In Search of Aliens

Anyone who frequented theatres in the 1970's can tell you all about a blockbuster called "Close Encounters of a Third Kind". The film featured actor Richard Dreyfuss in the role that put his career on the map and presented the story of a man who began to receive supernatural telekinetic messages from another world declaring that aliens were on the way. Dreyfuss and other "special" people who had also received the messages searched and waited for days until they were all drawn to Devil's Tower, Wyoming, where the friendly visitors made their appearance and brought along with them a host of passengers thought to have been long lost including Bermuda Triangle victims like the legendary post WWII Navy Flight 19. Highlighting the Aliens' visit was their communication with the world at large through music and hand signals. As I think back on the movie with 21st Century eyes, the plot and presentation seem a bit hokey and sugary sweet for contemporary tastes, but that premise - to search for aliens. Hmmmm.

This outlandish idea of searching for Aliens came to mind as I read a meditation this morning from the Our Daily Bread serial devotional. In today's reading,Christian writer Julie Acerman discusses the issue of Christian Credibility and she challenges believers to pursue the standard of behavior outlined in 1 Peter 2:11ff by Peter the Apostle:
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

The challenge is a serious one. Peter calls Christians to display love and forgiveness even while in life circumstances as dehumanizing as forced servitude! He instructs the faithful that a dynamic Christian life must be characterized by goodness, perseverance and forgiveness regardless of the response of those inflicting the harm! He asserts that persistently doing good regardless of one's situation has the power to silence evildoers and bring glory to the Name of the Lord! That kind of response to adversity and affliction is simply supernatural! It is certainly not human. The lifestyle that Peter demands is truly alien to common human experience, yet precisely the kind of lifestyle that humanity desperately needs to experience.

As I look at the task I face as an Outreach Pastor, called to mobilize people to touch lives through the hands-on application of the Gospel, I've come to the conclusion that I'm searching for aliens! Not the kind with silver uniforms and advanced space vehicles who repeat canned phrases like, "Take me to your leader," but folks who have a supernatural connection with and are inextricably devoted to Jesus. I'm looking for people in this world who are "peculiar" (1 Peter 2:9 KJV)- alien sojourners who are not seeking to pattern themselves after the latest fads or popular conventions, but are pursuing a higher calling of otherworldly proportions. I'm searching for people who display a transformed way of living, not through having their bodies snatched or through a Vulcan "mind meld" but through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of a transformed life: "...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22,23).

Now that I think about it, I shouldn't be just searching for aliens, I should be committed to being one myself, with my priorities not limited by the baggage of this world, but with a vision that reflects a laser-like focus on God's agenda. I invite you to become an alien too, with your heart tuned in to Heaven, following The Leader's Instructions so that other inhabitants of this planet can see you carrying out His supernatural agenda and surrender themselves to it too! Until next time...

Sam.

Living With Peace and Hope in Dangerous and Uncertain Times

Can you remember the message of joy and peace that emanated from the Christmas Season less than a week ago? You're surely familiar with the message - "Peace on earth, good will to men"? It seems to have been doused almost overnight. On Christmas Day this year,over 8 years after the terror of 9-11, air safety dominated the news as a man attempted to blow up an aircraft landing in Detroit. As troubling as that event was, the man boasted that he is not alone and that a virtual army of men just like him await the right opportunities to rain fear and death on travellers around the world. On top of that, the H1N1 virus seems to be running rampant. My sister-in-law informed me that in parts of Vancouver, BC, Canada, people are wearing masks in fear of contracting the disease which is spreading among the population there at a troubling rate with no one being certain of how severe its damage will be. And, if that weren't enough to disturb one's sleep, if the Mayans, Nostradamus and the History Channel are correct, we only have a little less than 2 years to "enjoy" our time on this planet anyway, since according to "prophecies" the world is going to end on December 21, 2012! Happy New Year, right?

The world is certainly filled with trouble and problems that can dash the hopes of even the most optimistic souls. When one's optimism is based on circumstantial evidence, disappointment is bound to occur and hopes are destined to be destroyed. When I reflect on last year's hopes for a Happy New Year, I cannot help but remember the untimely passing of two friends and good men, Jeff White and Paul Sorce, whose deaths remind me that tomorrow is not promised and even the highest of hopes can be laid low by the crushing realities of life. Nevertheless, even in the face of such loss mixed together with the sober perils of a fallen and mixed up world, I do have great hope and inner peace. How is this possible? The Bible abounds with answers. In one of the great Christmas verses not often associated with Christmas, the Heralding Angel informs Mary that the Lord is with her in her coming trials and that "...nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:33). Jesus reminded the disciples that the world is full of tribulation but not to live timidly when facing life's dangers. He said, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He further encouraged them to understand and distinguish God's Peace from man's peace. In John 14:27 Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." With God, it possible to achieve the impossible - peace of mind and spirit though the storms of life rage about us!

