So to ease the day and to thank my amazing university workers for joining me throughout the day, I headed to Fitch's IGA to pick up a half dozen of some of the most delicious doughnuts on the planet. Seriously, if you visit Wilmore, you have to get some but be EARLY. I was told they make 300 every morning and by the time I got there at 7:40 there were maybe 50 left and all the glazed were gone. ANYWAY... I walked back towards the bakery counter and noticed that the regular group of older gentlemen that go there every morning to drink coffee, eat doughnuts and solve the world's problems had been joined by two young men, obviously younger and looking very much out of place. I figured that they were probably grandsons of the regulars who had been roped into hanging with Granddad that day.
As I gathered my doughnuts, I couldn't but overhear the conversation. Luke would say I was eavesdropping but I promise it wasn't hard; they were speaking quite loudly as sometimes people of that age tend to do. I heard one gentleman say, "Well, I'm glad you joined us today! Most of you wouldn't think to do that." One of the younger men replied, "Really, why?" Another older man answered, "Because we scare you young folks I think!" That got a laugh all the way around and the young man said, "We don't scare easy. It was nice to sit and talk with you guys this morning."
My heart was touched. Mostly because that older gentleman was right. I don't care who you are. It IS scary to walk up to a bunch of strangers who are obviously different than you in looks, traditions, appearance, likes and dislikes, and background and say, "Hey, can we join you?" Old people and young people. Poor and rich. American and international. Singles and married. Believers and non-believers.
I look at Jesus and his ministry. He was the king of crossing those boundaries. Most obviously, he left heaven to come join us here on earth. But while he was here, he went to the hurt, the tired, the hungry, the poor, the unloved, the unwanted, the rich, the religious, the young, the old... everyone. He didn't wait for them to come to Him. He went into homes, into countrysides, into bars, into boats, and into synagogues. His disciples were a motley crew of tax collectors, fishermen, philosophers, and business men. In some places, he made friends. In others, he was seen as an enemy. But it never stopped him from going. Sometimes he went "undercover" and sometimes with great fanfare. Sometimes he looked from afar first and prepared himself with prayer and sometimes he withdrew so he could recharge with His Father. But he went. Over and over again, he went. He healed, he held, he loved, he rebuked, he taught and he cried. He was present with those he longed to reach.
Then I thought about our churches. Buildings where we assemble. Places we encourage people to "go." And by "go" I don't mean "Go into all the world." but instead I mean, "Would you like to GO to church?" We hold programs in our churches and ask the people to come to us. But is that the model we were shown? This past summer our home church held a great event called Invastion 2013. The concept was simply this. Instead of sending a group of our teens on a missions trips hundreds or thousands of miles away, we would send a group of our teens and church members on a missions trip... next door. For one week, our youth group lived at church and every morning they WENT. We went to retirement homes and other churches, we went to gyms to hold basketball camps and the projects to hold Day camp. We loaded up a bus of kids who may never have made it out of Chambersburg and took them to a lake to swim and play all day. And we covered the whole thing in prayer and the message of the gospel. And let me tell you. It wasn't easy. It was a lot scarier for our teens to serve their neighbors whose faces they knew than the faceless masses far away. It took courage, strength and a whole lot of grace. As a result, our community saw the church "going" and a few of those teens are still serving in the places we "went" and continue to share the love of Christ where the love is most needed.
Then I thought about our churches. Buildings where we assemble. Places we encourage people to "go." And by "go" I don't mean "Go into all the world." but instead I mean, "Would you like to GO to church?" We hold programs in our churches and ask the people to come to us. But is that the model we were shown? This past summer our home church held a great event called Invastion 2013. The concept was simply this. Instead of sending a group of our teens on a missions trips hundreds or thousands of miles away, we would send a group of our teens and church members on a missions trip... next door. For one week, our youth group lived at church and every morning they WENT. We went to retirement homes and other churches, we went to gyms to hold basketball camps and the projects to hold Day camp. We loaded up a bus of kids who may never have made it out of Chambersburg and took them to a lake to swim and play all day. And we covered the whole thing in prayer and the message of the gospel. And let me tell you. It wasn't easy. It was a lot scarier for our teens to serve their neighbors whose faces they knew than the faceless masses far away. It took courage, strength and a whole lot of grace. As a result, our community saw the church "going" and a few of those teens are still serving in the places we "went" and continue to share the love of Christ where the love is most needed.
Those college students saw a need. For whatever reason, they felt called that day to sit down with some older men and share Christ's love that day. To break down the barrier of old and young, university and townsmen, us and them and to just be Christ to those gentlemen. As I was heading out, I heard one of the young men say, "Can we pray with you before we leave today?" My heart leapt. THIS IS CHURCH! I had to say something as I checked out to the college guys. I simply said, "Thank you. That needs to happen more often. God bless you."
Luke and I are blessed to know a number of people that have followed the call to "go." For some that means opening their home and having teens over for dinner and for others than means being available to talk and pray whenever needed. For others the call is to literally "go" and for them it means uprooting and moving their life and family to the place where they see that need. One family who is very special to us is currently in that process. Greg and Bethany Glidden feel a call on their life to leave their home in PA and move to the Bronx, NY to reach out to the many people who live there and need to see Jesus living today. In the past, the Gliddens have served in China and are currently program coordinators for Priority 1, a missions organization that sends youth groups various places included the Bronx. While in the Bronx, they would serve as the leaders of those groups and coordinate places for services while serving themselves throughout the times where groups aren't present. It is not an easy choice to make and it requires a great deal of faith and financial support. But they are "going". My next blog is going to "feature" them with a few questions and answers and give them a chance to share their heart and vision. I am blessed to be able to share this space with people like them and challenged in my own walk to be "going" as an "ambassador of reconciliation" for the world around me.
It IS scary but it is so worth it!!
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