Hold Fast

Read Revelation 2&3

In his concession speech on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate John McCain noted that a historic event of epic proportions had unfolded before our eyes.

"This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight. I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too. But we both recognize that though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound. A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African American to the presidency of the United States. Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth. Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer in my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day, though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise. Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face. I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that."1

It was a gracious speech, and I was deeply moved by Senator McCain’s humble words. The election of the first African-American to the office of President of the United States of America is truly a historic event. It would have been a historic event no matter what party the candidate represented: Republican, Independent or Democrat. I’m not here tonight representing any specific political party or candidate. I’m here tonight as a child of God who has witnessed the unfolding of human events and seen in it the activity of God. And because God has been at work in our world in such a visible way, I feel compelled to give testimony to that event tonight. To overlook such a mighty work would be a sin.

I want to be clear. I’m not talking about the election of Barack Obama. I’m talking about the progress that has been made in the thinking of a nation and in the triumph of truth, justice and love over ignorance, prejudice and fear.

A hundred years ago, most African-Americans could not vote because they could not read. They weren’t allowed to attend public schools, so they couldn’t get the education and training needed to pull themselves out of the poverty that years of slavery had created. That was the world our parents and grandparents grew up in. To us it may seem like years ago, but to those who were there, it was just yesterday.
Our parents and grandparents grew up in a world where racial segregation, prejudice, and hatred were the norm. Our entire nation believed that African-Americans were lesser than. It wasn’t just white America that believed this. Our entire nation had been deceived. And don’t be mistaken: this belief that African-Americans counted as a mere 3/5 of a person2 (and who are we kidding, it was actually 3/5 of a white man!) – that belief came straight out of the mind of Satan! God was not in it. God created all of humanity in God’s own image and said it was good! It was the Devil himself who convinced us that some are better than others. Evil had infiltrated our land and corrupted every aspect of American life and culture.

The rules were enforced with fear, violence, and unjust laws. Those who dared to even THINK differently about people of color could face life-threatening consequences! And yet some still chose a different way.

Some were convinced of the truths they found in scripture: that people are conceived first in the mind of God, that all people are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that Jesus Christ came so that the whole world might have full and abundant lives in this world and in the next!

Some were convinced of the truth. So they held fast. They held fast to the truth, even when everyone around them said they were wrong. They held fast to their convictions, even when it cost them jobs and friends and sometimes even the Church. They held fast to their faith, even when they were beaten and tortured for it. They held fast. They held on. And they held out. They stood for equality and justice and freedom. They held fast. They stood firm. They endured with patience as the world slowly changed around them.

Because that’s what happens when the people of God hold fast. When people of faith hold fast to the truth, the world begins to change.

Much has happened in our country in the last 100 years. President-elect Barack Obama offers this recap:

"And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can. When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can. She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can. A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can. America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call."3

Much has changed in the last 100 years. But as both presidential candidates noted on Tuesday, we still have much to do. Your children will very likely live to see the next century. What changes will they see? What progress would you like to see us make in the future?

Some may believe these dreams of ours are futile, overly idealistic, and absolutely impossible to achieve. But the book of Revelation tells us to hold fast. Hold fast to what you have been given. Hold fast to the truth. Hold fast to what is right. Hold fast to faith. Hold fast to God. Hold fast to service. Hold fast with patient endurance (2:19).

Ghandi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

These are troubled times, and we may face many difficult days in the future. Times of testing will come. We may see times of feast and famine. Days of plenty and days of despair. We may be imprisoned, tortured, and made to suffer all kinds of indignities. But there will be a reward, in this life and in the next.

Progress comes when people of God hold fast to their faith. Sometimes, all it takes to slay a dragon is patient endurance. I’m not saying it will be easy, but the rewards are many: a world where God’s will is done and all the comforts of heaven await those who stay the course. Hold fast.

