Dig deeper

I understand how it feels to think Jesus is cool, but honestly, not really like Christians. I understand the dynamic of being deeply discouraged by the Church, the bride of Christ, but not knowing how to deal with it. I was there, years back. 

Christianity, as a term, has been deeply marred. It's not really defined in scripture, so it's an easy thing to have a "cultural Christianity" like here in the Bible Belt of the States. Sometimes, It seems you can be a Christian without knowing who Jesus is at all. Just vote the right way, or say the right things, and that's it. "Christianity" is loud on what it's against and you better be too! It's full of crap. I got so tired of playing church. I spent my time making people happy that didn't care if the world burned. 

Worldwide, those who claim Jesus are confused by that Western mentality. They call themselves disciples and It can be so costly to follow Him. Many have studied and memorized the entire gospel to share at every chance! If you spend time in the Gospels (which I encourage) you'll find a Jesus that looks so very different from cultural Christianity. The kind of Jesus that can change the world and wreck your understanding of what this looks like. 

Do I have answers on how to make sense of it here for you? Nope. I don't. All I know is that I when I looked for Jesus again beyond the mess of religion, He found me. He's worth looking for again. "Christians" won't understand you when you find Him. But that's ok. None of us know Him perfectly. Our small perspective cannot fathom His grandeur or the total scandal of His love and mercy. Reflecting it, even imperfectly, makes us look crazy. Snowflaky. Weird. Scandalous. But that's ok, too. The United States is a huge mission field. Don't assume that because people go to church they are followers of Christ. They need to know Him too. 

The church is flawed because it's full of flawed people. It's the hardest and best thing about it all. I'm continuously flabbergasted by people and then again by Jesus. He LOVES these fools? Yes, and this...this fool. More than I'll ever understand. 

It's worth the heart work. Jesus is worth it. He's probably not what you think. Look again. Dig deeper. Maybe check out a church tomorrow. Spend time looking for who He really is. You might be surprised. 

❄️The Remix

I am especially thankful for our church this week. The message this Sunday was one on poverty, and how it's not always what you think it is, especially in this nation. We (typically) don't have as much abject poverty as other nations. We do have relative & temporary poverty. That is far more widespread here. 

This area is poor. Not necessarily abject poverty on average, but a struggling area in this state. Even the people who seem rich likely have a lot of debt. Some are generationally wealthy. Some drive much further or have very specific skills & employment. That's an outlier, though. Not the norm for here.

I found some averages for this area, and rounded up for simplicity. The average median income for this area is about $29,000. The poverty line is about $24,000 for the same sized family. A single male makes about  $27,000. The single woman about $19,000. Only 59.4% of the population is married. The average house in this area is $161,000. About half of our enrolled students in this area get free or reduced lunch, but far more could qualify. I'd love to know the average credit card debt and medical costs to put with these numbers to get a slightly more accurate view, but it's still not a full picture of individuals. 

However, If you make more that $10 a day, you're in the top 1% of wealth in the WORLD. One percenters! Just some random perspective. 

This song was part of the message Sunday. 

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see,

Everything that I keep missing,

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the broken-hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten.

Give me Your eyes so I can see.

It's not always who you think it is, but God sees it. Many times, it's the people you don't think deserve it. Often, it's people that are prejudiced against for race/class/behavior/life choices, etc. Jesus clearly spoke against that kind of judgement. We might think you know... but we just don't know everything. Only He does and He said do for them what we'd do for ourselves. In his day, the politically conservative & religious decided who was worthy for love and help. Jesus couldn't stand that mess and clearly spoke against that. It's so odd how that part has been quickly forgotten, because it doesn't suit our narrative or our own viewpoint. Sometimes, the exact thing God put in your path, others will criticize because it doesn't fit their ideal. This is messy work. People have been killed just for speaking love against popular opinion. Crucified even, and I mean the real kind. Not the social media version. 

