The Unworthy Saint

I think God has given me the gift of spiritual, physical and emotional frailty – I can’t get to far on my own power without crashing.  Sometimes I crash hard, sometimes I just come close.  I tell you what though – I feel tired and very frail in this moment.

—

Down in the Lowlands by Charlie Peacock

The water is up to my neck
I am sinking in the deep
There is no foothold anymore
I’m very worn out from calling for help
My throat is hoarse and dry as a bone
My eyes have failed me from looking for you
Are you looking for me?

I’m down in the lowlands where the water is deep
Hear my cry, hear my shout, save me, save me

Could this be it, could I be drowning?
Have I failed to be heard by the One
Who can save me now?
My eyes have failed me from looking for you
Are you looking for me?

‘Cause I’m down in the lowlands where the water is deep
Hear my cry, hear my shout, save me, save me

I have a few thoughts on money, the rich and the poor, and transforming people groups.

There’s no middle class – there is the rich and the poor.  The rich are those who have surplus, who are not in debt.  The poor are those who are in debt and do not have surplus.  The majority of the “middle class” that I know are in debt and living as though they had surplus.

If you want to influence a community of a poor people for Christ, if you truly want to be the most effective, move in with them.  Live among them.  Think about it – that’s what Christ did.  He became poor, He gave up His status in Heaven, humbled Himself, became a servant – He became poor so that we might become rich.  So what would it mean for us to truly minister to the poor around here?  Much more than Transform this summer, we need the body of Christ to not just give to a community, but to move into a community and live radically, not just give radically every once in a while, but live radically day in and day out, giving the excess to those in need – giving up status, a life of wealth, and pouring ourselves into the poor.  And I’m not saying you quit your job and become poor in that sense, no you keep it but live on the same amount the poor people do, then take the excess and give to the people around you, spending on ministry rather than yourself.

So if I lived this out, I would move into the trailer park and help my neighbors get out of debt, help them fix their trailers, have them in my home, cook for them, keep their kids, take them to church, love on them, share the gospel, invite my friends to spend time with all of us, have football parties, play soccer and basketball in the neighborhood, etc etc…

All of this scares me.