TheCommon.org and Common Heart

One of the most exciting things to me about Common Heart is how we connect people who would probably never meet. Rich & poor, black & white, Latino & Anglo, church folks and folks that have given up on church, meet and develop relationships that benefit each other spiritually. It’s all about living in God’s love and being a part of his grand mission. For years, through Common Cupboard, we have used groceries to open doors and hearts.

Late last year we discovered a web based tool, TheCommon.org. (No, I did not name it. Hard to believe, I know.) This is a cool program that would enhance any community of people. Churches use it. Community organizations, YMCA’s and non-profits all use it throughout the country. What it does is connect needs with the abilities to meet those needs.

So let’s say that you know a elderly couple on a fixed income that has some plumbing issues. You can post it on the site and people with the ability to help will see the need, and can respond. Or, let’s say you have an unused exercise bike, you can post that in the marketplace and give it to someone who will use it. Or, maybe your church has a workday around the building with many projects You could start an initiative on TheCommon.org and keep in contact with those who will be coming out to help with the specific projects,

Well, Common Heart is in the process of launching this tool for our volunteers from 20 local churches. It will give us the opportunity to use many different ways to open doors to God’s love as it connect more people in very practical ways.

A cool benefit of TheCommon.org is that communities can blend, share their needs and abilities with other communities. So if your church had a community on the site, it could blend with Common Heart. Now the needs of folks from both communities will be shared with people in either community with the abilities to help. I think this is so cool. So let’s imagine just 6 communities of 50 -75 members each in our area that all blend with Common Heart. Now the needs of the folks we serve will be sent out to a possible 350 or so people who may be able to help and connect in a way that will demonstrate God’s love. Our ability to activate and equip people to serve just increased amazingly.

To sign up for Common Heart’s community go to Sign up for TheCommon.org. Or, if you would like discuss how your church or community could be using this cool resource, contact Keith at CommonHeartMC@gmail.com.

Here is are links to a couple video about TheCommon.org.

TheCommon.org - In Book Form

TheCommon.org - Coffee Shop

Called to Do the Impossible

When Jesus sent his disciples out on mission, he told them to be poor, to take nothing with them. And he told them to do things that were impossible for them to do all by themselves. So it is for all missions. Communities and their members are called to be poor and to do impossible things, such as to build community and to bring healing, reconciliation, forgiveness and wholeness to people. Mission is to bring the life of God to others, and this can only be done if communities and people are poor and humble, letting the life of God flow through them  - Jean Vanier

Common Cupboard - A Jesus Moment

Last month I got an email from Kathleen McDonald. Kathleen and her family are one of the teams of people from about 15 local churches that use Common Cupboard to touch people with God's love. As Kathleen's story indicates those who serve are also touched with God's love and transformed in the process. Would you be available to be an agent of Christ's Gospel and share his love through delivering groceries? We can easily use 5 more teams this month!

I just had to share my experience this morning when I was delivering meals for Common Cupboard! The first Sat of each month we deliver food to 5 families in the Monroe area. Kevin and Kiely are out of town on a YMCA Father/Daughter camping trip. I didn't want our folks to go without their groceries so I decided to deliver "solo".

I am so grateful that I did! The first stop is a family of 5+ kids in a tiny, dirty, and dilapidated house. The kids must have been waiting by the door because they came running out when they saw my car.

Since we had the food drive at church a few weeks ago they received considerably more than usual and were very grateful.

The 9 year old little girl looked up at me and said "You are so nice to be giving us this food." I replied "The food isn't from me sweet girl. It is from a bunch of churches around this area and we want you to know that Jesus loves you."

She replied "Jesus loves the little children, doesn't he?" and I replied "Yes He does love all the children and He even loves grown ups too. Is that so cool?"

The little girl agreed and we proceeded to unload their stuff. As we were finishing up the children thanked me again for coming and the 9 year old girl called out to me "I love you!"

I don't even know this child's name but I replied "I love you too angel" and then her sisters and 2 year old brother started saying "I love you" to me.

Oh my gosh. I am wrecked! I drove away bawling like a baby and 3 hours later I am crying as I write this.

I feel like I have been given the precious gift of experiencing a real "Jesus" moment. During the exchange with those children my heart was overflowing with a warmth that I cannot put into words. All I could think was...these innocent and sweet children have hearts that are open to love unconditionally...just like the heart of the Lord loves each one of us .. unconditionally.


I then committed to learn the names of the people in that household and pray for them. My "rescuer" tendencies wants to take over and find them a better place to live, better jobs for the parents etc., but I realize I cannot save them from their economic situation. What I can do, is consistently pray that the Lord will meet them where they are. I do not know if they are believers, but I will pray they will all come to know Jesus as their Savior. The needs are great especially right now.

I noticed in a recent bulletin that there are still a few openings with Common Cupboard to deliver meals. In doing this each month, Kevin and I have realized how fortunate we are to be living as we do. In serving others, we are the ones who are "fed". Folks at our church need to get out of their comfort zone and commit to helping once a month and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. I have a strong inclination that they will not be disappointed!

Live your Faith. Share your Life.

Recently as I was doing some Internet research in preparation for Outside the Gate 2008: a gathering of missional christians. I ran into a blog called Subversive Influence. The thing that grabbed me in a post I read was his short definition of the word missional. It is also the subtitle of the blog. "Live your faith. Share your life."

It dawned on me that was not what I was taught as a typical white American Evangelical. We were taught to "Share our faith. Live our life." As such it was very important to be busy witnessing - sharing our faith. Sharing the Four Spiritual Laws, or pointing out sin, or pushing for a commitment were all part of sharing our faith. Good arguments about creation, abortion, the inerrancy of scripture, plus exposing the cults, humanists, atheists, liberals, socialists and communists were also part of sharing our faith. We were schooled in how to make our "testimony" fit our theology of "say the prayer and get your free ride to heaven".

Our life on the other hand, well that is something that is a gift from God to develop and so become successful, make money, accumulate things, influence or power. In other circles about all you could do with your life was to become a pastor or preacher if you really had faith.

To the evangelical church's credit we were also taught to live in such a way that it would be a good witness. But that mostly meant "personal holiness" or what people could see - no drinking, smoking, cursing, partying, pre-marital sex, etc. As part of personal holiness we were also taught to stay away from bad influences, or in other words people that do these kinds of things or gays, or liberals, and the like. Later it became all about "excellence", which is another word for putting on a good performance.

With our lives we were taught to get it all in line. Why? It was to make our sharing of faith seem more real to those we shared it with. And to make a really good witness be sure to banish any outwardly sense of doubt, fear, questioning, sadness, and even if you had to fudge a little, be sure to know all the answers. Living our life right was the only way that we had a chance that our sharing of our faith would be successful. On the other hand, this striving for outward conformity of life and appearance often seemed give us a free pass to live with unforgiveness, or to gossip as if it were a prayer request. It unleashed selfish ambition. And other true heart issues were glosses over.

We were pushy, inappropriate in how we spoke with people, invasive into private areas we were not invited into. So many times our sharing of faith came off in the eyes of many as hypocritical, unloving, judgemental, legalistic, some might even say, hateful. Some became our disciples but most seemed to reject our "sharing of our faith".

"They hated Jesus too you know," was the familiar chorus we were taught when we felt misunderstood, rejected, or "persecuted". Well here is the rub! How was Jesus received. It was the the church leader, the holy ones of his day, the Pharisees, the politically powerful religious politicians, the Sadducees, and the ones trying to make politics work, the Herodians, who joined the Imperial power, the Romans in opposing him and eventually killing him. But the un-churched and the sinners loved Him!

Why is it that those who loved Jesus in his day, often seem to despise the church of today that bears his name? On the other hand the powerful in America seem to seek out the church's endorsement - both on the political right and on the left these days. Could it be that we have this formula about life and faith backwards?

Live your faith. Live like you believe in Jesus. Instead of brushing aside his teachings on poverty, power, forgiveness, revenge, peace, self-giving, neighbor love, enemy love, and humble service to the least, why don't we focus on living this faith? Instead of teaching and talking about Jesus, why don't we focus on being Jesus (as his body, the Church) to the world? Then we will have more to share than words about our faith. We have a life lived by faith to share.

