Pastor Harvey Carey from Detroit came to Trinity Lutheran last November to speak about overcoming odds and fearlessly reaching out to the poor and "unclean" as Christ did. His message was certainly loud, but also stirring and invigorating. He brought a room full of conservative Lutherans (a group that I have discovered is hard pressed to clap in church for fear of being irreverent) to their feet, clapping and shouting! This is no small feat!
Add to that, about a two months ago I started listening to Pastor Christopher Brooks (from Evangel Church in Detroit) on FaithTalk 1500AM on the way to picking up the kids from school. I tuned in to get a feel for the voices we would be sharing the airwaves with and Pastor Brooks caught my ear because he reminded me of Harvey Carey. I was captivated by the theme of his message which held Christians accountable for living according to the faith they claim to believe. He posed the question, "Are there any REAL Christians?" The point was that if you call yourself a Christian, you need to match your theology with your reality. Live your faith! We all know that is easier said than done sometimes. We are great talkers, but it takes much more to be a walker. Pastor Brooks reminded me that Scripture contains all the answers to our questions about how to live. In order to align our lives with God, we must apply Biblical principles to our relationships, our jobs, our trip to the grocery store, our kids, our enemies, etc. We gotta walk the faith!
Sometimes I find myself laughing out loud as this young, energetic, dare I say, SPAZTIC preacher reaches into my heart with the Word of God. Typically, I'm jamming to Dave Matthews or Sanctus Real or Usher, but there is something about this preacher that keeps me tuning in. He's convicting, passionate, loud, energetic and overflowing with love for the Lord. At times, I wonder how the words and anecdotes keep flying out of him so quickly. I mean sometimes this guy is ON FIRE and his words flow freely and rapidly and I find myself moving my head with his words like I'm in some sort of trance!!! It's hilarious! When he gets revved up, there is something so pure about it, that I find myself wanting to jump out of the drivers seat and stand on the roof of my car proclaiming Christ like some sort of raving Jesus freak.
I know it sounds crazy. Growing up, this was exactly the kind of thing we would make jokes about. Gospel preachers from Detroit were just funny. The epitome of Jesus freaks and Bible thumpers. I heard it said that the only time people "found Jesus" was on the heels of some ill-fated circumstance. Alcoholism, car wreck, cancer…ah ha! Jesus! There were wacky screaming evangelists and guys who hit rock bottom and used this Jesus as a crutch to crawl out of the pit. Sadly, I think we believed this because there just weren't many Christians who actively demonstrated and lived their faith in the good times. Example is a powerful witness. Sometimes I think we Christians should shut our yappers and start living right! (Ironic, considering we started a radio show to flap our yappers, but I think you get me. If you don't, I'm sure you'll let me know!)
There is a well-kept secret that every person learns eventually. The pit is ever before you. Whether you trip, get shoved, or take a leisurely stroll, you will find yourself there in this life. My five kids were between the ages of four and nine when they found themselves in the pit. Tommy Schomaker was essentially born there. I fell in a few times, but got stuck there when I was 31 and hung out for a while. The pit presents a fantastic opportunity to know God, but not everyone gets to know him on good terms. Some people blame him for being in the pit and fail to consider that he knows the way out. Others not only rely on God to get them out, but they take their gratitude to the extreme, devoting their life to him, only to be called a Jesus freak or a Bible thumper.
There are worse things... I only hope people see something in us Christians that they want to have for themselves. Our example turns the key... the questions is does it lock or unlock the door to knowing Christ?
The embedded link below poses the question, "What are you gonna do about Jesus?" I think it's worth a watch. It's a thought provoking 3 minutes. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
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