Michelle Castle

Welcome

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:41:00 +0000

Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea...Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones.

- Matthew 18: 5-6, 10

If you've never been to a wrestling tournament, you likely have no idea how l-o-n-g the events can be. With hundreds of individual matches, they can last eight hours or more. Add in the time it takes us to transport kids to the tournament and back home, and our head coach is right: we start long before dawn and don't end until after the sun has gone down.

Several weeks ago, I found myself sitting too at my first wrestling tournament, surrounded by fidgety boys. Each match is just a couple minutes long at most, and kids might wrestle two to ten times in a day. That means each wrestler spends a lot of time sitting in the stands, just waiting. I knew some well from the church, while others I had only met recently at the season's first practices. The tournament provided us the time needed to develop a relationship.

As I talked with one boy, I felt my heart opening to his sweet personality, and I was surprised by the panic I felt. It's likely this boy, or another I would connect with that day, faces pain I don't want to feel. These boys comes from neighborhoods where crime and drugs are common; several are in foster care. Many of the kids in our church face the same struggles, and empathizing with them had taken a toll on me emotionally. I didn't know if I was prepared for my heart to break over yet another child's pain. The only way to prevent that hurt was to keep the child at arm's distance. The possibility of doing so crossed my mind.

As the Spirit of God spoke to me, I knew that wasn't an option. Christ would welcome this child. I prayed God would increase my capacity to love until I could love like He does. Over the course of that day, God's love for that boy and several more grew in my heart.

Since that first tournament, I've been able to welcome that boy on one of our coach's behalf. The wrestling foundation recently opened an Anytime Fitness whose proceeds benefit the outreach. Coach Clay Symes mentored this boy until the fitness center opened, but he hasn't been able to come to many mentoring or wrestling events since then because he must stay at the fitness center. Clay has often asked me about the boy and his family, and he's asked me to pass along a hug or a special word of encouragement.

My heart has been broken and my anger incited time and time again this week as I have repeatedly come face-to-face with the reality that some of our kids face enormous injustices. There are times I want to shrink back from that right. Thankfully, I read the above passage this morning before leaving for today's tournament. What a privilege it was to welcome kids on both Christ's behalf and Clay's today!

Love

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 05:14:00 +0000

The love for equals is a human thing - of friend for friend, brother for brother. It is to love what is loving and lovely. The world smiles.

The love for the less fortunate is a beautiful thing - the love for those who suffer, for those who are poor, the sick, the failures, the unlovely. This is compassion, and it touches the heart of the world.

The love for the more fortunate is a rare thing - to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich, of the black man for the white man. The world is always bewildered by its saints.

And then there is the love for the enemy - love for the one who does not love you but mocks, threatens, and inflicts pain. The tortured's love for the torturer. This is God's love. It conquers the world.

— Frederick Buechner

Disturb Us, O Lord

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:14:00 +0000

Disturb Us, O Lord

when we are too well pleased with ourselves

when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little

when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore

Disturb Us, O Lord

when with the abundance of things we possess

we have lost our thirst for the Waters of Life;

having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity.

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.

Disturb Us, O Lord

to dare more boldly

to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery

where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

We ask you push back the horizon of our hopes,

and to push us into the future with strength, courage, hope and love.

~by Sir Francis Drake

Where there is a need, there is a call

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 04:13:00 +0000

I got to speak at Highpointe Church for a few minutes tonight with Deborah Burke. I shared how about 15 years ago, I went to Dallas on an inner city missions trips. The missionary asked me to consider serving there for a semester or year. I told him no: I wanted to be a missionary, but I knew the two things I wasn't called to do were ministry in the inner city and ministry to kids. I still remember his response: where there is a need, there is a call.

I started serving at ICAG because they needed help with children's ministry, and it was a need I could help meet. In time, I saw not just the need but the opportunity to reach kids with the hope of the Gospel. Fifteen kids came to Action Kids today for help with homework and safe, enriching activities after school. About 70 kids will fill our kids area Sunday morning as we talk about how to deal with life's problems God's way. Yet, when I walk or drive around the areas near ICAG, I see the potential to reach so many more.

The harvest is truly plentiful, but the workers aren't. I could double Action Kids' enrollment to 30 kids within a week, if I had 5 people to help each day we're open. Kids and parents ask almost everyday if they can enroll. Meanwhile, we're in the planning stages for new children's outreaches like sidewalk Sunday schools.

