Tag: The Hole in Our Gospel

Letting Your Heart Break

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This week our Focused Living Bible study launched a new study:  Nehemiah:  A Heart That Can Break.  In the opening video author Kelly Minter explains that Nehemiah was a Jewish exile living in Persia.  He was a descendant of the Jews who had originally been carried off to Babylon when Nebuchadnezzer conquered Jerusalem in 587 B.C.  By 539 B.C. Cyrus, King of Persia had conquered King Nebuchadnezzer and allowed the Jews to return to their homeland.   Over the years some returned to Jerusalem, while others remained living in Babylon, the only home they’d ever known.

Nehemiah was one of the Jews who stayed in Babylon.  As the story opens, about 140 years have passed since the Jews were first carried off from Jerusalem.  We learn in Nehehmiah chapter 1 that our main character was cupbearer to King Ataxerxes.   Minter explains that a cupbearer would have been like a butler.  My mind immediately pictured the character “Carson” on the popular show Downton Abby.  The time periods and cultures are wildly different, but I imagine some things about the job would be consistent in any era.  A butler would be responsible for running an esteemed household with proper etiquette and decorum. Although he would not be wealthy personally, he would be at ease living and working among people of great stature.  He would be accustomed to fine things and grand surroundings.

In Nehemiah 1:2-4, our hero heard news about Jerusalem while he was serving King Ataxerxes at his winter resort in Susa:

“Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.  They said to me,  ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’  When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”

From his location of opulence Nehemiah wept for his fellow Jews living in disgrace.   Minter points out  “though the suffering of the Jews would have naturally been of some concern to him, technically this was not his problem.  He didn’t live there.”  (p.13)   Nevertheless, Nehemiah’s heart broke when he learned the news.  His first reaction was to seek God in prayer:

“Then I said:  ‘Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.’”  (Nehemiah 1:5-6)

Nehemiah ended his prayer asking God to give him success and to grant him favor in the presence of the king.  Then, he waited for an opportune time.  Several months passed before his chance to ask King Ataxerxes for assistance finally arrived.  When it did, Nehemiah entreated him boldly, knowing that God had gone before him to prepare the way:

“The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’  Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.’”  (Nehemiah 2:4-5)

Nehemiah’s heart broke for his people and he asked to leave his place of comfort so he could help them.  Minter explains Nehemiah had “a God-inspired heart that couldn’t bear the thought of letting his fellow Jews suffer—a heart that had no choice but to do something.” (p.14)  Spurred on not by obligation, but by a desire to obey God and love others, Nehemiah set out on a monumental quest to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem.

Minter uses Nehemiah’s example to challenge us saying “You may not be in a position to leave your job like Nehemiah, but surely there is someone whose well-being you can seek and promote…When embraced by God’s grace, the called to serve is no longer a guilt-trip but the gospel.”  (p.27)

Maybe her words confirm what you’ve already sensed God doing in your life or maybe they are convicting you a bit.  Perhaps God is nudging you to alleviate the suffering of others in some way.   Personally, I spent far too many years feeling unsure about what “doing something” should look like in my life.  I vacillated between feeling guilty that I wasn’t serving the needy and rationalizing all of the reasons why it wasn’t feasible for me.  Then, in 2011, I was asked to write a blog for a secular website about Rich Stearns’ book The Hole in Our Gospel.  Reading the book and writing my thoughts about it changed me.  I started praying God would show me where and how He wanted to use me.  I didn’t move to Africa or start a Missions organization in the inner city, but God did break my heart and has prompted me to serve the needy in a variety of ways since then.

One small example of this happened a few weeks ago.   My twelve-year old son’s youth group was planning a fun day in San Francisco.  I was excited to go, but something inside of me cringed as I thought of the many homeless people we would encounter.   It felt wrong to expose the kids to people with such profound need without preparing them to show God’s love and compassion.  After praying about it and talking with the Middle School Director from church, we made a plan to have the day be a combination of sight seeing and serving the needy.  All of the kids were invited to bring bags filled with supplies such as toothbrushes, wipes, chapstick, granola bars, and socks.  Each bag also included a pamphlet with the Gospel clearly and simply explained.

When we got off the BART train at Powell Street we walked the kids through a nearby neighborhood where our church has been partnering with a ministry called City Impact.  We knew we’d encounter needy people on the streets, but also wanted the kids to see the location of the ministry since they’d participated in donating items to help it in the past.

