With Gratitude

There are many ways we can serve our country. Few, if any, require the discipline and sacrifice of our military. I came across this campaign and simple gesture to express gratitude to those who serve our country.

I encourage you to take a moment to say thanks the next time you see a man or women in uniform. Please check out the gratitude campaign for more information and ideas.

Vision

Vision. It separates mediocrity and greatness, chaos and direction, impotence and power.

It causes men to try the impossible, it brings them to their knees, it leads them to their death.

Vision identifies us, it unites us, it moves us and it makes us.

In the right hands, man is better and mankind benefits. In the wrong hands, malevolence reigns.

Vision took us to the moon, it freed the slaves and it founded our country.

Vision transcends one man. Vision is generational. True vision is eternal.

Vision should not be taken lightly. It should be considered. It should be respected. It should be acted upon.

If you are an elected official, I pray you have vision for your constituency.
If you are a pastor, I pray you have vision for your congregation.
If you are a teacher, I pray you have a vision for your classroom.
If you are a parent, I pray you have a vision for your family and children.

I pray you have vision.

Freedom and Peace

Yesterday morning in BRT, we covered Mark 5. In this chapter, we see Jesus encounter three key people: a demon possessed man, a woman who suffers from a great illness, and a dead girl. If you read this chapter, you will see suffering, then fear and then amazement, astonishment, freedom and peace.
Jesus demonstrates his power over demons, illness and even death. In each situation, the person is miraculously changed from their Old Self to their New Self.

If Jesus has power over demons, illness and even death… he certainly has power over the situation you are in. As each of the persons in Mark 5 approached Jesus, I suggest you approach him who created you. He will change you, save you from the situation you are in, redeem you for his purpose and for his love.

This is the heart of the message yesterday morning. As we taught and preached, the words of the gospel and love of God penetrated the hearts of some of these young folks. They are hurting, hiding and lonely. They know there is a great void in their life. I don’t know their specific situation but I know they suffer. Pray that they would approach God with a heart intent on change… that they would lead a life of freedom and peace.

A Constant Struggle

There are so many people in Brownsville that want to see our community succeed. Recently, a group of high school students participated in a program to highlight their plan to revive Brownsville. This past week, they and their sponsor made a video presentation to over 100 people at an event held by the Young Preservationists Association in Pittsburgh. It was reported that the presentation was “dynamite”.

The sad news is that when the teacher returned home from the event, her home was found ransacked and robbed. The State Police are investigating. Please do pray for all of those who struggle to make a difference in Brownsville. Too often, each step forward is met by two steps back.

BRT 2007

This year at Bible Released Time we are reading and studying the Gospel of Mark. We have a (mostly) attentive class that runs the gamut in spiritual maturity. There are serious students, sleeping students, and at least one drug dealer.

Our objective with this year’s format is to help the students to understand how to read and study the Bible. We are reading and listening to it through The Bible Experience project. The discussions are always enjoyable and always non-linear… we are constantly expecting the unexpected comment or question. It keeps us sharp.

The basic premise we are teaching them about reading the bible is simple

• Read to understand
• Seek the spiritual teaching
• Apply the word to your life

How do we do this?

1. Pray

Pray that this part of God’s Word would be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Ps 119:105). Pray that this Word would dwell in you richly (Col 3:16). Pray that God would give you insight and understanding into the passage (2 Tim 2:7).

2. Read it and ask the basic questions.

Who? What? Where? Why? When?

3. Read it and ask some harder questions.

• What did I learn about God?
• What did I learn about myself?
• What lessons about life have I learned?
• What can I do this week based on what I learned?

4. Read it and live it

Huckabee in Brownsville

The Brownsville Experience is placing it's endorsement with Mike Huckabee. Who are you endorsing? The following three links are designed to help you understand how your views are algined with those running for office. They are listed in order of increasing complexity and time. The first one takes about 1 minute, the second one less than 5 minutes and the third one... I'm still working on.

http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460

http://selectsmart.com/president/

http://myelectionchoices.com/

Also! I'm asking for your help. Regardless of who you are supporting, would you help get Brownsville's good name out to the Huckabee campaign? If everyone who reads The Brownsville Experience would click through the link on the right of the page, I'm sure we would raise to the top of the Demand List. Your support is appreciated.

I Cry at the Ballet

I am shocked that I admit it. The ballet has been a foreign concept to me my entire life. Now, with three daughters in a production of the Nutcracker, I have come to appreciate the ballet. More than appreciate it. I just wept through the entire first act.

There is the grace and elegance of the performance.

There is an admiration for all the hard work and sacrifice… from lessons to try-outs to practice to rehearsal to production.

There is an appreciation for the production crew, the teachers, the parents and everything that must “go right” and often does.

And most of all I realized that this culminates in a performance that, just for a moment, each person on the stage becomes the embodiment of all the hard work, the instruction, the coaching, the sacrifice, and the love they have for their art and the love of those that support them. At that moment, all cares and worries, all sweat and toil, all sacrifice and discipline is forgotten. At that moment, they are perfect in who they are and what they do. Such is the picture of Heaven Eternal. I cry at the ballet.

Incendiary, Libelous, and Threatening?

or Freedom of Press and Expression? I'm posting this only because it may be helpful for folks outside of Brownsville to understand some folks in Brownsville and the oppression they live under and create.

I can't escape the idea that we are living somewhere between Animal Farm (G. Orwell) and The Long Walk (S. King). Or maybe we are just swine satisfied with creating and living in our own waste.

The following is a letter to the editor from our local newspaper. (But now I feel like I'm giving them too much credit by using respected terms like "editor" and "newspaper".) The person who is criticized in this letter has done more for Brownsville in the last ten years than anyone else I know.

And for Mr. Flemming: Never, to protect our community and raise interest and funds, because she cares, see previous answer, don't know.