The apostle Paul offered a tremendous reminder of where our peace lies and what our attitude should be as we are beset with life's troubles:

2 Corinthians 4:7ff
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed...Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18. while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

As a Christian, I am called to spend myself to make this fallen world a better place, to champion peace, to spread hope and to defend the helpless in every way that I can as long as I have breath. Nevertheless, the reality is that evil exists, death doesn't sleep, and tragic setbacks riddle our everyday lives with pain and suffering. But, I won't give up or cease to try to do good and neither should you. Why not? Because, as the apostle Paul said, this is not all there is. We are more than visible flesh and life is more than tangible experience. There is an eternal and loving God Who cares for us, even as we have rebelled in our freedom against Him, and Who continues to reach out to us as the folly of our ways and the inadequacies of our wisdom play themselves out time and time again as history marches on. There is an eternity that will be inherited and for which each of us must be prepared. The great news is that God through His Son has made The Way for us, so that no matter what we experience today or might experience tomorrow - good or bad - We can have peace and hope knowing that His Power can be shown in our suffering and His love can be realized through our refusal to be ruled by our circumstances.


With the future totally unpredictable, but with God firmly established on His throne and completely reliable, I wish you His peace, His love and His joy knowing that with Him all things are possible and through my faith in Jesus, I can truly extend to you real hope for a truly "Happy New Year!" Keeping the faith and keeping true hope alive, until next time...

Sam.

How do I know she was THE ONE? Reflecting on 20 years of knowing Luz

As Luz and I approach our twentieth anniversary, I find myself reflecting on just how we came to be a couple. Though I obviously know our story through and through, I still have to think about just how it all happened! It's an important process to consider, as in my duties as a pastor, I am frequently approached by individuals who feel they may have met, "The ONE", and want to know just HOW I knew when I met Luz? What was it that distinguished her from any other woman I had met and what made me so sure that SHE was the woman for whom I had been destined?

First of all, I prayed about it. When I was a little boy, it was clear to me that my mom was a very special woman and that my dad was very fortunate man. I asked my mom, "How did daddy find you and how can I find a great wife for myself?" Not that I understood all the dynamics, but I had observed enough from my parents and others to know that not all marriages were the same and that something that important couldn't just "happen". Mom's answer was instant and easy to understand. She said, "Pray Son, that the Lord will first develop the character within you to appreciate and know how to love a good woman, and then that He will give you the wisdom to recognize her when He brings you across her path. Also ask Him to give you the patience to wait as you will encounter many women that you could marry but shouldn't, because some of them will be great women, but not the right one for you or you the right man for them to consider for marriage." That was a lot for a youngster to digest, but I understood the praying part and just asked the Lord to help me with all the stuff I didn't understand.

Time passed, I got older and experienced some of what felt like the most jarring crushes in the history of mankind. Hormones surged, emotions ran high, and on a few occasions I was smitten to an extent that seemed to be beyond human endurance. Nevertheless, I was fortunate to have been surrounded by my parents and mature friends who gave me perspective and encouraged me time had not yet come and I needed to wait. I asked again, in frustration, "How do you know when the time is right?" "Keep praying" I was told "...and keep waiting!"

What was I praying for? To a great extent, I was praying for an understanding of my own heart. My mentors made it clear that I needed to understand who I was and what I was about before I took the step to join my life to someone else. I needed to grow, develop and mature into the kind of man who could walk through life side by side with an amazing woman and be the kind of man to face not only the good times, but the hardest times life would have to offer and not abandon my spouse in the process. I also needed to be patient enough to allow the Lord to develop and mold me into such a person and wait for His decision on when I was ready for such a journey, without leaping out of my own passions or desperation.

Of course, I was also praying for the type of woman I felt I wanted, along with a list of characteristics and traits that I felt were "essential". That list went through endless changes until I reached a point of saying, "Lord, you know me inside and out. Rather than me telling you what I want, give me the wisdom to know spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally when you have answered my prayer." The Bible describes our human hearts as having an amazing capacity for deception and wickedness even when our overall intentions are good. I know Sam and know that left to myself, my ability to make stupid choices for stupid reasons knows no bounds. For this most important of choices, I needed to have my mind clear, my heart cleansed and my will surrendered to what God had planned for me. That meant spending more time considering a woman's character than her curves and being a student of a woman's way in her walk with Jesus rather than studying her way of wiggling when she walked. By God's power and with the encouragement of many friends who held me accountable, I endured.

