flatirons teaching team

This has been an amazing season in the life of our little church. Yes, I said little church. I’ve been to enough sporting events to know that people gather in great number to celebrate what they are passionate about. I grew up in a town where 24,000 of us would fill an arena twice a week to cheer on “Big Blue”. I now live in a town where 75,000 gather regularly to cheer on the Broncos. We topped over 11,000 people a couple weeks ago and had over 10 again this past weekend. Which is significant, but I sure hope we aren’t satisfied. There is work to be done, people to reach out to, and many broken and hurting people that still believe if there is a God, he certainly wouldn’t want to have anything to do with them. Jesus said “open up your eyes and look at the fields! they are ripe for the harvest” John 4:35. So lets not fall into the trap of thinking we’ve somehow arrived. Lets certainly not fall into the religious trap of “circling the wagons” and trying to preserve what we have at the expense of reaching more people. What God is doing here is just that, WHAT GOD IS DOING. We can’t manufacture it, and we can’t do it, we are just along for the ride, called to be faithful with what He has entrusted us with. People’s lives are being transformed, homes are being rebuilt, relief is being delivered to those in need, here and around the world, we are throwing an extravagant party for the marginalized in our community, and God keeps revealing Himself in new and fresh ways to us. So my question is simple: Why? As I read the Bible, its clear that not everyone is granted a gift like this. Not everyone gets to see God move in such extraordinary ways in their local church, or even in their own lives. Jeremiah certainly didn’t experience what we are experiencing. Even Paul’s great successes were born out of tremendous suffering and persecution that is honestly foreign to us. So why has God decided to use our little church to make a big difference? I don’t know what makes God look best? Using a bunch of broken messed up people like us meeting in an old feed store in Lafayette, Colorado or using a bunch of shiny happy people in some big cathedral? I think God using “tools” like us makes the Him “the carpenter” look all the more skilled, all the more amazing, all the more faithful, all the more glorious. So why? I think God is using us because using people like us, makes Him look good! And He is very good.

God is doing an amazing thing in and through us who are a part of Flatirons Community Church. This past weekend we presented the idea of throwing a party that would demonstrate what the heart of God looks like. We said that throwing a party for the most overlooked, marginalized people in our culture would help demonstrate 3 truths.
1) Jesus values ALL people
2) the proud get humbled and the humble get elevated
3) God wants to party with those who’ve never been invited to a party.

So we introduced the concept of throwing a party for those in our community with special needs. People 16 and up who have mental and or physical disabilities. Flatirons community church responded in such a huge way to the idea of shining a light on who God is and what He is like that we’ve now had to add a second night of shine! If you want to volunteer sign up now, if you know someone who should attend as one of our guests, sign them up now! Its going to be an amazing demonstration of Luke 14:12-14 and Matthew 25:34-40.

I’ve been to Haiti twice. Its been 12 years since I’ve been there but I will never forget the poverty. I will never forget how desperate the living conditions were. I will never forget trying to fall asleep every night as the voodoo drums echoed off the exterior walls of the compound we stayed in. In the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Haiti Pat Robertson commented about how this was a curse brought down on the Haitian people because they made a deal with the devil while under French rule. While it is true that in Haiti there is a significant amount of devil worship, occult activity and idolatry, Pat Robertson is wrong. Pat Robertson is wrong if Jesus is right. The fundamental question Robertson was trying to answer is “why did this happen?” and he gave a pretty typical response. Basically saying, bad things happen to you when you do bad things which assumes that good things happen to you if you do good things. Jesus gave a different answer to the question. In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus addresses it in the context of some recent catastrophic events. Pilate had some worshippers slaughtered as they were making their sacrifices and a tower fell on and killed 18 people. Jesus says to his listeners, “do you think those people were worse sinners than you?”. Its a rhetorical question, the answer is no. Pat Robertson was basically saying “those Haitians are worse sinners than us so that’s why this happened”. Jesus says differently. Jesus would say “do you think those Haitians are worse sinners than you American’s? No, I tell you but unless you repent you will all perish”. Catastrophic events like the earthquake in Haiti or Katrina several years ago are not a result of a group of people’s personal sin. Which runs contrary to so many statements made during tragedies, where religious people begin doing what they do best, pointing out the sin in other people’s lives, and blaming them for everything wrong in the world while conveniently ignoring the sin in their own life. Jesus had a lot to say about that didn’t he? Events like the earthquake in Haiti are certainly because of sin, ALL OF OUR SIN. We live in a fallen condemned world, and its like Jim and I have said so many times. If God were interested in condemning us, all He would have to do is nothing. Because all of creation is as Romans 8:20 “subject to decay” and as Romans 8:22 tells us “groaning”. Jesus said in Matthew 24:7-8 that there will be famines and earthquakes. This is all the devastating result of sin. The fallout of sin has massive effects on all of our lives including the ground we walk on. Which is why events like we are witnessing in Haiti should as Jesus said remind all of us to turn our hearts to Him. Why? Because as Jim quoted this past week from John 3:17, Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn us, but to save us. Because “the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:21). Because there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) Because God is close to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in Spirit. (Psalm 34:18). Which is why it would have been more helpful for Pat Robertson to answer the question “why did this happen?” the way Jesus answered it, the way the Bible answers it and strangely enough Jesus’ answer is more helpful. So I’m going with Jesus on this one.

Hey everyone, we have had many people inquire as to how we can help with the disaster in Haiti. We are directing people to Food for the Hungry which has a base of operations in Haiti. So you can check them out here www.fh.org

I recently went to see the movie “invictus”. Invictus is latin for “unconquered”. My opinion on the movie is not important. I hope you will take into account the opinion of the Bible in regards to the poem by William Ernest Henley that the movie took its title from. The poem is quoted a few times throughout the movie. Here it is:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”

Do you see the problem? Am I the “master of my fate”? Am I “the captain of my soul”? I hope not. If I am the master of my fate, if I am the captain of my soul, I am in serious trouble. I cannot get through most days without feeling like I can’t get it all done. I can’t through many hours of each day without feeling inadequate. I can’t get through many minutes of each hour without coming to grips with the fact that I am flawed, deeply. Thankfully God says He is the master of my fate and the captain of my soul all throughout scripture, one of those places being James 4:13-16 I would rather it be that way. Wouldn’t you?

The word “margin” means “the edge or border of something”. God has always been concerned with the margins of our lives because its in the margin that we can help the marginalized. Deuteronomy 24:19-22 is just one of the places that God makes this clear. While most of us don’t have fields, olives or grapes to harvest the teaching isn’t hard to apply. Unfortunately most of us haven’t been taught to live this way. In fact most Americans live lifestyles that can’t be sustained by their income. Could this be one of the reasons we are so stressed out? I think so. God doesn’t command us to live beneath our means, only to take care of others (although that would be reason enough) but also to take care of us. Living beneath our means so that we can spend more on what matters most is a great way to live, a healthy way to live and a sustainable way to live. I’ve always loved what Jim taught several years ago in one of our financial series, “the space between what you make and what you spend is called margin, also called peace”. Its in the margin that we will find the heart of God, and in the margin we will find peace.

Check out this service we did a couple years ago called “resolution”. Just scroll down to January 5/6 2008 and either listen or watch

http://www.flatironschurch.com/messages/messages_2008.php

My son got the batman tower he was hoping for (which is an obvious copy of the Castle Grey Skull I got when I was a kid). My daughter got the “glow doodle” she was hoping for. My wife got the sweater she wanted, and I got some Kentucky wildcats gear I was hoping for. Silas (the 6 month old) got a new bib or something. He didn’t seem to care. But for the rest of us, that feeling has already hit. You know the one I’m talking about don’t you? I used to hate the empty feeling at the end of Christmas. All the presents have been opened, remnants of wrapping paper are everywhere, something has already been broken, there is a pile of things that need to be returned because they don’t fit etc.. As a kid I hated that feeling of “its over, it will be another year before the next one”. Now I actually think that feeling, that “let down” if you will is beautiful. Its beautiful because its a reminder that if we hope in toys (be they for the young or the old) we will never be satisfied. Jesus said it well, when He said in Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” There is something better to hope for and someone better to hope in.