There is a need for more workers, yes, but the world is full of needs. Need alone isn't very motivating. But the good news is that there is also the opportunity to change many lives. Will you answer that call?

Life Lessons from a Turtle

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:12:00 +0000

The kids found a BIG turtle in the parking lot as Action Kids came to a close. They were arguing over who should get to keep it, and I tried to convince them it should be our group pet, with everyone taking turns caring for it. But they didn't like that idea. I then suggested we chop it up, giving each kid a piece.

Their solution was to race for it - each family has a boy around the same age, and whoever won the race won the turtle for his family. The kids who lost were heartbroken, but they peacefully resolved their conflict!

Using Preschool Craft Projects to Reach Preteen, Urban Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:07:00 +0000

Tonight was a good night at Inner City Church. But it was also a challenging night. Recently, wrestling season ended, and since then, we haven’t had any men to spend time with boys during the Thursday night action groups. Our Girls’ Ministries clubs have been changed by active boys. My Rainbows class (3-4 year old girls and boys) has particularly been transformed. Tonight, I had one 4 year old girl and 10 boys of varying ages. The oldest two are 5th graders.

I expected to have a few boys like I have the past few weeks, but this was the largest crowd ever. I didn’t have enough craft supplies for all the kids, but I made due by having one group make donkeys while another made palm leaves. As they worked, I talked about Palm Sunday – how Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, and people welcomed him with shouts of praise.

The kids were noisy at times, and I didn’t get as many details in the story as some might have liked. But they were also attentive. They surprised me with how much they all wanted the extra pipe cleaners left over from the craft! I told them the team that won “Battle of Knowledge” could split the supplies, and we played the simple Tic-Tac-Toe review game that I do at kids church. Through the game, we reviewed the lesson and parts of the salvation message. The game was a draw, and they were all super excited to get four silly pipe cleaners as a reward.

As they waited for a snack, they made various shapes with the cherished pipe cleaners. When snacks arrived, I was thrilled that a few of the boys wanted to lead the prayer. I picked a 6 year old boy to pray, and my helper whispered words to him that he repeated.

I shared more of the salvation message as the kids ate. One boy had made an “H”-shape out of his pipe cleaners, and I used it to illustrate how sin (the horizontal line) separates us (one vertical line) from God (the other vertical line). I said that after Jesus forgives our sin, it’s gone, and we can be friends with God; we can ask God for help with our problems, like bullies at school.

Time was running out, and boy next to me began telling me about a bully at school that he was having problems with. That led into him telling me about another personal matter, and we talked briefly before circumstances forced my attention elsewhere. After our closing songs, he found our pastor and asked her to pray for him.

It was, in my view, a good night. But I left knowing we need some men who will pour into these boys’ lives. If you are willing to come once a month (or more!), let me know.

Blessings of a Job: Treated like a Servant

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:07:00 +0000

A few coworkers were told this morning that their jobs are being eliminated due to budget cuts. Everyone’s benefits are being reduced. Ironically, this news came on my 29th birthday. This past year has been a time of significant personal growth for me, and a lot of it stems from my job. I’ve thought about writing about the lessons I’ve learned – the blessings of a job – but the occasion never seemed right. Today, I am taking the first step.

The growth that I have experienced has been both professional and personal. The professional skills I’ve gained are priceless to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. Along the way, however, I’ve learned that it’s not professional skill but rather character that God is working to produce in my life. The most important of these traits is a heart geared toward service.

There is a part of me that genuinely wants to serve, but there is also a part that wants to be recognized. My bosses model the principle that leaders should “give praise and accept blame,” publicly praising my successes while accepting fault for my mistakes. Yet, I’ve never gotten as much recognition as I would like. For instance, a leader in the church called me a gifted writer this week after reading 150 words I wrote. After all the articles and videos I’ve written or edited, I was stunned anyone could be surprised at my ability because of a 150 word introduction to material written by others. I’m just not important enough to be known, and that bothers me.

Of course, I fully realize that personal acclaim shouldn’t be my goal, and it isn’t what ultimately motivates me. But as I’ve found myself periodically discouraged by the lack of attention, I’ve realized that I want to serve so long as I’m not treated like a servant. When I volunteer at church, I get to set the paraemters of my service. Even though I have responsibilities that I don’t always desire to fulfill, I get to choose to continue coming and serving. I can say, “No, I don’t want to do that” and “No, that is not important enough for me to work on.” I can be impatient with another volunteer, display a negative attitude, or fail to follow through on a commitment, and often, no one will say anything.

