225 N Waco ~ Wichita KS

Drop In The Bucket

On Facebook, I follow a woman who is the “24-7 Street Ministry” and operates the “Dream House” in Southeast Wichita. Each day (rather each night) she drives South and North Broadway and other places where prostitution and trafficking are going on. She finds and befriends women, and if they agree she takes them out of their situation and off the streets. She gives them a safe place to stay and provides basic necessities, counseling and health services, and works with them to find employment, a place to live, and more than anything else, Jesus Christ.
I am copying her last two Facebook posts to give you an idea, not only of what she does, but also of what is happening in the City of Wichita as the rest of us go about our lives.

(Day 1)
We got a call to pick up a beautiful pregnant woman. We got her, fed her, brought her home, gave her pretty clothes & put clean bedding on her bed. She was in the shower & me and my other girl went to our beds. We heard crying…she was in the shower praising God: “Thank you Lord, thank you Lord, thank you Lord” & then she would start crying harder. My girl said “Oh, another miracle in this house, I can go back to bed now” She said “ONLY in this house is this kind of thing normal, Michelle”

(Day 2)
What a day!!
Dropped our pregnant lady off at an appointment
Saw my Dad at the hospital (he is doing lots better)
Picked up our newest roommate from QT (that makes 4 of us now)
Picked up 2 more girls who needed housewares, clothes & diapers
Took 5 of them to New Life Thrift Store to shop like Princesses
Picked up a friend from the doctor
Visited one of our girls who had a stroke in the hospital
Took some food to a Princess in a motel
Got the alarm set for 7am to start over : )

The work that Michelle does is but a drop in the bucket. In a very real way also, the work that is done by Carpenter Place, Circle of Love Maternity Home, ICT S.O.S., Simple House, the Child Advocacy Center, MICU (Missing and Exploited Children’s Unit of Sedgwick County) and other ministries and organizations of that type are drops in the bucket.
But as is said in a poem written in the 1950’s as part of a musical play called “For Heaven’s Sake” by Helen Kromer, one drop can make a real difference.

A drop in a bucket is only a drop; a minor and moist detail.
For a drop can’t change the color and taste in a ten quart watering pail.
But if the drop has the color of love, and the taste of tears divine;
One drop, dropped into the vessel of life, can turn the water to wine.

