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.   

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.