I'm not perfect, I'll mess it up, but It doesn't change what Jesus said to do. It cannot be my viewpoint if I say I'm following His viewpoint. EVEN when I don't understand His viewpoint. There is incredible grace when we screw it up and hopefully we have opportunities to show Him again. This is entirely about Jesus Christ after all. Any work we do should point others to Him. I'm thankful (even more than usual) that we belong to a local church that teaches us to act locally on what we say we believe. I'm thankful that we have the kind of close friends & family that do things, dream big, and support others. We don't have the full picture. Truth. Sometimes the picture we have of people, we really don't like. Truth. Jesus understands far more, and as we get closer to Him, we start to think differently about all people.

Reminds me of that old hymn... Jesus washed us white as snowflake (the remix). 

Our Generation is THIS one.

So, here I am...writing again...

My newsfeed is always full of previous generations passive aggressively ripping on kids today. It gets old. This weird "rose colored nostalgia" is misremembering the past and selling the present short. My generation was "ruined" by the harm of the backwards music lyrics. My parents generation was "ruined" by the harm of television shows. But I don't see that remembered in my newsfeed.

My point, If we were raised sooo much better, then we have the responsibility to be actively involved in the lives of kids now. More than just our own families. These kids & students are growing up in an incredible time with so many ways to change the world. They want to do it and I think they will. Let's equip. Want kids to play outside more? Go outside yourself. Let's push for safe cities. Don't want your kids always on the phone? Take it. Make rules. Think an iPhone or social media is horrible? Teach them how to use it appropriately and for good.  Be an example of appropriate social media usage. Kids haven't changed. Adults have dropped the ball. Our generation is THIS one and the next one. It's time to be responsible for that. If we don't like something, we can only blame ourselves - or fix it. 

Ya Doubt? (and some of why I do what I do)

This started as a Facebook post, but then it chased a rabbit down a hole, in typical Ashlea fashion, and grew up into a beeeeautiful blog. Or whatever. 

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Luke was a scientist. A doctor that wrote a facts-based account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He included a whole chapter (24) about how those closest to Jesus struggled with doubt. It did not make them less in the eyes of Jesus. He did likely want to scream "Dude, I'm RIGHT HERE." But He knows we needed more. 

That's a very compelling part of the gospels. I think it's a compelling part of being a disciple today, as well. We've all had to work through doubt. This all requires faith. It's an assurance of things hoped for that we cannot see or understand. (Heb 11:1) You don't get to the Faith part without the sometimes muddy tug-of-war with doubt. Sometimes, multiple rounds. 

Maybe you're reading this and think "yeah, doubt is wicked familiar." It's ok. Be assured that you're loved by God already. I do this tug-of-war sometimes. I talk to trusted friends, read through John, and find my faith again in the power of his creation. The tomb is still empty. He's alive! If Easter was real, then it has to move me to audacious love far beyond my comfort zone. 

Challenging? Good heavens, yes. But I know that this is something far bigger than me. It's legacy work. I want to burn out everything I've got for the cause and finish this life knowing I made a tiny little difference in the grand scheme of things. I believe in the power of kid and student ministry. I'm not a believer in "Christianese" behavior modification. This is ❤️heart work, but man is it going to be worth it to see what God does in their lives. I want to be a safe place for them. I'm not going to flinch when doubt is an issue. (I really don't flinch at much, honestly. Ha!) I want to show them how to walk through this muddy mess so that they can help the next person. 

It's big stuff. 

You in? 

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I'm serious. Wanna get involved like this? If you go to church with me at New Community Church, that's easy. I can hook you up. If not, I'd encourage you to meet with your pastor and tell them what you want to do and why. The "what" part is really all most need, but the "why" part can encourage them too!

Keep Christmas All The Year

If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. -Gal 5:25

And that's where it gets TOUGH. But we have the power of the God who created the universe inside of us in His Spirit. The power of Jesus who was born in a stable to die on a cross. The power of He who beat death to save us all. God could've told us to do this on our own, but He didn't. Instead, He came to us. He's been with us.

Let's help each other. Let's let Him guide us and keep Christmas all the year. When He is greater and I am less, others are loved and cared for well. It doesn't make us perfect. It makes us more like Jesus, though. It makes Him compelling to others.

My favorite movie is A Christmas Carol; The British Alastair Sim version (or Muppets. Whatever.) I love how Ebenezer saw the difference kindness makes and he changed. It changed the future, as well. I love how it took the power of three spirits to soften his heart to the world around him. It shows clearly that the life we live is who we are. What an opportunity!

Merry Christmas! God Bless us, everyone.

Just thinking...

Just my stream of consciousness at the moment... I might have a different view later.

I've been reading on Facebook and Twitter. I've read the comments sections even, mainly because I'm a glutton for punishment and curious as to the minds of others. The ones that get my attention most are those that identify themselves in the comment as a Christian. I always read those and they always...ALWAYS...leave me confused and sad.

It just makes me wonder if some believe that the Constitution is an infallible, inspired by God document. It isn't. It's a great work, no doubt, but it's not of God himself. It's not God influenced. It's the work of men that may have prayed about it. Christians on the Internet this weekend have more strongly defended the bill of rights than they do the words of Jesus Himself.

Sometimes I wonder, even as a life long gun owner myself, if clutching the second amendment harder than showing compassion for others will cost us in the end with God. He's not American. I don't necessarily think disarming is a good idea (so don't go there), but our mindset is dangerous eternally. I'm trying to view our daily national discussions through the filter of a much bigger Jesus. It's tough. Maybe I'm missing something.

Many missionaries (which all Christians are one) have gone to dangerous areas to show love and talk about Jesus. They cannot effectively do that with a gun on their hip. It is seen as immediately confrontational. They are often scared, but this life is temporary and Jesus is eternal. Many have been killed as well. Many were not. They'd never make those inroads armed, though. I don't feel like we make inroads armed here. Even on social media. I don't often discuss that I grew up around guns, enjoy shooting targets only, and I'm probably better than you (ha!) because it could make people uncomfortable. Jesus reminds us to be careful to not offend others, yet Christians seem to always be offended. We've been told to NOT be offended by others. It's not about us.

I feel like if our pro gun theology doesn't work for reaching out to people in compassion in, say, Myanmar, then it doesn't work. Period.

We Belong Together

Ah, February! The month of love. Valentine sappiness abounds. I'm not really one to buy into all of that. I shrug off the usual fare of the holiday in favor of the normal. I'm not much of a crowd follower and I don't like being the giver or recipient of forced romance. Love is a choice. Is it really romantic when the expectation of it is so high? Is love really love when it's required? 

I guess what I really like is the unexpected. The more spontaneous. The love that makes no sense whatsoever. The vulnerability of love with a risk and cost beyond the wallet. That kind of love is compelling! It gets my attention. It stands out from the crowd of pink and red confectioner conversations. (I say all of this with a smirk because I'm brushing glittery pink sprinkles off my shirt from my heart-shaped sugar cookie.)

The Bible talks a lot about love. God's love, and the love Christianity should reflect, is compelling. We're likely all familiar with the way 1 Corinthians 13 defines it: love is patient, Love is kind. We've likely heard that God defines himself as love. We are commanded to love others the way he loves us. 

Whoa. Commanded? That's not me. What is love if it's commanded? Exactly what is He commanding from me? How does he love me? The imagery of the Bible is masterful. 1 Peter 2:9 says I'm chosen. I'm His chosen possession. That's powerful. I'm His Bride! I'm pure, clean, beautiful, and treasured in His eyes. He has loved me since before anything existed. He knows my faults and sees past them. He sees everyone this way. He sees the Church this way. I have to see others this way because of the overflow. Because he lives in me. Because His kingdom is far beyond me, you, us, your church, my church...it's HIS CHURCH! WE are His chosen possession. WE are his Bride.

At the risk of cray levels of corniness, I'll borrow from Pat Benetar here, because, well...PAT BENETAR. Just go with it. It works.

Love doesn't have to be a battlefield. I understand why it is though. We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong. Searchin' our hearts for so long. Both of us knowing. Love is a battlefield.

I really feel like we'd be better off if we realized that We Belong to Him. 

Many times I tried to tell you

Many times I cried alone
Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone
Don't want to leave you really
I've invested too much time to give you up that easy
To the doubts that complicate your mind

We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better
We belong, we belong, we belong together

That's ridiculous love. Unexpected. Compelling! I want that.