1 Concession speech delivered by Senator John McCain on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Published on the McCain-Palin 2008 website at http://www.johnmccain.com/splash110408.html. Downloaded November 6, 2008.
2 United States Constitution, Article 1, section 2.
3 Election night speech delivered by President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Published on the Barack Obama and Joe Biden website at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/ gGx3Kc. Downloaded November 6, 2008.

God provides ... more than once

Philippians 4:15-20

What word of instruction do you hear?
You sent me help ... more than once. Why do we forget that? Maybe you don't. I do. Time and again, God has sent me the help I needed just when I needed it most. Money, friends, words of advice, words of caution, words of encouragement, food, answers to prayer, healing.... I probably worry most about money. Always have. Our nation's current economic woes don't help. I worry about the future. I'm afraid that I won't have enough money to do what I need to do. And the thing is... I've always had what I needed.

When I look back at my life, I remember how I have agonized over bills and debts and financial choices. It never added up on paper. It always looked like I was on the verge of ruin. But I have always had what I needed. God has always provided. Not once. But over and over and over and over and over and over, God has always sent help for my needs.

For what would you like to give thanks?
I am fully satisfied. There is nothing I need. God has showered me with all the blessings any human could ever possibly need. I am overwhelmed by the great, great love that I have known in my life. I have a nice home and a loving family, work that inspires and challenges me, friends that inspire and challenge me, and a world of opportunity for change and growth and exploration. I have been greatly blessed.

How have you missed the mark?
Lord, how often I fail to remember and give thanks for all that you have done for me. I worry and fret and stew and plan and ponder and agonize over things, and I completely forget that you are in control.

How is God present to you?
God provides. Sometimes through miraculous means. Sometimes through hard work and perseverance. Sometimes through the gracious generosity of others. But God always provides. And God always will.

Thank you, Lord, for today's reminder that you always provide help for our needs. You know what I need, even before I do, and you always provide for me. You always have. You have never let me down. Even when I doubted you. Even when I rebelled against you. Even when I made poor choices. You never gave up on me. You never turned your back on me. You never stopped loving me. Lord, I thank you for all that you have done for me. Help me never to forget your great love and mercy and provision. May I live with hope and faith and confidence in you because there are so many people who live in constant fear and worry and need. For them, it seems that the promises are not true. They have needs that are not being met. Lord, forgive me for the ways in which I have failed to go to their aid. Clear away each and every obstacle that stands between these, your beloved children, and all the things that they so desperately need. Give me faith to say with confidence, "God will FULLY satisfy EVERY need of yours." In Christ's name I pray, Amen.

Be the message

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 (Message version)

What word of instruction do you hear?
Be the message. What I find fascinating (and humbling) about this text is that the people of Thessalonica were living out their faith in such a dramatic way that people in other towns were telling Paul and Silas and Timothy how amazing the church in Thessalonica had been to Paul and Silas and Timothy. In other words, the missionaries were being told the story they had come to preach!

Now that's a witness. They were walking the talk. They were living what they said they believed. They hadn't just heard the gospel. They WERE the gospel. They embodied faith, love, and hope. And it brought them joy! Joy that prevailed over persecution. It was a way of life that inspired everyone who even heard about them.

For what would you like to give thanks?
For my grandparents, who set an example of hard-working faith, laboring love, patient hope, and prevailing joy.

How have you missed the mark?
Paul often writes about being in constant prayer for those whom he has ministered to/with. It reminds me that I need to pray more often for those who are a part of my ministry.

How is God present to you?
The images of God's hand upon me and the Holy Spirit putting steel in my convictions are resonating with me. I've been feeling tired and uncertain about the future. And, though I still don't know exactly where God is leading or how things will look five minutes from now, much less five years from now, I feel more confident about my ability to lead because I do know that God's hand is upon me, and I believe God has given me a vision for the future.

I am reminded of a chorus that our youth group sang way back in the dark ages when I was a teenager. I don't know who wrote it or if it is copyrighted.

Of my hands I give to you, O Lord.
Of my hands I give to you.
I give to you as you gave to me.
Of my hands I give to you.

