Go and Do. Go and Do.

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

Have you ever thought that Jesus’ parables—the stories that he tells—can sometimes be a bit dramatic? I mean, imagine that you’re in a foreign land, just passing through, and you find yourself in a particularly dangerous part of town. You’re already nervous because you know that people are often robbed in the area, and then you come across a naked, half-dead body. What would you do? This is the premise of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, and I’ll admit that at first read it can seem a bit far-fetched.

But, just as every story in the Bible points to Jesus, so too does Jesus’ own parable point to the truth of who he is. Jesus is the one who came into a hostile land, was cruelly murdered in it, and then pledged to return in order to redeem the very people who executed him.

Jesus lived out an impossibly far-fetched, radical love, and he challenged us to go and do the same. While some of us may cringe at the thought of bandaging the seeping wounds of a stranger, especially a stranger encountered in a dangerous and foreign place, there can be many permutations of this work.

I don’t think we necessarily have to risk personal safety to be like the Good Samaritan, but we have to risk something for the gospel. Perhaps it’s social danger. Perhaps we befriend the person who everyone thinks is a little strange, or socially awkward, or too different. Perhaps the risk is actually inviting that neighbor or co-worker to church. Perhaps we spend our money differently and live in a smaller home or drive an older car so that we have more money to give away, all the while enduring the judgement from colleagues who take nicer vacations or live in a more desirable zip code. Perhaps we stand up for a stranger who is suffering under discrimination, or follow the holy spirit’s prompting to post something risky but true to social media.

The Lord asked us to go and do. Go and do.

Sometimes the risk might be our own personal satisfaction. Through his church, my dad has been delivering Thanksgiving meal baskets to families who qualify for a free meal through a local program. My dad purchases the “traditional” (to him) Thanksgiving dinner items—a turkey with a disposable roasting pan, seasonings, vegetables and stuffing, rolls, and a pie, and drops the meal off (with cooking instructions in case any of the food is unfamiliar) at the family’s home. A few years ago, my dad dropped off a basket to a family who opened the door, took the basket, and slammed the door shut without saying a single word. My dad was a bit surprised by the reception, but he got back into his car and continued delivering baskets of food around the community. Jesus didn’t tell us to offer kindness, hospitality, or gospel to people who express gratitude in a manner that fulfills our own cultural expectations.

The Lord asked us to go and do. Go and do.

It can be tempting to ask what the minimum threshold is for living a selfless life. What’s the minimum commitment I can make to charitable giving, volunteering, hosting, or sharing? What’s the least I can do to be neighborly? The challenge, according to Jesus, is not to limit ourselves to the minimum, but rather to push ourselves to the maximum. What’s the greatest sacrifice I can possibly make of my finances, my time, my home, my influence, my knowledge, my resources? As Dirk preached on Sunday, people are not an interruption or an inconvenience. People are an invitation to love as Jesus loves.

After all, Jesus is the only one who went and did, perfectly.

[Kristin vanEyk loves partnering with the people and the mission of Encounter Church. Learn more about Encounter or listen to Sunday's message here.]

You're Not What You Do

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

I like to stay busy, whether it’s work, spending time with friends, or volunteering at church. But I also like to relax, so I enjoy spending time reading, watching Netflix, or sometimes just scrolling through social media. It’s the social media scrolling that can get me in trouble though. Amidst the gorgeous sunsets and cute kittens, I often come across photos of things people have done lately. It could be climbing a mountain, cooking a fancy meal, or woodcrafting a piece of furniture, but it seems like other people are capable of getting so much more done than I am. Any scrap of contentment I had about my own life can dissipate in a matter of seconds when I play the comparison game. 

Photo by mauro mora on Unsplash

What I often forget is that my worth isn’t based on my productivity or achievements. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul was writing from a jail cell. In our modern way of viewing things, he was being the absolute opposite of productive--he didn’t have the option to get anything done besides what he could do from his jail cell (which is to say, not very much). Yet, in Chapter 4:13, he wrote, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” When we see this verse thrown around, it’s rarely used in a context like Paul’s. Instead, we like to claim our ability to “do all things” when we win a sports game, or get the promotion at work, or pass an exam with flying colors, or perhaps to encourage someone to persevere when they’re going through a difficult time. Rarely do we feel the need to proclaim our ability to do all things when we just had a fight with a loved one, or got fired, or said words we deeply regret. 

Paul’s reason for writing those words wasn’t because he had accomplished something awesome or even to encourage people in a difficult situation--he was the one in the difficult situation, and from his jail cell he wasn’t exactly able to run marathons or graduate at the top of his class from college. Instead, Paul knew better than to get distracted by what other people were doing versus what he was very clearly not doing. He found contentment because he was following what really mattered--God. Paul shows us that our ability to “do all things” isn’t based on our circumstances. Our ability to “do all things” is based on our Creator. 

When we can’t seem to achieve what we want to, it is often because we’re focusing in the wrong direction. Instead of striving after our own end goals, God only asks us to strive after one thing--him. It’s not bad to want to succeed in various aspects of our life, but any earthly success has to be secondary to simply following Jesus. If we succeed in every sense of the word but that one, we’ve actually failed. God doesn’t love us because of what we do, but because of who he is. 

Comparing ourselves to others only makes everyone lose. We think less of ourselves because of what we see other people do, then try to make ourselves feel better by patting ourselves on the back for what we have done, or perhaps for certain ways we don’t behave. It’s a vicious cycle, a constant game of belittling others to make ourselves feel better. Through Paul though, we see we don’t have to be this way. God can be glorified through climbing mountains, cooking fancy meals, or woodcrafting furniture, but he can also be glorified in the way we simply recognize how all the love, worth, and value we truly need is ultimately found in him. 


[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

The Last Word

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

Ten minutes after hearing a sermon about justice and fairness I find myself saying, “That’s not fair.” I’m 100 steps away from where I was sitting, listening. I was even taking notes. Those words came out of my mouth not because I was summarizing what I had just learned. They were spoken in response to hearing that a person in the wrong might be the recipient of having their debt paid, and a free night in downtown Chicago.  

Isn’t it reasonable to expect the wrongdoer to be penalized and the victim of wrongdoing to be compensated for their loss, injury, inconvenience, and expenses? What if the wrongdoer gets away free of any consequence? That’s. Not. Fair. Right? That’s what I said.  

Photo Credit: Max Newhall

“Life’s not fair,” parents to children when they encounter the world’s inequity. Though I heard that and believe it to be true, I still point it out when I see justice I want served, or wrongs I want righted. An ex-husband is financially wounding his ex-wife yet again. A known sex offender gets to live without consequences. A parent denies, defends, protects, and excuses their child's bullying behavior. An employee is shut down, demoted, or let go because the person in charge is cowardly, proud, jealous, insecure, and weak. An elderly woman is robbed in broad daylight because the offender needs another drug fix. A brother kills his brother because he is hotheaded, hardhearted, and hates. Life isn’t fair.  

 “Cain, what have you done?” the Lord asks.
 “Eve, what have you done?” the Lord asked Cain’s mother a chapter before.  

The Lord can ask me and you the same question. Prior to that question, the Lord made it clear to Eve and Adam that they were not to touch fruit of one and only one tree. Prior to the question asked of Cain, the Lord made it clear that acceptance of the offering came with right-doing and a strong warning about devastation because of wrongdoing. Always there is the option of our will to be humble and obedient. But there is also always the option of following a proud unbelieving will.  This battle goes on in all of humanity. The Lord reasons with Cain, calls him to repentance. However, hate in Cain’s heart is well watered and hearty. So hate led to death by his hands and lying from his mouth. And then what kills me (pun intended) is that when Cain is caught and confronted, he complains about his punishment. There is no remorse. There is only self-pity. 

Did anyone else find themselves getting spooled up by Cain's actions?  

Maybe I got spooled up because I’m reminded of my own hardheartedness, my own wrongdoing, the battle of obedience versus disobedience in my own will. Maybe I needed that reminder so I can talk with Jesus about that. Maybe I needed that reminder so I could also hear the rest of the message - the part about hope and holiness. Thanks be to God that Jesus did something about our wrongdoing. Thanks be to Jesus for his death and resurrection, for his forgiveness, kindness, and mercy toward us. Thank you Jesus for the ongoing call to turn away from sin and death and turn toward the Life Giver. Thank you for not leaving us estranged from you, homeless, helpless, hopeless. Thank you for giving us hearts of flesh in exchange for hearts of stone. Thank you Jesus for your breath in our lungs so we can pour out our praise to You Only.  

This story of God and his interaction with his created ones is in the fourth chapter of the whole Bible. Crouching sin that’s eager to control is still a threat. We need to know that. And we need to know - not just know about - but know with as much faith as we have, that God’s grace is greater than that which wants to subdue us. Sin is great. But grace gets the last word.  

[Laura DeGroot likes to laugh out loud, drink good coffee and eat delicious food...with Jesus her family and friends. She has lived from the West to the East coast but Grand Rapids is home as of one whole year. As The Caffeinated Woman, she speaks to groups of people about how ordinary life is profoundly better knowing an Extraordinary God, and works at Art Of The Table. And she loves books.]

Treasure and Truth

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://encounterchurch.org/messages] 

I was recently involved in a production at Spectrum Theater with the following story line: An elderly woman travels to the Middle East and unknowingly brings back a teapot containing a powerful genie. (Yeah…a comedy.) The bad-guy-previous owner will do anything to retrieve this priceless genie—travel to America, break into her apartment, hold a knife to her throat, and threaten murder—all to gain the treasure contained in the teapot. Let’s face it—a genie with unlimited power to fulfill one’s dreams and fantasies is pretty good motivation to seek out a treasure. And who isn’t intrigued by a good treasure hunt story?

The Bible also contains stories about seeking or finding treasure. Jesus’ two parables of people seeking or finding treasure are found in Matthew 13. Looking back at what Jesus had been talking about before this, I discovered that these two parables about the kingdom of God are smack-dab in the middle of a whole bunch of parables about the kingdom of God. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a farmer and seeds, weeds, mustard seeds, yeast and dough, and the treasure parable is followed by a parable of a net and fish. All these stories begin with “The kingdom of God…” or “The kingdom of heaven…” Seems like a pretty random list of things to describe God’s kingdom.

But in the past, when I was asked to lead a short children’s message on the sermon topic, I would walk about my house looking for ordinary objects to help me make abstract concepts into concrete ideas that children could understand. Okay, I admit, it also helped me understand them better. Cans of Campbell’s soup, a charcoal briquette, a broom, and a tape recorder all made their appearance at one time or another. So I can imagine Jesus walking along trying to think of ways to make real or concrete the very abstract idea of the kingdom of God. Seeds and weeds, yeast and dough……and treasure. I bet the disciple’s ears perked up at that one.

However, the treasure turns out to be us. What a wild and crazy idea! The kingdom of God happens to actually be the people who live in it. All of us---the broken, the messed-up, the dysfunctional, the selfish, the greedy—we are the treasure that Christ bought and redeemed at the highest cost ever. As simple as that is, I often find it hard to wrap my mind around that thought.

Author Anne Lamott relates that when she teaches Sunday School, a favorite ritual of hers to do with the children is called Loved and Chosen.

“I sat on the couch and glanced slowly around in a goofy, menacing way, and then said “Is anyone here wearing a blue sweatshirt with Pokemon on it?” The four-year-old looked down at his chest, astonished to discover that he matched the description—like, what are the odds? He raised his hand. “Come over to the couch,” I said. “You are so loved and chosen.” He clutched at himself like a beauty pageant finalist. Then I asked if anyone that day was wearing green socks with brown shoes, a Giants cap, an argyle vest? Each of them turned out to be loved and chosen, which does not happen so often. Even Neshama—Anyone in red shoes today?—leapt towards the couch with relief.” (from Grace Eventually)

In truth, we are all loved and chosen. The good people, the rotten people, people we respect, and people that, if we are truthful, we wished lived far, far away.  All of us—the treasure chosen, bought and paid for by Jesus.

The Lord your God is with you,

the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

but will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

[Sandy Navis is happily retired and spends her days doing pretty much whatever she wants to do. She is a firm believer in the power of laughter, singing while doing the dishes, crazy dancing while cleaning house, and eating chocolate every day. Sandy has three grandkids, who she loves to talk about even more than breadmaking.]

