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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Service With A Smile

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com




As you may know, I lived in Southern California for about seven years and one very important lesson i learned was that if you are going to eat fast food, Chick-Fil-A is the best alternative to a beef hamburger. But what makes them successful is not just the taste of their food; I was reminded of this the other night while ordering. Before I even had a chance to taste their chicken i was greeted with a "how may I serve you today?" and after I received my food they let me know that "it was my pleasure to serve you today." Now granted, I'm not naive enough to think that some teenager was that excited to see me specifically. But it does not come across as fake either, I have no doubt most people really do enjoy working there; and as a response they enjoy serving customers. Compare that to some other service jobs, how often is the first thing you hear from the cashier "$6.87 please"?
I had a similar experience last night. Sunnyvale Community Services is non-profit organization which helps out local families in need. One of the ways they help is through the "Christmas Store" which is an opportunity for people to pick out food and gifts for their families. Last night a team of about 20 Crosswalkers served the clients in various capacities. My job was to help people carry the gifts and food to their cars and I have to say, I loved every minute of it. Part of it was seeing the joy and relief of the people as they received a cart full of groceries and gifts that their kids would enjoy. One woman was trying not to cry as I loaded up her car and told her "Merry Christmas" and how much God blessed her. It wasn't just receiving gifts and food that made a difference, people respecting and caring for her made a difference.
I was recently reading a study of John 21:15-19 - that's the one where Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him and tells him how to respond. There are a lot of fascinating things to note in this passage but don't get carried away with the details. There is no denying that Jesus is making a simple point to Peter - if you love me, you will take care of those I love. Notice that Jesus takes the time to tell us why we should serve - He is not giving out a military command to serve blindly. He could have told Peter "go take care of my people" and Peter would have done it. But something else is involved in caring for others. Jesus makes it a point that motivation is important: caring for others is a response to our love for Him. When our motivation is a response to God's love, how can it not be done with a good attitude? If we go into serving others with a bad attitude and do it because we feel "we have to," is it really a response of love and gratitude? Are we really caring for people if we do it with the wrong attitude? Or just going through the motions?
At the end of our time at Sunnyvale Community Services last night I thanked the man who coordinated for Crosswalk: Leigh Ochinero. He responded humbly by mentioning that he really didn't do much: made a couple of phone calls, sent a few e-mails. But I don't see anything in the Bible that tells us that quantity is what matters. What matters is heart and motivation. I can't know the intentions of someone's heart, but I think Leigh did everything he did because he cares about people in the community. He wasn't doing it to get attention or for pats on the back. He can see what a difference it makes helping people in the community. I can tell you that Sunnyvale Community Services is a solid organization which is doing something wonderful to help people in Sunnyvale. They aren't just blindly giving things away, they know each one of the clients, know their stories and why they need help. They are an organization we can partner with and invest in, knowing they are diligent in caring for the community and i hope that we can get more interest to partner with them more often throughout the year.
Last Friday I was also able to serve at another ministry we do: KidsClub at San Miguel School. Let me give you a little background for this one. Our Life Group had just finished of a study of the book Crazy Love and felt compelled to serve the community. We dedicated an evening to pray together for what we should do. The very next day another local church called me and told me about a ministry they needed help with called KidsClub. KidsClub is an after school Bible study for elementary kids at a local public school. They were in desperate need for volunteers. Since it was something we had just prayed about the night before how could I say no? One of the Life Group members volunteered to take the lead in coordinating our people. Crosswalk now has a team of seven regular volunteers who teach the Bible after hours at a public school. It is not an easy ministry and takes a lot of work, but there is no way I could see any of the volunteers there for any reason other than caring for the kids; joyfully teaching the Bible in a response to God's love. When I went for the first time last week, Vera Masters and I led a small group of kids. We spoke with the kids about how Typhoon Haiyan affected the Philippines and Vera shared a little about her experience in the Philippines on last summer's mission trip there. Later, at snack time, one of the kids was supposed to pray for the snack and instead prayed for the people affected by the typhoon. If teachers just "go through the motions" with the class, personal stories like that would not be shared. Caring for each other in response to Jesus' love is infectious. Our motivations matter. They make a difference.
Remember that as you serve: it is not an obligation, no one is forcing you to do it. It is a response to God's love.
trying to follow,
Pastor Mark

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Putting it All Together

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com




One of the most important reasons to be a part of a church is the connections we build with each other. We become brothers and sisters in Christ - but what good is that if we don't share, learn, grow, and transform from those bonds? Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) says "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." The word "encouraging" there is parakaleo - it is not just saying we should go around patting each other on the back every Sunday. Parakaleo means "to come along side" and to "comfort, console, encourage, urge, appeal, exhort" which sounds a lot more like the way you treat a brother or sister than a Sunday acquaintance. And that is a problem right? If the church is not a building but all of us who are brothers and sisters in Christ; and if we are to be brothers and sisters by coming along side each other, how can we do so if we only interact one day a week for about 90 minutes? How can we comfort, console, encourage, urge, appeal, and exhort with each other if we don't really know each other? Facebook is not the answer, I'll tell you that much.
But before we go there, let's take a step back. Last week I wrote about sharing the Good News through relationship and by being a witness. But that is just the first step. The goal of evangelizing through relationship should not be to simply get people to come to church. It should be to show them love, develop a bond with them, to bring them to the place where being a part of a church together is a natural piece of the relationship. If they choose a different church, it doesn't matter, continue to build on it. Building on those relationships is just the first piece of the brotherhood and sisterhood, and it is not confined to new followers either. Being a part of a church gives us several outlets to "come along side" our brothers and sisters. There are three that the leadership here at Crosswalk wants to encourage and I want to touch on each of those and how they relate to each other: Equipping Small Groups, Life Transformation Groups, and Discipleship.