Ordinary Christians

My sister posted a Facebook article last week that was written by someone who was struggling with the meaning of the words “missional” and “radical” when used in a Christian context. It seems that there is a subgroup of Christians who believe that unless a Christian gives up the ordinary and routine of life in favor of the exceptional and uncommon, he or she is not being missional or radical.
In an article written by Anthony Brady in “World” magazine, Brady says that “today’s millennial generation is being fed the message that if they don’t do something extraordinary in this life they are wasting their gifts and potential. The sad result is that many young adults feel ashamed if they “settle” into ordinary jobs, get married early and start families, live in small towns, or as 1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, ‘Aspire to live quietly, and to mind [their] affairs, and to work with [their] hands.’ For too many millennials their greatest fear in this life is being an ordinary person with a non-glamorous job, living in the suburbs, and having nothing spectacular to boast about.”
This is nothing new. The buzz words are different, but the concept is the same as it was when I was much younger. The thought at that time was that if you weren’t going on at least annual missions trips to Mexico, Nigeria, or India, you weren’t really a committed Christian. At the very least, one had to spend summers in the inner city or in Appalachia in order to be the kind of Christian God wanted. Someone who wanted to finish school, get a job, settle down and get married and start a life was selfish, uncaring, not genuine, or some combination thereof.
And I did at times wonder if I was a “real” Christian when I was younger, because I had zero desire to travel to another country, or even to another state to do mission work. The idea of doing something like this brought to mind a huge “UGH!” and intense desire to shrink into a hole under a bridge somewhere.
As I thought about it through the years, I came to the conclusion that a Christian, just by living an ordinary Christian life emulating Jesus as much and as best as one can, is truly already living a radical and missional lifestyle, even if that lifestyle is working at a job, raising a family, working out at the “Y”, and joining the local parent/teacher organization.
A Christian living a missional and radical lifestyle will speak gently and with grace to all she comes into contact with. She will obey the speed limit when driving. A Christian will hold a door open for someone else or allow a mom with three kids in tow ahead of him in the line. He or she will volunteer at the school, the zoo, or somewhere else, and let his light shine as he does so. The Christian will visit someone in the hospital and write an encouraging note to someone who cannot get out of the house.
Christians will give deference to those who would cut in front of them in line or act rudely toward them, knowing that these things aren’t important in the long run and that the person may just be having a bad day. They will anonymously pay for the cup of coffee that the serviceman or woman in the line behind them will be purchasing. They will go the extra mile without grumbling or complaining. And they will have a joyful, peaceful attitude that is noticeable and contagious.
The Christian will, perhaps most of all, pray for the leaders of our nation, state, and community. She will pray for her neighbors, family, and friends. He will pray for his co-workers and those he knows who are going through a tough time. He will have an attitude of prayer as much as is possible and will think of others before thinking of himself.
I dare you to look over this list of behaviors and attitudes and tell me that living this kind of life is not radical or missional. I dare you to tell me, after seeing Jesus in the life of this individual, that they are unfulfilled and need to get a passport and go to Albania for a summer. I dare you to live this kind of life yourself for a time, and then come back to me and tell me that this isn’t what Christian living is all about.
Some people are gifted by God with the ability to pick up and move to a foreign land, or spend a summer in a jungle, or work for a year in an inner city slum. Such people are truly gifts from God and do a very noble and gracious work. And if they do it with true humility and grace, they magnify the name of Jesus Christ in every life that they touch.
But to make the most of us who are not gifted in that way feel somehow inferior and unfulfilled because we have gifts that we can use in other, more ordinary ways is unchristian and flies against the very teachings of God Himself.
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gifts and for His people who use those gifts, whatever they may be, for His glory and praise!

We Don’t Understand

In our Wednesday evening class, we’re wrapping up a ten-lesson series on “Forever, Why You Can’t Live Without It.” The premise of the series is that God has “hardwired” forever into the heart of mankind, and that His intention is that we live not for the here and now, but live instead, with forever in mind. If we do that, it will change how we think and act in all aspects of our lives.
One of the last things in the series are a couple of lessons regarding God and sin. The speaker (Paul David Tripp) says two things regarding this: (1) We do not comprehend or understand the absolute and unwavering holiness of God; and (2) We do not understand the sinfulness of sin.
He’s correct, of course. We have no idea or comprehension of the holiness of God and His absolute abhorrence of anything less than ultimate purity and perfection. God’s nature is such that “God is light; in Him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:5) God has no skeletons in His closet. God has no place where He is less than perfection, light, and good. Nor can God abide where there is such filth. And He cannot tolerate or overlook it in any respect. His Holiness is absolute. There is not one speck, not one iota of darkness (sin) in the presence of God.
Secondly, we do not understand the sinfulness of sin. You might think that’s a redundant statement, but it isn’t. We categorize sins. Some are worse than others. Some we laugh at or make jokes about. Others, we whisper quietly to one-another or discuss what brought about the downfall of the person who is guilty.
Such distinctions matter not to God. All sin is the same in His eyes. Any one sin, whether we think it’s a little one or a big one, will keep us from his presence forever. Just one gossip, one white lie, one lustful thought will keep us out of the presence of the Holy God.
It’s no wonder that, when we look at things that way, we begin to understand what God has been trying to tell us all along; that we have no possibility of ever doing enough or being good enough to merit God allowing us into His presence. We begin to think, as Paul did long ago, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24) We cannot possibly do it on our own. We have no capability to clean, to scrub, to eliminate sin on our own. We cannot in any way, shape, or form become clean enough to enter into the presence of God.
“But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you. God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” (Ephesians 2:5-10 CEV)

