Bless the Dispensers of Grace

"The only true healer is a wounded healer."

                                                                                               ~ Henri Nouwen

This journey with writing began three years ago, when I was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Each day when I look in the mirror, I see new gray hairs appearing and lines around my eyes becoming deeper; yet, I still think I look fairly good for a man who is supposed to be a corpse. 

The journey through these writings has become for me an expression of faith; though everything I have written is colored by my lenses and is unique to me.

In a world where a man's word has become faulty and honesty a rare commodity, I still believe words mean something.
Is the Constitution not a document of words to which we adhere because of its principles for government?
Is not our marriage vows words we swear to keep?

You see, words mean something and they still have a liberating effect on the mind and the heart once they are embraced.
That is why men are called to preach the Gospel; it is a Gospel of the Word of God - there is no greater power on earth when the Lord moves His man in the proclamation of His Word.

No minister would doubt the above statement; we have seen the power of the Gospel too many times for it to be denied.
Most have seen God move in ways that are unexplainable aside from Him.
It is a glorious thing when a man is called of God and used by God for the Lord's purposes devoid of any personal gain.

This is true, but what is also true is in our modern time, is that so many ministers of the Gospel, good men, are downtrodden, burning out, being weakened by criticism and are wounded in their own faithfulness.
Yet, their hearts are still yearning for their people; it is a desire and a love that can only come through the Holy Spirit of God.

Sadly, I am watching so many good men become defeated; they have done all they know to do, with little results.

Sometimes they are watching less gifted men or women rise in status, while their churches struggle and personal criticism mounts against them and their families.
Yet, they stay faithful; praying for God's movement in their lives, in their homes, in their churches, not for their own benefit but for Christ's glory through their work.

Men, brethren, you are not alone in  your struggles or your faithfulness; neither of which, your work or witness, has been misplaced.
Stay strong.

Some are struggling with modern apostasy in their pews; it is difficult to try to serve people who you know in your heart aren't as faithful as God would want them to be.
It is even more difficult when you know in your heart that some simply do not care nor are concerned to grow spiritually any more than what they are today.

Centuries ago, Japanese Christians were confronted with believers who committed 'fumie.'
A 'Fumie' ( fumi - stepping on; e - a picture) was the trampling on an image of Christ when confronted by the shoguns. (Image left)
If a person stepped on Jesus' image, they were left alone; if not, they were confirmed as Christians, tortured and sometimes killed.

Now, sometimes, just like in the Early Church, a Christian would commit this act but repent and want to return to the Body - even among those who had been tortured.
Obviously, those who did not reject Christ struggled with this issue and with grace.
Who could blame them?

Yet, our pastors today see our church-goers commit such acts every day, and it makes them question their own ministry before God.

Now, our modern people don't do this publicly or in actuality; but can be seen in the results of the life they lead.
You see, in modern American life, it is much easier to give up our Christianity in small sacrifices of faith; for we are not being asked to deny Christ before raging crowds, but privately and secretly. 

Unfortunately, we have millions of ways of betraying our faith; more often than not, we support or take part in things that are totally contrary to our faith.

Yet, many go through life unfazed; as their pastor weeps for their hardened heart.

But that is only one way that ministers are struggling; some are struggling because their congregations, for the most part, have no desire to reach anyone other than people exactly like the people who are already sitting in the pews.

Unfortunately, some ministers face the dilemma of being faithful or being fired; a situation to which I can accurately attest.
But I digress.

May I remind the reader exactly of whom Jesus spent much of his time with?

It seems the more undesirable a person was, the more they became attracted to Jesus and the more likely Jesus was to minister freely in grace to them.

Personally, I think Jesus was on to something here→ the people who needed the grace He was offering, was the very people who had the most wrecked lives and needed it the most.
Wow, what a unique concept, if only Jesus had left behind followers whom He charged with doing the same.

Oh, that's right; He did - we just aren't as good as dispensing grace as He was; but at the very least we should try. 


Just consider who the Lord spent much of His time with: Sinners, Prostitutes, people of questionable reputations and loyalties - like tax collectors and even zealots. 
And again, as I can personally attest, if a pastor does spend the majority of his time with those who are downtrodden, 'good Christian people' are often scandalized and he will face criticism.
So did the Lord; therefore, you'll be in pretty good company.

Unless I am horribly mistaken, Jesus' message centered on those who had been forsaken and rejected? 