Equipping Small Groups

We consider all of the small groups here at Crosswalk to be "equipping" because what you receive from groups is not meant to be held in, but then turned and shared back out. But small groups are where the sharing and relationships go from the five minute conversation you have on a Sunday to something deeper. You go from "acquaintance" to "friend." You pray for each other, you learn together, you share your experiences together, you serve together. Small groups are where you can learn from people's perspectives, opinions, and experience. When you are a part of the small group, it doesn't matter if you know people or not, you get to know them better through it. As you get to know people, you find out who can be in an LTG with you and who could benefit from your discipleship - or if you could benefit from theirs. If you aren't part of a small group, I highly encourage it. It is not a place of judgement but rather a place of learning and connection. I have never attended a church and truly felt like I was a part of the community without being a part of a small group. I got to know my wife in a small group, I proposed on a group camping trip, and half our wedding party was from the group. Our current group includes a doctor, a teacher, someone who helped fight sex-trafficking in India, and even people who have traveled to Tibet. I would have had no idea if I did not spend more time with them than Sunday. The point is, you get to know people and build some deep, long-lasting connections in small groups. Studying the Word is an essential part of group, but being connected with people and sharing life is important too.

Life Transformation Groups (LTGs)

Out of my current small group, I was invited to join an LTG with two other guys and it has been great so far. There is no leader in an LTG - everyone is considered an equal. That opens things up for the group to discuss what is going on in their lives in intimate detail and for mutual accountability. To me, the most important part of an LTG, the part where transformation comes from, is that accountability is not just about staying away from sin. It is about where you are going, what you are actively doing to improve your life, what you are actively doing to further God's Kingdom, and what you are actively doing to passionately demonstrate the love of Jesus. When someone asks you those questions each week, and you know they are, you make sure you have something to share with them. The guys in my LTG have encouraged me in my leadership, held me accountable to what I say I want to work on, and given me confidence to take the next step.

Discipleship

In this context, it is also known as mentorship. There are different types of discipleship but I am going to focus on mentorship since that is what I have had experience in. What is a disciple? It is a follower. Literally. A couple of weeks ago Pastor John preached on discipleship and spoke about disciples following a Rabbi into the bathroom so they did not miss anything. When you are in a discipleship/mentor relationship with someone you study Scripture together but you also discuss how it affects your life, how to live out Christian principles, and it is a sharing of experience and Scripture. My inner geek relates it to Yoda and Luke. Ideally, you should be learning from one individual while teaching another. In his book Multiply, Francis Chan says making disciples is not just gathering pupils to listen to your teaching. "...it's all about being faithful to God's call to love the people around you. It's about loving those people enough to help them see their need to love and obey God. It's about bringing them to the Savior and allowing Him to set them free from the power of sin and death and transform them into loving followers of Jesus Christ. It's about glorifying God by obediently making disciples who will teach others to love and obey God." The young man I had the privilege of teaching had a profound effect on my life. I have no doubt that he will go on to other greater mentors than myself and far exceed anything I have accomplished, and it has been a joy to see him grow and transformed by God into someone who does not just seek God, but seeks to honestly follow Jesus. It all started with going out to lunch together and discussing Scripture - and now he will be a lifelong friend. Making disciples has many forms, this is the one I have experience in and I feel is a powerful way to pass on and share the love of Jesus.
For all of these, I would suggest starting with a small group. Get to know people, build relationships, be encouraged and walk alongside each other. As you get to know people better, find a few peers with whom you can be mutually accountable with. Find someone else whom you can disciple and take them out to lunch - and see where it goes. God has given each of us amazing experiences in life, share them with your brothers and sisters. Many of you are probably thinking that all sounds nice but you don't have time for it. Others are probably thinking you don't have enough experience for it. Start with a small group, pray about the rest. Don't hesitate when God gives you the opportunity.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

What's a Witness?

