“Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: ‘What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riffraff?’” Mark 2:15-16, The Message
What a reputation Jesus was earning for Himself! Jesus begins his public ministry and sets his own standard for us to follow – a new hands-on approach. His response to the “social issues” of his day was in direct contrast to the “norm” which the Pharisees had established.
The word reputation is defined as, “the general estimation that the public has for a person.” It is a judgment of how we see people behaving – it reflects outward behaviour. Jesus’ whole message to us primarily involves our inner selves – the lives we live when no one is looking, or in another words, Jesus calls us to a life of integrity. Integrity is described as having moral soundness – it comprises the personal inner sense of “wholeness” deriving from honesty and consistent uprightness of character.
I believe that Jesus did not care about his reputation (which could be described as scandalous) – his concern was for the souls of those around him, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.” Mark 2:17, The Message
The second sentence in the opening passage intrigues me, “Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers.” I think it is safe to assume that some of these guests had not become followers, but just enjoyed being around Jesus. I don’t believe that Jesus treated them any differently from the others who were gathered. He continued to extend the Kingdom of God by being among them and accepting them without requiring that they clean up their lives first.
Jesus was showing us, through his own example, how to be light in very dark places. That is what this issue of the MOSAIC focuses on – expanding our circles of influence in order to share the love of Christ unconditionally with others.
Lisa Howden, Managing Editor
Friday, February 23, 2007
What if Jesus were mayor and board chair
“What would Jesus do if he were mayor?” is the central question of a book I am reading by Bob Moffitt, entitled If Jesus Were Mayor. Moffitt also puts the question another way, “What would happen if next Monday morning starting at 9:00 a.m., everyone in our community started to live as God intends?”
“Not gonna happen? No point in talking about such foolishness? What’s the point of asking a question like that?” I agree that at first I found the question a little off-putting, but the longer I think about it, the more it gives me perspective for thinking about some biblical passages that routinely disturb me. More about those later, but first let me tell you a story.
Last month when I was in British Columbia, I met Ben Deyo’s parents, Rob and Debbie; and we talked about the adventure that their family, in fact, their whole church (New Heights Church, a FMC in Mission, B.C.) is on. After a season of wrestling with God, Ben, 19 years of age, had made up his mind and couldn’t be dissuaded. He was to leave his nice life at home, where he had become quite comfortable with his job and his new car, to live among the street people on East Hastings Street, the toughest neighbourhood in Vancouver. He knew that God had called him; he was sure of it!
At first, his parents, Pastor Greg and his friends all questioned his “call.” After all, East Hastings is a very rough neighbourhood. It was especially tough for Rob and Debbie, but as they talked and prayed, God gave them assurance that he was indeed calling their son. The following Sunday, Debbie told the church family that if we preach a radical gospel to our people, we have to expect that God might call one of our own. Then she added, “Maybe someone is praying specifically for someone like our son.”
The next day, Ben left on the train for Vancouver. He took only a sleeping bag and a warm coat (thinking he might be sleeping on the street), a cell phone (for the sake of his parents’ sanity) and the prayers of his family and church. He had a strange assurance that he’d know what to do when he got there and started by looking up the only contact he had – Community Builders, a Christian organization that he had heard helped “street people” find housing – and walked in and told them that God had called him to the area.
Can you imagine the director’s reaction? Galina listened to Ben’s story, but found it difficult to believe what she was hearing. So she asked for Ben’s pastor’s phone number to check him out. As it turned out, Ben’s father and the pastor just happened to be together when she called, so she was able to hear Ben’s story from both of them. She told them that she had been praying for someone like Ben who could help them with janitorial and maintenance responsibilities in the buildings where they house street people, but they did not have adequate resources to hire anyone. Then she said, “When we met Ben, it was as if all our prayers (on that topic) had been answered.” I believe it.
Not all of us will be called as Ben was, but his story and Bob Moffitt’s book challenge us to think seriously about themes in the scriptures that remind us of God’s concern to bring shalom (holy, wholesome, wholeness) to heal the brokenness of individuals, families, and communities.