I received this story following this weekends services: Hey Scott,

Me and my husband Paul told you a little about our story after the 6:30 service tonight and you asked to hear more. I should have warned you that I type as fast as I can think so this might get long.
A few years ago we tried to start our family. After trying for 1 month we got pregnant. At 7 weeks we found out there were problems but the doctors said, “well, maybe we are off and you are only 5 weeks…come back in 2 weeks and we’ll see.” 2 weeks later there was still no heartbeat. We had gotten to experience the roller coaster of pregnancy for exactly 9 weeks.
Fast forward a year and half later of temping, charting, peeing on sticks, joining on-line support groups, trying not to pay attention to the bad statistics and clinging to all the statistics that ended in happy, healthy, thriving children and we’re at November 2008. We had finally decided enough was enough, we would adopt. From where we weren’t sure but decided to fill out an application for Chinese adoption. Some friends of ours told us New Life in the Springs was doing an adoption seminar that weekend. So with our application filled out, we went down just to see. Just to give ourselves some good hard questions to ask ourselves if we were truly ready to adopt. If we were truly ready to give up on having a child “of our own”, a child with our genes. Turns out, that seminar wasn’t just about adoption, it was about adopting from foster care. We then heard the numbers. 127,000 in foster care in the US alone. 550 in Colorado. 30% of the children that age out every year (meaning turn 18 with out having been adopted) and go where? To the streets. To homeless shelters. To nowhere. They just get lost. While only 2% of those children go on to college. Our hearts turned instantly. We didn’t have to question each other. We both knew. We had a calling and an empty bedroom to answer. We went to the tables and picked up flyers. Boulder County Foster was there so we picked up some information. Didn’t say much to anybody…just gathered flyers to sort out later. There was an informational meeting in a couple weeks. We decided to go, just to get some more information. There we found out about an orientation meeting. We decided to go, just to get some more information. From there we found we could start a home study and sign up for the 3-day class in January. By March we were certified to foster sibling groups. We had a really hard time with the age cut off since so few people will take children over 10. We knew we couldn’t handle much but we also knew there were sibling groups that would be seperated. We told them if there was an older sibling that would be split up, call us. April 9th, Good Friday, we got the call. 3 siblings, 2 girls, 7 yrs and 10yrs, and a boy, 4 years. They’d already found a home for the boy. Because we only had one bedroom, we could only have the girls. They told us they were rastafarian and some of the kids have dreads. I don’t know the first thing about non-dreaded hair! By 5:00pm they were at our house. Scared, barely clothed and hungry. The first thing we found out was that they were vegans. We never realized before that moment how much meat we really consume!
They had one bag of clothes between the two of them. All the rest of their clothes, toys and belongings were in the car the police had confiscated when they arrested their parents before their eyes and didn’t let them say good-bye. I still don’t know the details of why or how they came onto the radar. I was given a few versions but it’s not our place to judge. Our place is to love on the kids while the parents deal with their treatment plans in order to get the kids back. We got permission to take them to Flatirons Church that first weekend. They were scared, it was totally new and unknown to them, but they did great. Fast forward 9 weeks later and I’m sitting in court. I had been prepped by the case worker, Brenda, that they were going to request to send the kids back. I was heart broken. I didn’t think the parents were ready. I didn’t think it was going to be good for the kids. But I also didn’t have all the pieces. The judge said “yes” and their parents about leaped out of their chairs with excitement. Me and the foster mom for little brother sat in the back row holding hands. I was crying, of course. And that was that. The kids were to return home the next evening. The night they were to go home, exactly 9 weeks (sound familiar) I would no longer be a “mother”. My kids would be gone and our home would be empty again. The case worker called me again. Something happened and the worker that was supposed to take the kids home couldn’t make it. Would we mind driving the kids to their new house? ABSOLUTELY! We packed up the truck as fast as we could. We got the address and headed down. We played a guess-what-your-new-address-is-gonna-be game on the way there. We talked about their new bedrooms and how happy they would all be back together again. Inside a little part of me was trying not to mourn until I had to. We got there and their parents were coming in and out of the house unpacking little brother’s stuff from the car and the kids squealed with delight. Paul and I both climbed out and hugged them and expressed how much we had loved having their girls in our home. We also told them “we embrace them as a family unit and are here to support them in any way possible.” We got to exchange phone numbers, we got to meet their dogs, we got to see their bedrooms and best of all – we could drive past their house anytime we wanted! Their parents were a little taken aback by our love and acceptance of them. We have since gone back and had dinner at their house. They have since come to our house for dinner-vegan spaghetti. I’ve exchanged cookbooks with their mom. And best of all, was told by their crying father that we are welcome in their home anytime because of our love for their family. Our differences aren’t what matters. Whether we believe in their fears of food coloring, big corporations and the government control doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we love them and accept them and embrace them. Dreads and all.
We are not the same people we were one year ago. We have found the joys, hard ships, excitement, heart breaks, love, hate, acceptance, forgiveness, every emotion you can think of and we can not resist going back for more. For us, partly, but mostly because we get to embrace the families that need it most WHEN they need it the most.
In July, after a month break from fostering, we called our case worker to let her know we were ready for another round. We firmly believe there should be waiting families, NOT waiting children. That same phone call landed our 2nd placement. And just like that we’re back on the roller coaster. I can see the hand of God working in this case. But most of all, I can see the hand of God working in my own heart. Selfishly we want to adopt every child that comes into our home, but after our first placement we understand the magnitude of the decisions made every day by the judges, case workers, guardian ad litems, and all the other workers that are assigned to each and every case. I email with Toby about every month and am on the prayer chain about our current placement. I can see, weekly, the hand of God moving in our case. It’s amazing, the peace He gives us every time.
I can’t promise it will be easy. I can’t promise it will end up in adoption. I can’t promise it won’t tear the hearts of our church out. I can’t promise that it will feel rewarding each time. But I can promise you that in the lives of those children to have a loving home to go to and not have to be placed in a group home-it’s worth it. Please keep challenging our church. I will also talk to Sheryl Driscoll and Boulder County to see if there might be something more I can do. I would love to have one of those “informational meetings” at Flatirons to make the prospect available to more people. Do you think that might be possible?

Sorry this is so long. Told you I could type fast.
Cheri’ (& Paul)

Tim Keller says “Christmas shows us that God is not just concerned about spiritual problems but physical problems too. So we can talk about redeeming people from guilt and unbelief, as well as creating safe streets and affordable housing for the poor, in the same breath. Because Jesus Himself is not just a spirit but also has a body, the gift of Christmas is a passion for justice.”