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com


When I first started working at Crosswalk, I wrote a post about how God changed me through Crosswalk. Now it is over a year later and I am still excited about what is happening at Crosswalk, especially Stepping Forward. I'm talking about Stepping Forward as what our church is focused on, our redefined mission. I'm talking about being a community who passionately demonstrates the love of Jesus by pursuing truth, choosing sacrifice, serving all people, and making disciples. This is not just a sermon series, this is an ongoing conviction about who we are and what we do. When I read that mission, when I pray about it, there is one obvious thing I keep coming back to: it is about our relationships, as followers of Jesus, with others. Sharing the Good News with people is not just something we say, it is the way we live, it is who we are.
There are many ways to share the Good News with people and none of them are wrong; except the one where no one knows about your faith. In today's postmodern society, people want to know that you care about them, as an individual. Several wise people have told me that. Asking a stranger if they know about Jesus doesn't have the same impact that it used to because there are very few people in America who don't know who Jesus is.  TV, movies, the internet, etc. have changed all that. People know who Jesus is, but they really don't care. Or they think that Christians don't really act at all like Jesus did, so why bother following Him? Are they wrong to think that way? No, because I have known a lot of Christians who were filled with hate and anger, and that is what defined and drove them. But that is also very few Christians. Most of them are good, kind, loving, and compassionate. How do we get society to change and embrace Christianity? By being the type of person they want to be around, by letting them know who we are. By developing caring relationships with people, and talking about what Jesus has done for us - and when it is done in the context of an ongoing relationship, people know that you are coming from a place of genuine caring.
I used to be afraid to talk to people about my faith, not wanting to admit I was a Christian thinking that it would push them away.  But the verse that kept coming back to me was Acts 1:8 - "and you will have power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  First of all, this was the last thing Jesus said to the disciples before ascending to Heaven. Seems to me that whenever I go out of town for a while I want to make sure that the last thing I say is what I don't want people to forget. Those last minute instructions which are the most important. A lot of people focus on the power of the Holy Spirit in that text, but I look at what Jesus is telling them to do. Be witnesses - which means sharing what we have experienced in our own lives. What God has done for us in our lives. How the Bible has changed us. As God continues to work in our lives, it is reflected in the way we live.
At my last job, my boss was an Atheist and during one of our first conversations he found out I was a Christian. Immediately he started to tell me about a previous coworker of his who would constantly "share the Good News" with him. He couldn't stand her because she didn't want to have a conversation about it, she would only tell her side, and it was patronizing to him. The easy thing to do would be to wipe the dust off my feet, say he doesn't want to hear what I have to say and then move on. But I listened to what he had to say. In our conversations I was very open with him about what God had done and was continuing to do in my life, but in the context of personal conversation. After a year, he had begun initiating conversations with me: when I told him the story of how I found the job at Crosswalk, he even admitted that while he didn't believe in God, it sure seemed that God gave me the job. A few months later, he told me that his wife and kids had decided to go to church, and while he didn't go himself, he encouraged them to see what it was all about. I'm not saying he is accepting Christ or anything, but I am saying that there are other ways to look at evangelism. Listen to people, value who they are and their views.  Share with them about how you are experiencing God. In other words, build an ongoing, caring relationship with them which is not just about sharing the Word. It is about being a friend and caring about them, and wanting to share with them what is happening in your life.
I look back at my life and see how God working through a family who cared about me. Like many people, during college I stopped paying attention to God. But I had a good friend whose family lived close to school and they constantly invited us over to dinner, bbq's and just to hang out and spend time together. They were such an amazing, caring family that I wanted to know more about what made them that way. They talked to me about their relationship with Christ. About what they experienced on missions trips. About how God acted in their lives. They were confident in what was going on in the world. They invited me to church but when I declined they were ok with it. They wanted to be my friend, to be in relationship with me. I can honestly say they were the first family I ever met who lived out the Gospel to others and it had a huge effect on me. Not right away. Years after I graduated college and did not see them anymore I still thought about them. And when God drew me back they were the first ones I thought of and who I called with questions.
I'm just saying that living the Christian life is more than just taking in what God reveals to us. It is about living out the Gospel to others. Not as a monologue but as a conversation. Let people know that you genuinely care for and about them, that you respect them. But don't hesitate to share what God has done in your life.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Paraguay Part 2: The Highlight of the Trip

It was a running joke of the trip that almost every new experience was deemed the "highlight of the trip."  In reality though, this trip has been a highlight of the past few years and hopefully a catalyst in many ways.  We have arrived back home safely late last night and happy to report the kids did great.  The flight from Paraguay to Miami was rough because it left in the morning so the kids were awake more of the flight - not a single dirty look from the travelers around us though made us proud parents.  Sydney has a slight fever but other than that everyone is doing great.

My last e-mail gave a summary through Thursday so that is where I am going to start with this one.  Friday was a break away from the "traditional" missions trip to help the Hernandez family move.  What can I say about moving?  It was nice to be able to help them unload furniture and decide where to put everything but really it was a straight service day.  It was great to see their excitement over the new house and get them out of the one with mold and mildew on the walls.  In the end, I think our time and discussion with the Hernandez family (and some of the other missionaries we met) was our biggest takeaway from the trip. Being able to experience what long-term missionaries do and struggle with in another culture was enlightening and inspiring for all of us.  

Friday evening we provided a distraction from the moving to experience a professional soccer game.  WOW. Those fans are crazy.  When their team scored, mobs of them would run straight towards the field and several would climb the fence to celebrate. They love their soccer in Paraguay and it showed - just about every man, woman, and child have a team they support.  We bought Sydney a team jersey to wear and when she was wearing it at a playground one day, some other kids would not let her on some structures because it wasn't their team.  Luckily the Hernandez kids were there and told off the others. Sydney had no idea what was even going on.  

Saturday we traveled out of town and into the country to visit a smaller church to teach and serve.  Alise and Alicia led a program for about 25-30 kids with a teaching and activity on creation and how God created each of them.  It was well received by the local kids and it was a great opportunity for our kids and the Hernandez kids to really experience ministry from a leadership standpoint since they helped out with everything and even helped lead the local kids.  Angel shared a teaching on relational evangelism and Fernando and I gave testimonies to back it up.  We were all invited by another missionary and the purpose of this "mini-conference" was sharing with the locals about being outwardly focused instead of inwardly.  The highlight of that activity was the worship; it was a pretty small church but the music was so passionate.  They had about ten high school aged kids who screamed when one of their favorite songs played and they "rushed the stage" at the end to dance with the worship leaders.  I absolutely love the way people all over the world experience worship differently - and it doesn't matter.  There is no right way or wrong way to worship, what matters is how people celebrate and come closer to God.

Sunday was a recovery day for us; Alise and Alicia were both getting over being sick and Fernando was still fighting off a fever.  We ended up letting him get some sleep while the rest of us spent the day at the Hernandez household.  It actually turned out to be positive to have Fernando out of the picture for a day because we had some great conversations and bonding time with Alicia.  Angel Hernandez treated us to a bbq the way Paraguayans do it - slow and with lots of discussion. We pretty much sat around the grill and shared.  It is something I have struggled with in America, it feels like even a leisure activity like cooking on the grill is agenda and production based.  When I am cooking at home I am focused on grilling or the next task instead of just taking time to sit and talk.  So much about Paraguay is about social time and building relationships.  Instead of staring at the TV or cell phones, people are sitting around and socializing as they drink beer or wine (passing around the same glass) or sipping mate' (which is their version of tea) which is also one cup passed around.  

Monday was back to Tacumbu for the men and Divino Redentor for the women.  Alise and Alicia shared with the kids this time and Alicia gave her testimony.  They planned to work with about 45 kids, but it ended up being about 80! They did games, bible stories and crafts and had a fun time!  It was a little bit of a bummer that we were separated but I would not have felt comfortable with the ladies going into the prison.  For the men, our time and teachings at the prison were more relational based.  I spoke on Spiritual Formation and our role in that while Fernando spoke on fellowship.  Both of us ended our teachings with having the men break into small groups to discuss and we joined them.  Hearing the men share individually was special and a blessing to us.  Life in prison may be rough but these men had joy in their lives and positive attitudes.  One man had been addicted to drugs since he was a young boy and it was not until he came into the Christian part of the prison and broke his addiction that he found happiness and freedom.  Fernando and I were both sad to leave.  Isn't that crazy?  We were in one of the worst prisons in South America and were sad to leave.  

Sadly, Tuesday was our last day in Paraguay, we packed our stuff up and then went to an outdoor market to buy a few gifts.  Tuesday night we took the Hernandez family to a really nice dinner in town.  The restaurant was a Brazilian "Churrascaria" - which is essentially several types and cuts of meat.  Words cannot do it justice so if you ever have the opportunity, check one out.  

Overall, it was not the type of short term missions trip you normally hear about in church, but it gave us all such insight on what it means to be a long term missionary.  It was more about serving and supporting the people there in their ministry.  There were no "evangelistic crusades" with hundreds of people giving their lives to Christ and there were no construction projects.  However, we think this type of short trip was more productive in the long run - both for those we met and for our family.  While there were definite challenges to bringing the kids, we are so glad we took them with us.  Sydney asked a lot of questions about the country and the culture and they were able to experience ministry from the "giving" perspective instead of just "receiving."  In the end, that was one of our major goals.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Paraguay part 1: Tacumbu Prison, Divino Redentor, and Missionaries

It's been a wonderful time here in our first few days - with only ten days here we have been busy so far but it has been great.  Today has been the first day with scheduled "down time" to rest and discuss the past few days.  One thing I firmly believe about short term missions teams we are on, especially for short trips, is that we are not here to change the lives of the people we meet; rather to support the people who are already here and able to continue the long term work. In that regard we have three main ministry goals: to support Angel Hernandez's reentry ministry at Tacumbu prison by holding a conference to encourage and challenge the men, to support the teachers at Divino Redentor school with first aid training and a devotional, and to support the Hernandez family as a whole however we can.  There are only four of us on the team: Myself, Alise, and our friends Fernando and Alicia - and our two kids.

The trip here was about what we hoped for, the kids did great for the most part - when we got off one of the planes the woman sitting in front of the kids looked back and asked "were those kids back there the entire flight?"  I can't imagine a better compliment.  Monday we settled in at our housing and then spent some time with the Hernandez family.  Their kids immediately took to ours and they have been having a great time together.  On Tuesday we went with the Hernandez family for a hike and had some great conversations about their ministry and their experiences with Paraguan culture.  That evening we had a BBQ with another missionary family: the Tengans as well as a local the Hernandez family has been meeting with: Hugo.  

Wednesday was a full day: we were up early and out of the house before 8am. Alise, Alicia and the kids headed to Divino Redentor School and gave a devotional and first aid training to the teachers.  (12 year old Cruz Hernandez got involved as the translator and word is he did better than Malia.) The first aid training was very well received and a lot of misconceptions were corrected.  Alise has taught first aid and CPR before so between that and her schooling/career as an Athletic Trainer she is practically a doctor here in Paraguay.  Alicia led a devotional for the teachers and it went well.  When they go back on Monday they will be giving another encouraging devotional to the kids this time.  We brought some medical supplies along with us expecting to use them for training, though now that we are here we see that the school has zero first aid supplies so we are putting together first aid kits for each classroom.

While the women were serving teachers on Wednesday, the men were serving men at Tacumbu prison.  A little background on Tacumbu: many consider it to be one of the most crowded prisons in South America, it was built to hold 1200 prisoners and yet currently holds over 4000.  It also holds some of the most dangerous prisoners in Paraguay: one of the men told us that there is a murder within the prison almost every day.  There are not many guards and most of them are only concerned with keeping people from escaping.  Drug use within the prison is not just rampant, it is a regular occurrence. One of the men we were talking to says that a rock of crack can be bought for about $0.75 US, cocaine for about $1.25 US and bottles of whiskey for around $7.00 US.  Obviously the prison understaffed and just about anything can be smuggled in.  There are essentially three major sections to the prison: General Population, a section run by the Mennonites, and Remar which is where we spent our time.  Remar is essentially a wing of the prison for men who seek Christ and it holds over 600 men.  I think the most intimidating part was when we walked through the General Population to get to Remar.  It was chaotic to say the least, men tried to approach us or stare us down, the overall feel was a general disarray.  But as we entered Remar through another set of gates, there was an immediate feeling of peace and sanctuary.  The prisoners in Remar are the ones who guard the gates to make sure no one from general comes into Remar without permission.  Within Remar men are working on crafts to sell - Angel says that in General, few people do crafts because the focus is to either stay alive or find the next fix.  The first day of the conference went great, Angel, Fernando, and I each gave teachings before having a shared meal with the leaders (who were either prisoners or former prisoners.)  They then gave us a tour of the Remar section.  The extreme overcrowding means that even in Remar many men do not have a bunk and sleep outside where the temperatures are in the low 40's at night the prison does not provide blankets so the men on dependent on family and friends to bring them blankets and clothing.  They even asked Fernando to give the main message at their church service when we go back on Monday (to the entire population of 600 men at Remar.  Overall, we were blessed by our visit there and were especially impressed with the hunger of the men for the Word of God.  After each teaching we allowed for question time and most of the questions were far deeper than I expected.  Angel plans to make this Shine conference an annual event. 
Wednesday night was Fernando's birthday so Alicia took him out to a restaurant to celebrate while Alise and I went with Angel to a home church.  One of the things the Hernandez family was telling us is that Paraguay is the fastest growing nation in South America and i don't doubt it, the country has changed a lot since we were here eight years ago.  What it also means is that as the country grows, it is even more important for churches to be prepared for a growth.  We were so impressed with the home church we attended, it was a small room where about 25-30 people gathered together - shoulder to shoulder singing worship, praying for each other and doing a study or a teaching together. We were able to give a brief teaching on the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the worship afterwards was one of the most powerful I have experienced in a long time; I was practically brought to tears as they sang in Spanish while we sang the same song in English.  

Today we met with two more missionaries: Antonio & Graciela Chavez.  They are Paraguay natives who are missionaries to Nepal.  We were absolutely blown away by their heart and their stories.  Meeting with them was inspiring and encouraging to us as we saw what they have been doing in a country which is not friendly to Christians.  

Tomorrow we will be blessed by an issue of good timing: the house the Hernandez family has been living in has become infested with mold - the room their two girls have been staying in has walls which have become black with mildew and their daughter Paz has trouble breathing as a result.  Two weeks ago they found out they would be able to move into a new home and we are going to spend most of Friday helping them to move.  Then in the evening we get to go with them to a professional soccer game.  Saturday we will continue with the move and then present at a mini-conference at a church about two hours away.  This church is in the country and they do not speak Spanish there but a local dialect of Guarany.  Sunday we will go to the church the Hernandez family attends and Monday will be back at the prison for the men and school for the women.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Art of Shalom

