Encouraged This Morning!

I am encouraged this morning as I reflect on the activity and ministry that happened this weekend among our little fellowship of house churches.  

 

On Saturday afternoon, Martin and Rosa called from La Piedad—just to connect and see how our week had gone.  They shared about their week and their ministry among addicts and their ongoing desire and efforts to see God’s kingdom come more powerfully to their own family.  Martin told me that his older sons and some of their teenage friends were planning to be together with the church that meets in their home on Sunday—that he was praying about the time they would have together and was preparing himself to tell them the story of Jesus’ encounter with the leper.  I wonder how it went.  But I’m encouraged to know how they are thinking and trying to live into their faith…

 

A few hours later on Sunday morning early, Jose Luis and Juliana called me from the street.  My family and I were with them and their church last Sunday in their colonia the week before—as about 25 members of their family and friends met to eat, sing, pray, share their hearts and read the Bible together.  Yesterday, they called saying they were on their way to visit and meet with Omar and the band of Jesus followers in and around Omar’s house in Jocotan (another area of the city).  Since the group with Jose Luis and Juliana doesn’t usually meet until the late afternoon, they wanted to take advantage of the early part of the day to visit and meet with the other church.  Nancy and I felt so encouraged at the news of their leadership…their initiative…the sense of love and responsibility that is developing among these groups.  They seem to grasp the importance of living in and incarnating Christ in their own neighborhoods and among their own families—yet they also know they are part of something larger than just this—they form a part of the larger body of Christ in their city.  

 

I had breakfast this morning with Omar—he told me that the day was great—he told of the encouragement he and his group felt from Jose Luis and Juliana—of how Omar’s wife is being drawn to Christ by the transformation in Omar’s life and by the community of Jesus followers around Omar.  

 

At the same time all of this was happening on Sunday, Gerardo and Carola and a few of those from the church in their colonia had plans to begin something new among a family on the other side of the city.  They planned to enter into this “house of peace” and to begin sharing and proclaiming Jesus as God gives them opportunity.  Their prayer is that this will be the beginning of a new Jesus community—a new church.  I wonder this morning how it went. 

 

But I’m encouraged to see evidence that God is moving among my dear friends… 

Conversations that Interest Me

So many things to talk about—so little time!  I’ve been thinking of all the conversations going on around me—and in my own head sometimes.  There are countless books to read, news to scan, websites and blogs to visit, podcasts to download and listen to, videos to watch…  Information overload!   

With all of it, my tendency is to feel overwhelmed and burdened down—to have a mind that is cluttered and unfocused.  How do I decide what is really important?  Which conversations to engage?   

Sometimes, I just need to unwind—catch a movie with my wife, watch some sports on TV, check out my fantasy baseball team, shoot some baskets with my daughters.   

I like talking about lots of things… 

But as I think about the conversations that really interest me right now—three of them rise to the surface.  They continue to draw me in…

A Conversation about Church 

What does it look like for a group of people to form around Jesus—to live as a vibrant community with Jesus as the head?    

What does it mean to be Christ’s church?  What are the essential DNA, the understandings and practices of the church of Christ?  In what ways is this being lived out in the real world around me?  What difference is it making in the lives of Christians and the world around these Christians?  What are the stories—what does this look like?    

A Conversation about Mission 

What does it look like to follow Jesus on mission?   

What is Jesus doing in our world?  In what ways can we join Jesus in his mission?  In what ways can we incarnate Christ and engage real people around us with the gospel of Christ?  How is that going?  What are stories of people on mission?   

I’m especially interested in mission among and to those who are “unreached” and even “unreachable” by normal Christian churches (traditional approaches).  I’m especially interested in those who are separated by too much cultural distance to have a meaningful encounter with Christ and the gospel in typical, traditional churches.   I wonder how many people are interested in Jesus–but not able to have a meaningful encounter with him in existing churches. 

Of course, I’m interested in this conversation regarding mission in Mexico—reaching those who are unreached in my region.  I’m also interested in this conversation regarding mission among unreached people in the U.S.   

A Conversation about Jesus and Following Him 

What does it look like to follow Jesus and be transformed by him?   

Who is Jesus and what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?  For sometime I’ve been especially intrigued with Jesus’ words:  “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice” (Luke 8:21).  I’m interested in practicing this individually and with others.  I’m interested in the questions:  “What are we hearing from God?” and “In what ways are we responding?”  I’m impressed with how conversations around these questions are usually vibrant and transformational.   

These three conversations have my sustained attention lately.  I’m especially interested—especially listening.  

Living with a Broken Watch

“Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.”

(1 Chronicles 21:1)

“Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish.  Wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David.” 

(1 Chronicles 27:24)      

My tendency is to measure, to time, to weigh and to count.   

A few days ago in my daily reading of scripture, I came across the passages above.   Reading this section always makes me wonder what all was going on there.  What about counting the people was understood as offensive to the Lord?  I suspect it had something to do with their desire for control—that it indicated a lack of trust in the promise-keeping God they were learning to follow.   

This morning while I was running my watch stopped.  I had gone for an early morning run at a park near my house.  As I made my way around the park, I was very aware of my slow pace and my poor condition (I hurt my foot a while back and have not run in a couple of months).  I kept glancing at my watch and fretting that my pace was so slow.  

In between the regular checking of my watch, I also worried about the bathroom scales and the fact that they show that I’ve gained a few pounds lately.  I argued with myself about whether I should go on a strict diet and make myself lose a few pounds or whether I should just focus on healthy living and eating.  I gave myself an ultimatum.   

As I thought about that, my mind also went to our meager savings and mutual funds.  I went over again in my head the figures:  balance today, monthly investment, average rate of growth, projected balance at retirement, etc.  I wondered if we have waited too long to start saving seriously for the future—I worried about the erratic behavior of the stock market lately as I notice it daily on my computer screen.   

As I ran along, I also found myself fretting about the “measurable fruit” of our mission work in Mexico.  As full-time missionaries, we tend to think about concrete results.  What do we have to show for all these years in Mexico?  How can we measure it, count it, log it and report it?  Is there enough to justify the investment of time, energy and money given for world missions?   

I looked up and I had made it to the end of my run.  But as I reached to push the button to stop the timer on my watch, the display quit—the numbers frozen and meaningless.   As I stood there tinkering with the buttons, I thought again of the passages in Chronicles—along with the conversation I had been having with myself the last bit as I ran.  

I think there is something very healthy about not counting.  How I long to learn to live without worrying and fretting about counting it and measuring it and weighing it and logging it and reporting it…just to trust and listen to God…to respond to God’s word…to trust God with the counting.