Most of us were tentative and uncomfortable as we walked through the neighborhood at first.  The kids were looking to the adults for reassurance and we silently prayed for the Spirit to give us courage and confidence to lead them well.  One man standing in a doorway stepped out and questioned me with a concerned tone: “Do you folks mean to be here? Union Square is in the other direction.”  Clearly, we did not look like we belonged there. However, as he soon as he saw us pulling bags out and offering them to people, he smiled and nodded.  A few blocks later, we encountered him again, this time he’d rounded up a few friends:  “Do you all still have some of those bags left?  These guys could use them.”  As the kids handed out the supplies the men smiled, thanked us and said “God bless you.”

Further down the block we came to a long line of people waiting for a free lunch from a well-known church.  As we walked up the sidewalk offering bags, some recipients were bold enough to ask for specific items:  “Do you have deodorant? How about a razor and shaving cream?”  I answered honestly:  “Sorry, no, this is all we have.”  Not everyone was polite and a few even inspected the bags to choose which ones had items they wanted more.  We encountered unsavory sights and smells.  We felt awkward at moments and anxious at others, but we stayed and gave out all the supplies we had.  Some of the students even gave snacks they’d brought for themselves.

Within thirty minutes, we’d given away all the bags and headed to Union Square for lunch.  A few of the kids were surprised at how quickly we ran out.  Some felt badly that we didn’t have more to give. There were eighteen people in our group and we probably handed out at least thirty bags.  We barely made a dent in giving them to everyone who needed or wanted them.

Thinking about it in retrospect, I realized that “doing something” doesn’t mean we are going to save the world single handedly.  We’ll never be able to feed every hungry person.  However, any time we act to alleviate the suffering of others our efforts make a difference.  All the people who received bags that day knew for a moment that they mattered– someone saw their need and sought to meet it.

Serving others can be messy, time consuming and inconvenient.  Sometimes it’s complicated and uncomfortable.  Often it means stepping out of our comfort zones and being stretched in new ways.  However, when we pray first and let God guide and equip us, we have nothing to fear.   He will lead us to the specific things He wants us to do and will use us to bless others and glorify Himself.  Demonstrating this kind of obedience is one of the most profound ways to show our love for Him.

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Matthew West’s new song “Do Something” sounds like it was written specifically for the Nehemiah study.  Click on the link below to hear it and be inspired to pray about what “doing something” might look like in your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I2csO7_pOI

Walking for Water

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Recently a good friend was telling me about how her kitchen faucet was broken. Her husband was out of town, so she’d put a sign on the faucet to remind herself and her kids to get water in the bathroom.   It was a colossal pain for three days until her husband returned and fixed the problem.  I could empathize with her frustration because I lived without a kitchen for five months during a remodel.

During the time of our remodel, I was reading a book called The Hole in Our Gospel by World Vision President Rich Stearns.  Our whole church read it together over the course of six weeks.  In fact, writing my thoughts about that book was what launched me into the world of blogging.  The book opened the eyes of many people in our church to the tremendous needs existing among vast numbers of impoverished people around the world.  Our church was so moved that we committed to investing time and resources in a village in Ethiopia for the next seven years.  A lasting impact will be made as we build a school, sponsor kids, dig a well and provide support to help the people of Sintaro move from surviving to thriving.

I’ve had a small taste of the frustration of not having water readily accessible.  For the people of Sintaro, this is a way of life.  Three times a day they must hike down a steep ravine to get water from a dirty stream for all of their needs—from cooking to bathing to drinking.  Women and children lug heavy jugs back up the trail to the village.  It’s sobering to think about the amount of time they spend getting water.  Having running water readily accessible is a pretty vital aspect of life.  I think most of us who have it take it for granted.  I know I do.

My husband and I have gotten involved with an event to raise money to dig a well in Sintaro Village.  A team of us has been planning a hike for the community to “walk for water.”  The people of Sintaro do it three times daily.   We’ll do it for an hour on a Saturday to identify with their struggle and raise funds to make a lasting difference.  The sponsorship money hikers  contribute or raise will go directly into a fund to build the well in Sintaro Village.  It’s a simple but exciting opportunity to make a difference.   Registration has been open for the last month and we’re hoping to have at least 100 people participate.  We still have a ways to go to reach that goal, but I’m confident we will.  All it requires is signing up, sponsoring yourself and maybe asking a few  additional folks to sponsor you as well.  If you invite friends, their sponsorships will be matched by an anonymous donor.  Participants will have the choice of walking on a paved trail or hiking on a dirt one for about an hour.  That’s it.  If you can’t hike or won’t be in town, please consider sponsoring someone else or making a donation.

I ‘m hoping we’ll remember the heart behind this event—it’s not about feeling guilty or fulfilling a duty, it’s about aligning ourselves with the heart of God.  I think Jesus says it best:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”  -Matthew 25:31-40

To get more information or to register for the Hike, click on the link below.

