Actions in Truth = LOVE!

Its amazing the support that comes when the option for life flees.

In the early stages our Dr. had warned us, "your daughter will likely act much different with attention." She has and does. Hence our concern for how she would handle the ABSOLUTE BLESSING that Friday June 3rd was. Hundreds of people coming to show their support physically by going to City Park in Tremont, eating food, playing music, selling baked goods, playing on bouncers, having a hillbilly olympics (Only in Tremont by the way), and going to a swim party to cap it off.

So, we spent the week praying with and over Jada and Oliver in the hopes that they would be gracious and thankful for everything that was done for us. Michelle Monk was the quasi-mastermind behind the whole event. Which is to say she was more or less helped organize it. It was fueled by students. Can you believe it! High school students ... you know ... teens. They often get accused of being apathetic, lazy, (insert the adjective). That could not be FURTHER from the truth last week. We found that they were passionate, hard working, and deeply caring.

In an earlier post I spoke of at least three things which have sustained us in this journey: Christ, community, and confession. It is Tim Chester and Steve Timmis in their book Total Church who say, "we are called to a dual fidelity, Gospel and Community." Community, in the truest sense is fleshed out for us in Acts 2 where the author tells us that the community was "together and had all things in common and shared as any had need." Jessica and I believe firmly that the depth of love we have experienced is first God's design in nearness, secondly its a byproduct of faith in Jesus, and thirdly - its one of the characteristics of Tremont as a community. However, none of it happens without the first element that Chester and Timmis propose - Gospel.

It is the good news of Jesus: His life on earth carried out in perfection, His death on the cross as an act of perfect obedience, and His resurrection to deliver the Holy Spirit. Truly, when Christ said, "greater love has no man than this - that he lay down his life for his friends" He MEANT it at the deepest level. So it is with Jessica and I. Many have said, "we love you and are praying continually for you." I John 3:18 says, "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth." We have experienced the Gospel worked out in Community not simply because Tremont is a great town to live in (though we don't deny it) BUT because there are MANY in Tremont who take seriously this notion that God - through the Gospel compels us to live in Community... and things like the Party in the Park are a natural outflow of Gospel intake.

Now, to the reader who reads this and thinks community at this level is of a bygone era: have you considered what life would look like if we lived like this always? Consider, for a moment, just Northfield Christian Fellowship - the church where I serve as youth pastor - is it not possible that the entire body be sold out to the transforming power of the Gospel? If they be sold out to that, what then becomes of their lives? Well, they are shared. Shared in the deepest sense - warts and all. Knowing that it is not how I appear to you - to be controlled in fear or people pleasing, but that in God my righteousness is found. How free would you be to love recklessly (not without discernment or wild abandon, but with actions and in truth), to share authentically, and to walk faithfully?

Our (The Rumbold Family) view of God's love has been irreparably influenced by the Gospel in action through community. Would you not desire the same? Why is Christianity not lived like this from day to day? post your thoughts below - is this blog helping you to understand Gospel and Community? My prayer is that it is a service to your understanding of Jesus Christ!

And you shall call his name...

Well, "nothing." That is what I continue to tell people as Jess and I revel in the blessing of a very amazing birth.

To be sure this little stretch of our lives has been hard but not void of blessing or grace. This morning was most poignant. We had prayed that the baby would come quickly when he came. The Lord saw fit to start labor at 4:30 am and have a child born to us by 6:23.

There are many things, to be sure, that I could share and desire to do so. But here is not the forum for that information. All anyone need know is that the birth was FAST, as painless as birth can be, and Jessica is doing VERY well.
He was 8lb 12oz. and 20.25inches long.

The irony here is that we were at home to deliver and I left less than 2 hours later to take Jada to St. Jude's for testing. Jada got to see her nameless baby brother and hold him before being readmitted once again (see yesterday's post: "Home was nice...But Jesus is Calling).

