With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: “Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I’ll be completely frank with you—we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago, I signed up to receive e-mails from Christian
author/speaker Jen Hatmaker. Several days ago, I was notified of the
opportunity to be one of 250 bloggers to review an advanced copy of
Hatmaker’s newest book, Interrupted*. This is actually a
rewrite of a Bible study by the same name. I submitted my contact
information...and I was selected to become one of the reviewers. I
received a downloaded copy of the book, and I will be sent a hard copy
in the mail later. In exchange for reading this book, I must post at
least one review of it on my blog (http://auntdebsattic.blogspot.com). I
am more than halfway through the book now, and I have already begun
sharing information to alert readers of a formal book release in August.Interrupted tells the story of how Jen and Brandon Hatmaker came to redefine their idea of church...how God spoke to them and revealed new (to them) insights into what He wanted the church to be. In other words, God “Interrupted” their cozy “as-we-know-it” Christian faith and challenged them to think differently.
In one particular chapter, the Hatmakers refer to their epiphany as a discovery of “barefoot church”. The Hatmakers were invited to attend an Easter Sunday night service at a small church in a rough area of Austin, Texas. They nervously left their car in a roughshod parking lot and hurried past a weird-looking homeless guy (who turned out to be their speaker in disguise). During one of the opening songs, Brandon Hatmaker had a vision of a homeless guy yelling from the sidewalk, “Hey, give me your boots!”
It so happened that this was an unusually chilly evening in Austin, Texas, and the Hatmakers were both wearing cowboy boots...nice, expensive ones they had given each other for Christmas. As the service ended, the speaker told the group that he had ministered that morning to homeless people in San Antonio. He had asked the homeless what their biggest need was, and they told him...shoes. It seems that homeless people are on their feet a lot, and the shoes they receive from Goodwill and shelters are used – and often worn down. They do not offer adequate support for people who are walking or standing on their feet a lot.
So the speaker said to his group, “...if you want to, you can leave your shoes at the altar when you take Communion. Oh! And leave your socks, too. We’ll wash them and deliver them to the homeless community in San Antonio tomorrow.” Now imagine...there stand this young minister and his author/speaker wife, desperately seeking a closer walk with Jesus...wanting to go “all in” for Him...yet being asked to surrender some expensive, and admittedly treasured possessions – not to mention they would be stepping out into the cold night completely barefoot. But as Jen Hatmaker explains it, she felt Jesus telling her, “I want you and Brandon to figure out what it means to be a barefooted church.” And Brandon Hatmaker says of his earlier vision, “God had spoken loudly and very personally. ‘Yes, Brandon, I’m in this.’”
What does this story have to do with the disciples healing a sick man on the Sabbath? Pretty much everything. Because the disciples who had mercy on a sick man and healed him without any consideration for what day it was served the same Jesus who would have us give up our shoes and go barefooted so that homeless people - who have literally NOTHING - can at least walk more comfortably. Until we start to operate in the grace and mercy of Jesus rather than the ritualistic rules that have governed us for so long...until we step out of our comfort zone when Jesus calls us to do something and listen for HIS voice instead of others’...we won’t truly get it. As Brandon Hatmaker explained it, we need to take the focus off of ourselves and place it on others, specifically “the least of these” as described in Matthew 25 (specifically, verse 45).
Are we “all in” for Jesus? Is He truly our cornerstone...the foundation on which we do everything? Do others really see Him in us? Do they experience His grace and mercy through our words and actions? Or are we so busy keeping up appearances – both personally and as a church – that we have neglected to truly operate in the teachings of Jesus...much less represent Him to others?
How far are you willing to go for Jesus? Would you be able to give up a valuable pair of shoes for Him – much less something more significant? Are you prepared to be judged and ridiculed for your faith in action? Are you ready to be a “barefooted disciple” for the one Who gave His very life for yours? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*Order your copy of Interrupted before July 31st and receive a 20% discount. Click here to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment