A Penny

My good friend Anne finds pennies wherever she goes. One day she found 9 pennies in a matter of minutes.

She asked the Lord what the pennies meant and he showed her that she was "One Sent!"

We are called to be sent. Jesus tells us that one of his two priorities for us as his followers is to "Go, (be sent) into the world to make disciples, teaching them to obey everything that he has taught us, and to baptize them in the name of His Father, himself and Holy Spirit.

How are you being "one sent?"

A Window into Teens

I was intriqued with one of Barna's latest surveys about teenagers.

The results told us that teens look up to those that they know: they are very interested in having older generations invest in them. (Good thing I re-read this, I had written "old generations".....)

2 out of 3 teens want to get ahead in the world, to accomplish goals and to overcome obstacles

However, spirituality has a VERY low priority in their life. They have a broadening mindset that is heavily influenced by the media.

So, my question is, as people that want to see the whole body of Christ represented, how are we to take these findings and seek to be present in teens lives?

It starts with relationship. We don't have to be "witnessing" to them, or even setting up cool programs in a church, it means if we open our lives to them, we can make a difference in their lives in a dramatic way.

One story I know is powerful. A woman in my huddle has invited a teenage girl to go to Tent City with her. The girl loves to go and is inviting many of her friends to come along, but what she doesn't do is invite them to come to the preparation for Tent City.

See, the woman and the teenage girl prepare for Tent City by cooking together. They spend the afternoon making the food that they will bring. It's during this "task" that the real converation begins to open up, and the teen is slowly revealing the struggles of her life.

Last week, a breakthrough came. She asked the woman to teach her cook, intentionally. She initiated friendship and asked for mentoring. I believe that the teenager girl is seeking way more than cooking lessons. She is asking for the woman to show her what a healthy life looks like, how to live that out in family, in vocation, in serving others, and how to live out the faith that she sees clearly in the woman's life.

So, I guess my question, is which part of the outreach to Tent City is more important? Is it the act of taking food to the residents or is it the intentionaly relationship that is taking place between a regular woman and a desirous teenage girl?

Look around. Who are the teens in your life? If you don't know any, get to know some. Find a small way to initiate contact and see what comes from that!

The Saint in Our Midst

Missio Lux has a fan. Her name is Lillian Hansen. Her husband was Ralph Hansen, the first director of World Mission for the Covenant denomination.

Lillian is almost 93 but her thinking is one of the most innovative and creative of anyone that I know. She is also determined. She prays unwaveringly for her children, grandchildren and others that strike her heart!

I am glad that I am one that receives her mighty prayers. I am glad that Missio Lux receives her prayers too!

Laurie is Lillian's niece by marriage. She takes pretty good care of Lillian. Read her recent story of taking Lillian to the doctor:

"On Wednesday I took Lillian to see her doctor because she was out of breath. She is almost 93 and has had three husbands pass away. When we were driving to her doctor she told me she had a dream that morning. She saw everyone that has gone before her and she was convinced that she had died. Then she woke up. The doctor sent us to the Emergency Room.

On the way over the bridge into Seattle the rain was pouring down in bright sunlight. Over Lake Washington there was the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. I could see the whole stripe of purple. I really felt it was significant like God was reminding us of his promises. He was definitely with us. Her lungs and the rest of her were filled with fluid and her resting pulse was too fast. I was pretty convinced this was it.

She was admitted and we waited for the Cardiology service to see her - which in two days they never did. But her hospitalist was on top of things. With medication the fluid cleared. Some minor med tweeks helped slow her heart, and with lots of people praying she wanted to walk home on Friday.

She was not too happy with me. She said, "You had to pray that Jesus prayer over me and now I am still here instead of with him." However, her step granddaughter showed up with her darling 4 year old great granddaughter and a new 3 week old foster child they hope to adopt. Lillian held the baby and I think she was a little more happy about still being around."

Lillian longs for heaven. She longs for her new body, but she is not a crochety old woman just waiting to die. She lives each day to the fullest. I hope that when I am 93, I will be just like her. I also hope that I will live like her tomorrow too!

A Carton of Eggs

Susie has amazing stories to share about God's provision in her life.

She is a single mother of two young children and finances are tight. However, Susie continually tells the stories of how God provides for her in miraculous ways.

Susie is the appointed "dessert maker" for the Arbors missio community. We celebrate birthdays so whenever there is a birthday, which is about every time we meet, Susie makes a yummy cake. Cakes require a lot of eggs, so consequently, Susie goes through lots of eggs.

However, when we were together last week, she told me that she used several eggs and yet, there continued to be 9 eggs in the carton, over and over and over. A few weeks ago, she kept expecting to run out of eggs, but they continued to be present in the carton.

Hmm.

Her provision doesn't just stop at eggs. She gets gift cards in the mail anonymously. She has her highlights in her hair last for a year instead of 3 months. She has calls for random jobs that bring her extra income at the last minute.

Susie inspires me with her trust in God's provision. She is so sure of his provision that no matter how much money is in the bank, or eggs in the refrigerator, she is quick to write her tithe check first before she does anything else. God must have faith in her provision back to him.

Do you think that there is a connection between the two?

An Amazing Weekend with Healing Prayer Trainees

The weekend was a gift from start to finish. It began with our three Colorado visitors from Living Free Ministries: our sister healing ministry in Denver. As we left for the training, the rain was pouring; a sign of God's love ready to be poured down on us.

When we walked into the room for the training, the smells and sights greeted us. Smells of freshly cooked food with an atmosphere of beauty that covered up a regular church room. Everything was positioned to bring people into a deeper awareness of the Lord and his great love for us.

Soon, the people began to come. They came from Mt Vernon, WA, an hour and a half north of Seattle. They came from Helena, MT, a full days drive. They came from our area, each greeting one another like long lost friends.

We started out by preparing the atmosphere. The Lord is teaching us to prepare the atmosphere with his love and his power, and then to embody the values of hospitality, friendship, and hunger for the Lord. When we follow those simple ways, Jesus is there, ready to reveal himself and take us deeper into his heart and ways.

We worshipped. We told stories of our experiences with praying for people and walking out our light with others. We prepared for what God would do for the weekend.

The next day, one of the trainees, Luke, brought a map of India. He had gotten the idea when we left the previous night. Luke is following Jesus' call and taking his daughter and himself to northeast India, close to Berma, to train teachers with a friend of mine from seminary. Raingum, who is from India, is ministering in this area and Luke responded to the call to go and train (that's for another blog!)

We started out by surrounding Luke as he stood on the map. One of the women stepped onto the map too, as a representative of his daughter. We began to pray kingly prayers, as we discerned the King's mind and heart for this trip to India. Soon, many were weeping because the presence of Jesus was so powerful, and yet, so tender.

The day continued with more teaching, testimonies, prayers for one another and eventually it was time to do our closing. We start by lighting candles as we state what we want to leave behind and what we want to take away. The current team went from person to person as we prayed over them, speaking what the Lord gave us for each trainee.

The weekend wasn't over yet. The teams from Mt. Vernon, Helena and some of our current team had dinner together at our house. It was a chance for us to build relationship outside of a training atmosphere. Missio Lux is committed to relationship and to being real with one another. In order to do that, we need experiences that go beyond a structured setting.

Sunday, we gathered at another healing prayer ministers house, as we listened to Terri Parzybok tell the story of how Living Free Ministries got started. It was good for everyone to hear as the Lord has woven our relationship together back and forth through the years. LFM has brought so much to Missio Lux and we have brought much to LFM. It's a valued kingdom partnership that God is very much blessing.

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye. Although we won't see each other next week or month, we are connected in our hearts and the relationships will continue to grow and build, despite our distance.

If you would have asked me a year ago, if people would be flying, driving and carpooling to the Healing Prayer Training, I would have told you no. God has surprised us with this gift; and as he teaches us to think beyond what we can currently see, our faith to believe for the fulfillment of our original prophesy that we would be known by our fruit across this country and into the world doesn't seem as far fetched as it once did.

Convergence

It happened so fast.

The team from Colorado had just arrived from the airport for the Healing Prayer Training.

Suddenly, Scot was at our home with his friend Reuben. Reuben just returned from South Korea. He and his wife, Sarah Jane, were leaders in one of the missio communities in Seoul.

Suddenly, we had people from three of our geographical locations in Missio Lux: Seattle, Denver and South Korea.

So, I snapped a photo to remember the moment that for five minutes we had a convergence of the Missio Lux family!

The Tree of Life: Leaves and Branches

Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:32

We have been exploring the Tree of Life this year. We’ve spent time developing the soil of our inner lives and what it means to live as part of God’s family; the trunk that surrounds us in protection and love.

But, no tree is complete without branches and leaves. Otherwise, it’s just a topless trunk. There are some trees in Sammamish, where I live, that they cut off the tops because they were dying. Some creative artists have developed socks for the trees to wear! Although they are fun to look at, they definitely don’t carry the beauty of a tree that is full of buds and leaves that reflect the glory of God’s creation!

In the same way, we can have deep roots with the Lord and our soil can be really healthy, and our trunk strong, but if we don’t have any branches and leaves for the birds to come and make nests in, we are missing the point of the purpose of the tree.

Trees are significant in creation. The Lord made trees the focus of the Garden for Adam and Eve. They were told to eat from the Tree of Life daily because in eating its fruit, they would live the abundant, eternal life that God created them to enjoy. They were also instructed to stay away from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because in even touching it, they would die. Knowledge of evil brings death to our very lives because it takes us away from God’s goodness.

So, we have to ask ourselves the question, “What does it look like to have branches that attract birds that will build nests?”

First, we know that the branches need to be connected to the tree. Jesus tells us in John 15 that a branch cannot bear fruit if it is severed from the tree (vine). Fist, the branches will wither and die. Eventually, branches that are severed are thrown into the fire and burned.

Jesus also tells us that when we are connected to him, our branches will grow fruit.

That fruit will go on to create more fruit, eventually bringing forth a harvest. There’s a process, however, that has to take place to bring forth the healthiest fruit. It’s called pruning.

Jesus tells us that he cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit. That makes sense. No use having ugly brown branches that lie bare on the tree. But, he also prunes the fruitful branches. Why? Because pruning helps to bring forth the best fruit!

This is a pattern that I have observed in my life and in other’s lives: we are enjoying a season where things are going along really well; we feel productive and are seeing good results from the things that we are doing. But, something happens and we feel pushed back and even attacked. We wonder what we are doing wrong. We begin to question what we are doing; and get confused.
The reality, however, it is the Lord with his sharp pruning shears, taking a bit of the branch off here and there to bring it to greater fruitfulness. Eventually, we come to a place where we recognize the sense of being pruned and begin to celebrate it because we know, in faith, that the process will bring greater meaning and outflow to our lives.

So, now that we understand that we either stay connected to Jesus or face the withering of our branches, what do the birds and nests represent?

They represent the Kingdom of God!

When our roots go down deep into fertile soil, our trunk surrounds and protects us, we can move forth and partner with the Lord, to bring his kingdom purposes and atmosphere to earth!
We were meant to do this. In Genesis 1:28, God blessed Adam and Eve and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

Notice that God includes all of the universe: the sky, the waters and the ground. What does he say to do? Yes, we repeat be fruitful and multiply often, but I don’t always hear the rest of the command: Govern and Reign.

What does it mean to “govern and reign?” It means to bring God’s kingdom to earth.

To participate with Jesus and what he died to restore: the entire earth back to God’s original intent. We often pray for salvation of souls, but how often do we think that God wants to bring his earth back into right creation too?

When we think about what will serve God in the best way, we often think that it is through “going into the ministry.” However, I believe that as we discover our uniqueness, the area of our lives in which God made us special, and move in those directions, we are bringing Kingdom to the earth.

Imagine seeing our children become scientists who will help discover solutions for diseases and global warming, become professors who will teach at secular universities and bring a godly worldview into the classroom, become marketplace leaders who will help multiply kingdom capital, become parents who understand their role to help their children develop a kingdom mindset, even IT Developers who will help to bring creative solutions to the internet that will advance God’s kingdom.

The possibilities are endless; we just need to begin to think more creatively about the options! As we begin to dream, we also must be careful not to let that which we cannot see, stop our dreams. The Scriptures tell us in Hebrews 11 that “faith is being certain of what we cannot see.”
If God created us to bring our unique kingdom role into the world, won’t he also provide for what we need to live it out?

Faith and Courage are required for days such as these. But, we also need creative imaginations and time to dream. As we make space to dream, we come to God’s dream for us, and we are allowing our branches to become filled with beautiful kingdom fruit!

Photo from Sammamish Review