Tag Archives: Incarnation

“The Power of Being There”

31 Thursday Jan 2013

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Megan Garber, a staff writer at The Atlantic, comments about Hillary Clinton’s records-breaking traveling as Secretary of State, saying:

Clinton’s time at State will be remembered for many reasons, but one of them is this: The secretary, despite all the telecommuting options available to her, reinforced the power of being there – in a place, in a context, in a moment.

- Hilary Clinton Traveled 956,733 Miles During Her Time as Secretary of State

Over the past few years I’ve had to remind myself that Clinton was functioning in an official state capacity on these international trips.  With all her traveling she seemed more like a celebrity than a government official.  Even as I read Garber’s article detailing the 1 year of travel-time that Clinton logged over the past 4 years I found myself negatively critical.

‘What a waste of time,’ I thought, ‘and money!’  But then Garber draws the conclusion about the philosophy this investment demonstrates.  She concludes, “that travel is its own kind of diplomacy, that boots-on-the-ground strategy still matters, that human connection is often the best kind of connection there is.”

With that I was stopped in my judgmental tracks, convicted. It’s this same philosophy that motivates my everyday interactions.  Sometimes I feel guilty driving from one appointment to the next but this has reminded me of the immense value of that travel time which allows me to be present.

It’s a values choice and my faith leads me to choose presence. God demonstrated this when He chose to leave heaven and walk among us. I’m grateful for this random reminder of God’s great gift of the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the Presence of Holy Spirit with us.

Where do you need to be present today?

Warning: Don’t Miss WeServe

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

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I awoke on Sunday morning at 5:50 am with complete conviction that it was Monday morning and I was not prepared for the first of the WeServe projects. Rushing to make some calls I glanced at a calendar and saw the date, slowly comprehending that it was only Sunday. I turned off the light and went back to sleep determined to restart the day on a better foot.

As the adrenaline slowly subsided I realized there was a warning in that false start on Sunday morning – Don’t miss WeServe.

There was good reason for me to think I was missing it, because I had spent the day before wishing WeServe was over. There are so many details to coordinate, so many moving parts that everything could easily come falling apart at any moment over the next two weeks and I was stressed. I just wanted to be on the other side of it looking back.

Sunday morning I decided to heed the warning – Don’t miss WeServe. I resolved to be present throughout WeServe – to be with the people I am with for the time I am with them. That’s what WeServe is all about anyway – it’s the people, not the details. It’s the relationships not the tasks. Yes, I’m still working on the details, still working on the tasks but I’m not just going through the motions.

As I worshipped with my church family on Sunday morning I sought to center my attention on God and His great love. I wanted God’s love to overflow into my relations throughout WeServe.

This morning (Tuesday) with project #2 of WeServe I was filled to overflowing with God’s love. Before I could continue with this week I had to share. I have to brag.

“But if people want to brag, let them brag that they understand and know me. Let them brag that I am the Lord, and that I am kind and fair, and that I do things that are right on earth. This kind of bragging pleases me,” says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:24 New Century Version)

That is exactly what I experienced this morning at Central High School. God is Lord, and He cares about people and does what is right. It is our great privilege when God allows us to be part of His kindness towards our neighbors. There is deep pain and massive need in our city and God is here bringing joy and peace, healing and provision. I saw it first-hand this morning. I got to praise God for healing and beg God for peace.

This is our privilege. This is WeServe. Don’t miss it.

Beginning

15 Tuesday May 2012

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I have a bad habit of mentally running through all the steps to and potential outcomes of a scenario and then psyching myself out of even beginning.

On Saturday, I went to the Malakowsky’s Apprenticeship to Jesus gathering where they described their journey to loving their neighbors.  Their story stopped me in my tracks (that well-worn track I just mentioned) in my own journey with loving my neighbors.  Though the Malakowsky’s didn’t have it all planned out from the start five years ago, when they moved into Brentwood Neighborhood, they kept talking to God about their neighborhood and their presence therein.

I heard it loud and clear, my beginning: I could pray. I could simply begin to prayer walk my apartment complex, my neighborhood.  I’ve done it before. I do it when I run through my neighborhood or walk back home on my cool-down.  But that was my agenda, my workout.  This was different, a beginning of being fully present in my neighborhood.  Sunday night I walked. And I simply repeated the reminder to myself “Just be here in God’s presence.”  I didn’t say anything else.  And when my mind started to wander I repeated that reminder:

Just be here in God’s presence.

It’s a beginning. Sometimes that’s all it takes.  What’s paralyzing you from taking that first step in being present with your neighbors?  Don’t over think it. Just begin. Trust the next steps and the results to God. I’m going to keep prayer walking in my neighborhood, being present and listening for the next step.