Now, let’s consider some of those troubling passages – passages that were embraced wholeheartedly and lived out authentically by John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) and Benjamin Roberts (the first Free Methodist bishop). They prayed Jesus’ words, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” and didn’t just leave it there. They read the “salt and light” principles of personal and social holiness in Matthew 5-7; soberly understood Jesus’ warning that “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven”; and influenced their movement to be people who were generous in spirit and worked, not only for the conversion of self-centered hearts, but also for the transformation of communities. (Those are two of the passages that disturb me.)
Bob Moffitt asks in his book, “What is God’s role for the church? What contribution is the church to make to the society in which God places it? Is it primarily to bring the lost to Christ? Is it to instruct and encourage believers in spiritual discipleship? Is it to advocate for the vulnerable of society, minister to suffering humanity, or to address the social injustices that God abhors? Or does the church have a broad purpose that begins with spiritual salvation but continues on to transform its culture?”
A few pages later, he gives a summary answer to his question: “God’s strategy is for both proclamation – and demonstration – of the Good News” – an answer that I am pondering in light of The Free Methodist Church in Canada’s vision of healthy churches.
This brings me to a third disturbing passage – Matthew 25:31-46. We all know the passage is there. We know that the sheep are separated from the goats – sheep on the right and goats on the left. We all know that God blesses those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, love and accept the stranger, clothe the destitute, and give compassionate attention to the sick and imprisoned. We also note that Jesus, in essence, tells people to “go to hell” who are indifferent to the plight of the poor and oppressed. And one can almost hear the protests of people, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons…perform many miracles….” (Matthew 7:21-23). But Jesus calls them “evil doers” and summarily dismisses them!
What intrigues me is that I cannot think of any parallel passage of judgment and condemnation around the issue of gospel proclamation (witnessing, discipling, church planting). No one is told that they are going to hell for not doing it, and this makes this passage on gospel demonstration even more disturbing! When you put it all together, it seems to me that “talk” (proclamation) is cheap if it is not preceded and followed by “compassionate attitudes and actions” (demonstration).
This is not new to us as Methodists. There was no doubt that as an evangelist, John Wesley was “for” saving souls and “for” planting churches, but his mantra was also “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”
I think that the Lord has something to say to us as The Free Methodist Church in Canada on the matter of recovering balance in our understanding of the gospel mandate. So, how about if we seriously take on this question as a movement: “What would happen if Jesus were mayor of your community, a member of your congregation, and chair of your official board?” How would he use his influence? Would you still want to be a member of your congregation if he was chair of the board?
Rev. Keith Elford is Bishop of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
“Not gonna happen? No point in talking about such foolishness? What’s the point of asking a question like that?” I agree that at first I found the question a little off-putting, but the longer I think about it, the more it gives me perspective for thinking about some biblical passages that routinely disturb me. More about those later, but first let me tell you a story.
Last month when I was in British Columbia, I met Ben Deyo’s parents, Rob and Debbie; and we talked about the adventure that their family, in fact, their whole church (New Heights Church, a FMC in Mission, B.C.) is on. After a season of wrestling with God, Ben, 19 years of age, had made up his mind and couldn’t be dissuaded. He was to leave his nice life at home, where he had become quite comfortable with his job and his new car, to live among the street people on East Hastings Street, the toughest neighbourhood in Vancouver. He knew that God had called him; he was sure of it!
At first, his parents, Pastor Greg and his friends all questioned his “call.” After all, East Hastings is a very rough neighbourhood. It was especially tough for Rob and Debbie, but as they talked and prayed, God gave them assurance that he was indeed calling their son. The following Sunday, Debbie told the church family that if we preach a radical gospel to our people, we have to expect that God might call one of our own. Then she added, “Maybe someone is praying specifically for someone like our son.”
The next day, Ben left on the train for Vancouver. He took only a sleeping bag and a warm coat (thinking he might be sleeping on the street), a cell phone (for the sake of his parents’ sanity) and the prayers of his family and church. He had a strange assurance that he’d know what to do when he got there and started by looking up the only contact he had – Community Builders, a Christian organization that he had heard helped “street people” find housing – and walked in and told them that God had called him to the area.