Ryan Criticized for Crime Watch
11/25/2007, The Herald Standard
Updated 11/26/2007 09:28:44 AM EST

Everyone, what's going to happen next? I have read recent articles in the Herald-Standard and other local papers about elected officers and their employees. When is the attorney general's office going to investigate the former Brownsville Mayor Norma Jean Ryan? Recently on a Sunday afternoon I happened to look outside, there were a bunch of people in jailbird orange shirts, with Crime Watch written on them, selling candy bars. Why?
I ask why is Norma Jean Ryan even on the crime watch? In my opinion she did nothing to curb crime in Brownsville when she was mayor. All she did was cost the Brownsville people money. Maybe being on the crime watch team is to get more state grant money or free luncheons and coffee and tea.

Maybe Norma Jean Ryan will be in front of your house wearing a bright orange shirt saying she is with the crime watch when really she is just drinking coffee and eating at luncheons, at taxpayers' expense. That's my opinion.What is her motive; didn't she get enough money out of us? Norma Ryan, maybe you should join the fashion police. Hello, Norma, do you know you're not the queen bee of Brownsville anymore? OK, Governor Rendell, this letter is for you, too. Please investigate it. What comes around goes around, Norma.

Gaylord Flemming
Brownsville

References. The U.S. Constitution, Animal Farm, The Long Walk

Wheels of Justice, Part II

If you haven't read Wheels of Justice, Part I. Click this link.

Our justice system is truly elegant and something to admire. Our Founding Father’s deserve our gratitude and admiration.

The case of “Holly” versus the Commonwealth of PA was finally called to trial on Tuesday morning. I moved from the hallway to a magnificent and large courtroom. It was quite crowded with every potential juror waiting for their number to be called.

In Court Room One, the judge was navigating through the various trials, jury selections and verdicts for the day. His court room was efficient and impressive with just a hint of late night talk show charisma. I couldn’t help but enjoy the experience.

And then it was Show Time. Show Time has best been described as Law and Order meets Jerry Springer.

The defendant, her attorney, the arresting office and district attorney were all introduced and jury selection began. Seven jurors were replaced in the process by the defense or the DA. It was not announced who and why they were removed. I suspect because some were landlords (with bad tenant experience) and some were tenants (with bad landlord experience). Maybe some had their appliances stolen or a bad experience with an appliance repairman. Who knows what information these guys had on them?

As the victim, I was called to testify first. My role was pretty straight forward: establish that I owned the appliances and that they are no longer in my possession. The defense attorney jumped at me on two issues: (1) the lease doesn’t say I own the appliances and (2) I wasn’t even there when the tenant moved out.

The first point was almost true as the lease did reference the appliances. On the second point, these guys were being evicted by an armed constable… you bet I didn’t want to be there. It turned out they “moved out” in the middle of the night just before the constable showed up. Everyone but one of the ten or so folks that were now living there.

He made the point that I didn’t even know that guy’s name. Of course not! He was living there illegally and one (of the many) reasons why Holly was evicted. He was on house arrest and couldn’t leave the apartment as that is where he was plugged in. But somehow, this was all my fault.

There was also a witness who testified that she saw my appliances on a truck with the tenant’s possessions. Pretty straight forward? Not until the defendant claims that the only reason the witness is testifying against her is that she (the witness) had an affair with the victim’s boyfriend and she (the defendant) ended up with the man so she (the witness) is trying to get back at her. Must have been some boyfriend for the witness to spend two days (of her own time) at the court house, another day for the pre-trial hearing and all the dealings with the subpoenas and the DA’s office. .

The defense attorney provides closing arguments first. There are two things implanted in my memory…(a) he tells the jury that it doesn’t matter what he or the DA says, that they have to way the facts as presented by those on the stand and (b) he tells the jury that I (the victim) cannot recall any of the details of the eviction and when the appliances were missing. Here’s another lesson learned: attorney’s can lie, it’s up to the jury to remember what I said… he doesn’t have to tell them. In fact, he can apparently tell them something entirely different. Which he did in his closing argument.

So the jury heads off to the “room” for deliberation and we wait, once again, in the hallway. We’re called back one hour later. Somehow I wasn’t surprised when the jury acquitted her. The DA told me I could stay and ask the jury questions to gain an understanding of why they rendered the verdict. I didn’t have the patience or will to stay. It sounds like a cliché, and in the scheme of things I am out about $5,000 from this experience (appliances plus damages plus back rent), but you do feel victimized again. Perhaps, even worse, as your faith in a system you respect and in the common sense of your fellow man is called to question.

The judge was about to tell “Holly” she is free to go but the bailiff indicated that she is already in prison. I later learn that earlier this year that she lost her children to foster care and she and her boyfriend were both imprisoned… likely on drug or theft related charges.

Does God Have a Plan for Brownsville?

Yes. God has a great temporal and eternal plan for the people of Brownsville… and he has a very specific plan for Brownsville in this generation. There are four ways that I want to develop the basis for this plan: historical and current events, biblical and personal testimony.

Let’s briefly look into the historical perspective… God has a Great History of establishing covenant with individuals and nations. Noah and all living creatures. Abraham and his descendents. In recent history, the Pilgrim’s and their calling to the New World to establish a New Jerusalem. Our Founding Father’s who were called to found a nation.
Let’s pause there and talk about the idea of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” … our unalienable rights as declared in 1776. Let’s focus on Liberty.
I believe that liberty is critical to unleashing God’s plan for Brownsville. It was notable Revolutionists such as John Adam’s who believed that liberty demanded action. I think that Adam’s would agree that liberty is the freedom to submit to the will of God. In his time, the cause of liberty demanded action against a tyrannical government. A tyrant is an illegitimate ruler.

There are illegitimate rulers in Brownsville today. Not because of some election fraud but because the men, women and even the children have given the prince of this world control and power in their lives. And by this same power, there are earthly religious and government leaders that are destroying the people of our community, culture and nation. Not by direct malicious intent but out of their own selfish and prideful pursuits of power, wealth and prestige... or from laziness, sloth and lack of concern for those they claim to lead.
In pursuing their earthly gains, they oppress or hold down the children of God and the people of our community. This is exactly the situation in the OT lesson today. The prophet Jeremiah cries out to these shepherds and gives them a word of terror for their negligence. The day is at hand when God will reckon with them concerning the trust and charge committed to them. That is God’s business.
In addition! This form of tyranny must be crushed in our own lives. Jeremiah reminded his people that the beginning of error in their lives was their failure to take God seriously. The people of Judah had lost contact with the word of God. They did what was right in their own eyes… not doing what they knew was wrong in the sight of God but becoming like God in judging what is good and evil. A regression all the way back to the fall of man.
But in the midst of the pain and suffering, the looming captivity and, for Jeremiah, a ministry that was marked by 40 years of failure as a prophet to a decaying nation… God gave a word of comfort to the neglected sheep.
The pain and suffering, the neglect as well as the words of comfort and hope ring true today for our time, our church, and our community. There are 4 parts of this word of comfort and hope.

