Trying On

When our daughter Julia was 6 years old she did not want to try riding her bicycle without the training wheels. The idea of giving up the safety and stability of those extra wheels seemed ridiculous. She was perfectly happy with her current reality of training wheels.

As parents we could see and imagine for her what she could not – two wheel bicycle fun and freedom! Without training wheels she could go farther, faster and with more flexibility. We could see it for her, but she couldn’t imagine a future different from her present. So, she was having none of it whenever we suggested taking off the training wheels.

As parents, students, and business owners we all find ourselves in similar situations. How do we lead people to a future that is different from the present? How do we help people step out in the face of their fear? We can’t push folks too hard or they dig in their heels, resisting change even more. So what can we do to lead people into a future different from the present?

No doubt, this is a dilemma that God has thought a lot about too. Throughout the Biblical narrative one can imagine God scratching his head over people’s stubborn refusal to follow his commands – the ones that would lead them to freedom and joy. God tried several options to get people to change – threats, punishment, even exile. This seemed to work for seasons and yet the world remained unchanged – stuck in current reality.

Then God did something that had never been tried before – certainly never tried by anybody else’s god. God “tried on” the sinful flesh of the people who were so stuck. God identified with the people who were so scared, so stubborn, so resistant to change.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 1Corinthians 5:21

It is an extraordinary act of love to be willing to “try on” ideas, behaviors, dreams, and experiences that are different from your own. It is risky. You could get dirty. You could get hurt. You could die. All these were indeed a reality for Jesus.

And it also happened to be this very act of humble, self-emptying, “trying on” out of love that broke open the possibility of a future different from our present.

Starets Zosima in Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov put it this way: “At some thoughts one stands perplexed, above all at the sight of human sin, and wonders whether to combat it by force or by humble love. Always decide ‘I will combat it by humble love.’ If you resolve on that once and for all, you can conquer the whole world. Loving humility is a terrible force: It is the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it.”

What ideas, experiences, dreams, music, or way of life is God compelling you to “try on” in loving humility? Who knows, you might be surprised to find that eventually the training wheels come off and a whole new wonderful world comes to life!

A Grace-Full Church

[Carolyn and Julia and I have begun a new chapter in ministry as we have been appointed as co-pastors at Grace United Methodist Church in St. Augustine. We wrote the following for the church's print newsletter. It's a reflection on ways we've observed the five practices of a fruitful congregation at work among the people of Grace UMC.]

We are quickly falling in love with St. Augustine and Grace United Methodist Church! For the past few weeks in worship we have been highlighting the “Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation.” The first practice is “Radical Hospitality.” We have certainly felt your hospitality from the beautiful parsonage prepared for our family to the many cards, gift cards, and food you all have shared with us. Thank you for your hospitality to us! Furthermore, we are proud to be the pastors of a church that is full of people who are committed to the mission of making disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world!

We have been inspired by the many different ways we have seen the people of Grace putting faith in action and making God’s love real. (The fourth practice of a fruitful congregation!) As we have met some of you and heard your stories there have been recurring themes that have come out of our conversations: compassion for the poor and homeless, care and prayer for the homebound and sick, celebration of the spiritual gifts of youth and adults with disabilities, and a commitment to improving the church's ministry to and with children, youth and young adults.

That faith in action has undoubtedly both flowed from and nurtured the church’s “Passionate Worship” and “Intentional Faith Development” (the second and third practices of a fruitful congregation). We gather each week to worship with expectation that the living God will meet us where we are and give us just what we need in order to go out and be a witness to God’s reign in the world. Grace church is doubly blessed in that we have options to worship using both traditional and modern forms of music and liturgy – both of which God is using to draw spiritual seekers and strengthen followers of Jesus.

Then we gather intentionally in smaller groups for studying God’s word together, learning to interpret and apply what we’ve learned in our everyday life. These groups help us grow up into the people God created us to be, strengthening our bond with one another and with Christ. We are so proud that Grace church understands the importance of both nurturing existing discipleship groups and regularly creating new ones – making space for the community of faith to grow!

Finally, the fifth practice of a fruitful congregation – “Extravagant Generosity.” It has inspired us already to see children as young as third grade and adults who are homebound set an example for the church in extravagant generosity.

Ava, a third grader, says, “Whenever I get money I have three jars, a giving, a savings and a spending. Ten percent goes in giving, ten percent goes in savings and the rest goes in spending. So my dad asked what I wanted to do with the giving and I made the decision to make little bags and give them to the homeless. The bags had a sandwich, a water, an apple, a dollar and a handmade card. And on Saturday morning we go out and ask people if they had breakfast. If they were hungry we’d give them a bag.”

Mrs. Pope, one of Grace’s members who can’t attend worship regularly anymore, found out that the children at Vacation Bible School were giving their money to help send some of our friends with disabilities to camp this fall. She was so touched that she said, “I’d like to send a check to help with that. Where can I send it!”

The grace of God pours out of churches that intentionally practice and improve upon Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk Taking Mission and Service, and Extravagant Generosity. Let’s keep practicing these habits together and rejoice in the amazing ways God will use us to transform the world!