To see a 3 minute video of the hike the Sintaro villagers make three times a day, click on the link below:

Click below to hear a song that will inspire you to bring water to those in need: :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYP5gE-kDjY

I’ll look for you out on the trail October 5th!

The Apple Tree

My family has an old tree in the front yard that grows some of the sweetest, crunchiest apples I’ve ever tasted.  It was planted long before we ever bought the house, so we are just the grateful recipients of a previous owner’s forethought.  Every year we seemed to pick enough to enjoy with our family and to share with friends and neighbors.

A few years ago, the tree was getting a little tall.  We decided it needed to be pruned back and thinned out.  The next spring, we were dismayed when not a single blossom sprouted in the tree.  That fall, our tree was bare.  Not a single apple.  “What have we done?” I thought to myself.  Sure we’d ruined it for good, I lamented the loss.

The next year, a few blossoms appeared on the branches in the spring and we actually picked a small crop of apples that fall.  I was relieved, but not entirely convinced the tree would ever return to its former glory.

Last spring the tree was bursting with blossoms and so laden with apples by this fall that one branch actually cracked away from the trunk.  Every weekend I would pick apples to thin out the huge amount of fruit and lighten the load the branches were bearing.  I could work steadily for an hour, filling several bags, but when I’d look up at the tree, I’d barely made a dent.

There was no way our family of four could possibly consume all the apples the tree was producing.  Earlier in the fall, I’d come across information about an organization called Urban Farmers that uses volunteers to harvest fruit trees at private residences.  All the fruit is taken to local food banks and places that provide meals for the hungry.  A few of the places mentioned were ones I recognized like the Contra Costa Food Bank and Loaves and Fishes.  I decided to sign up and see how it worked.

This past Saturday, the founder of Urban Farmers arrived on a sunny morning with fruit picking poles, crates and buckets.  He worked alongside our family to harvest the apples weighing down the branches of our tree.  He was delighted by the taste and smell of the apples and worked cheerfully alongside us filling the crates.

At one point as we were talking about feeding the needy he asked, “What makes you want to do something like this?”  I paused, weighing what kind of answer I wanted to give and finally decided to let go of my usual restraint.  I responded: “Because I love Jesus.”  He remained quiet and I continued:  “Last year I read a book called The Hole in Our Gospel and it helped me understand our responsibility to help the needy.”

The conversation continued, becoming richer and deeper as we shared more.

When all but a few apples were picked, the man asked if he could take our picture with all of the apples.  He said it was unusual to have a whole family participate in helping with the harvest.

Later that day, he sent us an e-mail telling us we’d donated 310 pounds of apples that would be enough to feed 62 people for a day.   I was astounded realizing the decision to register with Urban Farmers  and a few hours of harvesting was helping so many people in need.

It also got me thinking about a conversation I’d had in Bible Study a few days earlier.  We’d been talking about Jesus’ teaching on the vine and the branches from John 15.  In the passage He says:  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful…I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:1 & 5)

God’s pruning process in our lives can be incredibly painful, but if we’ll wait for his timing, we can see amazing results and bountiful fruit.  Just like my tree.

The word “fruit” appears numerous times in the Bible and has many layers of meaning, depending on the context.  The Greek word is “karpos,” which literally means: “fruit produced by the inherent energy of a living organism.”  Metaphorically, it is the visible expression of Christ’s power working inwardly and invisibly.  When we are brought into union with Jesus by abiding in Him, His fruit shows in our lives.  He produces the Fruit of the Spirit in us described in Galations 5:22.  When we display this fruit, it draws others to Him who become His followers as well.  These new disciples are yet another kind of “fruit.”

What I’m learning is that I have no power to produce fruit on my own strength.   I might be able to muster up some love, joy, peace and patience for a little while.  Flurries of kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness may breeze through me periodically.  I can even demonstrate self- control once in a while, but none of these things can be sustained in me if I’m not abiding with Jesus throughout the hours every day.

The apple tree appears passive as it sits in one spot absorbing nutrients from the soil, water and sun.  We only see what has been going on inside it when the blossoms appear and the fruit grows.  Like the apple tree, we can absorb every moment with Jesus and produce such an abundance of fruit that our branches sag under the weight.   Love and good deeds flow from us as we abide in Him and draw on Him for strength. The best part is, He does all the work and just asks us to share the fruit with others. Lives are touched and even more fruit is produced as other people come to know Jesus.

Take some time this week to think about your spiritual garden.  Are you in a phase of being pruned?  Are you blossoming and growing fruit?  Are you abiding in Jesus or trying to produce fruit on your own strength?  How can you apply this metaphor personally?  How have you seen its truth?

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