Interruptible | Finding Space and Keeping Doors Open for God

I am a mom. I have three beautiful, active and awesome kids. There are 7-8 years difference between the older two and my youngest. Between all the activities and a part time job, I am often in the middle of what feels like insane multi-tasking. I admit, my 3 year old has developed a bad habit of yelling to get my attention. We are working on fixing it, but it gets tricky in moments where 3+ people are attempting a conversation with me. I know many of you can relate. Not to mention the “background” noise of life, dinner cooking or focusing on driving and remembering which activity or store or... where are we supposed to be going? Who asked me a question first?

Recently I found myself desperately craving quiet. When I was finally able to find the time, it was night. Everyone was in bed. It was later than I wanted, but I decided not to dwell on that. I kept the house dark and sat by the window, looking out at the trees or up at the stars speckled across the sky. My headache started to fade and as I opened my heart to the Lord in meditative prayer, I pondered how to let God lead me through my days. How can I assure that I'm not forcing my own path, rather than walking the path laid out for me? Allowing God to intervene in our lives can be a deep and profound experience; it can feel like a daunting, never ending task. It can also be simple. How can I bring this quiet space into my day more frequently? This is where my doors open to God’s knocking.

There is a pattern or a web that links each small choice and behavior, bringing us either closer to God or farther away. Reminding myself that closer to God may not always mean easier, I choose to search that out. He has proven to me over and over again that the most important things that open up space in my life to hear Him, to allow room for Him in my daily life, are the small choices I make daily. They are the moments in which I choose to be present and connected. They often only need to last a matter of seconds to have an impact.

Embracing the few moments of quiet before I hit a wall of exhaustion and moved to bed, I reminded myself of three simple and practical, daily choices that bring me closer to God. Here is my list:

Breathe: We breath “good enough” to stay alive, but intentional breathing can give us that pause we need to reconnect. It can also center our soul a bit to be able to hear the Lord in all the chaos.

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host”. Psalm 33:6-7    

Breathing connects us to our existence, and is proven in the world to reduce anxiety, relieve stress, increase energy levels and even help with weight loss. More energy and less anxiety is likely to lead to more prayer time, less chaos, more mental clarity and more space for God in my life overall.

Fast: Fasting is found often in the bible as a way to draw closer to God. I have applied this to my life in many ways, less clothes, less stuff, etc… but the most tangibe is usually to simplify the diet. Avoid foods that make us feel really full, sleepy or foggy. When I wake up, I try to first breath, pray & drink water rather than desperately scramble for coffee. I have found this leads to better food choices and my intention when consuming food and liquid is more wholesome. I have also found it works better for me to eat smaller amounts or spread out meals regularly rather than make a big event about fasting. I may spend the morning drinking water, noticing the clarity and lightness it brings, then wait until 1pm to eat something nutritious, natural, “straight from God” and say prayers of thanks as I eat slowly. I don’t count the hours, but rather try to listen to what is right and always pray for guidance, even about the small things. Setting a number of hours or days and filling myself with anxiety as I restrict my consumption just leads to a misguided focus. Fasting is meant to bring us closer to God, so that He is the focus.

“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” Daniel 9:3-5

Drink water: We know that water is essential, so there is little explanation in this one. Water keeps us healthy, refreshes us, cleans us. Water is a source of life; therefore I do not want to take it for granted and have developed a habit of feeling immense gratitude when I drink water. Since we should be drinking water often throughout the day, this is an opportunity to be present in this gratitude and have a clear, wholesome moment with God. We can make it a moment of prayer where we imagine our hearts opening and creating space for God to speak to us.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

The common thread in applying these practical activities to our daily lives, is that the intention brings us fully aware of the present moment. Being present and aware is the place where God is waiting for us. He is not screaming like my 3 year old, but when we stop to listen, or just be in His presence, we are grateful for the interruption.

All in a moment, I notice where I am, what else is in existence around me. I always find something to smile about. God is always there. I don’t think about the past or plan for the future. I often forget what my to-do list is for the day. It only takes a moment or two to be beneficial and I am always brought back to my spinning mind and crazy life feeling more capable, clear, confident and relaxed.    

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

---

About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Faith, Hope and Charity

This week we break from our theme of Interruptible for an insight from Terry Sheldon...

As a child growing up I romanticized the Cascade mountains. Oregon's volcanic peaks were different than the Rockies’ smooth and sparkly granite, and they weren't clustered together en-masse. Each Cascade peak was a craggy sentinel, and although formed with ancient violence, now stood sleeping. And beckoning.

I looked to them for inspiration and dreamed of climbing their dizzying heights. I was most captivated by the ones closest to Eugene, the Three Sisters. Also known by our settlers as Faith, Hope, and Charity.

We believers know these three descriptors as signs of strong emotional and spiritual health, wonderfully described in the Bible’s love chapter, Corinthians 13. It all seemed to fit together for me as I took up backpacking and mountain climbing in my youth, and as I attempted to learn the lessons of faith, hope and charity in my Christian walk. Both parallel journeys have been rocky and challenging, but rewarding in their own ways.

Awhile back it occurred to me that Corinthians’ lovely three sisters were chronological in our spiritual lives. Faith (North Sister) is a formidable peak. I can compare it to my first realization of the magnitude of my sin. Accepting the Lord requires us to stand up to fear and take a giant leap (of faith). Although I never did attempt North, my spiritual climb has been arduous. A start yes, but with a Doubting Thomas heart. I really hoped for more - the perfecting of my faith.

I grew up admiring my father’s mountain climbing exploits and waited to go with him one day. My chance finally came as a teen, on Hope (Middle Sister). The climb was rough. We were on the wrong side of a ridge and got lost. We triggered a small rock slide, resulting in a smashed finger. Then clouds shrouded the mountain by mid-afternoon and we were forced to turn back. My summit hopes were unfulfilled, but they would remain.

I would eventually reach the summit of Hope in my early twenties. It was glorious, but not without hard lessons along the way. My climbing buddy and I overcame poor planning, running out of water, sunburns and having to navigate the forest by moonlight after our flashlights died. In life, our day-to-day hope is always out there in front of us, as it should be. Without it we would lack motivation for what’s ahead. And without going forth, we would not grow and learn. But hope is not the endgame.

The faith, hope and charity progression seems tougher as it goes along. Learning to love and to be loved WELL is an inevitable struggle, and one of life’s hardest lessons. A few years later, my Charity (South Sister) experience was equal in its struggle, and its payoff. What started out to be a misty and cold hike through Charity’s lower reaches became a wickedly windy and wet slog up its southern ridge. Four of our seven-person team had turned around earlier, my father included. He was not happy, but trusted my judgement. The three of us who remained continued on, not at all sure how it would end.

But a glimmer in my imagination urged me on, as I sensed a unique mountain-top experience ahead. My fellow climbers had a similar expectation. We were a band of brothers, and we bonded in our struggle. Then it happened. Blue sky finally peeked out between the swirling curtain of clouds. As we reached Charity’s top under clear cobalt blue skies, we gazed out in astonishment across a flat cloud floor below us. It was almost 360 degrees of brilliant white, with all the Cascade peaks jutting up and out, North to South. I was on top of the world, and it was a sight and experience I will never forget.

Learning to love God and people is similar. It starts with youthful naiveté, then comes struggles with people that challenge our self-esteem, and hard events that can shake us to the core. But if we hang together and press ahead, and stay open and committed and humble, our love is purified and enhanced. True love (God's love) is indeed breathtaking. Personally, I believe I've just scratched the surface.

Let’s continue the climb, with courageous faith, with constant hope and with relentless love.

---

About the Author

Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

Interruptible | Interrupted!

Oh boy, does the theme this month resonate with me. I have definitely been interrupted!  Have you?

There are all sorts of interruptions. Sometimes interruptions come in the form of an invitation, and that is often the case for me. The short and long of it is that God has invited me and my family to move to another town, to another community, to a new church family. To sell our home. To say goodbye to our routines, our people, our normal, our coffee spots and running routes. To change our relationships, to move out of our comfort zones, to enter a new everything.

And as we’ve said yes to this invitation, He has been so faithful! He has taken us by the hand and showed us the way, but it has not been easy. Is change ever easy?  

For us, this interruption has a lot of practical pieces. One is changing where we will live. We sold our house, and we have been hunting for a new one in our new city. It’s a process I normally would find exciting, but I have just been tired. I took a moment to check in with myself, and I saw I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted! I needed a shot of encouragement, a new perspective. I bet you can relate.

It just so happened that it was recently time for our monthly “Silent Together.” Once a month, a friend of mine hosts a quiet retreat at her house. It’s a time where she brings a word and a passage, and we split up to be quiet with God and hear what He wants to talk to us about through the scripture. I call it “Silent Together” because though we go off individually to hang with God, and though we are separate, we do it together - and I like that!  

The passage was Isaiah 55 and was it ever timely!

After reading the passage, and spending some time soaking in it, my friend had suggested we write a letter from God to ourselves, to see what He wanted to say through this passage. As I journaled, I was once again blown away by His timeliness and love. And thankful for the interruption.

So, have you been interrupted lately? Has your interruption been exciting and full, or maybe like me, somewhat tiring and long? Interruptions come in all shapes and sizes. The definition online was: Interrupt – to break in or disrupt. Seems like interruptions are often not instigated by us, and they usually cause a change that we may or may not be prepared for. Whatever your interruption is, take those moments to pause and check in with yourself to see where you are. Not in judgment, but in honesty! And I bless you to have those moments to spend with God, who has that shot of encouragement and perspective change that may be exactly what you need.

I will end with the letter He wrote to me, which may also be a letter to you! He is good that way. If your interruption right now is a 5 minute encounter, a relational struggle, news you’ve received, or an invitation - God’s Word is true and He will speak to you. Maybe through the letter below. Or maybe Isaiah 55 will be timely for you in another way. For the Word of God is alive and powerful! (Hebrews 4:12) At the end, I put the steps we went through to soak in this passage. Try it! See what He has to say! He is faithful, He is here, He loves you and has whatever it is you need today.

