Picking Up Your Towel

John 13:1b, 4-5 Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love….So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus is our ultimate model of a servant, and the story of his washing of the disciples’ feet is a prime example. Taking on a task typically assigned to the lowliest slave in the home, Jesus humbly bowed before each of his followers. He was the leader of these men, he was to become the Savior of the world, and he was God in the flesh, but he put these things aside to get down on his hands and knees and wash the dirty feet of his disciples.

This semester in my class called Biblical Servant Leadership we learned from Jesus’ example of what a true servant leader looks like. In our online sessions, each student had the opportunity to share a “Towel Experience”, a story of how we had the opportunity to practice humility and wash someone’s feet. This was very eye-opening for me to look at each day from the perspective of serving those around me. Most often the opportunities were very simple acts that required an attitude change on my part in order to meet the needs of those around me. I particularly had opportunities to serve in my office, as I looked for ways to go beyond the typical chores of my job and love the people God put in my path each day.

Recently I read another verse that goes along with the idea of using our “towel” as Jesus did and loving people. May this verse be an encouragement to you as you seek to serve and love the people God brings your way.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (The Message) Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

The Church in Action

Please allow me to vent for a moment. Last night in my Local Church on Mission class we presented our missional strategy papers. For my paper, I took the position of the missions pastor at my home church in Nebraska, describing the plan of action for my first 6 months on the job. My heart is to help people walk in obedience to Christ's commands including loving the people down the street as well as around the world.

One of the ideas I had for getting involved in the local community was a Sunday of Service, where instead of the regular worship service everyone was involved in some sort of work around the community. This might be raking leaves, shoveling snow, picking up trash or cleaning up a park area, or doing repairs. One, this builds unity within the church as people work alongside one another. Also, the community benefits by the work that is being done.

After my presentation, my professor made a comment to the class, cautioning everyone on the idea of a service project instead of the Sunday service. He said that if a church has called a pastor who is passionate about sharing God's word, this pastor should not be denied his preaching time on Sunday morning. If a pastor doesn't love to preach, this really isn't the kind of pastor a church should have.

Because of time (and being put on the spot) I wasn't able to offer much of a response. I did say that sometimes we can become legalistic about the way that we do church, and by doing something different this helps us keep a healthy perspective on what church is really about.

My professor didn't respond to this, and I haven't decided if I need to pursue the conversation further, but here are a few additional thoughts, now that I have had a little while to think it through. My question is, what is church really? Is it what happens on Sunday morning: 20 minutes of singing, passing the offering plate, and a 30 minute sermon? Or is the church the body of believers who meet together and live out Christ's commands to reach the lost? We are meant to be Christ's hands and feet in the world. Does this service project have to happen on Sunday morning? No, probably not. But I think it is helpful to see that worship is so much more than sitting in a pew with a hymnal. Preaching is great and essential for learning, but are we living out what is preached? Perhaps by working on Sunday morning we will run into people we wouldn't on another day. There are many people who would not feel comfortable darkening the door of a church, but might engage in conversation with us as we are picking up trash. Maybe showing people that Christianity is more about being than simply showing up at a building every Sunday morning will be a more effective testimony of our faith. Certainly a pastor could give up one of fifty-two Sundays in order to be a light in the community.

I am not advocating for canceling services all of the time or trying to take away the value of the pastor, however I think we need to open up the box and expand our idea of what church is all about. I'm not sure if I will get the chance to have this conversation with my professor, but it is something I care a lot about and will continue to ponder as I move forward.

Going Too Fast

It's a busy time of the semester when professors decide that every paper is due and every test should be taken. Grad school (I thought) is supposed to be about going deeper and thinking deeper about different issues and how they apply to our lives. I have the opportunity to write several "thinking" papers coming up, but I was realizing today that as I'm just trying to stay above water in the sea of the end of the semester, I'm probably just going through the motions and putting the effort into the papers only to get them done.