originally posed on www.crosswalkchurch.com


Last week I wrote about the word "repent" and how it it is about returning to Shalom or harmony with God - if you missed it, you can read the archive on our website.  Moving towards harmony however, is more than wanting to, it is good to be reminded how to.  Putting our lives in harmony with God's will and desires is not easy and is a process - it happens continually over time.  This is a part of Spiritual Formation: "the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others." (from M. Robert Mulholland, Invitation to a Journey) Being in harmony with God has a purpose: for us to be transformed to be more like Christ.  Which leads to two questions: How can we know God's will?  And what is our role in moving towards harmony?  All I can write about is how God has worked in me - I am by no means living a life of perfect harmony with God, but my life has been transformed significantly from where I was ten years ago and I feel in much deeper peace with Him now that I was then.  I'm not trying to be "preachy" so apologies if it comes off that way, I am simply sharing experiences.  Here is a list of ways through which I have experienced transformation:
Pray and Study Scripture: Did you really think I was going to start anywhere else?  The single biggest change in my life (yes, bigger than my wife and kids) came eight years ago and it started with prayer.  It's a long story so here is the nutshell: I was in a not-so-good place. I was going to church, I was involved in ministry and small groups, and I was a pretty good guy.  But I was also on a path looking for my own desires and seeking my own way.  I was in a rut, and I knew that my life was stuck and I remember having one of those cry-it-out-to-God prayers where I asked God for motivation to get my life moving again.  In reality I was just asking for strength to make a few minor changes.  Of course, that is not what the answer to my prayer was.  The following Sunday, God gave me a purpose to my life through a pretty intense call to serve Him.  Within a few months I was going back to school after 15 years, had quit my job for something which gave me more time to study, and had cut free from a few unhealthy relationships.  It was then that I started to read Scripture with "new eyes" and it made sense to me in new ways entirely.  I look back and see my path towards Shalom with God started with a really tough prayer.
Get Out There and Do It: Phillip Yancey said "I do not get to know God more deeply and then do His will, I get to know Him more deeply by doing His will."  I don't think it is a mystery to anyone some of the things God clearly calls us to do.  If you aren't sure, listen to Pastor Sam Earp's message from Sunday.  Don't start with trying to fix your own sins, don't focus on other people's sin.  Start by answering the challenge "where is the church?"  Start by being a neighbor to people who need one.  Something amazing happens when you experience God's love through others.  When you can go from knowing about God's love to experiencing it, something clicks in your head.  For me, it clicked after my first missions trip.  After my second trip it clicked for me that missions is not a destination but a mindset.
Practice the Disciplines: I think a lot of people feel disciplines aren't necessary in "modern Christianity" or that they are more for "baby Christians" and don't apply to them.  I disagree. Dallas Willard likens disciplines to an athlete practicing their craft.  The goal of practice for an athlete is to increase physical strength and build muscle memory so when the time comes for the game, they don't have to think - it is automatic.  The same is true for Spiritual practices.  Practice disciplines but don't just do it because someone said so.  Fasting without knowing why only makes you hungry.  Research how to practice them,and what they are for.  Probably two of the best resources out there are The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard and Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.  Sure, they may not be the most exciting books out there but they will change how you practice disciplines.  At the very least, google "spiritual disciplines" to see what others think about it.
Hear it and Share it: Call it discipleship or spiritual mentorship, it is something I encourage all of you to do: find someone who has more experience than you in the Christian walk and meet with them, one on one, on a regular basis to pray together, share life experiences, discuss Scripture, and work on how to live out the Scripture with your lives.  Then turn around and do the same with someone who is less experienced than you.  I can't even begin to tell you how huge this has been for me.  #1 - you are forced to not just talk about it and study it but to actually live it out.  #2 - you get to know each other and grow over time which means discussions, advice, and accountability are more personal.
Is this an all-encompassing list?  Not by any means.  Life Groups have been huge for me, so has praying for others and being prayed for.  Fully engaging with the church instead of just attending.  Sharing the Good News with non-followers.  Sharing the Good News with followers. If you aren't already, get out there and experience it.  If you already have experienced it, share it with others so they can learn from your triumphs and defeats; and celebrate both with you.  This is my prayer for all of us this week: that we can experience God continually, both through Scripture and through life, and in that experience know Him and His will better.
trying to follow, not just believe,
Pastor Mark
P.S. One last prayer request.  As many of you know, my family will be a part of a team heading out to Paraguay in less than two weeks.  One of the team members, Desire, is still waiting to hear back from the Paraguayan embassy and have his visa approved.  They have taken almost four weeks now and we still do not know if he can go with us yet.  Please keep Desire and his visa in your prayers; we need him and his experience on our team but are running out of time to purchase the ticket with less than two weeks left.  Thank you.

Friday, July 5, 2013

The End is Near So... Return?