My journal letter from God:

Hey!

Want to have some fun? Welcome to the Kingdom!

In the Kingdom, there are some absolutes, some foundational truths that don’t change:

I love you.
I am for you.
My forgiveness is inexhaustible.
What I declare happens.
My Word does not return void.
I can be trusted ABSOLUTELY and FOREVER.

So note these. They are important. They are the boundaries, and within them you are safe and loved.

But here’s the good stuff!

Within these boundaries, where you are safe and loved, it gets wild:
My intentions aren’t always yours!
I do not go about things the way you do.
My thoughts and ways are above and beyond yours.

And as you go out with Me:
You will go out in JOY!
I, Myself will lead you home in peace.
And the land will be cheering!
And the mountains and hills will be singing!
And the trees in the field will be clapping!

Pause and picture this, My child! This is the Kingdom!

Just as rain and snow soak through the ground and nourish plants that grow, providing seed to the farmer and bread to the hungry… so it is when I decree something!

Think about that.  Let that soak in.

My word will go out and it will not return empty.
It will do what I wanted, and accomplish what I determined.

And I determine GOODNESS!
And you can trust all I say.
ABSOLUTELY and FOREVER!

So turn your attention and seek Me.
I am near.
I am here.
I love you.

Let’s do this!

Thanks for reading and for letting me share my process! I bless you to go out in JOY and I’ll end with a portion of this powerful scripture:

Isaiah 55:9-11
My thoughts and My ways are above and beyond you, just as heaven is far from your reach here on earth. For as rain and snow can’t go back once they’ve fallen, but soak in to the ground and nourish the plants that grow, providing seed to the farmer and bread for the hungry, so it is when I declare something. My word will go out and not return to Me empty, but it will do what I wanted; it will accomplish what I determined.

Directions for a quiet time with Isaiah 55:
Read Isaiah 55 silently to yourself.
Be still.
Read Isaiah 55 silently to yourself again.
Notice the words or phrases that surface. Notice if emotions or memories surface.
Underline the phrases that stand out. Write any thoughts you have in your journal.
Be still.
Read Isaiah 55 to yourself a third time.
Ask God what He is inviting you to.
Lastly, write a letter from God to you. What is He saying to you through this passage?

---

About the Author

Pam is a fun and encouraging team-builder that brings the best to those around her. She loves young people and is committed to serving and mentoring kids with opportunities to grow closer to God and each other. Pam and her husband, Jared, have been married since 2005 and have three boys.

Interruptible | The Interruptions of Motherhood: From Empty Calendar to Giggles and Kisses

When I visited Ghana as a college student, I was overwhelmed by culture shock. Goats and chickens wandered freely, most people lived in shacks without plumbing or electricity, and open sewers lined the streets. The smell of diesel fuel permeated the air. Everything was unfamiliar. When I returned home to the U.S., I wanted to hug the customs officer who stamped my passport and greeted me with, “Welcome home.”

About six years ago, I entered another new country, but this time there was no passport or return ticket. When my daughter was born, I was again overwhelmed by the unfamiliar territory I found myself in. I struggled with postpartum mood disorder after a difficult birth and breastfeeding challenges. I wish I could say I quickly recovered, but it was a long journey, made more difficult by the social isolation I faced as a new stay-at-home mom.

I remember looking at my empty calendar and thinking about how it used to be filled with work and social activities. There was no schedule anymore, other than my daughter’s schedule of sleeping, eating, and diapering. Most of my friendships seemed to fade away. I didn’t know what to do with the long hours alone with my preverbal baby. I walked all around our southeast Portland neighborhood with my daughter, wishing for opportunities to talk to people.

I slowly discovered activities I could do with my baby. Mom and baby yoga class. Visiting the ducks at the rhododendron garden. Baby sign language class. Walking around the zoo. Mom and baby writing group. Storytime at the neighborhood library. These became the activities that filled my schedule.

Fast forward six years later and my life looks quite a bit different than it did during those early days of motherhood. I am now a mother of two very talkative and active young children.

As I write this, my three-year-old climbs up next to me, and says, “Mom, I am glad to see you!”

My calendar is no longer empty and now verges on being overfull. Balancing my family life, part-time job, church and social activities can be a juggling act. Instead of long unscheduled hours alone with my child, my life now requires a high level of efficiency. I am the family chauffeur, maid, grocery shopper, cook, accountant, and activity scheduler.

As I write this, my son Paul grabs my arm and says, “I’m kissing you.”

Parenting continues to be a journey of being interruptible. As a highly-scheduled, task-oriented achiever, embracing interruptions is hard for me. I always have a place to be or a to-do list to work through.

I think many of us, myself included, allow ourselves to be overscheduled because we’re afraid of the same empty calendar that I experienced as a new mom. We’re afraid of being lonely and disconnected. We’re afraid of missing out and not living our best lives. I get it. But sometimes I wonder what we might miss out on as a result of being overscheduled.

Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

Our Western culture places a high value on busyness and efficiency. We also greatly value certain types of work over others. The work of parenting is of very low value in our culture, and I often undervalue my own contributions to my family as the primary parent. During my early years of motherhood, I went through a lot of deconstructing of my identity and self-worth. Was parenting just an interruption from my “real” paid career? Was I contributing enough to society and to my family by staying at home with my children?

But the Bible instructs us not to conform to the pattern of this world, that instead we are to conform to God’s will. The values of this world often do not align with the values of God.

Today I know that parenting is incredibly difficult work and should be valued as such. I was deeply encouraged by a dad who told my mom’s group that in his opinion, “Moms who take their role seriously are the backbone of Western society.”

I want to do a better job of being in the present with my children, and being more patient and interruptible. When my children interrupt me from a task I’m working on, I want to remember that being their mom is in fact my most important work. Today my children are giggling in the background as I finish writing this post. I’ll take the sound of their giggling over silence anytime.

---

About the Author

Ursula and her husband Spencer have two young children, and their family enjoys playing hide-and-seek and dancing in the living room. She works as a communications and events coordinator with the University of Oregon. Ursula has also just become CitySalt’s new Children’s Ministry Director. Congratulations, Ursula! 

You can read more from Ursula at motherbearblog.com.

Interruptible | God Speaking Through Angels or an Audible Voice

~This week we have the privilege of hearing from guest blogger Lee Schnabel. Lee has been ministering to Latin America for almost 20 years. Lee and his wife Lisa attend CitySalt. See the end of this blog post for more details.~ 

---

Why Doesn’t God Speak to Us More Often Through Angels or with an Audible Voice?

This question plagued me for many years as a sincere Christian who like many, just wanted to know what God would like me to do so that I could fulfill His will. There were times I thought why does God make hearing his voice such a challenge? Several years ago, I discovered Jack Deere’s book entitled, Surprised by the Voice of God. Deere mentions at least fourteen different ways in which God will speak to us. If you want to see them, you can skip ahead to the end of this blog and I have listed them with supporting Bible verses. After reading Deere’s book, it became clear to me that God is communicating to us in multiple ways. Our challenge is being more aware of what these means are so that we can get the full message. But Deere did not answer the question of why God does not speak more often with an audible voice or through angelic visitations? That answer was discovered in Scripture through reading multiple examples of angelic visitations (Acts 5:17-20; 8:26-28) and places where God spoke audibly (Luke 9:28-36; Acts 9:1-9).  

Further review of these examples and others demonstrated to me that where God spoke in the Bible in an audible manner or through angelic visitations, the communication was critical for God’s overall plans being fulfilled. This supernatural communication was also key information that an individual or group of people needed so that they would have no doubt as to what God’s will is in the face of danger or severe adversity. Peter, James and John heard God speak in an audible voice that said, “This is my Son whom I love, with him I am well pleased. Listen to him” (Matthew 17: 5)! This message was likely to prepare these disciples for shock of seeing Jesus rejected by his people and crucified.

One example of supernatural communication from God in the face of great danger can be found in the example of the Apostle Paul sailing for Rome to stand trial before the Emperor Nero. This story is found in Acts 27:1-44. Acts chapters 24-26 deal with Paul being imprisoned in Caesarea for some false charges that were trumped up by a group of local Jewish leaders. During his trial before the local governor, Festus, Paul appealed his case to Nero. This was his right as a Roman citizen. Shortly after that, Paul set sail with Luke and Aristarchus along with several other prisoners under the watchful eye of a Roman centurion named Julius (Acts 27:1). Delays along the way pushed Paul’s trip to the end of the sailing season in the eastern Mediterranean. The ship hugged the shoreline of the island of Crete, but instead of waiting for a better time to sail, the ship’s captain plunged ahead and suddenly was caught in a terrible storm that began to drive them out to the open sea! Previously, Paul had warned the captain not to continue but he went anyway. After many days of a raging storm everyone aboard the ship gave up hope of being saved (Acts 27:2). Paul then addressed the captain and the sailors:

Acts 27:21-24
“Men you should have taken my advice to not sail from Crete, then you would have spared  yourself this damage and loss.” But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar[Nero]; and God has graciously given you the lives all who sail with you.”

In the end, the ship ran aground. Paul told the non-swimmers to lash themselves to planks from the ship and float in. Everyone else had to swim ashore. Amazingly, not a single person was lost. Luke even records the exact number of survivors, 276 (Acts 27:37)!

So, what are some lessons can we learn about God’s voice from this passage?

1. The severe stress of facing death in a group of non-Christians with a handful of believers required very precise instructions from an angelic visitation speaking in an audible voice.
2. Most angelic visitations are very dramatic in nature and are etched in one’s memory.
3. God’s highest purpose appears to be his desire to have Paul testify to his faith in front of the Emperor. God was NOT going to let a storm keep that from happening.
4. Curiously, the Lord took Paul through the storm rather than change the seasonal weather pattern and allow them to sail to Rome.
5. God also did NOT miraculously pick the 276 people up in the ship and drop them on the shore. Some had to swim in and the non-swimmers needed to hold on to planks to get there. God will reveal his plans but human effort often plays a key role.