Playing at Church

I am sharing with you an excerpt from the book, “The Crux of the Matter” by Jeff Childers, Doug Foster, and Jack Reese, faculty of Abilene Christian University. The book is a great read, discussing and addressing long-standing issues within the Restoration Movement and providing positive direction toward relieving those issues. The book strikes at the heart, I believe, of Christian life and living…the heart of restoration…the crux of the matter…the cross of Jesus Christ. And because they can say it much more eloquently than I ever could, most of this post will be a quote from the book. I have a comment or two at the end.
It is not enough to have the right views about the nature and function of Scripture. We believe with all our hearts that the Bible is fully inspired and authoritative for everything we do. There are differences in understanding the nature of Scripture, to be sure, as we have already discussed. But whether Scripture is the authoritative Word of God is not a disputed matter.
However, a person can believe in the full inspiration of Scripture and still not speak and act as a person changed by the cross of Christ. Almost every day there are people who slander and malign fellow Christians, accuse and undercut their ministries, label them as “liberal” or “conservative,” write them up as a dangerous or false teachers, dismiss them as uneducated or ill-informed, or gossip about them, saying things that are never said to their faces. These actions are done not because people don’t believe in the Bible. They do. These things are said not because their “hermeneutic” is old or new, right or wrong. Issues of biblical interpretation must be discussed, but this is not what is creating these inappropriate behaviors. Something else is missing—something closer to the heart of the matter.
We can have the right church organization, design the right worship service centered around the right acts of worship, and wear the right name and still not restore the church for which Christ died. Thousands of people go to church every Sunday at congregations throughout our Movement who have made no real commitment to be Christ’s disciples and have made no changes in light of the demands of the cross, however much they may enjoy the worship.
It’s not enough to restore the form of the church if it doesn’t lead to changed behavior. Paul warned Timothy in II Timothy 3:5 about those who would have a form of godliness but deny its power; lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, etc. It is also true for those of us whose restoration of the New Testament is focused on what our churches look like, however they are organized, or how much freedom we have when we worship. These are important issues and should be addressed in our churches. But unless Christians understand the implications of the cross, until they are willing to act as cross-shaped people in their service and surrender, whatever gains may be made will be hollow. Concerns for such things as form and organization, freedom and giftedness have meaning only after we’ve faced the crux of the matter. This is the heart of restoration—and the Gospel.
The cross of Jesus Christ. Changed behavior. Act as cross-shaped people. The heart of restoration. The heart of the Gospel. This way of life called Christian is much, much more than going to church every Sunday, singing a cappella, contributing to the collection, and attending carry-in dinners. It’s even more than reading the Bible, teaching a class, and volunteering at Franklin Elementary. It is a changed, continually-being-restored life immersed in the heart of the Gospel message of the cross of Jesus Christ.
And until we truly understand and act on that truth, we’re just playing at church.

Whose Workmanship?

