Mark 8:31-38

When I was very young, my father worked seasonally as a logger in rural Alaska.  He would leave for three months’ time, visiting once or twice before returning in the fall.  Dad went to provide a better life for us: the work was steady and the pay was higher.  Every time Dad left, I wished he had stayed.  Who would push me on the swing set or feed me bites of breakfast cereal on his lap?  Life was not the same without him.

Jesus starts teaching about the coming change and his impending death.  Suffering and death?  That’s not part of the plan. Identifying with Peter’s rebuke and fear, it’s easy to imagine he would rather be at Jesus’ side.  How could life be the same without Jesus?  For those of us who consider comfort and Christianity congruent, Jesus’ words are jarring: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me,” (v. 34).

Lord God, may we trust you enough to lose it all in order that we might find you.  Amen.

James 3:13-18

Learning about the Kingdom of Heaven is disconcerting.  God’s view of success is the polar opposite of what we are taught to value.  In society, and in the church, the powerful are ambitious, look out for number one, and do whatever it takes to make a name for themselves.  Envy is encouraged in online and television advertisements.  The website Facebook gives us a chance to brag to the world about all we have accomplished, and compare those accomplishments with our friends’.  In James, we are instructed that “such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic,” (v. 15).  “Wisdom…from heaven is…pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive…” (v. 17).  In other words, success in God’s kingdom is anti-success.  It puts others first and values sincerity and peace above selfish scrambling for superiority.  It is submissive.  In all our posturing for recognition and praise, do we consider others?  Are we impartial and sincere, or do we look to flatter those who can improve our image?

God of all, transform our hearts and minds that we might value your idea of success, and seek it for our own lives.  Amen.

James 3:1-12

In the early days of our church, a member felt it was time to move on and start attending elsewhere.  While this happens in every faith community, this individual chose to make their feelings known by emailing the entire membership a list of reasons for leaving.  How many of us in a moment of anger or frustration have clicked the ‘send’ key and realized, too late, that we had made a mistake?  Controlling the tongue is not easy.  Too often, we allow our tongue to control us, speaking (or typing) words of anger and frustration indicative of the heart attitudes behind our words.

We must submit our tongues, our words, and our hearts to God’s redemption.  Transforming the tongue reaches deeper than the organ situated in our mouth.  It involves a total character check, and a transparency of the soul.  We cannot offer praises on one hand and slander from the other; we will be found out, and our true nature revealed.

God, I ask for your transformation.  Purify my heart that my tongue might sing your praises. Amen.

Mark 8:27-29

My husband and I started dating in November.  By Christmas, we considered our relationship serious.  In March he bought a ring, by April we were engaged, and in August we began our life as a married couple.  From the outside, our courtship seemed short.  “Are you sure?” we were asked again and again.  We were.  It was not anything we could quantify or explain; it was a certainty in our very beings.

Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” (v. 29).  Those around Peter considered Jesus a good teacher, wise man, a prophet.  Peter, first among the apostles, spoke out of the knowledge of his heart: “You are the Christ” (v. 29).  In the midst of a crowd, Peter felt within himself a certainty, a heart knowing, about Jesus.  This knowing changed the trajectory of his life forever.  Who does the trajectory of your life say Jesus is?

Holy Spirit, instill within me a heart knowing of Christ as savior, that I might live out of that revelation.  Amen.

Proverbs 1:20-33

Small children trust their parents’ wisdom.  What a shock when the teenager realizes Mom and Dad don’t know everything–even worse when the young adult begins to imagine they don’t know anything.

How often in our Christian walk do we imagine ourselves mature, and thus stop listening for wisdom’s voice? “Do you know how long I’ve been going to church?”  we might say to those who desire to share with us correction and guidance.  Listening to wisdom’s voice requires an open and humble spirit.  We are told in Proverbs that those “who choose not to fear the LORD” will be felled by “the waywardness of the simple…and the complacency of fools.” (v. 32, TNIV).  Ignoring the voice of wisdom has the consequence of leading us further and further from God’s truth.

Gracious God, let us never become so complacent in our own knowledge that we close our hearts and minds to your revelation. Amen.

It has been a tough few weeks here at the Klug household.  We have been a bit shaken at the loss of a family member, and have been encouraged as our (Alan’s) family has reached out to one another, offering comfort, support, prayer, and genuine love.  How do we sustain ourselves through tough times?  What helps us keep going? Recently, I put together a few devotionals, and thought I’d share them over the next week, to remind myself that my hope, my strength, my life comes from a source outside myself.  It may be difficult for each of us to feel this at times, but that’s precisely when, as the Body of Christ, it’s our job to remind one another of God’s unceasing faithfulness, that “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

Psalm 125

Lead Us Not into Temptation

Temptation.  When the wicked seem to prosper on every side, doing what is right isn’t easy.  Sometimes a temptation is clearly wrong; more often it is a progression.  One small step leads to another, and we find ourselves in a place we never could have imagined.  How do we guard against the gradual pull of wickedness?  Showing up to work just a few minutes late can’t be wrong, can it?  Looking at that website just once can’t be wrong, can it? As God’s people we are told our foundation is not in the crooked ways of this world, but in the mighty and surrounding presence of our Lord.

God promises we will not always be subject to temptation because God knows we are prone to doing evil.  Can we place our trust in the Lord today, that we might overcome the temptations that plague us?

Lord, we rely upon you to be our strength and unshakable endurance.  Grant us the humility to ask for help when we need it, and remove from us the scepter of the wicked. Amen.

After four years in seminary together, you get pretty tight with some of your fellow pastors-to-be.  If you pass candidacy to receive an MDiv from Seattle University, you join a year long cohort of students, producing as a final project your personal theology.  It’s a celebration of your  call to ministry, your vision for the Church and your potential role.  All students and professors, as well as ministry colleagues are invited to attend to question, learn and listen together.  I presented my MDiv synthesis last June, on a gorgeous Seattle summer day.  As I walked across campus, I thought I saw someone standing near the doorway, waiting to head into the presentations.  In the glare of morning sun, I thought I saw my classmate Deb, one of the first people I met at Seattle U, a bubbly and vivacious single mom who was the first to ask a question in class, took the BEST notes, and was also the first to make us all smile and tell us to take ourselves less seriously.  Only it couldn’t be Deb.  After our third year, and after applying to join the same leadership cohort I was presenting my final project for, she killed herself.

Deb was one of the most alive people I have ever met, and as we joined together that fall to begin another year, we realized none of us saw it coming.  Blindsided, we couldn’t fathom how someone so many of us loved, cherished, and looked forward to spending time with could consider the world, her family, her friends, better off without her.  I wish she had shared how she was really feeling, I wish she had asked for help.  In a school full of pastoral candidates and professors, I wish we had known how to help her, that we could have read the signs (were there signs? I still wonder…).  Last June, as I gave my presentation, I couldn’t help but wish she was there with us, and hope that she could hear us all.

A year later, as another group of colleagues and friends graduate and begin their pastoral ministry, I still think ‘Deb, you should be standing with them. You should be here.’  We are not the same without her chiding, challenging, loving presence.

If I had the chance to go back in time, I would try to tell her she was loved, no matter how difficult it must have been for her to hear the words.  I would tell her that her beautiful son needed his mother, and couldn’t fathom life without her.  I would tell her that we needed her, saw in her a woman with so much potential, with so much to give.  I would tell her that this was not her time, that God had not finished God’s work in and through her life.

I would say to anyone who has considered the world might be better off, their friends might be better off, their families might be better off if they were gone, their problems are insurmountable: don’t believe it. It’s a lie. Not for a second would the people in your life, the world, be better off without you. If you need help, ask. Ask your minister, a friend, a family member. If you don’t know who to ask, start here The folks at 1(800)SUICIDE are trained counselors, it’s anonymous, and they know what you’re going through.  Life is hard, but please know you don’t have to go through it alone.