So, the next time you have an angel visit you or hear the audible voice of God, you can be sure the Lord is getting you ready for something really big and exciting to occur! Oh, and by the way, here are Deere’s fourteen ways that God will speak to us:

1. The Word of God (Joshua 1:7-8; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17)
2. Experiences in life that have divine significance (1 Samuel 15:24-29)
3. Anointed observers that share God’s wisdom (Psalm 37: 25)
4. Miracles (signs) (John 2:11)
5. Audible voice (Luke 9:28-29; Acts 9:1-9)  
6. Internal audible voice (1 Corinthians 14:27-28)
7. Voice of angels (Acts 5:17-20; 8:26-28)
8. Dreams and visions (Acts 2:17-28)
9. Internal impressions (Nehemiah 7:5)
10. Words of Knowledge (Acts 14:9)  
11. Human messengers (Ephesian 4:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:10)
12. Prophetic words or tongues with interpretation (Acts 13:1-3; Acts 15:28)  
13. Creation (Romans 1:20)
14. Reason (Acts 15:28)

---

About the Author

Lee has served as a pastor, missionary and educator to Latin America for nearly twenty years. His greatest passion is to equip leaders to impact their communities and nations with the saving power of the Gospel and the authority of God’s kingdom. During eight years in Chile, Lee and his wife, Lisa, saw scores of people healed in miraculous ways.

Currently, Lee and his CAPAZ ministry team are developing training programs for key church leaders in Bolivia, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru. Lee and Lisa have three married sons, and are enjoying their two grandsons.

Interruptible | God’s Angel Who Looked Like My Friend Linda

I vividly remember a time in which a friend’s willingness to be interrupted and then accept an urgent assignment from the Lord, helped me survive a crisis!

Subject to a political battle at work in my chosen field, I found myself shunned by coworkers in a family-owned company. This experience developed slowly, then dragged on for months. The resulting stress affected my confidence and job performance. My boss was aware of this hazing but could not stop the senior staff members that were part of this plan. The experience affected me emotionally and physically, and ultimately I was dismissed from the job. Years later I learned that I was hired for the job that another coworker wanted, and she systematically turned the opinion of other co-workers against me.

Soon after, I submitted a resume for a desktop publishing job opening at Kinko’s but did not receive a response. After a lengthy job search I started a temporary job at a grocery store deli. I sliced meat and cheese, and sold a lot of macaroni and potato salads. I dreaded going to work every day to wear an apron with a name tag. I worked hard at pushing away feelings of self-doubt and anger. But during one evening shift, I suddenly found myself in the midst of one of the most difficult and emotionally painful experiences of my life. I looked up to see the co-worker who spread the ill will at my former job. She saw me in the Deli, and looked directly at me while she slowly walked past the counter where I stood, with a sneering grin on her face. Within the same hour, another former co-worker walked into the grocery store and walked by me grinning and laughing but saying nothing. I turned away with the queasy stomach, flushed face and shallow breathing that can come with feeling humiliated. When I turned around he was gone. I exhaled the breath I did not know I was holding. I then felt a burning ache in my gut and a surging temptation to quit and run out through the automatic sliding doors.

Unexpectedly, my church friend, Linda, walked into the store. She did not see me at first and stopped just inside the front entrance as she visually scanned the closest aisles and deli area.

I gasped and called out to her. “Linda, Linda! It’s me, Sara. Please come here!” As she walked up to me, she said “I don’t know why I’m here, but the Lord clearly told me to come to this store right now.” With my heart racing, I said “Linda, it’s for me! Please pray with me right now!” She did, and I lasted through the rest of my shift. I prayed and prepared myself for the future shifts I had that week. Although I did not see any additional former coworkers, I knew the hardest challenge was to immediately improve my attitude about my job. It was a gift from God that helped me pay my bills. And I realized that besides my pride, I was afraid of operating and cleaning the meat slicer with the razor sharp, circular blade. I was afraid of seriously injuring my fingers which my livelihood as a graphic designer depended on. One day while standing at the meat slicer, I said a prayer. “Lord, this machine is dangerous, but I choose to obey you in the job you’ve given me.” The meat slicer became an altar as I prayed, “If slicing meat is the way I can serve you, then I surrender to your will. Help me bring you glory in this job.” In the following days and weeks, I felt that the heavy cloud that hung over me was gone. And I felt a new comforting assurance that God was with me, protecting me in all ways.

Six months later, I received a call from Kinko’s inviting me to interview for the same desktop publishing job I applied for previously. I got the job! After I had worked there for awhile, my supervisor told me, “We wanted to hire you in May, but suddenly, management closed the job requisition. We were not able to interview you until after they reopened the position in November.” I knew this was no coincidence. I had a test to face and pass before I could move forward. Thank you Jesus that I did not face this test alone; you were with me the entire time! And you sent your angels to help me; one of them looked like my friend Linda.

Romans 8:28 NIV
And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

---

About the Author

Sara has attended CitySalt Church since 2004, the year it was founded. She studied Journalism, wrote for her college newspaper, and is a member of Oregon Christian Writers. Sara also enjoys singing hymns with friends: “there is a sermon in every hymn waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.”

Interruptible | Adventures with God

Have you ever been on a road trip with specific destinations in mind, only to discover some other adventure along the way? Perhaps you see a sign for a place that sounds interesting, or there is road construction, so you take a different route, leading you to new places to explore, interesting people to meet, or a situation where your help is needed and you’re so glad you came along. But what if you refuse to take the alternate route? You’re on a schedule, or comfortable in your air conditioning. You miss out.

We do this all the time in our journey with God. We get comfortable, or are on a tight schedule already, and think we don’t need to be interrupted by a divine appointment of any kind.

But God doesn’t do anything without a purpose. When He interrupts us, there’s a reason. It could be an opportunity to share His love/grace/good news/encouragement with someone that needs it, if we could just stretch ourselves out of our comfort zone. It could be a trial that we really don’t want to face, but is necessary for our growth or His glory. It could be that we’re on the wrong path, being led into temptation or addiction or something else that could wreak havoc in our lives, and He corrects us so we’ll get back on the right road. Sometimes it’s nothing this dramatic, but just a concept or issue in our life that He brings to the forefront for us to deal with before it becomes a devastating issue.

God has interrupted me with all of these and more. Funny thing, after I’d been given the theme of “interruptible” to write about, I came across a book about it without even trying. I was looking up Priscilla Shirer books on Amazon, because I like her Bible studies and recently discovered that she has YA fantasy novels. And saw that she had a book called Life Interrupted: Navigating the Unexpected. So I picked it up at the library the next morning.

The book follows the Bible story of Jonah, and how God interrupted his comfortable life with a calling he didn’t want to do. Ironically, the book itself was an interruption. It’s prompting me to do some things I really don’t want to do, like extend forgiveness again. Or pray for people that I don’t really want to pray for. And to look at how interruptible I am. Am I really willing to do what He calls me to, even when it’s not convenient? But I am encouraged by it, as well. Shirer says in discussing when God disciplines us, “When we feel His correction particularly heavy upon us, it’s sometimes not so much in proportion to past or recent sin as in proportion to the great task awaiting us when He’s done, when we’ve endured it.” How awesome is that? And I’ve seen it happen in my own life.

After I wrote the first draft of this, with an example from my life several years ago, I got tested on this very concept. The back of the book says “Interruptions. They’re aggravating. Sometimes infuriating. They make us want to tell people what we think of them. But how we handle interruptions actually tells us more about ourselves.” Boy howdy, I saw that firsthand this week.

On Sunday, I had texted my friend’s college-age daughter from Southern Oregon. She had stayed with me a bit last summer and house-sat for me. She’s a sweet young lady, but I hadn’t chatted with her for a while and needed her address to send her a Christian book and CD, so I sent her a text message on my phone. I asked if she was still living with her mom or on her own. The text I received back said “she” was good, living on “her” own in Eugene. I was surprised by this, asked why, and said I was glad she was doing well.

Well… unfortunately, the person that responded was not my friend’s daughter. She must have changed her phone number over the year.  Because at 10:23 that night, my phone rang, and I got an earful from an angry wife who could not be convinced that I was not having an affair with her husband. Evidently my text had reached him, instead. Really! My life isn’t easy, but it is definitely not that dramatic (thank goodness!). The poor lady could not be consoled, or convinced that my friend’s daughter’s name was not a pet name for her husband. Eventually she hung up, and I blocked both phone numbers and called the police non-emergency line to find out what to do. I was so rattled that I couldn’t sleep, but hey, I got all my grading done late that night! And I prayed, but mostly selfishly. I prayed a little for her, but mostly for my own protection. I wanted to lash out at her for interrupting my night and making me nervous that I’ll be called to court or visited by private investigators. And I wanted to call her Crazy Lady and other names for hurting my self-righteous pride by accusing me of something I think I’d never do, and let loose some of my drama queen teenage students on her. I finally fell into a restless sleep.

But God wasn’t done with my heart. Over the next day, I felt more and more compassion for her. Who knows why she reacted this way (he certainly wasn’t innocent in this- he didn’t even have the decency to write back that it was a wrong number and he didn’t know me!). But having experienced a bad marriage and divorce myself, I knew that they probably both have issues, or at least things to deal with, and it’s not my place to judge either of them. They both needed prayer, just as much as my ex-husband and I did. So the next night, I prayed for them for real. On my knees. Humbly and compassionately (finally!), I prayed for their marriage. For God’s will to be done in it, for His best for both of them (and any children they may have).

I felt very much like Jonah at that point. Who knows if they had anyone else in their lives to pray for them? But God allowed my life to be interrupted, and I have to believe that there was a purpose in that. Hopefully, my prayers will somehow help them. It taught me once again to surrender more quickly to His will. Previous (and bigger) interruptions in my life have always taught me something, too. Usually it’s to trust Him more. And many times, those interruptions have blessed me in ways I’d have never imagined.

Dear God, please keep interrupting me. Forgive me when I don’t respond quickly and with a surrendered heart. Help me to trust You fully. And thank You so much for loving me, and for giving me second chances and new adventures.

---

About the Author

Jessie is an educator, currently in the role of academic advisor at a charter school after teaching there and overseas. She is also a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a (long-neglected) blog about the journeys of women. She is very excited to join the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her trusty sidekick cat, Arwen in the foothills of South Eugene, where she can go hiking within minutes of the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

Interruptible | Did Jesus Have to Overcome His Caveperson Instincts, Too?

Human brains are not, for the most part, wired to appreciate and respond positively to a rational argument when that argument contradicts what we believe to be true. This three-minute video explains what I mean:  

Does this resonate with you? For me, this feels most true in online spaces, when my overall aversion to conflict is protected by the buffer of cyberspace. I read a comment and I feel my face start to warm. My breath quickens. My heart beats faster and my arms begin to tremble, fingers ready to throw down a brilliantly-framed counter argument so devastating and righteous that only the most willfully ignorant would dare disagree.

Not a very pretty sight. Or a Christ-like one, most would say.

Watching myself engage in this kind of anti-communication and observing it happen all around me (television, social media, the dinner table…) makes me think of other ways that I can barrel through life without allowing something or someone to interrupt my agendas.

My vocational to-do list, which reflects what I think needs to be done, on my timeline. A colleague once called himself a “practical atheist,” meaning that he professed Jesus with his lips, but failed then to release control of his day-to-day activities to the Author and Finisher of all. If we believe Jesus is the beginning, and the end, why do we so often resist giving over the middle to him?

My rule of life might be summed up as: coffee, work, work, work, gym, sleep (i.e. produce, produce, produce). There are no margins in this life for interruptions, for an unexpected visit from my dad in the middle of the day, an invitation from my brother to go out to breakfast, time to wander out into the front yard to chat with the neighbors while our kids play in the afternoon, a quiet few minutes to simply sit in the love and care of the Creator of the universe who knows every hair on my head. A regular part of Jesus’ life was leaving things undone and going away to pray. Can I follow my Savior into a quiet, solitary place where production isn’t the purpose?  

And can I change my mind? Can anything interrupt what I believe to be true and right and just? I think it can, and I think Jesus may have modeled this for us, too.

Jesus. Fully human, fully divine. God enfleshed, without sin. Jesus is our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Friend.

And yet, Jesus doesn’t seem so friendly when he first encounters the Canaanite woman:

Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

I’ve always found this passage so profoundly disturbing. I love dogs, but I’m not sure Jesus’ comparison of the Canaanite woman to canines was a positive one. When I think about this passage as it relates to the video above, I start to see it in a different light.

What if this passage is Jesus and the Canaanite woman modeling for us what it means to reject de-humanization of others and embrace empathy? How differently the story would read if the Canaanite woman had responded to Jesus’ difficult statement by becoming defensive, angry, or simply walking away? Instead, she generously and winsomely presses into a potential conflict. Jesus allows himself to be physically interrupted by this very different being and by doing so, a moment of transformation is created and the woman’s daughter is healed. Can I be more like the Canaanite woman the next time someone says something hurtful to me? Can I be more like Jesus the next time someone presents me with information that counters my worldview? I pray God grants me the humility to allow for both of these possibilities.

I also plan to take a little action. Ages ago, a friend who is wired like me recommended a book called Practicing Compassion as a tool to pause and learn to love myself and others well. I’ll set aside a few minutes a day this week to begin reading it. It’s time I stopped resisting the shift towards slowness for which my heart longs.

Perhaps there’s something you’ve been resisting that would help you be more physically or psychically interruptible. A change in schedule, elimination of an unhealthy habit, an invitation to something or someone new. Henri Nouwen says that, “The first task of a faith community is to create sacred time and space, when and where we can allow God to reshape our hearts and lives and communities.” How can we help one another do that today, this week, this month, this year

Let’s start with this short meditation.

Amen.

---

About the Author

Sarah Withrow King is the author of Vegangelical: How Caring for Animals Can Shape Your Faith (Zondervan, 2016) and Animals Are Not Ours (No, Really, They’re Not): An Evangelical Animal Liberation Theology (Cascade Books, 2016). She spends her days working for Evangelicals for Social Action and CreatureKind, helping Christians put their faith into action. She lives in Eugene with her husband, son, and animal companions and enjoys action movies, black coffee, the daily crossword, and dreaming of her next international journey.

Community Prayer Guide | June 2018

Each month we receive an updated Community Prayer Guide from One Hope ministry network that helps the church draw near to God and pray for various areas of our city life together. We invite you to take time to join hundreds of people who are praying each month for 10 strategic areas that shape our community's culture.

---

One Church - One Day Community Prayer                                   June 2018

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 
Acts 2:38-39

Church
Pray for God’s love and power in the united demonstration and proclamation of the Gospel.
Pray for the Lord’s Spirit to equip every Jesus-follower to share their faith & the Gospel with others: Pray for joy, boldness and opportunities.
Pray for a genuine Jesus-love to bring new believers into the fellowship of every church in our community.
Pray for the Lord’s Spirit to be poured out and draw everyone in our community to know and follow Jesus.

Education
Pray for transitioning leadership positions: a new Springfield Superintendent & many principal positions.  Pray for God to lead the hiring processes and appoint the right person to each position.
Pray for students struggling or behind in school to have access to summer programs and to make great gains.
Pray for Project Hope to be a community-building event, where school families connect with each other and local church communities.
Pray for district staffing and scheduling this summer for the 2018-2019 school year: wisdom and decisions that lead to a blessed and peaceful school year.

Family
Pray for struggling families to have barriers removed and have access to affordable homes.
Pray for God to heal relationships in local families, and for entire families to turn and follow the Lord.
Pray for God to increase the number foster parents and “Safe Families” to care for vulnerable kids.
Pray for God to strengthen and empower marriages in our community: to love and care for each other,  to be healthy models of love to children, and to add to the strength and security of our community.

Government
Pray for peace, safety and God’s light to be upon people on the streets of downtown Eugene.
Pray for greater synergy and fruitfulness through cross-agency collaboration (cities, county, water
& electric, first responders and schools): shared vision, integrity, trust, and clear communication.
Pray for God to guide the county and cities’ efforts to increase affordable housing units.
Pray for God’s wisdom, love and direction to be upon all of our government leaders and their families.

Business
Pray for a wise, positive and godly perspective on creating wealth: Pray for local wealth to express Jesus’ love and be utilized for the greatest good.
Pray for God’s hand and guidance upon the Lane County Community & Economic Development’s collaboration for developing the economy and improving our community.
Pray for positive, encouraging & supportive relationships among our business, government & faith sectors.
Pray for more skilled workers in trade vocations, and that people apply for available jobs.
Pray for new quality businesses to be invited and established in our community.

Arts
Pray for God’s presence and provision for the Eugene Ballet and the Lane Arts Council.
Pray for empowered and gifted artistic expression at CityFest: music and live visual art.
Pray for the Pacific Rim Art Guild as they move to a new location: God’s favor, new open doors and provision.
Pray for the Lord to guide high school music & theater departments in the selection of future productions.
Pray for the Lord’s Spirit to move upon “Art and the Vineyard,” and upon the Maude Kerns Art Center.

Health Care
Pray for God to bring hope, healing and rescue to those struggling with suicidal thoughts.  Pray for health care workers, teachers, parents and friends to be empowered to bring hope, healing and rescue.
Pray for health care providers to see the detrimental effects of abortion, sexual impurity & transgenderism.
Pray for health care providers to come alongside the church to teach on important bioethical issues.
Pray for Christ-following providers to see their occupation as an opportunity to be an ambassador for Christ.

Police and Fire Departments 
Pray for peace and safety over all Fourth of July activities.
Pray for all city, county and state first responder (police, fire and sheriff) leadership teams: God’s blessing, truth, wisdom, clear communication, & strong, healthy working relationships.
Pray for new quality and “charactered” recruits to be hired in all agencies in every local community.
Pray for officers who train new recruits:  encouragement, strength, wisdom and joy.
Pray for the well-being and emotional health of first responders, their spouses and children.
Pray for the wisdom, peace and safety of those serving in our police and fire departments.

Media
Pray for local TV, Radio and Print Media employees: to be guided by God’s hand.
Pray for truthful, fair and accurate reporting in all areas of local media.
Pray for local media to promote and equip community members to listen and understand one another better.
Pray for the Lord’s favor and truth upon all media reporting Jesus-centered events.

Sports
Pray for safety, protection and peace over every public sporting event.
Pray for the Lord’s blessing on Little League and Pop-Warner programs, athletes, coaches and referees.
Pray for the Lord to draw Christ-following athletes and coaches to the UO, and for godly mentors for them.
Pray for God’s favor, provision and direction towards a new UO golf facility.
Pray for the 2021 World Track & Field Championships in Lane County: God’s hand on all international committee agreements, preparations, and new local development for a fruitful and safe event.

Find answers to prayer on our website: onehopenetwork.org/testimonies.

Seeing the Other | The Father, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and Me

This has been an amazing season for CitySalt blog writers and readers. I have been blessed again and again by the insights and hearts revealed through the theme of “Seeing the Other“. If you missed any of the posts in the last few months, I highly recommend that you click on the Salt Blog and scroll down to read the ones you missed. It is a treasure trove.

---

Do you ever think of God as ‘the Other?’

The Nicene Creed begins,
“We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all that is, seen and unseen.”

I recited that creed every Sunday in my youth and I believed it and still do. I have spent a lifetime trying to wrap my head and my heart around a God who is amazingly wise, all powerful, perfect, all seeing, a God who created a universe that appears endless and incomprehensible. A God who Psalm 139 says, “knit me together in my mother’s womb.” We have only scratched the surface in understanding how these bodies of ours function and must constantly amend our understanding as we learn more. How is it that I can have anything in common with the amazing Being who created me?

“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.”

Jesus, one with the Father, also God, almighty, all powerful…

John 1:1-5
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Yet, he calls me, friend (John 15:15). He is my Savior, He laid down His life for me. He left His place by the Father’s side and experienced pain and death for me. He came as a servant when He was God. How is it that I have anything in common with this extraordinary Man?

“We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the
Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.”