By the time I arrived in the Philippines 20 years ago, I knew that I wanted someone, but also knew that I was clueless in understanding just the someone I needed. I also knew that Scripture promised that if a person seeks God's Kingdom and His righteousness before all else, everything else that is needed will be added . With that in mind, I traveled to a place I didn't know much about, to serve in a ministry I didn't exactly understand, to be introduced to a woman I didn't know I had been praying for my entire life. How did I know that? Well, my prayer had been for God to let me know spiritually, intellectually and emotionally. I'm not sure it was exactly in that order, because in the words of the Beatles's tune "I Saw Her Standing There" "My heart went BOOM when I crossed that room!" Nevertheless, once my pulse returned to normal and I was able to get to know her and what God had done for her and what she was doing for Him, her character was undeniable. Furthermore, her love for people and her desire to minister in the most difficult places so that would know God's love were clear indicators of her devotion to the Lord and her unwavering commitment to serve Him with her life and not just her lips. After I was convinced that by some miracle she was also interested in me, and that the Lord was performing something special between us, we began to act on the informed opinion that we had each met "The One" and that the Lord had a plan for us to be joined in marriage.

Has our journey been nothing but roses and candy? Hardly. I am convinced that when we are seeking out a life partner, we are often seeking a companion for a pleasure cruise, when we ought to be praying for a shipmate for a war at sea. Fortunately, when the Lord guides the decision, He ensures that you have the right crew, ready, willing and able to fight alongside you through all the battles of life. Luz and I have walked together through the death of a parent, the death of a child, adventures in parenting, misunderstandings, firings, miracle babies, triumphs of justice and miracles all around. I know that we face many, many more challenges in the years ahead. Nevertheless, I have great confidence that the same God who brought us together will see our union through to its proper end when one of us or both of us, goes Home in death to be with Him. How do I know? I've seen what He has done in us and for us through so many of life's ups and downs and in the lives of others who have trusted Him, I have no doubt of what He will do in the future. His Word says it. By faith we're living it. I've also seen it in the lives of so many others and that's how I know! Until next time...

Sam.

Ichabod! - What Tiger's Fall Says About Us

One of the ugliest words I have ever heard is Icahbod - used in 1 Samuel to commemorate the capture of the Ark of the Covenant of the nation of Israel and meaning "The Glory has Departed!" This word came to mind as I was reading my friend Daniel Yang's Facebook reflections on Tiger Woods' recent problems. He warned, "Samson wasn't strong enough, David wasn't holy enough, Solomon wasn't smart enough & Tiger wasn't rich enough. Fellas, be humbled & beware." I am troubled by the contemporary trend of treating celebrity's personal problems as entertainment. We seem comforted by the notion that those who appear mightier than we are have severe issues that regularly bring them down a peg or two, exposing their vulnerabilities and humanity. While I believe it is important to recognize the limitations of fame and fortune, I believe it is more important to consider what celebrity problems say about our society as a whole and the implications their troubles have for "ordinary folks".

We have to acknowledge that no one is surprised that Tiger is apparently committing adultery. It's what sports figures do. In his book "Out of Bounds" Jim Brown, one of the greatest running backs in NFL history boldly proclaimed that the general public shouldn't be surprised by celebrity excesses and vices because the unwritten rules of life make it crystal clear that "Special people deserve special treatment." In the circles in which Tiger travels, adultery and an undisciplined sexual lifestyle are the norm - consider one of his prime personal mentors was Michael Jordan, a man whose unfaithfulness towards his wife ultimately cost him his marriage and much much more. It appears that Tiger's alleged escapades may prove costly to him in what may be the most damaging area of all - his reputation.

This issue of costs is what links us with the celebrity world. Sin costs. We can pretend that our actions don't have an impact on the lives of others, but they always do. A casual sexual lifestyle as a youth, can sew the seeds of irresponsible and unfaithful behavior in my adulthood. A "devil may care" attitude towards personal integrity as long as I am "good at my job" may seem to make sense when I want to party all the time, but the reality that my life outside of work has an effect on my life inside of work will eventually catch up to me and exact a painful price I am not really prepared to pay in relationships, health and wealth.

It's not my desire to get "preachy" here but simply to make the point that our celebrities are celebrities because they reflect values we hold dear enough to pay for at astounding costs. Tiger makes his living because we place great value on what he does and the image he presents, not necessarily who he really is. It's the same with any celebrity you see in the tabloids today from "Brangelina" to "J-Lo" we don't really care about who they are, what's going on with them, or what they truly represent, we just want to be entertained! Why can't we name the top 10 teachers in the nation? Why don't we know the names of service personnel who have distinguished themselves in service to the nation in the War on Terror? Why do the most helpful organizations in the world have to beg us to send $20 a month while their staff members often live in on the edge of poverty while we'll pay a celebrity $50 just for an autographed picture - A picture that we had to buy in advance which will only take the celebrity a few seconds to sign at a convention where he will probably have a "love connection" with someone other than his spouse? The problem is us. We value superficial human abilities more than meaningful human character.

Humanity has wrestled with this problem since the beginning of time. The prophet Jeremiah challenges us to adopt a different set of standards:

This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his WISDOM
or the strong man boast of his STRENGTH
or the rich man boast of his RICHES,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he UNDERSTANDS AND KNOWS ME, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight...(Jeremiah 9:23,24)

Jeremiah challenges us to idolize God and God alone and to spend ourselves to know Him and to commit whatever gifts we have to be about His business rather than being caught up in our own transient abilities. How can we be about His business rather than caught up in ourselves? By using our intellect, strength and wealth to show kindness, exercise justice and demonstrate righteousness everyday of our lives. Later in his challenge, Jeremiah calls people to "spend" themselves to the service of others leaving nothing behind - 100% of what we have for God's glory and others' benefit! (Just imagine, for example, if Wilt Chamberlain's boast had not been that he'd slept with 10,000 women but that he had mentored 10,000 people who had no hope before his intervention. That's spending yourself for a worthwhile cause!) If this challenge was our focus as a people, it might change the kind of people we lift up and encourage them to step up as the role models their amazing talents enable them to be.

So, with Jeremiah's words in mind and as Tiger's story unfolds, remember that his ascension to prominence is a reflection of our own values and his fall is a cause for prayer not celebration. As you pray for him and other celebrities (nationally and in your own community) whose falls are to come, make a commitment for yourself to step up Jeremiah's challenge and seek to influence others to not glory in abilities that wane, but to use whatever abilities you have been given to grow in character that lasts and can live on to produce fruit long after the "glory days" are gone. Until Next Time...

Sam

I Can't Help Myself

I just can't help remembering. 20 years ago, I was sitting on a "Big Iron Bird" in the middle of a 22-hour + adventure, making my way towards my new bride-to-be and two beautiful little girls who knew me at the time as "Daddy Sam". After a summer of challenging ministry, a conviction that the Lord was changing my ministry focus and unexpectedly falling head-over-heels in love in the Philippines I returned the the U.S. with an unrelenting drive and determination that I would get back to the Philippines before Christmas. As a seminary student with no job, no house and a really, really beat up car, it seemed improbable that I was in a position to get married, let alone support an entire family, but when God opens a door he also provides what it needed once the threshold is passed!

There was quite a bit of concern that I had bitten off more than I could chew. My mentor's wife asked me with great concern in her graceful Southern Bell style, "Sam, I concerned about you Dear. How are you going to support a wife and TWO children?" I didn't know the details, but I had spent literally every day of my life since my 5th birthday praying for the Lord to lead me in my choice of a wife and now His guidance had led me to Luz. I didn't know the particulars, but I knew I would lead me step by step and He would provide the way.

My presence on the plane was proof that the Lord WOULD make a way. On the heels of returning from the Philippines, I had just raised support for a pretty costly mission trip and here I was convinced that the Lord wanted me to return to the Philippines in less than 4 months. A dear Brother from Brazil gave me some great advice - "Sam, tell the people you know what you honestly believe the Lord has done, and what you believe he is doing now. All the while work, pray, plan, do all you can, but leave the results to Him. If it's truly His will, you'll be on a plane by December." In the last week of November 1989, I was on a Northwest 747 headed for Manila. I can't help but remember how the Lord provided.

I can't help but remember thinking about those two little girls and how my dearest friends worked so hard to help me to communicate my love to them. These friends had helped me make some flip page picture books with sound for the girls describing life in South Carolina as well as helping me make some cassette tape recordings of children's stories Like "The 3 Little Pigs", complete with sound effects and supporting cast voices. Our dorm mates got more than a few laughs listening to us make silly voices and use sound effects from our record collections to simulate the Big Bad Wolf blowing down houses! I'll never forget the HUGE hugs I received from my girls when I got back to Manila and how my friends' support had helped me to connect just a little bit closer so that I could lay a foundation for the family God was building.