Imagine a world where we as Christians actually "live our faith" as a first priority. The natural result is to "share our lives" with the hurting, hopeful, proud, strong, weak. rich, poor, the oppressed, the oppressor, the foreigner, the worker, the boss, everyone. Would it not transform lives (ours and others) and possibly our culture and society as we participated with Christ in the salvation of the world by living our faith? True, it might also raise the ire of this world's powerful, wise, religious, wealthy, beautiful people. But, that is what it did when Jesus lived it too!

Live your faith! Share your life! This is what the world needs. It can't be done in a building where the church meets for worship. That is, not if it is to be done the way Jesus did it. Rather, it is done in the everyday ordinariness of life, in the commonplace, where we live every single day. It is small things done with great love. It is overlooking faults and forgiving without condition. It is responding with kindness. It is radical hospitality and love of neighbor and enemy. It is laying down our lives, that others might live. It is bringing peace and seeking justice without regard to reputation. It is loving as Christ loved, no strings. When people who live like this are seen, people say ... "that's what Jesus is like." I want to be that kind of follower of Jesus.

Outside the Gate 2008 I hope will encourage us to live more like Jesus. Jesus said, "As the Father sent me, so send I you." Let's become the message of Jesus to our neighbors, our city and our world.

Outside the Gate 2008: a gathering of missional christians, is on the weekend of October 3-4, 2008 in Monroe, NC. For more information check out the Outside The Gate blog at OutsideTheGate.TheCommonplace.org

Some Simple Concepts on which to Hang my Theological Hat - Part 2 "Where Heaven and Earth Overlap"

As I mentioned in my first post in this series, I have been reading a book by N T Wright called "Simply Christian." I found this book to have several concepts on which I could "hang my theological hat." I first wrote about what he calls an "echo of a voice". This concept flavors much of the book. I believe it is an underlying current in all of life.

Before I delve into my thoughts on the second concept, let me share where I recently saw this "echos of a voice" concept in play. It was toward the end of Michelle Obama' speech before the Democratic National Convention last night. She connected deeply with these deep echos when she spoke of what Barrack had said in the past. She said, "He talked about "the world as it is" and "the world as it should be." And he said that, all too often, we accept the distance between the two and we settle for the world as it is, even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations." As she finished up her remarks, she returned to this theme that connects deeply with that "echo of a voice" to "set the world to rights" as she called for a commitment to change. She spoke of how she wanted this election to be remembered, "this time we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears ... how this time we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming ... how this time, in this great country, where a girl from the South Side of Chicago can go to college and law school, and the son of a single mother from Hawaii can go all the way to the White House ... that we committed ourselves ... we committed ourselves to building the world as it should be." The way she connected the deep "echos" with her cause, is how we need to connect these same yearnings with our campaign for new creation through the Prince of Peace, Jesus.

Another concept that is even more pervasive than "echos of a voice" in NT Wright's book, "Simply Christian", is the concept of a place "where heaven and earth over lap". I want to share my take on this is and how it impacts evangelism in our emerging post-modern context.

The foundation of this concept is rooted in seeing that most religious views revolve around two options. Option 1 has a god that is transcendent or far away. This god may have created the world, but after he was done setting all the principles, interactions, powers, and living things in place he separates himself from it and watches from afar. Occasionally he might step in and do something miraculous, but for the most part he just lets creation quietly tick away. This would be a thought that heaven and earth are eons apart. This is deism. The Option 2 god is either everything and everywhere (pantheism) or in everything (panentheism). This would be equivalent to heaven and earth are the same, there is no distance at all. Option 3, as he calls it, has a god who is distinct from creation but chooses to interact with his creation at key points, even binding himself to creation. These might be called places "where heaven and earth overlap". This is a description of the God of the Bible.

In the Bible we can see these places where "heaven and earth overlap" especially in the temple, scripture, Holy Spirit anointing, and ultimately in Jesus. Jesus is the one wherein "heaven and earth overlap and interlock". NT speaks of the sacraments, such as communion or baptism, as being such "places". But the key place today we see this overlap is in the Church, his body, and the individual members of that body, you and I. Because of Jesus, we are to be such places of overlapping and intersection between heaven and earth. This is most amazing! Through his resurrection he has initiated new creation. This new creation is what you and I have become in him.

Although I have not done this key thought of NT Wright's justice in explaining it, I hope you grasp this amazing thought. The kingdom of Heaven is very near. It is in us. We, you and I, as followers of Jesus, are the key "place" through which heaven has chosen to interact with our world in our day! We are "new creation" in Jesus and agents of this new creation on earth.

Are we perfect? No, anyone can see we are not. It is all of grace. It is not of our merit, it is of Jesus' resurrection. But this does not change our calling to be places where "heaven and earth overlap."

The Celtic Christian tradition of "thin places" is similar. It expands this thought to literal geographic locations where God showed up in the past and still shows up regularly. The picture to the left has St Cuthbert's Island in the foreground and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in the background. Both of these places are considered to be "thin" in Celtic Christianity. These are places instrumental in Christianity's advance in the northern parts of England. Thereis still a sense to many that the boundaries between heaven and earth, the spiritual and the material worlds, appear to be very thin there.

If you know me or at least seen pictures of me, you may understand why I like the term "thin places". I especially like thinking that God has making me a "thin place" to the world around me. How I pray that I may be so "thin" that people may experience heaven when they interact with me!!!

This theological "hat peg" must become more than an allegory or an idea, but a greater and greater reality in my life as I follow Jesus. How do I become this kind of person that is a "place where heaven and earth over lap" or a "thin place"?

First, I must believe God has through Jesus has made me one. "If any one is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone,the new has come. "(2 Corinthians 5:17) Second, I need to become "thin" enough for this expression of new creation to shine out of my life. Paul reminds us, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I , but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Third, I must realize it is a journey, not a destination. "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". (Micah 6:8)

So how does this fit with evangelism. The big E word is just about being "thin." Being a "place where heaven and earth overlap". Being agents of new creation. Living a life uncomplicated by religion, but bringing heaven with us wherever we are. It is about doing what Jesus did, and being a participant with him for the redemption of the World. "As the Father sent me," Jesus said recorded in John 20:21, "so send I you."

The world will listen to this kind of evangelism. It is an evangelism of service. It is a demonstration of God's love. It is God's people living in pursuit of Christ's example of brother love, neighbor love, and enemy love, self-giving love. It demonstrates itself in serving the least, loving the lost, caring for the poor, comforting the sick and dying, living a life of service to our fellow humans.

As I close out this post, I want to mention that I believe that we are entering a new time. I believe that these emerging post-modern times will bring challenges to our ways of thinking about things like evangelism, gospel, and church. I think it will drive us deep and wide. Deep in our devotion to Christ as we struggle to adjust and wide in our love as it becomes the way people really know who is following Jesus. As the culture in the west becomes more and more post-Christian we will find new challenges and new opportunities as we compete in the market place of ideas. Strangely enough, I believe, the thirst for true spirituality will increase, even as religion falls by the wayside. It is an exciting time to be a follower of Jesus.

Next post in this series will be on a parable that NT Wright shares about a "hidden spring". To some degree this illuminates to me both the opportunities and the challenges we face in engaging our world today as agents of new creation in Jesus.

Just 30 Minutes Away

Not to long ago I put out an email to some of my friends about what was going on at the Common Cupboard, a missional food pantry that my wife and I and some friends started about 17 months ago. We use it as a way to demonstrate God's Love in a practical way by visiting people and delivering free groceries to those in need on a monthly basis. One of the additional ways we reach out is to go door to door in targeted low income areas and give away free groceries.

Recently my pastor, Jeff Gardner, took me up on on the invitation to go out on one of our "grocery outreaches". Jeff is the lead pastor of Threshold in Matthews NC. He took an opportunity last Sunday to share a little about his experience just 30 minutes away from his home.


This clip is part of his talk entitled Serve. You can listen to the rest of his message at Threshold Media.