Monday, August 25, 2014

The Reward of Missional Living

I’ll be honest with you – recently I’ve been pondering whether or not this life that we’re living is worth it. Our previous life in a congregational setting was much simpler, more predictable, and more comfortable. In other words, our previous life was easier. I didn’t work 40 hours per week at one job and then 30+ hours per week on ministry stuff for Genesis. I didn’t have to work on building something out of nothing. I didn’t have to worry if my family would literally be the only ones to show up on a Sunday morning. I didn’t have to beg and plead with God, asking him to allow someone, anyone to listen to us and our sharing of the Gospel.

This is a hard life. But I don’t write this to gain sympathy or “look heroic.” I simply share the reality of the life to which God has called us. And we completely believe God has called us to this life. Yet, in the midst of this life, God will remind us of the incredible opportunities that He’s opening up to us to be lights in the midst of extreme darkness. Friday was one of those days.
  • At work I was able to share with my bosses some details about what’s going on with the church, especially my new work with the police department as a chaplain, which elicited an “intrigued” response.  
  • During my 30-minute lunch break, I met with Holly from Prison Fellowship. She shared with me how to become an Angel Tree Church and work with the children of the incarcerated. (We’ve already signed-up and I can’t encourage you and your church enough to sign up as well, if you haven’t already). She also shared with me how the ladies of the Community can experience ministry to women in prison.
  • After work, I met with a young lady who is very urban and very spiritual, but is all over the place in regards to what that spirituality means. Yet she has come to value my Christ-centered counsel and is looking for ways to get connected to the Community.
  • After that meeting, I had dinner with a man who spent many years in prison. During his time there he became a believer. But right now his life is very challenging and he is searching for Gospel-centered answers in the midst of the storm.

Yes, this life is hard. But it is also the most rewarding life that I’ve ever lived and I wouldn’t change any of it. If you’re feeling the pull, in some way, to jump into the deep end and surround yourself with the lost, broken, hurting, outcast, and forgotten, realize that it will be exhausting in every way – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But also realize that you will see the truths of God’s Word in your life and the lives of others in ways you may have never seen before. Likewise, you will have a deep, thick, and rich satisfaction with life as you live as “children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.” (Philippians 2:15-16)

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Monday, August 18, 2014

Serving Those Who Serve

Last week, I (finally!) began my work as a chaplain for the 3rd Precinct of the Minneapolis Police Department. I am 1 of 3 chaplains at this precinct. My duties are essentially broken down into three categories:
  1. Police Officer Care – I will attend roll-calls, go on ride-alongs, and simply be present around the officers. The goal is to develop trust and relationships with the officers and be available for conversations and counseling . Simply put, I’m there to care for the officers in whatever ways they need it.
  2. Community Presence – I will also attend neighborhood meetings on occasion with officers in order to be a chaplain’s presence in the community.
  3. Crisis Care – Lastly, I will eventually be on call for crisis situations where a chaplain’s presence at the scene is beneficial for family, friends, and neighbors.
I am truly excited that the Lord has opened this opportunity to me to serve in this way. The fact that these men and women have voluntarily committed their lives to serving and protecting the general public, to the extent of putting themselves in mortal danger, is absolutely awe-inspiring. It is an honor and a privilege to be given the opportunity to care for and love them. Plus, it’s an opportunity to be live like Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28).

I would highly encourage all of you to pray for opportunities to serve those who serve others, even if it’s not your local police officers. However, if the Lord should give you that opportunity (or if you are simply connected personally to a cop in any way), I highly encourage you pick up and read a copy of Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement.

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Sunday, August 10, 2014

When Darkness Rejects the Light

Before I get into the details of the story that I want to share with you, I want to make a few things clear - 1) I LOVE my second job at Minneapolis Parks and Rec, 2) I truly enjoy working alongside my co-workers there, 3) I pray that the Spirit would work through this situation to do something incredible, and 4) I don’t know what the conclusion of this story will be.

When I first started at Parks and Rec, I discovered that there is another pastor who works there on the mowing crew. I also discovered that this pastor is teaching through the book of Proverbs at his church. Since I knew that we were about to embark on a journey through Proverbs at Genesis, I asked him if he would ever be willing to study it together at break or lunch. Naturally, he was all for it because any time to study the Word is a good time.

Finally, this past Tuesday, it finally worked for us to start talking through Proverbs at lunchtime. We were barely able to even open our Bibles before a firestorm erupted. Some in the area joked about keeping the Bible away from them because it would cause them to go up in flames. Another co-worker absolutely went off on a tirade, “That thing’s outdated . . . You gonna’ tell me some god is going to judge me? . . . ” Another co-worker vehemently declared that it was against the rules to have anything religious at work. Other co-workers stepped-in to defend our reading of the Bible. As for me, I just sat there listening (mostly because there wasn’t room for anyone else to talk). When all was said and done, we were able to read and discuss 1 verse from Proverbs.

The following day, we tried it again. This time we were able to enjoy our lunches and conversation on Proverbs. However, at the end of the day, my co-worker/fellow pastor was pulled aside by our foreman and was informed that a complaint had been filed and that our studying of the Bible during lunch made this individual uncomfortable.

As I mentioned above, I don’t know how this story will end. my co-worker/fellow pastor did not join me for lunch on Thursday and was not at work on Friday. However, I have 3 reflections on this incident:
  1. I will continue to study the Scriptures at work. Even if we need to find a different location to eat lunch, this is an incredible opportunity to grow in the Word and create a space for other co-workers who are far from God to meet Him.
  2. I will work even harder and show even more respect to my co-workers. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12, “But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders.” It is fairly clear that many of my co-workers are currently shut off to the Gospel message. No amount of arguing, apologetics, etc. will do any good right now. My only hope is a ton of prayer and life they can see that is both worthy of respect and validates my faith.
  3. I will not get angry, but will weep. In Matthew 23:37 Jesus wept over Jerusalem and their rejection of him, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” It is easy for us to respond to the rejection of the Gospel with anger. But when we have the heart of Christ, our response will be one of mourning, because we know what is being rejected.
Please pray for my co-workers, especially those who are far from Christ. And please pray for myself and my fellow believers there, that we may be like Paul in Acts 17 and trust that while some may disregard us and the Jesus that we worship, others may want to hear more and some may call upon the name of Christ and be saved. 

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Saturday, August 9, 2014

What Can Church Look Like?

This past month has been very sporadic at Genesis (which is fairly typical for churches in America.) In fact, it’s been about a month since we gathered together in Minneapolis. On August 13, we had our normal Community Gathering. On August 20, we returned to Trinity, Waconia and then enjoyed a potluck picnic at a park there and completed our journey through Acts. On August 27 we had our Acts Party (i.e. relaxing dinner together at Minnehaha Park).

Last Sunday, August 3, we were scheduled to get back on track and launch a new journey through the book of Proverbs. There was only one problem - nobody (except us) connected to Genesis was in town. Everyone was either camping or up north or out of state. So our back-up plan was to invite everyone we’ve gotten to know for a laid-back brunch at our house. We received a lot of responses, but those responses were all basically, “Sounds like a good time, but we’re in (insert name of fun place) this weekend!”

However, at the last minute we had two families say “Yes” to our invitation. But these two families are actually related and in the middle of a move and house rehab project. So here’s what we did: We met at the newly purchased house that is being rehabbed. The kids played and had a great time. We sat on the only chairs in the house (which had just been brought that day) on top of semi-installed carpet. We spent an hour or so sharing what God is doing in our lives, discussing Luke 10:25-28, and praying for each other. We then sang a song and, 6 of us in all, Communed together. When we were finished, we worked on the house for a couple of hours, installing a mounted microwave and fixing a step.

So, the question is - Was this church? The beauty of Jesus, His Gospel, and His gifts is that these things are always available to us. It is perfectly good to hear the Word, pray, sing, and Commune in a formal setting on Sunday mornings. But it is equally good to do these things spontaneously alongside a handful of brothers and sisters in Christ in house being rehabbed.

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