I can't help but remember waking up after my first night back in the Philippines in a mission house surrounded by missionaries from New Zealand who had heard bits and pieces of the story of how Luz and I met and who were so gracious in offering encouragement and support as brothers in the Lord even though we were so newly acquainted.

I just can't help but remember feeling the Lord's peace as a coup attempt erupted 2 days after my arrival and I politely declined an invitation to leave the Philippines until a "safer" time arrived. I remembered being told that there is "No safer place than the center of God's will." As planes flew overhead and shelling was audible in the distance, I knew what God was doing, and new that he would see us through.

I just can't help but remember the joy I felt as the 4 of us stood together in a Manila park and a friend took a picture of us as night fell. God had answered the prayer of a lifetime and an abundance of prayers for daily guidance, and I was right in the center of His will, enjoying the fruit of His provision.

Over the next month, I'll be sharing my thoughts of this special time of my life. Anniversaries are designed to help us to remember times of great importance and to reflect on the impact of those times on our lives. At the 20-year mark of my amazing life journey as a husband and father, I am compelled to remember a time when God blessed me in such a powerful way, that even the gleanings of that wonderful life harvest are producing more fruit than I can contain. I hope you'll indulge my testifying of God's greatness to me through this life changing time. I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself. I hope you'll remember something wonderful that God has done for you and perhaps feel moved to some spontaneous praise too! Until next time...

SAM.

The New Kid In Town

Today the Lord has blessed me to reach my 46th birthday, and I am truly happy and thankful. But even in what is considered, "middle age" I find myself challenged anew being placed once again in the position of being "The New Kid in Town". Some of you remember a classic song of the same name performed by the 70's group The Eagles. At the time that "New Kid in Town" was hot on the charts, my family was in the middle of a major move that would ultimately find us in what was to become my most cherished High School experience in Hanau, Germany. At the time, however, the move was an unwelcome intrusion on what was to me a perfect existence. My father saw my displeasure and in a move to teasingly encourage me actually bought the Eagles album Hotel California, which included the hit "New Kid". I was not amused, but my dad played that song at every opportunity and would turn up the volume and sing along every time it played on the radio - If you knew my dad, you would realize just how funny that was - but at the time, I wasn't smiling at all. I had toughened myself and steeled my will to believe that I knew all I needed to know and nobody had anything to offer my of any value in any of the places we were heading. Well, once I got to good ol' Hanau American High School, the kindness heaped on me by fellow students, the excellent education passed on to me by the teaching staff and the amazing Military community in which we lived softened my heart and taught me that being the "New Kid" on the block can open up important doors of perspective and teach lessons that are sometimes more difficult to learn in familiar environs.

Now that I am approaching one month of service in a new ministry setting, I am finding that the Lord has once again placed me in a position of being "The New Kid" and is calling me to be still and allow Him to teach me important truths through the freshness of a new setting. As we arrived here in Racine, I quietly wondered if my breadth of ministry service and experience had hardened me beyond my ability to respond to things I knew should touch my heart and lessons I knew the Lord would teach. A series of events this week, reassured me that my heart was not yet beyond reach and my brain was not hardened to God's efforts to teach. As our senior pastor preached a powerful message on Philippians 4 about the importance of learning the secret of contentment, I felt something welling up within me and spilling out from me that I had feared I had lost the ability to produce - tears. Not tears of sorrow, but tears of affirmation, that a deeply held truth that had been confirmed by God's Word and found a place of conviction within my heart.

Last night as I began to consider my approaching birthday and my mother's selfless and tireless commitment to make me a man who stood for good, the tears were back. Again, not tears of sorrow, but tears of gratitude for a life well-lived and an example that continues to shine in the hearts of those who knew Georgia, even as my mother's earthly lamp has been extinguished for over a decade now. Then this morning, as I returned from delivering Joana to school, the worship song "Shout to the Lord" came up on the play list and tears of joy came to my eyes as I was reminded of past times I had heard that song and the ways in which I have seen God faithfully work over the years as that song has been sung and we served with it as our soundtrack.

I am convinced that the new setting has made me open and sensitive to humbly listen to what the Lord is saying and to allow Him to teach me and touch me in ways that can sometimes be harder to achieve when we are in familiar territory and feel we have it all together. Therefore, I'm sharing the present with you I believe the Lord has given to me in my 46th year of life. Isaiah 43 puts it this way:

18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

God has a mighty way of transforming a place that seems impossible to navigate or find your bearings into a new and living way that transforms, inspires and restores. You may not be the new kid in town, but God surely wants to do a new thing in your life today. Don't fight it. Let the joy come and let the tears flow and allow the Lord to teach you new lessons that will change your life and the lives of others. Until next time...


Sam.

But Then We Fooled Around And Acted Out Of Love

Eight years ago, I found myself in the midst of a church life situation that proved to be one of the most intense tests of my commitment to basic Christian principles that I ever faced. Anger, mistrust and hurt among the leadership of the church in which I was then serving manifested itself in some truly damaging and hurtful ways, leading to the dissolution of unity, the breaking of relationships and the scattering of the church family. Having arrived at the ministry full of optimism and energy with the prospect of many years of ministry service a virtual certainty, I found myself in the midst of a firestorm and ultimately without a church n which to belong and without a ministry in which I could vocationally serve.

By God's mercy, Luz and I were able to follow His leading in starting another ministry, and to be joined in that endeavor by others who had a common vision to live in a caring, multicultural community for the Glory of Jesus Christ. Yet, because of the proximity of the former ministry partners with whom we had worked, and by whom we had felt so betrayed, we wondered for several years if the forgiveness demanded by Jesus and the restoration that is a hallmark of the standard Jesus has set for His church was really possible - not just on the part of others, but for us. Could we really EVER consider the people that had hurt us so deeply to be our real brothers and sisters in the Lord?

The answer came gradually. Luz and I had a deep conviction that we had to live what we believed in front of our children and try with all of our might NOT to drag them into the fray. Because churches blend the personal and professional lives of vocational Christian workers, the families of the workers are not necessarily shielded from the fallout of church rifts and difficulties. We made a promise to ourselves that we would encourage our children to continue their friendships formed within the church and to always treat former church members with respect regardless of what we may have thought their role might have been in the church debacle.

Luz and I were especially touched when we ourselves were treated with the respect we had demanded of our children by the children of people we felt had hurt us. It was a clear indication that there were others that were wrestling with the ramifications of the church's struggle and committed to apply the basic loving principles of the faith by trying to turn the tide of the situation towards healing. It showed us that sometimes, responses to deep hurts can be slow, but one must be alert for signs that changes of heart might be taking place.

More than that, there were individuals along the way who served as torchbearers in the process of trying to live like Jesus who, in spite of the hurts, stubbornly refused to take sides and just tried to love everybody into loving everybody else regardless of which "side" of the church split they might have been. With these siblings of faith in the mix, the walls of separation gradually began to wear down. People who were not speaking, began to hold conversations. People who had secretly vowed not to fellowship with other individuals began breaking bread with those very individuals they had vowed to shun. People like me, who thought they would never find themselves singing, worshipping and fellowshipping in the context of a Sunday service in the midst of that heretofore painful setting, found themselves singing, worshipping and fellowshipping in that same setting.

This Sunday, my family and I were graciously invited by friends to attend a worship service at our former place of service so that those who knew us might be able to pray for us and bid us a loving farewell. When we arrived, former co-laborers and church members practically mobbed us in love. There were hugs, tears, laughter, and the expression of some regrets but more than anything, a warm and overflowing display of acceptance. This acceptance was made possible by those who tenacious clung to the good - good memories of ministry: baptisms, weddings, comforted grief, and daring outreaches. The acceptance was also made possible by good memories of fellowship: funny stories, great times around food and good times just hanging out. Most everyone had grown in faith, grown in service, grown in humility and grown in love. It seemed we shared an understanding that God's Kingdom was best served when we patiently expected Him to live out His truths in us as He patiently waited for us to respond in loving obedience to His Truth.

As I stood in front of that congregation being blessed and prayed for in response to our entering a new chapter of ministry service in Racine, WI I couldn't help but reflect of the great love passage of 1 Corinthians 13:

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.

Love suffers long and never fails when we are committed to it. For a season in our service here in Metro Detroit, there was a lot of selfish foolishness but then we fooled around and acted out of love, and saw God glorified, His Word confirmed and our lives changed. Perhaps you've been deeply hurt in some church situation. Maybe you feel as if there is no way anything beautiful can emerge from your pain. I challenge you to remember that God's love is all about the Long Haul and that if you commit yourself to live in His love, you will not only see changes around you, you will see changes IN you! Let God's love get a hold on you. I know I'm glad I did.

Until next time...

Sam.