The Holy Spirit, teaches me, empowers me, inspires me. He, too, is God. He is also a gift from God to us that we might know Him better and be more like Him.

John 14:26
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

John 20:22
Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

How is it that I have anything in common with this amazing trinity of Beings? I can interact with Them but can I truly be like Them? The idea is so much greater than me.

Does God see me as “the Other?” It would appear not.

Genesis 1:27
So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

I (we) are created in the image of God. He says so Himself. How can that be? I see such a difference when I compare my behavior with His. I (we) have fallen from a great height, no doubt about it. But still we are created to be like Him. We are not ‘other’ than Him, we are created in His image. The whole of the bible, the coming of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit reinforces for me the truth that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are committed to restoring that image and relationship to its former glory.

Do I completely understand it? Do I know how it will be accomplished? Can I wrap my head around all that it entails? No. But I know more than I did, 5, 10, 30 years ago, because He is intent on leading me if I will listen. Have I executed each learning challenge flawlessly? Hardly. But it is worth it to me to keep pushing forward through my incompleteness and lack of understanding to be more like Him. He has made it clear that it is worth the struggle for Him and so it is worth it to me.

Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Is God “Other” than me? No. He is the Creator and I am the created, it will always be that way. Yet in His love He saw fit to create me in HIs image. He wants me to be like Him and be in relationship with HIm. It seems it is HIs good pleasure. I want to say, “yes” to that.

---

About the Author

Darla wears many hats, one of them being Media Communication Coordinator for CitySalt Church. She is a life long learner, who is always up for a challenge. She is married to her amazing husband, Mark. Though they have no children she enjoys being involved in the lives of her nieces and nephews as their ‘crazy aunt.’

Seeing the Other | Distracted by Identity, Disconnected from Destiny

Like Jonah, I almost missed it.

I believe we all face situations where it seems God calls us to unfavorable places or into uncomfortable situations. Yet, like the Jonah narrative, God is as much at work in the servant as he is in those being served.

Awhile back, I was asked to visit the brother of a person in our congregation. He was losing a long battle with cancer and his loved ones were not sure of the state of his faith. Honestly, I didn’t want to go. I felt overwhelmed by an expectation to pray for healing and salvation, and somehow contrive words that would bring comfort to the struggle and make sense of the suffering. But I went anyway, and happened upon one of the most memorable and tender moments I have ever experienced. The man was not looking for healing. He did not need me to save his soul. He did not expect me to make sense of the struggle or suffering. As I look back, I feel he simply needed someone to join him in the finality of it all, and help re-acquaint him with the God of his youth. After a couple hours of asking questions and listening to him reflect on his life, I invited the man and his wife to simply express their hearts to God in prayer and allow me to join them. What followed was a beautiful, honest, tender expression of worship and trust. In that moment I believe they were reunited with Grace, and this somehow seemed to  prepare and usher him into God’s presence a week later.

The crazy part… I almost missed it.

I was so caught up in what I was supposed to do (as my role as pastor), rather than being confident in who I am called to be (a fellow human bearing the image of Christ). The way I see it, identity serves as an expression of my connectivity to people, but destiny is something altogether different. Destiny is an expression of my connectivity to God. As this experience with a dying man unfolded, it allowed me to see how easily we can all get distracted by our earthly identity, and be disconnected from our kingdom destiny to experience and reflect God in the world around us.

This is not a new struggle.

Do our ever-changing identities, roles or titles artificially define or limit our kingdom contribution? For me, identities such as pastor, father, husband, friend or boss can sometimes hinder God’s unique destiny from finding a more complete and meaningful expression in and through my life. Whether these limitations are self-imposed or placed on me by others, I can become distracted by the role, and disconnect from my greater kingdom calling.

When I look at Jonah, I see his flight to Tarshish as flat out disregard for God's destiny and calling on his life. God invited Jonah to participate in a significant kingdom moment. Jonah almost missed it because of a defined identity, limited to only the Hebrew nation.

As with Jonah, the panic of God calling us to do something outside the confines of our perceived role can cause us to bolt. It can keep us from being available to hear and obey a timely word of direction whispered by the Holy Spirit. As in the case with the dying man, I was struggling with my perceived role as “God’s answer-man,” needing to do something, all the while forgetting my destiny to be a Spirit-filled witness and presence. As I released my “pastor” identity and instead responded as a Christ-follower, available to love and serve, I was pleasantly surprised and energized by God’s work through me.

As you continue your life-long service to God, I invite you to look beyond your roles and reconnect with destiny as a light bearer and witness of God’s love and redemptive good news on the planet. May you not miss the creative and dynamic ways God will bring His Kingdom, through you, in greater measure on the earth, just as it is in heaven.

Matthew 26:37-40 NIV
The Sheep and the Goats
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 5:3-8 NIV
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

---

About the Author

Dusty serves as our lead pastor. He is a gifted leader, administrator and communicator with a passion to help others grow in their God-given potential. He joined the team as an associate pastor in 2009 and later transitioned to the role of lead pastor in January 2010. Dusty previously served as a youth pastor and director of youth camps and leadership events, for Foursquare churches in the Northwest, at Camp Crestview. He and his wife, Julie, grew up in the area and have three sons and five grandchildren.

Seeing the Other | With New Eyes

In the last year I have entered what seems like a whole different world. It is a world of “The Other.” It has been strange, unpredictable, unsettling, frightening, full of emotional earthquakes, beyond all reason, eye-opening, anger-stirring, empathy-producing …and a stimulus for many, many questions that most often don’t have answers. I’m talking about the world of mental illness.

I saw a man wandering stark halls with very short, jerky but determined steps, as if he had some important place to go. He was bent slightly forward at the waist and stared straight ahead with intense blue eyes. I don’t think I ever saw him blink. He wandered into the room where we were sitting, came right up to me within a foot of my face and just stared, stared and stared right at me. Awkwardly, I said, “hello.” He said nothing in response, there was not the slightest change in his face or posture. There was no sense that he really saw me, though his eyes were open wide. Then the caregiver came and took him away.

I saw a man who was quite bent over and held his head at an angle, looking up. He walked up and down the hall, trying every door handle. I was sure he was trying to get in to steal something. I never saw him go in a room.

I saw a woman locked in a room with terrified eyes like a caged wild animal. She had been physically combative with staff and security and was ready to fight off any other living soul that came near her. She perceived everyone as a threatening enemy. She kind of clawed at the walls and then cowered in a corner.  

I saw a very clean-cut man with perfectly oiled and combed hair and neat clothing. He sat staring for hours at a television screen which was only displaying the titles of songs being played on that music channel. But there was no music, or sound of any kind coming from the TV. Once I saw him doing a kind of jogging routine, barely moving his feet but steadily, if extremely slowly, moving down the sidewalk.

I saw a woman pace the halls back and forth, never saying a word, with a constant look of subtle suspicion on her face. It was not fear, but just a look as if she were a spy in a strange and dangerous foreign land.

I saw a very unkempt and dirty man walking the halls, yelling obscenities and indeterminate gibberish at no one in particular. He sounded angry and looked dangerous even though you couldn’t tell what he was saying.

I saw a woman in a wheelchair who could never find the bathroom, though she had lived in this house for years.

I saw a woman with way too much makeup, applied in the wrong places like a child who couldn’t paint within the lines. She raced up and down the halls.

I saw a man always sitting in the same chair, away by himself but where he could see everyone else. He had the kindest smile on his face and always waved when you passed by. He told me one day, “You gotta do your best every day. You gotta keep a positive attitude.” He could barely walk.

At first I was very unnerved by these people. For sure there was some behavior I don’t even want to write about here. These are the kind of people who, if I saw them coming down the street, I might cross to the other side or at least keep my head down or eyes fixed straight ahead so as not to engage them. They were too unpredictable. What would I say? What could I say? Would they have a sinister motive if they confronted me? Their conditions raised in me so many thoughts…and sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle, judgements against them.

I am ashamed of this now.

And why? What has changed in me? This is hard for me to understand and explain, but I do know one thing that has made a deep impact:

I learned that the man who stared at me with the unseeing, piercing, crystal blue eyes was a professional soccer player from Europe in his youth. He sustained brain damage from hitting so many headers in the hundreds of soccer games he played.

I learned that the bent over man checking door handles was a former “fix it” guy who still went through the motions of trying to see how something worked mechanically.

I learned that the silent suspicion-filled woman was actually Russian and couldn’t speak any English. She was doubly isolated in a silent world.

The unkempt man shouting obscenities had been a poor farmer who fell off a tall piece of machinery he was working on, and fell to the ground, landing on his head. He had been living at this house where I met him for 4 years and I was told he would never hurt a fly. And he loved animals.

The woman in the wheelchair has cancer as well as dementia.

And one of these people is my wife.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has a history. Everyone has a family. A childhood. A series of experiences, some good, some bad. I think most people have experienced some kind of trauma or loss in their lives, certainly some more than others. Good things happen to bad people. Bad things happen to good people. Why is this? Can we really know, this side of heaven? With so few answers to these kind of questions, how do we proceed? How do we view “The Other”? How do we interact with them? How do we deal with all the uncertainties?

I don’t know. All I can say is I have been reduced to a kind of compassion I’ve never experienced before. I have learned that if I just look at a person’s outward appearance and behavior, I will see them as objects to defend myself against. If I learn some of their story, I can get at least a bit of a glimpse into their humanness and relate to them there. I no longer see them quite so much as “The Other.”

1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Matthew 7:1-2
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 5:3-4
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

---

About the Author

John has been an essential component to the life and development of CitySalt since 2004 and, presently, serves as an associate pastor with a focus on prayer, discipleship and spiritual direction in addition to being a regular part of the teaching team. He and his wife, Laura, have been married since 1977 and enjoy their family of three children and three grandchildren.

Seeing the Other | Love Looks Like Something

Thursday. The fourth grade classroom. You are headed in for your weekly time to help. You walk up and see a boy sitting alone outside in the hall where his desk has been moved. He has a really straggly mullet haircut, his jeans are too short, and he is slouched down. He’s obviously already pushed the teacher far enough to be removed from the class. You are tempted to think, “Phew, I don’t have to deal with him in my reading group today.”

Last week, he was late to your group. He was disruptive from the moment he sat down. He messed with the kid beside him, continually distracting everyone. When it was finally his turn to read, he read surprisingly well. His reading was clear and confident, until suddenly he seemed to lose interest. He began to mumble, and then switched to a funny voice all together. You gave him 2 warnings and then had to move on to the next reader, as he went back to banging his feet against the leg of the table.

He’s on your child’s soccer team. The parents constantly rumble about him. He is overly aggressive and can’t seem to really control his body. He too often escalates to tears, which is frustrating, or anger, which honestly is concerning. Someone has to always have an eye on him. In practice or on the sidelines, he is pushing kids and distracting the team or sulking by himself. You watch him walk up and pretend to give your child a high five, and then kick him in the shin guard instead. Your child has already told you he hates when he does this.

He is awkward and never knows what to say. He is so moody. He is so much work. It is so tempting to wish he wasn’t in your child’s classroom, that you didn’t coach the soccer team, that you didn’t have to put in the time and patience it takes to just be around him.

But you know. You know his story. You know his Mom, whom you’ve never met, had 3 kids before him whom she lost to the state. You know that he was taken from her, for his safety, when he was just born. You don’t know her and realize your heart would probably break for her story too, but every day you see the impact of it on him. His Grandma has told you how he never sees her, and how he cries himself to sleep almost every night missing her. You watch as about twice a year he smiles all day, his face glowing, because she has promised to pick him up from school. And that she has always called and canceled right before school is out. You’ve seen his face as his grandma walks in to tell him the news. Disappointed once again.

You know. You know that earlier this year, she had another baby, whom she was able to keep. He doesn’t understand. Why can the new baby be with his Mom? Why does she want the baby and not him? And you know that in reading group, he was reading along with a strong voice until he came to the part talking about a Mom making a snack for her son. When he started reading that part, he couldn’t do it, and to hide his tears he started being disruptive and changed the subject back to his behavior yet again. That’s easier than the pain.

You know his Dad, who struggles with agoraphobia & PTSD, has such a fear of life and people and the world, that he doesn’t often leave his house. His Dad often gets triggered when he is out in public, and has outbursts that are scary and embarrassing for his son. The boy knows his Dad loves him, but can’t handle him. When he is with his Dad, he walks on eggshells.

He has been raised by his Grandma, who loves him and does her best, but is tired. She already raised her children, and has to work full time, and has health problems that limit her ability to move and erode her patience.  

And again, you know the result of this. You know he is heartbroken. You know he is also hard work. He is disruptive, and socially awkward. He doesn’t pay attention, he seems to want to get in trouble, and he is rarely approachable. You are tempted to avoid him, to be relieved when you don’t have to interact. To sigh in frustration when he is being difficult, and to be relieved when it’s time to leave him.

But you’ve known him since he started kindergarten with your child. You’ve seen glimpses, few and far between, of his heart. His tenderness used to leak through before he learned to cover it so well.  His sad tears used to fall before he learned to change the subject. He used to try, before the patterns and the self-defenses started kicking in, taking over automatically.

What will happen to him? It’s hard to say. The road he has started down is a tough one. And what can you do? You aren’t around him enough to have a major impact on his behavior. You know your direct influence on him is only here and there.

But you believe love looks like something.  

So you’ve prayed for him. You’ve asked God what He is doing, how you can partner with Him to love this child. You can’t “save him” and know you are limited. But God! God asks you to love the one in front of you, to see the other. And that is him. So what does that look like, you wonder?

And God has shown you. He told you to pay attention. And He showed you the gold He has put in even this child. You’ve seen, after someone walks away, the sulky defensive look lift off his face and sometimes he smiles. You’ve caught him daydreaming, and asked him what he thinks about. You’ve listened to his response. You have decided to relate to him at his potential, not his behavior, and you’ve seen him rise up to the challenge. You’ve noticed him, smiled at him, made sure to say hello to him by name. And it breaks your heart that these small, little acts of love have made a difference. You see the sponge of his heart soak them up, not always trusting them, but desperate to receive any drop. Desperate to believe he can be seen, he is valuable, that he is worthy of love. You’ve seen love at work. And it’s broken your heart and humbled you.

And God is so good. He’s also shown you how others are doing the same. God loves this child, and has surrounded him by people who are willing to see the other, to not disregard even this child. God has shown you that this child is not your responsibility, he is God’s, and that you get to trust that. But also you’ve seen the proof that love looks like something! And when we stop to see the other, the one in front of us, and we are willing to play a part in God’s love, that it matters!

Thank you, God, for giving us eyes to see the other. Let us live a life that sees the ones right in front of us. Thank You for this child. And for so many like him in the world. They are desperate for love. And love looks like something. Thank You that as we listen to you and are willing to say yes, that we can participate in love that makes a difference. Give us your heart for the one in front of us.  Thank You.

“Ministry, however, is simply loving the person in front of you. It’s about stopping for the one and being the very fragrance of Jesus to a lost and dying world.”  –Heidi Baker

John 15:12
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

---

About the Author

Pam is a fun and encouraging team-builder that brings the best to those around her. She loves young people and is committed to serving and mentoring kids with opportunities to grow closer to God and each other.  She joined our staff team in 2012 and oversees the ministry of ages from birth to eighth grade. Pam and her husband, Jared, have been married since 2005 and have three boys.

Seeing the Other | Not as the Other

Ephesians 4:1-3
Unity in the Body of Christ
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

My youngest child is in a really amazing preschool program. The kids play a lot, they do crafts, and they dance. They are supervised and guided, but given freedom to express their unique, developing character. There are many reasons why I am so grateful for the experience he is having.

I have been lucky to have some really good conversations with his head teacher. She is passionate about education, studies education, observes, contemplates and believes in the natural process of learning. She is a wise, studious, strong and patient person and I have developed a lot of respect for her through our conversations. As a woman of color and a mother, she has been faced with too many unnecessary, ignorant and hurtful situations. I wonder, how can we get her running a diversity program in all schools? How can I play a supportive role? We need to hear from her, our kids need to see her leading.

In preparing myself to write something about “seeing the other”, I came across this study about how being exposed to people of all body shapes and sizes makes us more comfortable around all different body types. Of course. We know we are being mentally trained to prefer “skinny and tall” when we flip through magazines, watch shows, commercials and clothing ads. What then must be happening when we flip though our history books in elementary school and memorize the presidents, the leaders of our country? How do we present this to our youth, to our students? Diversity, or lack of diversity, needs to be addressed. In this era, kids of all ages should be taught about changing this and given history lessons on women of color who have been scientists and astronauts, politicians and great doctors, engineers and writers, film directors and teachers. How do we expect anything to change if we don’t address it head on?

My son’s teacher was asked how she would approach racism in a classroom:
“I talk with individual children, and I later follow up with a group discussion facilitating open ended questions about respect, diversity, tolerance, and a small glimpse of US history.

I have also read picture books that talk about different skin complexions where they are celebrated but have a message of us all being connected as human beings. I teach art projects on skin colors where children can make self portraits using colors that they choose that represents how they see themselves. Or just a small circle time, everybody laying on their tummies, sticking their hands in the middle, and looking at all the shades we are, allowing dialogue to take place of what differences they notice, and why those differences exist.

My favorite preschool book to use with any age is The Colors of Us by Karen Katz. If children as young as two can recognize physical differences, then they are old enough to learn about positive perspectives on skin color (in a developmentally appropriate fashion, of course).”

While it is so important to open hearts and minds as Jesus’ exemplified, we must also be dedicated enough to take the time to listen to "the other" and be humble enough to lift them up into leadership roles so that all our children can grow up with these examples and be naturally comfortable around people of color who really shouldn’t even be seen as “the other”. Truly, those we deem as "other" are our neighbors, our friends and our family. They should more often be our coworkers, our bosses, our teachers, and our role models.

Similar to “seeing the other”, Jesus says “love your neighbor”. Consider this review of what Jesus said about loving our neighbor http://www.christianbiblereference.org/jneighbr.htm :
“In His sermons and parables, Jesus seeks to shock us out of our selfishness and worldliness and create in us a true passion for the welfare of our fellow men, women and children around the world. Universal love is at the very heart of Jesus' teachings; it is God's earthly work for us.

What matters to God is our love for Him and our love for each other. Wealth, power and status count for nothing in the kingdom of God. When we truly love our neighbors, we do our part to make the world a better place, and we find our own fulfillment in life.”

If diversity hasn’t found its way into your daily life, seek it out with love, respect and intention. I assure you, there is no lack of amazing people of color, it is a history that lingers on and presents division in our present day life. Without intention, we will not break the divide. We must ask ourselves, are “wealth, power and status” guiding our actions or inactions? And if “universal love… is God’s earthly work for us” what are we doing to assure that it is spread amongst us all? Furthermore, are we lifting up those who have been held back? Are we supporting those that have been unfairly treated? Are we assuring that our children see “the other” with the heart and love of God? In this present day, I believe it takes more than teaching kindness. If “the other” is not visible, how will we ever see them?

I know my son is growing and developing in such a beautiful way through this preschool program. Additionally, it provides a framework for my son to see the world and acknowledge the beauty in its fullness.

Ephesians 4:15-16
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

---

About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Seeing the Other | When We Were Young

“Tattoos and no-tattoos can be friends,” my 5-year-old daughter interjects into our small group’s conversation about tattoos on a Tuesday evening.

Yes, I assure her, we can be friends with people who look different from us.

We live in divided and divisive times. We can categorize our neighbors into endless groups. Red states and blue states. Christians and “non-believers.” Protestant and Catholic. Evangelical and mainline Protestant. Blue collar and white collar. Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter.

I met my childhood best friend when she invited me to her sixth birthday party, as we stood together on the steps outside our elementary school. She was friendly and open in that way that only young children can be. I eagerly accepted the invitation and began a friendship that would last through high school and into the early years of college.

