed and shared with him that I too had studied Islam with this very same motivation. He told me that he and his 3 friends were all students at the Al Azhar University… which I knew to be arguably the foremost institution for Islamic teaching in the world. I must admit at this point I started to get a little nervous. Not for my safety, by any stretch. It’s just that I more avidly started praying for God to give me just the right words to be able to answer his questions with respect and wisdom because I felt this was a well-educated Muslim with serious, thought-out questions.

Next, he asked me “I heard one time that a woman came to Jesus and asked Him to heal her, but Jesus said ‘no’ because He came for the ‘lost sheep of Israel, the Jews.’ Is that true? Did Jesus come for the Jews or for the whole world?” Wow, huh? What a gift of a question! This opened a healthy discussion and gave me many opportunities to point him to multiple places in Scripture that affirm Jesus came for everyone. It was a lively discussion and although my heartbeat was through the roof, I was beaming from ear to ear because of the seeds God was planting.

After that, the man asked me for my email so that we could “continue this discussion” online as he read his new Bible. I knew that request crossed the cultural lines of male-female interaction, so I quickly invited the two Bible Society staff (men) to join the conversation offering to let the man exchange emails with one of them to keep in touch. At this point, the staff & the 4 men started an even more lively discussion (or perhaps it turned debate) with me stuck in the middle—literally. I was pinned in the corner with both groups on either side, loudly and passionately discussing their questions and beliefs.
I was uncomfortable on one level because they spoke 80% in Arabic and only 20% in English, so I was lost but obviously still a part of the group discussion. But on another level I was thrilled to be a prayer-plant right in the middle of this holy conversation! As each man spoke back and forth, I was furiously praying in my head for God to allow His Truth to shine above all other thought… praying for the question-askers to have their questions answered… praying for the staffers to have the right words… praying for ears to hear on both sides. It was truly awesome to be just where I was.

As the dialogue continued, more and more men were filing in the store and gathering in a wider circle, listening to the discussion—some overtly, and some doing a bad job of fake-shopping while they eavesdropped. At one point, I counted 25 people in our circle. I prayed as my eyes wandered from face to face to face of the silent bystanders believing that God drew them there for a purpose too. He wanted them to hear answers to questions they may never have been bold enough to ask themselves.
After about 30 minutes, the conversation came to a polite close. I respectfully complimented the 4 men for being learners and seekers of God’s Truth and they left the store. That was my highlight moment from our time at the Bookfair because it was such a unique opportunity to carry on a Q & A about who God is, what Jesus was about, and where you can learn more… in the very Bible we were selling at that booth. I thank God for the gift of that interaction and believe that in His time, any seeds planted will reap a harvest for His glory!

The Bible Society of Egypt

On my recent trip to Egypt, I had the chance to work with (and shop at) The Bible Society of Egypt. In Egypt, it is illegal to give Christian materials away for free because that is considered "evangelizing" non-Christians, but it is legal to sell the Bible and other materials... for realllly cheap. Enter The Bible Society~

The Bible Society of Egypt has three main goals: to make the Bible affordable (so that anyone who wanted a copy could get one without money being an issue), available (they are creative in making it accessible to the people who want it... including services like free home delivery, a hotline number, and 12 bookstores), and understandable (making the Bible available in the language of the people and in simpler forms, like audio and video, that can be understood by less-literate and illiterate customers).
These are the Arabic Christian materials I came home with to be able to have on hand for friends in Austin who might want one: 6 different children's books about Jesus; 3 mini-books about the parables of, teachings of, and encounters with Jesus; the Jesus film; an Arabic New Testament; and an English-Arabic parallel Bible. I will pray over these materials until God shows me who to give them to.
Our team stopped to visit the Bible Society headquarters and took a tour. We were truly kids in a candystore.
Earlier in the day, we volunteered for the Bible Society at the Annual Cairo Bookfair. They had three different booths where they were selling their matierals. One booth was in the educational books section, one booth was in a Christian-only section, and the third booth was in the used books section of the fair. The Bookfair is a huge event that runs for two weeks out of every year and attracts people from all across the Middle East. It takes place at a giant convention facility that spans several acres and includes many large event halls (It reminded me of Fair Park in Dallas).