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com


If you have read some of my earlier posts, you can probably tell how much I enjoy Jewish theology and how important I think it is for Christians today.  One of the most important lessons can be knowing how the Jewish understanding of some words (and the understanding of people in biblical times) is different from our own.  Usually a better understanding of the words and thoughts used back then changes our insight as we read the Bible today.  Last month I wrote about Scripture containing "Listen! or Hear!"  Another important and commonly used Jewish word which does not translate into English well is the word "repent."  When I hear someone say "repent" the image that comes into my head is a wacko with a sandwich board screaming about the end being near.  You have all probably heard it used to describe "turning from" or "changing your mind" about sin. Those definitions are not wrong, but they are not fully complete.  To Jewish scholars, repent is less of a "turn from" and more of a "return to."  But if it is a return, we must have been there before right?
Where or what we are returning to comes back to Shalom, or harmony, with God.  It is about having a relationship with God where we are totally in sync with His will.  Think about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, what made it paradise?  Was it the nice trees and waterfalls?  Not really, we still have that today.  It was the connection they were able to have with God.  Their relationship with Him was perfect because sin didn't get in the way.  They were not even aware of the concepts of "good and evil."  Repenting is not simply about running away from sin, it is about moving closer to God.  Where the Jewish and Christian understanding differ however, is when it comes to atonement.  In the Old Testament, repenting and returning to God was a process of ceremonies which people did to get closer to God.  Jesus changed things right from the start of the New Testament when he said "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15) No matter how much we seek to stay away from sinning by following the law, we cannot move into harmonious relationship without God.  Repentance is still a return, but it is based on faith.
That all sounds beautiful and fluffy, but what does it mean for us in practical terms today?  It means we have to know God is drawing us towards harmony with Him, and we should be seeking the same.  Harmony doesn't mean that we get everything we want from God; it means that what we want changes to wanting what God wants - which is not always what we think.  This is where we see the understanding of repent as "changing our minds" - in seeking His wants and desires, our minds change about what it is we want.  One of the more popular Jewish examples of repentance is that of a man who cheats on his wife; if he truly repents and his mind is changed, he can be in the same situation with her again and not even lust after her - because he is in harmony with the desires of God and wants other things for her.  Even to the Jews so focused on the Law, changing their mind resulted in changed actions.
Sometimes seeking harmony with what God wants means changing our mind about what we think He wants.  Christianity Today recently posted excerpts from an interview with Bono of U2 and he speaks about his experience with this: "We have a pastor who said to us, 'Stop asking God to bless what you're doing, Bono.' ... He said, 'Find out what God is doing, 'cause it's already blessed.' ... When you align yourself with God's purpose as described in the Scriptures, something special happens to your life."  My prayer this week is that we can align our lives to joining God in what He is doing, to want what He wants, and to return to a harmonious relationship with Him.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Hear, O Crosswalk

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com

One of the classes I took a few years ago was Hebrew and it was one of my favorites; not because I learned a little of the language but because my teacher taught a lot of Hebrew theology.  One lesson which has stuck with me is about the Sh’ma – which was the basis of this Sunday’s teaching from Mark 12.  You can listen to Pastor John’s message on Crosswalk’s teachings page.  In English, Sh’ma is translated as “listen” or “hear”.  When it is used at the beginning like this, it was something the Hebrews (and later, the Jewish people) understood as language used by the prophets.  The translation to the English “listen/hear” cannot accurately portray what they were saying because it is not just a simple “listen to this…” like we would say about an interesting news article.  It was more of a “what I am about to say is really important and you need to not only pay attention, but to DO what I am about to tell you.”  It is essentially a commandment which requires a response.  In Mark 12, Jesus did not simply tell the scribes to “love the Lord, your God…” He was intentional in telling them “Hear, O Israel…” – He was making sure they understood how important what He was telling them was.
Why am I writing about all of this?  Because I am very excited about this past week.  Last week I had the opportunity to ask for prayer through our weekly e-mail and I know you prayed.  One prayer was to make some friends outside of church.  By Friday, I had run into the wife of a friend I had not spoken to in years and been messaged by another old friend who wanted to have lunch with me.  Neither one of them attend church.  Sure this is just a start, but wow, God put two opportunities before me of exactly what I asked for prayer for.  All I can say is thank you for your prayers and thank you God for giving me those opportunities.  The other prayer request was for our leadership as we went on a retreat for two days.  The retreat was amazing and I have no doubt that the Spirit is moving here at Crosswalk and His presence was felt at the retreat.  I am pumped up, not only because of what God gave us but because I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we were being prayed over by you.  When I prayed before bed Friday night and reflected upon the day, I literally got goose bumps from the knowledge that so many people were praying for our time together and it showed.  You didn’t just read my e-mail last week; you saw the request, and did it.
One of the things I love about praying for each other is that people do it because they want to.  It is not simply obedience to God.  We pray for each other out of caring.  This is important; loving God with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength; and loving each other as ourselves are not things we do out of obedience.  If that were the case, the English translators would have used “Obey, O Israel…” instead of “hear” but they didn’t.  Jewish scholars say that there is no Hebrew word for the verb “to obey.”  Sh’ma is close but not quite.  Why not? Because obedience can be done regardless of how we feel about it – you can “grudgingly obey.”  But you can’t force someone to love someone else, you can’t make people care about other people.  It is a choice.  We have to want to love and care about God and each other that much.  The closest obedience comes is to say “willing obedience”– motivation matters.
I also wrote about the power of community, praying for each other, and how it was modeled throughout Acts.  At 2nd service on Sunday, God brought us three men; Byron, Braxton and Antonio, who were involved in a very serious accident last week and Pastor John led all of us in prayer over them.  He didn’t do this because he was trying to make a statement; he did it because as a church community we love these young men.  There are still two other men involved in that accident who are still in the hospital, please continue to pray for their recovery.  In our lives, this is what Jesus is asking us to do: to hear (or read) what He has done and then demonstrate it through action.  Not because He says to but because we want to; because we love God and we love each other.
Trying to listen,
Pastor Mark

Monday, May 20, 2013

Pray Like it's 45AD

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com


One of my favorite books of the Bible is Acts.  There is so much we can learn as we see how the church started out; reading about these normal men and women as they worked out how they were supposed to follow Christ.  Most of all though, I love how they were one in heart and mind (Acts 4:32a.) One of the reasons for this is illustrated throughout the book as they pray together and for each other.  (Acts 1:14, 4:23-31, 12:5)  We are taught that prayer is a deeply personal and intimate act between you and God – and it is.  But there is no denying there are times when we need to come together in prayer as well.  In today’s society where our individualism has become the norm, it is even more important that we are intentional about our time together and pray for each other.  I’m not saying you should stop praying on your own, in fact, it is a necessity; 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says pray continually.  As we pray continually however, take advantage of those times when we are together.
Prayer is one of those things which people are very sensitive about, which makes prayer with the community especially tough because so many of us are private and guarded; we may even see receiving prayer as a sign of weakness or don’t want extra attention.  But praying for each other should be celebrated, not hidden away.  I have seen God work miracles when we pray with each other: a woman involved in an accident was told she had a fracture on her spine, but after prayer the doctors could not find the fracture.  Another woman came to Crosswalk after her husband died, and God comforted her so that within a few months she was baptized and bringing others to church.  Another member struggles with relationships: she was not even able to spend time with her father without arguing – now the highlight of her week is lunch with her father on Sunday.  Countless men and women come out of retreats transformed by God.  Praise God!  We all need healing, strength, transformation, boldness, and more; we must continue and persist in prayer for each other.
Here is my challenge to you this week: pray about it on your own, then on Sunday speak with someone in our church community and ask them how you can pray with them.  Put your hand on their shoulder and do it.  Right then and there.  Don’t wait until you get home, don’t wait until you have time later.  Don’t worry if you are blocking someone else from sitting down, they can join you.  Don’t worry if other people are leaving, you won’t miss out on the donuts.  Continue praying for this person all week, not just for their request but as you feel led.  Whether you have been following Jesus for years or are a new believer, you have something to offer the community through prayer.  Why not take the opportunity?
With all of that being said, the leadership staff needs your prayers this week: on Friday and Saturday we will be going on a retreat to pray and discuss some directions and focus for the future of Crosswalk.  As you speak with us on Sunday, please pray for our continued commitment to where God leads.
As a personal prayer request, I am approaching one year back at Crosswalk and I love it.  However, I find that I am living in a “Christian bubble” with all of my friends and social activities being based around church and my friends from church.  Please pray that I am able to build relationships with people outside of the bubble.

Friday, January 4, 2013

A Change of Perspective

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com

Have you ever played golf (or mini-golf if that is your preference) on a course with many hazards: sand, water, stray dog, whatever.  As you prepare to hit the ball and visualize the shot in your head, are you telling yourself stay out of the hazards, stay out of the hazards? I don’t know about you but if I do that, it’s pretty much a guarantee my ball is headed that way. In my Christian walk, I fall victim to the same problem.  Avoiding something by thinking about it more seems to be contradictory and yet that is often how we address sin. In fact, it is such a large part of how we think as Christians, it has become part of our identity in America.  It doesn’t take much searching to see how preoccupied we are with what we can and cannot do. It is no wonder the world identifies Christians as an angry, negative people.
What can we do to think differently?  In Philippians 3:12-15, we are given an answer of what our focus should be:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 
Paul is telling us here to keep moving forward towards where we want to be.  To concentrate on where the golf ball should land, not what it should stay away from.
If you have not read Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love, I highly recommend it.  One of the points Francis makes is to pray for more love and it will result in more love.  It is in the pursuit of Christ, rather than the avoidance of sin through which change happens:
…you have to stop loving and pursuing Christ in order to sin.  When you are pursuing love, running toward Christ, you do not have opportunity to wonder, Am I doing this right? or Did I serve enough this week?  When you are running toward Christ, you are freed up to serve, love, and give thanks.
Should our effort be to run towards Christ or away from sin? When asked about which are the most important of all the commandments and rules in the Jewish Law, Jesus answered: …"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." There are 613 commandments in the Torah, and of all of those, the two which Jesus deemed most important are not about staying away from sin.  They are both about moving closer to God.  It seems pretty clear what Jesus wanted us to focus on.
I encourage each of you to do this in your personal prayer life as well as your discipleship to others: focus on where you are going, not what you want to avoid.  When you pray, pray about who God wants you to be, your place in the Kingdom, what God can accomplish through you.  Pray that God will show you who He wants you to be.  One of my favorite quotes is by Dan Kimball from his study They Like Jesus, But Not the Church: “Being a Christian should be about what we stand for – not what we stand against.”  Shouldn't this be the identity people know of Christians?