In a new church (and established ones, too), there are moments when the organism of the local church or the individuals we’re given stewardship of need to be allowed to work some things out on their own–there are teachable moments and developmental opportunities that would be stifled by too swift a rescue or intervention.
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- One. Proud. Papa.
I can’t remember the last time I left my house without some spot of baby puke somewhere on my person. (That’s a lie. I actually can remember: it was the day I left the apartment to bring Jubilee home from the hospital.) Each morning I carefully examine my clothing, take the kid (who has been carefully secured into her car seat) to the car, drive to the sitter’s place, and arrive at our destination only to discover that somehow between the ‘close examination’ and ‘arrival at our destination’ stages of the day, new puke is contaminating some article of my clothing.
But I’ve also discovered how understanding people are: the consensus seems to be, “You’re the parent of an infant. Infants puke. Wear it as a badge of honor; they’re only this young once.” I’m more worried about the goo on my shirt than anybody else is, and they see it as happy evidence that I’m a new dad.
The same has been with church planting (and any Kingdom ministry, really)–we’re dealing with a lot of mess: the pukey mess of broken lives, hurting communities, addiction, and an enemy hell-bent on killing, stealing, destroying… Loving people is messy. And it’s okay to have some of the evidence of loving people on you.
I’m not saying we pursue contamination by the world; in fact, we’re reminded that though we are those set apart for a new Kingdom, we still journey here. As strangers and foreigners undefiled, we are to live out the hope we have (cf. James 1:27). So the question I’m asking myself is this: what happy evidence do I carry with me that I’m hanging out with people in the midst of their mess? Do I view each day as a new opportunity to take part in someone else’s life (as I do with my kid) and journey with them?
It is a high calling and real joy to do life together with others. It may be messy (and more than messy, it will be painful to ‘do life together’), but we see the mess as part of what we get to do.
Five years ago at the edge of the Grand Canyon (near Mather Point, for you Canyon fans), I told Sarah that I would love her forever and asked if she would marry me.
She said yes, and I still can’t believe it!
Happy engageiversary, Sarah — I will love you forever!
Detail of Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment"
It’s Saturday evening and I’m still here.
So, either I missed “The Rapture” or Harold Camping was wrong.
One of the most disconcerting aspects of this whole ‘judgment day on May 21’ fiasco for me, though, has less to do with the false prophecy of Camping, and more to do with the pride of others–including myself. I found it too easy to mock, point fingers at, and deride the guy and his followers who so vehemently claimed today was The Day. Yes, this whole thing might hurt the credibility of faith in Jesus a bit, but those of us following Christ are already following the Way of Foolishness (cf. 1 Cor 1:26ff). We would be wise to heed the last words of that linked passage: that we boast not in our own wisdom or right-ness, but boast in Christ alone.
So, here is my boast:
I pretty much suck and have nothing good in me. Despite this, the King of the Ages condescended to live a perfect life as a Man on the earth and redeemed me from my suckiness. Now I am righteous because I am his and he makes me good. Now I have fullness of life because the Living One rescued me from death. Now I have hope because the Author and Finisher of Faith secured it for me even when I had earned despair. More than this, he has invited me to enjoy a great adventure with him. None of this do I deserve, nor am I entitled to anything. The most amazing thing, though, is that this goodness, life, and hope are free to anyone who enters into existence with Jesus…even you despite your suckiness.
God’s decision to ‘postpone’ the return of Christ is not a testimony of Harold Camping’s wrong-ness, but of the Father’s love (that he isn’t willing for any to die without him, but for as many who will to come to fullness of life in him); I really want to make sure I’m focusing on the Father’s love rather than filling my heart with pride as I point to someone else’s misguided assertion.
Furthermore, this time is an opportunity for me (and maybe you, too) to do some serious introspection wherein I find myself asking a couple of questions:
1. AM I READY?
Whether I believe in the ‘pretribulation Rapture’ or not, I do believe there is a Judgment and there is no promise I have so much as the next breath before I am confronted with that Judgment. Given this, am I even now pursuing greater intimacy with Jesus? Am I ready to meet him face-to-face as the Conquering King and Righteous Judge… and not just a good ol’ pal?
Will I hear, “Well done!”?
2. DO I REALLY BELIEVE JESUS GIVES LIFE & IS OUR ONLY HOPE?
Harold Camping spent a lot of money and risked a lot of ridicule because he believed Jesus’ return was occurring today. He ‘put it all on the line’ without any foreseeable financial or personal return in an effort to warn others about what he thought he knew. Am I willing to risk resource and ridicule to share the hope I have? Do I love the people around me enough to graciously share the amazing love and hard truth of Jesus with them?
I can’t say I’m glad Harold Camping was wrong. But I am glad I can rest in God’s sovereignty and love for me–and I get to keep pursuing him. Even more than most weeks, I’m excited about gathering with other Christ followers tomorrow in worship of the Risen and soon returning King!
courtesy of gracobaby/flickr
Did you know your kid can choke to death on its own spit-up?
We were informed of this as we were preparing to leave the hospital with Jubilee, “Keep an eye on her for any signs of distress,” the nurse reminded us as she ushered us out the door, “and don’t forget, she’ll spit-up more than you think she should.”
Words to live by.
For the first few weeks of Jubilee’s life, we were keenly aware of how fragile her existence was: the basics of supporting her head, feeding every half hour, watching for signs of infection, counting the ratio of wet to dirty diapers and their correlation to ounces of milk and formula ingested all kept the sensitivity of our little girl’s life in constant focus. In fact, on her first night home with the baby, Sarah was almost certain she had permanently ruined the kid (a story for another time) and woke me in a “Honey I Broke The Baby” panic.
This may be news to some (I was surprised by it, anyway), but newborns are totally dependent on their parents for everything.
EVERYTHING.
Including not choking on their own saliva at times.
In the same way, it also doesn’t take much to de-rail a new church. There’s a lot of work and attention required to make sure agenda harmony remains intact, financial mis-steps don’t keep things from getting off the ground, tired leadership doesn’t take their eyes of the prize, and that the schemes of the enemy are guarded against — that some seemingly inconsequential thing doesn’t scuttle the work.
Really, there are moments when you’re afraid to take your eye off the thing because you don’t know what small thing will make it choke.
It isn’t glamorous. It isn’t always exciting. But it’s important. And it reminds you that as much as you try to be careful, vigilant, and aware, you aren’t the Sustainer of life… just a steward of it… and relying on Christ’s ability to uphold all things “by the word and might of his power” is most important of all.
Helping a new kid or new local church navigate beyond this ‘could-crash-at-any-time’ stage does take active, loving vigilance, but the Creator’s care far exceeds your own, and you can choose to be overwhelmed by it all or rest in his faithfulness.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go use a snot sucker on Jubilee–at almost seven months, she still can’t even blow her own nose.