Maybe ours should as well.
And maybe some of our church-goers need to be reminded that the only people who need a doctor are those who are sick.

Yet, the one issue that seems to effect pastors the most in the modern era is the very fact, the well-documented fact, that churches are not growing, are stagnate or are currently declining.
And it isn't just that it is on a national scale; many don't care about other churches, but they do care about their church and the one person who takes the criticism for a congregation with little or no growth is the pastor.

Friends, this is totally unfair but it is part of the territory.
As ministers, we know this; hopefully the next few paragraphs will encourage you.

Of course Church attendance is declining!
What else would it do?

You and I stand at the beginning of the 21st Century; we are products of an up-bringing that assumed God was removed from His Creation but was still involved in His children's daily lives.
This is no longer assumed in our culture.

As the American culture has ceased to be a melting pot where immigrants conformed to our beliefs and systems; today, we stand as more of a fruit salad and we're getting more fruity all the time.
As a fruit salad, every incoming people group keeps their traditions, their dress, and even their language at times.


There is no pressure to adopt our beliefs or our systems or even understand how our society came into existence - and this has bled over into the Body of Christ in the beliefs of the younger generations.

Western Culture has been entrusted with profound ideas from God → Guilt, the nature of Sin, Atonement and Redemption.
These are relevant in all ages at all times, but few see the value in understanding why these things are important.
And I'm not talking about the unchurched; I'm talking about the average man or women in the pew on Sunday morning.

Few see the relevance.

Today's generation, the Millennials, have only heard one side of Jesus Christ and that is of His majesty; they have heard little else.
While Jesus' majesty and glory is true and should be taught; they are only receiving half of the story.
You see, many Millennials have never been taught about the suffering Savior or as to why Jesus' suffering and pain helps us today.

This is a huge mistake ministers are making today.

Sure, we see the large churches and hear of the big-named ministers packing stadiums; but this message is shallow without a Suffering Savior; and when tough times hit the lives of the Millennials, many leave the faith because they do not see nor have they been taught anything about the doctrine of suffering.

The truth is that human beings today and of all times know more about the Christ of Betrayal than we do the Jesus of Majesty, though He be the same Lord.
The point is that we can identify with betrayal (again, I can attest), with the emotional pain and

stress, with friends abandoning us.

We can identify with Peter's denial and Jesus' pain in His searing look at the one He called 'The Rock' during His trial.
Haven't you ever had a friend throw you under the bus?
Jesus knew what that was like and so do we...again, something else to which I can attest.

We may never know regal glory; but we do know what it is like to be wounded and hurt.
Pain and suffering speaks a language all its own; a language even the Millennials understand.

Today, many Christians pray without knowing how to pray.
Many attempt to rest in Christ; yet, remain restless.

We must not stand silent with the message of inner peace we know so well; this generation has never realized in its full the 'peace which surpasses all understanding.'

If they did, so many Churches would not be trying to  'make' things happen but attempting to get on board with what God is causing to happen in His will with them.

You see, when pain is hidden, so too is hidden the ability to heal.
If Jesus cannot be seen as one who can identify in pain as well as joy, we have handicapped the Lord of the Ages in the hearts of the Millennials.

The Millennials, Generation X and the Baby Boomers which occupy the committees and choirs in our churches today, each one needs what Jesus called 'Living Water.'

Remember the early 1980's?
It was the beginning of a decade that would be remembered for many things; yet, at the beginning of the 1980's, few remember the horror of thousands upon thousands of young men dying of HIV/AIDS.

Those men were literally dying because of their desire to be loved.
Some craved acceptance, some yearned for a home, other wanted the love of a family.

To be sure, they were engaging in ungodly acts; many brazenly so.
Yet, they were 'thirsting' to be accepted and loved - but tried drinking only what the world and their desires could find to fill the gap in their hearts.
Maybe that is why Jesus said to the Samaritan Woman, 'If you drink of this water, you will thirst again...'

Every person needs His Living Water.

You and I have been called to be dispensers of grace, pointing others to the well-spring of His Living Water.
Don't lose heart; our Lord was worn down and frustrated with those who followed with Him, the same will happen to us.
You cannot answer for what they do with His Living Water, but only whether or not you sought to give it to them in grace, mercy and love.

Jesus came to the earth, 'full of grace and truth...'
May you and I do the same wherever He leads.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

Grace for the Least of These

"Jesus came announcing the Kingdom of God, but what appeared was the Church."