On the job, things are different. I have to complete tasks no matter how much I dislike them or how much importance I ascribe to them. I am expected to express my ideas and concerns to my bosses, but it has to be done appropriately, and I have to respect their decisions. By no means does anyone make me feel unvalued, but I’m am employee, a servant by virtue of getting a paycheck, and that means I am rightly treated like one. As a employee, I’m expected to serve, and no one is particularly impressed when I do it! Jesus told us this is normal:

And which one of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come at once and sit down to eat”? But will he not rather say to him, “Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink.” Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:7-13)

The opportunities to serve and grow are one of the most important aspects of my job to me. I want my attitude to be right, and I’ve found inspiration in an unlikely place: Chick-fil-A. Their service sets them apart from the competition as much as their food. I love how they say “My pleasure!” after being thanked by a customer. It always seems so genuine. If they can have that attutide when it comes to serving chicken sandwhiches, how much more should I at my job?

Immigrants: Burden or Blessing?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:06:00 +0000

“Immigrants today are a burden because they take our jobs, housing and health care.” That was the assesment of 64 percent of white evangelical Protestants in a 2006 Pew Forum poll. Only 29 percent responded that immigrants “strengthen our country with their hard work and talents.”

That helps explain my surprise that the National Association of Evangelicals approved a resolution calling for comprehensive immigration reform. One of the more controversial elements was a call for a “process for currently undocumented immigrants who wish to assume the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship to earn legal status.” Critics interpret this to mean amnesty for undocumented immigrants, and complaints have poured in to many of the NAE’s member organizations, causing some to distance themselves from the NAE’s resolution while others formally endorsed it.

The belief that immigrants burden our society echoes the rhetoric I hear too often in my religious circles. Just like the Pew Forum poll, the dislike for immigrants doesn’t just apply to illegal immigrants; immigrants as a whole are sometimes perceived as taking more from American society than they give. The distrust turns to disdain, however, when only undocumented immigrants are considered. Illegal immigrants are criminals and should be treated as thieves and murderers; they steal from our healthcare system and educate their children for free in public schools while taking jobs from Americans. Why would any Christian organization want their wrongdoing to be forgiven?

The only Christian response is a Christlike one. We can disagree on how to solve the political and legal challenges, but the Christlike response requires putting ourselves in the shoes of the illegal immigrant: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If we can do that, perhaps we will rediscover how their talents and hard work strengthen America.

Tunnel Vision

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:05:00 +0000

Some people believe we shouldn’t emphasize foreign missions so much because it is decreasing efforts to reach Americans.

Some think we can’t help plant a church in another state because we’re too busy reaching our own.

Some can’t support efforts to reach the inner city for fear we’ll miss those in the suburbs who need Jesus.

And some are worried their relationship with Christ won’t last through the week if they attend one less worship service, Bible study, or fellowship time in favor of reaching out to their neighbor.

When we neglect the world, our vision narrows until all that is left is ourselves. May God not only help us see that He sufficient to save the whole world; His Spirit has empowered His church to do just that.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8, KJV

The rich young ruler and me

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:05:00 +0000

Some of the saddest pictures in the Gospels are of those who liked Jesus but couldn’t trust him enough to follow him. One of the most powerful and arresting stories in this vein is the story of ‘The Rich Ruler,’ as many Bible versions label it. This subhead is unfortunate because it leads most of us to think the story doesn’t have anything to do with us. After all, we’re not rulers, we wouldn’t consider ourselves rich, and we’d never claim that we had obeyed all the commandments, as he did. Accordingly, I always pictured this spoiled and sanctimonious boy-king who gets his comeuppance when Jesus shows him to be the greedy sinner he really is. I thought this until I carefully read the story, and then what I mostly saw was me.

- Gary Haugen, Just Courage

Since reading Haugen’s reflections on the young man, I too have come to see myself in him. He knew who Jesus was, and he adored him. He ran to Jesus and fell on his knees before him (Mark 10:17). He addressed Jesus as ‘Good teacher’. His heart was drawn to the things of God, and he knew Christ had the answers he was seeking; he recognized that Christ could give him eternal life. When Christ told him to obey the commandments – to not murder, steal, or lie and to honor his parents and love his neighbors – he claimed to have kept them, and Christ found no reason to show him where he failed. He was a devout follower of Christ.

I can say with him, “All these I have kept since I was a child.” Yet I know I haven’t entered into the fullness of living eternal life now. I know there must be more than this.

