111225 God Is With Us - Are We With God?

Merry Christmas!

Jesus was born into a world of extreme poverty - more extreme, in fact, than at any other time in history.  Jesus' face could have easily been on the commercial asking you to adopt a child for $30 a month.  Think bare ribs.  Imagine ragged clothes.  Envision flies.  See Jesus.  Jesus-as-poor was as important then as it is now.  People always assume that worldly success indicates God's blessing.  That's a great feeling when we're on top.  But what if we're at the low ebb of life?  What if we feel like a loser, and everything in our life seems to affirm it?  Sometimes we make decisions that land us in the dump - decisions we would love to take back.  Things said and done that wound hearts and burn bridges.  Sometimes we are the recipient of things said and done by others - we are the damaged goods.  Sometimes we discover that the systems we live in have helped create a life without hope - we don't even have a name as far as the system is concerned - it doesn't care - we don't matter.  When we read Jesus, we hear words, we see actions, we sense a heart of a man who was truly with us.  In our relational, emotional, physical and spiritual poverty.  God is with us, he said in his words and actions - don' let the circumstances fool you.  God is with us in our suffering - not adding to it, causing it, but to be a redeeming presence in it.  God is with us.  The incarnation didn't just happen.  It happens.

Jesus was a rebel.  John the Baptist, undoubtedly a Jewish cynic, was fed up with the way the world was going under the Roman Empire.  He was desperately desiring God's Kingdom to break into the world and restore Israel to global power and was certainly okay letting the political powers of the day crumble - including the religious authorities.  He spoke of Jesus as greater than himself - a more powerful Jewish cynic.   Jesus was.  Jesus called out the wrong that he saw wherever it was.  He challenged his family, his friends, religious and political authorities alike with the idea that the ways of the world were terribly wrong, and that the Kingdom of God presented a better way for everyone.  The Kingdom of God saw everyone as equals - everyone - and treated them accordingly.  No more favoritism.  The Kingdom of God announced freedom from the tyranny of guilt and shame by proclaiming that God's forgiveness is limitless and free  and complete.  It cannot be earned or bought.  It simply is.  The Kingdom of God is also present.  It is not something that is to come at some future time, but has been coming, is coming, and will continue to come.  In us.  Around us.  Through us.  As we live in the way of the Kingdom of God now, we experience God with us now.  We may have to live in the systems we are born into, but we don't have to live by them.  Jesus' provocative teaching was that we can experience an abundant, content life in spite of the fact that we live in a world of broken systems.  We are not defined by them.  Our identity ultimately does not come from the systems here that sort and distort.  Our wholeness comes from God with us, from living in the Kingdom of God now.  Jesus was a rebel, inviting you to follow him in opposition to the systems that have hurt you and millions and millions of others.  Jesus offers another way.

Jesus was more than a rabbi.  In his day, Jesus was considered a magician and wisdom teacher.  The title rabbi was no doubt a later addition to gain him greater acceptance in the world receiving the Good News proclaimed by the early Gospel writers.  This is great news, really, because it simply amplifies God's work in him all the more.  God did stuff through Jesus that shouldn't happen - miracles.  And he spoke wisdom that was more profound than the all the rabbis before him.  Pretty amazing since he wasn't formally trained.  All of it combined to point to the fact that God was doing something in and through Jesus that was incredible - in Jesus, the rebel born into extreme poverty (and never left it).  God showing up in him means God can show up in us, too.  God is with us with incredible potency to help us embrace life in a different way that changes our lives and the lives of everyone we touch.

So this is why Christmas is worth celebrating.  Jesus' coming into the world altered history, and it continues to alter history.  

Too often, however, we focus so much on God being with us that we neglect a critical question that impacts our experience of God being with us: How are we with God?  God being with us is somewhat benign unless we choose to be with God.  We can wallow in self-loathing, never experiencing hope, with God sitting right beside us.  Why?  Because God being with us doesn't do much for us or anyone else unless we choose to be with God.  We can be frustrated by the systems that have shaped us with God by our side, but the systems never change unless we choose to be with God in what God is doing to thwart those systems.  We can sit and marvel at the wonders of what God can do without experiencing much of it ourselves until we choose to be with God, allowing God's power to work, incredibly, in our lives.

God is with us, but are we with God?  The incarnation didn't just happen, it happens.  But are we a part of it happening?

If you wonder how we can be with God in order to experience God with us, read the story of Jesus.  Where did he show love and grace?  What did he say about forgiveness and reconciliation?  How did he teach about living in this world?  If we start building our life in the Way of Jesus, there's a really good chance we will find ourselves more and more with God, and God with us.

We can also find ourselves with God, and God with us, if we simply take some notes from the Christmas story and build them into our lives.  In Jesus, God lived among the extremely poor.  How are we invested in being with the extremely poor?  We can't all move to Furaha, but we can care for and support them in their life.  We aren't called to live in cardboard boxes, but we can care about those who do in Napa.  We can't spend our days at Deborah's House helping women and children heal from domestic violence and human trafficking in Tijuana, but we can care for and support them as they do.

We can be rebellious, too.  We can stand up to systems that serve to oppress people here and abroad.  There are two great forces in the world: greed and God. One will seek to help those who have the power to help themselves at the expense of those who can't or don't.  The other helps everybody.  Which one are you supporting?  We can also rebel against relational systems that are destructive.  We don't have to nurse grudges.  We can forgive.  We can move forward.  We can pursue healing and wholeness.  We can choose not to add to the relational chasm that conflict creates.  We can be peacemakers.  These are acts of rebellion.

We can be agents of God's potency.  When we are open to God being with us, and choose to be with God, God gives us wisdom beyond our education, beyond our IQ, and beyond our social status.  Our touch becomes more powerful when we embrace people with God.  Incredible, even miraculous things happen when we choose to be with God in this way.  And it is a choice.

As you celebrate Christmas this year, may you be overwhelmed by just how profound God being with us was and is.  And may we be moved, then to be with God.

111218 Jesus 101: Reject, Rebel and Rabbi

He seemed to have power over nature.  At his word he commanded the very forces of nature to do his bidding.  There was that time when Israel was in drought, and they asked him to pray for rain.  He agreed.  He drew a circle on the ground and prayed for rain.  A few drops came from the sky.  He prayed again, asking for rain enough to fill their cisterns.  The rain poured with vehemence.  He payed again for the rain to back off, lest flooding destroy their fields, homes, and belongings.  He prayed for a benevolent rain.  Of course, you know about whom I am referring.  Rabbi Honi the Circle-maker.