1. Judah was a little remnant, that has narrowly escaped destruction. We are a little remnant…
2. God, Himself, will gather that remnant. God, Himself, will gather us…
3. And there they shall be fruitful, and increase in numbers. We shall be fruitful and increase in numbers
4. Formerly they were continually exposed and disturbed with some alarm or other; but now they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed. We have been exposed… but now we shall fear no more…

There is a well worn passage in the 29th chapter of Jeremiah that sums this up and reads “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” These plans are for us, for Brownsville and for you… as Deacon Don will bring to us next week.
Jumping back to our reading from the 23rd chapter this morning…
“The days are coming”, declares the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a king who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land”. This is, of course, the Messianic Promise fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. The leaders, even in our day, who are more like wolves than shepherds will be replaced by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And, even in this coming advent season, when we are reminded of his first coming, we are even more expectant of his second coming.

Let’s turn to the gospel reading this morning, where we find ourselves taken to the place called the Skull where Jesus was crucified between two criminals. I toiled to understand how and why this scripture was appointed for this morning. And as I was reading a sermon by Charles Spurgeon from over 100 years ago, I realized that this passage, for us, this morning is about the repentant criminal.
This man justly hung on a cross as punishment for his sins while a man with no sin hung on a cross for our sins. We are the criminal who must die justly but by the grace of God we are saved. The way Spurgeon said it is “The cross of Christ is to some a savour of life unto life, to others of death unto death”. There were two criminals -and one had a great faith - as he suffered in intense pain and certain death, also surrounded by scoffers and derision. He heard the priests ridicule the Lord, he heard the same from the soldiers and the people as well as his friend who hung there with him.
How easy for him to join the crowd, to follow these people, to suffer from the tyranny of his time and place. But he did not! His faith, like Jeremiah’s, was not affected by his surroundings.

I mentioned at the onset today that liberty is critical to unleashing God’s plan for Brownsville. This criminal, had one member of his body that was not bound (by nails to a cross), and with his tongue he rebuked his friend and asked Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom.
What faith – even as he witnessed Jesus dying on a cross!
This criminal experienced the fullness of the grace of God and he submitted to the will of God in his painful and final hours. Liberty demands action. His action was a testimony, in front of his friend, the priestly rulers, the soldiers who nailed him to the cross, the common people, and our Lord Jesus. The testimony and proclamation is “Jesus is Lord”. What is your proclamation? What is your action? How will you participate in God’s plan for Brownsville?

We have heard about historical and current events, the teaching from our scripture readings today… now I would like to close with a testimony (short version) of how God has spoken and worked in my and my family’s like these 10+ years in Brownsville.
We were living in the Washington DC area where we were both starting our professional careers, she as an OT and myself as a consultant with PW. We were newly married, young, showed the signs of successful, building new friendships, involved with our church and active in ministry. God asked us to leave and leave all of that behind to move to Brownsville to minister to the young people here. We were married in this church but that was about the extent of what I knew and have ever seen of Brownsville. (Good thing too).
I couldn’t wait to move. I thought I was going to miss all of the action. I believed and still believe that God will pour out his spirit on this community and change it’s very character. Liberty is critical to unleashing God’s plan for Brownsville. Liberty demands action.

I pray that I live to see this day but if I do not, my children or my children’s children will be here to see it and be worker’s in this harvest field. I have come to see Brownsville as not just a lifelong mission, but a generational mission and an eternal mission… Until then God is calling us all to live like Jeremiah and to die like the criminal on the cross. But liberty demands action.
God, who set all the boundaries of the earth, loves and cares for Brownsville, He has a plan and purpose for Brownsville. And Brownsville will become a community known for its love for God and for each other and we will make disciples whom we will send to the very ends of the earth. God will be glorified… and it all begins with you. Just this morning, I came across an article about David Livingstone, a famous Christian missionary and (interestingly enough) contemporary of Charles Spurgeon. Livingstone, in all his difficult years as a missionary, was directly involved with the conversion of only one African. He wrote “we work for a glorious future which we are not destined to see.”
God is calling us to the hard work of discipleship … of building our families… of reaching the lost… of ministering to the poor, the needy, the addicted… of loving each other
And Brownsville will become a community known for its love for God and for each other and we will make disciples whom we will send to the very ends of the earth. God will be glorified… and it all begins with you.
I remind you, again, that liberty is critical to unleashing God’s plan for Brownville. We are called to a difficult task of building the road that other’s will enjoy. Livingstone’s life motto was “Fear God, work hard.”
Brownsville must be set free from its illegitimate rulers. You must first be set free from the power of sin and death. Liberty demands action and I submit to you that this day, that (like the thief on the cross) action begins with confession. When Brownsville comes to a place of repentance and confession, life and liberty will prevail, and God will unleash his plan on this city of hope.

Fear God, work hard. Amen.

Does God Care About You?

This is a new feature to The Brownsville Experience. You can now download audio files. The link below is today's sermon by Deacon Don from Christ Church, Anglican in Brownsville titled "Does God Care About You?" It is the second in a four part series about Brownsville. Stay tuned towards the end where Deacon Don gives his life story (in 3 minutes) where God rescued him from a living hell.

Here is the entire series...

Does God Care about Brownsville? (below - blog post only)

Does God Care about You? (this post - audio only)

Does God Have a Plan for Brownsville? (November 25)

Does God have a Plan for You? (December 2)

The other posts will come as available.

Please pardon the sound quality. I'll do my best to improve this over time.

To access this sermon, simply click on the link below. You will have the option to "save" or "open" the file (5Mb). If you "open" the file it should load into your preferred audio reader. Let me know if you experience any technical problems.