                                                                                           ~ Wilhelm Dilthey


Every Church I have ever been a part of says they seek 'to grow' in attendance, in spirituality, in new Christians.

If that is true, why aren't more churches actually 'growing?'


Churches will sometimes concentrate on various age groups; one minister even referred to them as 'targets' in a best-selling book.
Pardon me for saying so, but I believe people in a Church setting aren't meant to be shot at but rather to be uplifted by the grace of God.

Most churches have a personality all their own.
As a result, the particular, local church tends to seek out people like themselves or people they would like to have in their church to add to the prestige of their own attendance - although most would never, ever admit it.

Still others attempt other avenues to bring in the masses.

Fear mongering with the apocalypse, allegiance to Signs & Wonders, books, movies being shown in church → Do these things actually work and win people?
Along with the above mentioned, maybe so.

But what happens when the excitement or the intrigue with these wears off or wears down?
Are there any real lasting effects to a faith built of something rather than what is to be 'The Church's One Foundation?'

The truth is that we live in a time when people outside the Body of Christ are either post-Church or Un-Churched.
They do not need fads or flashes in a pan; they need what everybody has always needed. They need grace.

And this includes those whom Jesus called, 'The Least of These.'

People, all people, live in a harsh and unforgiving world; why would anyone bother with the Church to begin with?
That's a good question, a question I asked before a church congregation over a year ago; they still haven't found out the answer.

There is only one reason men and women will stay in a Church fellowship, if they have come for the right reasons and right heart; the answer is grace.
Why would people come to a church that is just like the activity of the world which is so harsh?

They wouldn't, not for long anyway.

As for those whom Jesus called, 'The Least of These,' they may be the most ignored segment of society.
They need Christ and His grace as much as those who dress appropriately and have nice things in life, but they are ignored because too often we are seeking others who are just like us to sit next to us in our pews.
They don't come to Church because they don't think of the Church as a place to find support or grace; instead, many believe they are viewed with eyes of judgment if anyone takes notice at all.

As the Body of Christ, we must change that perception and make the reality to be men and women who are viewed with eyes of grace and mercy.

Contrary to what is proclaimed in today's media by mindless drones pushing a political position or by cleavage-showing blondes, our existence will not end as a by-product to a meaningless, random universe. 
It will not end by the cooling of the sun or the destruction of the Earth's environment.
God will end my existence, not by 'Karma', but in His mercy and grace; being just toward all, believers and non-believers, according to His Love.

Knowing this, like a man dancing to the sounds emitting from his own iPod, the Christian should hear a different sound from Creation than those who live solely in this grim and unforgiving world.
That joy in our heads and our hearts is God's grace personified; it is the other side of life in the world today, the other side of the pain and death we were never supposed to experience.

The truth of the matter of grace toward the least of these is this→ Few churches welcome people who have nothing to offer the organization.
Yet, those who need grace and mercy are the very people for which it is meant.

And you know the people I'm speaking of just as much as I do:
Unwed Mother
Alcoholic
Gay/Straight, both need grace
Poor
Hurting
The 'Different'
The 'Unwanted'
Elderly

You see, God did not send His Son to us on the Earth so that His Church could point a judgmental finger at others, or lift a nose of arrogance, or ignore those who are hurting from life and in need of something very powerful and otherworldly from God Himself.

As we live in the world, opportunities abound to dispense grace to the 'Least of These;' we should not just sit back and speak of sharing grace. 
We ought to be actively giving it away to all who ask.

In the couple of years or so, I've lost a mountain of respect for Christians whom I once thought were solidly strong in the faith.
What changed my mind, more than anything else, was their personal reaction towards those whom Christ would call 'The Least of These.'
And even after some time has past, I still cannot understand how a Christian can worship a homeless man on Sunday and then stir up hatred toward homeless people he comes in contact with the rest of the week.

After experiencing grace myself, how can I not give it away to others in need?

The Body of Christ is not to be an elite club containing insurance men, prominent School Board members, wealthy elitists, and slick preachers running things; fooling some but mostly unknown to the masses.
No, the Body of Christ is in fact, the Least of These who become the Church by Grace and realize when we meet together, that we are all recovering sinners.

We are the Church.
Whether we realize it or not, God chose His Church as the vehicle through which the Gospel is shared to a pain-stricken and hurting world. For better or worse, we are what we are - but we can do better than we've been doing.

