The Seven-Mile Church

"'Weren't our hearts on fire within us while He was talking to us on the road? Didn't you feel it all coming clear as He explained the meaning of the scriptures?' So, they get up immediately and rush back to Jerusalem—all seven miles—where they find the eleven gathered together..." —Luke 24:32-33, The Voice

The familiar "road to Emmaus" story and the guys' eye-opening encounter with Jesus never gets old to retell, re-read, or reabsorb. But what about the road back to Jerusalem? All seven miles of it. Even though it must have been getting dark after Jesus joined them for dinner, culminating with His "I'm very much alive!" revelation, the two Christ-ones set aside weariness and risked their very well-being and comfort. Without hesitation, they walked back the seven miles that very night to tell some incredibly good news to a bunch of friends very much in need of hearing some.

Probably took about three hours at least. No streetlights. Hardly a home with lighted window anywhere to bring some comfort. Strange noises from the woods, to the left and right. But on their arrival, they found friends who were grateful they'd made the effort.

Sometimes, in the comfort of our homes after a long day, suddenly, a friend in need comes to mind, or there's this glimpse of revelation that makes the lightbulb within explode with such clarity that it begs to be shared. Maybe it's a word of discernment for a situation or a loved one that emerges out of a simple prayer that is more sighing than words. Or, there's the ancient Promise that suddenly jumps off the page into your reality as if for the first time, even while mowing the lawn, and it may be for you but you know it's also for that friend who has been in need of direction, hope, wisdom. Maybe all three.

And more often than not, in that comfort and dwindling daylight, it's really easy to say: "Ah, it can wait 'til morning."

Maybe. But perhaps the Emmaus Road guys are trying to lead us down a much better path:

What if there's someone in the dwindling daylight who could really use, who desperately needs some good news that you're carrying inside right now, not tomorrow?"

A simple text, an email, an old-fashioned phone call on that device used for everything else but. And if you really want to push it, there's this one that still needs work, especially in New England: offering to stop by without fearing intrusion of privacy, never realizing yours might be one of the first friendly, comforting faces of their day.

Sometimes, we can make the idea of discipleship more super-spiritual than it was intended. Being a Jesus follower can be as simple as showing procrastination and inconvenience the door. and putting feet to well-known words from the One we claim to be following:

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”

Who knows? God might have a much-needed encouraging word in return simply by stepping out—a word we didn't realize we needed until we delivered ours. And even if not, it's still all good. Because making that seemingly inconvenient "seven-mile trek" to someone at just the right time, whether in word or deed, is the very feet of a disciple who is more than a concept in a study guide, who is the hands and voice of a worshiper who does more than just sing...

...and perhaps most all, is the heart of Jesus that makes the idea of 'church' exactly what He had in mind.

"There's a thin place between here and heaven,

There's a Kingdom closing in;

It's our love for God and for others

That makes the world look more like Him..."

from "Be Your Heart," by Michael Ketterer

[ADAPTED FROM 4-12-15]

Hello, My Name Is...

[PHOTO: LINKEDIN.COM]

"Give our regards to every follower of Jesus you meet. Our friends here say hello... Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves." (Philippians 4:21-23, Message)

It happens at the workplace all too often: Some well-intentioned person with lots of responsibility on their shoulders comes up to you and starts right in: “I need you to….” And every fiber within you rises up and wants to say: “Well hey, hello to you as well, how’s your day going?” Then there's the email or text that just skips the introductions and pleasantries and gets right to the point. (Been there, done that too many times.) 

But then there’s the email or text that begins with “Hey Steve” (with or without exclamation point). The former makes you feel like a means to solving someone’s problem; well, OK, fine, I get that. But there’s something powerful about the latter approach that, well, it just makes you feel…really good. And somehow, more willing to respond to the request more enthusiastically, no matter how full our plate happens to be at the moment.

It would be one thing if that all started and ended at work. But even in our Walk, it’s easy to get caught up in the same unfriendly web of skipping the preliminaries and introductions, checking off boxes, and getting on to the next thing. This can happen especially when turning to Scripture in hopes of finding that critical bit of advice or counsel or Heavenly insight through which we pray the Holy Spirit will meet us at our point of need. 

The good news is that the Gospels know how to get to the point like nobody’s business. But because this Journey is about relationship and not just words and sentences, God seems to go out of His way, over and over and over again, to inspire the Gospel writers to begin with the power of "hello!" These are not just mere greetings to a bunch of people whose names we don’t really know; they are ancient family members who were on the same Journey that we are now. It's the timeless Word of God still speaking to stir us, encourage us, and prepare us to respond to the requests or counsel or instruction to come, invariably with a want to do so more eagerly, more wide-eyed, and more wide-eared. 

Through these seemingly inconsequential greetings, God wants to speak a blessing into our crazy lives, if we will just pause to take it in, receive it as our own, and not give in to the cultural temptation to click “next” and rush to get to the next thing.

Go ahead, try it. Plug in your name and see if you feel the rush of encouragement….

“Hey Steve! …Grace and peace—that special sense of spiritual well-being—be multiplied to you in the true, intimate knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. For His divine power has bestowed on us absolutely everything necessary for a dynamic spiritual life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”—2 Peter 1:2-3

The power of greeting, especially in scripture, is the best “hello” we can ever receive, because it originates from the One who made us and reminds us He brought us into this world for a purpose. Always, it is pleasant and refreshing to a thirsty soul….and a reminder of how we can worship with feet on in the day to day by cultivating the simple habit of saying “hello” to the people we encounter as they approach on the sidewalk or hallway or store aisle. Or in an email or text.

In our corner of God’s creation, it’s been said people don’t do that: You keep your head down, don’t talk to strangers, and mind your own business and get on to the next thing. But when you begin to break the rules, everything changes. Not everyone, but invariably, a simple “hello” to someone walking with their head down can cause them to look up (maybe in shock), and smile, or nod, or grunt, or say “hello” back.

Who knows what kind of simple blessing we’re speaking into someone’s crazy life, and the encouragement they get to keep putting one foot in front of the other? For sure, it is the simple Gospel at ground zero, breaking up hard soil and not much more. But it is still the heart of the simple Gospel, and one that we can all put on because:

“The power of hello means no one goes unnoticed, no one is invisible, that everyone we interact with bears the image of a beautiful God.”

—James Barnett, founder Clothe Your Neighbor as Yourself (cyny.org)

The Simply Amazing Acts of Being Church

[PHOTO: Christianity Today]

"But He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously." (Micah 6:8, Message)

Sometimes, the rhythms of work and life can hold you hostage to seasons of busy that just won’t seem to let up. But after occasional sighing and whining, you learn to roll with them because you trust that, sooner or later, it’s all going to calm down to, well, quasi-normal. That kind of busy, though, is a lot different than the kind that tries to convince you that you need to keep doing more and more to succeed in life and relationships…and even in being a good follower of Jesus.

It doesn’t help that the culture of social media and 24/7 news cycles is filled with comparisons of your life with everyone else’s so-called full and successful life (and walk), and with it, a not so subtle sense of competition and peer approval and increasing levels of wow-gee-whiz-top-this-one, and endless invitations to join this or that or attend that or this, or simply do, do, do ’til you drop.

What’s wrong with this picture? And can I get off at the next stop, please?

Then one day, sanity makes an appearance right in the middle of that culture. A friend’s not-copy-and-paste Facebook status earlier this winter jumped off the page and stuck to my ribs with agreement and a longing that won’t quit:

“Stop glorifying busy.” 

It’s good to remember that the very first Church that ever was, even in its rather unorganized state, got that. It was filled with people who had demanding jobs and farms and fishing businesses and families. They undoubtedly had their own seasons of life-imposed “busy,” but they did seem to have a handle on simplicity in the midst of it all. Rather than adding more gotta-do-its to “do” church, they seemed to reorientate their normally busy lives to simply “be” church in the regular rhythms of their daily life—to and among one another, and supernaturally influencing their communities as a result.

Intentional, yes. Frantic, no. Effective, most definitely. Wow, who doesn't want that?

We may have read their story a gazillion times and thought, “nice, but sounds idealistic.” But it’s not. “Yeah right, sounds too good to be true.” But it’s not. “Cool story for way back then, but...” But it’s as relevant now as it was then.

How can we be sure? Well, there's this:

“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Message). In other words, even this story of the First Church of the First Church is not written down to inspire mere wishful thinking….

“The community continually committed themselves to learning what the apostles taught them, gathering for fellowship, breaking bread, and praying. Everyone felt a sense of awe because the apostles were doing many signs and wonders among them. There was an intense sense of togetherness among all who believed; they shared all their material possessions in trust. They sold any possessions and goods that did not benefit the community and used the money to help everyone in need. They were unified as they worshiped at the temple day after day. In homes, they broke bread and shared meals with glad and generous hearts. The new disciples praised God, and they enjoyed the goodwill of all the people of the city. Day after day the Lord added to their number everyone who was experiencing liberation.”—Acts 2:42-47, The Voice

The details of how all that could manifest itself in each one of us in 2017 will be as different as our schedules, routines, and those in our inner circle of joy. But just maybe, the Second Chapter of Acts is, among many things, God’s eternal reminder to every generation to “stop glorifying busy” for busy’s sake, keep it powerfully simple throughout the day, worship with feet on, and then stand back and see what amazing things He can and will do. 

“Go where He calls you to go. Work the 9 to 5, but worship Him 24/7.”—Robin Mark