Can you imagine the director’s reaction? Galina listened to Ben’s story, but found it difficult to believe what she was hearing. So she asked for Ben’s pastor’s phone number to check him out. As it turned out, Ben’s father and the pastor just happened to be together when she called, so she was able to hear Ben’s story from both of them. She told them that she had been praying for someone like Ben who could help them with janitorial and maintenance responsibilities in the buildings where they house street people, but they did not have adequate resources to hire anyone. Then she said, “When we met Ben, it was as if all our prayers (on that topic) had been answered.” I believe it.
Not all of us will be called as Ben was, but his story and Bob Moffitt’s book challenge us to think seriously about themes in the scriptures that remind us of God’s concern to bring shalom (holy, wholesome, wholeness) to heal the brokenness of individuals, families, and communities.
Now, let’s consider some of those troubling passages – passages that were embraced wholeheartedly and lived out authentically by John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) and Benjamin Roberts (the first Free Methodist bishop). They prayed Jesus’ words, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” and didn’t just leave it there. They read the “salt and light” principles of personal and social holiness in Matthew 5-7; soberly understood Jesus’ warning that “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven”; and influenced their movement to be people who were generous in spirit and worked, not only for the conversion of self-centered hearts, but also for the transformation of communities. (Those are two of the passages that disturb me.)
Bob Moffitt asks in his book, “What is God’s role for the church? What contribution is the church to make to the society in which God places it? Is it primarily to bring the lost to Christ? Is it to instruct and encourage believers in spiritual discipleship? Is it to advocate for the vulnerable of society, minister to suffering humanity, or to address the social injustices that God abhors? Or does the church have a broad purpose that begins with spiritual salvation but continues on to transform its culture?”
A few pages later, he gives a summary answer to his question: “God’s strategy is for both proclamation – and demonstration – of the Good News” – an answer that I am pondering in light of The Free Methodist Church in Canada’s vision of healthy churches.
This brings me to a third disturbing passage – Matthew 25:31-46. We all know the passage is there. We know that the sheep are separated from the goats – sheep on the right and goats on the left. We all know that God blesses those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, love and accept the stranger, clothe the destitute, and give compassionate attention to the sick and imprisoned. We also note that Jesus, in essence, tells people to “go to hell” who are indifferent to the plight of the poor and oppressed. And one can almost hear the protests of people, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons…perform many miracles….” (Matthew 7:21-23). But Jesus calls them “evil doers” and summarily dismisses them!
What intrigues me is that I cannot think of any parallel passage of judgment and condemnation around the issue of gospel proclamation (witnessing, discipling, church planting). No one is told that they are going to hell for not doing it, and this makes this passage on gospel demonstration even more disturbing! When you put it all together, it seems to me that “talk” (proclamation) is cheap if it is not preceded and followed by “compassionate attitudes and actions” (demonstration).
This is not new to us as Methodists. There was no doubt that as an evangelist, John Wesley was “for” saving souls and “for” planting churches, but his mantra was also “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”
I think that the Lord has something to say to us as The Free Methodist Church in Canada on the matter of recovering balance in our understanding of the gospel mandate. So, how about if we seriously take on this question as a movement: “What would happen if Jesus were mayor of your community, a member of your congregation, and chair of your official board?” How would he use his influence? Would you still want to be a member of your congregation if he was chair of the board?
Rev. Keith Elford is Bishop of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
Monday, February 05, 2007
A delay is not a denial
WHEN GOD? WHEN EXACTLY? WHEN?
If your plans are postponed, or hindered for a time, even if your plans are coming to pass but very slowly, or they get stopped altogether - these can all be classified as delays. Perhaps you have been thinking . . . “I have waited for days; weeks; months and even years . . . it seems as if I have been waiting forever!”
“Where are you Father the maker of heaven and earth? Where are you Abba - while l am searching for you day and night and cannot find you? I am now getting discouraged, disappointed, and growing weary. Where exactly can I find you Jesus so that you can answer my prayers?”