Normally, when I’ve come in to work the past few months, I hurry into the building because it’s chilly outside, or it’s snowing, or some such other weather event that keeps me hurrying along. Today, though, it was so nice out in the morning I came to work without a coat or a jacket and walked toward the building rather calmly, enjoying the morning air.
I went by the storage building out back and stopped to admire “Ken’s Kastle,” as it is called. The building had recently been renovated in an Eagle Scout project by Joshua Wertz, the grandson of Ken Scheck, original builder and for whom the “Kastle” is named.
I gave particular attention to a few of the details of the renovation. I noticed the well-fitting garage-type door that had been installed. I noticed the caulking that had been put in the seams of the siding. The painting was done well, and the siding pieces were aligned straight and true. There was a lot of work that had gone into the “Kastle” and the workmanship showed. Joshua and those who helped him showed great skill and care as they “made the whole place over,” as it could be said. Not only could they work hard at demolishing the old, cutting lumber, and shingling the roof, they could also work with finesse and skill in aligning the siding boards, caulking the seams, and making the opening for the door square and straight.
When we invite the Lord of all creation into our lives, He does much the same. He has to work demolishing, sawing, hammering, and moving (so to speak). But He also does the “finesse” work in our lives. He puts the little touches on His work and makes us into a reflection of His beauty and grace. Paul the Apostle says to the Ephesian Christians in chapter 2 and verse 10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Notice that it isn’t we who do the work…we are not our own workmanship; we are God’s workmanship. When we try to do our own remodeling and work on ourselves, we get crooked joints, sloppy paint, and leaky roofing. But when we let Him do it on us, we find that we are made over to reflect the glory of God, created for good works.
(Personal note: This has not been an easy blog for me to write. For although I know intellectually everything I’ve said, it’s quite a different thing for me to put it into practice on a daily basis. I so much want to have charge of my life; to do it on my own. This is a not-so-gentle reminder to me, I think, that I have an architect and builder who is much more competent than I am…who loves me and wants to make me into a vessel to be used for His glory and work.)

A Full Load

I got up today just a bit down and in the dumps. I wondered why it was so, because the weather is warm with prospects of rain; we have plenty to eat and drink; our bills are paid; we have a little saved up; and we both have good jobs. I couldn’t think of any real issues with myself or my wife, so started thinking about other possibilities.
I decided, after a time of studying the issue, that it wasn’t particularly any issue I faced; rather, I know of issues that many of my friends and loved ones are facing right now. It seems like there has been an avalanche of issues that have manifested in the last couple of weeks, with very little or no resolution to any of them. And I think THAT is what is making me feel rather punky today. I feel the weight of the issues of the others.
One of my circle of people is working with folks with eating disorders and knows of someone who is in medical crisis right now. Another will shortly have to decide whether or not to put down a beloved pet. One of my friends runs a street ministry in Wichita on a shoestring budget and is in constant need. Yet another is dealing with a family member with an aggressive form of cancer. Someone has been in the hospital for over a month with virtually no hope of ever being better than she is. More than one of my “flock” has recently lost a spouse. One of my friends of many years has been put on hospice care. And the list goes on and on to the far reaches of the horizon.
I can quickly become overwhelmed by the needs of others, even though I know I cannot do anything about those needs. So I took the first step to make some sense out of it all and made a list…a list to use when I prayed for these needs. I haven’t taken the time yet to pray; that will come a little later after I have the list complete. I think of something just every few minutes that should go on the list and don’t want to close it down until I have things pretty much outlined on there.
I don’t know how you handle things like this. But I know that I have to make some sense out of the non-sensible by making a list and putting it in writing. Then I don’t have to mentally juggle all of the issues and hope I don’t forget one of them. That of itself provides some relief. And the prayer will provide even more relief, knowing I have given these things to the God of the universe.
Whatever your method of doing this; whatever your motivation for thinking about people in crisis; whatever you hope to be the outcome, don’t forget the people in your circle who are hurting, tired, sick, or worn out from the stress of life and living. And carry with you the strength and mercy of a loving God and find a true friend in Jesus Christ. Until that day when we no longer will need eyes of faith, but can use eyes of sight to see our Lord and God, we must continue to be compassionate, caring, and devoted to one-another in love.

Whoever Said?

