DO THIS

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

The Church and the Cross

I simply argue that the cross be raised again

at the center of the marketplace

as well as on the steeple of the church,

I am recovering the claim that

Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral

between two candles:

But on a cross between two thieves;

on a town garbage heap;

at a crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan

that they had to write His title

in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek...

And at the kind of place where cynics talk smut,

and thieves curse and soldiers gamble. 

Because that is where He died,

and that is what He died about. 

And that is where Christ's people ought to be,

and what church people ought to be about.

George MacLeod

Yesterday while in Wheeling WV with a group of dedicated community and faith leaders, I had the privilege to serve our Attorney General Mike DeWine and moderate the HELP and HEALING panel for the day.  It included a dear man, Pat Condron.  He is the founder and leader of this important work. (http://lazarushousewv.org)

Pray for Pat and the men in his care.

He too like me is a recovering alcoholic.  He was a priest.  But he made an interesting statement saying that “all those years in the church and I had to find Jesus in the basement at a meeting”.  He has a deep and humble spirit and a true heart for those on the “journey”.

Part of the goal of our “faith and healing” panels at these events is to “inspire and challenge” the faith leaders who attend to join us in ministering to the addicted, impoverished and hurting.  And it was during Pat’s time of sharing that he quoted from the little poem above.

And such a poignant reminder and direct challenge is levied in that last stanza…

”that is what He died about. 

And that is where Christ's people ought to be,

and what church people ought to be about.”

Manning, also an alcoholic and addict reminds that: “How I treat a brother or sister from day to day, how I react to the sin-scarred wino on the street, how I respond to interruptions from people I dislike, how I deal with normal people in their normal confusion on a normal day may be a better indication of my reverence for life than the anti-abortion sticker on the bumper of my car.” ― Brennan Manning

True.

So as we close this week, let's be challenged by the words of McCloud, Condron, and Manning.  Let be what “church people” ought to be about; emulating the one who died between those two thieves on the garbage heap.

FOR... 

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:6 (ESV)

Have a great weekend.

I love you ALL!

Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)