Miracle in The Nines

This pic was taken by the Denver Post the day of the shooting.  The Fellows and others from our church gathered at the closest corner possible to pray.

In reaching any city for Christ, it takes an army.  The group of Fellows from our Providence Center for Urban Leadership provides a ground force that can quickly mobilize for any need. In February, there was a murder of two young, innocent children by their mother who then committed suicide in the Globeville community (one of The Nines). Our group was on the scene praying before the news crews even arrived. The city knew immediately that there was a church in The Nines that cared. Pattie was a part of this team.

One of our Elders, Pepe Rojas, lives in the Globeville community.  He quickly became one of the spokespersons for the community and for Christ.  That night he led a prayer vigil for the victims and the community.  It was cold and rainy but nearly 60 of us turned out.  The Denver Post reported, “Rojas prayed for peace for the community, for Denver, for the state and for the country, in the wake of so much recent violence.  He prayed, ‘We want peace, and you are the prince of peace. Bring peace, Lord.’ "

But the story does not stop here.  There was also one more child,  3 year old Isabel, who was shot but not killed.  She was in a coma and in critical condition at the hospital.  Over the next weeks, Pepe made frequent visits to Isabel and the remaining family.  He prayed with them, comforted them, and anointed the young child with oil.  He was even able to lead one family member to Christ.  On Feb 17, eleven days after the shooting, Isabel came out of her coma.  Two doctors were quoted in the Denver Post:

"I don't usually use the word 'miracle,' but if you can ever use it, this would be an example," said Dr. Ken Winston, the neurosurgeon treating Isabel at Denver Health Medical Center. "She's doing extremely well, wonderfully well, given the severity of her injury."

"When I heard that word 'miracle,' I remembered the words of Louis Pasteur, who said, 'Chance favors the prepared mind,' " Bensard said. "I would say in this case, the miracle favors the prepared team, and that's certainly what she had."

“The miracle favors the prepared team.”  I believe the doctor was referring to the medical staff, and they certainly deserve their credit.  But I say the miracle began before Isabel reached the hospital, when a “prepared team” gathered on the closest street corner possible and prayed for God to work His miracles.  God is on the move in The Nines and I am thankful that God has placed us on the front lines for this city.

 
Isabel Perez, who was shot by her mother, recovers at Denver Health Medical Center on Feb. 22, 2013. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

Kingdom Challenge!

A while back, I was sitting in the break room eating lunch with a couple of young guns when I received a text from my wife, “Do you mind if a homeless couple spends the night with us tonight?” One of my friends immediately gave me a high five and said, “Dude, that’s awesome! Your wife rocks!” The other said, “No @#%$ way!” and expressed his fear and reservation to such a request. I thought the two responses were interesting because I instantly felt both emotions. My two friends represented the battle that goes on within our own hearts when we are faced with entering into the plight of others.

It is probably because of the urban setting, but since our move to Denver, we have definitely been exposed to more homelessness and street corner beggars than we ever did in our 20+ years in our suburban Atlanta home. It has not been uncommon to be asked by a stranger for gas money while gassing up our own car or for bus fare as we leave the grocery store or for a dollar for some coffee as I enter the McDonald’s. Most of these requests are harmless and simple. They aren’t going to break my bank. These strangers simply need a couple of bucks to keep them going on their journey.

To my shame, I have not always responded well to even these simple requests. I have questioned the validity of the requests, the character of the one requesting and whether if it is even good stewardship of my money to give it randomly to strangers. In fact, I believe I have been trained in my religious world to be cautious in this area. Heaven forbid that I give money to a stranger who may use it to perpetuate their own bad habits! But Kingdom living demands a different response.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches what this Kingdom looks like and how we are to live in it. At one point, He says, “Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” The Gospel of Luke records it like this, “Give to everyone who asks you.” Jesus says this in the context of responding to your enemies, to an evil person, to someone who is taking advantage of you. He is saying, that regardless of validity or character, we should respond generously and graciously to everyone who makes such requests. This is the Kingdom way! Sounds irresponsible, doesn’t it? Sounds like a quick way to the poor house! But maybe that’s the point. Jesus became poor so that we could be rich. Maybe we should become poor so that others can be rich. We will never follow the radical teachings of Jesus without changing our consumer-minded, materialistic-driven, American Dream ideology. Our eyes need to be opened to the Kingdom and to Kingdom ways.

So Pattie and I have made some adjustments. We are a tightly budgeted family but we have set aside some money (not much but some) just to respond to these random strangers we meet along the way. We don’t normally carry cash but we carry this cash so we can readily respond to those in need. You can only give what you have and if you don’t plan to give, you will consume it on yourself. Take this challenge with us. Set aside 10 or 20 dollars a week during the month of October for “everyone who asks.” See who God brings along your path that you can make rich, someone who needs to experience the “good news of the Kingdom of God” rather than just hearing about it. If no one asks, let it accumulate and give it to World Vision or some organization that helps the poor. And then, please, I want to hear your stories. Let me know how God uses you.

So what about the couple who wanted to spend the night? I’ll get to that in the next post.

A Prayer of My Heart

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

A prayer that I have prayed probably more than any other is found in Psalm 25: Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths. This prayer especially flowed from my heart and lips during this past decade of my life as church planter and pastor. I leaned on this prayer as I sought direction and as I faced decisions for our church. I prayed it often, sincerely, earnestly, and expectantly but I did not realize the shallowness of my prayer.

I am, first and foremost, a believer. I believe. I read God’s Word and readily and easily accept it as true. I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ. I have bought into His claims as Son of God, Savior and King as well as His plan and purposes for me and for this world. This leads to a second characteristic that defines me. I am a follower. Because I believe, I follow. I have not always done this well but it has been my intention. I say these things, not as boasting, but to show the simplicity with which I approached this prayer. “I believe in You, Lord, and if You will simply ‘show me Your way and teach me Your path,’ I will follow.”

When I speak of the “shallowness” of my prayer, I mean that I was dealing with the surface issues, the current circumstances, the care of that day or moment. And, to be honest, I did not always receive the answer or clarity or affirmation that I felt I needed for the particular situation. But God’s ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts. Although He is concerned about our everyday cares, His purposes run deeper. The way of the Lord is the way of the heart. Was I really wanting to learn God’s ways and be shown His paths or was I simply wanting Him to bless my ways and sustain my present path? Was I willing to abandon my path for His?

At the time it didn’t feel like I was facing those questions. It is in retrospect, as I sit here in Denver, that I realize that God truly answered and is still answering this prayer. He changed my course, set me on a new path, moved me to a new place, opened my eyes to the ways of His kingdom, showed me His incarnational ways, and allowed me to envision a different life and ministry.

So I challenge you to make this your prayer. Pray it often, sincerely, earnestly, and expectantly. But pray it carefully. The surface of your life may need to change drastically in order for God to do the deep work in your heart and take you to new heights for that is where His ways lie.