| Last Sunday I spoke at church about how we meet God in relationship with people. I reflected on the text in Ephesians 5:21: "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ." At the end of the talk I prayed and asked that God's Spirit would fill us with compassion--a vital sense of living, loving and even suffering with one another in the community of faith, that we might do the same in the world around us. I am learning that you have to be very careful about praying for things that God is really into.
We often pray for things that we want and that's OK, except that God seems to be more interested in what he wants and what we need (Jesus said, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him"). God seems to want justice, mercy, trust, fidelity, compassion, love, reconciliation and redemption more than a number of the things we might prefer, like new jobs, great stereos, lots of money and children who do whatever we tell them.
So, having prayed that pastoral end-of-the-service prayer which usually signals the onset of lunch, I went on my way, only to be disturbed on Thursday by my two lunatic pastor friends, Floyd and Steve. As I was on my way to the dentist Thursday morning, Floyd informed me via cell phone that he and Steve had determined the prior day that the three of us needed to put our money where our collective mouths were and go to Lousiana and help in the relief efforts. It turns out that one of the Vineyard churches in Baton Rouge is serving as a kind of distribution center for goods and services.
I reminded Floyd that the three of us had a combined age of about 160 years. We were supposed to remain home with our grandchildren and think big thoughts. He responded, "Oh, come on. It will be great." Floyd is so persuasive. I said I would call him back after my appointment with my dentist.
Being the chatty dental people that they are, both Dr. Gates and his lovely assistant Bridgett asked what was going on in my life, so I told them. They immediately made arrangements to hand over to me 144 new toothbrushes and a case of toothpaste. Hmmmm, I thought in the most prophetic way, Something might be going on here.
In a desire to put an end to this nonsense, I called my wife, Emily, who is not big on having me going on risky missions, especially if it means that certain household chores will remain undone, which is sometimes an issue for us, although it really isn't anybody else's business, so forget about it. After I explained the prospective escapade, she began to cry and said I needed to go. I hate it when she cries because it means she is feeling something very deeply and I'm convinced that God likes her better than me anyway.
My daughters were no help at all here, since they are basically activists on the side of justice and mercy. They, of course, cheered me on and said that I rocked. I don't rock much anymore, so it's always good to have my ego receive that sort of attention. They have even used their own vast networks of connection to raise even more commotion, which is just what they do.
So I told my lunatic friends Floyd and Steve that I would go. Three other people--Bob, Jill and Thomas--from my church are going with me because they also are lunatics. We leave early Sunday morning and will, hopefully, return on the following Monday.
We are taking a lot of supplies with us because people keep giving us goods and money. In just a day and a half people have given me well over $2,000 (this is from neighbors, extended family and former business associates). My church will take two special offerings for this.
1900 miles is a long way to drive, but that's what we are going to do. I've never seen New Mexico, a great deal of Texas or any of Louisiana, so much will be new for me. We will sleep in tents and work our crazy selves to pieces. We may take showers once in a while, but that remains to be seen.
We talk a lot about following Jesus, which often is about thinking and believing rightly and trying to live an OK life. The problem is that Jesus usually summons us from the side of the poor, the weak, the broken and the devastated. So that's where we're going because Jesus summons us to come to where he is.
So I travel with my lunatic friends because they are following Jesus.
Be careful what you pray for.
Mike McNichols is the pastor of Soulfarers Community, a Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Fullerton, CA, a church he planted in 1997. He is married to Emily and has two married daughters and two grandsons. Education:B.A., Point Loma Nazarene University (1978); MS Education, California State University, Fullerton (1982); MA Theology/Biblical Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary (2001). |
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