I Am Sending You

The first thing Jesus told the disciples after He resurrected was, "Peace be with you."  After He showed them His scars, He said, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you" (John 20:21).  I can only imagine their need for peace in that moment.  Their Lord has just been killed, they were hiding in fear of their lives, then Jesus appears in a room with the doors bolted shut.  I could have used a double-dose of peace in that moment as well!  But Jesus doesn't leave them there, he tells them what is next in His plan - He is sending them.  They will need His peace for this mission even more.  But this message wasn't only intended for the 11 disciples in the room.  It was a commissioning for all who love Jesus, an invitation to  follow Him. 

So what was Jesus sent to do?  He tells us very early in His ministry.  He enters the synagogue in Nazareth and reads from Isaiah 61:1-2, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he says, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21).  It couldn't get any clearer.  This is Jesus' mission.  It is what He has been sent to do and it is what He is sending us to do as well.

This begs the question, what does it mean to proclaim liberty to the captives and proclaim the year of the Lord's favor?  I can't give the blind their sight so what does this mean for me?

This passage speaks to us on two levels - the vertical and the horizontal.  Vertically, it is about our relationship with God.  It is spiritual.  We are the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed.  We need to be set free from our sin, and Jesus did just that when He paid the penalty for our sin on the cross.  Now, we are sent to proclaim the message of the Gospel to those around us who need to hear the good news that Jesus wants to set them free as well.  But this is not all.  If we watch His earthly ministry, we see this passage lived out horizontally to the people around Him as He demonstrated the good news in their lives.

Jesus fed the poor with real food, not just spiritual food.  He healed people's physical ailments - blindness, leprosy, even death.  Jesus met people where they were and met their needs.  This drew others to Him because they saw what He offered was tangible and real, not some mystical, hyper spiritual dialogue.  Jesus was a God who they could touch and now as His ambassadors, He is sending us as God sent Him so we also need to demonstrate the good news of the Gospel in addition to proclaiming it.  We need to meet the needs of others around us.  Does your neighbor need help with a project on his house?  Help him out.  Do you have a friend struggling emotionally?  Listen to them.  Is there an organization in town that helps serve those in need?  The poor, widows, orphans, victims of domestic violence or human trafficking?  What time, abilities, and money could you give to an organization who is carrying out Jesus' loving work of proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor to people in your community? 

I believe that this is the abundant life that Jesus spoke of.  Going to church is wonderful, but if the love of God does not move you to follow Jesus in doing what He did - both demonstrating and proclaiming His message of love - then we're missing out.  As we demonstrate the gospel through acts of love, it opens the door for us to discuss the message of the gospel with those we are loving.  Will it be easy?  No.  Will it be worth it? Absolutely.

So you're probably thinking, "Enough preaching Blair, what does this look like in your life? Do you practice what you preach?"  The simple answer is, I'm learning to.  Since we work at Cru headquarters, all our co-workers are Christians, so we have to meet people who don't know Christ in other places.  We're getting to know our neighbors, although not doing a great job at that.  Why?  Because it's hard and it takes time.  But God is opening up some relationships for us with people in the community in other ways.  So we're trusting God will continue to lead us to the people we should invest in and taking the opportunities He gives us.  We're also both very passionate about the issue of modern-day slavery so I volunteer with Florida Abolitionist, a local group who is raising awareness and facilitating victim services here in Orlando.  (If you're in Orlando and want to check it out, please let me know!) We don't pretend to be perfect but are just trying to be real and follow after Jesus.  It's a Beautiful Mess... 

To dig into this more, grab a group of friends and read The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay.  After you finish that read Barefoot Church by Brandon Hatmaker.  Both of these books have rocked my world and have opened my eyes to living a 'sent' life by following Jesus.  Put into practice just some of the things they write about and you will begin to experience the Gospel more fully in your own life and in the lives of those around you.

July Prayer Update - Looking Back and Praising God

This month, we are taking some time to look back on all the things the Lord has done in our ministry over the years.  We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary so it seemed appropriate to celebrate our ministry anniversary as well.  Please join us in praising the Lord for these memories, but also leave a comment to let us know your favorite memories so we can join with you in praising God as well!  If you want to see the printable version, go here, otherwise the body of the letter is below:

Anniversary

12 years ago, two kids from SW VA met, fell in love, and followed God in the great adventure of serving Him in vocational ministry.  We’d like to invite you to join with us in reflecting back on all the Lord has done in our midst since then.  Here are just a few memories.  You may have your own as you’ve walked with us along the way.  If so, please send us a message or give us a call so that we can praise the Lord together for all He has done in your lives and ours through the years!

 

In the Fall of 2000 Sarah began her internship with Cru at Virginia Tech and joined staff the following year.  Then, in the Summer of 2002, we got married and I joined staff as well.  We reported to VT in the fall excited to reach students for Christ, build them up in their faith, and send them out to reach others.
 

We helped launch the first Bridges International student ministry at VT and shared the gospel with many who had never heard it from around the world.  Anderson (middle) was one student who received Jesus as Savior through this ministry.
 

We spent the summer of 2003 in Australia leading the first summer project to the University of Melbourne where we helped start the ministry on that campus that continues today.  
 

Sarah gave overall leadership to the women’s ministry and was the co-director of the movement for a few years. One fun memory was the powder-puff football league she started in order to give women a place to build relationships with their non-believing friends.
 

On May 10, 2006 Aiden was born!
 

Blair led a group of students from VT to East Asia for Spring Break in 2007.  It was an incredible experience to share God’s love with many who have never heard it and open American students’ eyes to God’s heart for the world!
 

April 16, 2007 is a sad day we will never forget.  The massacre at Virginia Tech is far from a highlight, but we want to thank you for all the support and prayers that flooded in for us and our students during the days and weeks that followed.
 

In the Fall of 2007 we moved to Orlando.  The Lake Hart Stint was a wonderful time of growth in the Lord.  The next year we began working to help develop our leaders around the nation and reach students from around the world at Disney.  
 

On April 29, 2009 Addy was born!
 

We joined the 100% Sent national team in the Fall of 2010 and that is where we continue to serve.  It has  been a privilege to give leadership to one of the most important initiatives in the campus ministry ever.  As we equip our students more effectively to impact the world around them upon graduation, our world will truly be changed by these followers of Jesus.  Thank you for your partnership in the journey!

May Prayer Letter - Celebrations & Transitions

This month, thousands of students will graduate and start the next phase of their lives.  We pray that those who have been in our Cru movements will transition well to a lifetime of fruitfulness.  This month, hear about how one graduate, Mike, has worked to help his class of grads be better prepared for the transition.  You can read our prayer update here.  Thanks for your prayers!

Following our God-Given Passions

While preparing for a student conference in November, I was looking through some resources that our 100% Sent team created to help students with their transition.  One document is designed to help them identify their passions in order to steer them towards their God-given calling with these questions:

• If you were asked to create a TV special about something that moves you, what would it be about?
• What magazines intrigue you most at a newsstand? What sections or articles most catch your attention?
• If you started a business or organization to solve a need, what would it be? 
• What issue would you like to see someone write a bestselling book about? 
• What biblical passages has God used deeply in your life? 
• How have the passages shaped your view of life and the world?
• What ignites the passion of your life and excites you when you think about doing it for a vocation?
• What rewarding experiences has God given you that may have been preparation for your future?
• How has God used you significantly in the past? 
• What are the things that make you feel the most alive when you participate in them? 
• In what ways do you most enjoy giving yourself away to others? 
• Who are the people you find yourself voluntarily getting together with, again and again, for
  deeper discussions? What are your deepest discussions about? 
• How would you use a gift of a million dollars if it had to be given away to a cause that moves
  you? 
• Is there any need or problem you believe in so strongly that you’d love to work at it full-time?

As you read these questions, you probably noticed some themes.  These may point to some passions in your life.  For me, the recurring theme was modern-day slavery.  At that moment, I felt the Lord say, "What are you doing about it?"  My answer was, "Not much."  A few years ago we had become aware of this atrocity and began supporting International Justice Mission (IJM) financially to help them fight this injustice.  I felt the Lord saying that He had put this passion on my heart and I needed to act on it, so I began praying about how I could practically get involved.

About a week later, a local organization, Florida Abolitionist (FA), held a movie screening about sex slavery called Nefarious.  I learned even more about the evil that is modern-day slavery and met the founder of FA.  I told him about my passion to get involved right away so he invited me to join him on a "street outreach" the next day.  We went to an area of town that is known for prostitution and talked with hotel managers to raise their awareness of the situation and gave them information about who to contact if they saw anything suspicious.  I was diving in head first, it was overwhelming but great and I learned a lot that day.

Since then, I have been able to remain involved with FA and have been working to launch a justice movement at our church.  In the fall, I'm also going to begin working with the partnership Cru has with IJM to help launch justice movements on campuses and incorporate 100% Sent by helping graduates with this passion connect to local opportunities.

Through the process, the Lord has opened my eyes greatly to His heart.  I see His desire for justice and mercy as he displayed both when Jesus took the penalty of our sin and set us free from our captivity on the cross.  I see His love for the "least of these" as we follow Jesus' lead in not only proclaiming the gospel but demonstrating it through acts of love to those in need.  The good news is more than a message, it is tangible as God's Kingdom comes to earth.  Jesus has set me free and is calling me to set others free, both physically and spiritually.

Maybe the same questions that have uncovered this passion in my life will help you.  What are you passionate about???

Joseph and Tara's Story

In our prayer letter this month, we shared briefly about Joseph and Tara.  When we asked them, "What has helped you develop a lifestyle of making Christ known to others?" This was Joseph's full response.  It is well worth the read...

There are three big big things that helped push Tara and I in this direction, and lots of small things.  The three main things are 1) summer project, 2) costly sacrifice, and 3) community.  Regarding summer project... it served as a shock to our system in some ways.  We were both at different but similar places in our faith before spending a month in Seattle with Here's Life Inner City.  For me... I grew up Catholic and had good morals and values... when I was in college I was a part of Cru bible studies, and went on the retreat each semester.  Even though I enjoyed all that, the people I knew from Cru were not my primary group of friends.  I always found evangelism awkward.  Knocking on doors, etc.  But now I know there's a simple reason why I was uncomfortable sharing the gospel... I didn't really believe it.  Which (when I act this way) is the same reason, to some extent, why there are still lots of moments I find it difficult to talk about Jesus or lack the courage to be bold even now.

So when I went on summer project, and was confronted with homelessness, addiction, violent criminals, and prisoners.... many of whom loved and trusted in Jesus... I began to wonder why/how they could do that?  You see... for me, it was harder to see that I had nothing when I felt like I had everything.  It's easier for someone who's lost everything.... who's at their bottom... to cling to Jesus... because he's literally all they have.  So then the gospel began to be more real to me.  I started to see my own addictions and crimes in theirs.  Sure, mine looked different, and had far different earthly consequences, but from what I had been reading about the God of grace in my bible, my transgressions looked pretty bad.  My sin still separated me from God no matter how good or bad things looked in comparison to others.  Yet, he still loved me.  Still wanted to commune with me. Still wanted to change me.  So on project I said a little prayer while I was on a run... "Jesus... just in case you didn't know already... I'm 100% yours... I want you to be Lord of my life."  And then my eyes were really opened and I felt a freedom that comes from the Holy Spirit... knowing I was free from the confines of this world, adored by the Creator, awaiting an eternal future together.  And that is an INCREDIBLE feeling!  It will give you power to do anything!  Least of all... tell other people about it!  So I found a new boldness and courage in telling others about Jesus, because I wanted them to experience what I had experienced.

It doesn't have to be a summer project.  But taking a month or two to be intentional and pushed outside of your comfort zone for the sake of the Gospel is a tremendously valuable experience.

So when I left summer project, I was forever changed.  I was never going to be able to go back to my old life, dual identities, turning on and off God's influence in my life when I found convenient.  Well this had a profound affect on the relationship with my then-girlfriend... of 5, yes FIVE years.  I really did love and care for this girl, but I knew by the conviction of the Spirit, and a lot of common sense, that we were not headed in the same direction.  I had heard some stuff about being unequally yoked (best case scenario in this situation) and marrying unbelievers (worst case).  This girl and I talked a lot about it, but it was clear we were not on the same page spiritually.  Our breakup was very, very painful.  And there was no reason we broke up other than because I loved Jesus and thought he knew what was best for me, and she didn't.  That was it.  She's an awesome girl, and I pray Jesus meets her the way he met me.  But when you lose something or someone... for Jesus, you better make sure he's the real deal.  You have to make sure you know what you're getting into, otherwise, you're just crazy.  When I made the decision to be more obedient, and cut out some major sinful areas in my life, Jesus met me.  He gave me an unbelievable peace after a while, and life was newly vigorous.  So I found a new boldness and courage in telling others about Jesus, because I wanted them to experience what I had experienced.

So summer project was the catalyst, breaking up with my girlfriend was the first "real" thing (or sacrifice) I can remember doing as a Christian (the answer to the question, 'does my life look different because I follow Jesus than if I'm not?')... and community is the thing that makes it possible to keep going.  I don't have an answer to how communities are formed.  Some people rally around a church, some people at work, others sports, or school, or whatever... there are a hundred ways.  For Tara and me, we feel extremely blessed to be a part of a group of people (most of whom we know from church, but as time has gone on, various different places) in Philadelphia who are committed to being sanctified by the gospel and sharing the gospel with others.  (Side note: It is really messy as I'm sure you know.  We hurt each other, we confess and ask for forgiveness... then we do it right over again.  I've seen this in my marriage too... I just try to focus on being as good and quick a reconciler as I can!) I don't know how we all found each other.  Living in the city helps... for one, we're all right on top of one another.  I have about 30-40 really good friends who live within five or six blocks of here (five minute walk).  We know a lot more about each other's schedules, jobs, what we do for fun, what we do on the weekends vs the weekday, etc etc.  Tara went back to school after summer project, and she experienced great community there as well, biking to friends houses, living proximate to each other.  So it doesn't have to be unique to Philadelphia, or even cities in general, but you do have to try so much harder in places where you are more spread out.  In the city we're also confronted with the urgency of the gospel because, as I mentioned before, things are a little more raw down here.... homeless people, drugs, crime, etc.  It's easier to see the need people have for Christ every day.  And knowing and understanding that that is true of everyone (according to the bible, and real life confirms this!) compels us to take this need to our workplaces as well -- despite the fact it is definitely not as clear that people need Jesus there.  It's the same problem I had before I went on summer project... I thought I had everything, so why would I need Jesus?  I am so infuriated with my sins that are hidden because of the time, place, and class I was born into.  Wealth blinds.  Jesus talks about it.  I don't want that for my friends and coworkers.  And I found that the Christians in my community didn't want that either!  They were encouraging and challenging me to love freely and be a good ambassador of the gospel.  So I found a new boldness and courage in telling others about Jesus, because I wanted them to experience what I had experienced.  And it repeats because I see other Christians do it.  And because they're my friends and I do life with them, we all just end up doing it together.

Sorry this is so lengthy, and in sort of a narrative format, but I figure it's probably easier to read a story than almost any other literary form.  I hope it sheds some light on how we got to the point we're at.  For Tara and me, we feel like we have such a long long life ahead of us of loving others for the sake of the gospel.  Our savior's sacrifice was so costly that we could never imitate it perfectly on this earth.  Luckily for us he doesn't call us to that, and we know we'll never be more or less loved or approved by Him than we are right now.  Gosh, that grace compels us to want to live more sacrificially, and the torment of our sin getting in the way of that makes us ache and groan for heaven.  I'm going off on a tangent now....

"We'll never be more or less loved or approved by Him than we are right now."  May we share this incredible love with those around us. 

April Prayer Letter - I'm 100% Yours

This month our prayer letter is taking on a new look!  We wanted it to match our blog and our heart to share the messiness of life with our partners as we seek the face of our Beautiful Christ.  This month, we're excited to introduce you to Joseph and Tara, an amazing couple that live for Jesus daily.  Hear about what God did in their lives to help them begin this lifestyle here.  Also, read the post above to see their full story.  It's worth the read!

Also, in order to increase the ways of communicating with one another we've created a Facebook Group, Pippin's Beautiful Mess, please join it here and you can now follow us on Twitter too!

How Different Can 2 Kids Be?

I am an only child.  Enough said . . . along with that come connotations (sometimes) of a selfish and spoiled kid.  Am I those things?  Sure, I can be.  Being the mother of siblings, there are many things that take me by surprise.  One, for instance, is how different 2 kids can be. 

Let's take Aiden to start with.  Aiden is Mr.-Rule-Follower.  He has always been good and compliant.  Is this a result of awesome parenting?  No!  If we are going  by the nature vs. nurture philosophies, I give all the credit to nature.  What I didn't realize lately is how similar Aiden and I are (with the exception of rule follower.  I am a rule breaker.)  I am a chart-making, to-do list writing, schedule-oriented kind of gal.  Take a look at what Aiden made before our spring break trip to the beach last week . . .

He just came to me the day before we left, and said, "Mommy, I want to make a chart about the next few days."  After I picked my jaw off the floor, I said "ok" and laughed out loud.  As soon as we got to our hotel at the beach, he started unpacking his suitcase and putting his clothes away.  He's a born 40 year old.  He is just wired that way.  He can also be rowdy and have fun with the best of them.  Here he is playing in the ocean.

Having a little rule-follower first left me ill prepared for kiddo #2, our sweet girl, Addy.  She is just the opposite.  My little butterfly chaser.  If point A is the floor and point B is the bathroom, I guarantee you she will find 17 obstacles in between.  I have to allow extra time for EVERYTHING so she can put her baby dolls to bed, pick up 6 books to look at on the potty or try on each and every princess dress.  I love these things about her, but when we need to go somewhere, mommy gets a little unbalanced . . . Here's my sweet girl doing what she does best, playing and wandering.

I wouldn't trade either of them, even though they drive me up the wall in their respective ways sometimes.  They are sweet!  Here are a couple of other pics of our time at the beach . . .