Of my heart I give to you, O Lord.
Of my heart I give to you.
I give to you as you gave to me.
Of my heart I give to you.

Of my life I give to you, O Lord.
Of my life I give to you.
I give to you as you gave to me.
Of my life I give to you.
All my life I give to you.

Straining at the oars

Mark 6:45-52

What word of instruction do you hear?
Get into the boat. Jesus had just fed 5,000 men (and untold women and children) with just five loaves of bread and two fish. A miracle had occurred, and, despite the meager supplies, all ate and were filled. Everyone had all they needed. In fact, they had more than enough! After everyone had eaten, they took up 12 baskets full of leftovers. God had provided much more than they needed. But none of it would be wasted. It had to have been a powerful moment. I can only imagine how the disciples might have felt. Triumphant. Victorious. Confused.

They certainly seem to have felt content. They wanted to stay where they were. It was a good place. They had done a really good job. Things were going well. So let's just stay put.

But Jesus tells them to get into the boat. In fact, scripture says that Jesus made his followers get into the boat. He made them get into the boat and head out onto the lake without him. He made them go ahead. He stayed behind to pray.

It's tempting, isn't it? To stay put. To stay where we feel safe, successful, and well cared for. To stay where we have been nurtured and fed and blessed. I mean, what person in their right mind would want to leave a place of rest and abundance and security and head out into the unknown, where danger lurked, and high winds threaten to overturn your boat?

But Jesus tells us to go. Get into the boat. We've been fed. We've been blessed. We have witnessed the awesome power of God. That's great! But now it's time to go. Get in the boat. There's more for us to see and do and learn.

For what do you want to give thanks?
Jesus is with us in the boat. Jesus sees us when we are straining at the oars against an adverse wind. Jesus sees our struggles. He knows how hard it is. And he doesn't let us sink. He comes to us. He walks out to us. Above the struggles. Above the waves. Above all that threatens us and above all that frightens us and above all that seeks to wear us down. Jesus comes and will go ahead of us, and, if we call out to him, he will get right in the boat with us.

How have I missed the mark?
Sometimes, I get so busy, straining at the oars, that I fail to Jesus, out on the water, coming to rescue me. So I keep straining at the oars, trying to do it all by myself.

How is God present in this text?
God is the one who provides food for the journey, and God is the one who tells me to get into the boat, and God is the one who calms the storm that rages in my heart and in my world.

"I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore.
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.
But the master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Love lifted me. Love lifted me.
When nothing else could help, love lifted me."
-- words by James Rowe

Worship that honors God

Isaiah 58 (Today's focus is on verses 6-9, but you will need to read the whole chapter to understand the context.)

What word of instruction do you hear?
The sabbath is a day to pursue God's interests, not my own.

Sometimes, we act as if we have done the Lord such a great favor by showing up for church on Sundays (or Saturdays or Thursdays or whenever). You even see this reflected in some of the contemporary worship songs (much as I love contemporary worship). "Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God." Sometimes, you've got to wonder if the focus is on the glory of God and God's awesome power and righteousness, which all DESERVE to be praised. Or on God's very good fortune that we have chosen to bow ourselves before the Lord.... (I hope you hear the sarcasm.)

But it's not about the type of music that's used in worship. It's about the heart. Our motivation. Why do we worship? Out of guilt? Out of fear? Out of habit? Out of a sense of obligation? Out of our own need? To impress others with our holiness?

Worship that honors God is about putting God first. Putting God's interests before my own. Doing what God wants done. For no other reason that because God is God. God is good. God is great! And God deserves our praise and gratitude and devotion.

For what would you like to give thanks?
For all the faithful ones who have pursued God's interests and not their own.

How have you missed the mark?
Being critical when the sermon does not speak to me, the music does not move me, or the worship does not lift me up. Help me to remember, Lord, that it's not about me. It's about you.

How is God present to you in this text?
God is the voice of discipline, of prophetic exhortation. It is God who seeks to lead me in right paths. And God is there with an answer when I seek to do what's right and call on God for help.

Drink up

John 4:7-15

What word of instruction do I hear?
Drink. Jesus offers us a gift. Water. Water for the thirsty soul. Water that quenches the deep longing of the heart. A longing for God. A longing we all have. A need within each and every human being. Each of us needs God. We crave God. Without God, we die. Without God, we cannot survive. God is as essential to life as water.

Somewhere inside we all know that we need something. Our lives are empty and meaningless without God. Sometimes we can admit that to ourselves. But, often, we ignore the craving. Maybe we think we can quench that thirst ourselves. We're smart. We're strong. We can figure out some alternative for water.

So we deny ourselves the one thing that can quench our thirst. Maybe we try to bury the feeling under a ton of work, food, activity, good deeds, good times, friends, liquor, drugs, sex.... We hide behind anything that will cover up the deep emptiness of our lives, even for a moment.

But we can't live without water, and we cannot live without God. So, eventually, the craving returns. And it will stay with us throughout our lives. Our need for God is just that strong. It cannot be denied forever. So we have a choice. We can try to bury our craving for God. We can try to ignore it or find a reasonable substitute. We can torture ourselves with our own stubborn refusal to accept what we so desperately need. Or we can drink.

For what would I like to give thanks?
That God is not hemmed in by our prejudices. Jews and Samaritans may choose not to associate with one another. Blacks and whites may choose not to associate with one another. UT and UK fans may choose not to associate with one another. But Jesus doesn't play by those rules. He doesn't withhold love. He doesn't withhold water. He doesn't withhold eternal life from anyone.

How have I missed the mark?
Like the Samaritan woman, I can find lots of objections to the activity of God in my life. I can see the obstacles. (How can you draw water if you don't have a bucket?) And I am not open to receive the gift that Jesus offers.

How is God present?
God comes to us wherever we are, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, and offers us the very thing that we need to truly live.

Thank you, God, for providing all that I need, when I need it. Help me learn to rely more on you and less on my own strength and wisdom. Amen.

In tight spaces

Psalm 118:1-9

What word of instruction do I hear?
Call on the Lord. When I feel hemmed in.... When the world is crowding in on me.... When I feel trapped.... When it seems like life is over and there is no hope.... When there's no way out, no escape, no air, no room to breathe.... When I cannot find my way.... When I am lost in a sea of despair.... Call on God. Call on God.

Why? Because God's steadfast love endures forever.

God's love never ends. God's love stands forever. God's love doesn't quit. God's love doesn't leave me stranded. God's love will not desert me. I can count on God to be there, with arms wide open. God WILL answer, and God will set me in a broad place. A wide open place. A place of hope. A place of options. A place where there's room to breathe and run and jump and question and dream and dance!

For what would I like to give thanks?
Every time that I have felt like giving up, God has been there for me, to rescue and save me and show me a way.

How have I missed the mark?
Even though God has saved me time and again, I still forget to turn to God. I try to do things on my own. I trust in my own wisdom and strength and ability -- all of which are God's gifts to me. And God wants to use those gifts to accomplish God's will. But I forget sometimes to look to God for the answers. Until I find myself in a corner, with nowhere to go, nowhere to run, and totally without a clue what to do next.

How is God present?
God is on my side, ready to help me. God is right there with me. Right there with the answers. Hope. Truth. Possibility. God is there to clear a broad path.

Thank you, God, for setting me in a broad place where there are many options, freedoms, and truths. You have not left me stranded on a narrow ledge where I cannot move or breathe or think. You have set me in a broad place.

Stick it out

Hebrews 10:32-39 (I like the Message version)

What word of instruction do I hear?
Stick it out. Do not abandon your faith.

It is so easy to give up hope. We go through hard times, lose loved ones, suffer rejection. We struggle with our addictions or the addictions of our friends/family. We lose a job. Fail a test. Fall behind on our bills. We try to do the right thing and get kicked in the face for all our trouble. Life can really get us down.

I've just started to read Jonathan Kellerman's new psychological thriller, "Compulsion." And early on he compares a man's cry of sorrow to the sound of animals at the slaughterhouse. Kellerman describes the sound as the end of hope.

Everything in me rebelled at the statement. I don't know how anyone can live without hope. Life is hard, and sometimes it seems like we are surrounded by sin and death and violence and poverty and injustice and cruelty. But I am pinning all my hopes on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe in God's power to create and to re-create. At the heart of the Christian faith is the belief that God is at work in the world to bring about new life. No matter how hopeless our situation might seem, God will make things right. It may take some time for us to be able to see what God has done or is doing. But if we can stick things out, hold on to our faith, refuse to give up or to give in, we will see all the glorious things that God has done.

For what would I like to give thanks?
For friends and family who wouldn't let me give up hope.

How have I missed the mark?
I let things bother me. I get down and discouraged.

How is God present in this text?
God is on the way. God is coming to our rescue. God has been working things out for us even before we knew there was a God or a problem or a reason to be concerned. God wants to save us from all our enemies. God wants us to live happy, joyous, and free. And we can when we trust in God all the way.

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.
(words and music by Mr. and Mrs. Seth Sykes)

Cut to the heart

Acts 2:37-42

What word of instruction do I hear?
What is it that cut the crowd to the heart? I had to look back to earlier verses to see. It was the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon a crowd of people who had gathered together in one place. People from every nation were filled with the Spirit and began to speak in other languages about the power of God. Now, some people in the city heard the talk and wondered what it all meant. Others made fun and said, "Oh, they're just drunk."

So Peter stood up and explained. "God sent Jesus to save you from the evil powers of the world, and you handed him over to be killed. But God raised Jesus from the dead. Death does not have the power to hold Jesus prisoner. We are witnesses. We know it's true. We saw Jesus after God raised him from the dead. You can know this for sure: God made Jesus both Lord and Messiah. And everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

What Peter said was true. He told the truth about what the crowd had done. And he told the truth about what God had done. And the truth cut people to the heart.

For what would I like to give thanks?
For friends and family and pastors and teachers who care enough to tell me the truth. Lovingly. With the hope of redemption and transformation.

How have I missed the mark?
When, I wonder, was the last time that the word of God cut me to the heart...? How open am I to the truth?

How is God present in this text?
Through the Holy Spirit, which gives ordinary people the wisdom and ability and courage to speak the truth. God is also presented here as the Lord who calls us to him. God wants us to come near. God wants us to be saved.

Thank you, O Lord, for reaching out to rescue me. Not just once, but all the time. Reaching out, calling me to come closer. Thank you for making room for me. And for paving the way for me. Thank you for not giving up on me.

Why aren't God's arms reaching?

Acts 6:1-7 (Try the Inclusive Language version.)

What word of instruction do I hear? Delegate, delegate, delegate. One person cannot do it all, so, when one tries to do it all, important needs go unmet, people get overlooked, and hard feelings develop. And that is so unnecessary! Because there are so many good people in the church and the world who are willing and able and trained to serve. They simply need to be called upon, authorized and mobilized. When that happens, everyone's needs are met, more and more people hear the good news of God's amazing love, and lots more people begin to follow the example of Jesus.

For what would I like to give thanks? I am so grateful to the Conference Youth Council of the Memphis Conference of the United Methodist Church, who took on the superhuman task of distributing a tractor trailer load of sweet potatoes to feeding stations in West Tennessee last week. I am also reminded of the way that the members of Zion United Methodist Church in Brownsville, TN, take turns feeding an elderly couple in their community. Tears come to my eyes as I remember all the many acts of justice, hospitality, and love that I have witnessed. People can do amazing things when they work together as a team!

How am I missing the mark? I am wondering about all the people I have neglected in my ministry. Whom have I overlooked? When have I played favorites and been guilty of discrimination? Whom might I have allowed to continue to suffer simply because I refused to delegate responsibility? Oh Lord, grant me insight and awareness so that I might see the wrong that I have done and continue to do. Forgive me for all of my many failures. Help me to learn from the mistakes of the past and to be a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

What makes me angry? Even in a scripture text that is SUPPOSED to be teaching us not to discriminate, women are being discriminated against. (Note, however, that those who were called were appointed to the task of caring for the poor, feeding the widows, taking care of those who were weak and defenseless.)

