This is from Unstoppable Force, by Erwin McMannus:

“As with each individual, there is a difference between living and existing for the church. The life of the church is the heart of God. The heart of God is to serve a broken world. When Jesus wrapped a towel around his waist, he reminded us that only he could wash away our sin. The church cannot live when the heart of God is not beating within her. God’s heartbeat is to seek and save that which is lost. The church exists to serve as the body of Christ, and it is through this commitment to serve that we are forced to engage our culture.
The serving that we are called to requires direct contact. You cannot wash the feet of a dirty world if you refuse to touch it. There is a sense of mystery to this, but it is in serving that the church finds her strength. When she ceases to serve the world around her, she begins to atrophy.”

I read that last week and I have not been able to get the image out of my head of the church, standing up to its waste in dirt and filth and just looking at each other with disgusted looks on their face, unwilling to be the vessels that clean up the mess.
I love the story in John 4 where Jesus goes up to the Samaritan woman and asks her for a drink. Jesus didn’t sit back and wait for this woman to come to Him, He initiated the conversation. The Pharisees and even His disciples sat back and saw this woman as “dirty” they marveled at the fact that Jesus was speaking with a woman...who was a Samaritan, who was an adulteress. But Jesus saw her need and gave her hope of a life filled with more then the every day monotony of the here and now.
Each day we have a choice...serve God or serve ourselves? Make choices that push us toward American “success” or make choices that push people into the arms of their loving Father. I don’t want to be afraid of touching this world...I want to wash their feet.

Lines Scribbled on an Envelope While Riding the 104 Broadway Bus

Lot's of thoughts stirring in my head right now...I will be posting (soon) about the amazing chain of events that happened this weekend that proves to me (yet again) that God is so big and he cares so much about each and every one of us. It amazes me how he weaves us into the fabric of each other's lives in order to touch each of our hearts in a special way and in order to use us to touch others.
My uncle has been reading poetry to us each night (what a guy, huh?) and he read this one a few nights ago that I keep replaying over and over in my head...it really touched me and I wanted to share it...

Lines Scribbled on an Envelope While Riding the 104 Broadway Bus
By Madeline L'Engle

There is too much pain
I cannot understand
I cannot pray
I cannot pray for all the little ones with bellies bloated by starvation in India;
for all the angry Africans striving to be separate in a world struggling for wholeness;
for all the young Chinese men and women taught that hatred and killing are good and compassion evil;
or even all the frightened people in my own city looking for truth in pot or acid.

Here I am
and the ugly man with beery breath beside me reminds me that it is not my prayers that waken your concern, my Lord;
my prayers, my intercessions are not to ask for your love
for all your lost and lonely ones,
your sick and sinning souls,
but mine, my love, my acceptance of your love.
Your love for the woman sticking her umbrella and her expensive parcels into my ribs and snarling, "Why don't you wants where you are going?"
Your love for the long-haired, gum chewing boy who shoves the old lady aside to grab a seat,
Your love for me, too, too tired to look with love,
to tired to look at Love, at you, in every person on the bus.
Expand my love, Lord, so I can help to bear the pain,
help your love move my love into the tired prostitute with false eyelashes and bunioned feet,
the corrupt policeman with his hand open for graft,
the addict, the derelict, the woman in the mink coat and discontented mouth,
the high school girl with heavy books and frightened eyes.

Help me through these scandalous particulars
to understand
your love.

Help me to pray.