Wrapping Up

As you probably noticed, I didn't write on Friday or Monday. There is no grand or glorious reason why, except that I'm trying to finish well. Which meant focusing on what was going on rather than writing on my blog.

The last few days have been full of last-minute contacts, goodbyes, and handling the process of passing our baton to the next runners on the track. Kevin, Marlee, Dwayne, Pastor Edwards, and Berlin will be the ones to carry on the work that we've began. In some ways, I'm sad because our relationship building is just starting to pay off, in that neighbors are trusting us, engaging with us, and even coming out to play and grill out with us. One guy, Darrell, has even helped out with the kids camp this week. However, with the sadness comes joy: joy from all that I've learned, joy from the fruit that we've seen, and joy for what the future holds here in Cleveland.

The common denominator between all of the Christian brothers and sisters that we've made contact with is that they all feel the Lord working to disband the spiritual darkness that has so long held this place captive. I can truthfully say that I've seen the people of God begin to stir this summer, pressing into Jesus and seeking what they can do to advance the Kingdom and bring glory to God. When I say 'I've seen,' that's what I mean, as in this is an observation, not something that is a result of anything Stacy and I have done. If anything, Stacy and I have simply been a small part of the force that God is mobilizing to do His work, and we are excited to see what else the Lord is going to do in Cleveland in the coming years. Like rain in this Lake Eerie air, we can smell revival coming. Not a revival that originates from man's attempt to gather people together and preach; rather, a true revival that is beginning in the hearts and lives of the Lord's people.

As I cram books and clothes in my suitcase to head back to Georgia, I can rest in one sound fact. As Rebekah told me: "The most important thing is that God is in Cleveland. He was there before you got there, He's been there while you've been there, and He'll be there after you leave." No matter what it looks like to us, God's work never fails.

I'm sure more lessons that I've learned will emerge in this blog soon enough, but for now, I believe I'm done. God has once again carried me to Cleveland, and now it's time for Him to carry me back home.

Today's Prayer Place: Simple enough. Put in "Cleveland, Ohio" in Google maps, and pray that God's presence will emerge stronger than ever. Cleveland may be known as the 'Mistake on the Lake' to many. But with Jesus, every mistake can turn into something unimaginably beautiful.    

Just Throw the Frisbee

If I've learned one thing about church planting this summer, it's this: When in doubt, just throw the frisbee.

Oftentimes, God uses the simplest things to bring about the most surprising results. Simple things are those that ring most with who you are or how you naturally connect with people. For me and Stacy, one simple thing is to stand outside, toss the frisbee, and have a good time hanging out. All summer long we've done that on the street outside of our house, and periodically some of the neighbors would come out and play with us. Saturday, however, was different. 

Couple intentionality with simplicity and you have a powerful force. Saturday, Stacy, Marlee, and I held a free sno-cones party in the neighborhood. It was a hot day, and word spread quickly down the sidewalks and streets that some people on Lee were giving out free sno-cones. As the kids came, we broke out the frisbee and just tossed it back and forth. Soon, not one, not two, not three, but four families were represented in our little frisbee game. They started talking and laughing and being a community, and things seemed different than they normally do. People were smiling and together, and that's pretty rare for a street like Lee. 

During all of this, one older neighbor made a comment that made me smile. He said, "Man, this is like the old days!" THAT'S what we want. We want people to remember that not all neighbors are bad. In fact, the vast majority are really good neighbors. The problem is just that nobody knows who to trust. 

Yesterday, we had the biggest group yet at Barnabas. One of the families from down the street (they had been at the grill-out on Friday and the sno-cones on Saturday) came, and Adam, my friend who we've been doing the Bible study with, came as well. Four children were in the family, so there were ten of us in all. We had a great time! Food and fellowship came first, then we discussed the story of the prodigal son, and we ended by singing "Amazing Grace" and praying together. Afterwards, we played some frisbee in the street and four more kids showed up, one of whom was a tenth grader. Julio was his name, and we had a pretty deep spiritual conversation about who Jesus was. So overall, Barnabas on Sunday was a great success. Much different than we imagined 7 or so weeks ago, but God often seems to work through the unexpected! 

Today's Prayer Place: 1514 East 115th Street, Cleveland, OH 44106. This is the house of a guy named Doc. He's a hip-hop artist/gardener who moved into the neighborhood 7 years ago and has since been working on a youth internship program called Fresh Camp. At Fresh Camp, they learn how to write wholesome hip-hop lyrics, speak out against crime and drugs and violence through hip-hop, and promote healthy choices. They also learn gardening skills in order to promote community gardens and organic food. Doc is a believer, and we were privileged and excited to meet him. God is using him to reach out to many kids in the neighborhood, and we think that he may be a key link in a network of believers who have all moved into this neighborhood independently and without knowing that the others were coming. We even learned of a man who bought another house a couple of streets east who wants to start a house-ministry. All of this is new information to us, but we want to know more! We think God is putting together something here in this neighborhood. Pray that everyone will be able to connect and work together for His glory!       

  

Again Unexpected

Well, I certainly didn't expect that. 

This evening after dinner, Stacy and I went outside to toss frisbee in the street. Little did we know that this evening, things would turn out a little different. Not only did we throw frisbee; we ended up rolling out the grill, pulling out the chairs, and having a mini grill-out in the front yard. For the first time in the summer, we were able to hang out with most of the neighbors all at the same time. THAT is rare for this street. 

This is quick tonight because it's late and I'm tired, but again, God always works through the unexpected. During the course of conversation, spiritual matters came up as we talked about Bible stories with the kids. This was a good step as our time here starts to wrap up; doors are opening, and hopefully these last two weeks will be filled with gospel-centered conversations. 

This time, pray for conversations instead of a specific place. Please pray that our neighbors on Lee Avenue will see Jesus for who He really is!  

A Great Creator

On Friday, Stacy, Marlee (a summer intern for another church who we know from last summer), and I went to Niagara Falls for the day. Never have I seen such a beautiful flow of water! The last time I remember seeing a sight of nature that truly left me literally breathless was when I was in Ecuador two years ago. The viciousness of the torrent, the gale of the mist, and the vastness of the cliffs took my breath away and left me awestruck. Early in the day, we took the famous "Maid of the Mist" ship, which took us near the bottom of the falls. One thought stands out in my mind: As I gazed up at the majesty of Niagara, I thought, "Man, we know the God who made this..."

How great the Creator's grace! That we should know Him and know Him personally. The God of the universe, who crafted and created such a powerful and majestic force would care to love me, one mere human among billions. Really, it makes no sense. 

But that's the astounding message of the Gospel. The Creator desires to know His creatures intimately-every last one of us. He didn't just create a giant mass of water. He made human hearts so that He could show us His love.

I'm amazed. And forever in love with our Creator-Redeemer-Savior. Jesus, Jesus who forgives my every stubborn mistake and takes my messy, clumsy efforts and somehow uses them to glorify God. The Jesus who made the mighty Niagara is the same who offers forgiveness and redemption and life as it is meant to be. 

