Acting Up and Out ~ The Church Today

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, 
Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.  Acts 6

One of the hallmark characteristics of the early church was caring about and for people.  One of my professors used to say, "People will care what you know...when they know that you care."  So often today, care is understood almost exclusively as doing.  We serve meals or deliver them to someone's door.  We buy food or box it up for someone.  We build homes, sign petitions, and our understanding of mission involves perpetual motion.  But when do we sit and listen?  When do we see maintaining a relationship with someone who is struggling to be just as vital and vibrant?  In a world that loves the concrete and tangible, so do we when it comes to serving others.  We want to point to the pot of stew or the paint on the wall as a tactile expression of love.  And it is!  But just because someone's stomach is full doesn't necessarily mean she has fully encountered or experienced God's love.

One of the new words being bantered about is rather than mission to be missional.  To be missional is to be relational.  It asks us to take seriously that the person who is hungry also has a story about how and why that came to be.  It is in hearing and honoring each person's story, that we take a deeper step to be in right relationship with a child of God.  The person is more than a need to be filled.  But wait...that takes time!! Yup.  But wait...we won't be able to serve as many people!!  Yup.  But wait... getting my life twisted and tangled with someone else is messy.  Yup.  It is vulnerable.  It might expose our own weakness and we might have to dig deeper into our own privilege and hard to answer questions of why do I have a home and the person before me has none.  Missional will ask more of us.

But...and this is an important but...we will have to go beyond our own resourcefulness.  We will have to full of grace in order that we might have the grace to not just serve, but perhaps be served.  Missional relationships are less about I have something for someone else, and much more egalitarian.  The other has something you need as well.   I encourage you to ponder this prayerfully.  This is not the way the system is set up right now.  I can give anonymously...and I say that is for the other person's dignity...but perhaps it is for me to protect my own vulnerability.  I often give money... rather than really confronting an economy that is unjust and where I am on the positive side.  I volunteer cooking rather than sitting with the same person day after day, thinking I am being a servant...but it also is a way to shield myself.  This is the harder path Christ walked and invited us to travel as well.

Finally, when we start to say things like this, people are going to get upset.  That was true of Stephen and it is still true today.  Many people think about how great Rev. Dr. King was...and he still is!  But what we often gloss over is that near the end of his life he preached out against the Vietnam War.  People kept saying, "Martin, just still to civil rights."  But he felt compelled and convicted to shine a light on all that was unjust, not only racism.  Stephen is stepping on toes...he is confronting and trying to change a system.  When you do that...people tend to react rather negatively.  We don't like change.  We'd rather volunteer on our time table...rather than get too tangled in a relationship without an exit strategy.

My life is no beacon of this.  I have a looooooong way to go.  I have much to learn.  But I am convinced that in this new century, we need a new way of relating to those who have needs for shelter, clothing and food beyond our current structure.  I pray as this story of Stephen settles in your heart and sings to your life, there will be more than a trace of God's grace surrounding you.

Grace and peace ~~