So, what must we do to make the Church, the Body of Christ, the very first place men and women think of when 'grace' is mentioned, rather than the last?
I'm not sure and I don't have a definite answer, but I'm certain it isn't what we've been doing. 

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

Grace Amid Tragedy

People who have experienced tragedy or suffering or loss - we are a peculiar fraternity.

Nobody really wants to belong to this fraternity; yet, here we are because very few escape it.

Beginning to die of Cancer was the start of my suffering; it continued with being betrayed within the Body of Christ...twice. 
While everyone suffers differently, somehow when there is a deep tragedy or an event which causes severe suffering, it is often understood by many despite its uniqueness. 

A man suffers emotionally because his wife commits adultery, not once but repeatedly as a lifestyle choice.
A woman suffers because she lost her only child to a bacterial infection.
Christians massacred by ISIS or shot for their faith in Oregon; either way they have died a martyr's death.
Each of these, know suffering and grief albeit different types.
Some individually, others are corporately among the Church itself.

At times, it is better to let our grief and anger out; at other times it is not.
Similar to a soldier or Airman returning home from the war, we often struggle knowing how to fit in again or even where we might fit in.

If confronted with tragedy and it is not your own, know that God has placed you there in that time for a reason.
Millions of Christians have watched the faithful be murdered half-way around the globe. Dutifully, we have prayed for them, interceded for them and sent support to them. Now, that same wickedness has happened within the Continental United States in the clearest of terms.

Christians are often told we exclude other faiths from the public square or intimidate minority faiths; to that may I quote my father? 
Horse Hockey.

While the initial reaction is to take up arms against other faiths, the Christian is not called to a Holy War as the Knight Templar of old; we do not achieve Heaven by dying in a fight against infidels.

We are the arms and feet of a Risen Savior; and if we are a part of suffering or tragedy that belongs to someone else, then God has placed us there to dispense the grace He has given us.

Those that have lost family members or friends in Oregon, Virginia Tech, Aurora or even as distant as Columbine, they know that in time, whatever has been lost cannot be replace or 'gotten over.'
But I do know that the pain will become less...one day.

The victims and their families will never forget, and although it may seem distant in the future, one day, they will laugh again, love again and feel joy once again.

In deep grief, regardless of what has caused it, nothing comes easy.
One must accept that people who do not understand will indeed say insensitive things; it took me a long time to realize this.

In looking to the shootings and tragedies that are becoming common in America, let me say that I do not believe it is a gun issue; rather I do believe it is a mental health issue.
No right thinking human being desires to kill the innocent or murder children; nor do they seek to harm any person of any faith simply because they worship differently.

No, that is insanity and nothing more and nothing else.

These tragedies that we've experienced together on a national scale the last 20 years tell us that we are not promised by God that we will always be protected.
The sin of man runs deep and the fruit of that sin in violence resulting in grief and suffering.

None, not one, on this planet are exempted from tragedy; all people will die, some old, some young.
But God give and provides His support through His Spirit and His Church; it may not be the protection we want, but it is to be desired.
For while these things evoking suffering and pain cannot be stopped; they can be redeemed.

We must remember in our losses, even God suffered the loss of a Son.

Christians changed the world we it came to loss and grieving.
Once there were pagan mausoleums around the globe; the Christian opted for cemeteries, which literally means, 'sleeping place.'
The indication is clear → the Christian may die in his body, but he will rise again; this is hope restored and a message to all who hurt and suffer in this life.

At the end of the Book of Job, Job himself receives double everything he has lost; except one thing - his children.
The message is of the value of a human being; humans cannot be replaced like sheep or cattle, we are unique to God.

On earth, those whom we love, we keep them alive in our memories.
Yet, the Christian trusts God to do much more; not merely to keep alive a memory but to resurrect and bring new life to a person whom we love and He loves.

We often say that all things will pass away and Christ will make all things new; in a sense, this is true.
But I tend to think of it as Christ redeeming everything to how it was meant to be from the beginning. 
Instead of living with this 'foreign' order, Jesus Himself will return everything to that which we do not know; He'll return it to how it was meant to be.

No death.
No grief.
No suffering.
No shootings.
No Cancer.

Until that time, we are to extend Christ's compassion to the hurting and suffering and grief stricken, as though He is reaching to them Himself through our bodies.

And guess what?
He is.


Until next time, win one for the good guys.