Holy Naivete

I just returned from some sabbatical time that I was granted by West Ridge Church. It’s given to our Pastor/Director Team members every five years. The focus of these four weeks was family and renewal. I have been asking God to restore me to some healthy life rhythms. I had let things get pretty unbalanced recently, and I think it was starting to show.
One of the things I did to renew my spirit was listen to my favorite worship tunes. One of my favorite worship CD’s is from Mars Hill Bible Church. They sing a song called, ‘Enchanted’. Unfortunately, Disney has monopolized the word and turned it into a princess movie, but that is beside the point.
Two words stick out from that song every time I hear it. You guessed ‘em, ‘Holy Naivete’. The word naïve and most of the synonyms are generally used as negative descriptions, but it has some positive meanings. One is this, “Admirably straightforward and uncomplicated, or refreshingly innocent and unaffected.” Another definition is “To have an excessively simple and trusting view of the world.”
For me I want this phrase to be a description of my personal faith. Even when we are trusting God for the ‘big’ things in our life, faith should be relatively simple. Faith that there is a God that can do whatever he wants. Faith that says this same Creator God has plans to prosper and not to harm me, and a hope and a future. Faith that knows even when the Father is silent, He is not absent.
I want to commit to not allowing life’s practicalities and busyness to crowd out my faith.

God give me the gift of Holy Naivete.

http://www.musicatmars.com/worship/lyrics/Enchanted.pdf

Could This Be True Of Me?

I am posting a reading from My Utmost For His Highest. March 4th and 5th he unpacks one of my favorite verses, Acts 20:24. I thought this was powerful. ~Everyone Belongs, Paul

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself.” Acts 20:24

It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis.

What do I really count dear? If I have not been gripped by Jesus Christ, I will count service dear, time given to God dear, my life dear unto myself. Paul says he counted his life dear only in order that he might fulfil the ministry he had received; he refused to use his energy for any other thing. Acts 20:24 states Paul’s almost sublime annoyance at being asked to consider himself; he was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Practical work may be a competitor against abandonment to God, because practical work is based on this argument – Remember how ‘useful you are here, or – Think how much value you would be in that particular type of work.” That attitude does not put Jesus Christ as the Guide as to where we should go, but our judgment as to where we are of most use. Never consider whether you are of use; but ever consider that you are not your own but His.

Get a job

I was sitting in my favorite coffee shop getting things done over a month ago with the news caught my attention. Five or six companies announced layoffs that meant 50, 60, 70 thousand people were losing their jobs. 

When I sit and read the news I try to ask the question, what’s a Christ-follower to do? What should be the response of the church? It seems like all of us know someone without a job right now. 

It is a very helpless feeling when someone comes to you and says they are out of work. Even more helpless when they are losing their house or cannot feed their family because they have no income. Sometimes it even feels helpless to just say, “I’m praying for you.” Prayer is the most powerful weapon in a Christ followers toolbox, but as one author says, We have to pray as Christians, not Theist.
In a book that has really shaped me called, The Holy Longing, Ronald Rolheiser unpacks this thought. He says that the prayers of a Christ follower have to be ‘incarnational’.

Rolheiser writes, “If I see colleague or friend who looks depressed and pray for her, but do not speak to her, then I am praying like a theist, not as a Christian. If I pray for a friend today but do not send him a postcard to tell him I am thinking about him, how is that prayer supposed to touch him? If I pray for world peace, but do not, inside myself, forgive those who have hurt me, how can God bring about peace on this planet?

Our prayer needs our flesh to back it up.”

So I talked to a friend about the job thing. His name is Craig. He’s a go-getter, a kill it and drag it home kind of guy, and I asked what if our church could just do something simple to help connect people to available jobs. Well, Craig is all over it. He started calling employers, and people looking for work to discover the ins and outs of this.

We found something. A lot of people without jobs right now are depressed and not even trying. If you lose your job, don’t go home and watch the news. I personally know people, who have thrown up their hands and are just going to wait for things to turn around before they get back to work. It’s such a tough place to be.  People are nervous, scared, afraid, and without hope. Many don’t know Jesus personally. I think I lessen my chances of them coming to know Him if I just say, I’m praying for you. Not a bad thing, but it needs flesh.