One morning after praying and crying out to God for help, l said these words. “Father, I am weary of living miserably as I have been. I am tired of crying day and night without getting any response from you. My tears have now become my food day and night. I have wrestled constantly with my own thoughts. Help me, oh God!” God spoke to me very clearly that morning, “A delay is not a denial. Things can never happen when you think they should, but in my own time.” I began to feel peace within me. My attitude immediately changed, my way of thinking changed too, and I knew that I had been demanding results from God, instead of asking. I was telling God the time that I wanted things to be done and how they should be done. This was very wrong, but thank God for revealing to me that we should not demand from God - instead we should ask and then wait for his response. We should always wait for his time and not our own.
THE WAITING PERIOD
It is difficult to wait for anything or for something, but if we truly know who we are in Christ and to whom we belong then the struggle becomes easy. Everyone finds themselves in waiting rooms from time to time. It maybe a doctor’s office, dentist’s office, you can wait in a queue in the bank too, or in a grocery store at the cashier’s desk. How about waiting at the airport, at the bus stop, you can even wait at a traffic light or when driving your own car. It is all about waiting, life is about waiting. If we are not patient enough to wait for the issues that we deal with in our every day life, how will it be possible to wait for God? I am not very patient in dealing with the delays in everyday life, and to be very honest, that is why it is difficult for me to wait on God. But God revealed to me that if I can not wait for the things that I see with my own eyes it will be difficult to develop patience when waiting for God’s plan to unfold. I did consider everything to be a delay, whereas now, I know, in Jesus Christ all these circumstances were being used to shape me - even if we don’t get what we want when we want it, if God has promised it - a delay is not a denial.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2,11 teaches us about the different kinds of seasons in a year and that there are also different kinds of seasons in our lives. Jesus Christ died once and for all he will never die again. There are certain things that happen in our lives that will never happen again. Once God opens his door for us then no one can close that door. In other words what we need is a breakthrough to be the people whom God created us to be. Joshua, in the book of 1 Kings 18:43, was promised that it was going to rain, but he was never told when. Joshua waited patiently, because he knew that if God says he can do something he will do it. Our God is a faithful God who will never lie to his children. So during our times of waiting we should always wait with joy, expecting that God will do what he said he will do.
YOUR ENVIROMENT
People around us play a very important role in our lives, especially if things are not going well for us. Being around negative people will make us disappointed, discouraged, and sometimes even cause us to give up on our dreams. Friends, family members, our church family even co-workers can sometimes mislead us - not intentionally, but unknowingly. If God has put a dream inside us we must be very careful to guard it. There is a lot of truth in this, David’s brother tried to mislead him, but he did not listen because he knew whom he was and what God wanted to do with his life. 1 Samuel 17:28 “When Eliab, David’s brother heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked? ‘Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is, you came down only to watch the battle.” People can discourage you. This is a very good lesson for us, there is nothing wrong with people advising us but we should be very careful not to lose our dreams.
NEVER GIVE UP
Our Lord God is the author of everything. He is the beginning and the ending. If he begins something in our lives he will make sure that whatever it is gets finished. Starting something for selfish reasons usually makes people give up before their goals are accomplished. Our true character can only be discovered by not giving up on our dreams. No matter how long it takes to make it, be patient and wait expecting that God will truly do what he said he will do. A delay is not a denial!
Let me encourage you. I have been there, I know what it is like; never ever give up on your dreams no matter how long it takes to get there. God is in control of our lives, so whatever we go through he knows everything about it, he knew us before we were even born. God has great plans for us, wonderful plans for his children to prosper. My dear brothers and sisters whatever delay you are facing in your life, it might be ongoing sickness, you might be searching for a job, you might be looking for a partner, I have good news for you . . . hang in there everything will be alright!
Written by Pasator Sandrah Mashingaidze, Assistant Pastor at Malvern Methodist Church - Toronto, Ontario.
If your plans are postponed, or hindered for a time, even if your plans are coming to pass but very slowly, or they get stopped altogether - these can all be classified as delays. Perhaps you have been thinking . . . “I have waited for days; weeks; months and even years . . . it seems as if I have been waiting forever!”
“Where are you Father the maker of heaven and earth? Where are you Abba - while l am searching for you day and night and cannot find you? I am now getting discouraged, disappointed, and growing weary. Where exactly can I find you Jesus so that you can answer my prayers?”
One morning after praying and crying out to God for help, l said these words. “Father, I am weary of living miserably as I have been. I am tired of crying day and night without getting any response from you. My tears have now become my food day and night. I have wrestled constantly with my own thoughts. Help me, oh God!” God spoke to me very clearly that morning, “A delay is not a denial. Things can never happen when you think they should, but in my own time.” I began to feel peace within me. My attitude immediately changed, my way of thinking changed too, and I knew that I had been demanding results from God, instead of asking. I was telling God the time that I wanted things to be done and how they should be done. This was very wrong, but thank God for revealing to me that we should not demand from God - instead we should ask and then wait for his response. We should always wait for his time and not our own.
THE WAITING PERIOD
It is difficult to wait for anything or for something, but if we truly know who we are in Christ and to whom we belong then the struggle becomes easy. Everyone finds themselves in waiting rooms from time to time. It maybe a doctor’s office, dentist’s office, you can wait in a queue in the bank too, or in a grocery store at the cashier’s desk. How about waiting at the airport, at the bus stop, you can even wait at a traffic light or when driving your own car. It is all about waiting, life is about waiting. If we are not patient enough to wait for the issues that we deal with in our every day life, how will it be possible to wait for God? I am not very patient in dealing with the delays in everyday life, and to be very honest, that is why it is difficult for me to wait on God. But God revealed to me that if I can not wait for the things that I see with my own eyes it will be difficult to develop patience when waiting for God’s plan to unfold. I did consider everything to be a delay, whereas now, I know, in Jesus Christ all these circumstances were being used to shape me - even if we don’t get what we want when we want it, if God has promised it - a delay is not a denial.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2,11 teaches us about the different kinds of seasons in a year and that there are also different kinds of seasons in our lives. Jesus Christ died once and for all he will never die again. There are certain things that happen in our lives that will never happen again. Once God opens his door for us then no one can close that door. In other words what we need is a breakthrough to be the people whom God created us to be. Joshua, in the book of 1 Kings 18:43, was promised that it was going to rain, but he was never told when. Joshua waited patiently, because he knew that if God says he can do something he will do it. Our God is a faithful God who will never lie to his children. So during our times of waiting we should always wait with joy, expecting that God will do what he said he will do.
YOUR ENVIROMENT
People around us play a very important role in our lives, especially if things are not going well for us. Being around negative people will make us disappointed, discouraged, and sometimes even cause us to give up on our dreams. Friends, family members, our church family even co-workers can sometimes mislead us - not intentionally, but unknowingly. If God has put a dream inside us we must be very careful to guard it. There is a lot of truth in this, David’s brother tried to mislead him, but he did not listen because he knew whom he was and what God wanted to do with his life. 1 Samuel 17:28 “When Eliab, David’s brother heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked? ‘Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is, you came down only to watch the battle.” People can discourage you. This is a very good lesson for us, there is nothing wrong with people advising us but we should be very careful not to lose our dreams.
NEVER GIVE UP
Our Lord God is the author of everything. He is the beginning and the ending. If he begins something in our lives he will make sure that whatever it is gets finished. Starting something for selfish reasons usually makes people give up before their goals are accomplished. Our true character can only be discovered by not giving up on our dreams. No matter how long it takes to make it, be patient and wait expecting that God will truly do what he said he will do. A delay is not a denial!
Let me encourage you. I have been there, I know what it is like; never ever give up on your dreams no matter how long it takes to get there. God is in control of our lives, so whatever we go through he knows everything about it, he knew us before we were even born. God has great plans for us, wonderful plans for his children to prosper. My dear brothers and sisters whatever delay you are facing in your life, it might be ongoing sickness, you might be searching for a job, you might be looking for a partner, I have good news for you . . . hang in there everything will be alright!
Written by Pasator Sandrah Mashingaidze, Assistant Pastor at Malvern Methodist Church - Toronto, Ontario.
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