The Ultimate Road Side Assistance

I’m a problem solver, this is a good thing. I’m also a critic, this can be bad.  Every problem I've engaged started with a critique.  I notice something isn't right, I evaluate the gap between reality and ideal and I estimate the resources needed to bridge the gap.  Being a critic is bad if my engagement ends at this point.  I call this the “That tire’s flat.” syndrome, observing the problem without offering to get the jack.   It is helpful to note why the car has stopped but more involvement is needed. 

I brought this tension into my faith walk, specifically in my view of the local church and leadership.  After beginning my journey in, what I thought was the perfect church, I began to notices gaps.  I read the book of Acts and listened to contemporary speakers and authors opine about the first century model of a faith community.  I assumed there was an ideal church somewhere but I wasn't part of it.   I had an idea of what the car was supposed to do and I noticed the flat tire.  The church has a lot of flat tires and even more people saying “Hey, that tire’s flat.” 

A year ago I took a very dangerous step, after years of church leadership, serving as a trustee, ministry director, missionary board member, elder and lay pastor, I accepted the call to lead a local church.  I was more than reluctant to accept this call knowing my lack of qualifications and personal fear of letting people down.  I had helped start this church two years before and loved it, it was not perfect but pretty good.  Good enough that people would notice if I screwed it up. 

Over the years I've collected a diverse group of friends that are pastors so I knew well what I was getting myself into.  Many of those same friends, like me, were great critics of the universal and local church.  We would have meaningful conversations on the corrupt condition of the modern church and how screwed up pastors were.  We solved every problem we observed…in our minds.  Many of those friends not only observed the flat tires but refused to ever get back in the car.  They had found “new models” that focused attention on the parts of the car they felt most important.  For some it was authentic community, a comfortable car that was big enough for all and very comfortable.  For others it was mission, a work horse of a car, more like a truck, that would serve the poor and help the hurting.  Still others found cars that were built with large megaphones that moved quickly through the streets amplifying the good news.  I haven’t asked but I suspect they got flat tires too. 

As my wife and I wrestled with the idea of leading a church most of the evidence was on our side on why this was a bad idea.  We weren’t qualified and we would definitely let people down.  After saying no and settling into this decision we spent an evening with a friend that rides in a small car built for tribulation.  He affirmed our decision to not engage and said something that changed me.  He said “The Church is dead.” As I was about to walk out of his apartment and say no for the final time I realized that many of my friends had gotten out of the car for some very good reasons; lack of appreciation, personal hurt, theological divisions, the list goes on.  However, leaving the car, the church, because of a flat tire doesn’t mean it is dead, it just means it’s stuck.  And if all the tire changers walk away from this very capable thing because of one, or one hundred, flat tires we create the illusion of death. 

The local church, your local church, needs problem solvers.  There are plenty of critics and even more flat tires.  As we engage the mission of this car we quickly realize that it’s not the responsibility of the critic or the problem solver to keep the car running.  You see Jesus commissioned us to engage his church, but it is HIS church.  He described this to Peter, the first of many unqualified lead pastors, when He said:

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” –Matthew 16:18-19

The Church is dead?  It’s a theological impossibility, one that I’ve staked my life on.   Jesus is the hope of the world and His church is the vehicle that proclaims this hope.  I know there are lots of car models out there and they all get flat tires fortunately I also know who to call for road side assistance.   

The Worlds We Live In

I live in three worlds. These are not metaphorical places.  They have distinct geographies, unique languages and separate cultures.  One world is marked by affluence, luxury, private wine cellars and entitlement.  The world I was born into, and spend most of my time, is defined by its conveniences, security, neighborhood pools and entitlement.  The third world is recognized by material lack, instability, houses on wheels and entitlement.  They are distinct and different but the children of these three worlds share the same classroom. 

My work places me in all three world’s most days so I’ve had to become tri-lingual in my communication.   I own a restaurant consulting company (www.boaz1.com) that sells franchises to investors and entrepreneurs, this world speaks the language of investment, asset accumulation and job creation.  I live in a very middle class neighborhood where we talk at the end of the driveway about getting our kids to college, finishing our basement and job security.  I lead a non-profit organization (www.joshuasplace.cc) that exists to help struggling families overcome barriers.  Those conversations can be about health crisis, providing food for children and economic vulnerability.   I don’t have to drive more than two miles to meet with people in these three worlds. 