I was stationed at the booth in the used book area and we saw lots of traffic (I'm thinking because of the economy, everyone was looking for the deals). Some of our team would stand out front and smile and wave at the women passing by, inviting them to come in, and some of our team would stand in the booth itself to help customers and make them feel comfortable asking questions and shopping. Mostly, we served as pray-ers for all those faces we saw come in looking for a Bible. We had many veiled and skull-capped customers that were nervously buying their (I'm assuming) first Bibles, and plenty that were bold and confident as they made their purchases too. To be sure, God's Word is a gift to be treasured and you could tell that many of the shoppers were so excited and grateful to be able to buy their own copy of the Bible!

At our booth, you could buy a copy of a New Testament AND a Jesus Film together for 2.50 Egyptian pounds (the equivalent of 50 CENTS U.S.)! Generally, the Bible Society sells their materials for less than half of what it costs to produce them. So they are always losing money, but they fundraise from non-profits to make up the difference (see last paragraph for details).
Above is a picture of the indoor hall where they had an "all-Christian" floor (the second floor)... so that if you knew that's what you were looking for, you could easily find it. The part of our team that worked this booth said they had just as many non-Christian shoppers as they did Christian... and you knew those people were aware of what section they were in. It was no mistake, they were choosing to seek out Bibles. Awesome!

The Bible Society has been in Egypt for 125 years and they are expanding their methods to try and get a Bible in the hand of every Egyptian! Join them by praying for this goal to be reached. You can also help support the Bible Society by "buying" 10 Bibles a month... by donating $35/month, you can help support the costs to sell 10 Bibles to seeking customers. Or if you want to give even more, for $350/month you can Adopt-a-Bookshop, just like you would support a missionary overseas. You get monthly updates on the store and its staff and all the latest projects they're involved in. It's a great way for you and your small group to invest in an overseas project together! To read more about all their programs, check out their annual report online.

The Road to Turkey (A Journey Delayed)

Today was our departure for Turkey. But here I sit in Dominican Joe’s sipping my favorite vanilla latte and checking emails. I haven’t written much about our trip to Turkey on this blog because, well, there’s not a whole lot I can say (so excuse me if even this post seems incomplete in explanation). Bottom line, Andy & the band (Rufus McGovern) were going over to play some concerts in clubs (or as a Turk would call ‘em, “Rock Bars”) and we made the decision to post-pone our trip after Joe (the guitar player) was in an accident Sunday that left him with a broken arm.

We’ve been working with our Turkish friends, planning this trip since spring. So today is bittersweet, knowing that the plane we were to be on is now flying en route to the land that we have been longing for. The verse I have been clinging to from the Bible is Proverbs 16:9—“In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

There has been a lot of turmoil surrounding this trip for the last 6 weeks and I feel I have inappropriately questioned God through it. I repeatedly wondered, “Is this God trying tell us to delay our trip for our own good, or is this the enemy trying to prevent us from going?” However, that mindset negates that God is ALWAYS in control. Today, I can tell God I am sorry for questioning Him, and ask Him to refuel my trust in His plans for my life.

If we had just been experiencing these trials in general daily life (without a trip on the horizon), I wonder if I would have been filtering them the same way? I think the fact that we had a decision to make—“to go or to not go?”—really muddied my interpretation of the attacks we were experiencing. Because I kept wondering, “should THIS affect our decision?” or “is THIS supposed to change our plans?” etc, I was forgetting to FIRST apply the truth that I believe as a follower of Christ, which is: God is the author of all things.

