Encouragement

Hey people -- this week I just want to encourage you. We're such a scattered, needy people stretching to stay connected by infrequent meetings, communicating online, and occasional phone calls. Yet we have a sense that God may be doing something and that we may fit together somehow – to keep this sense fresh we need encouragement. I see so much possibility in our ragtag group, even now, so hopefully God will be able to get a sense of hope and purpose through to us (we all need it) and give us strength to move forward.

Christa and I are in PA with her family at the moment. We came here directly from seeing my grandma who is dying of cancer in central IN. Before that we were in southwestern Ohio finishing up the last JRL recording (we've recorded everything -- now it needs to be mixed).

Our lives continue to change. Christa and I are in a big transition with her finishing college and looking to the next season of life. The Charlottesville Project is in transition -- three founding members are leaving in a two-month period (which is about a third of our group) and two new people recently joined (a few others are looking at coming soon as well).

Part of the change in my life has been a shift away from making music as a primary focus. I'm doing more speaking to groups of people and working with leaders now, and I continue to see this theme of transition wherever I go. And maybe the truth is that we're always in transition, things are always changing. (A 70-year-old man in Ohio told me, "Son, fifty years ago we were preaching about change in the church and culture -- here today you're saying the same thing!") So, while it is true that the reality of change will never change, here are a few things that may help us in our current transition:

1. The 25% principle. Remember in his parable about the Kingdom Jesus assumed a 75% failure rate. We expect to succeed in life without failing, despite the overwhelming evidence that this is not possible. The good news is Jesus came for failures and people who have been burned (to heal, restore, and strengthen us). If we'll live in the Kingdom manner, generously planting what he's given us (seeds of vision, dreams, service, kindness, love, Jesus' message) the 25% that makes it will bring such an incredible return that it will be far more than worth the risk and failure we encounter regularly. In major transitions the "failure" rate is probably even higher, because you must spend more time listening, watching, and exploring during transitions. Let God take the pressure off you to succeed -- he's inviting us into a partnership where He defines success, and we follow him into the unexpected. (Mark 4:1-20)

2. Trust Transfers. During transitions there are so many new things happening that we're usually disoriented and not sure how to tell if we're being faithful or not. A trust transfer is when you look at one part of your life where you've grown and met God and transfer that trust in God towards another area where you are struggling or unsure. Remember that most of the areas where you have freedom, joy and effectiveness were not always that way. One way or another you grew into those things, and most likely Jesus was at work in the process in some unusual ways. Look for him in the new areas, dare to think the same God is there as well, even though you haven't seen him yet.

3. The DMZ. The “demilitarized zone.” It’s a name for one of the phases of transition I've been thinking about lately. A DMZ is a border space between two countries that are at war. No fighting is allowed in the DMZ, but it's a scary no man's land where you can't really settle and everything is up in the air (your identity, your allegiance, your purpose, etc). The human tendency is to try to rush through it and get to some place where things are more clear and you're not between warring factions (the way things are and the way things are becoming). I believe God invites or even challenges us not to rush through the DMZ, but to take our time. Part of what happens in this phase of transition is that we grieve what we're losing or have lost. Whether the change is personal (a friend's death, the end of a job, a move, etc) or corporate (major changes in a family, business, church or wider culture) it's really important to recognize and mourn (allow ourselves to feel bad about) what we're losing. I've been doing that personally as I'm wrapping up JRL (a musical project that I've been pretty focused on for the last 5 years). It's sad. Some dreams I had are dead, they won't happen how I thought they would. It's good not only to let go of that, but also to allow myself to feel sad about it. On a larger scale, seeing my grandma dying is a similar challenge. Will I face what I'm losing and let myself feel sad about it, or rush on with life (maybe getting busy-er and busier and in so doing forget about those griefs)?

I welcome your conversation. More on how these principles relate specifically to the DSC next week.


Jonathan