My week at the Bowery

This past week I was able to spend a week serving the great city of NY. I took about 19 young adults and high school students with me. We decided to briefly move into the Bowery mission which has been serving NYC since 1879 (primarily the homeless community). We lived, broke bread, shared stories, laughed and served with some amazing people who God was in the process of restoring. I prayed for divine connection for the students to connect with God in a powerful way by most importantly serving Him. As we got there I read to them out of Luke where Jesus is talking about the heart of servant hood, and how the wise servant is the one who is always in the mindset of serving the master (Luke 12:35-47). I encouraged them that these too were God's children, that God loved us no more or less then He loved them. I told them something quite bold as well. The main reason I love working with younger generations is they are daring, bold and courageous. I told them they were on a trip most adults (including most parents) would never dream of going on. There's nothing magical sounding about "lets go live in homeless communities". But there is something beautiful in the experience. I do believe we all received just as much as we gave on this trip. This group was beautiful. Nothing fazed them. When you "move in" with a broken community, the beauty is what you can add to it. It's like if you've ever seen a black and white photo, with just a dab of red in it. At times it was draining hearing so many heartbreaking stories, yet being able to minister to the hurts, the pains, and to be able to encourage people that society would rather forget, to me, is exactly on target to who Jesus was. I felt alive. I felt like I was honored and privileged to wake up INTO ministry everyday, as opposed to having to try to create ministry. It was an amazing time, and I'm honored to have been apart, and can't wait to return...

Loneliness: "The great battle against desolation"

I've had several conversations with people this week about something that breaks my heart. I've had the same conversation over the past couple months more then I can count. The subject. Loneliness! (and for those dropping the "youth" watermark on me, it's been with adults as well...GASP!!!!!!!)

To me one of the worst things a person can expeirience is the feeling of desolation. It feels like a lead weight dropped in my stomach when I hear that. One definition of desolation is "deprevation of companionship".  I find it ironic too, being that we are in such a "communicative" time in live (cell phones, emails, face book, twitters, twatters, twangers, blogs, smogs, and whatever form of false communication you subscribe to). The problem is I think we've used these forms of connecting to do the opposite. To disconnect. Listen, I love these things. I have most of the ones I mentioned above (the real ones at least). But I've challenged myself in this area lately. How much of that am I using to either disperse info ABOUT myself VS connecting to others. The harsh reality is I became a Jimmy whore. Pimping all my thoughts, cares, feelings, etc, but less time asking others (friends) about what's going on in their lives. Now relax before you cast that sharp stone. I'm not saying sharing info on yourself to friends is bad. But I believe in balance. 

So I ask you these questions as a friend. 

Do you share more about YOU, then YOU ask about OTHERS?

How much of your general conversations are based around YOU? (what YOUR doing, what YOUR involved in? etc).

Are you a person who has an answer for EVERYTHING?, so much you ask questions about NOTHING?

How much joy do you find in the success of others? VS the success of yourself?

Why am I asking questions about YOU, when talking about loneliness. Because I believe as Followers of Christ, we must make it our mandate, our call, our mission, to build community.  God gives his character in short forms in scripture on loneliness.

Gen 2:18 "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone...'"

 1 Cor 12:21 "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' ..."

God knows the need for community, and the enemy understands the power of desolation. I'm thankful for his promises...
Heb 13:5 "... God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will
I forsake you.

And I'm even more thankful to remind others of these promises.....

Live WITH others, Live FOR one.....

tHe iDiOt......