As Michelle gently reminded me on Sunday, “it would be ‘mystical’ to wonder who was causing these things to happen, and followers of Jesus are not mystics—we believe He is always, sovereignly, in control.” Her comment helped to redirect my affections to God. Instead of wondering, “By what hand are these afflictions?” and having that influence our choices, our doubt, and even our joy, I should have grounded myself in who I know God to be.

I went to the Desiring God Regional Conference this weekend, on the subject of JOB: When the Righteous Suffer. A few things that stood out to me, and NOW feel I could apply to these current circumstances, are this:

1) Even if God allows Satan to test us, the enemy is ultimately only the middle man (for lack of a better description). I had always read the book of Job thinking it was the enemy afflicting Job with God’s permission. But even JOB, himself, viewed GOD as the author of his trials.

2) Suffering: the devil uses it to accomplish his goal of ruining your faith, and God uses it to accomplish His goal of strengthening your faith.

3) “Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and not receive adversity?” (from Job 2:10)

4) Spoken from God’s perspective: I don’t use my power capriciously—I have a purpose in all that I do.

5) God is doing 10,000+ things in your life at one time—not just one or two. Even though you may only see one or two or ten at a time, He’s still doing 10,000+. When you are suffering, consider that you only have a glimpse of God’s big picture for you.

My friend, Fabs, also sent me an encouraging email reminding me of good truths in the midst of things that are hard to understand: “I’m sure you feel like all your plans are slipping away… but no plan has been lost. God is on His throne and all plans are just being executed by a hand too mighty to be seen and too kind to let us make our own plans… God has prepared good works for us to do, and He will be faithful to see that we do them to the best of our ability…” I can only add: IN HIS TIMING He will work in us to accomplish the plans He’s set aside for us to accomplish. Not my timing.

For now, we are left to increase our affections for Turkey from right here in Austin.

The Story of Elijah

This past week in our storytelling group, we were each to prepare a story from the Old Testament. We could pick any story we wanted to... just to get the ball rolling for us to practice storytelling in general. I chose the story of Elijah. Partly because I went to the top of Mount Carmel when we were in Israel last May, so I've seen the place where this happend. But also partly because when I was studying James a few weeks ago, he referred to Elijah as an example of someone who prayed with results.

James 5: 16b-18 says, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years! Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured. The grass turned green, and the crops began to grow again."

So, I was intrigued. I cross-referenced my way back to the story in the Old Testament and was enamoured with it as though it were a page turner. Here's my "storyteller's version" for you.

When King Ahab was king of Israel’s northern kingdom—which was full of God’s people, he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord than any of the other kings before him.” What did he do, you might ask? Well, God had given His people a command, “You shall have no other gods before Me” and “you shall not make any idol or likeness to worship or serve because I am a jealous God and I show will show mercy to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

But King Ahab didn’t keep these commands. Instead, he married Jezebel (who wasn’t one of God’s people) and began to worship Baal (Jezebel’s god). He built a temple and altar for Baal and he set up places of worship and sacrifice to this false god. He led all of God’s people into a state of rebellion from God, and led them to worship Baal as he instructed. He really distracted God’s people from worshipping Him.

So what does God do? Well, without much fanfare or announcement, the prophet Elijah bursts upon the scene and, per God’s instruction, predicts a severe drought will come during the reign of King Ahab. Elijah goes to the King and says, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel lives—the God whom I worship and serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I give the word!”

The no rain thing had a two-fold purpose: 1) a consequence/punishment for disobedience to God (by worshipping other gods), and 2) it was an exercise in redirecting the Israelites’ heart and focus on God.

Elijah prayed for no rain… for so long… and when the people’s attention was assuredly gained, he goes out to meet King Ahab. When the King sees Elijah, he says, “So it’s you, is it?—Israel’s troublemaker?” But Elijah replies “I have made no trouble for Israel. You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshipped the images of Baal instead.”