Life is like that sometimes too, don't you think? We are rushing forward and don't stop to ponder and reflect. Here we are, almost to Thanksgiving in 2010. What has all happened this year? Have you taken time to reflect on what God has done, how He has changed you and through what challenges He has brought you? I don't often take the time to see His hand at work, and just as I need to slow down and really digest my classes and what I need to put in my papers, I need to put everything on pause for a moment and see God's design in my life.

Field Trip to the Mosque

My Understanding Islam online class joined the traditional on-campus class last week for supper at a Middle Eastern restaurant and a tour of the Islamic Association of North Texas building, including the prayer area where Muslims conduct their ritual daily prayers.

Mosques are generally decorated simply especially in the US. Everyone took their shoes off at the entrance, and then we looked at the area where the Muslims perform their cleansing before they enter the prayer rooms.

The prayer room itself is simply a large, open room with lines on the floor. Following the call to prayer, the men all gather in the main room, lining up next to each other. A section of the Qur'an is read as the followers prepare their hearts for prayer. They go through a series of movements including kneeling down with their forehead to the floor as the Scripture is repeated.

I had been inside a mosque before but I had never seen the actual prayer time. It was interesting and really helped deepen my understanding of this part of Islam. I couldn't help wondering what the people were thinking as they went through the prayer sets. Were they just going through the motions, since they do them everyday? What were they thinking about, or what requests were they lifting up to God? We have learned in our class that Muslims and Christians do worship the same God, yet Muslims do not have the full understanding of who God really is. Because they don't accept Jesus as the Savior and Son of God, they don't see the whole picture. But I couldn't help wondering as I was watching if God heard their prayers just like I believe he hears mine.

I read this quote in a newsletter about the Turkish world, and it really fits with the heart of my class and what is becoming my understanding of Muslims.
Here it is:
It is gratifying that more people are waking up to the reality of Islam in our midst. Unfortunately, too often they are waking up with a bad attitude! Muslims are not the enemy. Jesus died for them, just like he died for you and me. Our response to them should be Christ-likeness, with a well-informed understanding of who Muslims are, the needs of their hearts, and strategic vision for reaching them with the Gospel.

I think my time at the mosque was helpful in gaining understanding and I hope that I can continue to look for how to reach the Muslims around me and around the world.

Go Big Red!

I have a lot of pride in my home state. I have noticed lately that I can get defensive when people from other parts of the US speak negatively about Nebraska or have misconceptions about the way of life there. This came to my attention in a big way as the Nebraska Cornhuskers prepared for the game against the Texas Longhorns. I follow football more because it is something of interest to my brother, and out of support for my home team, but I don’t normally get too excited about it. But because I live in Longhorn country now, I had a little more interest in this game.

As you may know, Nebraska played terribly in the game yesterday. It seemed like they could do nothing right. I was embarrassed for my state, and frustrated with how things were going. Finally, I turned off the game because I was getting too intense and anxious about the whole thing. I told myself, seriously, why is this a big deal? It’s just a game!

Well, here’s what I discovered. It had a become more than just a football game to me. For some reason, I guess because I live in Texas, this game was a chance for me to prove to the world that Nebraska is just as good of a state as any other. People do actually live there, they are actually educated and the whole state is not flat (you’d be amazed at some of the things people come up with!). I wanted to humble some of the folks down here who proclaim that they live in the best place on earth. But you know what, I was the one that was humbled. For one, my team was the one that took the beating! But I also realized that I can be proud of where I live without having to prove anything to anyone else. I will always love Nebraska because it’s my home. I have roamed those cornfields and fallen in love with those open spaces. I have gazed across the flatlands and driven through the many hills. I always breathe a sigh of relief when we cross the river and my plane lands in the little airport in Omaha. Maybe my football team didn’t win, and I had to bear the brunt of some teasing down here. But in the long run, it’s okay. Life will go on and I have learned a lesson through it all.

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

Today is Canada’s celebration of Thanksgiving (and we get to commemorate Columbus Day). It is a day, like Thanksgiving in the US, to celebrate the end of harvest and to pause and think of the things for which we can be thankful. The Canadian Parliament proclaimed in 1957 that the day should be: “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed … to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October”.