More Than a Rescue, We Need a Resurrection

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

            Like some of you, I grew up in an old church adorned with stained glass windows and wooden pews. The kind of church you might see in movies or on TV. My childhood church first organized in September of 1879, almost 130 years ago, and we worshiped every Sunday morning and evening with an organ, hymns (songs), and a pastor who wore a long robe. At that church we often sang a song called “It is Well with My Soul,” which has become one of those long-enduring songs of the faith, perhaps because of its haunting beauty, but certainly also because of the history behind the song itself.

            “It is Well with My Soul” was written by Horatio Spafford in 1876, only three years before my childhood church started worshipping. I imagine them singing that song when it was first released, as we might sing a United or Elevation Worship song, standing to sing, perhaps without instrumental accompaniment. The words echo through the wooden church structure in careful harmony.

Spafford, the song-writer, suffered through immense pain in his life, too much pain for most of us to understand. His 2-year-old child died in the mid-1800s, and then he lost his fortune in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Later, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship carrying his wife and four daughters sank, and all four of his daughters drowned at sea. Only his wife survived. It was in that terrible place, as Horatio Spafford crossed the Atlantic by himself, traveling to meet his wife, having five children now deceased and his business in ruins, that Spafford wrote the famous words of “It is Well with my Soul.” Some of the most memorable lines for me are these:

            “And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

            The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

            The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

            Even so, it is well with my soul.”

Legend has it that Spafford wrote the lyrics to the hymn while traveling over the same spot where the ship carrying his wife and daughters sank, and both the original manuscript of the song and Spafford’s personal writings still exist today: “On Thursday last we passed over the spot where she went down in mid-ocean, the water three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe, folded, the dear lambs, and there, before long, shall we be too. In the meantime, thanks to God, we have an opportunity to serve and praise him for his love and mercy to us and ours. I will praise him while I have by being. May we each one arise, leave all, and follow him.”

            What I find most remarkable about both the hymn and Spafford’s personal writing is the attention to the need for a resurrection. Perhaps he, more than almost any of us, understood the need not for a rescuer, but for a death and resurrection. After all, Spafford eventually lost 6 of his children, and what could a rescue offer to him? I think about these families living in the late 1800s, before the medical intervention we now enjoy and I think, what good would a rescue be now to families who already buried their children? No, what these Christians realized is that they didn’t need a rescuer, they needed a resurrection.

            Probably one of the most significant differences between Spafford and me is that Spafford clearly attended carefully, every single day, to his faith. It has become too easy for me, in my modern, busy, convenient life, to allow my faith life to cruise on autopilot for a day. Or a week. Or a month. But Stafford calls us to reflect on God’s mercy even in this time of great suffering, invoking biblical language of walking by faith rather than by sight, and of dying to ourselves in order to follow after Christ. I can’t think of too many times that I willingly died to myself in this past week, which probably means that I’m still trying to be the rescuer of my own life, rather than acknowledging my need for a resurrection.

            At bedtimes my kids will sometimes talk about death. They talk about how they don’t want to die, and how they certainly don’t want people they love to die. I don’t want any of us to die, either, but I do understand more clearly now, as an adult, the language of faith becoming sight, and the peace that will come with the true resurrection. There are so many patterns and behaviors that I know I should lay down, and yet, they continue to rule over me. And so my prayer for all of us is Spafford’s prayer: That we may recognize our need for a resurrection, that one day our faith will become sight, and that in the meantime, we will leave behind all and follow after Christ.

God's Best vs. Our Best

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

There are many ways to change the world. Some people do it by becoming a missionary, some people do it by wiping runny noses, some people do it by serving food to those who don’t have enough, some people do it by being a listening ear, some people do it by showing up to the same job every day for forty seven years, or any combination of these and so many more. And each time we say “Yes” to one of these things, we are, even without paying attention, saying “No” to a million other ways to spend our time. How we are uniquely designed and called to serve God will look different for almost every single one of us. At the core though, our mission is the same--to live each day so that we become more and more like Jesus. 

