This was written in February 25th of 2014 and updated today; March 4th 2015. The main point of editing today was the conversion of MwM from an “I“- reference to a “we”-reference. This was due to my discovery of a community that I had not seen in existence in 2014. Not that it wasn’t there, I just had not seen it yet.

Exodus 3:1-15

Yesterday, my fourth grandchild was born reminding me of one of the reasons I began writing. I simply wanted to let my children’s children and their children know who I was. Arrogant? Presumptuous? Whatever the motive, it felt primal. Even though I knew my grandparents, (and even one set of great grandparents), I really didn’t know them, at least not as I would have liked. I have found myself wishing that I knew how my family thought – to have been able to read some of their letters and listen in on more of their conversations.  I would have truly loved to know their dreams and their prayers. I would have liked to know what had broken their hearts and what had helped them to heal (or, as was the case in my family, prevented them from healing). These are the types of things that reveal who a person really is. My interviews have yielded some of the where’s and the what’s but I really wanted to know more of the why’s behind things, you might say “the rest of the story” or the “back” story.

So…Dear Grandson (more specifically “HUDson”), today’s words are for you and our progeny.

A year ago, I think I was being recruited to write an adult teaching curriculum for a local church. Today, in retrospect I’m not really sure what that was. To this date I am still thinking, “Really?!” I am not sure if the recruiter knew how unqualified I was (by their tribe’s standards of “teacher” to be a teacher of their teachers. The users of this curriculum would have likely been more biblically literate than I.  Just because a person has been generating hundreds of words a day of devotional thoughts and story does not necessarily qualify them as a teacher (in the sense that they might think of one.). I might in fact be a crank. I have folks near and dear to me who are concerned I am headed for full-blown crank status with my so-called walk with Jesus outside the confines or organized Christianity. Ouch. I’m telling you, that’ll make an owie for sure!

Most teachers are very dedicated to supporting their assertions of truth with bible passages. I think of this as propositional truth. Propositional truth is the stuff of which convictions are made. Convictions regarding propositional truths can and frequently are proclaimed without a trace of love for others. This type of proclaiming is all about being right. Even though it is done with ardent zeal, without real time stories of resurrection life as its byproduct, this type of proclaiming is not much more than whistling in the dark and yet it is the hallowed centerpiece of the shrinking community we know of as western evangelical Christianity. The academically refined proclamation of propositional truth can be nothing more than a fear-based noise which is wholly discordant with Father’s heart. I speak as the former chief of whistlers.

Here in the MwM community, while honoring the scripture, we believe we are called to also make assertions of truth with our lives. This is what story means to us -the living-outcome of being personally discipled by Jesus – the reporting of Christ’s resurrected spirit doing his inside-out transformational work in us – the living stones with which he is building. The evidence that authentic discipleship (i.e. walking with Jesus) is actually happening is that His Word, which first appears to most of us as proposition is becoming actual life through faith.

Based on the absence of it in the models of proclamation I have sampled, the idea of our stories as valid vehicles of proclamation is apparently taught in seminaries as heretical practice #1. FYI: Seminaries are the place where institutional leaders are trained to learn and defend the propositional tenants of our faith. They come out of seminary with some degree of mastery of propositional truth. Typically with zeal they launch into their mission to train up other faithful men in doing the same  as they (if that is even possible with mere laymen). I often think what might Jesus have accomplished if only we would have had seminaries. (some sarcasm intended.)

Jesus’ understanding of discipleship was (and is) radically discordant with our traditions and practices. First of all he left. Then he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell us. The reality of His indwelling Spirit making us new creations in Christ, the process of living life in him, through him and with him, being remade into his image, these are the engines of resurrection life stories. This is living-truth. It trumps the proclaiming of propositional-doctrinal truth. Living-Truth – the Word made flesh in us is the back story the world and creation has longed (and is longing) to see -the stories which evidence the claims of propositional truths. Many people are worn slick of hearing. They want to see! Imagine that!  And we wonder why our churches are shrinking?

I know my light is not infallible or exhaustive, but it is mine and it is bright enough to bring a smile to my heart where there was once a frown. In MwM, we are just giving an account of the living hope that is in us by virtue, I believe, of the initiatives of the great I AM, the main character in our passage today and whom I believe is the main character in the story of my life and yours as well.

There are sovereign fingerprints all over our stories which we can discover with just a bit of help. They are especially evident in Moses’ story. He was born to a slave women, spared from death and rescued by royalty. He jumps the gun on his destiny, killing an Egyptian, becomes a fugitive and a sojourner and is miraculously intercepted by God, hearing the commissioning voice of the great I AM. The stories of some (Why? I can only speculate.) take on some dramatic twists and turns. Mine was no exception.  The enemies days will be numbered when the children learn how to do show-and-tell (in that order). aka; doing Life.

Moses and my pedigree were very different. Where he was the child of a slave, I was born into a prominent family. Our departures from our native land had some similarities though. He fled his homeland because he had destroyed an Egyptian in a fight. I fled mine because I felt I had destroyed my reputation with a shameful life. (I didn’t know it at the time but I was also deeply wounded and was towering inferno-angry with everything and everybody in my little town.) However, like Moses, I eventually had a revelation of God as a sojourner in a land of strangers. I don’t know how far Median was from Egypt but Tulsa, where my bush blazed, is a just a 2 hour drive east of my home town. But man was it ever full of strangers!

In his encounter Moses was commissioned to liberate his Egyptian relatives from their slavery to Pharaoh. In my encounter I was commissioned, as I perceive all of Christ’s followers were, to liberate captives from their bondage to sin and lead them by word and example into the promised land of kingdom life. I have at least one more thing in common with Moses. I too jumped the gun on my destiny.

While I was powerfully converted to Christ, a bona fide prodigal son, I very quickly learned a christian lifestyle of elder brother–doing and complying and comparing. The doing became my identity. I became the great I-DO.  My identity became entangled and dependent on this doing. Some of this was driven by a deep desire to salvage my reputation, especially in the eyes of my father.  The combination of an insecure identity and an unlimited opportunity of great commission-service is a perfect formula for creating an elder brother (aka; a religious spirit) who can dutifully execute his discipleship do-list. The condition of my orphaned heart and the opportunity of religious service made for a perfect storm for religious bondage. Amazingly God was in the midst of this maelstrom! I learned that old stiff religious wineskins cannot hold new wine and they cannot fulfill their kingdom destiny of entering the promised kingdom or leading others there.

To my new precious grandson (and all your kin), I mostly want to tell you that you too have a story to experience and it is no less important than Moses’ story was because it is God who is at work writing it. Moses had his mission and you will have yours. It may be high visibility like his or it may simply be working in virtual anonymity within your chosen vocation, side by side as a lifeline to others who have not yet gained their freedom.

Moses had his burning bush and so shall you. There are no two of them alike. You were created in the image of God so the unique tinder for that holy flame resides within you. At just the right time and place, I AM will personally blow on his image in you and it will burst into a flame of some form of awareness. At that point take your shoes off and acknowledge that I AM, out of love, is calling your name.

Learn to be still. Learn to make space. Learn to think and pray and laugh and sing, knowing that you are enclosed by the underlying and overarching goodness of God. You too shall be an agent of freedom. May you, like your Teacher, succeed in leading many into their destines and their promised lands. I look forward to watching as the chapters are added to your story. Special reminder; the Author of Life is brilliant and has a knack for surprising changes within a story. Note; Calling Jesus Lord is giving advance permission to the author to make those changes in your story as he sees fit. Seize your adventure! May the Lord bless you and keep you Hud. (and Sully, Gracyn and Hallie. OMG you guys were cute!) Love always and forever!

Your Crank-Pop (boy does that ever looks funny in print!)

Father, I pray for my children and grandchildren and all those whose names are written in your book of Life. Would you breathe on our inner flames, further igniting our faith. While we know we have all we need in Christ, we also know there is much more. We have tasted and seen that you are good and we unapologetically and boldly proclaiming our eagernness to meet you in even greater power an intimacy. Amen.