Giving thanks is a familiar command in the Bible. The Psalms are full of praises and things for which the psalmist was grateful. In Philippians, thanksgiving is a command along with not worrying. In fact, gratitude is a way to let Christ take care of the worry in one’s life. Philippians 4:4-7 in the Message version says, “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up at any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life”.

I know that I am not thankful enough for what the Lord has done for me. Lately I have been discouraged or overwhelmed with school and thinking about the future. Yet God has provided for me each step of my journey so far and I know He will not abandon me now. Sometimes I can get frustrated with people at my office, and yet I know this is where God has placed me. Other times I am simply in awe of what I get to see and experience, the places I get to go and the people I get to meet. Gratitude and praise should not just be celebrated one day of the year, but should be a part of the fabric of each day, keeping God at the center and leaving the worry behind. Can you imagine how our lives would be different if this was our attitude?

Interactions

This last week I conducted an interview for my Understanding Islam class. Through a connection that Lena had with Texas Instruments and "a friend of a friend of a friend", I set up a meeting with "Sasha" to ask her questions provided by my professor on her beliefs and experiences with Islam. I was a little nervous as this was really my first face-to-face encounter with a Muslim person. Not that I thought she was a terrorist in disguise or anything, but I wasn't sure what sort of questions she might have for me, and I so much wanted to represent the Truth of Christ to her in a way that would not be offensive. My professor had given us strict instructions to steer clear of politics and our own beliefs unless we were specifically asked.

Sasha and I met at a Starbucks and I went through my list of questions. I had sent them to her ahead of time, and I was really impressed with how well prepared she was. I could tell that she had put a lot of thought into the questions, but she wasn't just repeating what she had been taught all her life or the answers she had memorized. She was sharing what she truly believed. She was very knowledgeable about the Muslim faith and I could tell she also practiced her faith.

I was struck by the depth of knowledge that she exhibited and was a bit convicted of my own faith. If someone where to set up an interview with me, would I be able to answer with the same amount of knowledge and thought on Christianity? Do I truly know what I believe and why I believe it? Sasha made the comment that she was thankful to be born into a Muslim family because practicing Islam came easily for her. Yet she knew that she might take some things for granted because she was so familiar with it all, and lacked perhaps the passion of someone who made the decision to convert to Islam. I think this is true of many Christians as well. I know that I grew up in a Christian home and so much of our faith is familiar and I probably do take things for granted. Doing this interview with Sasha helped me to look at my own life and faith in a different light.

I also really appreciated hearing the perspective of someone outside of our textbook reading and the videos and other materials we have looked at for class. Recently we watched a video on hajj, the Islamic ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca. This is required for every Muslim to perform at least once in their lifetime. Sasha is planning to go to Mecca next year and as she was talking I was able to picture her there based on the video that we watched.

Even though I will probably not see her again, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have met her and experience this interview. I am praying for Sasha, that she will come to understand the truth and experience the hope that is found in knowing that God has a place in heaven for us. I can also now pray with more understanding for Muslims around the world and here in the Dallas area, as I continue to learn more about their religion.

Jesus Saves

Jesus Saves
By Jeremy Camp

Hope is here
Shout the news to everyone
It's a new day, peace has come
Jesus saves
Mercy triumphs at the cross
Love has come to rescue us
Jesus saves

Hope is here
What a joyful noise we'll make
As we join with heaven's song...

CHORUS:
To let all the world know that Jesus saves
Raise a shout
To let all the world know that Jesus saves

Free at last
Every debt has been repaid
Broken hearts can be remade
Jesus saves
See above the storms of life
See it through the darkest nights
Jesus saves

Free at last
What a joyful noise we'll make
And we join in heaven's song...

CHORUS

He'll save, he'll heal, restore, reveal
The Father's heart to us
He rose to raise us from the grave
His spirit lives in us

Why is it so important that Jesus saves? Many people believe in Jesus as a prophet, or historical figure. Does it matter if He was fully divine and fully human at the same time? This has been a debate through the centuries, and causes division even today. But if Jesus didn't come to save, if he didn't have the power to save us from the punishment of sin (death), then in what do we put our faith? Do we hope to get to heaven based on our own merit, trying to live our lives to the very best of our ability, and just praying it's enough? Many people around the world are desperate for some assurance of salvation, but in their own religions or paths they find none. This is the power of Jesus Christ and the message we can offer as Christians. Our job is to walk across the street or across the office, to fly across the ocean, to tell the world that Jesus saves.

Lessons from Jehoshaphat

Today our office met for a time of listening to God and lifting up our praises and challenges. Pete led us to 2 Chronicles chapter 20. I don't know about you, but 2 Chronicles probably wouldn't be my first thought as a go-to passage, but in chapter 20 we find this amazing story of God's provision, faithfulness and the wonderful response of His people in the face of great difficulty.


Here's the "Sarah Version" summary of the story:
Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah, and he heard that a huge army of enemy nations was advancing toward his own people. He decided to go before the Lord, and in front of all the peoples, led in this amazing prayer honoring God and asking for his judgment and power to be shown to the enemy. One of the men among the group proclaimed a message from God, that the Lord was going to fight on their behalf. The people worshiped the Lord then and there, and prepared to meet the coming army. As they set out the next day, Jehoshaphat realized that the power was not in their weapons or physical strength, but in God's might, and they sent a group ahead to sing praises to God. The Lord did indeed fight the battle on their behalf, and the warring nations fought amongst themselves, wiping each other out. When Jehoshaphat and his army arrived, the whole enemy army was already dead. They got together again and praised the Lord for how He had delivered them. This was a witness to the nations around them of God's sovereignty and power.


I was really amazed reading and reflecting on this story. There are so many "mountains" in the path of our organization right now: the long process of remodeling the building, budget shortfalls, personal transitions and struggles in the lives of individual staff members, the need to recruit and train teams to go to the unreached areas, and many more. Yet, the battle is the Lord's. This doesn't mean we sit by and let Him do all the work. Jehoshaphat and his army still went out to meet the enemy to do battle. But instead we need have our focus in the right place. I love how they sent out the group to lead the way in singing and praising God. My focus is so often on how big the challenges are that I forget to give praise to the One who can move mountains.

Do you have a struggle in your life right now that threatens to overtake you? I encourage you to read 2 Chronicles for yourself and look to our powerful God to fight the battle for you.

Reaching Our Neighbors

Perhaps you have heard about the church in Florida that is going to hold a Qu'ran burning day on September 11th in remembrance of the terrorist attacks that occurred 9 years ago. I do not know the pastor personally and have not tried to discern all of the reasons behind this decision, but I just wanted to share a different response.

I am taking a class called Understanding Islam this semester. I am learning that one huge key word is "understand". This does not mean that I agree with the religion of Islam or what is in the Qu'ran but instead it means that I am not just making judgments, or condemning or responding in hate without taking the time to really seek to learn.

What does Christ command us? Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV) says, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone". I am learning in my class and have learned from other instances that the best way to share the love of Jesus with a Muslim is to build a relationship. How do we build relationships if we respond in hate toward them? I do not see that burning or destroying the holy book of another religion will help us to share the Gospel truth with people from that religion.

I have added a devotional given by my professor for additional consideration.

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb."

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." Colossians 4:5-6

These are three passages of scripture that have guided me as I prepared this course. Of course, there are many more passages that I have grown to love as I relate to Muslims and eager to find a story from scripture that would point to God. I will share many of these passages over the course of this semester, and hopefully, there will be additional passages brought to light that will be good preparation for our encounters with Muslims.

One of my overarching beliefs is that we must be ready to engage all peoples in a world who have yet to come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Many of these are, of course, Muslims. Muslims do believe in God (Muslims use the Arabic word Allah for God.)

The Apostle Peter tells us to always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks. To me, this means to slander another faith by not knowing what they believe serves only to discredit my own faith. That is one reason why this course is so significant. This course is preparing you to give an answer. But what exactly are their questions? I love what Peter was saying in 1 Peter 3:15.

First, what is it that Muslims actually believe? We must have a basic understanding of what Muslims believe so that we can be prepared to give witness to the hope that we have. Steven Covey, in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, provided some excellent principles for daily living.

One of those habits was the idea of listening FIRST before trying to be understood. He makes the point that we have to earn the right to be heard. I believe that is especially true for Muslims. We must listen (and learn) first to understand, before we are to do the explaining. Muslims have heard our doctrinal shouting and have seen us preaching at them with fists clinched. Their prejudices and stereotypes about what they think are true about Christians keeps them from hearing our message. In reality, they often cannot see our lives and hear our words up close in a relationship.

Maybe, just maybe, we need to learn what it is they believe so that we do not discredit our own living witness. I strongly believe that only in comparison can we really begin to sort out what it is WE really believe. It is in the contrasts that we establish our own doctrinal “ non-negotiables” (If one cannot explain their hope in Christ, then how can one expect to share something they don't own?). If we do not know what we believe about sin and what is distinctive about how to resolve sin, how can we differentiate our sin over what a Muslim believes? The answers we have to these kinds of questions are important: Is the Bible the only source of truth? What do I believe about prophets, angels? Judgment Day? They are significant to how we will explain these biblical concepts to Muslims.

Many students have come away from this course and have said, “ Only after taking this course have I come to better understand and explain what it is I truly believe.” If that becomes your testimony after taking this course, then as your professor, I have accomplished more than I had ever hoped.

Read the next passage, Colossians 4:5-6. Yes, Muslims are outsiders, but as Christians, we should want to bring them in as covenant insiders. As we learn about what Muslims believe about God, his word, and his character, we must learn to season our words so that the gospel message is tasty. Have you ever taken a bite of food that had been overly salted? Remember how utterly tasteless the food was in our mouths? In fact, the salt was so strong that you couldn’t even taste the actual food. Often Christians have the appetizing biblical food and have prepared the food to be enjoyed, but our testifying “salt” has kept outsiders from experiencing the life-giving food. We want just enough salt so that they will yearn for living water. One litmus test to measure if we are ready to share our faith with a Muslim is this: “Can I explain my faith and not be angry?”

Paul reminds us that we should learn how to respond to each person – individually. It would be impossible (and it’s not even biblical) to take a cookie-cutter gospel message, package it, and present it to each person in the same way. Sometimes, we throw our “gospel gift” at Muslims. God forbid that we would not take the time to understand the person – his beliefs, his worldview, his culture – and tailor a message just for him. Did not Jesus craft a message that was tailored for a particular person? The word given to the Samaritan woman was uniquely for her. The challenge to Nicodemus was for him (John 3). Did not the Lord do that with you? Did we all come by the same person with the same testimony in the same place and time? No way! Jesus knows each individual and knows how to explain who he is and for what purpose he came. Our job is to “show up” and be ready. In the same way, Muslims need a message that they can hear, understand, and respond to. Just because we offer a Bible verse does not necessarily mean they “ received” the intended message. So often, well-minded Christians have tried to explain God using prepared messages, plans, programs, and strategies, thinking that the message has been encoded and received, when in reality, the “ words” had no contextual meaning. Remember, Muslims already have theological words like sin, heaven, grace, in their vocabulary. It is our job to practice, trains and equip ourselves to explain the wonderful Gospel message and bring a new definition to their vocabulary words. Our words must have meaning for Muslims for our testimony to have meaning for them.

Why do we do all this? Because Rev. 7:9 tells us a day will come when there will be Muslims – from every tribe, nation and people at the throne room. Yes, there will be Muslims worshiping the Lord at the throne. Does that amaze you that God loves Muslims? I challenge you to lay aside everything you ever thought you knew about Muslims and begin to encounter the world of Islam to learn about these awesome and wonderful people. Throughout this semester, you will discover how to do this, and ultimately, how God is going to use you in that plan – I can’t wait to see how he prepares to use us all.

Revelation 7:9