I will never stop missing Deb and wishing she were here.

One of my areas of oversight here at Quest has been the Global Presence ministry.  As we have sought to form partnerships, care well for our missions folks, and discern how to involve our little church in the world, a theology of Global Presence has emerged.  As I continue to share, educate, and invite collaboration with the church, I’ll share my presentation for you to peruse, and learn with us what it means to develop your own theology of engagment. Enjoy. Critique. Comment.

If you want to see the pretty, pretty slideshow (minus our missions partners for sensitivity reasons), here’s a link: http://tinyurl.com/owqbwn

Developing a Theology of Global Presence

Developmental Stages:

• Education and Discernment
• Know Yourself
• Know Your Social Location
• Take Action

Education and Discernment: What Questions Should You Ask?

WHY do we support Global Presence work?

• Biblical Mandate
  • Matthew 25

WHO are you called to partner with?

• Region of the world
• People group
• Cause
  • Human Trafficking
  • Extreme Poverty
  • Education

WHAT types of ministries will you partner with?

• Development work
• Evangelism

HOW will you partner with these ministries?

• Financial Partnership
• Time and skills partnership

What does authentic partnership look like, and how do you find partners?

In the words of Harper McConnell, before you support an organization:

1. Research where the executive directors and staff members have worked previously and how that may influence their prescriptions.
2. Evaluate how much they incorporate the local voice where they’re advocating.
3. Read criticisms of the organization.
4. Determine whether they are too focused on attracting celebrities to their cause.
5. Be sure they approach the issue from a historical perspective, addressing the root problem.
6. Look at their budget and how they spend their money.

7. What is their history—have they demonstrated sustainability?

Authentic Partnership:

• Builds personal relationships
• Benefits both parties
• Builds local capacity
• Is Long-term and Sustainable
• Is directed by mutual relationship
• Honors people and culture
• Recognizes God at work in the situation
• Takes time and personal investment!

Authentic Partnership Is NOT:

• Lacking any personal relationship
• Cultivating a culture of dependency
• A ‘hand-out’ dynamic – only about $ or resources
• Judgmental of culture and lifestyle
• Short-term
• Directed by one party
• Viewing the ‘helper’ as having a superior faith or spirituality
• Only done at the convenience of the party in power

Know Yourself:

• What are your interests and passions?
• What are your skills and talents?
• How much time, energy and resources do you have to devote to a partnership?
• What type of calling is God placing on your heart?

Know Your Social Location:

• What is your culture?
• What is your ethnic background?
• What language(s) do you speak?
• What is your socioeconomic level on a global scale?
• What is your educational background?
• As you research global partnerships, what about the daily lives of your partners seems ‘normal’ to you?  What does not?

Take Action!

Formulate Your Own Theology/Philosophy of Global Presence

• Take into account
  • Time and Resources
  • Personal Calling
  • Social Location
  • Opportunities for Partnership
• Get Involved!
  • Join Others on the Journey
  • Plan for Sustainability
  • Never Stop Learning!

There is so much going on in the world, and I’m posting about some interior processing that’s been on my heart and mind as I try to articulate for myself what it means to be a minister.  What it means for me to be a minister. I apologize for looking inward, when so often we would better serve one another by engaging outward, but this is where I was a week or so ago.  Where are you?

The blogosphere sometimes grants us too much insight into the mind of our fellow human.  While touring the series of tubes this week, I came across a blog entry by a Quester, written after they’d been at the church a few months.  Their entry gave, in a sentence or so each, their impression of each of the pastors of our church.  Pastor Leah, read the entry, speaks to the inclusion of women in the church.  There’s nothing wrong with this, really.  It’s surely something to speak for, but if I were to pick something to be known for, I’d hope what comes across is more along the lines of empowering people to live like Jesus, rather than “wow, she talks about women a lot.”

