Titus

In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul tells a story about his trip to Troas and finding an “open door” for ministry there.  But he couldn't walk through it because Titus wasn't there.

Later in chapter 7, this is what he says, “For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him.”

Paul and his buddies were in rough shape, but God sent his friend to encourage them.

Today, Nancy and I leave for Asia. It’s the first time we've had a chance to be there, since we left the team nearly four years ago. We love those guys and are excited to have the chance to visit. 

They are a hard working group of men and women. This week they are celebrating the 100^th radio station God has allowed us to open in Asia. 

These guys aren't in the mess that Paul was in. It’s a healthy team, that’s doing well and doing good work. But they do work in some dangerous places, travel exhaustively around the region and pay a price for the lives they live. 

Our prayer is that Nancy and I will be able to be Titus for them. That we won’t get in the way of the work being done, but will be able to come alongside them, work with them and encourage them in the journey God has called them to.

What’s awesome is you can be a Titus as well. You can pick a missionary from your church, adopt him or her and intentionally engage.

It doesn't have to be much. Commit to sending an email once a month. You’d be amazed by how a note from home can lift the spirit of someone who feels far away and forgotten.

Please pray with us that we will know and understand the needs of our folks in AP and be able to help them. Then engage. You may be the encouragement someone needs to walk through that door, God has opened for ministry. 

BITE ME!

One of the things I love about my brother-in-law is his blunt honesty. So, when a good friend said some kind words about my blog, I wasn’t surprised when Tom replied, “Jeffrey, I don’t read your blogs unless there’s a title that grabs me.”

So he and my buddy began to “help me” with potential titles that would get people to click on them. “Bite me,” was the only one tame enough to print.

I think blog titles are a lot like people. We do and say stuff all the time to gain attention, hoping people will “read” us and give us what we want. Scandalous, provocative and offensive gets people’s attention, so it runs rampant throughout our society.

What troubles me is this also seems true for the church.

We point our finger, shout at and condemn the society we live in. We shout to insure that our “rights” are protected and our way of life is preserved. What we fail to realizes is all of our protesting is like putting a giant “BITE ME!” sign in front of the church. It provokes a response but not one that introduces folks to Christ.

“Jeff, don’t you care about where our country is going?” Yes. Deeply. But I care more about the Kingdom. And, I am convinced, no one has ever been legislated into it. In fact, if our country is going to hell it probably says more about the condition of the Church than it does about our government.

I’m involved with a fellowship of believers because I know the people there care about me. Not because they all agree with me or because their lives are perfect. They didn’t win me over with brilliant rhetoric or proper list of rules to live by. They love me and we’re all just trying to figure out life, together.

Love draws people in.

But we don't want to love people because it's hard,  messy and can be painful. Loving people takes time, energy and sacrifice. It’s a whole lot easier to hide in the church, lock ourselves in and put out the sign. 

What Have You Done for Me Lately?

At church on Wednesdays we’re going through John Ortberg’s book, “If You Want to Walk on Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat.” It’s a good book that challenges us to trust God, use the gifts he has given us and risk.

The study comes with a video of him teaching and last week he ended with a challenge to the class. His question, “What’s going to happen when you get to heaven and God asks you how you used your talents?”

He was referring to what the NIV calls the Parable of the Bags of Gold. It’s where a ruler gives five bags to one servant, two to another and one to the last. The first two invest, make the ruler money and get rewarded. Fear causes the third to bury his, nothing is earned and the ruler throws him out.

Ortberg’s insinuation was; use your gifts or God will be pissed when you meet him. Ortberg is a good guy and brilliant communicator, but the question made me sad because it wasn't motivational.

A quick look at the faces in the room told me most were thinking the same thing, “I suck! I haven’t used my talents like I should. I haven’t been dedicated enough. I haven’t given enough. I’m going to get to heaven and God will say, ‘Well you sure don’t deserve it, but come on in anyway… you loser.’”

I have been uniquely gifted. God has been so patient with me as I blundered through life trying to figure out what any of it was good for. He’s been gentile with me as I've wasted years caring more about my stuff than his. He’s been forgiving when I've used my gifting for my own edification instead of his.

Why? Heck, I don’t know. It bewilders me, but for some reason he LOVES me. I mean, really and truly loves me, not some kind of, “What have you done for me lately?” love. It’s this love for me that draws me to him. It makes me want to be closer to him.

And when I get close I can hear him say, “Why don’t we go do this together?” And I begin to think, “Now that sounds cool!”

God loves you for you; not because of anything you can do for him. Does he want you using your gifts? Yes. But not because he's a task master who needs you to get stuff done. It's because he knows how much fun it will be to work with you and through you and how much joy it will give you.

You've got sacks of gold, if you choose to invest them in the Kingdom, it's your life that will be the richer. 

So this is Heaven

We had a party for Mom the other day. My sister, being the brilliant woman she is, thought we should celebrate her life while Mom is still with us.

She posted it on Facebook, reserved a small living room at the nursing home, set out cupcakes and coffee and we waited to see who would show up.

People came. Not a hundred or anything, but people. Some were my parents’ age, some closer to mine. Our neighbors from my childhood, old church friends and family all crammed into the room together. There were people I hadn't seen in 20 years. It got loud and hot. We had to take Mom back to her room because she looked so overwhelmed.

They braved a cold and snowy day because they love her and love us. There was laughter and banter and lots of catching up. People stayed for hours.

People hugged me and kissed me, rubbed my back as they talked to me. Their eyes, moistened by love for mom and sorrow for her condition, communicated as kindly and powerfully as their words of gentleness and affirmation.

I was loved well.

It was like God whispered in my ear, “I know you don’t understand all that’s happened with Mom. I want you to know what’s waiting for her. Old friends, joy dampened eyes and a homecoming celebration for a saint whose life was well lived. Here, have a taste.”

It tasted good. Really good. 

What is Love?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered,it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

If this was all God ever told us, we could spend the rest of our lives trying to get it right. Unfortunately he also tells us to love our neighbor… and our enemy.

I hear lots of Christians complain about the treatment of believers in the U.S. We complain about everything from diminished rights to moral decline to “persecution.” We complain because we aren’t represented well in the media and new laws don’t represent our values.

I wonder what life would be like if we tried to love each other better.

What would people think of us if we were patient and kind with them? If we didn’t get upset when someone gets promoted and we stay put? What if we didn’t have to have our opinion heard? What if we quit making disparaging remarks about our leaders, didn’t always try to get our way and didn’t protest when we don’t?

What if we didn’t cheer when people get their comeuppance and instead encouraged them on points of agreement? What if we protected everyone’s rights, trusted God with our future, hoped for change in our own hearts and worked with the Holy Spirit to achieve it? 

Christ told us if we loved God and loved others, everything else would take care of itself. The thing is, it’s a whole lot easier to complain. 

Butter Fork

It was probably Christmas or Thanksgiving, when I was young, and company was coming.

Mom was always a freak before guests arrived, primping the house. We always used the fancy dishes and a bronzeware cutlery set that Dad found in Asia somewhere.

I never understood all the fuss. If they were our friends, they shouldn't care if I had dirty clothes on my bedroom floor and they should certainly be happy with paper plates and plastic. I think it was Mom's commitment to relationship, the need to make others feel welcomed and honored, that drove her.

This particular morning, as she was scurrying around the kitchen, she asked me to go retrieve the butter fork from the bronzeware set. "The what?" I asked.

"The butter fork."

I looked then returned to the kitchen empty handed explaining I couldn't find it. I'm sure this exasperated her since I couldn't find my shoes on any given day. "What was it, again?"

"The butter fork."

After another baffling search, I returned to the kitchen. "It's in the box with the bronzeware," Mom said, "You know, the butter knife. You use it to cut the butter."

"OH! You said, 'butter fork!'" I laughed.

"No I didn't."

Fortunately, I had my sister’s testimony to rescue me. We all laughed pretty hard about it and we told the story for years; Mom's blunder, my search and the silliness of a butter fork.

The story's not funny anymore.

It was probably 20 years later when Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. So now the story provokes a haunting question, "When did it begin?" But the one that's much more frightening is, "Is it happening to me?"

Yesterday, I told a friend about cucumbers and dip someone left to share in the kitchen. As we picked them up and stuck them in dip I said, "It's been forever since I've eaten a cucumber."

"It's celery," she corrected.

We laughed at the mistake, but in my head all I could hear was, "BUTTER FORK!"

I understand that I may have an irrational fear. And I’ll admit the thought of losing my mind is scary. But it’s not where the real fear lies.

It lies in the impact on family. I’ve seen the punishment on caregivers, the stress, the emotional drain, the physical exhaustion, the frustration, the bewilderment, the anger, the strain put on relationships, the conflict, the mourning, the mourning, the mourning.

That scares the hell out of me.

For 12 years my dad and sister have cared for her, protected her, cleaned her, fed her, advocated for her, fought for her and loved her.

The wickedness of the disease contrasted with their loving response is the most beautiful thing I've ever witnesses. 

And I pray my family is never that beautiful. 

In Pain for Peyton

Why do I feel so badly for a guy who got $20 million last year to throw a ball? I don’t know him. I won’t ever even talk to him. If I showed up at his house, he might get a restraining order.

The dude comes from privilege, a great family that has loved and supported him. He seems to have a good marriage to a lovely wife with good kids. He even has a functional relationship with his brothers. How weird is that?

And I’m sick for him because he’s lost a game. I want to smack people who call him a choke artist. I want to defend him. I want to write him and say, “Dude, you’re awesome. You’ll get them next year. Oh, and I’m worried about your neck.”

Why do I care so much about the success of a guy I don’t even know? Maybe because for years now, I’ve read stories like this one and this one. They are stories about someone who seems to be a good guy. A guy who poured a lot of time and money into the city of Indianapolis. So much, in fact, a children’s hospital changed its name.

I think there’s more to it though. There is a since of justice placed in all of us. There is something in us that wants to see hard work rewarded, nice people succeed, the good guys win.

I think this is a part of the Devine that lives inside us. The nagging feeling that something is wrong, this isn’t the way it should be, hard work and right living should pay off is hardwired into us. God put this in us, so as we look around the word, we will recognize, something is terribly wrong.

And just to confirm it, he sent Christ to teach us it won’t always be this way. The meek will inherit the earth. Maybe in heaven Peyton will get a few more rings.