A Rabbi's son was very ill.  They sent word to the healer to pray for the boy.  He went to an upper room, where he prayed.  After some time, he emerged, telling the messengers that the boy's fever was gone.  They noted the exact time and returned to the Rabbi, only to discover that the boy became well at the very moment the healer announced it.  Of course, you know about whom I am referring.  Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa, the most celebrated miracle worker in rabbinic Judaism.

On another occasion, villagers informed him that a venemous lizard was biting people as they prayed.  He asked to be shown the hole where the lizard lived.  He put his heel over the hole.  The lizard came and bit his heel, and the lizard died.  From that moment on a saying emerged: Woe to the man who is bitten by a lizard.  Woe to the lizard that bites Ben Dosa!  Over the years, this story would change significantly.  Ben Dosa would be referred to as a rabbi, and the lizard would bite him as he was praying

Jesus, of course, was well known for miracle-working and his words of wisdom.  He commanded a storm to cease.  He declared people healed from a considerable distance and they were healed at the very moment Jesus spoke the healing words.  In Mel Gibson's movie, Jesus even steps on the head of a snake in the Garden of Gethsemane!  What are the odds!

What you need to know is that there were people living before and after Jesus who could perform some incredible feats or miraculous proportions, much like the ones Jesus performed.  What is also worth noting is that many of these miracle workers also spoke words of great wisdom.  About some of them it was said that Wisdom descended upon them.

All of the above were lower class.  Peasants or below on the social ladder.  All of them performed "magic" and spoke words of wisdom beyond their pay grade.

All of the above posed a challenge - simply by their existence - to organized religion, which was led by men with a significant amount of higher education and were among the upper class by virtue of their office.

Honi the Circle-maker and Hanina ben Dosa experienced a posthumous transformation witnessed in written history.  The earliest record of their works shows that they were considered magicians who also spoke wisdom.  Their teaching was right in line with Jewish teaching.  Their magic - what we would call miracles - were obviously supernatural.  At first, this was all that was said of them in their stories.

But over time, this posed a problem for organized religion.  Is it okay for such men to profess and prove God's power in and through their lives, even though they were not formally educated, and therefore lacked an authorized title from the religious leadership?  Of course not!  How could God be officially behind men who had not been endorsed by God's Temple authorities?

An old friend of mine, who went to church as a child but completely rejected church in college and beyond, let me know that he was an ordained minister.  This is not one of those I came to Jesus later and now I'm a pastor stories.  He let me know that he got ordained through an Internet site - for free - so that he could perform his friend's wedding (who returned the favor).  My agnostic friend has the same title I do: Reverend.

I have two other friends who both have a huge heart for God and people, have had their lives radically transformed by God, and are in the trenches with people, helping them encounter the life change that comes with Christ.  Both of them wanted some sort of official endorsement for what God was doing in and through them.  They each researched various organizations offering on line ordination, and they both received ordination through those sites, for a small fee.

Both of these make folks like me uncomfortable.  If you have been ordained through the historical process that most denominations adhere to, it takes a lot more than checking  box and clicking a mouse.  For many traditions, a Bachelor's degree is not enough.  You have to earn a Masters of Divinity degree, which requires around 100 credits to complete - three years, full time - plus internship requirements at a local church.  Once you've earned your Masters and had your thesis signed off, then it's off to ordination council, which is comprised of professional peers whose job it is to see if you have any major holes in your foundation: theology and life.  You have to write a separate paper for this group - usually highly academic, formal, and long.  They also pose complex ministry situations to you, to see if you can handle it.  Once you pass the committee, you then go before a large group of your peers - anyone who wants to come - and they grill you for another few hours to see if you have what it takes, after which they vote on whether or not you are worthy or ready to be ordained.  Hard work.  Vetting.  Deep meaning.  High cost.  This is why most classically trained, ordained ministers today do not treat even their well-meaning Internet-ordained brothers and sisters with equal respect.  Except for recent years when sexual misconduct has made the headlines, "clergy" have been in the top ten most respected professions in the US.  The clergy, even today, are honored (at least in theory).

The same dynamic existed in Jesus' day.  Rabbi's were highly trained, well dressed, and were part of the Upper Class.  And they wanted to keep it that way.  This is why Jesus so freely criticized the religious officials of his day - they earned it!

This created a problem in antiquity, because everybody - including the religious leaders - knew that these "wise-talking magicians" were being used by God.  So, in order to assimilate them into proper history, they were gradually promoted.  Usually long after their death.  Wherever magical acts took place, they were reframed as acts of prayer.  And magicians were given the title Rabbi.

Jesus was less than a peasant.  Yet he was referred to as Rabbi according to the stories we have from antiquity.  Could it be that, as was the case for Honi the Circle-maker and Hanina ben Rosa, that he was given the title Rabbi posthumously?  If that's true, was Jesus really a rabbi, or should we be skeptical, wondering if he got his credentials from some website?

If this was the case, it would not mean that we should then question the validity of everything the Bible says.  Actually, it would mean that the Bible is quite authentic in practicing the methods of ancient Jewish writing.  Surprisingly, this may actually serve to validate the Bible, not take away from it.

If this was the case, it would also serve to illuminate just how powerful Jesus' message and ministry was.  In light of the multitude of rebellious, cynical self-proclaimed messiah figures that lived during the period when Rome occupied Israel, the fact that Jesus made the history books is telling, to say the least.  Nobody in the first century would blink at Jesus being called Rabbi, because he was known as one in and through whom God was clearly working.

I have friends in ministry who have spent very little time acquiring a formal education yet are clear conduits of the Spirit of God.  People are moved by their message to following God in life-changing ways.  Through their prayers God has done amazing things - healings that are inexplicable apart from God.  I guess God doesn't predicate his power based on how far we've gone with our education...

It's not that we should abandon learning, of course.  Jesus spent three years investing in the disciples for their education.  Paul was one of the most highly trained men of his generation.  But at the end of the day, we believe not because of titles but because of what we recognize God doing in and through people.

So far, then, we have a Jesus who was a reject based on his occupation, a rebel based on what he said and who endorsed him, and now we see him as a rabbi who earned the title the really hard way - only by the fruit of his life, and only recognized after his death.

This Jesus was a leader who drew a crowd and asked them to follow him.  To follow him meant to trust his way over every other way.  The payoff was that in living differently, people began living regardless of the oppressive life they lived.

May you pause and consider the invitation being extended to you - an invitation to live - given by a reject, a rebel, and a rabbi.

111211 Jesus 101: Protester

Before we go deeper into our understanding of who Jesus was, let's recap a bit from last week.  In an agrarian culture like the Roman Empire, the chasm between the upper and lower classes is larger than nearly every other culture in every other time.  The system was designed so that peasants and those beneath them stayed where they were, and never had opportunity to venture into upper class living.

     As I noted last week, peasants barely survived.  When that becomes your life, and your only hope for life, however, you learn to deal with it.  We all learn to deal with the lives we have.  Powerless, they were at the mercy(?) of those above them on the social scale.  At times - fairly often, actually - the greed of those above would make life unbearable and unsustainable on those below, who funded the rich with their sacrifice.

     What do you do when you can't take it anymore?

     Some would suggest violence.  That did happen on occasion, and always and ultimately ended badly for the Jews in Roman times.

     The poor did learn that they had more power than the social charts gave them credit for.  Unofficial, of course, but power nonetheless.  What power?  How did they use it?

     The rich knew that the poor were stupid.  And lazy.  That's just how poor people are.  Or were they?

     One of the ways the poor had power was in their productivity.  Peasants were the people who worked the land to generate grain for trade and food.  What if the peasants decided to stop working?  What if they decided to stop working around harvest?  Peasants could change the pace of their work to make their lives a little more bearable.  Some might see them as being lazy.  Others shrewd.

     At other times, peasants and other lower class dwellers would engage in non-violent protest.  They must have heard about Martin Luther King, Jr's success and decided to give it a shot.  On several occasions, the lower class would show up in Jerusalem and host a sit-in which would last for days on end.  It worked.

There were always people who recognized the injustices of the world and call attention to it.  Epictetus was one such man.  He was a famous Stoic of his day.  He believed that the secret to living life was to not be affected by the world around you.  Free from the passions of the world, you can then pursue more noble, ethical and moral paths.  Stoics drew attention to social concerns by not being affected by it's corrosive influence.  Subtle, but noticeable.

     A more aggressive approach was Cynicism.  In this mode, people of means would give up their upper class lifestyle and adopt a more liberated existence.  They would wear clothes that were made for durability more than fashion.  They kept no belongings other than the clothes on their back, a wallet, and a staff.  the sleep under the stars.  They begged for food.  Diogenes was well known for this form of protest.  When a person of means embraces the lifestyle of the poor, people notice, because it is a counter-cultural move.  Not subtle, and definitely provocative.

Before Jesus' ministry takes center stage in the Gospels, the spotlight is on John the Baptist.  He was a famous, charismatic itinerant preacher proclaiming that times were going to change - God was going to be bringing his judgment.  Therefore, people had better repent lest they get swept away with all the other wicked people who deserve such punishment.  It is often noted that John wore the clothes of a prophet.  But the wardrobe also fits the cynic, and so did John's message.  John lived off the land, eating locusts and wild honey.  His very presence made a statement.

     And his location was also provocative.  He called people to become baptized - and they did, coming in droves from all over, including outside of what was traditionally considered as Israel.  He chose to baptize in the river Jordan - the same river the people of Israel crossed over when they first entered the Promised Land.  Hmmm.  A guy looks radical, preaches apocalyptic messages alluding to God taking back his land, and people are flocking from across the border to cross the river (as they once did) to be spiritually renewed before entering the land...  Nothing suspicious there...  Makes his beheading a little easier to understand, doesn't it?  He was a protester, and he was rallying people to get ready for something to happen.

Enter Jesus.  Another itinerant preacher roaming the countryside, attracting thousands to hear that they matter to God and that this age was coming to an end.  Sure, he healed people of all sorts of stuff, and gave ethical teaching, too.  But don't miss what is so obvious to the crowd: he was a highly visible peaceful protester rallying people to believe in God for life.

     Like Jesus being less than a peasant, I don't remember ever being taught much about Jesus the social activist, the peaceful, nonviolent protester.  While we celebrate our freedom of speech and our freedom to assemble, it's not particularly macho.  We like to focus on the Jesus depicted as the guy coming back to kick some serious butt.  Jesus as John Wayne would play him.

     But Jesus didn't play the role like a rough and tough cowboy.  He was a straight-talker when he needed to be, but often he used metaphor to force people to think for themselves.  He spoke like a millenarian at times, but this is not what compelled most people to follow then or now.  I believe his message of love and grace is what won the hearts and minds of thousands yesterday and still today.  Part of his message was being with the people whose cause needed the be championed - he lived his words.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this year, I wonder who we are in the audience.  Some of us are feeling very peasant-like - we are seeing that a system still exists that serves to keep people in their place.  We are comforted by Jesus, who is intimately familiar with our plight, our self-loathing, our hopelessness, and chooses to be there with us, conferring value on our lives and being hope.  Some of us are wealthy onlookers.  We don't want to see this side of Jesus.  We ignore this facet, and choose to focus on the kingly stuff - we identify more with royalty.  We find Jesus' message penetratingly uncomfortable.  All who claim to follow Jesus must take his approach seriously, and ask ourselves whose cause are we championing?  Because if we are not doing as Christ, can we really call ourselves little Christs?

111204 Jesus 101: Less Than Peasant

Who's birthday do we celebrate this season?

Some of you are groaning, Please don't go down the Jesus is the Reason for the Season path....

Others are recalling signs and Christmas cards calling for us to put Christ back in Christmas.

I know we know the answer to the question above is "Jesus".  But which Jesus are we celebrating?  Are we celebrating the Jesus we are simply accustomed to, without giving it any thought?  What if our picture is totally off?  I'm remembering the movie Guess Who's Coming to Dinner from 1967 where a young white woman surprises her parents when she introduces them to her African-American fiancé.  It was a brilliant movie, especially for its time.  You could feel the tension in the room as if it were your own (which, actually, it was/is).

While we are generally unaware of it, we have strong, deeply-seated notions about the Jesus we celebrate this season.  What we probably don't realize is just how much our vision of our Jesus has been shaped by church history 300 years after Jesus walked on this planet.  We know he was born into humble surroundings - we love the songs that remind us.  But just to be sure our vision resembles reality, let me share some interesting data with you.

During the Roman Empire, everything was designed to serve the Emperor.  Power flowed from his throne, money flowed to it.  Below is a quick glimpse of the make up of the Empire during the time of Jesus.  The list is in a socially ranked order, and percentage of income is also noted where known.

Ancient Upper Class

Ruler: 1 Person/Family; 25% of National Income

Governing Class: 1% of Population; 25% of National Income

Retainer Class (Bureaucrats, military): 5% of Population; 15% of National Income

Market Class: Considerable wealth

Priestly Class: Very few; 15% of Land

Ancient Lower Class: 30% of National Income?

Peasant Class: 80% of Population; 

Artisan Class: 5% of Population; 

Unclean and Degraded Class: Diseased, Disabled, Tax collectors, Lenders, Retailers

Expendable Class: 7% of Population

Do you remember what Jesus profession was before he began his ministry?  He was a carpenter, most likely, as that is what his father Joseph did for a living.  A carpenter was an artisan.  Where does artisan fall on the list?  While things may have changed favorably for artisans in the future, they ranked below an everyday peasant during that time period.  This is most likely because a high value was placed on agri-business, and those who worked for a living were just a notch above retailers, tax collectors and lenders.  Jesus was an artisan who didn't even get the social respect of a peasant.

To give you an idea of what sweet life was afforded for peasants, consider the following example from several centuries later from a 40-acre farm in Mecklenburg  northeastern Germany during 14-15 Centuries CE.  Their crops yielded a total of 10,200 pounds of grain.  Immediately, they stored 3,400 for seed, fed 2,800 to livestock, paid 2,700 for rent, and were left with 1,300 pounds for personal food.  This would provide 1,600 calories per person.  We know we need somewhere between 2,000-3,000 calories a day to live.  If you were a peasant, you didn't have enough to really live.  You were part of a machine to provide for those above you.  As one expert put it, peasants of all times and places are structured inferiors.  Recall that Jesus wasn't even a peasant.

If that's not bleak enough, let's consider mortality.  Currently in the United States, for every 1,000 babies delivered, all but 6.75 will live.  Less than 1% of babies die in childbirth.  Of those 99.325% who live, they can reasonably expect to live to celebrate their 77th birthday.

When Jesus lived, however, things were a bit different.  In Pre-Industrial societies, 33% of live births ended in death by age six.  60% of live births died by age 16.  75% of live births were dead by age 26.  90% of live births were gone by age 46.  And only 3% of live births would make it into their 60's.

When we think of Jesus, we think of strong leader.  Humble, sure, but we easily see a halo over his head in the cradle.  We  think of Jesus as a king, as part of the godhead, as eternally omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent.  In our current culture this type of person is pretty well dressed, in pretty good shape - commanding respect wherever they go.

If that's your image, it's probably wrong.

Conjure poverty in your mind.  What's do the poor wear?  How do they look?  How do they act?  Where do they stand in terms of public respect?  How are their rights compared to those literally above them who command much more resource than they can ever dare dream of grasping?  What's their life expectancy compared to those in the upper class?  How is their quality of life?  How does their life experience shape their message?  How welcome are the poor at the social gatherings of the rich?  Would we find ourselves playing the part of Spencer Tracy, struggling to welcome such an unexpected guest?

Which Jesus do you sing Happy Birthday to this Christmas?  As you answer the questions above, you are more likely to be addressing the right one, and less likely to be adoring a figment of your imagination.  

May you be deeply disturbed and eventually filled with hope as you investigate which Jesus you've invited to your home this Christmas.

111127 Reflections from the Wall

When you sense God calling you to restore, restore.  Nehemiah had a fine life.  Fine food.  Fine wine.  Fine clothes.  Fine vacations.  Life was pretty fine as the highly trusted servant of Artaxerxes, ruler of the world's superpower at that time.  But upon hearing word of his hometown Jerusalem's disrepair, something happened inside of him.  Something bigger and more powerful than he could have imagined.  It soon became clear to him that he was called by God to do something about it.

     If we are paying any attention at all, we will have moments like this throughout our lives.  This is God breaking in, inviting us to something more, better, whole.  Most of the time, to pursue the renovation project in our lives, we will become really anxious and fearful to the point of not even beginning.  But chances are that if you are sensing the need to change that strongly, the pain of not changing outweighs the pain of pursuing health.

     Let's take low self-esteem as an example, which is often caused by some serious pain.  We try to satisfy the emptiness, loneliness, and shame with all sorts of stuff: alcohol, drugs, food, sex, porn, staying too busy, exercise, etc.  The irony is that we engage lots of pain-inducing behavior to help us deal with the pain that is at the root of our self-loathing.  To heal that (or those) root causes requires facing down some serious, ugly voices inside our head.  Very frightening stuff.  The only thing worse than pursuing health is to remain the same and continue living in hell.

Take time to evaluate the problems.  Once Nehemiah decided to move forward, he had to assess the wall he was going to restore.  At the right time, in the right way, he investigated the wall.  Too often we jump into fixing our respective walls without first taking the time to evaluate what we're dealing with.  We may gain some ground right away, but find out later that we could have saved a lot of effort and energy if we had been more thoughtful about things.

     For our low self-esteem issue, we might want to focus on a key behavior which stands out the most.  But dealing with one behavior alone won't solve the root of the problem.  We may think we're done when we stop eating so much, or tell somebody that they have really hurt our feelings, but this may be the tip of the iceberg.  Taking time up front to evaluate the complexity of the stuff you are dealing with is really, really wise.  Getting insight from those you trust is also incredibly helpful.

Expect external opposition to restoration.  From the outset, Nehemiah encountered opposition from those who hated his people.  At first it was just vocal stuff, but eventually the opposition threatened violence, and created a hostile environment which slowed the work on the wall considerably, and took a serious toll on morale, too.

     You and I do not live in a vacuum.  We live in systems that have "helped" us live our lives just the way we've been living them.  When we do something new and unexpected, the system - which is people - generally react in opposition.  When we start to restore broken places in our lives - like low self-esteem - we change for the healthier.  When we change, we change a part of our system, and it will react to protect itself.  We can hope for support from those around us, but don't be at all surprised if your good pursuit is met with resistance from surprising places.  Pretty normal.  Keep moving toward health.

Expect internal opposition to restoration.  Nehemiah thought he had enough trouble with external opposition, and then he learned that he needed to deal with serious issues within.  The wealthy among his people were not treating their fellow countrymen ethically, even if they were treating them legally.  He had to face the internal stuff, too, if he wanted to restore the wall.

     When we work toward restoration, we can expect problems from... ourselves!  We discover that we are part of the reason why we have low self-esteem.  It's not just outside voices who have encouraged us to feel like losers - we tell ourselves the same lie.  Holding ourselves accountable is painful, difficult, and frustrating just like facing external opposition.  But we must, if we hope to see the wall restored.

When the heat turns up, stay focused and keep moving forward.  Nehemiah clearly held a Master's degree in cheer leading, because when pressure mounted from within and outside the wall, he just kept cheering people onward.  Systems don't like to be broken.  Not changing makes the system happy - everything goes back to normal.  But normal stinks.

     Expect to face incredible pressure when you answer God's call to pursue restoration.  Expect to want to give up at multiple points in the process.  Expect to feel exhausted in your pursuit.  If you expect it, you won't be as surprised when it hits, and you'll be more likely to stay focused on your goal of becoming increasingly whole.

Celebrate milestones. The wall was functional after 52 days of hard work.  It would take a couple more years to bring it up to code.  But Nehemiah knew the importance of taking time to celebrate progress.  They took a week off to reflect on how far they had come, to rest, party, restore their relationship with God, and renew relationship with each other.

     When we relentlessly pursue our goals without ever taking pause, we fry.  Regarding low self-esteem, we may find ourselves so fried that we lapse into self-destructive behavior we thought we'd left behind.  We do this because we are designed to rest, not to go on and on and on without pause.  In our creation story, God rests after working his tail off for seven days.  So take a healthy break.  Celebrate how far you've come.  Thank God for the ground you've gained.

Continually pursue restoration.  The story didn't end for Nehemiah after the celebration came to a close.  Under his leadership, the wall continued to be fully restored, and many other social changes were enacted to protect from internal meltdown.  

     We are flawed human beings surrounded and shaped by other flawed human beings.  The bad news is that this means we will always be in need of restoration of some sort.  The good news is that as God highlights more areas that need to be addressed, or takes us deeper into restoration along the lines we've been working, God will be with us through it all.  God is a restorer.  God is a healer.  God saves.

May you reflect on Nehemiah's journey and find direction and great comfort as you follow in his footsteps rebuilding the wall you are called to restore.

111120 Building on the Legacy: Covenant

The gospel doesn't work for spectators; you have to participate for it to work it powers.

- Scot McKnight, The King Jesus Gospel

In his book, The King Jesus Gospel, Scot McKnight answers a question not many have thought to ask: Is the good news our churches are proclaiming today the same good news that Jesus and his first followers proclaimed?  The answer, in short, is a resounding NO!

     McKnight argues that Evangelical churches in particular have unwittingly moved away from Jesus' primary message and lifted up a mere sliver of it.  He notes that much of what the majority of Evangelical churches teach is simply sin management: Jesus came to forgive sins so that we can go to heaven once this life is over.  While forgiveness of sin is certainly part of the message, it is not anywhere near the entirety of the message.

     Jesus' good news was the same good news that had been communicated throughout Jewish history: God is good, God is loving, God wants life to be the best possible for all humanity and the creation they inhabit, and the way to experience that life is to fully trust God and follow God in relationship with God.  This good news was very good because it meant that God didn't play favorites - your station in life did not determine your capacity to have audience with the King.  This good news was very good because it promised help in the form of the very Spirit of God to help restore every person to health.  This good news was very good, too, because it gave hope beyond the grave.  This good news was very good, too, because it meant that God would be with you through the darkest valleys.

     But none of it really happens from the sidelines.

     The Jewish people who inhabited Jerusalem in 450 BC were no strangers to this truth.  When they finally heard how life could have been if they and their ancestors would have trusted and followed God, they collectively wept.  They realized that they had been non-participants in what God had invited them to engage.  they chose their own way, and it caught up with them: their city was in ruins, their people scattered, their name and their God ridiculed.

     In light of their understanding of history, the people repented: they confessed their apathy to God, asking for forgiveness from the God who had been so consistently graceful.  And then they made a covenant with God to be God's people anew.  They would do their best to follow God with every aspect of their lives.  They were back on track.

     We all have moments in our lives when we see our own reflection in the mirror and are shocked at what we've done or have become.  Relationship with God leads to a healthy self-image, healthy relationships with those closest to us as well as those who we can't stand to be around.  Relationship with God leads to a healthy balance in our relationship with the material world - our money, toys, and dreams of acquisition.  Relationship with God leads to a healthy lifestyle devoid of using any number of things to give us peace in our lives: no more addiction to food, exercise, alcohol, drugs, smokes, porn, etc.  Relationship with God leads to healthy conflict resolution instead of increased anger.  Relationship with God leads to an increased awareness and concern for the world around us - our hearts grow bigger toward the things God cares about.  The list goes on and on and on, but the theme remains: relationship with God leads to health in every aspect of life.

     So, it stands to reason, then, that if there are areas of our lives that are not so healthy, it could very well be an indicator of the absence of relationship with God, or at least a lack of following God in those particular areas.

     Take a moment and ask yourself what areas of your life stand out like sore thumbs?  How have you participated with God in restoring those areas to health?

     The people of God, with Nehemiah and Ezra's leadership, committed themselves anew to their relationship with God.  May you have the same resolve, and begin to live the good news we have discovered in relationship with God.


Bonus: Baptism/Communion Credo

We believe that Jesus lived, died, and lived again

out of love for us and all people.

We see in Jesus God’s personality.

We see in Jesus what walking with God looks like.

We see in Jesus what life can be for everyone.

We see in Jesus the power of love.

Therefore:

We know we are loved by God,

and that our sins are forgiven,

We know we are invited to walk as Jesus,

which leads to the best of life for everyone.

We know our future in heaven is certain.

With the Spirit’s power, we will strive every day

to follow however and wherever God leads us.

111113 Our Story

Just 52 days after the project began, the wall which had been in shambles was once again functional.  While it would take a few years to bring it up to code, the wall was doing its job: providing protection and security for the people who needed it most.  Up until that point, life had to have been fairly chaotic for Jerusalem's inhabitants.

     When we live in crisis mode, we don't really live.  We survive.  Our focus is on getting through one day at a time without going under emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually, relationally, vocationally, etc.  We don't choose to neglect important aspects of our lives, we just can't get to them because we are consumed with simply getting through the day.  The people of Israel were surviving for decades.  Imagine what having the wall back meant for all the things they never got to.

     With the wall up, an announcement was made that Ezra was going to read portions of the Book of the Law aloud for people to hear - many for the first time. Thousands upon thousands turned out for this unprecedented event.  Think Washington Mall gathering for a rally.  People had heard pieces of the story over the years as it was passed down from generation to generation.  How much was missed?  This was an opportunity to hear the real deal.

     The reading commenced.  Creation.  Adam and Eve.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph.  Moses.  The Exodus.  Law.  Wandering.  Joshua.  Promised Land.  Judges.  Kings.  Turmoil.  Faithful God.  Unruly people.  Graceful God.  Ungrateful masses.  Exile.

