Amen.

"I no longer believe in evangelism. To be postevangelism is to live our lives in Christ without a strategy but with the compassion and the servant posture of Jesus Christ. We do not do evangelism or have a mission. The Holy Spirit is the evangelist, and the mission belongs to God. What we do is simply live our lives publicly as a community in the way of Jesus Christ, and when people inquire as to why we live this way, we share with them an account of the hope within us. We are to love one another, and that creates its own attraction. Taking care of the sick and the needy creates all the evangelism we need."

*Karen Ward, Seattle

Hope

The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33.18-22

P 27:14

I love these girls...both are moving in May: one to San Diego and one to Nashville. Growing up is hard to do :-) I will miss them a lot. This was at a celebration of Kristin's 25th Birthday.


My need for today, my word from God:
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14

With so much transistion around me, I long to embrace change as well. People moving, graduating, and getting married--I'm not doing any of these things yet! I look forward to the future, look forward to pursuing deaf education, ministry, and community. But, until those doors open, I continue to be stong, take heart, and wait for the Lord.

Consistency

I believe that consistency is one of the most important attributes a person can embody in ministry. Showing up, being present, and being fully engaged are necessary, so that I may be used as the hands and feet of Christ where I am. I especially think consistency is essential in settings like Freedom Fellowship, as I work with adults and children that have little consistency in their lives. For the children, its often that a parent is here one day and gone the next—off on the next high, weekend with a boyfriend, or off to jail for the third time. For adults it usually takes the shape of some well-meaning do-gooder who tells the person they will be there on Saturday to help them move, or bring them food—and they never show up. The members of the church may not be able to pinpoint exactly what it is, but I think it is consistency that enables them to trust.

Sometimes I fail at consistency. I want to be fully engaged. I know the importance of it, but I often blame my transient lifestyle for missing a week or two. It's Spring Break or a Lenten service that kept me away most recently...neither of which are inherently bad. But, when I returned last Wednesday night to Freedom, I saw the relief on volunteer's faces that I was able to help, and on the faces of both kids and adults that my presence had been missed in those weeks away.

Though we get some picture through scripture, I wonder how people received Jesus as he traveled from place to place—he didn't do ministry in one town for three years, really digging into the lives of the people around him. He inherently knew people, a benefit of being divine, no doubt. Some accepted him, some rejected him--but all knew he was different than the rest; there was no ambiguity about that. He spoke with Truth that came from knowledge. He spoke with passion and turned the world on its head with his theology. Now, he has empowered me with all spiritual wisdom and understanding. So, as I live life with the people at Freedom, I too am able to speak truth born of knowledge and passion. I strive for consistency—for the ministry of presence, and I pray that in those moments I open doors for the face of Christ to be seen again on earth.

My heart tonight:

After the last tear falls
After the last secret's told
After the last bullet tears through flesh and bone
After the last child starves
And the last girl walks the boulevard
After the last year that's just too hard

There is love
Love, love, love
There is love
Love, love, love
There is love

After the last disgrace
After the last lie to save some face
After the last brutal jab from a poison tongue
After the last dirty politician
After the last meal down at the mission
After the last lonely night in prison

There is love
Love, love, love
There is love
Love, love, love
There is love

And in the end, the end is
Oceans and oceans
Of love and love again
We'll see how the tears that have fallen
Were caught in the palms
Of the Giver of love and the Lover of all
And we'll look back on these tears as old tales

'Cause after the last plan fails
After the last siren wails
After the last young husband sails off to join the war
After the last "this marriage is over"
After the last young girl's innocence is stolen
After the last years of silence that won't let a heart open

There is love
Love, love, love
There is love

And in the end, the end is
Oceans and oceans
Of love and love again
We'll see how the tears that have fallen
Were caught in the palms
Of the Giver of love and the Lover of all
And we'll look back on these tears as old tales

'Cause after the last tear falls
There is love

--Andrew Peterson