I was reading an article at the online version of the Christian Chronicle a couple of days ago. At the end of those articles, they allow comments to be made regarding the article. The content of the article is immaterial for this blog, because I want to zero in on a portion of one of the comments that was left.
The writer of the comment was talking about our tendency to value, as she said, “safety over risk” in our Christian walk. Her specific comment was this: “…In our tendency to cling to what is familiar or safe, and encouraging others to do the same…what if we may be protecting the church from the movement of God? She further says that she is, “All too often expecting to see God move when I’m asking Him to protect whatever is comfortable to me at the moment.”
I don’t know about you, but to me, those words are marvelously and stunningly profound. We are compelled as Christians, I think, to consider whether our tendency to play it safe and insist on continuing the familiar, comfortable, and routine might well be at the cost, as she says, “of what God might be directing us to that is greater.”
If we are indeed people of faith, we will walk into the unknown. We will step over a line beyond which we cannot see where our step will take us. We will, as recipients of the grace of the Almighty, with the confidence of a living faith in the One who is the I AM, and with the realization that it is not about us at all, become true followers of God. Instead of leading God around on a leash, asking Him to bless what we do, why not try freeing God to lead us…to shepherd us…to take us where He goes.

It was Jesus who said multiple times in multiple ways, “Follow me.” It was Paul who said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Where, for heaven’s sake, do we get the idea that it is God who is to follow after us, blessing our decisions, cleaning up our messes, and making our paths safe, straight, and comfortable?
Yes, that can be unnerving. It can be lonely. It can be unsettling. And it can even be dangerous. But whoever said that Christianity is supposed to be easy and bland? Whoever said that Christianity was supposed to be comfortable? Whoever said that we are the ones who know it all? Whoever said that we are to be the deciders when it comes to God’s plan for us? Whoever said that we are to be the leaders and God the follower? Whoever said?
Folks, some of us have some repenting to do. Some of us have some sin to sweep out of our hearts. Some of us have some pride, arrogance, and selfishness to get rid of. Because it isn’t about us at all. Whether we like it or not, we are living in God’s agenda. We are living in God’s plan. God is the leader. God is the shepherd. We are the sheep. And when we truly understand that and “get it,” then we will begin living within the movement of God and for His purposes.

“Lord, Work on Me”

On Sunday mornings, I am teaching an adult class using material from Paul’s writings while in prison. It is generally accepted that the New Testament books of Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon were written while Paul was sitting in a dungeon awaiting either trial or the execution of his sentence. Back then, prisons were not used for punishment. They were, instead, used to house prisoners who had been arrested but not gone to trial, or were awaiting the execution of their sentence, usually slavery of some kind or death.
The material we are studying now, Philippians, is not material that one would think would be written from the dark and gross hole of a dungeon. One would think that Paul would be lamenting his plight there, in chains, in filthy conditions not fit for any animal, waiting for someone in authority to decide to deal with him. Instead, Paul talks almost incessantly about the idea of joy and rejoicing.
“I thank my God for you!” “I rejoice and share my joy with you all!” “Rejoice in the Lord!” These are but some of the words written by a man who by all accounts should have reason to gripe and complain about his lot in life. After all, Paul is a Roman citizen and a learned student of the great Gamaliel. He is a Jew of Jews, righteous in the eyes of the Law of Moses. He certainly doesn’t deserve what he is being faced with every day. And yet, the joy, peace, and tranquility in his life shine through in what he writes even as he deals with rats, vermin, filth, disease, and mistreatment on a daily basis.
And he says that even here, where he is, God is using him. He has preached to the guards and to the other prisoners, some of whom have positively responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has had opportunity to tell the Gospel story to the highest authorities, both in Israel as well as in Rome. He says that is really of primary importance…that the Gospel be preached.
That brings me back, uncomfortably, to the present time. I witness what Paul wrote and wonder how I could possibly write anything even remotely as positive as what he wrote. After all, I am dealing with medical issues, some of which put me to bed with the door closed and the lights off, even during the day. I deal with the other issues of modern life…high prices, unresponsive politicians, and the stress of modern living. What do I have to be joyful about? Why should I even think about writing something like what Paul wrote?
My problems are “first world” problems. They are issues that come because of my place in the first world…because of the blessings that God has given me that very few human beings who are or have been on the face of the earth have enjoyed. They are “here and now” issues that have crowded out the much better “forever” things that I should be giving my full attention to as I am moved down the path of life. I am a whiner and a complainer. Guilty as charged.
“Lord of heaven, work on me, with me, and through me.  Work on my attitude. Assure me of your love. Make me as one who rejoices, not as one who whines. And as the song says, ‘Melt me; mold me. Fill me; use me.’ Amen”

