Life as an Asker

My kids love to do everything Brian and I do.  Our gifts for Elam this Christmas: a play trumpet and tool set reflect this.  They love to use those mini grocery carts at our neighborhood store.  But we all know what happens when little kids try to act like adults.  Here is Calista about to pummel her third display… all smiles:)

As I reflect about what it means to follow Jesus during a new reading of Luke, I’ve noticed that even the Pharisees are following Jesus.  Does it mean just doing what Jesus did?  Going where He went?

In the first 7 chapters the Pharisees are right in the midst of everything — In the roofless home where the paralytic was healed and forgiven, at Levi’s banquet, in the grain fields during their Sabbath way and in the synagogues.  One of them even held a dinner with Jesus as the Special guest.

Did they too “follow “Jesus”?

They accuse Jesus of blasphemy.  They critique His evangelistic strategy of hanging out with sinners.  They question, perhaps, how spiritual these men really are without fasting and prayer as they are used to.  They try to accuse Him and by chapter 6 are ready to plan the execution.

We don’t want following Jesus to be that.  Perhaps “following” means more than, or less than, we think it is.

Thanks to Mike at Biblica for “The Books of the Bible – NT” – a new way to read just the text without numbers or headings!

I hate my carpet.  I am a bit of a cleaning freak (I like to clean – it’s restful for me to get things organized).  Our living room, dining room & Elam’s rooms are covered in white carpet.  Let me try that again: it used to be covered with white carpet.  Now it’s grey-white with paint, food, dirt and I am sorry to say, poop stains.  The poop is in Elam’s room.  I just can’t get it out.

I read Don Everts “Go and Do Likewise” last weekend when I couldn’t sleep.  (Actually there was some thump in the night and I couldn’t go to sleep for fear of someone coming into my room to knock me over the head.  Dumb…)

Anyhow, he wrote about the fact that Jesus called his audience “salt.”  Back then, salt preserved.  It kept things from rotting.  Everts says that although we cannot stop the overall deterioration of the world, we can slow it down.  In fact, he encourages us to go and do something so that it will rot more slowly while we are alive.

I used to ask God, why do I get such a blessed life?  Financially we are pretty well off.  Brian and I both have college degrees and I managed to even finish my Masters this summer.  Our kids are healthy.  We (mostly) have job security.

Genesis 12 tells us why: it is to bless others.  Not to keep it.  Not to get applause.  Not to save more.  Not to get new floors even though our carpets are downright disgusting.   All that will not last. And I think it can actually only add to the rotting of our culture (our old nasty white carpet won’t just disappear, right?).

For the Askers, it means, for now, forgoing a new floor and maybe new kitchen cabinets and all the other home improvement projects we’d love to do.  Instead, we are saving as much as we can to pay for the fees to get one little Chinese boy or girl to Duluth, MN.  We hope to bless him/her and our other home made kids so much so that they can bless the world.

We are salt.  The world should be different because we follow Jesus.

I love cookie cutters. We got these sweet princess themed ones for Calista’s birthday. We eat castle PB and J’s, grilled cheese crowns and glass slipper cheese slices.

What I don’t like is how Christianity – especially the “religion” Christianity – is seen like a cookie cutter. I just read Dan Savage and his possibly honest critique of “Christians.” He nailed us on not obeying the Bible in some areas (sex, divorce) while others we tout and lord over others (abortion, homosexuality). For lack of a better term, I’ll say “outsiders.” Some outsiders do assume that when we say we are Christians, we mean Republican, conservative, prudish, judgmental, brainless… need I go on?

For more on Savage (see http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/05/dan-savage-accused-of-bullying-promoting-promiscuity/).

But perhaps what drives me more nuts is when people on the “inside” start doing it. I may be treading on some thin ice and I may even be wrong, but hear me out. Since when did we assume that there is one way to follow Jesus? And has The Great Commission somehow become the first commandment? I’m talking about some of what is happening in the fight for a justice-driven, missional, radical church or people.

I am getting tired of reading the same challenges: stop drinking lattes and give to the poor. Go to the ends of the earth and stop taking vacations.

OK – for the record. I am on board with most of the ideas. We need to hear these voices. Give radically. Go to the ends of the earth (I do like the Bible, just so you know). I’m on staff with an organization that sometimes gets critiqued about the lack of evangelism and too much justice. I get it. I really do.

Are we materialistic in this world? Yes. Are there better ways to use our money and fix some problems on the planet? Yep. I’d rather we invest in people in Africa who need water than search other planets to see if there is water or platinum on them (see http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/news/billionaires-aim-to-make-trillions-mining-asteroids-8310208)

But what I’m not on board for is making some hierarchy for true discipleship. If we give more money that is somehow more godly than our spiritual discipline. Or if we are out talking to all of our neighbors daily about Jesus, that is more important than loving our spouses.

What happened to seeking God? Listening to the whole word of God. Using our brains. God said go, but I believe He also says stay – Jeremiah 29. Matthew 10:11.

What happened to loving God with everything I have and am? And if I would be so bold, how are we corporately respond to the call to go, not just individuals making decisions to really follow Jesus?

As the outside critiques swirl around our heads and as finger pointing happens within our church families, doesn’t it just make you want Jesus to come back? Doesn’t it make you throw up your hands and say – what the bleep?

If I can be so bold (or cheesy), we are cookies created in His Image.  I think our tasks include knowing so we know His shape and purpose.  Secondly, somehow, we are called to live that out. Yikes.  But does that mean we are look the same?

Perhaps when we look at our global church as a whole, and not just at individuals, we begin to see the broader shape of God.  Some of us get some things right, some wrong.  But hopefully, as a whole, we are growing closer to His image.

And in case any of you are thinking the same thing, I am hoping and praying God brings some lumberjacks to deal with the huge logs in my eyes as I focus on the specks elsewhere.

I recently finished two (ok, almost finished the second one… let’s not add lying to my list of sins today… Good grief. I just started blogging and already with the parentheses). Let me try again: I just studied to different Bible studies with friends at church about revival and spiritual freedom. I believe both are possible but I gotta tell ya, it feels like the exception instead of the normal in my realm lately.

What is your issue? I have many but my temper is really rearing its ugly, loud head lately. If I were speaking to you, perhaps you could help me feel better by listing your sins… But what is the deal?! I mean really. Freedom in Christ, life in Christ, access to the resurrection power: I am ON BOARD. But does it always feel like we live that way?

Where is the way out?

There are a few of you I have spoken to lately about such issues. How can we cling to God, be obedient and live a life worthy of the calling… yet know we are going to screw up royally probably before even breathing the ‘amen’ to that?!

I remember saying at some point recently that the good news is for everyone – the lost, the prostitute, the pole dancer, the Republican, the vegan, the lawyer, the teacher, the IVCF staff worker and the disciples of Christ. If not, why did Paul, Peter and John spend SO MUCH time telling us what Christ has done for us?
We need reminding, don’t we? I do. Perhaps that is why I sat down to write today. It’s not for you hurting out there, but for the mom who wants to be less of a yeller and more of a light shining in the darkness. I need reminding: Jesus died for me too. He still forgives me. He is Immanuel: God with me. When I yell, when I’m patient, when Calista has her third tantrum in three hours (that is another story…) or when I sit down for a quiet moment of blogging.

May we remember this this Christmas – it’s not just about The Light shining in the darkness “out there” but also “in here.”

Come Lord Jesus. Come Immanuel.

I remember this poster from my high school days. Not sure what hope that poor frog actually has and how it is supposed to inspire us, but nevertheless, here on Google images, it still lives. Underneath it is supposed to say “Don’t give up.”

Something similar to this has become a moniker of sorts for me lately – don’t give in.

Examples:
I refuse to pay for someone else to shred my cheese (most of the time the shredded cheese is ridiculously more expensive than the blocks).

I refuse to go disposable diapers even though Elam’s poop is getting really gross!

I refuse to get worked up about how little or often I get to work out. Just not gonna’ do it.

I refuse to worry about what others think of me: we don’t do halloween for instance. Or we only do fair trade chocolate because of child slave labor. Or we try to buy clothes from companies that don’t use unfair practices. I’m not saving the world, but every little bit helps!

We refused to give in to the idea that we “need” two cars. My parents’ generosity and some awesome trade ins, plus savings has brought us a fantastic van. Brian and I just get to communicate very clearly about our daily plans and need!

We refuse to give into materialism in new ways this Christmas, by the grace of God, and are doing a lot of donations as gifts this year for the first time.

Lastly, we refuse to live a sheltered life up here in the the ‘burbs of Duluth. We get out of our bubble, are lining up volunteering in an outreach center downtown with our kids and try try try to influence others to do the same. We just don’t want to only be worried about “protecting” our children. We want to learn about the pain in our world. Learn about sex trafficking.

I am working on a graduate degree at Wheaton College. The intercultural studies department, of which I am a part, just made t-shirts. Super sweet quote from Henri Nouwen is on the back:
the spiritual life does not remove us from the world
but leads us deeper into it.

Shane Claiborne also said in a talk I heard recently this: “Maybe when you came to Jesus He cleaned up your life and made it great. Praise God! But ever since I became a Christian, He has done nothing but mess me up!”

I think it’s high time we all invited God to mess us up! Don’t give in to the world’s ideas of goodness! Don’t give up!

Our family has chosen some simple things to do and I think it’s so small compared to the world’s needs. And this isn’t meant to be a brag list. I’m trying to learn how to not give in and want to go deeper in the world, finding the needs and not giving up while joining God is what He is doing to bring Shalom/peace. Challenge me! Tell me how you are refusing to give in.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — Jesus