Category: Bruce Posts (Page 53 of 211)

This week I’ve been attempting to rest my shoulder after surgery. Added to the physical setback and not-so-fun rehab, I’ve managed to lose my voice for the second time in two weeks. I already have such a weak voice, think whisper. Yesterday was a hard day, discouraged by my limitations and weakness.

God’s strength is made perfect in weakness

What do we do when we fail? Who do we turn to when we can’t lift something, or even talk to someone 3ft in front of you? I’ve been turning to my wife, poor thing. She’s even my chauffeur now – it’s caused a few laughs and she prays its not a sign of the future! 

The Apostle Paul, when confronted with false teachers and accusations pointed to weakness as a sign of his right to speak to the Corinthian church. They had been under the spell of worldly men, proud and self acknowledging. Instead of boasting in his flesh, he affirmed that those who follow Jesus, they have little rights in this world – we are a broken, surrendered people wafting the aroma of Jesus in every place.

I wish I could say that I’ve been pleasant to be around in my physical weakness. I haven’t been. I’ve complained a lot, frustrated at my range of movement and speed. My heart is slowly releasing its stubborn grip. I beginning to thank Jesus that I need not impress anyone, nor perform to be accepted & loved by the Creator. I think this is part of being reminded of our weakness, even our sinful hearts at times – that through this acknowledgment of dependence on others, on Jesus, we find rest in the merits and agape love of Christ – not our own strength.

What deception to find false refuge in the ‘arm of the flesh.’

Strength in weakness. Learning.

“The church is not made up of spiritual giants; only broken men can lead others to the cross” – Bosch

The other day I walked by an man half asleep, mostly drunk (above). The image, for me, was a stark contrast to gorgeous autumn day. It’s still very common to find men stumbling through the day here. My heart always sinks. What lies, what loss.

Who intends to waste the most precious gift of life? There is a temptation I think to always begin wasting our lives at any time during our journey through life.

I wonder if it begins when we believe that our present is somehow detached from our future. That our actions today won’t effect our lives tomorrow.

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”  Annie Dillard

Like you, our family is evolving. Two oldest flew the coup this past year, our little girls Abbey and Claire (above) in Ukrainian school. Deb is stepping into a new season of expectation, exploring her own unique gifts. I am learning how to ‘let go’ and lead in ways that are difficult for me.

The Holy Spirit is showing us our role in spiritual formation. To grow in ‘purposeful interaction with the grace of God’ – Willard. We’re finding some new healthy rhythms, including Sabbath soul rest, and more intentional vulnerability with one another daily. We’re enjoying the results! The more we live presently, in the ‘now’, the less fear we possess regarding the future. If we don’t waste our days, we can be sure our lives will count.

This past weekend was a special moment for our family & mission to the Russian & Ukrainian speaking world. A core of selected next generation leaders gathered at our base in Rzyschiv, Ukraine for a time of listening, learning and fellowship.

The purpose?

To begin assembling an international missional community, under the guidance of Mir Ministries, that will come alongside the work of the Holy Spirit in disciple making movement.

Missio Dei (Mission of God) – The Sending Creator

We spent our first session rallying under the mission of God – to make disciples of all nations. Though the modes and means of mission change over time, the mission has not.  There’s no such thing as an ‘un-sent’ Christian. We’re on mission, co-laboring with Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to grow the family of God.

The ‘fellowship’  and resulting ecclesiology of any healthy, biblical community must be informed by missiology. 

The church doesn’t have a mission, the mission has the church!

I’ll quote a close friend and mentor here, “The church and mission are inseparable.”

No amount of lights, fog, electric guitars and amped-up events will be enough to lure the hearts of this next generation. We need to be salt and light, setting up camp in cultural spaces – let’s take the gospel to the world as our primary mission.

God provided some extra funding which allowed us to sponsor the travel of our incoming leaders from Belarus, as well as purchase some furniture for the ‘Big House’ larger 2nd floor worship room. Sveta and Lena painted, Deb, Brent and I raced to assemble some couches and create the beginnings of a really cool space!  In two weeks we’re hosting a weekend of prayer/worship as well at the Big House – God be glorified and refresh all who come! 

Our respective Widows Care teams were able to finally meet one another.  It was a joy to hear them share stories, challenges and dream about growing this ministry in 2019. One powerful moment was during prayer, when Rafael felt that everyone should get on their knees – everyone in unison, without questioning this, adhered. 

The hush of the Holy Spirit fell on us, and several of the leaders were moved to tears, including me as we sensed the intense care of Christ over this ministry ‘to the helpless.’  I saw in my mind’s eye sandals/feet flow through our circled gathering – we left this prayer time with a tremendous sense that Christ has heard our prayer for wisdom and help, that this was His ministry, not ours – that He will sustain, guide and lead us.  It was the most powerful time of the weekend for me personally as it was so unexpected.

Pray for our widows teams, and the 80 widows we are currently serving each month.  We are believing God grow this to 200 widows in 2019 and expanding our teams, mobilizing the church on mission in areas of construction and medical care as well.

The other times of gathering were around creative arts and worship.  While we have outreaches and events this fall coming up, we’re looking to this leadership core to begin praying, and stepping out in faith as well in new areas.  Our mission with Mir is to surround next generation leaders with the wisdom, community, and resources they need to step into the things of God. This feels right, not that we lead from out front, but from underneath, raising up, giving opportunity for indigenous gifts and callings to emerge.

We are excited already for our next weekend, which will be Lord willing in Belarus this November during the Lit Worship Event in Minsk.  This group will be growing, pray for us that we move with the Holy Spirit – that our gatherings produce the kind of fruit that impacts each heart involved first, then extends to the ‘tip of the arrow’ projects and ministries that emerge.

For us, much of this (contextually) relates in the context of marriage. Stepping out of each others shadow, learning healthy independence, embracing the risk of genuine sacrificial love, letting go of long held fears. Journeying to new places in Christ can be scary. Journeying to new geographic places scary too! I hope it resonates and encourages you in spirit.

To follow the adventure leading Creator is never random. We can trust that we’re not being led into ambiguity or valleys for their own sake or some non-redemptive process.

There’s a danger, I think, in our journey of faith to become overly introspective, losing track of the grounding, relational purposes of God. As he takes us into uncharted places (in reality or metaphorically), his intentional, relational purposes won’t change, because his character has been clearly revealed in Jesus.

He wants us to become his dwelling place, and increasingly so.

Whatever God has done in the past, is doing today, or do in the future, will never stray from His focused passion to reside intimately in us, and us in him.  Doesn’t that comfort you? It does me.

Col 2:7 ‘Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him.

Paul does something interesting, he mixes metaphors between a fruit tree and a constructed building.

Rooted relates to the eternal, powerful seeds already sown in us through the good news in Jesus, that they take root, spread deep and wide.. grounding us for the building of something! For what? The habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph 2:21-22, Eph 3:17).

In Eph 3:13-14 Paul affirms this more, using again the rooted and grounding metaphor. This time, the rooting is ‘in love’. That we would ‘know the love of Jesus.’ Why is it so important that we know this love? He concludes, that we could be ‘filled to the fullness’ of Him. Rooting, again is about being this container, or tabernacle of the presence of God. Ephesians and Colossians passages are both saying essentially, “Dig in, I want to fill you”.

We can trust the processes of God because His unchanging intent is to use them to increasingly abide in us. Our focus is on the rooting our faith in the person of Jesus, diving deep into Him with our whole heart, mind, soul.