She was brown-skinned and I was white. Race wasn’t something we ever talked about, unless she brought it up in a joking way. “I don’t like white people,” she sometimes said, “except you and my mom.” She called herself a Nigerian princess.

I remember lots of sleepovers, Michael Jackson dance contests, endless rounds of Monopoly. I remember playing soccer in the Oregon rain. I remember going to see the Dave Matthews Band play in the Gorge, and the time the WOW Hall advertised our theater troupe on the same poster as a Slick Rick show. I remember writing rap songs for the band we started in third grade, and in college when our drunk friend got locked in a dorm room stairwell overnight. I remember never laughing so much as I did with her.

I don’t remember ever asking my best friend about race, about what it was like to be one of the only brown-skinned kids in our school. Was it hard for her? If it was, she never let me know. Our high school group was a microcosm of diversity for Eugene, with three of my closest friends being ethnic minorities with immigrant parents from Nigeria, Korea, and Mexico.  

Our friendship ended as suddenly and inexplicably as it began, with her one day choosing to stop returning my calls without any falling out or slow drifting away.

In college and beyond, my friendships seem to have become more and more homogenous. We are a 99 percent white, upwardly mobile, advanced degree holding, NPR-listening group of folks. We like to talk about social justice. We have backyard chickens and drink kombucha. We go to church, or used to before becoming disillusioned with organized religion. If we do have tattoos, they are discrete.

I tell myself that my friends are similar to me because I don’t have many opportunities to get to know people who are different. But is that entirely true?

Matthew 5:14-15 (NLT)
“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” 

It’s certainly easier to be friends with people who share similar backgrounds and interests as ourselves. But Jesus calls us to be a light to the world, something I can’t do if I remain cloistered in my kombucha-drinking, NPR-listening corner of the church. For my part, I want to be more intentional about widening my circle of acquaintances to include more diversity of race, religion, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation. Within the Church as a whole, we also need to do a better job of promoting dialogue between Christians with different political views and scriptural interpretations.

I wish I could go back to the openness of childhood, when it was so easy to make friends with anyone regardless of what they looked like or who their parents were. Fourteen years after my friendship with my Nigerian princess best friend ended, it still hurts to write about her. I wish we could go back to being friends like we used to be, but time has changed us, and we can’t ever go back to that place we stood, two first graders on the steps outside our elementary school, fulfilling Martin Luther King’s dream without even knowing.

---

About the Author

Ursula and her husband Spencer have two young children, and their family enjoys playing hide-and-seek and dancing in the living room. She works as a communications and events coordinator with the University of Oregon. You can read more from Ursula at motherbearblog.com.

"Prayer & Fasting | April 25-June 27th"

Spiritual Warfare: Prayer & Fasting by Lee Schnabel
Message Audio from Sunday, April 22nd

On Sunday, April 22nd Pastor/Missionary Lee Schnabel shared a timely and important teaching on the topic of Prayer and Fasting. He challenged us to use this tool to intercede on behalf of our leaders as we contend for their best by seeking God’s provision, protection, peace and presence in all things. Lee also invited the congregation to consider signing up to pray and fast each Wednesday (from April 25-June 27th) as an ongoing support to those who carry the heart and vision for ministry that flows from our collective efforts together as a church.

Prayer and Fasting Teaching Notes: Outline by Lee Schnabel
Increases Spiritual Formation
1.     Demonstrates humility: Psalm 35:13   
2.     Promotes self-control: 1 Corinthians 9:27, Isaiah 58:5
3.     Provides spiritual strength: Matthew 4:2

Extends to us Key Personal Benefits
1.     Greater spiritual authority over the works of darkness: Mark 9:29
2.     Increased manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit: Luke 4:14
3.     Allows us to see circumstances from God’s point of view: Isaiah 58:8
4.     Aids us in knowing God’s will: Isaiah 58:9

Conclusion: There are several exhortations in Scripture to pray for the leaders who provide oversight and spiritual guidance for believers. These include: Philippians 1:19, Hebrews 13:18, Ephesians 6:19-20

---

Prayer and Fasting Focus | Spring 2018

(April 25 through June 27)
The following is a list of couples and individuals who currently provide leadership for various ministries on behalf of CitySalt. Leadership as it applies to this list is defined as individuals who have agreed to carry responsibility in service to a particular area or group represented in our community of believers. This list does not minimize the contribution of all who participate and support a full spectrum of ministry expressions throughout our congregation, but recognizes those who have committed themselves to roles that provide vision, care and communication that helps to build and strengthen areas of our shared life together as a church.

• Dusty and Julie Johnson - Dusty serves as Lead Pastor and oversees vision, ministry team and business of the church. Julie oversees our greeting team and is active in events and services.
• John Rice (Laura) - John serves as Associate Pastor and is involved with discipleship, teaching and overseeing our prayer ministry that undergirds the ministry of our church.
• Mike and Britni D’Eliso - Mike serves as Assistant Pastor overseeing outreach, logistics, security while participating as part of the teaching team. Britni oversees our Salt Blog and our team of devotional writers.
• Pam Sand (Jared) - Pam serves as our Kids Ministry Director providing leadership for Sunday classes for young people.
• Denise Jubber (Ron) - Denise serves as our SoulCare Director providing teaching and guidance for spiritual direction, Triad groups and self awareness curriculum.
• Randi Nelson (Nolan) - Randi serves on our teaching team.
• Sterling and Alisha Camden - Sterling serves as our Music Ministry Director and Alisha serves on our teaching team.
• Margaret and Bill Fairchild - Margaret serves as our Women’s Ministry Director and serves on our church council. Bill oversees a men’s small group.
• Darla and Mark Beardsley - Darla serves as our Communications Coordinator overseeing calendar, newsletter and website and Mark serves on our church council.
• Susie Ralls (Steve Fisher) - Susie serves as our church bookkeeper and co-leads a women’s small group with Sara-Etha Schneider.
• JoVone Kettwig (Bob) - JoVone serves as our Hospitality & Kitchen Coordinator.
• Heather Woody - Heather serves on our church council and is an integral support for Women’s and Kids Ministry
• Terry and Colby Sheldon - Terry serves on our church council. Terry and Colby also oversee our potluck and food service for Big Table Sunday’s.
• Mark Gerber (Dee Dee) - Mark serves on our church council.
• Stefan Schnabel (Jennelle) - Stefan serves on our church council.

At this time we are inviting you and others to a special season of prayer and fasting on behalf of these leaders. We ask that you consider how you might appreciate, encourage and most importantly pray for our leaders as they continue to provide vision, care and opportunities for people to connect and grow in their relationship with God and others.

We have summarized a number of ways you might consider praying and asking God to care for our leaders. The list is divided into two categories: Anointing for Service and Spiritual Covering as they serve.

---

Ways You Can Pray for CitySalt Leaders

Increased Anointing for Service (Impartation of the Holy Spirit)

• Discernment - Praying for supernatural awareness of the Holy Spirit’s activity. May our leaders receive timely insight to situations and seasons affecting those who they serve. May they have an increased ability to see and partner with the work God is doing in their own lives and those around them.

• Wisdom - Praying for supernatural ideas, answers and direction for themselves and our congregation. Would they walk in a wisdom that goes beyond worldly knowledge, experience, training or education. May they possess creative solutions for complicated problems that come up with those they serve.

• Courage - Praying for supernatural boldness to stand firm in godliness and tenacity for Kingdom purposes.  May our leaders be strengthened to trust God, stand strong and step out on behalf of our church and for others.

• Favor - Praying for supernatural empowerment and anointing to see and trust God as they respond with faith to God’s leading. May the places they exercise faith and obedience be met with God’s favor to open doors that need to open for expansion and close doors for their protection. Would they simply follow a trail that has already been blazed by the Lord.

• Maturity - Praying for supernatural breakthroughs and spiritual growth. May our leaders have greater insight and awareness of God’s work. May they grow their ability to lead authentically and serve with motives and a heart of love that reflect God’s Kingdom activity.

Spiritual Covering (Over their lives as they serve)

• Protection - Praying for a supernatural protection against powers, principalities and strategies of the evil one that intend on thwarting God’s work in and through our leaders. May God strengthen our leaders in common vulnerabilities (like distraction, division, temptation, discouragement and depression) that may keep them from living and serving from a place of spiritual health and fullness.

• Provision - Praying for a supernatural provision for finances and necessary resources as they trust God with their time and service to Him. May the Lord maximize their efforts as they commit and at times limit other vocational pursuits for building up others and extending the ministry of our church.

• Peace - Praying for a supernatural sense of God’s presence in all things. Not necessarily an absence of conflict or tension, but a growing awareness and trust that God is at work and we are simply partnering with what He is already doing.

• Presence - Praying for a supernatural empowering for their current assignments and duties. May God provide assurance, confidence, gifting, skills and abilities to serve and steward the work of God through specific area of service.

Special Note: For more practical guidelines on fasting for a longer periods of time you can go to www.cru.org and search keyword “fasting” to find Bible studies and other excellent resources.

---

Seeing the Other | Love Your Enemies

I don’t like people, until I meet them.

I’m not proud of this. I want to be a person who loves as Jesus loved, unconditionally and across all kinds of borders.

A decade in animal protection—watching videos of humans doing things to animals that will haunt my twilight thoughts until the day I die—taught me to be skeptical of the possibility of goodness in a person, to believe that everyone was capable of horrific violence and sadistic cruelty.

Well, that’s what I tell myself. But I think I’ve always been a little too sure of my own right-ness.

Social media and internet silos that are designed to show me more of what I like and agree with haven’t helped matters. I eat a bland digital diet of confirmation bias, gobbling up the videos and articles and memes that reinforce my existing opinions. I engage with online friends who echo my own existing views and, too often, quickly dismiss dissenting voices.

Through what I consume, I train myself to pass judgement on vast swaths of the human population. Proponents of the political party that I don’t usually vote for? Dumb. Members of a religious order not my own? Probably brainwashed. People who view [fill in the blank hotbutton socio-political issue] differently than I do? They’ll see the light eventually. I really don’t like people…but then I meet them.