Our society allows for class mobility and we want to be believe classism is something in other parts of the world.  However a caste system does exist here, it’s more subtle, but it’s real.  Ruby Payne, author of A Framework for Understanding Poverty, talks about these worlds having “hidden rules” and unique cultures (chart example below).   A mom in the wealth class is uniquely equipped to hire domestic help, a mom in the middle class can easily maneuver through soccer sign ups and a mom in the poverty class can move an entire household in 24 hours.   Three moms, three worlds, three skill requirements. 

What’s interesting to me is when the worlds pass judgment on one another.   As I share with those in the wealth and middle class about the work we do for struggling families, it’s not unusual to hear criticisms of families in “need” owning 50 inch TV’s and using iPhones.  Meanwhile, the single mom’s working for maid services laugh at the homes they clean that have $50,000 exercise rooms that need regular dusting.  These worlds see money differently and we know our view of money reveals personal value systems.  Three worlds, three value systems. 

So what’s to be learned from this?  It’s taken a few years but I’ve come to realize that, while these worlds are very different, people are the same.  Don’t get me wrong, there is no danger of confusing the citizens of these three worlds from the outside.  However, as you dive deeper and know the truer stories you’ll find the core needs are surprisingly similar.  The challenges are worlds apart but the hopes of each class are nearly identical.   Each of us want to belong and be known, known for who we are not our street address.   We all hope to be part of something bigger than our individual stories and that our futures are not completely defined by our past.  It’s in these similarities that my three worlds come together.  Three worlds, one human condition. 

The human condition has not changed since Jesus walked the earth and I’m amazed at how He always brought different people together.  He didn’t create authentic community by ignoring the diversity of unique experiences but instead pointed different peoples to a common hope.  He talked about a Kingdom that He brought where the least is greatest, the first is last, a world where shepherds leave the ninety-nine to find the one, a Kingdom where a wealthy father sets aside his dignity to welcome home a rebellious and poor son.  He brought a Kingdom to this world based on a new hope and a common call to an abundant life.  Not necessarily abundant in material terms but better, abundant in purpose, abundant in community and abundant in hope.   

It’s in this hope that I spend my days bringing my three worlds together. I’m committed to authentic community marked by a diverse collection of socio-economic realities.  The church I lead (www.thevillagechurch.cc) has a unique mix of all three worlds connected by the simplicity of one common purpose.  It’s not easy, there is nothing more divisive in our culture than economic status.  However, we all serve the One that brings His Kingdom to earth as it in heaven.  Three worlds, one church.

 

Stable Foundation

It’s tempting to measure poverty in purely economic or income terms.  To do this we have to assume the cause and effect of poverty is primarily material.  What I’ve come to realize over the past several years of working with low income families is that, while resources are mitigating, there are other more powerful issues at work.   

At Joshua’s Place (www.joshuasplace.cc) we spend a significant amount of our resources (both time and money) focused on the issue of stability.  Studies, and our experience, show the impact of instability in the life of child can be debilitating and lifelong.  While it is tempting to spend our focus on the immediate crisis’s that come to our door, true change comes as we advance the discussion from crisis relief into development and stability in the family.   To do this takes a commitment to looking beyond the presenting problems and immerse ourselves in the lives and stories of those in need.  It’s messy and complex and requires a long term commitment to a community of people.  If you want to talk about strategy and tactics, let’s have coffee.  There is much we’ve learned and much to learn.  But this post is not about direction but about inspiration.

 

I work alongside an incredibly committed group of leaders and volunteers.  Folks that spend hundreds of hours each year giving of themselves to the cause of showing God’s love to families that are struggling.   They tutor elementary age kids, pack groceries, deliver weekend food packs, teach financial literacy courses, mentor addicts, visit jails and hospitals.  They come from all walks of life, many themselves living below an arbitrary “poverty line”.  What binds us together is the love we have for Jesus and people and our deep desire to see the negative impacts of poverty alleviated.  It’s a lofty goal but we’re a stubborn group.   

We’re committed and focused but nothing hurts like a setback.  We know it is part of growth, but it’s hard to be personally invested and not feel the sting of a poor choice.  The examples are numerous and irrelevant, three steps forward and two steps back is still a step forward.  When we’re honest we have to admit that sometimes our hurt comes from personal expectations and maybe even some personal validation.  The hardest part of giving up our God-complexes can be letting God deal with the complexity.  But if generations are going to change, we have to be willing to accept the instability that comes with instability.   

In the gospel of Matthew Jesus told a story about stability.   He said:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”  (Matt 7:24-25)  

When we help people we want a stable house for them.  We want good plans, good materials and excellent construction.  These are middle class virtues that may predict better stability.  However, Jesus’ story is not about a stable house but about a stable foundation.  He goes on to site an example of a similar house built on sand that falls with a “great crash” when the storms come.  The difference, of course, is the stability of the foundation.  He is the foundation and the rock that we build on is one of grace.  Grace that is strong enough to sustain some flimsy material and a little of our unstable expectations.    

Fishing Alongside

There is a timeless quote that says “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he can eat for life.”  The idea is an appropriate challenge for those of us called to the work of poverty alleviation.  You need not look far to see examples of institutional short-sidedness that focuses on today’s need rather than tomorrow’s stability.

  

Having been immersed in the topic for the past decade I understand the temptation toward transactional solutions that leave the giver feeling good about their contribution and the receiver happy to collect the benefit.   The fish comes in many forms, food, clothes, housing, transportation, health care and cell phones.  All necessary for our world and all for good cause.  Unfortunately, while the war on poverty has elevated the standard of living for many it has also created a cycle of generational dependency and entitlement.   We’ve asked those in need to check their dignity, motivation and self-worth at the door while we do the fishing for them.  We feel better giving and they’re content to just receive.   It’s a corrupt system.

So the solution has to be teaching people to fish…right?  It makes sense that investing the resources in hooks, rods and worms and showing poor people how to bait the hook will solve the problem.  We provide the resources and training and they reel them in.  The metaphor works… in our minds.  However, it’s been my observation that baiting hooks and learning to spot weld are great skills but, for many, are not enough.  Not in today’s economy.   Today’s economy is a service economy moving quickly toward an information economy.  It’s important to understand how to bait a hook and cast a rod.  However, to provide for yourself and family in our world, you need to know where the worms are, what’s the best value in a fishing rod and which pond yields the best fish.   Our world requires fishing skills but it mostly requires relational understandings that help us maneuver through complex systems.  Giving poor families access to our current economy is about helping poor individuals better relate to themselves, others, their community and God. 

So how do we do this?  Even more importantly, who should do this?  

At the risk of becoming political, I would argue that our governmental systems cannot.  The history of politics and poverty has given us decades of indulgence by the “Liberals” and indifference by the “Conservatives”.   I know this is a broad brush and I don’t judge the heart, I’m simply assessing the fruit of the trends.   I believe most institutional systems (from either camp) begin with the assumption that poverty is a material problem.  People don’t have enough things so we need to give them, or teach them, how to survive.  Unfortunately, we all know too well the stories of poor lottery winners that find material poverty again not long after “winning”.  We’ve spent billions of dollars to improve the quality of life for poor people but have ultimately separated them from being productive parts of our community.  They’re not lazy, they are deceived. 

I’ve committed my life to being one of the “who”.  I lead a faith-based non-profit that’s mission is “breaking the cycle of addiction, despair and generational poverty found in our community” (www.joshuasplace.cc).  We’ve renovated an old elementary school into a Community Center where I also pastor a church that meets there (www.thevillagechurch.cc).  When Jesus was announcing his reason for coming to earth, reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)  Since the local church is the “hands and feet” of Jesus, His mission is our mission.  I believe the local church (not the building but the people) are best equipped to do this relational mission.  I serve alongside the most committed group of Christ Followers that give of themselves and their resources every week for this purpose.  It is messy and beautiful, you can’t immerse yourself in this work and stay unsoiled.  However, the impact is amazing and Spirit led. 

We’re practitioners not philosophers.   What I mean is that we’ve learned and evolved over the past seven years of working in our community.  We’ve made mistakes but we’ve made them leaning into the problem, never retreating.  We have simple rules: 

Firstly, do no harm, just because it feels good to us doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.

 

Secondly, set aside our self-righteousness and “God-complexes”, we’re all broken in need of redemption.  Just because we have a pool in our neighborhood doesn’t mean we have it figured out. 

Thirdly, everything we do is in the context of deepening relationships.   We avoid transactional methods that simply pass materials and goods.  Sometimes the help we give is material but we never lose site of the greater need.

Fourthly, we distinguish between crisis care (relief), rehabilitation and development.  If all we offer is free food then we assume the problem is only material.  Instead we take a more comprehensive approach that focuses on the physical, relational, emotional and spiritual subjects.

 

Finally, we’re here all year long and for the long haul.  Relationships and development take time.  We avoid the temptation to focus on the “headline needs” and write a budget and structure that is available every week and long term.   

I love the story of the calling of St. Peter.  While Peter’s out fishing (his occupation at the time) Jesus says “Follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men.”  I have felt that same calling, the calling to fish, give fish, teach to fish and fish alongside.   

Risk in Beauty

I'm wired for results.  I like good plans, hard work and predictable outcomes.  This doesn't prepare me well for life in the Kingdom.  The apostle Paul says "I planted, Apollos watered but God gives the yield."  While I appreciate Paul's preparation for Christian service I prefer good plans, hard work and predictable outcomes.  Not because they yield the best results (God results) but because they're safe.  I also like safe.  

Recently we started our third year of a Summer Camp in the Village where I pastor.  It's a small quaint community with many positives and many problems.  In many ways, it's a microcosm of our culture, plenty of beauty, but headlines and gossip prefer the bad.  Our church is housed in an former elementary school that we've re-purposed into a Community Center.  Our vision is simple, Love God-Love Others.  In our context we believe this means investing heavily into this community that is marked by bad reputation and bad actors.  We believe God has a plan for our town, a trans formative plan,  and we play a role in that bigger story.  Our camp is part of His plan.   Three days a week 100 kids from the neighborhood come to the community center to sing, dance, eat, read, exercise, serve and learn how God is relevant in their lives.  It's a big deal in our small town.  

Last Friday the kids from each age group decorated large flower pots and planted flowers along the sidewalk of our Community Center.  They loved getting their hands dirty, arranging the flowers and watering when they were complete.  When it was all finished it was beautiful.  Unfortunately, not everyone see pots with flowers as beautiful but instead an opportunity to act out and vandalize.  Remember I said our town is both beauty and bad.   Like most communities, a bad actor with a strong kick can ruin the work of 10 well intended 1st graders.  It's stupid and it makes me mad.  (Sometimes Pastors get really mad.)  Monday morning we had the 5/6 the grade boys (They call themselves The Gladiators) remove the damaged pot and replant the flowers in the remaining nine.  All was well again, beauty restored.

The interesting thing about beauty is that it's never permanent and there's always opposition to change.  Monday night we got a call from someone walking past the Community Center, she was very upset because someone had pulled flowers out of the pots and thrown them on the sidewalk.  Two days of camp, two acts of vandalism.  I was mad...again.  Remember, I like results, especially results that are permanent and other people don't mess up.  Unfortunately, life, Kingdom life, works nothing like that.   When I woke up this morning I was already making plans on how we can better protect the beauty outside our Community Center.   I took a drive to see how bad the damage was and what was needed to replace the broken beauty.  When I'm mad, I'm also driven, both are bad things for me.   

I have found in my years of following Jesus that His ways are not always mine but He's always a patient and loving teacher.  On my drive over to the Community Center I was imagining the conversations we'd have with the kids that invested their time and creativity.  I was preparing the talking points for how best to assure them that the whole world is not like the person(s) that vandalized our pots.  I knew I needed to motivate our volunteers to not get discouraged by these senseless acts.  However, when I pulled around the corner to assess the damage I saw 9 beautiful pots, perfectly manicured and recently watered.   While I had spent the night upset and planning, someone came by replanted and re-watered the pots.  Beauty restored, faith in humanity restored.    

Of course the question for today is "How many more times will someone vandalize the pots?".  I expect several.  However, I have to remember that when God called our family to serve this Village eight years age he didn't say it would happen quickly, he only told me that He would bring Beauty from Ashes.  I believe Him.  That's where the risk comes in.  Hope is messy and dangerous.  It has critics and negative predictors.  You see, the negative prediction is right most often.  Hope for beauty requires taking a risk that you'll be wrong more often but live for the eventual change.  I see that change coming in the hands of the kids that took the risk to create beauty in spite of the potential for bad.  We plant and water, and replant and re-water, but God gives the yield.  

The Gladiators