DGCAY v2.wav

Does God Care About Brownsville?

We have lived in Brownsville for over a decade, in that time we've witnessed Brownsville’s 40 year slide, deep cynicism, the little hope or false hopes of the community, the poverty, the addiction, the oppression, depression and apathy and all of their scorching effects.

Does God Care About Brownsville?

And in that decade we have seen homes burn, buildings collapse, police departments close, friends come and friends go, we’ve been robbed, vandalized and sued, we’ve witnessed tragedy and… worst of all…we’ve witnessed the erosion of hope.

Does God Care About Brownsville?

To answer this question, I ask you to consider “Biblical Proportions”.

There are three Old Testament geographies to think about: the cities of Sodom and Gomorra, the land of Egypt and the entire Earth. These were bad times and circumstances, this is what the bible has to say about each of them.

Sodom and Gomorra
The cities were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:49)
The Land of Egypt
The Egyptians held the Hebrew people in slavery for 400 years of which God said.. I have seen their misery…I have heard the cries of my people… and I am concerned about their suffering (Exodus 3:7)
The Entire Earth
The thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man and his heart was filled with pain. (Genesis 6: 4-6)

In the end, S&G was destroyed by fire, ten plagues were brought upon the land and people of Egypt, and a flood was brought upon all the earth.

Before we discuss what God has brought upon Brownsville and what he will destroy… let me assure you that the fire, the plagues and the flood are images of a God who cares.

S&G demonstrates that God is merciful and just. The plagues illustrate that God liberates his people and redeems his creation while the flood teaches us that God rescues the righteous and covenants with all living creatures.

Let us pray that God is merciful and just with Brownsville, that he will liberate Brownsville and redeem his creation and rescue the righteous while remembering His covenant. Amen.

You could say that God smote S&G, the land of Egypt and the entire earth. The OT talks a lot about smiting. Smiting enemies, armies, etc. Smiting – to completely and utterly destroy. In the OT, he brought catastrophe of biblical proportion… now he has brought love of biblical proportion.

The fullness of His compassion and love become manifested in the giving of his son Jesus to a lost and dying world…

Does God care about Brownsville? The answer is … yes.

God brought his love upon Brownsville.

For God so loves the world, that he gave us his only begotten son, so that whoever shall believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

While we are still sinners, Christ died for us…

God does want to completely and utterly destroy you… with his Love. He will free you from the penalty of sin, set you free from the power of sin and one day he will free you from the very presence of sin.

This is the picture of a New Creation in Christ. God is the Great Liberator and Redeemer. He cares so much for Brownsville that he was willing to die for Brownsville.

For God so loved Brownsville, that he gave his only begotten Son…

But Yet… There is darkness in Brownsville; physics tells us, and more importantly, the bible tells us that darkness cannot overcome light… and speaking to his people, God tells us that you are the light of the world

The Erosion of Hope and False Hope needs to be placed with the Hope of the Resurrection.

I encourage you to read and meditate on the following passages.

Job 19: 23-27
2 Peter 3: 8-14
Matthew 9: 35-38

You, are the workers in his harvest. You are the light of the world.

William Wilberforce, who led the fight to bring the abolition of the slave trade in the English Parliament , proclaimed “the national difficulties we face result from the decline of religion and morality among us. I must confess equally boldly that my own solid hopes for the well-being of my country depend, not so much on her navies and armies as on the persuasion that she still contains many who love and obey the Gospel of Christ. I believe that their prayers may yet prevail."

I know that God cares about Brownsville. May those who love and obey the Gospel of Christ in Brownsville prevail.

If you want to see and know a God who cares about Brownsville. Try four things this week…

(1) Forgive a friend or relative who has harmed you
(2) Reach out to a neighbor with some great or small kindness
(3) Pray for a friend in need
(4) Live in the hope of resurrection

God cares about Brownsville. Do you?

Roach Clip

Tuesday night (after returning from the criminal trial) I get a call from a tenant. In a quiet whisper, he says “Mark there is something you should know.” Any call after dark from a tenant can’t be good, this one seemed ominous. Oh Lord, I thought, here we go.

“There are five guys walking around the building.”

They could only be there for two reasons: to steal something (either copper or my contractor’s equipment) or to find a place to smoke some dope. I thanked him, hung up and immediately dialed 911. Unfortunately, the borough police were not on duty. Of course they weren’t. The Chief of Police (our only fulltime officer) just spent the last two days (unpaid) with me as the arresting officer in the criminal hearing.

So I was transferred to the state police barracks. They took my information… five male juveniles, possible theft, drugs, location, etc…. but I learned that it would likely be 30 minutes before they would show up. Someone could do a lot of damage and take a lot of stuff in 30 minutes. So, on with the coat, I grabbed the mag flashlight, my cell phone, asked my wife to notify the Neighborhood Watch and ran out the door with the final words of the state police officer ringing in my mind… “don’t approach the suspects.”

That proved to be impossible. I walked up the back steps to the complex and as I hit the top step, five guys were staring right at me - separated by about 20 feet. Turn around or confront were my only options.

I shined the flashlight directly in their faces and found myself asking “Who are you?” “Jeff” replied a slight voice. Another voice jumps in, “Who are you?”

“Wrong question”, I respond, “What are you doing here?”

“We’re just trying to get out of the wind.” Likely true as it was cold and spitting snow and they were taking hits from a joint.

“Well, it’s a bad place to do that. You guys need to move along.” This was going to be easy or not and the police were still likely 15 minutes away. I was about to find out.

“Sorry, sir” was the response.

Three of the guys immediately left and two seemed to have lost something they were intent on finding. But they moved on in short order.

The state police did show up about 15-20 minutes later and found a roach clip and some butts, they took my information and that was that.

It reminded me of my first encounter with a young person in Brownsville. That one, unfortunately, didn’t go quite as well and involved a flying priest. But that’s another story.

Wheels of Justice, Part I

It’s pretty surreal. I’m sitting at the county court house waiting for a case to be called for which I am the victim. The noon o’clock hour marks three hours of sitting in a beautiful turn-of-the-century “hallway” in 1970’s office furniture with quite an eclectic group of people. Today’s date marks 1 year and 13 days of becoming victim of this crime.

The crime? Appliance Theft. In the scheme of things, this falls higher on the travesty scale than the tragedy scale. But still, I’m out $1000 and quite a bit of time in the eviction process, civil suits and now criminal hearings. Not to mention the concern over personal property, personal safety and everything else any landlord suffers through when their tenant turns on them.

Here’s the first lesson: never be a landlord. We are landlords for a higher calling and purpose; some folks must make money on this kind of thing. We don’t. I’ll have to explain that higher calling and purpose at some other time. This is the story of “Holly”.

Holly was in a tough spot. She and her three kids were living with her folks and “between jobs”. She wanted to get her feet back on the ground and focus on raising her children. She secured gainful employment and, in a serious streak of compassion, we thought we would be able to help her out. Here’s the second lesson: there is a line somewhere between being compassionate and being a doormat. You can get burned, but I’ll still err on the side of compassion. Jesus did.

I love giving folks a second chance, an opportunity to improve their situation and their lives. Certainly, you have to enter into such endeavors with both wisdom and prayer. You don’t just invite anyone into your house (have you ever seen The Lost Boys?). Holly had all of the makings of someone who was ready to turn her life around, she could have been and still could be a New Creation.

And she did quite well… for the first eight or nine months. Then, her boyfriend got out of jail. His existence and situation never came up in conversation. Holly immediately assumed her role as victim. It was sad to watch how someone could suffer such abuse. And even harder to see them call this love.

The situation became increasingly difficult and the environment became downright scary. The physical property suffered (damaged walls, broken doors, busted windows) but so did my reputation through their obnoxious, loud, illegal and illicit activities. This all started around the April timeframe but really hit stride in June when some 5-7 adults and 3 children were living in a two bedroom townhouse. At that point, I thought “she only has 6 weeks left on the lease, she’ll have to move out and I won’t need to go through a difficult eviction process.” All the while, trying to balance the safety of the property, my neighbors and my family.

Lesson Three: tenant’s have more rights than landlords…. “they ain’t gotta move out”. So began an arduous three-month eviction process that ended with over $4000 in damages including the theft of all the appliances in the townhouse. The only criminal activity in the whole lot of it that I had a chance of proving was the theft of the appliances. We decided to purse all of the civil and criminal action we could. I’ll post the outcomes at a later date.

The Fall

Several years ago we started renovating eight turn-of-the-century townhouses. Our vision is to use the homes to provide housing for missionaries who will commit to serving Brownsville. It’s been a slow road and quite a lesson in running a small business, property ownership, the justice system, perseverance and grace. There is much more to tell about the vision and mission and many stores to relay about this adventure. This is just one of those stories.

I was working from home and was just finishing a conference call when a great commotion broke out upstairs. Out of the commotion, I heard a voice in panic, “Someone fell from the roof”.

We had just engaged with a contractor to renovate three of the townhouses; over the past week, they had been replacing the old slate roof. I ran up the steps reacting to the commotion and panic, not fully grasping the words I just heard. I could see from the window the figure of a body on the ground and someone standing over him.

I ran to the scene expecting to see a dead man and grieving friends. Miraculously, the man was moving and even alert. He was obviously in great pain and you could immediately see his arm, legs and hip were not aligned. In fact, his arm bones appeared to be separated from his hand. The man just fell 24 feet from the scaffolding and it wasn’t until his friend said “Steve, stay with me” that I even recognized the man as the owner of the construction business.

911 had already been called. The work crews were busy cleaning up and making a path for the ambulance. One guy was waiting at the front street for the ambulance and the neighbors started to gather to see what was going. Steve’s friend stayed with him.

It seemed like an eternity for the ambulance to arrive. By the time they did, the Life Flight was also on their way. After the medical crew arrived and began to evaluate Steve, we began to search for his cell phone to call his wife. It was a difficult call…

“… no, this is Mark. Steve is doing the job for me over in Brownsville. Jane, Steve is hurt pretty bad. He’s moving and alert but he fell from the scaffolding...”

I was able to relay to her that Steve would be flown to Pittsburgh as a precaution to internal injuries. He was answering the paramedic’s questions and was coherent even through the excruciating pain.

We learned the next day that there were no brain, neck or spinal injuries. But it really wasn’t for days until the extent of his injuries were known. He suffered through shattered bones, countless surgeries and a nasty infection that split his leg open.

This all started October 5th. As I began to write this on November 2nd, I received a call from his wife that he would be coming home. It was nearly a month in the hospital. He will walk again but the long road to recovery is just beginning. Pray for Steve and his family.

Sneaksie Balotses

Yessss, my precious... those sneaksie balotses will take away every American Right.

I don't normally write out of the political arena, but hey, it's part of the Brownsville Experience too. This morning, I was walking home and finding myself habitually picking up the litter along the sidewalk and BEHOLD, I find a letter from the Mayor of Brownsville.

Whether or not the claims are true is another issue. I can't help but observe the following... Brownsville is chalked full of criminal activity, dilapidated homes, a declining population, poverty and various social ills (see July 3 post). In the past year; I’ve been robbed, reported criminal activity, requested assistance but have never heard from the mayor’s office… until today.

Slap the judge and jury and threat of executioner on official borough letterhead? I can only conclude that the most important issue on this administration’s mind is that sneaky ballot. The government is here to administer justice and restrain evil. What are we about?

With apologies to Gollum.

Alumni

Bible Released Time has seen hundreds of students through the classroom over the last decade. We have seen great hope for the future and at least as much fear and despair. We have consistently heard the desire to escape Brownsville and all that it represents. Among our alumni are military, Ph.Ds, professional athletes and ministers. We also have seen our share of convicts, unwed mothers and irresponsible fathers; many before or even if they graduate.

This is a story about “John”.

John had an infectious smile and a big personality. He was a natural leader that oscillated between arrogance and insecurity. One of his strengths, the desire to please, was also one of his greatest weaknesses. He could easily shift from leading a discussion and asking smart or provocative questions to degenerating the conversation and becoming the class clown. It was this latter, disruptive behavior that ultimately got him kicked out of the class. And yet, I counted John as a friend.

John always had the opportunity to return. But he never asked and he never apologized. It’s possible that it was his pride that kept him away. It’s also possible that it never even struck him that he could return, that he could be redeemed. That is a place of hopelessness and great despair. I heard several months later that he was kicked out of school.

A year went by before I saw John again. It was at the funeral of a young girl and her father who tragically died in a fire. This young girl was overcome by smoke and flames and died trying to save her handicapped dad. The contrast between the sacrifice of this young girl and John’s life was harsh.

It was after the funeral when I asked him what happened at school. He blamed me… “since I couldn’t go to Bible Released Time anymore, I didn’t have any reason to go to school”.

I could only respond “John, that was on you.” It was his behavior, his decision and his refusal to repent that led to his expulsion. Some have told me this was a tragedy; I disagree. It’s a tragedy that a middle school girl and her father died in a fire. John’s life was a matter of decision. I walked away from that conversation disappointed in his decisions but not mine.

I would guess another year passed before I heard John’s name again. He was living or spending time at one of the local housing projects. Apparently, he was dealing drugs and, one summer day, became upset with a woman who was visiting. She was in the driver seat of her car when he reached in and struck her.

Some time later, the woman came back with her boyfriend. John was still hanging around when they drove by, pointed a gun at him and killed him on the spot.

We don’t have many “things” we can really call our own. Our decisions are one of those things. I am grateful for that. In fact, is it because we are created in the image of God that we have choice and we have free will.

John’s life was marked by a series of choices that day he left our class. Choices and decisions that carried him through his life. Choices that ultimately led to his death. And a choice, that was never made, to take him out of that spiral, to return to life… to return to God.

Today, you will make many decisions. And today, you will make a choice. Today, you will choose life or death. There is one day that decision will be too late. I pray you choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:10-20)

Today I Called 911

So we bought another property on our block... the real estate ad might of read something like "cozy turn of the century victorian-style home with modern updates and pleasant back yard with spectacular views of the river valley". Just as likely could have read "drug haven and home of dangerous criminals, pens for killer dogs with established rat infestation and enough garbage to fill a 40-yard". Such as life in Brownsville and, oddly enough, the reason we purchased the property.

More specifcally, it's a defensive move to clean-up the neighborhood but also an offensive move as we are convinced God has a plan.

Today's event was interesting enough. I went to the property to mend a fence and found that the back door was damaged and the front door was open. There is absolutely nothing in the house to take. Someone was likely looking for a place to crash or get high. The folks who were living there (renting) were quite unsavory so I called the police to clear the house. The officer pulled his Taser gun with laser sites; I was backup. Only a window was broken and the house was clear.

I finished putting the fence together, cleaned the backyard, found a major break in the waterline, likely got poison ivy and just got home before the storms. But all is well.

Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself

“Please allow me to introduce myself…”

What are your summertime memories as a child? I can remember endless days of swimming, kickball, forts in the woods, playing in the creek, blackberry picking, bike riding, trying to stay cool in the basement,…

In Brownsville, summer time brings out the vandals, carjackers, armed robbers, prostitutes… It’s been a tough few months in the community and people I know have been threatened, hurt, beaten, robbed and mugged. People have died. For now, we are doing our best to stay the tide of crime and there is a growing grass roots Neighborhood Watch program. There have been victories too; including the arrest of a notorious criminal who had been terrorizing his neighborhood.

There are many ideas on how to improve the situation in the community: a multi-community police force, stronger watch programs, armed militia, vigilantes, more unity among the community. To name a few I’ve heard.

To create a solution, we need to understand the root of the problem in Brownsville. Evil.

One of my hero’s, William Wilberforce, is best known for bringing an end to the slave trade in early 19th century England. His vision and accomplishment was even grander than this. In fact, it was God-given. “The abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.” Wilberforce believed that the slave trade, and ultimately the end of slavery, would only happen upon the moral reform of his country. Moral reform at the individual level.

I’m reminded of the words of our first President in his farewell address, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.… Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” (Washington’s Farewell Address http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm)

To be sure, there is a relationship between our success as a community, our morality and our religion. More specifically, our devotion to biblical principles and Christian faith.

In this context, I share with you an encounter from last summer.

Last year, we put a rope swing in the backyard. It quickly became one of our favorite backyard pastimes and created quite a bit of interest among the kids in the neighborhood. One afternoon, we were entertaining “Tina”, a young neighborhood girl (about 9). She was sweet and considerate but frequently used God’s name inappropriately.

So, I decided to use this opportunity not only teach her, but have my two younger children listen and observe. I asked her if she had ever heard of the Ten Commandments. Here is the dialogue.

“Is that like when, your lost at the store and you go to the front and ask them to call your mom.”

“No, sweetie, that’s a good safety rule but that’s not one of God’s Commandments.” Turning to my kids, I asked if they could remember any.

“You shouldn’t lie… you shouldn’t steal…” Tina jumped immediately into the conversation with the following response.

“My mom stole this shirt from the Dollar General. My uncle stole us a Slip and Slide and a grill. My mom steals from my dad and my dad hits my mom. My dad is in jail. My mom was in jail when I was in her belly. Now she’s out. She stole his hat and he got mad…” The monologue went on.

In this moment of disorder, two things struck me. First, stealing, lying, cheating, physical abuse are as much as part of her culture and doctrine as honesty, compassion, love… are part of my family's. Second, she is being raised, not in an immoral family, but an amoral family.

Now, imagine an entire community of families like Tina’s. Or an entire nation. What does that community look like? Spend some time in Brownsville and you will likely see a glimpse of it. Despair. Oppression. Depression. Fear. Addiction. Chaos.

“Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name But whats puzzling you Is the nature of my game.”

In Brownsville, our safety requires us to address the symptoms of the problem. Our future requires us to address the root. We need to be reminded that we have a hope and a future and to be “on the side of Jesus Christ”, as Wilberforce exclaimed. There is no hope and no future apart from him who created us and redeemed us.

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

It's time to address our morality. It's time for the Church to wake up.

Five Things

Every year, Travis and I meet over the summer to pray and plan for the upcoming school year. We often meet at the Route 40 Diner over breakfast. This year, my heart was heavy with five words that were impressed upon me for my children. Five words that were beginning to define how we wanted to raise our children and that which we desired to impart to them.

This is not a list that sits on our desk but is impressed upon our hearts. They were manifested through reading God’s word, a reflection on how we were living our lives and how we were not, prayer, and who we are as God’s children.

Its how I desire to live my walk with God, my relationships with my family and neighbors, and our ministry… and what I want to impart to my children.

Identified. Called. Obedient. Influencing. Loving.

My understanding with what these words mean grows and deepens with my own walk. On the Sunday after Easter I had the opportunity to share with our church family a snapshot of these five things through a reflection of the appointed scripture reading. The heart of this message is based on the question “What is the most important thing you will do today?”

As a parent, I am responsible for the spiritual upbringing of my children. We teach, we admonish, we train, we nurture and we also help lead our children to an encounter with the risen Lord. In fact, at their Baptism, we made a commitment to help them grow in the knowledge and love of God, and in their responsibilities as members of his Church. To help understand “spiritual upbringing” and an “encounter with God”, consider Job and Thomas…

The story of Job unfolds as we understand who he is and his life goals, as he lives through and endures physical and emotional suffering, as he spends time before God and finally exclaims “My ears of heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Job has heard the report of God… but now he has physically, mentally, and spiritually encountered God. His response? Repentance.

Repentance is a mark of one who has encountered God. They have become identified with Christ. Their identity is in Christ.

The gospel of John for this Sunday is the passage that is often referred to as the story of doubting Thomas. Thomas doubted when he did not see. (Let’s not forget that it took Job 42 chapters before he saw!) But when he did encounter the Risen Lord, he fell down and cried out “My Lord and My God”. I would understand this to be the first recorded instance of the praise and worship of the Risen Lord.

A mark of one who has encountered God is praise and worship. They acknowledge His presence and humble themselves before him.

We can learn about God but we must be identified with His death and resurrection. We must be transformed and take on the image of Christ; identified with him.

We can know our gifts and our talents, inventory our interests and capabilities, but we must seek the calling and purpose of our Creator. We are called.

We can be obedient to the law, but we are not under the law. We must be obedient to the will and commands of God… out of love.

In the midst of our identity, our calling and our obedience we live a life of influence. We must go into the world…

And finally, love. Follow the way of love. Love of God, love of neighbor… the most excellent way.

Identified. Called. Obedient. Influencing. Loving.

It should be noted that the appointed readings for this Sunday are
Job 42:1-6
Acts 5:12a,17-22, 25-29
John 20:19-31

Encounter

A few Sunday’s ago, I ran into one of our former students. We were on our way home from church and stopping at the mini-mart to pick up supplies. I was walking across the parking lot among the traffic, cars, and the people. A young man was calling my name and walking towards me. I recognized him but just couldn’t remember his name. He quickly updated me on his life since graduation while his friend kept telling him to hurry up, people passed by and I started to feel uncomfortable. Things were not well for him.

He celebrated his 18th birthday with a drug arrest, he has a child, he’s confused, and he’s helpless and maybe even hopeless.

If you were approached by a family member, a friend, a neighbor who was reaching out for help… mentally, emotionally and spiritually battered and abused; what would you do?

His court date was in a few days, his child was living apart from him, he was moving from house to house, lacks a job… What would you do? What would you say to this young man?

I froze and gave him the safest and easiest answer… “I’ll pray for you”. He thanked me and we went our separate ways. The cock crowed. The man lay on the side of the road and I made a commitment to pray for him when I was in the safety of my home. I did the least I could do to the least of them. God forgive me.

My commitment is to find this man and respond to God, with or without words, in thought and deed.

Catching Up and Kicking Out

It’s been several weeks since I made a posting about Bible Released Time. We didn’t have class for three weeks in a row and that threw me out of kilter. First, my chronic back problem put me on the floor and out of commission, then we celebrated Easter, and then I was out of town. We’ve been back in the saddle but not without incidence.

We did have the pizza party for the class. Wicked Pizza. At the end, four of the boys thought it would be cute to sneak out the back door; they returned but then 3 of the 4 thought it would doubly cute to hide when the bus came. A sad state of their hearts to express their gratitude with abject disobedience.

I would have left them but by time I called the school to have security take care of it, they ran out. As I sat in class, a bit angry, the three versus that came to mind were

Proverbs 29:18
Matthew 7:6
Matthew 10:14

Needless to say, they have been removed from class. I will talk more about this in a future post; but, for now, will say that we have seen greater interest in the word and perhaps even the hints of spiritual fruit among those remaining in the class. Amen!

The Food Pyramid of Evil

If the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, what is food?

Scripture is chalked full of major examples where food is the source of temptation: Adam and Eve, Cain, the Israelites wandering the in the desert, Jesus in the wilderness, the early church.

My prayer for the BRT class is that they would desire to encounter God as much as they desire a pizza party. Yes, the overwhelming desire and overt demand of the class is to have a pizza party… now.

How many times do you suppose Jesus was frustrated with the disciples that they just didn’t get it? I needed a guide to help me understand where the class is coming from, so I came up with this food pyramid of evil.

Pride is a garden variety sin. It’s putting yourself in the place of God. Adam and Eve wanted to know good and evil. We want to decide what is good or evil… we say we have no sin.

Self-Centeredness is being so consumed with your wants and desires that you ignore the needs of others.

Self-Absorption is close to self-centeredness. It is being so consumed with your needs, circumstances, etc. that you ignore the needs of others.

Idolatry is putting some thing in the place of God. It might be food but it is also entertainment, money, your job, …

Have you taken your daily allowance? Have you had your three square meals? Are you using the pyramid to determine your menu for tomorrow?

Wicked Pizza

A wicked generation seeks a pizza.

What motivates you to learn more about God and the Holy Scriptures? A relationship with the Creator of the Universe, a deeper knowledge of the Word of Life… comfort in time of sorrow, protection in time of trouble, provision in time of need, love in our time and in eternity…? Or perhaps a pizza?

In our last class, we spoke of the nature of prayer. I challenged the class to remember the seven types of prayer. And to then to define each of the types of prayer. If they could do this, we committed to a pizza party by the end of the year.

At least three members of the class made an attempt! The attempt involved online research and they pulled down some quality information. However, no one found definitions for each of the seven we discussed and no one was able to provide a response without the “cheat sheets”. If it was a closed-book test, everyone would have failed. With an open book, they may have pulled off a “C”.

I agreed that Travis would judge the outcome. He is more generous than I and granted an “A”. Its an opportunity for me to learn more about grace.

Some Loose Ends:

A pizza party is of particular significance as I cut off all donuts, snacks, and the usual food we partake in during class. At least three members of the class stole drinks from the church refrigerator early in the school year. Only one was caught. All experienced the consequences. The student that was caught was given an opportunity to repent and apologize. He refused. Ultimately his behavior got him kicked out of school. The other students never stepped forward to acknowledge their sin.

Initial Results

If you were asked to actively seek and encounter God… then report back what happened; what would you have to say? A miraculous healing? A burning bush? A stone tablet?

The BRT class provided, once again, a snapshot of the state of the church… lethargic, apathetic, superficial, without expectation.

Three answers were extracted from the group. These answers can be categorized into three buckets: a lie, the trifle and superficial.

Lies. Why do we attribute things to God that are clearly not from Him? It’s nothing less than blasphemy. In our desire to please man, to showcase our religion, we cast swine before pearls.

The Trifle. It is no less a sin to make a mockery of God’s power by manipulating our conscience, our outcomes in accordance to our will in His name. The smallness of our expectation, the smallness of our encounter, the smallness of our hope is an affront to the power of the resurrection.

Superficial. If it has a bushy tail and lives in a tree… it must be Jesus. So goes the Sunday School joke. We relentlessly believe the right answer must be prayer. How do we encounter God? Pray. What should we do next? Pray. Someone is sick, what should we do? Pray. Prayer is not the wrong answer… it’s just the easy answer. Maybe God desires us to sacrifice, to give all we have to the poor, to visit the sick, to take a meal to their house, to suffer and persevere, to live in the hope of the resurrection.

In fact, this is all prayer. Prayer is a superficial answer because we have only a superficial understanding of what it is and what it means. Prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.

There were two more points about prayer that we discussed.

Sin hinders our prayer. In fact, Jesus is the one Mediator between God and man. God cannot be approached if we deny Jesus. We deny Jesus by thought and deed, with or without words.

There are seven principal types of prayer: adoration, praise, thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession and petition.

What is the mark of one who encounters God?

Repentance.

There of those who live among us without proper housing, food, heat… there are broken, oppressed, lonely, addicted, dying… and then the lost. What shall we do, then? Repent.

When we encounter God and experience his holiness, we will be broken and humble. We will repent. Then we will shine as a light in the world. And even one day shine like the sun.

Respond to God.

You can find more on prayer in the catechism.

http://anglicansonline.org/basics/catechism.html#Prayer%20and%20Worship

The Challenge

What if you actively sought to encounter God every day? How would you do that? What would your life look like? What would your world look like?

The Bible provides thousands of years of history of man’s encounter with God… from the intimacy of Adam and Eve’s relationship with God in the Garden to the disciples fellowship with the risen Lord. And there is everything in between and beyond.

We see God actively pursuing and redeeming his creation, intersecting the lives of ordinary men and women in ordinary circumstances. We see a God who speaks to us through His word, His creation, through believers, through unbelievers, through our circumstance and through the supernatural and miraculous.

Are we seeking? Watching? Listening? Prepared?

On March 2, 2007 Travis challenged the BRT class to seek and listen. The Challenge is to actively seek the risen Lord, to encounter God. From there, we expect the extraordinary. The tactical “assignment” was to write down, on one side of paper, your “questions for God”… to speak to God. On the other side, to write down what you hear. Then, report back what happened.

God promises us if we seek we shall find.

The class seemed engaged. Will anyone complete the assignment?

What is Bible Released Time (BRT)?

BRT, also known as Released Time Bible Education is an off-campus religious instruction program. Bible Released Time recognizes and reinforces the constitutionally protected right of parents to direct the religious education of their children. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the program.

In Brownsville, we have been doing BRT at the high school since 1995. This program is sponsored by the Brownsville Area Ministerial Association (BAMA). Our goal is to teach students the truth of God’s word so they may apply it to their lives.

For more information on Released Time Bible Education, please see www.releasedtime.org

What’s the most important thing you will do today?

That’s the question I posed to the Bible Released Time class on February 23, 2007. This simple question was the culmination of prayer, contemplation, scripture, conversation, inspiration, and teaching. The week before, Travis and I discussed an experiment where we would challenge the class to prayer for and write about a deepening relationship with God. That same week, I was impressed with a sermon on the intersection of the ordinary and extraordinary. Specifically, from Luke 9:27.

What does a life look like in the realm of the ordinary? In the extraordinary? When does that intersection occur? Why would I seek to lead an ordinary life? How does one lead an extraordinary life? … What’s the most important thing I will do today?

There were only three answers from the class, all were good or honest. (1) Pray (2) Work (3) Nothing.

You might conclude that these three answers represent three general categories: the spiritual, the worldly and the unconcerned.

The unconcerned or complacent or self-righteous truly don’t have a ”most important thing”. They have a need; they meet that need and then move to the next need. There is not time or necessity to consider anything beyond their immediate existence.

The worldly are more focused or very focused. They likely have a list, they may have goals. The list and the goals will often be material in nature and may include finances, work, home, vacation, groceries, etc.

The spiritual may be godly or ungodly, they may have lists or not, have an internal or external focus… they tend to be focused on becoming perfect. The questions are: In What? And Why and then How?

What are you seeking perfection in? love, righteousness, manners, morality, relationship,…?

Why are you seeking perfection? For the eyes of God or man?

How are you seeking perfection? Practicing virtues, practicing the law, … or are you being set free and made righteous… made holy… made perfect.

What is the most important thing you will do today?

Encounter God.