Simply be a neighbor, guest post

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

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In this section of my blog I hope to share perspectives of living in Phoenix from many different voices.  Today I am glad to introduce to you Evelynn Malakowsky. She and her family serve at NPHX and with a ministry called Apprenticeship to Jesus in downtown Phoenix.  She and her family are taking seriously Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself.  May you find yourself inspired as I was as you read on. …

Simply be a neighbor,
                      Thoughts from Evelynn

We have been strongly reminded in these last several months of our love for our neighborhood Brentwood, and how we moved here 5 years ago to see the Lord’s kingdom come. We have always been overwhelmed with the dreams of seeing miracles in the lives of our neighbors.  As we believe that the Lord asked us about 2 years ago to use our gifts, service and more to really pour into the Woodland neighborhood Downtown through the ministry Apprenticeship to Jesus, we have come to a place to pray more about what does it look like in our small capacity to still “love our neighbors here in Brentwood.”

With these strong and recent reflections, and a deep desire to include our children more in our walk with Jesus and in the ministry of outreach, we really have started to focus to “simply be neighbors in Brentwood” in our family’s capacity and in natural ways. We have been engaging playing in the front yard, prayer walking almost daily, connecting with any neighbor we come in close quarters to, making gifts and giving gifts and so forth. The fruit from such a simple act of obedience has been convicting and incredibly exciting for us. Convicting because we have chosen so many times to isolate our family indoors missing many opportunities to connect with any neighbor and exciting because our neighbors have responded profoundly.

Highlights:

Prayers bring answered to connect and get to know neighbors:

• Some of the neighborhood children have started coming back to play with Isaiah and Ariel giving us an opportunity to love on them, make crafts and hear about their life

• We have gotten to reconnect with a family and have been invited weekly to come over to learn Spanish and also learn how to cook Spanish dishes as I teach English

• The kids made cards for neighbors on valentines and our neighbor who is a widow called us deeply moved, weeping and thankful

• Evelynn and the kids have been invited on walks around the neighborhood with another mother to get to know one another more and share passions

• Through strange dog situations and dead car batteries we are getting to have deeper conversations with our neighbors right next door

Prayers being answered to connect with our Christian neighbors

One minute after we prayed this on our prayer walk we ran into a man who has lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years. We found out that his wife is a christian. We shared boldly that Danny was a minister and how we desired to serve our neighborhood. In our conversation we noticed that he was clearly on his way to know Jesus. As we were leaving he leaned over the fence and looked Danny straight in the eye and said, “Brother, whatever is in your heart, Preach it, jut PREACH IT.” Shocked at the entire way that God worked, we said OK and walked away, pondering this in our heart.

A week later, we were contacted through facebook by a neighbor who we had never met who is also a Christian. We can’t wait to get to know him and his family as the Lord leads.

Celebrating

We haven’t been able to let go with this resounding theme in our heart that our actual neighbors are LITERALLY asking us to be involved in their life and share the good news! Amazed at the mighty and wonderful works of God in this small little community we are celebrating and praying for more vision, capacity, and love for our neighbors.

RISK for God’s Kingdom come

I’m burning with so much passion to see this neighborhood be transformed by the work and miracles of Gods’ hands. I imagine the very real reality of God healing wounds of divorce, hate, abuse, loneliness, discontentment, poverty, fatherless children and everything else that this community is going through. I want to see that happen! I believe it can happen and I am committed to be all in, to throw everything in the basket and risk it all to have his kingdom come to this neighborhood.

I get so excited at the idea of what if ALL of us who put our hope and faith in Jesus threw everything that we had, our future, our work, our dreams, passions, our personal life plans and our security and followed Jesus in the individual way he is calling us. I can imagine now what would happen if we weren’t so afraid to risk, so that even just one person would be transformed by the God of the universe!

I grew up where there were gun shots often, gangs, violence and abuse of all kinds,  where brokenness was not hidden but visible. I often think about the reality that there weren’t believers knocking on my door or reaching out to my neighborhood to share such good news. With strong memories of the darkest season of my life behind me and the hope of Christ in me now, I desperately desire for the body of Christ to not be so afraid to follow Jesus to the darkest neighborhoods so that children and families like mine could get a taste of the beauty of our great God.

We have so much to give, a precious jewel. People are in despair and longing for hope. I want to share that hope and am praying for ALL Of Us to have the courage to do whatever it takes and do whatever God asks of us in order to follow him! What he can do is so amazing if only we allowed ourselves to be fully used by him.

WeServe Thursday Update

01 Thursday Mar 2012

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Appreciation Breakfast for Madison School District Bus Drivers and Maintenance Department

This morning I arrived at 8:30 am with the coffee and found half of our volunteers already serving!  I breathed a sigh of peace as I walked in and made my contribution.  Then I quietly left, leaving this project in very capable hands.