     Deuteronomy was undoubtedly read - Moses' farewell speech to Israel.  After people heard it, many things came into focus for them.  God was extremely accommodating.  People rebelled.  A lot.  The people heard how God wanted to redeem a world through a people who walked closely with their Maker.  Their rule of life and connection with God would be contagious.  That dream didn't realize, however.  Instead, the people at this point in the story were looking around at what they had in light of what could have been.  It was a moment of great clarity.

     Israel wept.

     Ezra recognized what was happening, and allowed the look in the mirror to have its affect.  But then he quieted the crowd.  He pulled out a calendar and reminded them that this was the time of year when the Jewish people celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles.  They wold party for a week, tent camping together as a reminder of how they lived for 40 years en route to the Promised Land.  It was a time when they remembered how good God was to them, providing for them from Egypt all the home, even when they were defiant.  God was that good.

     Ezra probably had them look around at the wall that had been restored in 52 days - a miracle.  God was obviously behind this.  God had not given up on them.  So, while humility in light of reality was appropriate, so was celebration.  This was a time to thank God and recommit to the Story God had been weaving for millennium.

     We can relate.  Our story has similar themes.  Our story built upon theirs.  Christ came to wrap up unresolved portions of the Jewish story while pointing to the same hope God communicated in the very beginning.  The people of God would live by another Kingdom's rule, led by a different King - Christ - who would be forever just, compassionate, good, true.  Those who embraced this King's leadership wold have a markedly different experience of life.  A quality that circumstances cannot fatally impact.  Hope that springs eternal.  Grace in abundance.  These followers could change the world through their love and allegiance to this King.

     When we think about where we are - the condition of our lives and life all around us, I think we can understand why the Jews wept in Jerusalem that day.  In so many ways, we who have claimed to be "little Christs" (literal meaning of "Christian") have overemphasized "little" as witnessed by our apathy, lethargy, ignorance, immaturity, obstinacy.  We have been the keepers of the Story, charged with the privilege to share it far and wide, and we have hid it under a bushel.  And the world we live in reflects it.  Easy to well up when we come to grips with what could be in the face of what is.

     We need to sit in ashes for awhile.

     But not too long, because the God who began the Story still wants us in it, and still invites us to find ourselves in its unfolding.  Our God is a redeemer.  Humility is wonderful for our relationship with God.  And humility that leads to worshipful commitment is even more breathtaking - it marks a new chapter of hope for our day.  As we turn the page, we realize that we play a role in how fast repairs will be made to broken places and lives in our world.  Our love toward, obedience to, and worship of the God who has given us Christ the King will change us and the world right along with it.

     Let's set up the tents.  Let's stay up late sharing life together.  Let's gather around the fire and remember Our Story, and bring its Good News - the gospel - to a world longing for restoration.

Walls and Mortar

This is part five of a series on Nehemiah.  This week focuses on Nehemiah's chapters 6 & 7.

Nehemiah was laser-focused on completing the wall.  During the nearly two months that he pursued his goal , he endured personal fear, threats, low morale, internal injustice, requests for creating a peace treaty, and a prophet calling him to secure himself in the Temple.  All of these could have easily sidetracked him away from his central calling.  

We face similar challenges as we are called to do whatever god is calling us to do in a particular moment or season.

• Sometimes the call is to go deeper in your faith - beyond the comfort zones of where you have been.  Sometimes we wake up and discover that we haven't hosted or investigated a new thought about God for weeks, or months, or years, or decades.
• Sometimes the call is to take steps to improve your relationship with your children, so that you don't find yourself simply their acquaintance.
• Sometimes the call is to talk to your boss about a better way to approach a particular facet of work that may ruffle feathers.
• Sometimes it's being honest with ourselves about the pain we have tried to ignore in our lives.  We know it's there, but we manage to ignore it.

We know what Nehemiah faced in his lifetime, because we hear the same voices tempting us away from what we know we really need to be doing.  We sometimes even listen for the distraction so that we can avoid the hard work before us.  We get busy with a hundred things except the thing that really needs our attention.  All the other stuff is probably good, but not the priority it has commanded.  We know the book we need to read, the quality time with our kids we need to spend, the appointment with our boss we need to make, and the counselor we need to call.  But instead we find another project, take another call, watch another TV show, whatever...  We know we do it, and we know it gets us nowhere.

How did Nehemiah stay so focused?  Surely he wasn't the first to think of rebuilding the wall over several decades, right?  What can we learn from him?

The calling us really irrelevant - the thing we need to focus on.  Nehemiah's call was fitting for where he was in his journey relative to his skill set, spiritual maturity, and level of courage.  His wall me be your relationship - both equally tough for each of you.

I don't think it was altogether easy for Nehemiah.  Check out his prayers along the way - this was no cakewalk for him.  

"⁴ Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! ⁵ Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” (Nehemiah 4:4)

¹⁴ Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me.  (Nehemiah 6:14)

I think the main thing I am taking away from Nehemiah's experience is that the wall's foundation was relationship more than mortar.  While there may have been a range of motives at work in him, the king, and the people, I believe his relationship with God was what moved him to act and continue to act when the pressure mounted.  deep in his belly I think he connected somehow to God, and I think it changed everything.  I think it changed his view of his task, his hopefulness and his leadership voice.  I think people were rallied to his cause because he was such a raving fan of God and what the wall represented.  He was contagious.

Whatever walls we face, I think the foundation issue is relationship more than anything else.  Our relationship to God informs our steps.  Our relationship with God opens the valve for God's power to move in us and through us, enlivening us even as we put ourselves to the task.  Our relationship with God is ultimately our foundation for life and all its struggles.  When it is strong, we prevail, even if we fail.

You are human, just like the Bible's Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, Jesus, Peter, Paul; just like me.  we all struggle. And we all find our strength to complete our call in the same God.  When we keep our relationship with God tight, we are more likely to face the challenges before us, and less likely to give into the distractions that never cease.

Sometimes our relationship with God is the very thing we struggle to maintain.  There are some things that will make your relationship more likely to flourish.  Consider these ideas and integrate whatever works...

• Determine when you will begin your daily conversation with God.  Just making this habitual will help a bunch.  For me, it's the first thing I do in my day.  I find myself centered and stronger as I lose myself in God.
• Review your God-driven dreams for your life daily to keep yourself on track.  I remind myself daily of a handful of goals: to have a healthy spirit, a healthy body, a healthy emotional life, a healthy marriage, a healthy relationship with my kids, healthy friendships, healthy relationship with my work, healthy extended family relationships, a healthy relationship with my stuff, and a healthy relationship to my world.  Reviewing these every day keeps me focused. 
• Throughout the day, remind yourself that love is the foundation, the behavior, the outcome, and the reward of all we do.  Love changes everything.

May you be encouraged by Nehemiah's example and face your walls.  May you be a Nehemiah for others as they face theirs.

Bonus Post: The 1% Leader Who Loved the Other 99

When he took office, the capitol city’s infrastructure was in shambles.  The economy was, of course, in terrible shape as well.  Domestic terrorism was a constant threat that needed to be constantly monitored and addressed.

               Before he went to work on fixing the problems his governance would face, he took some time to learn about the leadership methodology of his predecessors.  Something wasn’t right, of course, since the capitol city had been a mess for longer than anyone could remember.  It didn’t take long to hear about the former governors’ approach: enjoy all the rights, privileges and perks of the office – at the expense of the people – and promote the dignity of the office by staying there – don’t get your hands dirty with real work among alongside the people you serve.

               The new governor could see that those who came before him did not confront the obvious problems facing the capitol city (failing infrastructure), and that the luxurious lifestyle at the expense of those who were struggling created low morale and distrust among the constituency.

The first thing he did was get his hands dirty.  He dove headfirst into the problems that were keeping his people from flourishing.  He researched secretly, in fact, because he wanted an unvarnished view of just how bad things were on the street.  His security detail didn’t even know where he was.  He discovered that things were as bad as he had heard.  He saw what affect the conditions were having on the people, and it deeply moved him.  As soon as his report was ready, he went into the community, and rallied the people’s support from the street level, calling on their sense of pride to give them the energy and focus they had not experienced for years.  People gave themselves to the work at hand – they were inspired by the charisma, vision and character of their new leader.

Terror threats rose in light of the new attempt to rebuild themselves, and when they did, the governor spoke encouragement to his people.  Everyone took responsibility for their safety seriously, and people were encouraged to arm and protect themselves if challenged.

Not long into his term, however, he learned of an ongoing threat to the future of most of his people.  Wealthier citizens came to the aid of the less fortunate in their time of need by providing them loans to keep them afloat.  The loans really didn’t help, though, because the interest they were charged was sinking them.  Children were sent to work to avoid default.  None of this was illegal, of course.  The wealthy agreed to terms that worked for them, and those who needed the loan signed the contract.  The wealthy had every legal right to continue collecting on their loans, regardless of the plight of the people making the payments.

But does legally right mean that it’s right?

The governor called these elite folks on the carpet.  He painted the picture for them: abusing the people had caught up with them.  Continuing to demand their legal rights was going to lead to severe oppression on the people, which would be the undoing of the elite in time.  He called for them to make deep changes to help change the economy.

One of the reasons the governor could speak with such passion and conviction was because of the way he had chosen to live his life while in office.  In contrast to the leaders before him, he did not draw on his luxury allowances, which were funded by the majority of the people who were mostly poor.  This decision not only lowered budget expenses, it included a tax cut for the poor.  At the same time, however, he personally continued to foot the bill for many services required by his office.  He sacrificed for the good of the people.  He ate the cost of change while he was relieving the price of life for those he led.  All the while he served among the people as they rebuilt their future together.

Amazingly, the wealthy elite changed their approach to their wealth.  They forgave loans and returned that which they had taken as collateral.  In other words, they did the right thing even though they didn’t have to legally.  They paid the price for a problem they helped to create.  Some of them even got their hands dirty right alongside the governor.

The time it took to turn the city around was unprecedented.  Morale was higher than ever, people were working again, the city was safe, and the future was bright.

What would it look like if our country’s leadership would take this same approach of being with the people long enough to really understand the problems?  How would things be different if our leadership led the elite by example, willingly sacrificing luxuries that ultimately are paid for by those who have little to spare?  How would the morale of the masses be different if the elected leaders and those who lead with their pocketbooks tightened up their lifestyle?  What would happen if the leadership and the wealthy few set aside – at least in part – their legal right to accumulate wealth from the poor who pay them, and chose something perhaps more “right” in relieving the burdened of those who struggle at their own expense?

This governor got it right.  He inspired the rich and poor alike with his presence, his character, and his charisma.  His name was Nehemiah.  He ruled over the city of Jerusalem and its surrounding areas from 445-432 BCE.  While some of the historical context between our time and his is difficult to appreciate and even harder to reconcile, how Nehemiah led when faced with a terrible economy, poverty, terror, and greed is inspiring and instructive.

111030 Building on the Legacy 4: System Change

In his latest book, Insurrection, Peter Rollins tells a story about a man who rushed to the home of a local pastor, and banged on the door to speak to her.  He explained to the pastor that one of the pastor's church members was in deep need.  

     "It's a single parent home, and he just lost his job.  To make matters worse, the landlord of their apartment is unwilling to give them even the slightest break, and they will be out on the street in days unless someone provides the rent money," the man shared.  The man begged the pastor to get funds from the church to help this poor family.  

     "Certainly!  I'll go get some funds right now," the pastor said.  "By the way, how do you happen to know the family?"

     "I'm their landlord," he said.

     While Nehemiah was rallying the people of Israel to rebuild the broken-down wall surrounding Jerusalem (450 BCE), enemies taunted the Jewish people from all sides.  They were spreading rumors, in fact, that they would kill these laborers if they got the chance.  Why?  A strong Jerusalem meant these enemies would no longer be able to wield as much control over the region.  Aside from the fact that the animosity between the Jews and their enemies was centuries old, to lose control of this city would certainly affect their bottom line.  Jerusalem was a well situated city of commerce.  Jerusalem's rise would likely mean a significant change in how business would be handled.

     Unfortunately, Nehemiah discovered an enemy within the camp, too.

     Families came to Nehemiah complaining that they were struggling to help with the wall because of their debt load (Nehemiah 5).  Prior to Nehemiah's arrival, they had come on tough times, and had taken a loan from wealthy Jews among them.  When they couldn't make a payment, their land was taken.  Some even had to sell their children into slavery to work off the debt (at which point they would return home).  Wealthy Jews were taking advantage of their less fortunate countrymen.  Note: the wealthy had every legal right to conduct business in this way. But just because it's legal does not make it right.

     This infuriated Nehemiah.

     Nehemiah reprimanded those who were adding such incredible burden to their fellow Jews, and demanded that they stop charging interest, and that they give back the land, the vineyards, the olive groves, the grain, the oil, the wine, and the homes they legally acquired from the poor.  What level of outcry would you expect from the wealthy at this point?  Deafening!  That's not fair!  They signed a contract!  We have the legal right!  We know this because every time it has happened since that time (as well as before), people cried the same foul.

     But legal doesn't make it right.

     Then Nehemiah shared his personal approach to this dilemma of being a wealthy person surrounded by need.  As the appointed governor, he was allowed (given the legal right) to a wide range of luxuries, all paid for by those he ruled.  Food allowances, wine allowances - all sorts of perks - but neither he nor his officials claimed what was their legal right.  More than simply refusing such things, Nehemiah went on to describe all that he was willing to do.  He himself labored on the wall, he fed 150 people a day, and he provided the food and wine for all his officials and all foreign guests.  In short, he limited what he was taking in, and he was generous with what he was expending.  This was as uncommon then as it is today.  What motivated Nehemiah?

     Nehemiah feared God.  Uh-oh...  When I see the word fear, I cringe as I recall every awful sermon telling people to fear God's wrath and accept Jesus or suffer the consequences of everlasting damnation.  In short, be afraid of the God who wants you to suffer continuously yet somehow loves you...  I have never been comfortable with fear being a primary motivation for a relationship with God.  What did Nehemiah think?  Given his time in history, it is entirely possible that fear meant fear - fear of God's wrath being meted out on him and his people if you don't toe the line.  Or, it could have meant more of a deep reverence of God.  Both are possible.  I think the latter makes more sense given his lifestyle, and it certainly resonates more with me.

     With this idea of fear-as-reverence, then, we can see the beauty of Nehemiah's actions.  He chose to give up what was legally his and give away what was his to save for something more important than himself.  He was originally moved to tears and sacrifice by compassion when he first heard of the wall's condition and it's ramifications.  It was Nehemiah's heartfelt passion that rallied people to the cause of rebuilding.  It was his love of God and God's people that enabled him to give comfort when the threats mounted.  And it was a deep reverence for God and what God wanted to do in history with this people that moved him to sacrifice so that the dream would come true.

     The landlord in Peter Rollins' story is like a lot of people in our world.  He recognized the need and was moved to sound the alarm, yet he was part of the very problem he was wanting the pastor to address.  He was not going to give up what was legally his or personally give them what they needed when it really mattered.  This is a way-of-thinking-about-life, a system problem.  Rollins points out Batman as another example.  Batman seeks out evil in the world by night, yet runs a company by day that is so wealthy that it funds a state-of-the-art, covert military operation without getting noticed on the books.  What might happen if some of these Wayne Enterprise funds were diverted into programs that would alleviate the poverty and despair that leads so often to crime?  Batman might be out of a job.  Bruce Wayne, in this light, is a part of the very reason why crime continues and Batman exists.  No wonder women don't stick with him for very long...

     We desire a world free from systems that are oppressive.  We all want world peace.  But how many of us want it bad enough to choose to not operate by the system's way of life?  How many of us are willing to forgo what is rightfully ours in order to do the right thing which will help change the system?  This is what Nehemiah did, and his example beckons us to do the same.

     CrossWalk is a place where we seek to recognize the systems that are oppressive and change them - personally, in our families, in our relationships, in our workplace, and in our world.  Biblical salvation, really, is about system change - it's not simply about getting your soul to end up in heaven.  Salvation is all about breaking free from broken systems and embracing an entirely different system spoken of by Jesus - the system which operates in what Jesus called the Kingdom of God.  The incredible news and invitation is that we get to usher in this new way of being now.  We don't have to wait until we die.  New life now.

     But in order to experience it, we have to let go of our landlord tendencies and our Batman arrogance.  We need to join Nehemiah, and choose to build on the legacy which really does change the world for good.

     May you take a new look at why you live your life the way you do.  May you wonder about what you really want to be a part of with your life and resources.  May you find yourself building on the legacy of all those who made the shift before us, providing us the opportunity to do the same for ourselves and those yet to come.

Building on the Legacy: Yeahbut Syndrome

We’re in week three trekking along with Nehemiah.  In chapter 4 we found out that Jerusalem’s enemies were increasing their threat of the Jews working feverishly to rebuild the wall.  They set up camps outside of Jerusalem’s perimeter, and let their threats be known.  In response, Nehemiah had to split the workforce to allow for watchmen.  In addition, all the workers carried weapons just in case their enemies attacked.  The work was hard and the threat was real, which led to frustration within the ranks.  Weariness and hopelessness was creeping in – an enemy of a different sort.

               Some people reading this story might be troubled by this development.  If God was with them, why was there resistance?  Shouldn’t God’s people be covered by some insurance umbrella guaranteeing that everything would go smoothly?  And was this project really worth it?  Before they started rebuilding, living with a crumbled wall meant vulnerability, but their enemies weren’t trying to kill them.  Now their life is literally on the line.

               Like Nehemiah, we are called to build something.  We are called to usher in the Kingdom of God – taking the presence and ways of God wherever we go.  Into relationships, the marketplace, society, the world.  The Kingdom of God brings with it healing and restoration.  Whenever we bring more health into any system, however, there will be resistance.  The fact that it’s good news doesn’t mean that the news will be welcomed with open arms.

               Nehemiah faced enemies outside Jerusalem’s crumbled walls.  We face enemies, too, but much of the time they are camped within us.  We face the enemy of apathy, causing us to wonder if bringing in the good news is worth the effort.  We face the enemy of rationalization, which attempts to justify inaction when action is required.  And we face the enemy of personal comfort, which demands that we stop what we’re doing in order to maintain our cozy status quo.

               When Nehemiah saw the discouragement, he called for he people to remember what they were doing this for: their loved ones and their God.  Should the enemy attack, they would be fighting for the very lives of those they loved.

               It’s not much different for us, really.  When we are called to do the work of God, it is for something bigger than ourselves.  Building the Kingdom of God where we are means a healthier existence for all around us, even if it takes tremendous effort.  The people you love benefit.  The people you barely know benefit.  God is honored.

               So, if you pray the prayer, God, what do you want me to do, and you get an idea what that might be, expect anxiety to set in.  Recall that this is normal and not an indication of being out of step with God, and keep moving forward.

               Right now, CrossWalk is in the middle of a Capital Campaign, where we are asking our people to dig deep to give our facility a facelift, to honor God, honor the legacy of the people who worked hard to provide this space for us, and to hopefully cast a good impression to our community that reflects our love of God and our desire to be a pleasing part of our community.  I hope you are willing to ask the question of God, and be willing to follow in the footsteps of Nehemiah’s contemporaries.  Like those who have gone before us, our faithfulness will bless countless people in the years to come.