The Rhythms of Life

This summer has turned out to be quite the busy season of life. In the last month, I've taught at VBS, been to church camp, gave a Wednesday night lesson on Isaiah 6, picked up teaching a Sunday School class, done some camping, and worked 160 hours or so. And I've enjoyed every moment of it (well, the vast majority of the moments, anyway :)).

One thing that I'm thankful for is the time I've had in the mornings. At 5:00 AM or shortly after, both Mom and I wake up and eat breakfast and spend some quiet time at the kitchen table. For some reason, time spent reading the Bible or praying or journaling seems more natural when a cup of coffee and another believer are beside you. These moments have become part of the ebb and flow of my life this summer, and God has been teaching me that it's meant to be that way. I'm not studying to write a biblical exegetical paper, come up with an awesome blog idea, or make a decision about a theological issue. The best way to describe it is that I'm waking up and sharing breakfast with Jesus.

As strange, cheesy, and/or cliche that may sound, I'm re-discovering the joy of having no agenda in quiet time other than to spend time--to commune--with the Spirit. I've known for a long time that I'm "supposed" to do that, but actually working that stillness into my life--into the plot of my story, the theme of my canvas, the rhythm of my song--has been a challenge. But, to bring this post around to its title, I think our camp pastor at MFuge (Gary Morgan) said it well: One of our goals as Christians is to have God's rhythms become ours. As a musician, that analogy made good sense to me. A rhythm is basically the "beat" of a song, the consistent pattern set by the percussion instruments (like drums) that has a lot to do with how the song sounds and feels. So, by giving up our own messed up rhythms to God and accepting his instead, we can experience life as its meant to be.

God's rhythms--obedience, humility, desire to know Him and make Him known, etc.--change our lives. They make life abundant and adventurous and full of unexpected turns and new experiences. They're not easy to learn, and we'll most assuredly mess them up. But the best part is that we can only learn the rhythms by spending time with the Musician Himself. He invites us, commands us, and welcomes us into His presence, where we can both learn His rhythms and enjoy His company forever. Our God really is great, isn't he?          

Proverbs 10:20. The Tongue and the Heart

Well, I know that it's the first Tuesday of the month instead of the first Monday, but sometimes surprising things happen. Your cousin's car dies, for example. These things can't be helped :)

I've been reading through Proverbs lately, and I've never noticed just how much emphasis the book places on words. Maybe studying linguistics has heightened my awareness on what the Bible says about words, or maybe the Lord is teaching me to listen and analyze my own words more carefully (or both), but over and over again Proverbs mentions the importance of words to human life. And the teaching is just as often about what words say about us as it is actually about what we should say. Some examples:

"The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." Proverbs 15:28

"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18

"A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit" Proverbs 15:4

Since the Proverbs describe general life wisdom--painting life with a wide brush, so to speak--then yes, we should follow its principles about talking. Basically, think about what you say, don't spout off, use your words for good and not for evil, to build up and not to tear down. All things that the New Testament restates in some way or another.

But, what has really caught my eye lately has been what these sayings tell us about God's desire for our hearts, reminding us that words (and how words line up to actions) are the biggest window to the soul that we have. Words are the predominant way that we express ourselves, identify ourselves, and establish our relationships to others. When we say something, we turn our insides out. The author of Proverbs recognizes that and calls our attention to the relationship between words and the human heart (the deepest part of our being, the part from which we draw out the rest of life's meaning):

"The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth" Proverbs 10:20

Did you catch that? The author ascribed a righteous person's tongue greater value than the heart of a wicked person. I believe that the wording is intentional. By putting the tongue and the heart in direct comparison, the proverb is highlighting the power and importance of what we say. Not as a legalistic, 'don't-you-say-that-you-sinner' warning, but as a nugget of wisdom, an insight into the reality of life: Our words say a whole lot about who we are. And by telling us that, the Bible provides yet another avenue to repentance, another signpost that points us in the direction of God's will.    

Back to the Starting Line

The title of my last blog post was "Wrapping Up." That was July 8th, 2014, and I had no idea at the time just how descriptive that title that would be. I didn't anticipate taking an entire year off from blogging, but that's what happened. I can only say that I must have needed it. Academically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally, it's been a year of growth. I've faced bigger challenges and added responsibilities, and they have run their course, helping to shape my life and to hone my sense of calling and purpose. In a way, this year has felt like track practice used to feel back at Pierce County High School. I've been coached. I've been worked out. And I've been exhausted sometimes. But now I feel ready for a new stage. It's back to the starting line.

So, what's this new leg of the race look like? To sum up a theme that's been emerging in my life, the last three years have been a lot of other people pouring into me. Now, it's my turn to do the pouring. I know that I've done my fair share of shaping others even while others have significantly shaped me, but I've been much more in the student-disciple phase of the learning cycle. Coming into my senior year, however, I'm finding that I've been thrust into a sphere of greater responsibility. Up to now, I've predominantly been the learner, and even though I'll never stop learning, I see the doors opening to take the teacher role. In a word, I'm growing up.    

Take school, for example. I faced some of the most difficult but rewarding classes that I've ever had last year, even adding something to my course of study (an 18 credit-hour European history component). My undergraduate study of linguistics is now complete because I've taken every linguistics class that NGU offers. I also did some advanced Biblical exegesis, ethical work, and historical research, and my Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) class gave me the chance to plug into the international community in and around Greenville. Now, with my final undergraduate year on the horizon, I'm almost done. I'm still learning, but I've become an academic tutor, I (tentatively) have a NAMB supported internship with my college church, and I'm going to be a weekly ESL volunteer. My eye is on graduation and on applying to life everything that I've been so focused on absorbing.

Another example is in the area of relationships. For those of you who know me personally, you know that I've been dating an amazing woman, Rebekah, since March of 2014. Well, our relationship began on the heels of a significant spiritual and emotional crises for me, which I crawled out of by God's grace and the faithfulness of my family and (in particular) three close friends. Now, one of those friends is getting married and another is moving with his family to the Middle East. I've been able to grow confidently in my relationship over the course of the past year, and now I'm finding that others are coming to me to ask advice and wisdom. Though I feel inadequate, I recognize that God used the support of family and those friends to to help me see some of the thought patterns and patterns of action that help bring about healing, growth, and maturity. As I have learned, I'm now responsible to go and share.

I could give other examples, but the hour is late and my point is made. But, I want to make sure that blogging becomes a regular part of my life this year. To make sure of that, I'll commit to publishing at least twice per month, on every first and third Monday. Hopefully, I'll be able to write more posts and publish them throughout, but you can expect at least twice in the month. Now, what will they be about? I'm not sure yet. I never am. But, I'll put my college slogan to test once again: "Somehow, it always gets done."      
 

 

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.