This afternoon I asked Ruth Lewis, who was one of the early volunteers this morning, if she would share her experience for your update.  Here are her words:

Breakfast of egg chorizo casserole, bagels and Starbucks coffee is always a good thing. Shared with the bus drivers and some office and maintenance staff of the Madison School District, it was also encouraging and fun.

As they returned from the morning bus runs, it was great to see the drivers and bus aids peruse the food table with enthusiasm. When they realized we listened, they warmed up and shared stories of children on the buses, what their day looked like and even humorous tales of their own cooking misadventures.

They expressed much gratefulness and appreciation for interest and investment. So worth the time and energy!!

Ruth

We gave each of the bus drivers a card with this quote from Victor Hugo:

He who opens a school door closes a prison.

This was our second opportunity to hang out with this group of civil servants and it is exciting to continue to cultivate healthy relationships with our neighbors!

WeServe Wednesday Update

29 Wednesday Feb 2012

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As I had hoped, the students were a little more comfortable with us this morning.  Yesterday as we distributed apples and granola bars to the students arriving for their AIMS test we encountered a lot of shy students!  Makes sense. We’re strangers. Stranger danger. Especially considering we were handing out red apples. Snow White, anyone?

This morning though, the students walked right up, grabbed a bag of pretzels and an apple, said thank you and continued on their way.

Dr. Schavon Waggoner, Assistant Principal for Instruction, told us this morning that some students were testing until 6:00 pm yesterday!  She thanked us because she was able to give those students snacks multiple times throughout the day.

Another teacher told me that Monday he had gone to the grocery store to buy apples for his students but quickly realized how expensive that would be and changed his plans. He was so grateful when he arrived at school the next morning seeing boxes of apples for his students!

One freshman had arrived early to school on Tuesday even though he didn’t have to be there until noon (testing begins with sophomores).  This student serves on the Student Government team and helped our volunteers distribute snacks to teachers after the test began yesterday.  He arrived even earlier this morning just to help distribute snacks!

I don’t remember it being cloudy this morning like yesterday, but it was colder!  We all left with frozen fingers and toes but warm hearts.

If you’ve never volunteered you might not believe me, but it is truly a joy to serve.  To share a smile first thing in the morning. To encourage a student on test-day. To laugh with a teacher who will be in a silent classroom the rest of the day. To serve with fellow followers of Jesus Christ.

You’ve got to try it!  Sign up for our workday this Saturday, March 3. We’ll meet at the church at 7:30, work until Noon, and enjoy a bbq lunch together after.  I hope to see you there, to share my joy! (1 John 1:3-4)

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

Fresh Baked Bread

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Do you know how long it takes to bake a loaf of bread from scratch? I don’t know really, but I think it’s a long time. It takes patience, waiting for the bread to rise and then baking it.

The question comes to me as I read the story of Jesus visiting Abraham, found in Genesis 18.  When Abraham recognizes the LORD he worships Him and asks Him to stay for dinner.  He then runs to his wife and tells her to bake some bread, runs to his servant and tells him to kill and cook their best calf.  He then returns to his guests and washes their feet.  Finally, after hours I imagine, they share a meal together.

Later Jesus tells his disciples, in Matthew 25:31-46:

Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me

He is referring to their acts of service: feeding the hungry, quenching the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, being with the oppressed/imprisoned.

As followers of Jesus we are taught in the scriptures to do whatever we are doing as if we’re doing it for God, (Colossians 3:23-25).

Since I haven’t actually ever seen Jesus face-to-face, I look for examples from those who have.  If we take Abraham’s example, we see a patient and generous response.  He bakes fresh bread! (Okay, his wife does, but you get the idea.)

So, next time you meet a stranger or engage someone in need consider Abraham and bake fresh bread. Take time to be with them, look them in the eye, show them their worth, and demonstrate God’s love for them.

Genre

29 Sunday Jan 2012

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I’ve been reading these books that my grandmother has read for decades, the adventures of the dragonriders of Pern.  I wanted to see what has enthralled her for all these years to the point of collecting dragon figurines of all shapes and sizes.  I must admit, Anne McCaffrey wrote a good series. My grandmother first started reading them because she liked the science fiction genre of literature. But she told me as I got started that these books don’t fit the genre exactly as she expected. I’ve been enjoying observing the science fiction develop in these otherwise fantasy stories.

In Christian circles I have been hearing more and more the analogy of our lives as stories.  They challenge us to write a bigger story, not a prettier one, with our lives. They talk about re-writing our stories through the transforming power of Christ.  They talk about choosing adventure over safety.