How is God present in this text? Through God's people! Makes me think of that song by Casting Crowns, "If we are the body, why aren't his arms reaching?"

Most Loving God, I am once again overwhelmed by the great, great love that You, in Your infinite kindness, have shown to me through family, friends, churches, teachers, students and strangers. Use me, O Lord, to share that love with others.

Mending the nets

Matthew 4:18-22

What word of instruction do I hear? One phrase in particular jumped out at me this morning: mending their nets. It's not a glorious task. Not an exciting one. Probably not the one most preferred by fishermen. I mean, it's a lot more exciting to haul in a big one (or a whole NET full of big ones) than it is to simply mend nets. Mending nets is tedious and dull and hard on the fingers. But it is also essential. If you've got a hole in your net, there's not much of a chance that you're gonna haul in anything!

Every job has its tedious tasks. Dusting furniture, changing the oil, filing receipts, sorting the mail.... Such tasks aren't much fun, but they have to be done if you want to succeed at your primary goal.

For what would I like to give thanks? Simon had Andrew. James had John. Zebedee had two sons. I have Cliff. And Jimmy. And Rebecca. And Phyllis. And Stephen and Caitlyn and Ashley. And interns. And alumni. And pastors. And friends. And family. And a whole community of saints who help with the work. They help carry they load. And I could not make it without them.

How am I missing the mark? I am sometimes (perhaps even often) slow to respond when Jesus calls. I see the need. I hear the call. I know what needs to be done. But I drag my feet. I over-think the situation. I look too far ahead. Forgive me, Lord.

How is God present in this text? God is the one who calls. And God is the one who leads. My job is to follow.

Thank you, God, for taking the lead. And for showing me the way.

Whatever It Takes

There wasn't a dry eye in the room. The Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of Church of the Resurrection, had spent the day teaching a group of Memphis Conference pastors and church leaders about evangelism. His church, he said, will do whatever it takes to reach people for Christ.

He meant that in a good way. Not in a will-compromise-our-beliefs-just-to-add-you-to-our-membership-list kind of way. But in a I’ve-lost-a-precious-coin-and-must-find-it-no-matter-what-it-takes kind of way. (Luke 15:8-10)

Then to remind us why we as Christians must be willing to do whatever it takes to seek and save the lost (you know, kind of like Jesus did), Hamilton told a story about a precious child -- his daughter -- who hangs with a tattooed crowd. She has reached the age of independence, rebellion, and spiritual soul-seeking.

Now, Hamilton claims God’s promise: Train children in The Right Way, and, when old, they will not stray (Prov. 22:6). So he believes that this child of his will eventually return to The Way of Christ. But this is his concern: If one such child were to show up at YOUR church -- spiked hair, tattoos, piercings, and all – would you do whatever it takes to reach that child for Christ?

I want to say yes. I want to believe that we at the Interfaith Student Center are doing all we can to seek and save the lost at UT Martin. I want to believe that we are reaching out in love to all God’s children. Because I want everyone to know just how much God loves them. (Check out John 3:16.)

But I’m not sure that we are. I’m not SURE that we are doing ALL we can.

Today, as I was reading a friend’s blog, I was reminded of the words of John Wesley: "Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, at all the times you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can.”

That’s why I’m starting this blog. Right here. Right now. Today. Not someday, when I’ve made the whole thing look cool and professional and worked out all the kinks. But now. Because right now, I can. And right now, there are people who are lost. And some just might be searching the net looking for The Way. And this is one more way that Interfaith might be able to reach them.

In the future, I’ll be doing my journaling here. I’ll share with you a passage of scripture. Use a series of questions to meditate upon the word. And share with you some of my musings. I hope you’ll share yours as well.