But this earnest, extraodinarily devout believer is restless. He feels he has done what his religious tradition has taught him to do, but in the presence of Jesus it just doesn’t feel satisfying. In fact, after affirming his compliance with the basics of the law, the young man asks, ‘What do I still lack?’ (Matthew 19:20). He knows his own personal piety is not enough. He knows there must be more to truly enter the kingdom of God. The young man asked the question, so Jesus cuts to the chase. He takes the young man right up to his particular boundary of fear and invites him to cross it: ‘If you want to be perfect,’ Jesus replies, ‘go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’ (Matthew 19:21).

The young man walked away sad. He wanted to do more than just obey the commandments – just keep from sin – but Jesus demanded too much. The young man wanted significance, and he could have found it in Christ. He could have really entered into eternal life, but instead he walked away sad.

How often I make the same, wrong decision! I know there must be more than just keeping a few commandments, and I ask Christ what it really means to start living eternally now. Yet when he answers my question with a call to the eternal living I seek, I walk away sad, and find myself at the same crossroads again and again.

The suprising truth about extreme global poverty

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:04:00 +0000

It’s impossible to do communications for a group of missionaries and not understand that there are desperately poor people all over the earth. I see the photos; I know the statistics; I edit the stories. It all fails to do justice to the plight of the 26,500 children who died today because of preventable causes related to their extreme poverty.

Yet, the surprising truth about extreme global poverty is that we can do something about it. There hasn’t always been a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor, and we can use our wealth to help the poor escape death. But will we?

In The Hole in Our Gospel, Richard Stearns list three major impediments that prevented past generations from eradicating extreme poverty: awareness, access, and ability. Previous generations weren’t aware of the problem, so they couldn’t address it. That changed in the last 100 years with mass media, video, and the internet making the wealthy (i.e., you and me) aware.

Increased awareness couldn’t make any difference, however, unless people had access to those in need. As commercial air travel made it possible for anyone to travel internationally, we all gained the access needed to help the poor. You could be in a desperately poor part of the world tomorrow; your donation can get there instantly.

Yet even being aware of and physically near a problem doesn’t give one the ability to address it. Only the last few generations have known how to treat illnesses like smallpox and typhoid or prevent disease through basic first aid and good hygiene. Moreover, we understand better than ever how to prevent disease, increase food yield through better agriculture methods, and assist the poor in starting microbusinesses so they can permanently escape poverty. We also have the surplus gained from our prosperity to fund the initiatives needed.

We have the awareness, the access, and the ability to virtually eradicate extreme poverty. No longer are the world’s poor someone else’s responsibility; they are our neighbors, and Jesus calls us to love them as we love ourselves.

Reach the lost… or love your neighbor?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:04:00 +0000

I’ve found myself wondering in recent days which is most important – evangelism that focuses on eternal salvation or matters relating to social justice. I’ve always known they aren’t mutually exclusive, but their relative priority has remained a mystery. God works the details of each individual’s calling out, but all share a common call. Is it primarily about reaching the lost or loving our neighbors? Which is more important – the second greatest commandment or the great commission?

I’ve been reading The Hole in the Gospel, which is authored by the president of World Vision. He didn’t seek the role; in fact, he tried to run from it. In chapter after chapter, the author addresses the questions I have. What does God require of every Christian? What does he require of me? To answer those questions, I intend to study the related teachings of Jesus. Meanwhile, the book has already given me that study in a nutshell. He reminded me of the way Jesus summed up what God requires of us all:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind
Love your neighbor as yourself

But then he addresses what he says just might be the third greatest commandment – the great commission. The way he ties the greatest commandments to the great commission is enlightening. The Great Commission calls us to make followers of Christ who do what Jesus commanded: “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded.” And God has commanded that we love God and love people.

If we are obedient to the Great Commission, we are influencing people to take care of the poor and fight for justice for the oppressed. If we love the poor, we find that they also often becomes followers of Jesus who share his message with others. It’s not accurate to only say that these two aspects of the Christian message – salvation and social justice – aren’t mutually exclusive; we have to realize that they are simultaneous, even synergistic, working in perfect harmony together to create more than they could alone. We are to teach the nations to obey everything Jesus commanded. And if they do, the injustices, poverty, and disease rampant in the world will be addressed, because the people obeying Jesus’ commands will be loving their neighbors.

Perhaps that is the essence of missions today. We must make disciples of every nation, teaching them to love God and love their neighbors. Where there are Christians, we serve with them in loving neighbors and discipling believers. Where there are no Christians, we spread the message of the Kingdom of God through word and deed, teaching the people to obey everything Jesus commanded.

Missions should be about fulfilling the Lord’s prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” Share the good news everywhere, and the goal of missions is met. And as you share that good news, teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded – love God, love others, and teach everyone to do the same. That’s the goal and the method and the sustainable cycle of missions.

The Motions

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:03:00 +0000

This might hurt, it’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care if I break,
At least I’ll be feeling something
Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
What if I had given everything,
Instead of going through the motions?

- The Motions, by Matthew West

Church Loyalty and Customer Satisfaction

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sat, 02 May 2009 04:02:00 +0000

Two items that caught my eye this week seem to have something in common – Customer Satisfaction Doesn’t Matter and Americans not losing their religion, but changing it often. Both discuss how people change brands – or churches – even though they aren’t disatisfied with what they have been getting. Consider this:

By every metric you could choose to assign to my experience, I’m a satisfied customer.

Now let me tell you something that should scare you, no matter what business you’re in. If something even slightly better came along as another option for me, I would switch without hesitation. (Customer Satisfaction Doesn’t Matter)

Her shift in religion was gradual, said Case, 41, a freelance writer and editor in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“It wasn’t so much ‘You people stink and I am out of here,’ as ‘I like this better and this is what I want to do.’ ” (Americans not losing their religion…)

In the church world, some say the Christians are to blame for being finicky and immature. Others blame churches for either not adapting to people’s desires or for failing to create mature Christians who remain loyal.

Instead, I see a different reason. Customers and church goers alike have little loyalty these days. It’s the result of a mobile society, where relationships and their counterpart – loyalty – take a backseat to what is best for the moment. Can churches counteract this?

Some people are surprised that I have remained loyal to my home church, where I have attended for 15 years. It’s a good church, but there was a time when I wasn’t a satisfied member. Yet I stayed because of a few key relationships and a network of acquaintances. Today, I couldn’t be happier.

Likewise, I remain committed to the denomination – not because it’s perfect, but because it’s my family. I see its short-comings, and I’m not motivated to remain because of a misguided elitism. I want to serve as part of the team that reached me, taught me, and trained me.

Yet, I don’t know how to connect with others in the denomination who share similar interests or are engaged in the types of ministries I’m truly passionate about. I know they exist, but the people who I personally know that do the things I really care about aren’t part of my denomination. I wonder at times if it isn’t God’s hand at work, leading me to the people He wants me to be with. Meanwhile, a few key relationships and a network of acquaintances keep me loyal.

Are you religious?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:13:00 +0000

A local church recently bought billboards declaring, "We hate church... as usual." The controversy it stirred up made the OKC news, and one of the blogs I follow, Church Marketing Sucks, took note. The question on the blog is whether that kind of church marketing is effective at reaching people for Christ. In particular, his criticism is that the advertisement is simply pointing out the perceived faults of other churches, turning churches into competitors instead of partners.

One commenter asked if it makes any sense to non-Christians when a church declares they are a church for people who hate church. And that got me thinking about all the times I've heard well-meaning Christians declare that they aren't religious.

Does it make any sense to people who aren't Christians when we say we aren't religious? Communicate that Christianity is about a relationship with a loving God who causes us to love people, but quit denying the truth. You're religious. And it's not a bad thing.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27

Too Easily Satisfied

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 04:58:00 +0000

A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and less direct methods of reaching their goals. We have been trying to apply machine-aged methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar.

The tragic results of this spirit are all about us: shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit…

We have all contributed directly or indirectly, to this sad state of affairs. We have been too blind to see, or too timid to speak out, or too self-satisfied to desire anything better than the poor, average diet with which other appear satisfied. To put it differently, we have accepted one another’s notions, copied one another’s lives and made one another’s experiences the model for our own. And for a generation the trend has been downward. Now we have reached a low place of sand and burnt wire grass and, worst of all, we have made the Word of Truth conform to our experience and accepted this low plane as the very pasture of the blessed.

It will require a determined heart and more than a little courage to wrench ourselves loose from the grip of our times and return to biblical ways. But it can be done.

- A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

The Scandalous love of God

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:24:00 +0000

At a recent chapel service, the speaker asked us to share adjectives we would use to describe the love of God. Amazing. Indescribable. Pure. It took me a minute to work up the courage to share the word bouncing around in my head. I didn't know how my colleagues would respond. Scandalous, I said.

The speaker asked I what I meant, and I rambled incomprehensibly about how God's love is so undeserved and often un-returned that it is scandalous. The Biblical picture I had in my mind, but didn't have time to share, was of Hosea and Gomer. It was scandalous for Hosea, a prophet, to love Gomer, a prostitute, because his love wasn't deserved or returned. He wasn't supposed to love her! A preacher marrying a prostitute today wouldn't be acceptable; it would be a scandal.

That is what God's love for me is like. I don't deserve it; I often don't return it. I'm frequently unfaithful. Like Gomer, I chase after the gods of this life, offering them the blessings my Lord gave to me, and yet He says:

I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.
Hosea 2:19-20

Run with perseverance

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:25:00 +0000

Last night, as I lay in bed, trying to sleep, I reflected on the day and casually prayed. The day had begun like many other Sundays recently. I spent the morning at the Inner City Church, alternating between the joy of doing something I love with the frustration of feeling inadequate and useless. I tried to explain Abraham's faith to young kids while some of them fought with each other and I fought to believe God can use me to reach them.

That evening, I went to service at the Rock. I listened to a stirring sermon about having enough faith in God to propel me through the barriers I face as I seek to do His will. Someone has to believe it's possible, the speaker had said; someone has to show the way. Yet as I lay awake in bed, one phrase kept coming to mind - run with perseverance.

I wondered where the phrase came from, why I couldn't get it out of my head. It tied in with what the speaker had shared about long-distance runners and the "walls" they hit, but I didn't think he used that phrase. Where is it from, I wondered as I tossed and turned. At the right time, God brough the passage to my mind: "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1)

Running with perseverance. A few weeks ago, I felt as spiritually frustrated as I think I've ever felt. Between the demands of my job and the little I'm trying to do at Inner City, I felt drained, like I was giving more than I could handle. But I knew I wasn't doing that much. I have plenty of time, and there was just no reason for me to feel so pressed. And yet I did, and I faced the realization that I knew so little of Christ's power that I couldn't sustain my relatively meager load with a joy-filled heart. While at Mardels, I browsed books, wondering if one of them could help. I was drawn at first to A Resilient Life. Using the analogy of a distance runner, the book compelled readers to run with perseverance. The book's message to keep running, to get going when the going gets tough, appealed to me - until I saw another book, Running on Empty. That phrase, and the image of a runner bent over, gasping for breath, captured how I felt.

I bought the book, and I spent many hours alone over the next few days, ice-bound at a resort in Missouri. I read enough of the book to hear God telling me that my problem was that I was neglecting Him. I needed to know Christ, as a Person, not just one who would use me. The words on the back cover of the book - that it is time to live with God, not just for Him - rang true in my spirit. I turned from the book to my Bible and slowly read through the Gospel of Mark. As bad as this sounds, the gospels have been some of my least favorite books of the Bible to read. I have heard and read the stories so many times that they seem to have no life. Yet, over the course of those two days, Jesus came alive. Since then, I have often reflected on His claims in the Gospel of John, "I am the bread of life" and "I am the vine." I'm finding that He is enough, if I only make Him my source.

These were some of the thoughts circulating in my head as I lay awake in bed last night. I thought of the week ahead with a bit of dread, knowing I can't meet the demands I face, and yet also with an excitement that comes from knowing He is enough. Run with perseverance. Soon, other parts of the passage flooded my mind. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen... Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us cast off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith...

As all these things and more tumbled in my mind, God reminded me of two things. First, when my eyes are fixed on Christ, I can run this race with perseverance. Second, I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who show that it can be done. I can have faith, and that faith is the evidence of things not seen. I fell asleep, believing God could do what I can not.

I woke up, and I went in to work with a minor cold in tow. I had a lot of work to do, and the thought of having one less workday to do it in compelled me to get out of bed. I would have liked to have gone through the day proud of myself for coming in. Instead, God kept showing me the great cloud of witnesses I run with - at the Rock, at ICAG, at the IPHC:

The young man who saved the life of three Sudanese children
The ministry director, who after an arduous stay in another country, prepares to leave home again
The young leaders of ICAG who, day-after-day, week-after-week, keep the ministries alive
The minister who wouldn't spend weeks on the road for a high-paying sales job, yet does it for Christ
The missionary who, after a day ministering in an unreached nations, still has enough to give that his writings inspire me
The minister who lost a spouse and the couples who lost a child, yet keep running

In the midst of all of this, a friend told me about his vision for an artistic piece he may title Cloud of Witnesses. I haven't seen it yet, but in a way, I have, and my faith is renewed.

Unreached, unchurched, unsaved... is anyone unvalued?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:04:00 +0000

I've been thinking a lot lately about the words we use to describe lost people. For years, I've reserved the word unreached to refer to groups of people who live beyond the reach of Christianity. They are part of a people group who have no Christian witness. Unchurched are those who live within a reached group of people, but they have personally experienced little of the church, or more importantly, the gospel message. The unsaved, meanwhile, are people who aren't Christians for whatever reason.

I use the words to convey degrees of distance from the truths of the gospel. Those who are unreached are the farthest away, short of a miracle, of finding salvation. All the unreached are unchurched, and all the unchurched are unsaved. It's a matter of degree.

But it's not a matter of value. I understand that the longer I volunteer at the Inner City Church. The kids in my class aren't unreached, but they are unchurched. Does that make them less valuable to God than an unreached, unchurched kid someplace else? Or are they more valuable than the kids at The Rock who are churched and saved?

This isn't a competition, so why do I try to make it one? This quote from a favorite blog says it well:

Are we searching to validate our work? Relate the story of how God is orchestrating the expansion of His kingdom. Are we wanting to connect with other believers? Tell of the redemptive relationships you’ve made. Feel the need to convince people of the great spiritual need all around us? Forget about it. If the daily news and ongoing interaction with unbelieving people hasn’t convinced them, your story won’t either.

If God led you to minister to a people, that ministry is valid, important, and right. It needs no justification. Talk about your ministry, but talk about what really matters. Refuse to compare your ministry to others.

Integrity Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:15:00 +0000

Over on the Church Marketing Sucks blog, author Anne Jackson responds to a question about how churches can ensure they have effective marketing and communications without burning staff out. In her response, Anne writes about the importance of integrity in church communications. She tells the story of a time she refused to design a mailer for a church because they insisted on projecting an image of their church that wasn't true. She lost the job as a result, but she kept her integrity.

This topic resonates with me because of Christians who have recently accused me of slapping photos of children on promotional materials to raise funds for missions the easy way. Our missions department does have a humanitarian ministry that meets the physical needs of many children, but we are careful to not convey a message that isn't true. If an offering isn't going to meet physical needs, we don't use images or language that would convey a lie. To do so, as she writes, would be a sacrifice of integrity incongruent with a holy life.

In addition to the overwhelming spiritual reasons to not mislead people about your ministry, such a strategy is also likely to backfire. Misleading your audience will confuse them. They may not recognize that the materials are for your ministry, or they may begin to associate your ministry with something else. Moreover, as your audience begins to discover that you have misled them, you will lose their trust. Once you have lost trust, good luck raising funds or recruiting volunteers.

Yes, a dishonest approach to fund raising may temporarily meet your needs. But it's not worth the long term consequences - to your ministry's credibility or your personal integrity. I find it interesting, too, that Anne suggests that dishonesty in church communications is one way to lead to staff burnout. If you don't want to burn out, don't lie.

Are goals just great ideas, while budgets are financial needs?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:18:00 +0000

In my organization, we set an annual fundraising goal for our general missions offering. The goal is promoted throughout the denomination, with the hope people will be motivated to reach the goal. Regional groups of churches set a goal as well, and local churches and individuals are encouraged to set goals, too. We've even used the goals concept in a lot of our past promotional materials. An annual theme once challenged people to "press toward the goal" (Phillipians 3:14), and a video another year used soccer to generate some excitement about making goals.

We set a goal for the offering because that's the way we have always done it. But as Seth Godwin points out, we also set goals because they challenges us and provide a way to measure success. It is also reasonable effective, as we usually reach the goal.

Yet, we didn't meet the goal in 2008. It's easy to blame the economy, but I know of at least one ministry that raised its full budget. The Christian radio station Air1 initially fell short during their fall pledge drive. They did an additional end-of-the-year appeal, asking people to donate $100 so they could be "fully funded" in 2009. The DJs continually refered to the amount they needed to raise as their budget, but once, he slipped and called it a goal.

Almost immediately, he corrected himself, explaining: "It's not just a goal that would be nice to meet. It's a real financial need. It's our budget for 2009, and we need to be fully funded. Otherwise, we won't be able to do the ministry we have planned." By the end of the campaign, they had raised their full budget, and yet people still continued to call and donate.

His comment has stayed with me and caused to rethink our reliance on the word goals. I shared the idea with the ministry directors of our organization, but I'm curious what you think as well. Are fundraising goals just amounts that it would be nice to have, while budgets are the money a group needs?

There is a God who loves them

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:02:00 +0000

I've been helping at the Inner City Church for a few weeks now, and it's been a great time of serving, learning, and growing. My last blog post was a rant about a worship song I don't care for. Today, I want to write about a worship song that has taken on new meaning for me recently because of my involvement with Inner City. It's Michael Gungors song "Wrap me in Your arms".

The song, to be completely honest, is a bit too touchy-feely for me to get into right now. I know God loves me, and I enjoy singing about His great love. But things in my life are great, and I don't find myself hurting or in need, wanting him to wrap me in His arms.

At the Inner City Church, though, I am around people who are hurting and in need, yet I realize that I don't always want to proverbially or literally wrap my arms around some of them. People aren't always lovely. The lady who told me she had an abortion because she didn't want to carry a gay man's baby comes to mind. So does the mentally handicapped boy who came to church Sunday with dried snot and blood on his face. Or the child who I had to physically restrain Sunday morning so he wouldn't endanger other kids. And espcially the preteen who can't go two words without a vile comment about women popping out of his mouth.

These are people who are stained by the sin in the world, and they aren't pretty. Others at the church are far easier to love, but they too are hurting and in need. They desperately need to know of a God who loves them. Lately, I've found myself wanting to change the song's lyrics to make it a prayer on their behalf:

There is a God who loves them
Who wraps them in His arms
And that is the place where they're changed
And that's where they belong

Take them to that place Lord
To that secret place where
They can be with You
You can make them like You

Wrap them in Your arms
Wrap them in Your arms
Wrap them in Your arms

David, the Pentecostal Icon

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:29:00 +0000

When I woke up this morning, I had a song in my head you may know if you're frequently exposed to the charismatic or pentecostal Christian subculture: "When the Spirit of the Lord". If you're not familiar with the song, here's a clip of a band performing it. It's the one about dancing like David, and I don't know about you, but I hate the song for several reasons.

Among my reasons for disliking this song is that it implies I should only praise God when "the Spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart," and it actually encourages people to lie. Lots of people sing the lyrics "I will dance, I will dance, I will dance like David danced" while they are not dancing.

However, my chief reason for disliking this song is that it is about David - not God. I'm not interested in singing about David; he's never done anything for me. But I really do like to sing about God's goodness and power. On this point, "When the Spirit of the Lord" fails to be a real worship song in my opinion.

I find it amazing that churches sing this song, since it isn't about God. Given the bias against Catholics that exists in many pentecostal and charismatic circles, I have to wonder if we would be as quick to sing the song if it was about Mary. Could your church sing this?

When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart
I will believe like Mary believed
When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart
I will believe like Mary believed

I will believe, believe, believe like Mary believed
I will believe, believe, believe like Mary believed

When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart
I will obey like Mary obeyed
When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart
I will obey like Mary obeyed

I will obey, obey, obey, like Mary obeyed
I will obey, obey, obey, like Mary obeyed

An interesting perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:33:00 +0000

Gay marriage was banned in California this election. I find this argument by the gay marriage proponents interesting, since it's similar to the beef many abortion proponents have:

Also ranting online was celebrity disc jockey Samantha Ronson. Lindsay Lohan’s gal pal blogged Thursday that she was shocked California voters approved an animal-rights initiative but that ballot measures about gay marriage and adoption in California, Florida, Arizona and Arkansas were shot down.
“I guess people care more about farm animals than they do their fellow man, that’s really sad to me,” Ronson wrote on her MySpace blog. “Yes, I am glad that the chickens will have more room and better conditions as they wait to die, but I just think it’s frightening that people show more compassion for tomorrow’s dinner than for the chef.”

Stars join furor over gay marriage ban

Vote as if you were not

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Castle) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:50:00 +0000

I just read some of the best teachings on politics by a Christian author I've head recently. It the classic style of John Piper, it makes little of politics and much of Christ. An except:

"So it is with voting. We should do it. But only as if we were not doing it. Its outcomes do not give us the greatest joy when they go our way, and they do not demoralize us when they don’t. Political life is for making much of Christ whether the world falls apart or holds together...

We deal with the system. We deal with the news. We deal with the candidates. We deal with the issues. But we deal with it all as if not dealing with it. It does not have our fullest attention. It is not the great thing in our lives. Christ is. And Christ will be ruling over his people with perfect supremacy no matter who is elected and no matter what government stands or falls. So we vote as though not voting."