It’s this last one that caught my attention during my Bible reading recently.  In Acts chapter four we read the history of the apostles’ first imprisonment for speaking the gospel. When they were released here’s their request, after praising the sovereignty of God, verses 29-31:

And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

They ask for confidence.  They ask for God to work.  They don’t beg for safety. They don’t ask for power and authority in their own positions in society. They ask for the courage for God to continue to speak through and use them as His servants.

That is the prayer of a great story. An epic adventure.

What kind of story are you writing through your conversations with God?

Where are you being challenged, invited, called into a grander Story? What do you need to do to accept the challenge, to go on the adventure?

Come Watch!

17 Tuesday Jan 2012

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This weekend I went to visit my sister and offered to help. (In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service, following suggestions from the student I tutor).  When I arrived my oldest niece ran to the piano to play her newest song for me. My oldest nephew ran to his drums to play the new beat he’s been working on.  And one of the younger nieces begged me to “come watch!” her jump on the trampoline.  They love to show me what’s important in their world.  I love to watch!

You can be involved in the life of a child to celebrate their accomplishments, encourage their practice, and help them in times of need.  Here’s a story from a community member with an invitation for you to become a mentor:

To the world you might be one person, but to one person, you might be the world. –unknown

Bob was a mentor for 22 years. He passed away on Dec 27 from Alzheimer’s Disease. Bob was not a Quest mentor nor was he affiliated with Big Brothers Big Sisters; he was “old school”. He mentored the child of his wife’s friend. When his mentee asked why he did it, he said, “Because it’s the right thing to do and I like you.” Back in the early ’90′s Bob helped his mentee find a scholarship to go to college. His mentee graduated without any student loans or debts. When his mentee filed the paperwork to establish an LLC for a small business, Bob, an attorney, looked over the documents to be sure his mentee had done everything just right. Bob later helped his mentee find a small business grant to help open that business and was by his mentee’s side when the AZ Republic named his mentee one of the top 5 entrepreneur in the valley. Bob was always there to cheer his mentee on or to say, “You’re acting like a damned fool”–he always knew what he was talking about. Even though his mentee knew about the disease that robbed Bob of his memories, his mind and ultimately his body, the shock was of Bob’s passing was visceral. Bob made a difference!

Now you may be asking yourself why I am telling you this…

The reason is because AZ Quest at Madison Park is inducting up to 25 new kiddos in February and we need more “Bobs” doing the job.

If you or someone you know is interested in changing the world–one kid at a time–contact me or visit http://www.azquestforkids.org/ today!

And yes, Bob was my mentor, but mostly he was my friend.

Terra McShane
AZ Quest for Kids
Madison Park J3
602-664-7552
602-696-6548 (text ok)

Love is my life!

28 Monday Nov 2011

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I am the type of person who remembers movie quotes. Unfortunately I remember the ones that no one else does so it never makes for good banter. As these quotes float around in my head sometimes they make me think.  Lately I’ve been thinking about this conversation exchange from the movie “Hitch” where Hitch defends his job as a relationship consultant:  HitchSkydiving(YouTube)

Hitch: Love is my life!
Albert: No, love is your JOB!

My job is all about “living God’s love in the heart of our city.”   In between big projects at work, I evaluate how I am doing and how we as a church are doing. Right now I’m hearing that accusation in my head, “love is your job!” And I fear that for many in our church love is a ‘project’ or a ‘task’.

My favorite part of WeServe Week this October was the worship celebration afterwards.  During the week I got caught up in the details of the events acting like an event coordinator rather than a minister.  And it’s exhausting.  Afterwards I spent a few days writing thank you notes to the people who participated and that was energizing!  I loved connecting the dots between the events and the people who we served and who served them.  It’s the worship of our God and the awareness of God’s love for the people involved that means the most to me, that makes it all worthwhile.  Somehow during the week of service I lost sight of our motivation.

What is our motivation as Christ-centered people living God’s love in the heart of our city?  Are we motivated by the compassion that moved Jesus Christ to action again and again in the Gospel stories?

Or am I responding to needs because that’s my job?

I think our motivations change, they shift, they fade, they slip.  We need to be reminded why we do what we do.  Lots of people do community service, but with the right awareness and motivation many of us are actually living God’s love in the heart of our city and are experiencing transformation in our lives and others!

This Christmas I am resetting my motivations. As I talked about here, I am “putting on the shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace.” -Eph 6:15

I am focusing on abiding in God’s presence to know God’s love.
Immanuel, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)
That’s where it begins. That’s what makes my love for my neighbor an expression of God’s love.  That is where I find the courage to “go skydiving!”

Do you need to reset your motivation? What will you do this Christmas to celebrate Immanuel, God with us?

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