Adoption

I am a great uncle again. Oh, I’ve been there before, several times. And every last one of my great nieces and nephews is extra special to me. This one, however, is just a little different.
You see, my nephew and niece adopted a newborn. As far as I am aware, this is the first adoption in the family. And I hope it won’t be the last. Josiah John will be loved and cherished by a family that considers its familial ties to be toward the top of the list of family priorities. His mom and dad are going to be wonderful parents. Besides, he carries the Plank family name (John). That has to count for a lot.
All of the preliminary work with the adoption…the lawyers, the planning, the meetings, the concerns about the birth mom, the preparations made, the sacrifices already given, the delivery itself…all of that got me to thinking. We who are Christians are also adopted. We are adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God and younger siblings to the Eternal Son Jesus Christ.
And there was a lot of work and planning that went into our adoptions as well. And just as Josiah John couldn’t do anything on his part to become a part of the family, in much the same way we can’t do anything on our own to be a part of the family of God. God is the one who made the plans. God is the one who sacrificed. God is the one who worked out the details. And God is the one who “signs us into” His family.
The great Apostle Paul very eloquently talks of this very thing to the Ephesian Christians. I’ll close with his comments from Ephesians chapter 1.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.

Not Much Time

Let me give you some statistics. Oh, I know, you don’t necessarily like numbers and besides, statistics can lie depending on how you use them. OK. I won’t embellish these at all. It is what it is (and yes, I know what the meaning of “is” is). Simple House, our food and clothing ministry at RiverWalk Church of Christ, keeps tabs on the people they serve. Here are a few comparisons of 2012 with 2011.

Number of family units served: 1,118, up 58% from 2011
Total individuals in those family units 2,838, up 60% from 2011
New client family units 606, up 110% from 2011
Total individuals in new client family units 1,551, up 98% from 2011

I don’t know what these statistics tell you, but they tell me that the need for food and clothing has not eased in 2012…it has only gotten more acute. Yes, I know that some people go from food pantry to food pantry to get food. Some of them may even be selling it. I don’t know, and you know what? I don’t care. If they’re selling it for cash, it probably isn’t because they’re awash in cash. If they’re going from pantry to pantry, it probably isn’t because they have scads of food in the house. If some of them are overweight, it probably isn’t because they have a plethora of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds to choose from when they eat.
And yes, I know that the Lord himself said that we would always have the poor with us. It was that same Lord, though, who also said, “I’m telling the solemn truth; Whenever you did one of these things (see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink, homeless and gave you a room, shivering and gave you clothes), to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.”
And He said that the first and greatest commandment was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,” but the second that goes right along with it was to, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” followed by the parable of the Good Samaritan.
It bothers me that we seem to be so consumed with the here and now, with the drive to make ourselves comfortable, that we all too often dismiss out of hand and out of mind the commands to care for one-another. No, I’m not talking about big government programs, but I also know there is a legitimate place for government in the equation. I’m talking about the church stepping up and getting beyond the walls of the building, into the community and into the lives of those on the outside, whether they live on the streets or in comfortable suburban neighborhoods.
To the glory of God, RiverWalk has stepped up to the plate on many fronts, from mentoring children, to serving trafficked women and girls, to providing a food and clothing ministry. We know we can’t do everything, but we do know that we can do something; many of us in the congregation have taken on “something” that they can do, and they do it well.
As I look at my life, I see that I have maybe 20 or so years yet to live, assuming I live a normal life. That is a blink of an eye in the great scheme of things. We have a God to love. We have a neighbor to love. We have a job to do. We haven’t much time to do it.