Elijah says to the King, come, I challenge you to a test to determine once and for all which god is the real god. When all the people were assembled on Mt. Carmel, Elijah addresses the crowd saying, “How long are you going to waver between 2 opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal is god, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent. The sting of the truth shut them up for a moment.

Then Elijah sets the scene for the dual. There will be 2 sacrifices. One prepared for Baal, and one for God. Each group will call to their god asking him to consume his sacrifice. And the God who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God! So the 450 prophets of Baal called to their god all day, all the way until evening, but nothing happened. The sacrifice of the prophets of Baal did not produce a result.

Now it was Elijah’s turn (1 prophet to their 450). As he prepared the sacrifice, he even drenched it with water to make it even more difficult for a fire to start and he dug a trench around it and filled it with water too. Then Elijah prayed “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, prove today that you are God and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this AT YOUR COMMAND. Oh Lord, answer me! Answer me SO THAT these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

In a fire-y display of power and majesty, God consumes the offering of Elijah’s sacrifice, proving to the on-looking nation that He alone is Lord God. Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull (the sacrifice), the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the ditch.

When the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried out, ‘The Lord is God! The Lord is God!” THAT is the result that God desired from Elijah’s prayers. God had wanted His people to return their affection to Him. Having done so, Elijah immediately went and fell on his face praying that God would now release the rains on Israel. And He did. Now that God had regained the focus of His people, He allowed the rains to return. And the people knew it was by His hand. The grass turned green and all the crops began to grow again. And the people worshipped God once again.

Alter-Blog-o's New Post

I posted my latest article on the Ordinary People - Extraordinary God blog that I have (my "alter-blog-o"). Anyway, wanted to let you guys know... the latest story is about KATIE (pictured above with Steve), a midwife from Austin who is about to move (with her husband and newborn baby) to the Middle East to work at a hospital there. It's a pretty fascinating story. Check it out HERE.

My heart for the Ordinary People - Extraordinary God website is to share the stories people I know personally, or have a close degree of separation from, who God is using to do His work... the point is, God can (and does) use anyone who is surrendered to His will. You don't have to be a super-star Christian, a high-ranking influencer, or even a paid church-staffer. The only requirement is you have to be a follower of Jesus, sold out for His glory. God loves to use ordinary, normal people because it is through the weak that He shames the strong. Read these stories and BE INSPIRED to fulfill His unique call on YOUR LIFE. No believer is exempt from an amazing call to serve and love as Christ's ambassador. Believe He can use YOU...

If you have missed some of my past articles on that websites, here's a short list that you can click on, depending on your interests...

• Today's post: KATIE-- Middle Eastern Baby Catcher (newlywed and new parent, Katie, heads to the Middle East to be Christ's light to delivering mothers)
• CARA-- A Broken Heart for the Local Community (a video testimony of her work at the Hope Community Outreach Program)
• HILARY-- Teaching Strangers in a Foreign Land (she's an adult ESL teacher in Austin welcoming internationals from around the globe)
• JEN-- Side-splitting Voice of Our Generation (Christian author and speaker living in Austin who's calling women to action for Jesus)
• WAHIDAH-- A Matchless Ministry to the Handicapped (An Arab woman who opened a daycare facility for mentally and physically handicapped children in North Africa)
• CAROLINE--India's Orphan Ambassador (local Austin-ite turned non-profit hero who's goal is to care for all the orphans in India, one at a time)
• ROBIN-- Answering His Call One Day at a Time (an Austin 20-something living in the Dominican Republic working for an educational development program for Hatian immigrants in the D.R.)
• ABRAR-- Inspiring Me to Expand My Ministry (an Arab woman living in North Africa that does evangelism ministry on Satellite TV yet still spends her days in the slums of her city reaching out to poor women)
• AMOS-- Just Your Average Guy (a look into how Amos' story, from the Bible, shows us that God uses unsuspecting people to accomplish His purposes... the conception of this whole website's vision)

The Storytelling Experiment

Since the beginning of 2008, I find myself continually being prompted by the Spirit to work on improving my Biblical and testimonial storytelling skills as it relates to evangelism in my life. As I intentionally pursue an increase in relationships with women who don't know the Lord Jesus, I sometimes feel overwhelmed or intimidated or just plain clueless about HOW to share and WHAT to share with them. I read my Bible every day, teach in the Get Trained Ministry, am a pastor's wife, and yet somehow I still get tripped up by the enemy as he lurks to intimidate my outreach. What I realized is many of us know the Bible, but have a hard time recounting it in SIMPLE story form to someone who is unfamiliar with it. We know what God is doing in our life, but would be hard-pressed to explain it in non-churchy terms to a nonbeliever. This was something I began longing to work on.

The more I prayed about how to do this, God kept encouraging me not to go it alone. I sensed that this was a growing theme in some of the women's lives that I know. For us to set out to figure this out together would be even more fruitful. So tonight, our little Storytelling Experiment began. There are seven of us that are gonna meet every week for the next several months to begin figuring out this concept together. Every week we will each learn a new Bible story, practice telling it during our group time, then go out and and share it with someone outside the group each week... all with the goal of firming up this skill so that we will have an entire repertoire of stories ready to go when an opportunity presents itself in everday conversation.

Why stories, you might ask? Because STORIES are memorable, STORIES have power. Shane Claiborne writes in Irresistible Revolution: "Few things have more transformative power than people and stories." Not just that, but 4 billion people in this world cannot read well (if at all). Even in the U.S.-- where education is free and school attendance is compulsory-- 3 out of 7 adults have either Basic or Below-Basic literacy skills. That's almost half, folks! Plus, recent studies note that even people who are literate in the world today would much rather gather with friends to swap stories than to read alone, in silent isolation. Many people who can read quite well would rather watch a movie or TV show or talk on the telephone than read a book or magazine. (information from http://www.chronologicalbiblestorying.com/). Besides people's growing preference, stories are also disarming. Many people who may not come to hear a sermon or go to a Bible study will listen to a story. They aren't as confrontational, so you can tell them to people who would not otherwise discuss spiritual topics.

But perhaps the most compelling reason to learn to STORYTELL the Bible is because God thought storytelling was a great idea... The Bible, itself is basically one large story, made up of many smaller stories. And Jesus, Himself, used stories throughout His life of ministry... someone would ask Him a question and He'd tell a story to give the answer... when the crowds gathered around Him, He used stories to illustrate His points.

I want to know the Bible in such a way that the stories just fall off my tongue all the time! As this experiment unfolds this semester, I promise to post some of the stories I learn to tell. I hope they teach you about God and His heart for you. And I hope that you will turn around and tell God's story to someone in your life who needs to hear about the hope that is found in Christ!

A Call to Action / How will we answer one day if we fail to intercede?

Last night, my good friend Jen Hatmaker came to speak to the women of Austin Stone. The message she speaks so clearly is one that has been haunting me for the last several months. And with each passing day, the emotional angst I feel about it boils hotter and hotter inside. Somedays, I literally could (and do) scream it is tearing me up so badly. I don’t know how else to let out some of the steam but to stand alone in my house and just yell at the top of my lungs… to no one. Somedays, all I can do is wail in tears, writhing on the floor, the couch, the bed… wherever. Last night was one of those nights. I came home from her talk, and I boo-hoo’d on my couch. Then went and boo-hoo’d in my bed and ended up crying myself to sleep. I am surprised I could even fall asleep because the emotions that stir in my heart about this subject make me feel so restless inside. So, what the heck did she talk about, you ask?! Our generation’s call to action.

In an excerpt from her book, Ms. Understood, which she used in her talk last night, she says: “If you are a woman [or man] born into wealth (meaning you make more than $2/day unlike HALF the world) & part of the next generation, I believe you were chosen—before the foundation of the world—to BE an answer to problems unsolvable until now. This generation was selected for THIS time—a time so promising & passionate, it has never been rivaled. There is a holy calling awaiting this generation. We are the ones.” (p. 178)

“Jesus said that His gospel was good news for the poor, sick, orphaned, and oppressed because His people would BE His hands and feet. We are part of the reason the gospel is good news. If God instructed His millions of followers to care for the poor, and those followers have every resource to do it, then the impoverished have hope. [Conversely, if God instructed His millions of followers to care for the poor, and those followers have every resource to do it—and we DO NOT, woe to us for the wrath that will befall us!] We are the Almighty’s plan to alleviate suffering. Help is on its way.” (p. 180)

“Enter you. Enter me. Enter the church awakening from her violent slumber. How will we answer one day if we fail to intercede?
‘God, I didn’t know’?
‘I didn’t have any resources’?
‘I was overwhelmed’?
‘I didn’t think You were serious’?” (p. 180)
I could also add: ‘I was too busy’?
‘It required me to change too much of how I live life’?
‘It required me to give up too much of what made me comfortable’?
‘I was distracted by work, internet, boys, or church activities’?
‘I didn’t know where to start’?

“Never has so much wealth been concentrated in the hands of so few. (Let’s quickly redefine ‘wealth’: if you make $35,000/yr, you are in the top 4% in the world. $50,000/yr? Top 1%.) The skills, resources, & opportunities for social revolution are unprecedented. With the extraordinary advantages of global communication & technology, there isn’t an international problem that cannot be answered by this generation. We are economically, ecologically, & electronically sophisticated. We are globally organized, positioned for action, & dead serious about social justice & the intersection of the church.” (p. 177)

“The only answer for our generation is to BECOME the hands and feet of Christ. Jesus said, ‘From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked’ (Luke 12:48). Let there be no doubt: Our generation has been entrusted with more resources, wealth, opportunities, and knowledge than any before us. God must think highly of our potential. Let’s not squander our legacy on self absorption or chasing the American Dream, a dream the rest of the world cannot even afford. But may we hear from our Savior one day: ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Matt 25:40).” (p. 181)

This kills me. And yet, I haven’t quite figured out how to wholly deal with it. Hence, the unrest and inner turmoil that is plaguing me day in and day out. I cannot see how I can respond without changing EVERYTHING about how I live… which feels terrifying. But I have a feeling that it will be the most liberating, satisfying, and peace-bringing shift of my life.

I pray that the Holy Spirit brings continual conviction upon my heart. And I pray that God fills me with boldness to move forward. I pray that He brings the same sense of holy fear into your hearts as well… that He might move you to action. I don’t want to waste any more time. The Bible says our life is a vapor and we do not know when our time is up… I don’t want to end my life still trying to figure out what to do with all this.

http://www.jenhatmaker.com/
To purchase, Ms. Understood: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=062163&netp_id=510489&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

Luke 2:34-35

I've been chewing my way through Luke chapter 2 for the last two days and am finding myself drawn over and over to verses 34-35 (NLT): "This child (speaking about Jesus) will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But He will be the greatest joy to many others. Thus the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed."

This is a good reminder for me as I continue to love on and build friendships with people who don't know Jesus. Many people will reject Him. That makes me so sad. Those who reject Him have either witnessed Him for themselves or heard the stories about what He's done, yet they turn away from their one, true hope. Somehow, this Scripture encourages me to press on in reaching out to those who do not know Jesus as their Savior... because regardless of where they fall after the experience of encountering God (in this case, through me), their hearts will be revealed through the encounter.

My hope is that Jesus will be their greatest joy, and not their undoing. This keeps me going.

Psalm 19

"The heavens tell of the glory of God.
The skies display His marvelous craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.
They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies; yet their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to all the world.
The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it.
It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight to life.
Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them.
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep me from deliberate sins!
Don't let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer!"

Psalm 19 (New Living Translation)