Photo Credit: Martin Wessely

God called Nehemiah to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem. As he carried out this project, many distractions presented themselves. In Nehemiah 6, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem repeatedly tried to lure Nehemiah away from his project, claiming they had important things to discuss with him. Nehemiah saw right through it though. I love what he prays. The way he responds to people talking bad about him is filled with so much more grace and calm than I would be capable of having in the same situation. Instead of getting distracted and praying for God to smite these people talking bad about him, or for them to at least stop spreading these rumors, Nehemiah prays for something directly related to the scope of the project he’s actually working on. It’s simply, “Now strengthen my hands.” The crucial thing that Nehemiah understood was that it didn’t matter what others thought of him or his project, but that he followed God and did that project well. He had to be wise enough to recognize when even seemingly good things were going to get in the way of what his ultimate thing was. 

We see something else very important here--this is the second time Nehemiah prays a very specific prayer about what he’s doing. In Nehemiah 2:4, as he’s asking the king for permission to even begin this project, Nehemiah “prayed to the God of heaven.” All throughout this story, Nehemiah keeps his focus on the one who’s ultimately in charge of its success or failure: God. Nehemiah knew the project wasn’t really his; it belonged to God, so it didn’t matter whether the project succeeded or failed according to human standards, as long as he followed God. The same is true in our own lives. Whatever the size and scope of our project, whether it’s raising children or running the race or being a good employee, if we’re following God, even if by human standards we “fail,” we fail to the glory of God. 

There are many good, worthy projects we can invest our time and energy into, but we can’t let ourselves get distracted by the good things if they detract from our focus on the best things. It doesn’t necessarily mean we have to quit everything we’re involved in, though by stepping away from some opportunities, we may find it benefits both ourselves and creates spaces for others to lean into what could be their great project. Be reallocating our time and energy, we can better reflect what our priorities should be instead of simply what they have become while we took our eyes off the main thing. 


[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

How to Get Things Done

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

Group projects have never been my favorite. In school it always seemed like a group would be full of people who were full of ideas but not great at execution, or, occasionally, vice versa--lots of people ready to get stuff done, but short on good ideas. I once compared a group to an air balloon--we needed the passion people full of ideas and looking up towards possibility, as well as the planners, tethering us to the ground and to reality where we could actually get things done. Without that balance, we wouldn’t have been able to successfully accomplish our goal.

Photo Credit: Austin Ban

The story of Nehemiah shows us a lot about how to move beyond ourselves and do something more that can benefit the world around us. After he learned about the plight of his people, Nehemiah first mourned, fasted, and prayed. His waiting didn’t diminish his passion, but allowed it to deepen and take the shape it truly needed to. Then, when the time finally came for him to pursue his passion, he had had time to plan and now it just needed to be enacted. Nehemiah strategically waited until the start of a new year, when it was customary for the king to grant a request from his servants--it was the perfect opportunity for Nehemiah to request what he needed in order to set into motion his plan to rebuild the wall for his people. 

If Nehemiah had acted brashly, immediately begging the king for permission to rebuild the wall, it’s rather unlikely the king would have granted his request. It also wouldn’t have given Nehemiah time to think through everything he would really need in order for this to come to be. In addition to his request to be permitted to leave his post as cupbearer to the king, Nehemiah realized there were many other things he needed that he couldn’t accomplish all on his own. There were official documents he needed, tons of supplies, and once he got there, many people to help actually build the wall. No matter how much passion and planning Nehemiah had, he couldn’t have accomplished this on his own. 

In the same way, all the passion and planning in the world will turn out to be worth nothing if we haven’t sought God throughout. As Nehemiah asked the king for what he needed to put his project into motion, he continued to seek God. Nehemiah 2:4 tells us, “Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.” It’s easy to get caught up in ideas we’re passionate about and to move forward full steam ahead, or to get so caught up in planning every tiny little detail that we lose sight of the reason we’re even doing what we’re doing. 

Even if our project is deemed an earthly success, if we’ve failed to consider the only one whose opinion truly matters, we haven’t really succeeded. Our passion and our plans must always be done in alignment with God’s passion and plans. It doesn’t mean things will always go just like we wanted them to, or that our passion is always directed in the right way, but it puts us in the best possible place for God to do his good work in the world through us. 


[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]