The generous, happy-go-lucky neighbor who holds views far from my own. He helped my husband identify a fulfilling business opportunity. The encouraging, patient gym coach who wears a different kind of #_____LivesMatter t-shirt than I do. She takes time after class to show me how I can improve my range of motion and strength. The old high school friend who predictably comments on every article about guns I post. He makes some valid points sometimes.

Shortly after football player Michael Vick was arrested for dog-fighting, I sat in a room with him for eight hours as he took a course on empathy for animals that I developed. We even did a Bible study together, since he identified as a Christian. I knew the terrible things he had been involved in, but was able to connect on a human level and felt no particular ill-will toward him.

Jesus understood the power of human connection. In the Sermon on the Mount, he is recorded as telling his listeners to go so far as to leave the altar if, in the middle of giving their gift, they realized they had an outstanding rift. Reconciliation and right relationship among the community was a higher priority that regulations or religious rituals.

“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” It’s an astonishing and impossible ask. And the instructions that precede it press into the need for relationship especially with people we are prone to hate. If someone strikes you, give them your other cheek. If someone sues you for your coat, give them your cloak, too. If someone forces you to carry their pack one mile, carry it for two. And give to everyone who begs from you. (Matthew 5:38-42). How many times have I breezily lied to men and women begging outside of Union Station, or Fred Meyer: “Sorry, I don’t carry cash!”

In his book, Engaging the Powers, Walter Wink suggests that in telling his followers to turn the other cheek, give our cloak, and walk the second mile, Jesus is discipling us in the way of nonviolent engagement. Turning the other cheek “robs the oppressor of the power to humiliate” and offers a chance at redemption. Giving our cloak shames a system that would allow a wealthy person to literally take the shirt off the back of the poor. And walking a second mile carrying the pack of a Roman soldier, brutal occupiers of Palestine, helps “oppressed people find a way to protest and neutralize an onerous practice.” Each of these methods of nonviolent resistance not only restores dignity to the one who is shamed or oppressed, but also offers an opportunity for the oppressor to regain their own humanity.

Ethicists Glen Stassen and David Gushee look at these same texts of Matthew in their book Kingdom Ethics and posit that Jesus’ commands here to turn the other cheek, give a creditor your cloak, and carry the pack a second mile are “transforming initiatives” that help Jesus followers break out of old paradigms. Rather than violent retaliation, or passivity, we’re to take nonviolent action to resist evil.  

So, where does that leave me, with my propensity for judgement and dismissal, for distance from the people and situations that make me angry or uncomfortable simply out of my own sense of self-righteousness? How do I resist the temptation to surround myself with the people and ideas that reinforce my ideas of justice? How do I even begin to break down these border walls between me and the people that I am so eager to “other”?

I am fortunate to work with people who are smarter and more compassionate than I am. One of them helped start The People’s Supper, a way of connecting across difference over a shared meal. Another helps lead tours to important Civil Rights historical sites, to help equip the church to live into our biblical call to be ambassadors of reconciliation. I learn a lot from them, mostly by listening. I need to do a lot of listening.

And I’m spending less time online and more time with flesh-and-blood people. Because I love everyone, once I meet them.

---

About the Author

Sarah Withrow King is the author of Vegangelical: How Caring for Animals Can Shape Your Faith (Zondervan, 2016) and Animals Are Not Ours (No, Really, They’re Not): An Evangelical Animal Liberation Theology (Cascade Books, 2016). She spends her days working for Evangelicals for Social Action and CreatureKind, helping Christians put their faith into action. She lives in Eugene with her husband, son, and animal companions and enjoys action movies, black coffee, the daily crossword, and dreaming of her next international journey.

Community Prayer Guide | April 2018

Each month we receive an updated Community Prayer Guide from One Hope ministry network that helps the church draw near to God and pray for various areas of our city life together. We invite you to take time to join hundreds of people who are praying each month for 10 strategic areas that shape our community's culture.

---

One Church - One Day Community Prayer                                  April 2018

“Pray for us, that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.”   
2 Thessalonians 3:1

Church
Pray for God’s power in the united demonstration and proclamation of the Gospel.
Pray for the Lord’s Spirit to equip every Jesus-follower to share their faith & the Gospel with others.
Pray for a genuine love to bring new believers into the fellowship of every church in our community.
Pray for pastors’ and ministry leaders’ families:  love, wisdom, strength, good communication & health.

Education
Pray for churches & ministries to start new outreaches on the LCC campus and high school campuses.
Pray for more mental health resources and personnel in every school.
Pray for partnerships to increase between local service agencies and schools, and for resources to be more accessible to students.
Pray for the silent needs and cries of youth to be seen and addressed.
Pray for Christian teachers and students to speak life and peace to those struggling because of recent suicides and school shootings.

Family
Pray for God to increase the number foster parents and “Safe Families” parents to care for vulnerable kids.
Pray for struggling families to have barriers removed and advocates assist them in becoming strong & stable.
Pray for parents to prioritize their families and provide secure loving homes for their marriages & children.
Pray for God to heal relationships in local families, and for entire families to turn and follow the Lord.
Pray for an increase of local affordable housing units and for God to use His people to be part of the solution.

Government
Pray for God’s wisdom, love and direction to be upon all of our government leaders and their families.
Pray for God to guide the process & selection for the new Springfield Development & Public Works Director.
Pray for God to guide the county and cities’ efforts to increase affordable housing units.
Pray for the Junction City, Springfield and Eugene downtown areas to be safe, welcoming and peaceful.
Pray for a positive and constructive “community narrative:” reconciliation, respectful public discourse, discussions and efforts for the best community outcomes.

Business
Pray for peaceful and wise agreements between the city of Eugene and landowners to open up land use for the industrial property needed for new businesses to be established.
Pray for new quality businesses to be invited and established in our community.
Pray for positive, encouraging and wise relationships among our business, government & faith sectors.
Pray for more skilled workers in trade vocations, and that people apply for available jobs.

Arts
Pray for the Vistra Gallery, Raven Frameworks & White Lotus: for the Lord’s Spirit to draw people to Jesus.
Pray for empowered and gifted artistic expression at CityFest: Music, dance, visual art and more!
Pray for the Musicians’ Emergency Medical Association: for God’s blessing and provision for health care.
Pray for the Pacific Rim Art Guild as they move to a new location: God’s favor, new open doors and provision.
Pray for vision, direction, finances and a permanent home for the Elrod Foundation, a youth arts/counseling organization in Lane County.

Health Care
Pray for God to bring hope, healing and rescue to those struggling with suicidal thoughts.  Pray for health care workers, teachers, parents and friends to be empowered to bring hope, healing and rescue.
Pray for health care providers to have wisdom and words to affirm peoples’ true identity in gender identification conversations.
Pray for health care providers to encourage sexual purity and for God’s favor to be on “Stop & Think” Presentations (sexual abstinence) in high schools.
Pray for health care providers to be a clear voice for the sanctity of life.

Police and Fire Departments
Pray for God’s favor on chaplains and for new chaplaincy programs to start in all First Responder agencies.
Pray for new quality and “charactered” recruits to be hired in all agencies.
Pray for the wisdom, peace and safety of those serving in our police and fire departments.
Pray for the well-being and emotional health of first responders, their spouses and children.
Pray for positive and encouraging relationships between first responders and community members.
Pray for strength, peace, and refreshing for all 911 Communication Center and Dispatch workers.

Media
Pray for truthful, fair and accurate reporting in all areas of local media.
Pray for local media to promote and equip community members to listen and understand one another better.
Pray for Register Guard employees during the transition to GateHouse Media: peace, provision & guidance.
Pray for the Lord’s favor and truth upon all media reporting of CityServe and CityFest activities.

Sports
Pray for the Lord’s blessing on YMCA programs, athletes, coaches and referees.
Pray for safety, protection and peace over every public sporting event.
Pray for coaches at all levels to be empowered to encourage, teach, inspire and lead with integrity.
Pray for the 2021 World Track & Field Championships in Lane County: God’s hand on all international committee agreements, preparations, and new local development for a fruitful and safe event.

Check out the answers to prayer on our website: http://onehopenetwork.org/testimonies.

Seeing the Other | Sometimes Feeling Like the Other

I think we’ve all felt it. The sudden flood of heat spreading across our face, the grip of queasiness in our stomach, our breath changing to a shallow pattern. The instant feeling of isolation and vulnerability that can come with feeling foreign and alone even amidst a crowd; feeling like “the other”.

Although not always this dramatic, even a slow, subtle process of accepting incorrect beliefs and wrong assumptions can result in feeling apart and detached. I am learning that the lie of feeling alone and helpless is a harsh but effective motivation to reach out to Jesus Christ immediately in prayer and worship. My life experience is also teaching me that my troubled spirit is soothed and healed when I remember to face my battles against the lie of isolation together with Jesus. And I’m still learning that my victory lies in not wasting time facing these moments of battle outside of the presence of Jesus. As long as I live knowing I belong to Jesus, I have the complete sense of true belonging and security that I need.

There can be tremendous value in feeling like the other; this experience can teach us to more quickly see and reach out to others. We point them to Jesus with a spoken word of greeting or the listening ear of understanding which can go a long way toward breaking the lie of isolation. I know that I have felt let out of prison at times with a phone call from a friend or an invitation to sit with a friend at church instead of sitting alone. This reminds me that I am very much a part of the infinitely large family of God. I am so very thankful that the dynamic of “the other” does not exist in the kingdom of God. Quoting a much-respected pastor, in God’s Kingdom “Everyone is welcome, everyone is needed”.

Isaiah 58:9 NKJV
“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I.”

---

About the Author

Sara Gore has attended CitySalt Church since 2004, the year it was founded. She studied Journalism, wrote for her college newspaper, and is a member of Oregon Christian Writers. Sara also enjoys singing hymns with friends: “there is a sermon in every hymn waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.”

Easter 2018 Dance Video | Happy Day!

Get another look at our Easter Service Dance Video "Happy Day" showing kids young and old celebrating the joy of resurrection Sunday! Enjoy!