Today's Prayer Place: Starbucks, 11302 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. I hang out in here quite a bit. Lots of students frequent the place-please pray for chances to share Christ with them. 

Also, a side note, I will be cutting down to writing two times a week for my last three weeks here in Cleveland, merely for time's sake. Stacy and I now go to an event every Wednesday that goes until late in the evening, so I'll just write on Mondays and Fridays.   

Do What? Humble Faith

In the last "Do What?" teaching of Jesus, we saw Jesus illustrate the extent of forgiveness that His followers are to extend to their brothers. Soon after this teaching, Jesus proved His point by making ultimate forgiveness of sin possible through his suffering and death on the cross. Jesus was a man of integrity. He lived by His words because His words came from His Father.

The next teaching that caught my eye as I read through Luke 17 was Jesus’s instructions on faith and humility (Luke 17:5-10). When the disciples asked the Lord to “increase our faith,” Jesus responded with one of the most well-known statements in the Bible: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you” (17:5). Perhaps the disciples generally understood this teaching; after all, Jesus’s emphasis on faith spanned the entire period of His ministry. Jesus simply once again reminded the disciples of the necessity of faith in doing the work of God.

What comes next, however, is what I see as the “Do What?” statement in this passage. Jesus talks of how a slave responds to his master. After doing the master’s will, Jesus said, a slave should simply say “We are good-for-nothing slaves; we’ve only done our duty” (Luke 17:10). The main issue at hand is the slave's response to the completion of a task. Rather than demanding thankfulness or reward, a slave rests in the assurance that he has done his lord’s will.

If a follower of Christ acts in faith and a achieves a great goal or accomplishes grand task (such as commanding a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea), the natural human response would be to expect recognition and thanks from all those who benefited from the work. However, Jesus immediately checked that response at the door. The point, Jesus said, is to respond to the father’s will in the same way that a good slave responds to the master’s will: simple obedience and humble submission.

Does this mean that we are in fact good-for-nothing or that no thanks or recognition should follow faithful service? Absolutely not. To claim such would contradict the Bible’s clear teaching on God’s love for His children. Instead, Jesus highlighted that we as God’s people are not to bring or seek glory for our own names, that we should not manufacture our own recognition. The acts we do, we do in faith and in devotion to the Lord. Humble faith is a keystone of Christian service. To increase in faith, we act in faith and humility.

Today’s Prayer Place: Lee Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. Continue to pray for our neighbors and the children on this street. In about three weeks, a mission team will come and do a kid's camp for us.      

Running with a Reason

I wasn't able to write "Do What?" Part 2 today, so that post will have to wait until Wednesday. In the meantime, however, I'll just give a quick update. 

This weekend was ripe for conversations, especially Saturday. After watching a two-hour arts parade in the afternoon, I rode the bus over to Ohio City and ran in the Ohio City Run. That was my first run since high school, and I had a blast! More fulfilling than the run, however, were the conversations that flowed as a result. Though none were explicitly gospel-conversations, all had some kind of spiritual focus. Running with a reason, I was able to find common ground with those around me. 

Yesterday, I was able to have a Bible study with a young guy and play frisbee and read/act out the story of Zacchaeus with Jordan and Ed. I was thankful for the opportunities, and I'm praying for many more! 

Today's Prayer Place: Wade Oval Park, Cleveland, OH 44106. This is a park that we hang out in quite often, and occasionally we're able to meet people through our interactions there.    

Do What?

     “Do what?” I find myself saying these words in a couple of situations. 1) I didn’t hear what someone said. 2) What they said made no sense to me. In the second situation, my “Do what?” means that I need them to explain exactly what they meant by that answer. It’s like situational irony—what they said is not at all what I expected to hear. If you’ve ever played the board game Apples to Apples, you know exactly what I’m trying to say. In that game, “Do what?” answers are the norm.

     Jesus would have been a fantastic Apples to Apples player. He was always throwing off everyone who thought they knew what He was up to—disciples, crowds, and religious leaders alike. Whatever 1st century Jews said to mean “Do what?,” I can imagine that they said it every time Jesus came around. He was the master of irony.

     Luke chapters 17-18 records several of Jesus’s most stunning teachings. Addressed to a diverse crowd of people, Jesus delivered these teachings during the time immediately preceding His coming to Jerusalem. While traveling to that fated city, Jesus prepared the hearts of His listeners (including, by way of Luke’s gospel, the hearts of all who read His story) to understand His purpose, but to do that He deconstructed and eliminated many of their preconceived notions about the Kingdom of God, the identity of the Messiah, and even the nature of salvation. As I read these two chapters, I could almost hear the crowds muttering, “Do what? What on earth does Jesus mean by THAT?” I muttered it quite a few times myself.

     I’ll walk through some highlights of these teachings. Starting in 17:3, Jesus delivered a profound insight on forgiveness. “Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4 HCSB). That probably wasn’t the answer that his disciples were looking for following Jesus’s assertion that “Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble” (17:1-2).

     A question we always have to ask is “What’s the point?” Jesus’s point here is not that the people of God be docile and naive church-mice who allow worldly evil to run us over unopposed. Instead, his challenge is even more intense. If “your brother”—suggesting that the individual is a fellow believer, a member of the family of God—sins against you, address the issue and forgive him. Now, if this happens even seven times IN ONE DAY, we are STILL to forgive him. Is there any wound more scarring than a wound at the hands of family? If our enemies hurt us, ok. We’ll pick up and go on. But if brothers, the people we’re supposed to be able to trust with our lives, if they hurt us, how much deeper is the pain? What an issue to address! Yet Jesus again chooses to portray the way of love. Forgive them. So Jesus’s main point was to illustrate unconditional family love, love which covers “a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

     Before Jesus’s death on the cross, could people truly understand the unconditional love of God? Likely not. They could know God’s love partially, such as in the common graces and blessings of life and in the writings of the prophets; however, the intimate, personal death of the Messiah as a substitute for their own sin fully portrayed the limitless nature of God’s love for them. Therefore, in this passage in Luke, the unconditional love that Christ teaches about is a shadow and a model for the love that He was quite soon to fully demonstrate. Did people really understand what Jesus meant at that moment? Likely not. Once Jesus’s redemptive act on the cross was finished, however, I imagine people going, “Oh, THAT’S what He meant. We’re to love like THAT.” This teaching set the stage for people to understand that God offers chance after chance—seven times in one day, if need be—for us to repent from sin and turn back to His love.

     When learning something new about God, we should always stop and ask two basic questions: What is Jesus telling me? What am I going to do about it? (Credit goes to Gateway Church Cleveland for that idea). Otherwise, the temptation is to learn a lot about God but never draw near to Him. I cannot answer these questions for you; I can only say that keeping them in mind will likely lead to personal conviction if you’re a Christian. When we pray those questions, as in ‘Jesus, what are you telling me? What should I do about it?,” we can never be sure of the answer!

     Wow. I’ve written almost 1,000 words on this one teaching. Forgive my long-windedness, but I think I’ll have to divide this post into parts. What I’m learning and seeing from these teachings are just too good to rush! [TO BE CONTINUED] :)

     Today’s prayer place: Phoenix Coffee. 1700 East 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114. This is a coffee shop that I’m sitting in right now, and I plan to begin coming regularly. Please pray for good contact. Also, I met a Saudi Arabian guy named Thamer today, and hopefully I’m going to help him practice English. Please pray that God will provide a chance for me to share the gospel with him.                      

10 Seconds of Bravery

Stacy said something a few days ago that I thought profound. "All it really takes is 10 seconds of bravery." We were discussing moments of decision, when we're trying to work up the courage to speak to a stranger. The first 10 seconds are really all it takes; after that, the conversation starts rolling.

10 seconds of bravery. I wonder how many lives have been saved from a fireman's, a soldier's, a police officer's, or a good Samaritan's 10 seconds of bravery. The most critical moment is between when a person recognizes an opportunity and when he/she decides to take it or to ignore it. After that, the mind swings into action mode and everything is a bit easier; sometimes, it's even natural. After those first 10 seconds.

My point is that when sharing the gospel, it often only takes 10 seconds of courage to get the conversation going. I wonder how many souls have been saved from times when God used a missionary's, a pastor's, a coworker's, a friend's (the list goes on and on) 10 seconds of bravery. Yes, those initial moments are frightening and often awkward. A thousand thoughts run through our heads: What if we mess it up? What if they ask a question I don't have an answer to? What if they're offended? What if they're busy? There are a thousand unknowns, and very rarely do gospel-conversations go exactly the way we want them to go. But that's not the point. The point is obedience and faithfulness. No, there is no reason why God should naturally trust us with His message-we mess even the simple things up quite often. I think that's God's point. In His grace, in His love, in His desire to know us closely, He chooses to use us and our efforts to advance His kingdom. And that's a humbling and exciting place to be. We haven't earned our place in the Lord's service-we've been freely given it.

Recently, I read Luke 3: 18-20. Twice, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to something small that grows into something large. At first, a seed seems useless. One little speck placed in one little hole in the ground. But that one little speck, when given life and grown by God, flourishes into a mighty tree. Rarely does the Lord use the huge moments in life to dramatically grow the kingdom. Seldom do moments happen that we can point at and say, "Wow! That's a huge deal!" No, God chooses to use the little, everyday moments in life-the 'ordinary' moments of faithfulness-to one day grow into something that we can point at and say, "Wow! Jesus made that from that!?" 

You never know what God is going to do with a mere 10 seconds.

Today's prayer place: Case Western Reserve University Bookstore.  11451 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44106. This is one of my hang-out places, and I met an unbeliever here yesterday who is living a lifestyle that he knows does not please God. Stacy and I are going to meet him and do a gospel-centered bible study with him, so please pray that he will come to know Jesus as his Savior.

     

God of the Unexpected

Until this afternoon, today was a typical free-day. Sleeping late, running, reading, and throwing frisbee typically make up my free days. So around 3:00 this afternoon, Stacy and I went down to Wade Oval to throw some frisbee, unwind, and enjoy this cool Lake Eerie air. 

Of all of the days of the week, I expect the least of Monday, ministry-speaking. But God is a God of the unexpected. Apparently, He doesn't take Mondays off in Cleveland. :) 

As we were throwing the frisbee, a kid on a bicycle came careening down the sidewalk, yelling "Ooh, me, throw me the frisbee!!!" I was thinking, 'If I throw this kid the frisbee, he's going to fall off of his bike, break an arm, and I'll get sued. I probably shouldn't do this.' And then I threw the frisbee. Well, he didn't fall off and break his arm, but he did get off of his bike and ask to play. 

Jordan was his name, a smart and energetic third-grader. Ed was an older friend with him, a man who lives on his street. For about an hour, we played frisbee in the park and had a great and fun-filled time. 

An hour after Jordan and Ed went their separate way, I was walking back from the store when I heard a "bang-bang-bang" on the window of the restaurant beside me. A bit startled, I turned and looked, and what do you know but there's Jordan sitting in the restaurant with his mom. I thought, good grief. You have to be kidding me! 

So I went inside and we chatted for a good while. Once I explained what Stacy and I were doing for the summer, Jordan's Mom (Shawanna) became really excited and wanted to be a part. And so we found another person of peace; rather, a person of peace found us. 

Only God can do crazy things like throw a person of peace our way on our day off. Praise be to Him!  

A Few Updates

Because of the late hour, I'll keep this post to a short ministry update. Between Thursday and today, we had a number of good conversations. In particular, a Case Western student named Robert shows promise for being a person of peace or at least connecting us with other persons of peace. I ran into him in the Law building of the university yesterday afternoon. He has obligations on Sunday evenings during the summer, but he was interested in coming next year and may even talk with us more soon. 

Today, we were able to pass out a good number of "Good News For You" Bible study guides, which helped us to start several conversations. Hopefully seeds planted will take root sooner or later! 

Tomorrow, we're gearing up to survey Lee Ave, asking people if they'll let us plant flower boxes in their yards. We'll also hand out free "Good News For You" Bible study guides with invitations to begin Bible studies in their homes if they so desire. Please pray for all that we'll talk to, for open doors, and for receptive hearts! 

Today's Prayer Place: Continue praying for Vision House since we'll be surveying Lee Ave tomorrow. 10726 Lee Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106

Sweat and Onion Juice

This morning and afternoon, the Cleveland Mobile Food Bank came to a nearby church. Stacy and I volunteered all day, carrying people's grocery bags to their cars and doing any job that the ladies in charged deemed appropriate for "these strong young men." After several hours of lifting and carrying, we finally began to tear down and close up shop. That's when we noticed: we had leftover onions. Lots. And lots. Of onions. I'm talking in the 1,000s. 

I had two thoughts once I realized what was happening. 1. What in the world are we going to do with all of these? 2. Oh,  boy. Someone is going to have to tote these somewhere. 

The onions were stuffed into giant bags, like the pecan bags they use at the pecan processing places back at home. After almost an hour of figuring out who in the world to give a ton (almost literally) of onions to, we started loading the sacks into the backs of cars, SUVs, and a pickup truck. If you've never been covered the entire length of your arm and down your side in onion juice, you might not really understand what it means to "reek." I felt like you could smell me from a mile away. Actually, I'm still not sure that you can't right now.

Eventually the onions found a new home, in the loving arms of the downtown Cleveland Salvation Army chefs. I'm sure that they'll be put to good use. 

Why do we do all of these crazy things? Why can't everyday in a missionary's life be filled with the "big things" or the "God-moments" that we seem to hear so much about? Yes, these things can happen, do happen, and have happened in our time here, but most days aren't full of grandeur and undeniable miracles. Some days we just end up covered in sweat and onion juice. But in the life of a servant of the King, such days are just another way of giving Him glory. When we're satisfied in glorifying Christ, we can find peace and contentment because we are fulfilling our purpose. If we're all honest, that's what each of us seeks; to fulfill our purpose in life, to live a life that really means something. Through a relationship with Jesus, by living in His grace and in obedience to the Spirit, we find our purpose. And then, whatever we're asked to do, we can find joy in doing it. 

That last paragraph doesn't mean that we will always recognize the joy and the glory of God in the moment. Probably the last thing in my mind when I was throwing sacks of onions over my shoulders was "Man, carrying these onions is an awesome way to glorify God!" It's not awesome, really. But allowing ourselves to follow Jesus in His humility and in His servanthood is. Thank God for His everyday grace, for being with us even when He's far from our thoughts. What is grace, really? It's His presence with us. And that never fails.  

Today's prayer place: Vision House. 10726 Lee Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. Please pray for more conversations. I don't mind having difficult or bad conversations, but I hate not having any conversations at all. This week has felt like we've tried to fish without casting any lines. Pray that we'll see and take opportunities to engage the community around us.

Working the Food Bank

      

  

First Gathering

Last night was our first gathering at Barnabas Church! Our time was full of encouragement and fellowship as we studied the scripture together, prayed together, and brainstormed how to share the gospel within our spheres of influence. We started with a grill out and then moved into our time of encouragement. In all, there were 7 of us there, including two people who are not part of the core group. We were happy with that!

The more we refine the vision of Barnabas (AKA get into Kevin's head and figure out what he really wants to do and feels God is leading him to do), the more we realize that this will always be a small group. The point is intentional discipleship and encouragement focused on developing leaders who will take the mission to their own neighborhood and begin more discipleship groups. For this reason, we felt it necessary to revise our mission statement; now, the 'official' mission of Barnabas is "to impact lostness in Cleveland by empowering disciples to develop and train other disciples."

The last person didn't leave until 9:45 last night-that's four hours and 45 minutes after we began! Such was the fellowship and love even at this first meeting. It was encouraging and motivating, and already we are looking forward to what God is going to do through these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Also, we passed out nearly 100 'Good News For You' evangelistic Bible study guides at a parade on Saturday. This parade was an interesting experience. The theme was "emoji," the Swahili word for 'unity.' There were many diverse groups represented: many Muslims, several African spiritual religions, and vendors who were connected to various African worship systems. Because of our table and our offer of a free book, we were able to engage in several good conversations. We even connected with some people from a game of Frisbee!

Next week, pray for us as we continue to search for persons of peace. The task is difficult given the amount of people in Cleveland, but we trust the results to God as we simply try to be faithful to the Mission.

Today's Prayer Place: Playhouse Square, Cleveland, OH. This is a public square in downtown where we will set up a prayer table tomorrow and simply try to engage people in conversation.

Church Plants Don't Grow From Books

Church plants don't grow from books. Crafting strategy, developing ideas, and implementing 'tried-and-true' models of ministry might grow a group of people, at least for a time. But success as a missionary does not result from reading books, listening to podcasts, or having a 4.0 GPA in mission class. Rather, being a successful missionary is being a faithful disciple. Intimacy with Christ, living the new life of love, grace, and freedom that is found in Him-that will lead to success, regardless of how the results appear to the world. Hardships often hit the faithful, meant by Satan to rob God of His glory but meant by God to increase His glory through the peace, love, and joy that He gives to His children. Remember what Joseph said to his brothers: what they meant for evil, God meant for good. 

I do not write this because I have personally experienced physical trials in Cleveland, but I have seen many trials in the lives of the faithful missionaries here. Car wrecks, building disasters, struggles with discouragement, opposition from the religious, financial hardships... the list goes on and on. Really, no church planter that I know has tread an easy path. As a future full-time missionary, am I prepared to face the difficulties when they come? I have no idea. But I trust that our God gives grace and peace that surpasses all human understanding. 

Since being a successful missionary depends on being a faithful disciple, Barnabas's central focus is raising up more disciples who are committed to make more disciples. Everything is geared towards leadership development, encouragement, and equipping. The people who come to Barnabas are not meant to stay forever; they are expected to be sent out with prayers and blessings to form more disciple-making house churches. The number of members of Barnabas will never grow exceedingly large because intimacy and personal encouragement are essential for Barnabas to serve its purpose. In raising up disciple-making-disciples, Barnabas seeks to serve the kingdom of our God. 

Below, Francis Chan explains how the first-century church might be emulated in modern urban contexts. Though we are making no intent to imitate Chan's model (we discovered this video after the rough draft of the mission statement and vision of Barnabas had been developed), many of the core principles are the same. This video helped us to clarify our vision; hopefully, it will help clarify our vision for you as well. 

Today's Prayer Place: 10501 Lee Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. This is a corner store near Vision House, and the owner is a potential person of influence.

Spiritual Warfare: An Odd Encounter

Today was an exhausting day. Stacy and I did have fellowship with Phillip Major, the pastor of Gateway Downtown, and a future church planter named David Vanhall. The first half of the day we spent prayer-walking downtown and having coffee with those two guys. We had some great conversations!

However, the exhausting part of the day was My and Stacy's prayer-walk down West 58th. Once again, we came face to face with great darkness and oppression. Immediately after getting off the train, we saw a man lying unresponsive on the ground, possibly overdosed or passed out drunk. All we could do was tell some nearby police officers and pray. Walking down Loraine Ave towards West Side Market  (on West 25th and Loraine), we continued to see the darkness and brokenness of the area. The single mothers and kids signaled shattered families. Closed down businesses and buildings sorely in need of repair highlighted extreme poverty. A few scattered drunks reminded us of that community's hopelessness, and the lack of evangelical churches hinted of deep spiritual darkness. Stacy and I walked and prayed, scouting out chances to develop a gospel-presence and making contact with a couple of local businesses.

I had one conversation that was particularly chilling. Once we reached the bus depot at West Side Market, I spoke to an older man who was sitting on a bench. I told him that my friend and I were out praying for the community, and I offered to give him a free copy of John's gospel. His response took me completely off guard.

"My grandmother communicated with the spirits. My mother did too." My first thought: 'What have I gotten myself into?"

He went on to tell me that the spirits came to him sometimes and touched him, making him either cold or hot. They would tell him things about the future, even though he would 'throw them off' when they would touch him. Needless to say, the conversation was odd. There was nothing in the training manual about that! (In fact, there isn't a training manual at all. In urban ministry, not much is predictable.)

Not all of that conversation was spiritual in nature, and some other things the man said made me wonder if I was dealing with a mentally ill person. Either way, he seemed confident about his interactions with the spirits, and I clearly sensed that these spirits were not of the Lord. All I had on me was a copy of the gospel of John, so we talked about the Holy Spirit guiding us into all truth. I also wanted to see if he would admit that Jesus is King and Lord. Oddly, he didn't deny that or affirm it, merely agreeing that 'Jesus was above' him.

What do I make of this conversation? I don't know. At times it gave me chills down my spine. Several times I made sure to affirm Jesus as King and the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit as truth. I offered to pray for the man, but he declined. Most of all, the encounter opened my eyes to the reality of spiritual warfare in that community. Jesus, however, is Lord of all, and the gospel is the power of salvation. I think Stacy and I realized the biggest need in that community: it needs a faithful gospel presence. Please pray for us as we brainstorm how to connect the right people (brothers and sisters who will be there much more than our mere 7 weeks) to the right places and how to most effectively sow gospel seeds on the West Side.

Today's Prayer Place: West 58th Street and Loraine Ave, Cleveland, OH.

Cookouts and Conversations

I hope you all have had a great Memorial Day! Since Mondays are our off days, today was nice and relaxing and included music, reading, frisbee, running, and hearing from Rebekah. Twas a good day indeed.

We had a cookout yesterday for the neighborhood. Hamburgers and hotdogs, frisbee, and a jammin' playlist made for a good time with a few of the neighbors. The turnout wasn't huge, but it was nice to sit and converse with our neighbors, building relationships and trust. Trust between neighbors is virtually nonexistent here. As Kevin pointed out, for something as different as Barnabas, numbers are not a big deal at this point. In reality, we're still trying to figure out what we're doing and what it is that God is making Barnabas to be!

Next week, Stacy and I are going to focus on significantly increasing the volume of conversations that we're having. Certainly, we've had a few fruitful conversations, but it's time to really find our groove and sweet spots for conversations. Please pray that our Lord will open doors and open hearts as we fish for people of peace throughout this city! The darkness is strong here, yes, and much of Cleveland has been a fortress of the enemy for a very long time. But our great God is stronger, and we believe that through the faithfulness and obedience of His people, the name of Jesus will be made known. 

Today's prayer place: West 58th Street, Cleveland, OH 

So Much Dust

Yesterday, we spent most of the day getting the garage ready for Barnabas's first cookout. I didn't think that so much dust could possibly be in one little garage. The nasty stuff invaded my sinuses and caused much grief as we swept, cleaned, and organized. At the end of the day, though, it all got done.

This is a quick update because I'm working from my phone. Our internet was down last night and I wasn't able to get it fixed before I went to bed. Right now, Stacy and I are on our way to help a church planter move houses. Yesterday we were able to talk to a few people on Lee Ave about the cookout, and there was some moderate interest. Keep praying that we'll have chances to share Christ and to connect with persons of peace on our street! 

Today's prayer place: Cleveland State University. Google CSU, Cleveland, OH. 

A Spirit-Driven Church

"I bet you'd agree that a group of talented, charismatic leaders can draw a crowd. Find the right creative team, musicians, and speakers, and you can grow any church. It doesn't even have to be a Christian church. The fact is that without making a conscious choice to depend on the Holy Spirit, we can do a lot. (Although without the Spirit, we wouldn't actually be drawing our next breath-but I am talking about cognizant and intentional dependence on our part.) My point is that a growing and energetic gathering is not necessarily evidence of the Holy Spirit's work."
                                            -Francis Chan, in Chapter 7 of Forgotten God

This excerpt from our reading this week is simply food for thought. Without the presence and direction of the Spirit in our lives-and in our churches-we cannot fulfill the mission that God has given us. The problem is not with our Lord; it is with our insistence on trying to fulfill a God-sized mission by human strengths. This approach simply does not work out, and ignoring the Spirit's guidance in ministry leads to exhaustion, frustration, discouragement, and doubt. On the contrary, living in the grace that the Spirit gives us leads to joy, peace, and strength. Obedience to the Spirit's guidance and everyday focus on our relationship with Him is integral to all believers' lives. Our Father did not design the Christian life to be lived in mere knowledge of the Spirit; rather, this life is made to be lived in relationship with the Spirit.

Updates on Barnabas: We are having a kickoff cookout this Sunday, which will hopefully gather the neighbors together to have a good time, and we'll be able to tell them that our church will begin next Sunday. So far, there have been several highly supportive neighbors who are beginning to internalize the idea. Please pray for these neighbors, especially Pete, Terry, Mary, Frank, and Berlin. I don't know that all of them truly have a relationship with Jesus, but they are supportive of the church's efforts and want to be involved. Our prayer is that if they don't know Jesus, they will very soon!

Also, Stacy and I had dinner tonight with Gary Frost (one of the vice-presidents of NAMB), Kim Robinson (personal assistant to NAMB president Kevin Ezell; former vice-president of Proctor and Gamble), and Alex Ennes (Church Planter and chaplain for the Cleveland Indians), along with a local NAMB coordinator and a future church planter. The NAMB people happened to be in town and wanted to tour Vision House, and the advice and encouragement that they gave us was priceless. Their two biggest pieces of advice were (1) Don't be afraid to fail. Church plants die when they begin to fear leaps of faith, plus failures teach us lessons that we don't easily forget; and (2) Always have a mentor and a support group. No matter how high you get, always have someone that supports you and pushes you to succeed. I was quite humbled to be able to actually interact with the "big-wigs," so to speak. And know what I love? They were just people who loved their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today's Prayer Spot: Cleveland Clinic. Google-Earth "Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH." This massive Clinic is one of the best in the nation, and it is an area of strategic focus for our search for persons of peace.      

Friendly Neighbors

A day of rest is always refreshing. I slept late, went for a jog, read some of a book, went to Starbucks, talked to Rebekah, and played frisbee in Wade Park. However, I also found myself in an encouraging conversation.

The two guys next door are Pete and Terry. As I was reading on the front porch this evening, I noticed that their car was parked on the street with the hood open, and they were poking around in the engine and scurrying about, evidently trying to locate the problem. I walked across the road to see if I could help with anything, and we casually struck up conversation. The problem was just a thermostat in their car, but the encouragement came from the talk that followed.

They wanted to know what I studied in school and why I was in Cleveland. When I told them what our plan was-to start a church that would become a family of believers in the community-they were quite open to the idea and assured us that they wanted to be involved! Sure, these two guys are "rough around the edges," so to speak, but we all have our failings and shortcomings (to say the least). The spiritual desire that I sensed, however, is the key. They want to be involved.

Pete I believe has a relationship with Jesus; Terry I'm not quite as sure about. One of our goals, however, is that the community takes ownership of this church. If they don't become a faith-family and everything we do is dependent on us missionary's presence, then it will all end once the summer comes to a close. Seeing two men get excited about getting together and grilling out and praising the Lord was a step in the right direction.

At one point, one of Terry's friends rode up on a bicycle. Tony was his name, and he was really rough around the edges. I don't know him well yet, but I didn't get the impression that he was a follower of Jesus. However, he said something that made me want to shout for joy, and it sparked a realization in my mind that I hadn't fully grasped before. When he found out that Terry would be at the gatherings, Tony said, "Oh yea! Where Terry is, I know I'm welcome."

He knows that he's welcome in the presence of his friend. To function at all in a neighborhood where suspicion and apprehension is expected, people must feel at home in our gatherings. We must offer a space where they can relate to their neighbors with trust and love, and together we hope to grow in our faith and to share the gospel both with those that come and with those that refuse to gather with us.

With man, what we want to do is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. Please pray for Pete, Terry, and Tony, that the Spirit will work in their hearts and draw them closer to Jesus, and that they will receive the gospel with gladness.

Stacy and I have decided to pour most of our time into the Lee Ave area. Since the church is located here, it makes the most sense to focus on serving and connecting with the immediate neighborhood. So if you Google Earth and pray, please pray over Lee Ave, Cleveland, OH.

P.S. Pray especially for the youth on the street. There is much darkness and spiritual oppression among the young in this neighborhood, especially the young men. They need Jesus. Desperately. I fear not just for their souls but their very lives if they don't come to know Jesus soon.  

Barnabas Church. Who Are We?

Joseph, a Levite and a Cypriot by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas, which is translated Son of Encouragement, sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. -Acts 4:36 (HCSB) 

Barnabas, the "Son of Encouragement." Why would a church planter choose to name a church after this man? What does that indicate about the nature of the church? We have spent the last few days trying to cast Kevin's vision for Barnabas into tangible form. Placing a God-given dream into words is no easy task, and it has stretched my and Stacy's creative and administrative skills. However, after a few coffee shop visits and a lot of brainstorming, we have begun to move in a solid direction.

Before I explain BC's identity and mission, I'll lay out the problem. Thousands of non-Southern Baptist churches are in Cleveland, with Catholic, AME, and Pentecostal by my estimation the most common. Regarding SBC presence, the Cleveland Hope Baptist Association has existed in for 58 years and has actively focused on church planting for the last 10 years or so. However, the percentage (the actual percentage, not just the gross population) of lostness continues to increase yearly. Currently, 8% of Clevelanders are actively evangelical, and that figure is estimated to drop to 5% in the coming years. On the West Side of Cleveland, only 1 out of 10 SBC church plants have survived to become self-sustaining churches. 

This is a problem, and we want to fix it. Fixing it begins with change.  

Barnabas Church is the first step in what we hope will be a new wave of church plants. As I mentioned in Wednesday's post, the church plant is very different. Kevin is the Director of Missions for Cleveland Hope, so he will not need or accept a salary from Barnabas. The church will meet in his house and garage, so almost very little overhead cost will exist. No sound system is being purchased, and no elaborate praise band is being formed. People, the Bible, and sharing the gospel are the focus of all that Barnabas will do. As much as possible, the resources provided will be poured back into gospel-sharing activities. 

How do we plan to do this? The premise of Barnabas is that every believer can be encouraged and empowered to share the gospel AND teach others to share the gospel. The mission is this: Encourage one another. Grow in faith. Share the gospel. Currently, our plan for gatherings is to begin Sunday evenings at 5:00 with a grill-out and fellowship. We'll have basketball, snow cones when possible, and however else we decide to simply enjoy one another's company. Then we'll move into a time of simple worship. Sometimes there may be a single guitar or keyboard; sometimes we'll use CDs, sometimes we'll sing acapella. Next will come Kevin's teaching, which will focus on understanding the gospel message. Kevin feels led to teach through the good news as laid out in Charles Brocke's Good News For You, a simple guide to the gospel that is non-denominational and derives all questions and answers directly from scripture. After the teaching time, we'll have a time of testimony, prayer, and discussion, where we'll be encouraged and challenged to think about how we can use our talents, passions, and places in life to reach our circles of influence with the gospels. Good News For You booklets will be available, and all will be encouraged to take a few to pray over and see who the Holy Spirit leads to share with. The hope is that these studies will lead to the members beginning the Good News For You or other gospel-centered bible studies with friends, families, coworkers, etc. From there, churches may be started and more leaders trained and equipped. 

We don't know what the results of this endeavor will be; we can only stay obedient and faithful to the call that God has placed on our lives. This model of church planting is a bit "out-there" so to speak, and nothing like it has been tried here in Cleveland. But desperate times call for desperate measures. 

That being said, I can only imagine how the vision and direction of this church plant will change and shape over time. Below, however, is the mission and core values that Barnabas will stand by no matter what direction the future takes.

"Here at Barnabas, we are a different kind of church. Our mission statement is simple and straight forward: We exist as a faith-family of believers who gather together to encourage one another, grow in faith and boldness, and actively share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Founded on four core principles, Barnabas seeks to impact lostness in the greater Cleveland area by equipping and empowering followers of Jesus to share the gospel, beginning within each of our unique circles of influence. Ultimately, our desire is that our community of believers will understand the equal ability of all followers of Jesus to share the gospel, becoming a catalyst for evangelistic Bible studies and church plants throughout Cleveland and beyond. 

The core values of Barnabas Church include:

1) Encouragement. Whenever Barnabas gathers together as a family, encouragement is key. No matter where believers (or unbelievers seeking the truth) are in their walks of life or walks of faith, they are encouraged to grow in intimacy with Jesus, take the next step of obedience in their Christian lives, become more Christ-like, and use their gifts, passions, talents, and opportunities to share the gospel message.    

2) Simplicity. Because we desire for Barnabas to be a paradigm gospel-sharing network of believers, Barnabas Church strives for all of our activities, methods, and services to be reproducible by any Christian regardless of social, economic, or educational factors. 

3) Equality. Barnabas Church maintains that any true Christian,any follower of Jesus, is equally empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel and to teach others about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Our value of equality does not detract from the diversity of Spiritual gifts nor does it negate the importance of orthodox gospel contextualization.

4) Authenticity. Every thought, attitude, and action in a believer's life should truly reflect their relationship with Jesus Christ. Likewise, as a corporate body of believers, Barnabas Church focuses on bringing every aspect of our existence in line with orthodox biblical theology. Our practices flow from the true and actual change brought in our lives by a restored relationship with God the Father, a relationship with Jesus Christ, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit."

This is our mission and these are our values. Please be in prayer for us, for the future family members of Barnabas Church, and for those in Cleveland who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus. 

Today's Prayer Place: University Circle. Uptown, Cleveland. 

  

A Job Too Big

"When you have a job that is too big for you, you're in the right place." A sister in Christ, Joanne, said these words to Stacy and me earlier this evening. Continuing, she said that believers with tasks that seem far to difficult to accomplish are just in position for God to do something great. When the only one who can do it is Jesus, God is most honored because the victory belongs to him. Look to Jesus, she said. Look and keep looking, and obey whatever he shows you. 

Her encouragement was inspirational, particularly in light of its ironic backdrop: "Look to Jesus. . . and obey." Joanne is nearly completely blind. She lost her eyesight in 1997, when she suffered from retinal detachment in both eyes. Despite the trial, Joanne remained faithful to the Lord and even took her ministry up a notch. Now she leads a contemporary service at her church, and she focuses especially on prayer. 

Which leads to the power of our encounter tonight. 

Joanne is part of a short-term team that'll be doing construction work for a church until Sunday. Seven out of this group are staying with us here in Vision House for the next few days, and Stacy and I were waiting on them when they arrived around 6:00. Their arrival came on the heels of a huge realization for me and Stacy because the weight of our task-and our responsibility in planting this church-has become more evident over the past two days. Kevin has made it clear that we're not just college interns helping to plant a church. We are an integral part of the core leadership team for Barnabas Church (BC). 

So, from 1:00 until the team arrived, Stacey and I brainstormed mission statements and tag lines. We tossed around ideas about logos, mission statements, methodology, and tried our best to really define who we are as BC and what our mission is. We prayed, we read scripture, we began Francis Chan's Forgotten God, we took coffee breaks. . . and we realized how inadequate two college kids are to face a city of darkness and lostness and expect to actually make a difference. Prayer, the Spirit's work, and obedience/faithfulness are ALL we have. And just when it all began to really sink in, Joanne and the team showed up on our doorstep. Our God has a way of timing things just right.

They heard our ideas and listened to our vision. And then they encouraged, exhorted, and most importantly PRAYED. They took our hands and lifted us up in prayer. They lifted up the future Barnabas Church in prayer and the people of the city in prayer; they praised God and interceded on our behalf. Feeling the undeniable and overwhelmingly strong presence of the Spirit has only truly happened a handful of times in my life. But tonight was one of them. To again quote Batterson in The Circle Maker, the encouragement was "just enough, just in time." 

I would love to tell you more about Barnabas Church and our role in this very unusual church plant. And I will tell you more, but this post is long enough already and the hour is late. I'll just give one teaser until Friday. The core values of Barnabas Church include: (1) encouragement, (2) simplicity, (3) authenticity, and (4) equality. I'll explain them more later.

In the meantime, please pray for this target area that we prayerwalked today. West Side Market , 1979 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113. 

Please, please pray. God bless!            

P.S. Barnbas Church is launching Sunday, June 1st.  

Cleveland Bound Again

(Note, I actually wrote this a few hours ago, but I couldn't find wifi in the airport. I am now sitting on my bed in Vision House.)

Well, another semester is done; another summer is here; another adventure is soon to begin. After only a week of sleep and relaxation after the hair-pulling, teeth-gnashing weekend of finals, I’m sitting in the Atlanta airport, Cleveland-bound. Once again, I’m heading out for a summer of church-planting missions. As with all mission trips, excitement is driving me forward, but the adventure is all wrapped up in a package of home-sickness that never quite leaves me alone. I love my family, and in their arms I really do find home. But I know what God has called me to do, and, as God always does, He gives the strength and endurance and joy to persevere. It’s an odd collision of passions to love all pieces of an adventure: the journey, the destination, and the welcome-home at the end. In that way, I suppose a journey is like life. In Christ, there is joy every step of the way, even if the joy is tinted a little different with each of those steps.

I just finished reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. Walking readers through the life of his church plant, National Community Church, Batterson calls Christians to fervent prayer. Several key phrases stood out to me as I read and learned from his insights, but two in particular challenged me about this venture in Cleveland: “praying through” and “only God.” Batterson differentiates between “praying through” and “praying for,” challenging his readers to continue on their knees until God answers their prayers. It may not be the answer they were looking for or the timing that they wanted, but all things work together for the good of those who believe. “Only God” brings to light God’s will to do things beyond human ability or even imagination; once again, the “only God” moments of life bring God the most glory whenever they are direct answers to prayer. Essentially, The Circle Maker reminds us scripturally and experientially to pray and keep praying.

Will you join me in prayer for Cleveland this summer? I’m going to commit to write at least three times a week. My goal is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, though I cannot absolutely guarantee those days since I haven’t figured out my weekly routine yet. We do have some specific requests, however.

1. We want to find at least 5 potential leaders of Barnabas Church (the house-church that we’ll be working with) from each of our target areas.

2. We would like Barnabas church to fill the garage by the end of the summer.

3. We want to connect intimately with the families in the immediate neighborhood of Barnabas Church, which meets in the house that we’ll be living in.

4. We (that is, me and my brother in Christ Stacy) want to be a faithful presence in Cleveland: faithful to the gospel, faithful to Christ, and faithful to the mission of Acts 1:8.

We pray these things not demanding that God bends to our will; rather, we pray as we feel the Spirit leading us to pray. We cannot accomplish it on our own. Only God will be able to pull off a feat such as this in a place such as Cleveland.  Throughout history, God’s people have most been aligned with His will when they were serious about prayer; Jew and Gentile, apostle and laymen. Even Jesus Himself.
 Three times a week, I will end a blog post with a specific address that you can pray for. You can Google Earth the place or just pray for it with the vision of your mind’s eye. Each blog post may not have a new address, but I’ll send at least three a week anyway.

I’m excited and ready for this adventure to begin!

Today’s prayer place: 10726 Lee Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106. This is the address of the home that we’ll stay in and the church that we’re working with. God bless, and I would be grateful if some of you could commit to pray for us and for Cleveland daily.

The Delight of our Hearts

"Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art!" -Be Thou My Vision

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6

I can add no words to these anthems of praise and trust. Oh lord, be the Delight of our hearts!

Thank You!

Dear friends and family,

     I'm writing this to say one big THANK YOU!!!! Because of your gracious support, I was able to raise $1345 for the African Sign Languages Bible translation project, and I received 2nd place out of 36 overall contestants in the individual fund raising competition. Together, the 9 teams that participated in the Doe River Gorge Race to 2025 raised $15,000 for the sake of the Kingdom! Your partnership is invaluable; please continue to pray for the African Sign Languages project.

     Last weekend was one of the most intense, challenging, and rewarding weekends of my life. In the course of 48 hours, we totaled over 15 miles of distance. We ran on the Appalachian Trail, biked mountains, crossed rapids, and communicated across a gorge with Morse code. We rappelled a cliff, kayaked a lake, climbed a massive tree, and zip lined through a ravine. We drank a coconut and, yes, we ate worms... and a stew of who-knows-what.

     We overcame our fair share of challenges, too. Twice we got lost in the woods; once we dragged a cramping teammate out of the road. However, despite blisters, bruises, cramps, and setbacks, we finished the race. We by far didn't win, but Christ our King did. He grew us as individuals, a team, and as servants in His Kingdom.

     At the end of the race, we finally reached the "Hidden Village." To get there, we had to pass through "border control"; for 10 minutes, we were harassed, threatened, and screamed at in languages that I didn't even know existed. We even had to convince them that we weren't communists... And they didn't speak English. To convince an Thai border control agent that you're not a communist is quite a difficult task to accomplish.

     Finally, though, we reached the village. We had 30 minutes to figure out as much of the language as we could. Ironically, the villagers were Kenyans (we were "Team Kenya"), and the language was Swahili. We gestured, pointed, and acted to learn as much language as we could. It was amazing! This was by far the most fun and exciting part of the race. Finally, we celebrated with a traditional Kenyan meal and a celebratory hymn of praise.

     The Race is over. The mission is not. There are still 1,892 languages in the world that do not have a single word of scripture. Please keep Wycliffe Bible Translators in your prayers as they fight to rid the word of this Bible poverty. Again, thank you, and God bless you all!

   

   

Playing the Keys

I take piano lessons once a week, and once a week I royally embarrass myself in front of a well-accomplished pianist. When I try to play a piece that Mr. Parrini (puh-ree-knee) has assigned, I often sound like a toddler banging on a plinky toy piano. Parrini can play the exact same melody and it sounds like heaven. All I can do is grit my teeth, listen to his advice, and bang out the piece "a little bit better."

If I actually play something well, I glance at him with a sheepish smile, eager to see if he'll offer the compliment that I would so like to hear:

"Guud job. You did that well. But maybe try. . ." In his distinct Italian accent, he verbally pats me on the back and gives me a firm push to do a little bit better. 

In this week's lesson, I made one quick comment, and it received a reply that applies to much more than just piano. 

Me: "Funny thing is, my mind is telling me exactly what to do. My fingers just won't do it."

Parrini: "Don't assume that just by looking at a page, music will be played."

He explained that learning piano is about developing mechanical response in your fingers. Even for "prodigies," the fingers don't magically know what to do just because your mind knows what they should do. Every pianist has to train their fingers to work melodies, harmonies, dynamics, articulations, rhythms, and countless other factors together to produce music that is pleasing to the ears. According to Parrini, the key is to slow down and learn to respond correctly to the music you see on the page or hear in your mind.

Slow down and learn. . . . 

How often do I bulldoze through life without learning to respond correctly to what I know is right? There is learning to be done in everyday situations, from mistakes and accomplishments and observations that I make in the little things, yet I dash by with my mind set on the big things looming on the horizon. Listening to my teacher talk, I was reminded that, plain and simply, you must walk before you can run.

I'll never learn a piece of music without first playing it at a speed that I can handle ("No no no, Aaron, you can't just THROW notes together. Stop, play it SLOWER..."). The song of life tends to come at us at a ridiculous tempo. Sometimes, we just have to relax, slow down, and learn the small things for the music to sound best.   

   

Ready, Set, Go!

    Hello everyone!
 
    Many of you know that I’m studying linguistics in college and that I’m passionate about bible translation. Sadly, there are still about 1,900 languages in the world that do not have any scripture in their language. A bible translated into the heart language of a people group allows people to hear God’s word in a way that they truly understand, and they can use written language to tangibly preserve their history, culture, and heritage.
   
     I’ve now been given the opportunity to help do something about this poverty of scripture! March 14-16, my team (Team Kenya, which is me and three others) will represent North Greenville University in Race to 2025: African Sign Languages. We’ll participate in an adventure race at Doe River Gorge in Tennessee, where we’ll run, hike, bike, canoe, rappel, and whatever else we have to do to locate a “hidden village” where villagers who speak an unwritten language will be waiting our arrival. Once we navigate the geographic challenges, we’ll have to conquer an even more daunting task: solving the linguistic challenges presented by the villagers (who don’t speak English). The course and these linguistic challenges replicate the physical and linguistic difficulties faced by language surveyors, the frontline workers of bible translation.

     Our goal is to raise $2,000 by March 7th to support the training of indigenous bible translators for African Sign Languages. The deaf are one of the most unevangelized and spiritually neglected peoples in the world, and these native translators have a vision to see God’s word accessible to deaf people all across Africa. To aid these sign language translators, Wycliffe has offered training and support, which is detailed further in the attached information page about this sign language project.
   
     I would appreciate your partnership and support in this endeavor. If you would like to support through giving, simply click on this link (Donation Form) (please write "Aaron J Harris: Team Kenya in the comments/special instructions box on the donation page) or download the attached donation form and mail to Wycliffe Bible Translators (the address is on the form).
 
     More importantly, however, please lift up this bible translation project and the deaf of Africa in prayer. God’s power to save is incredible and unending, and our obedience to His calling to take the gospel to the ends of the earth begins by placing the gospel within reach of the natives.     

Thank you, and grace be with you!

African Sign Languages
Donation Form (front) (Please write "Aaron J Harris: Team Kenya" on the "donation to support" line)
Donation Form (back)

Rejoice in the Gift

Satisfaction in humility is one of the greatest joys of following Christ. 

"However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." -Luke 10:20

Christ sent out 70 or so of His followers to preach and prepare the cities for His coming. Returning to Christ a little later, they were ecstatic that even the demons had submitted to the power that God had allowed them. However, Jesus reminds them that power isn't the most amazing part of the story: God's grace is. It's God's gift of salvation that they should be thankful for, not just the supernatural acts that come with His power. 

Of course, we are rightfully thankful for all that God does. Rejoicing in God's grace, though, brings the greatest joy. 

Human pride is never right. In humility we find satisfaction.    

A Quick Thought: Taste and See

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

I've always related this verse with the satisfaction of trusting in God, the pleasure of knowing Him. Like a big, juicy steak, the assurance of trusting God fills and satisfies our souls. 

However, there's more to tasting than satisfaction. 

When you take the first bite of a delicious meal, do you throw the fork down and proclaim the meal finished? No! If one taste is delicious, you want another! Would a worn and hungry man be satisfied with a single bite of a hardy, well-prepared meal, or would he immediately desire more?

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Even a morsel of God's love, providence, and sovereignty is enough to set our souls to craving more.    

Desires

Much has happened since I last wrote on this blog, and there are simply not enough minutes left in my day to play catch up. I'm not even going to try.

I'm facing a workload like never before-worse even than last semester, which I thought at the time to be the most I could possibly handle. If you will, please pray that I will trust and rely on God's strength and grace will carry me through this semester. It's the only way that I'll make it (It's the only way any of us can make it), and I am keenly aware of my all-too-frequent attempts to take life head on by trying harder and harder in myself. It never quite works out, I always reach the same conclusion: We are made to let God work. That conclusion brings me to my point. 

The Lord is teaching me many things from the recent happenings in my life (especially from my relationship experience). However, there has been one theme that keeps resurfacing in nearly every conclusion, in nearly every thought or quiet time. For some reason, it's a lesson that, as we all seem to do, I have resisted over and over again. 

There is much joy, much delight, and much fulfillment in yielding to the will of our Savior. 

Why are our hearts so stubborn? Thank God for grace. In following His will, we find grace at it's fullest. There is grace for our mistakes, grace for our failures, and grace for our daily lives; however, in His will, amazing grace becomes unbelievable grace. By "His will," I do not mean some kind of mystic revelation of a life plan. Nor do I mean a vision of exactly what to do, say, or decide. I simply know that there are some things that we KNOW to be right. Especially putting aside all things selfish. By throwing ourselves on the power and grace of our God, we can do the things that we KNOW to be right. Step by step. Moment by moment. Thought by thought. 

Joy comes fullest with relying on God's grace. Joy comes fullest in following His will. Joy comes fullest in glorifying HIM. And that is why we are here.