Here’s the deal: I speak about women in the church because it needs to be spoken of.  I’ve never before operated in an environment where the equality and humanity of women has been as openly contested as it is in the Evangelical Church.  All my work in non-profits, education, and academia at least publicly recognized and assumed that women were coworkers who had something to contribute, and whose expertise was not questioned because of their gender.  In those environments, I spoke, advocated, and formed partnerships advocating for racial justice and equal opportunity hiring and access to education, health care, and housing.  I feel that I’m still learning the language to speak on behalf of women, and therefore it is more present in my current discussion and writing.  I also believe working alongside Christ in actively praying (which doesn’t just mean pretty words but must also mean action) that the Kingdom come on earth as in heaven means advocating together against all forms of injustice.  Injustice present in the pervasive institutional and systemic racism and racialization that taints society, church and theology.  Injustice that is present in the social class hierarchy that persists in our supposedly democratic society where the gap between rich and poor continues to widen.  Injustice that is present in our immigration policies.  Injustice that is present in the sexism that affects both men and women in our country as they apply for jobs, worship in our communities, and raise children as single parents.  Injustice that is present in the assumed mantle of unacknowledged heterosexual privilege in our church and society.  If we hold one of these things above the others, if we omit the humanity of our brothers or sisters in whatever form, we occlude the vision of the Kingdom.

Jesus, in his life, modeled the pathway to achieving God’s Kingdom: giving power away.  At every opportunity, God’s only son hesitated to take credit for Himself, and instead pointed all glory back to God.  At every opportunity to seize power for his own purposes, and allow his followers to become enamored with him for his own ego’s sake, he instead washed the feet of those around him.  Power and privilege have been barriers to the Kingdom since before Jesus’ day, and he was occupied with dismantling the systemic, institutional, and religious structures that together constructed an order contrary to that of heaven.  If we do the same today, it means that the power and privilege each of us hold, whether by virtue of race, gender, socioeconomic status, class, sexual orientation, religious identity or nationality must be something we are willing to give up. It means that rather than glorifying our own selves, we will point all instead to the God who created us for the very sake of God’s own glorification and honor.  It means that we give up the right of self-worship, and instead lay down our lives for our Lord, and our fellow person.

Is this something we are prepared to do?

It’s been a wild ride lately.  Less than 48 hours after the NPC Annual Meeting, I headed across the pond for a bit of official business:

Officiating my BFF’s wedding.  Congratulations to Martha, my college-and-beyond roommate, partner in crime, and fellow road tripping vegetarian. Ah, the places we have been! Congratulations also to her beau from the UK, the marvelous Philip, her perfect match!

Recovering from jet-lag, I fulfilled my duties as a member of the steering committee for the past many months with a great group of folks at this conference, pulling it together to present as part of a panel on how to teach about Poverty and Microfinance in the church and community.

Here’s me, (wo)manning the Quest Church table between sessions, highlighting some of our sustainable projects partners from HEAL Africa, World Aid, and the Acholi Beads projects.  Although it was the conference’s first year, we had 100 folks on the waiting list, and were so encouraged by the turnout!

The following weekend meant another conference, hosted by Quest, Convergence.  This provided the opportunity to share about developing a personal or organizational theology/philosophy of global involvement, and the chance to hear from some of our fabulous partners.

We had rescheduled the conference from it’s original March date, and spent some great time with our partners from Chamwino Connect (Tanzania), HEAL Africa (Goma, DRC), World Aid (Thailand/Burma), and Muslim-Christian Dialogue (Andy Larsen).  What a great couple of weeks.

Not to be outdone, yesterday we held a staff development day with some friends from the ECC.  Learning each other’s working styles was a great help, especially since we have the most personality diverse staff they’ve ever seen, with only two staff of the same Enneagram personality.  What am I? The Challenger! But in a nice way, of course. Thanks staff for a great and affirming day! Not to be mushy, but I am blessed to be working with such an amazing team.

I would insert a staff pic, but we really need to take an updated photo.  Instead, I’ll share another pic from the London excursion: my officiant skills were only outdone by my cake decorating skills: