Pretty excited about an upcoming event planned for July that I’m involved in. A Skate Camp at Shepherd Community on Indy’s Eastside is turning out to be a pretty sweet thing. Quite a few people are coming together from all over to host a SkateCamp for the kids of Shepherd Community in Indy. Good times.

Last Sunday the local church I’m a part of, Indy Metro, hosted another gathering at the Barton Tower. We have been hosting a monthly outreach of love to be Jesus in very practical ways in this urban Indianapolis government housing complex.

Last month (see blog post) was especially powerful and it always seems like I limit how God could possibly “top that.” I guess that explains my continual need to take God out of the box. Also, requires my continual confession of more, is bigger, is better, is more blessed thinking. As if God transforming the heart of one person serving or being served isnt’ enough.

Anywho, this past Sunday a handful of people come down from HC to serve with us. I am moved by the honest feedback from one of the young adults Ali, “I was surprised how open people really were. I got to know a woman named Megan.  Her willing personality made her very easy to talk to and get along with.  Right before the service, she asked if i’d sit with her.  Looking into her eyes I could see years of hurt and rejection.  I gratefully sat next to her.  When worship started everyone stood as they were told.  But Megan stayed sitting.  Holding the packet of papers with the worship lyrics on them, she grabbed my arm and whispered “I can’t stand, because I’m in a wheelchair, I have to sit and sing”.  My heart tugged at me to sit down with her.  I humbly replied “Can I sit with you? I don’t know the words and we could share the lyrics.”  Her face lit up with joy.  I don’t think anything is more rewarding than this.”

I attended a gathering last night in the city at Lockerbie UMC. Very challenging presentation by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haws’ Jesus for President Tour. Check out Indy Christian blog to read more about the event that challenges our role during this election year.

Sunday evening we helped lead a collision of the worlds. A collision of the rich and the poor; of different races; but most importantly a collision of love. One that I pray no one will recover from. An overabundance of love was poured out.  I think Paul describes it best in the letter of Philippians, “Poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.”

This collision occured at the John J. Barton Annex. The John J. Barton Annex is a  government housing facility managed by the Indianapolis Housing Authority. A very diverse crowd ethnically and nearly all of the residents fall beneath the “poverty line.” A group of Jesus followers from IMC and Heartland “poured an offering” of love and service into the lives of many friends and “strangers.” I’m pretty sure no one left the same.

One of the most consistent topics throughout all of Scripture is God’s heart for the poor. There is no way to escape that God desires for people whom proclaim to be active followers of Jesus Christ to be lovers of the poor and marginalized in our world. Whether it was through the breaking of bread together, handshakes, hugs, singing some music, sharing a message of hope available to everyone, Jesus uses it all to bring light into the darkness. 

Proverbs 31:8-9, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”

As disciples of Jesus Christ, our purpose or calling is to help people take steps closer to Him. For the addict to be freed; For the hungry to be fed; and the hopeless to hear about the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

I am tempted to be known for how many Bible verses I know, what my job is, or even what my possessions add up too but the reality is that, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” as Paul writes in Galatians.

Perhaps one of the most exciting things for me in the midst of this is having children participate in their own way.  Having children playing and introducing childlike joy is beautiful. As a parent attempting to raise children that spit in the face of a culture that rejects people based on their position in society… its a joy of mine to engage our children in these collisions of the worlds.

Loving God. Loving people. Following Jesus.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9

Sierra Leone is the poorest of the 177 countries of the world. Their average annual income is $142 per person, 70% below the poverty line of $2 per day. The average life span is 41 years. Their homes were torn apart by 10 years of civil war from 1991-2001 and a third of the population was displaced during that time.

This is one churches committment to not talk about it but do something about it…

Last night IMC hosted a couple of great local artists and graduating Herron students. A quite enjoyable family friendly display developed by a good friend Lisa Kleindorfer and new a friend Brent Aldrich.

Rather than attempting to describe Constructed Realities read their own words…

Once upon a time in a not so faraway land;
Imagination ran free and glittered like sand.

The sun wore sunglasses and the moon was cheddar.
Brent Aldrich brought pie; Lisa Kleindorfer brought butter.

And everyone danced and laughed and did handstands;
For these constructed realities are better than clams.

Sitting in the middle of our Regional Gathering of Missional Leaders being facilitated by Gary Rohrmayer.

One of the things that he has said that struck me was this convicting statement was to, “Act like a leader!” While morally, ethically, and emotionally are all part of this… the context he layed it out is for the leader to act in a way in culture that other people already see them as.

As a follower of Jesus and a leader part of the mantle of leadership requires accepting some of the public expectations and issues that come with it. So often I miss the opportunity to influence people positively because I neglect owning the opportunities to lead to the fullest of my potential and the depth of the need.

I think about times when I haven’t allowed my baggage, job, excuses, etc. to be barriers to engaging a situation with the completeness of my ability. When that happens, God always does things that I never thought weren’t possible. And yet I think of times when I have blown opportunities to be used by God and, “act like a leader.” Uggg.

I can’t help but reflect on what it would look like for me to wake up for even a month straight and act like a leader for Jesus Christ?

My friend Jeremy of StoryLine is dreaming out loud a bit this Sunday.  His ponderings that, “dreams come with a cost. However, is the cost a dream higher than the cost of not pursuing the dream? Regret and unhealthy wonder are a high price.”

A personal mentor reminded me recently of the need to dream what God could do without the boundary and fixating on how the dream could be initiated, launched, or reached. All this has restoked in me a refreshing sense that comes from simply dreaming and immersing in the beauty of a vision for something uncreated and exploring the mysterious ways of dreams. Not getting lost in changes needed, issues, fears, insecurities, tyranny of the urgent, contingency planning, past failures and lost opportunities or even the past opinions of others that remain in mind.

Seems like I cannot escape the powerful evidence of dreaming. And for me, PTL the global movements of social entrepreneurs like SocialEdge who provide the continuing invitation to, “Think big! Think grand! Be audacious!”

Though I kick myself on missed opportunities to meet past dreams, perhaps the largest failures aren’t dreams unpursued but a mind and heart afraid to dream at all. I know also that unlived dreams come with a personal cost and considered to be lost opportunities to embrace whom God made us to be.

Though I believe with full conviction the Lord gave us minds to work out what He placed in our hearts, I so quickly lose touch with the art of dreaming purely outlandish, childish, and innocent dreams of what could be even if He never uses me to initiate! Ah yes, the beauty of dreaming…

Pretty excited about an upcoming gathering of missional leaders I am participating in. Lots of opportunity to grow, explore, be ignited, and learn.

Should be a good deal of fun too!

A quick vid on some of the things we are involved in around Indy. Lots more to come.