Every Monday morning I volunteer at The Manna House in Huntsville unloading pallets of food from the food bank to put on the line to hand out to people. While I was unloading food a homeless man came up to me pushing his shopping cart. He asked me for some water, any food and if i had a few dollars I could spare. I got him all three. Almost every time a homeless person asks me for something my mind goes back to and is reminded of previous encounter I had with a homeless person.
My family and I spent almost 4 years in Wilmore, Ky while I attended Asbury Theological Seminary. Wilmore is a Suburb of Lexington. And for a period of time while we were there we attended Embrace Church. Embrace was a new church plant that began meeting in an old theatre that was right in downtown Lexington. There was a park right next door where the homeless of Lexington hung out. So at our service in the theatre many homeless people attended. After every service, those that attended would make peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunches then walk out and hand them out to the homeless.
During one service there came a time of worship and the worship band began playing a song. I remember I closed my eyes, raised my hands, and began worshipping. I was sitting on the isle. And with my eyes closed I heard a man calling out across the isle, “Hey, Hey!” I opened my eye and looked across the isle and there was a homeless man sitting on the isle with all his belongings piled on the seat next to him. When I looked at him, he said to me, “Hey, do you have a dollar I can have?” I replied back to him, “We are in the middle of the service now, just ask me when it is over.” I turned, closed my eyes again and started into worship when I heard again, a little louder, “Hey, Hey Mr., do you have a dollar I can have?” I tried to ignore him but he kept calling out across the isle.
And I got a little irritated and I thought to myself, really? Can’t he see I am worshipping here? He does not need to be bothering people and pan handling during the service. So I turned again and I said, “Listen, I will give you a dollar after the service is over. Just relax and listen to the band for now. I turned again and I heard again even louder, “Hey Mr, please, give me a dollar please!” So I thought to myself this guy will not leave me alone and I will not get to worship until I give this homeless man a dollar. So I pulled out my wallet, took a dollar out, and reached across the isle and gave it to him. The man said, “Thank you” and took it from me.
When I went back to my seat I noticed they were taking up the offertory during the song. And when the basket came by the homeless man he put the dollar into the basket. And he saw me across the isle and said to me, “Thank you, I saw the basket coming around and I don’t have any money and I wanted to give something to Jesus.” And it dawned on me that the man saw the basket going around and asked me the first time for a dollar to put in the offering. And as the basket was getting passed back and getting closer to him, he was getting more anxious for something to put in it so that is why he was asking louder.
I thought of myself as being missional. We were launching a church in the inner city reaching those on those on the margins, the homeless that no one else wanted. I was proud of myself for not being judgmental and accepting of those who were hard to love. Jesus, in His desire to sanctify my heart after His and conform my life to His, knocked me down a notch in my pride and revealed to me areas in my heart an attitude that still needed to change and grow. It reminded me of the parable in Luke 18 of the Pharisee and tax collector praying in the temple, and I was the Pharisee.
My family,, I pray the Holy Spirit will continue to remove from all of us any perceived attitudes and perceptions towards people, and thoughts of “us” and “them” and help us see through what is on the surface to see the heart of all people. Just like Jesus does, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
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As we begin the year, if you have the ability to be generous, I invite you to partner with me, my wife, and One Direction Community to support our ministries of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over our ministries and outreaches into our community. We would be so grateful for your one time gift or monthly support. Thank you!
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