God's goodness continues to flow in two primary ways: one, Jada had a bone scan and brain MRI to check for bone cancer and brain cancer and both tests came back negative (AMAZING!). They have officially diagnosed Jada with a VERY RARE form of cancer called, "clear cell sarcoma of the kidney."

Today I held a baby, held the hand of my daughter through MRIs and CT scan's, and radiation simulations. After that I had the chance to meet with Dr. Al (our lead oncologist) - who delivered the results and walked me through all the side effects of treatment. Staggering!!! Jess and I will make final decisions on treatment tomorrow with chemotherapy and radiation likely to start Thursday. This means that while I love my little guy and my wife - I must be at the hospital with our firstborn during these VERY difficult days ahead. I am sleeping on a couch tonight listening to her breath and there is not a sweeter noise in all the earth.

So, if you are keeping track, that would effectively be both ends of the spectrum that Jess and I had the chance to walk through as a couple. God is good to give us this experience so we can comfort others and exalt the name of Christ.

Quality, Quantity or neither: you decide

Here's the deal, I sat this morning on a couch and watched the sunrise over a cup of coffee while reading a story in Luke chapter 7. I have read the story a number of times before, but this one was different. "Why?" you may ask. I'm glad you have an interest. The answer may surprise you.

In the story Jesus is at some prominent Pharisee's (Simon) home when a broken woman comes on the scene. Traditionally, this passage is taught in a "do you have messy stuff no-one else wants, come to Jesus and he will forgive you...and you will be SO APPRECIATIVE." which is not all bad, but bears closer scrutiny.

However, as I watched the sunrise I could not help but think God was trying loose the bonds of a sin caste system of sorts. This old method of teaching the passage almost always results in people who grew up with relatively "minor" sins casting an appraising glance at those "dirtier and deeper" sins in others.

Listen, that is not the point. Jesus, is getting at something much deeper when he says in 7:42, "...her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." The point is not that she was a prostitute and came to Jesus to be cleansed, although that is part of it. In a very elementary way Jesus is saying, "Simon (pharisee), she recognizes her need of me, you don't - therefore you extend little love to her."

So, brass tacks, what kind of damage are we talking here if I have lived apart from this understanding of forgiveness and love my whole life? Here it is: Its not how much (quantity) you sin, or how great (quality) your sin is; it IS whether you find in Jesus a REAL, LASTING, and PERFECT solution for ALL sin. For when you do you will be free to Love Much for you have been Forgiven Much. (The whole story is in Luke 7:36-50).

I invite your comments as to what you learned from this or how it challenged you.

What's worth imitating?

Just a night or two ago I had asked my daughter (Jada - 5yrs) to prepare for bedtime. I was beginning to get a little frustrated with her for not being instantaneously obedient (as nearly every 5yr old is, right?) and when I rounded the corner to show my urgency to her, this is what awaited me. It evoked a thought in me which shall take a moment to unravel, but bear with me as there is a great lesson in it for all us.

First, an explanation of the picture - these are polly pockets, a miniature doll which one can dress up and play with for hours: currently this would be my daughter's vice. What, you may ask do these toys have to do with anything? I am glad you asked, they have everything to do with anything.

Paul, an apostle of the Lord Jesus, writes to a church who is struggling to know their identity or who to follow. He encourages them in this way: "...but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate" (2 Thess. 3:9). So, shortly and simply put - discipleship must be imitation. Paul tells the church, "hey look, I have not got it perfect, but imitate me and that will lead you to Jesus."

These polly pockets are imitating something. Jessica (my wife) often works out and Jada imitates her, putting on work out clothes and doing push ups etc. The other night she placed these dolls on the floor, in formation so that they could do push ups with mom.
I encourage you, if you are a parent, lean in to those moments where your child is imitating you. It may just lead them to Jesus.

I invite your comments, share a story or let everyone know what God has been teaching you on this idea of disciplemaking in the home.