So we’ve started with something simple. We posted a page at www.westridge.com/jobs that can act as a simple hub to help you brainstorm where to go to find your next opportunity. Craig also started a facebook group (http://tinyurl.com/an4ewf). As opportunities come in we post them. In the last three weeks a small number of folks have found jobs through these resources and others have found solid leads. We’re posting events at other churches and resources from our Chamber of Commerce and Local Department of Labor Office, and a few others. We’re willing to post more as information comes to us. It’s our way of putting a little flesh to our prayers.

At the bottom of the page on the West Ridge website you can e-mail me and let me know if you are looking. I have a list of folks I have prayed for, and will continue to.

Everyone Belongs, 

Paul

Wanna Be In A Movie?

I got a call yesterday from a hollywood casting agency who are giving us a unique opportunity. On February 28th and March 1st the movie, “Get Low” is being shot in Dallas, GA. The movie stars, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Tim McGraw (no idea he could act) and Bill Murray. 

We have been invited to advertise for extras in our church. Our church will be given a small kickback for everyone who attends, but this will just be a fun experience. Saturday, February 28th will for sure be a long day. You will start early in the morning around 7 AM ‘ish’ and it will be a 10-12 hour day. You are a volunteer (the kickback is not that great) so you can leave anytime, but that is what they need. The movie is set in the Depression Era and you will will be given instructions for how to dress and prepare.

If you would like to be a part, please send an e-mail to extrascastingatlanta@gmail.com. Include your name, the church’s name, and your phone number. You will be sent further instruction.

We have no real idea as to the further content of the movie. West Ridge is not responsible for it, or endorsing it. Just go have fun!

Everyone Belongs, 

Paul

Ham or Condoms?

Inside every church and community are everyday heroes. The people that give their lives away to others just because they are fleshing out what it looks like to ‘love your neighbor’ as Jesus commanded.

We have tons of those at West Ridge. One couple is Jake and Natalie. Jake and Natalie have adopted a community near their home. They have collaborated with other families to meet needs and build relationships, and God has blessed their efforts in tremendous ways. If you attend West Ridge and drive in from 92 North, (Bentwater, Seven Hills, Parts of Brookstone, etc.) you have to pass this community to get to our campus. It’s a community filled with tremendous need. Broken down homes filled with people who have to make difficult choices that most folks in suburbia are not faced with.

Natalie had a conversation with a gal in this community recently. A young woman stamped with the image of God from the moment of creation. Finances are very difficult. There are days when this family is not able to have even one meal. Natalie attempted to celebrate the news of the pending addition to this family only to get this response (I’m paraphrasing), “Some times you have to choose, whether to buy food or other things you need. You know, you get to the check out counter at the grocery store, and it’s like, Ham? or Condoms?”

Quick question; How would Jesus answer that question? He probably would answer it with a question himself, or maybe a series of them.

As followers of Jesus we can help answer the question and see what it would look like for the kingdom of God to incarnate in the places it is needed most. It takes sacrifice. It takes time…lots of it, but isn’t that what we are here for. We are here to play our part in redeeming the earth for the return of the King.

Where are you doing that? Where will you do that?

Everyone Belongs, 

Paul

You could just tell (People matter)

In a church of 4,000 people, only God knows the number of hurts that walk in the door. It’s easy to be anonymous in a big church. Most believers treat Sunday morning like a vacation. It doesn’t matter what time we get there, and when we do, it’s all for us. That tends to create a problem for the person who walks in off the street and has a felt need right that moment. Who reaches out? Who breaks from the fellowship long enough to pray with someone? At least the Pastors and staff are there, and surely none of them have arrived just to make sure they are in the right social graces.

Wait a minute! People just walk in off the street! Is our church designed for this?

4,000 people, and every week I ask for just one. A few weeks back now; he came in. He was picking up literature from our new ‘firedog’ information center (long story). He was about 6ft. 3in, African American, and the look on his face said, ‘Help’. How many people passed him? Who is supposed to talk to him? Don’t we have a host team for this?

Looking through the information we had available (I think it involved women’s Bible studies) I approached. A couple words of greeting, and scales came off his face. Someone was speaking to him. In this moment, I’m not a Pastor, He’s not in the ‘in-crowd’, I’m just one anglo 6 inches too short for face to face conversation. I’m a Christ-follower. I’m the hands and feet. I’m a priest.

He had been living in his car. He hadn’t eaten in two days. He’s not from around here. He just thought here, someone would talk to him, help him, listen to him.

His story takes a different form every single week. More examples to come.

(I had set several post to come up automatically, and must have done something wrong. Working on getting this going again)

EVERYONE Belongs,

Paul

People matter

At West Ridge Church we share a value with thousands of other churches. I think Willow Creek must have put this down on paper somewhere first, but here it is. “People matter to God, and, therefore, ought to matter to the church.” It’s amazing that we even have to put this one down, but we do. Being a part of a church from the beginning allows you to see a ton of miracles and blessings. Perhaps I was ignorant, but I never would have guessed that the more people we have the more intentional you have to be to minister to them. The more we grow the more we have to remind ourselves, “people matter.”

I haven’t gotten my blog on in the new year, but I have a little bit of inspiration from some people that I have been allowed to invest in this week. So over the next couple of days, I’m going to share some current stories that have served as a reminder to me. It will be an exercise for me, and hopefully will benefit others as well.

Everyone Belongs, 

Paul

People matter

At West Ridge Church we share a value with thousands of other churches. I think Willow Creek must have put this down on paper somewhere first, but here it is. “People matter to God, and, therefore, ought to matter to the church.” It’s amazing that we even have to put this one down, but we do. Being a part of a church from the beginning allows you to see a ton of miracles and blessings. Perhaps I was ignorant, but I never would have guessed that the more people we have the more intentional you have to be to minister to them. The more we grow the more we have to remind ourselves, “people matter.”

I haven’t gotten my blog on in the new year, but I have a little bit of inspiration from some people that I have been allowed to invest in this week. So over the next couple of days, I’m going to share some current stories that have served as a reminder to me. It will be an exercise for me, and hopefully will benefit others as well.

Everyone Belongs, 

Paul

Update is coming!

We are working to get pictures and video up so that everyone can see what it looked like in this building last night. I’ll put a summary of thoughts up in the next day or so as well.

We served 1200+ families and had 4,000+ ( VERY conservatively) come for Christmas assistance. Thanks to everyone who contributed financially and volunteered.

God bless you and Merry Christmas.

Everyone Belongs, 

Paul

This is Christmas!

So here it is, the day before a big day. 4 months ago the idea of a couple people to throw a Christmas party to families in need has turned into a God-given opportunity to touch 1500 families with the “kindness of God  that leads to repentance” (Rom. 2). The ‘party’ happens tomorrow.

A couple things: This would not be possible if we made this all about us. After years of investment in the same community (by our church) the power of partnership is ‘expanding our territory’ more than anything else. We have partnered with multiple community groups and key non-profits to be able to reach out. Because of the generosity of our church, our community ,and the 4 other churches who have partnered with West Ridge Church (Pumpkinvine Baptist, Hope Methodist, Church at the Ridge, Cedarcrest Church) we will have enough food and gifts for every family.

Even if a family does not come to the party, food boxes are being delivered Monday. 1500 families will get some kind of Christmas assistance.

So one last challenge: For whomever reads this today and tomorrow, please pray for what is going to happen on this campus. We are praying with great expectations. God has shown us this was His idea. And He has stepped in to make sure it happens the right way.

Along with prayer here is some encouragement. My wife and I have cut back on Christmas this year. There are lots of reasons for it, and none of them have to do with personal hardship. It is very simple. We are extraordinarily blessed.  Over the years we have become more aware of the needs in our own community, and with my travels to Burkina Faso, the lens with which we see the world has changed. I’m not trying to be pious. My boys are getting some good gifts! We are just not going overboard. The main reason for cutting back was to be sure we engaged with A Fresh Hope and CAYA and the West Ridge Gift Offering, even if in just a small way, without letting the season pass us by.

Don’t let the season pass you by. We can still use canned goods and gifts tomorrow. And if you go to West Ridge (or another church that is doing something similar), the easiest thing you can do to engage this community and the world at Christmas is to give a larger gift to Christ than any other single gift you are giving this year. Participate in the Gift Offering this year as a way of thanking God for all the good gifts He sends our way.

I’ll post an update on this event tomorrow night or Monday.

Everyone Belongs, 

Paul