Gritty Christianity!

This is so where I have been since Africa in 1995. Africa teaches one that community, relationships, are paramount. I've sought to also bring this home, and inject it into my spiritual life here, because it's a more biblical, and healthy way of doing life I think.

I'll be honest, traditional ministry, and the expectations of "What ministers do" just about choked any opportunity for me to live and grow into this while in "pulpit ministry here. That may very well be unique to my experience.

However, this is the direction I'm going, and I am extremely excited to be heading in this direction. The ministry journey is much more "gritty", as I get down into the lives of people, right out there in the market place of life. But it's given me more joy to be on the frontier were people "believe" different things. But I get to share Jesus too! It's where mission is lived out. Can't accomplish much relationally with people in an office all week. This journey has given significantly greater opportunity to touch and love people, in his name.

"......our new post-everything context is going to require that we belong with people as dear friends for quite a while before they’ll feel comfortable belonging with us. Our posture of how we communicate to them—that we are on their side and advocating for them—is how we enter their world. Instead of drawing a line in the sand and imploring them to “get right with God or get left behind,” we step across from our religious side into their all-too real world and ask how we can help. This too, can be done with or without words. Instead of picketing abortion clinics, we re-posture by taking the girls into our homes and lives and loving them and their children. Instead of putting another slick saying on our church billboard, we commit two years to getting to know someone. Instead of advertising our faith as superior to other faiths, we serve those with other faiths."

(Tangible Kingdom. Hugh Halter, pg 42, 43. 2008, Jossey-Bass)