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My dad has often commented to me that only two chapters of the Bible speak of creation and the whole rest of the book speaks about restoration. And the biblical restoration narrative is not a simple upward trajectory from point A to B. The redemptive story of God’s people Israel in the Old Testament is cyclical. God sends a prophet, his sons make a mess of things… a good king governs well, his son governs poorly. This is how restoration and deterioration repeat themselves over and over in the story of God’s people.

The righteous man falls and then gets up only to fall and get back up again (Pv. 24:16), rinse and repeat. We are taught to confess and receive cleansing of our sins not just once, but over and over (Js. 5:16). Forgiveness too is something we have to do as a daily practice, Forgive us our sins as we forgive others (Lk. 11:4). So the restorative cycle goes on and on in our lives, and in our relationships.

Perhaps every problem in our lives can be interpreted as a relationship problem on some level. Relationships aren’t static but dynamic meaning that we’re either growing in intimacy or alienation at any given moment. This is true of our relationship with God, our spouse, our kids, our parents, our friends, etc.

They cycle of restoration is evident in the process of sactification in the lives of those who have repented and believed in Jesus for salvation. From that moment on we are being conformed into the image of Christ (Rm. 8:29). So the development of spiritual disciplines – habits such as prayer, meditating on Scripture and service to others – is an ever-oscilating process.

Of course this process of restoration is also not just a hopeless cycle like doing laundry that never ends nor are you ever making ultimate progress. The work is never done but real progress definitely can and should be happening in our lives.

The point is that when we find ourselves on the downside of these processes in our friendships, habits, and our relationship with Jesus we shouldn’t lose heart. Because the promise of Scripture is that we will go from glory to glory (II Cor. 3:18), also experiencing intermittent vallies, deserts, falls, mistakes, confessions, forgiveness… and always restoration… constant restoration.

Restauração Constante

Meu pai comenta frequentemente comigo que somente os primeiros dois capítulos da Bíblia falam da criação e todo o resto do livro fala de restauração.  E a narrativa bíblica não é apenas uma trajetória reta e sempre ascendente do ponto A ao B.  A estória de Israel no Velho Testamento é cíclico.  Deus envia um profeta, os filhos dele estragam tudo… um rei bom leva o povo de volta ao Senhor, seguido por um rei que leva o povo à idolatria.  E dessa forma a restauração e deterioração se repetem vez após vez no caminho dos filhos de Deus. 

O justo é aquele que embora cai se levanta novamente até perder a conta (Pv. 24:16).  A Escritura nos ensina a confessar nossos pecados e receber purificação não só uma única vez mas repetidamente (Tg. 5:16).  O perdão também é algo que nós praticamos diariamente, Perdoa os nossos pecados assim como nós perdoamos aos outros (Lc. 11:4).  E dessa form ao ciclo se repete nas nossas vidas e relacionamentos.  

De fato todos os nossos problemas podem ser interpretados como problemas de relacionamento.  Nossos relacionamentos não são estáticos mas sim dinâmicos, significando que estamos crescendo em intimidade ou alienação a todo momento.  Isso é verdade no nosso relacionamento com Deus, o nosso cônjuge, os filhos, pais, amigos, etc.  

O ciclo de restauração é evidente também no processo de santificação nas vidas daqueles que se arrependeram e creram em Jesus para salvação.  Daquele momento em diante estamos sendo conformados na imagem de Cristo (Rm. 8:29).  Mas graças a Deus este ciclo não é como lavar roupa suja que se repete todo dia sem nenhum fim a ser esperado.  Embora a obra nunca é completamente acabada até a glorificação de nossos corpos carnais (I Cor. 15), podemos e devemos esperar que haja progresso real em nossas vidas.  

O ponto é que quando nos encontramos na descida deste ciclo em nossos relacionamentos, hábitos e vida devocional não devemos perder o ânimo.  Porque a Escritura nos promete que iremos de glória em glória (II Cor. 3:18), embora experimentando também os vales, desertos, quedas, confissões… e mais importante, o perdão.  Mas sobretudo sempre há restoração… restoração constante.  

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It’s been a couple months since Kati and I announced our plan to move to Portugal. In that time the support and encouragement has been overwhelming and we’re so thankful. At the same time, there have been moments when it’s obvious to me the limitations of understanding the missionary life from the outside. I grew up a missionary kid so to me it was just another viable vocational option. Only as time went by did I realize that being a missionary only made sense if it was absolutely a call from God, and even the call would need to be confirmed repeatedly along the way.

The term missionary has meant different things in different Christian traditions through Church history. Perhaps the simplest common denominator of Christian understanding of the term is a sent one. Barnabus and Paul were set apart and sent out by the church in Antioch for a specific work that the church community in that city deemed worthy and legitimate. I love the early teaching by Loren Cunningham “Go Means a Change of Location”, which I think sums up the most foundational aspect of missions: going. Of course there are home missions and foreing middions and urban missions and frontier missions. All are legitimate as long as some community of faith agrees that a work needs to be done and God has called some to do it.

But in this post I do want to focus on the crosscultural missionary. Unless you’ve lived crossculturally/internationally for long-term periods of time it’s very difficult to understand this lifestyle. Take the affects on your children. If your kids are born overseas they might look at their parents as fully adjusted to the context in which they were born. But at some point it dawns on missionary kids that mom, or dad, or both, are very different than them. Where is home? I represent the third generation of missionaries in my family and answering the question “where’s home?” is a tough one.

Point is, when talking to those who aren’t called to the our lifestyle we missionaries need to be a little guarded about some of the things we share and that we receive. I hope this doesn’t sound arrogant, I certainly don’t believe that missionaries are in any way superior to any other disciples of Christ. If you’ve never pastored a church you’re limited in giving advice to pastors, if you’ve never been through a divorce you’re comrehension only goes so far.

Missionaries live a life dangling, we usually don’t know how long we’ll be in a determined context. If you have a crosscultural marriage you can never be certain that life will take root more in your culture or your spouse’s. It’s very hard to explain what this feels like and get good advice unless the person you’re talking to has lived the same experience long-term. Missions paradigms will change over the years but as long as the term refers to sent ones the church will need wisdom and comprehension in pastoring and supporting them effectively. The best approach? Probably listening mostly, and knowing that missionaries will need space for seasons of transition in a more exaggerated sense than those who live their entire lives within their home culture.

Uma vida pendurada

Faz alguns meses que eu e a Kati comunicamos à família e amigos a nossa decisão de nos mudar para Portugal.  Embora temos recebido muito encorajamento, houveram momentos em que percebemos a limitação da compreensão das pessoas em relação à vida missionária. 

“Missionário” significa diferentes coisas ao longo da história da Igreja, mas geralmente se refere a alguém que foi enviado para realizar um ministério específico.  Ser enviado na maioria das vezes queria dizer algo transcultural e internacional.  

A não ser que você tem experiência em missões transculturais é muito difícil compreender este estilo de vida.  Quando um casal missionário gera família no exterior seus filhos têm uma ligação àquela nação que os pais dificilmente terão.  Mesmo que eu passar 50 anos em outro país eu sempre serei um norte americano.  As pessoas podem dizer, “Davi você é um de nós”, o que é um grande carinho, porém eu não deixo de ser o que sou.  Nunca me transformarei em outra pessoa culturalmente 100%.

Os missionários vivem uma vida pendurada.  Nós geralmente não sabemos quanto tempo estaremos em determinado local.  Se você casar com estrangeiro isso será mais exagerado ainda.  Nunca vocês dois saberão em qual cultura passarão a maior parte da sua carreira juntos.  Para muitos casais transculturais missionárias um alternativo feliz é uma terceira cultura onde ninguém está “vencendo” por morar em sua cultura nativa.  

Qual é a melhor forma de encorajar uma família missionária?  A melhor abordagem geralmente é ouvir as estórias e experiências deles.  A melhor abordagem é lembrar que os missionários provavelmente passarão por mais fases de transição em suas vidas e que estas transições levarão mais tempo.  Muito tempo de transição mesmo, não uma vida normal, mas como qualquer vocação inspirada pelo Espirito Santo ela vale a pena se for tão somente para a glória e honra de Jesus Cristo.  

When God called Gideon In Judges 6 the future hero was hiding from those who were bullying Israel.  Gideon’s immediate response to God’s call was to ask, “How will I know you’re really with me on this Lord?”  If you were raised in church you’ll remember the Sunday school favorite of Gideon and the fleeces.

The simple point I want to emphasize here is that only when Gideon was challenged by God did he even care whether God was with him.

Like the loafer above, we all have moments when the presence of God with us is not even really on our minds.  When we’re in our comfort zones it doesn’t really seem to matter.

Speaking for myself, it seems like God has to keep me on a pretty short leash, dependence wise.  The minute I’m physically strong with extra money in the bank and plenty of work to keep me feeling productive I drift away from the question, “Is God with me?”

For 20+ years my vocation was pretty clear as a church planter and cross-cultural missionary.  But my new role as an assistant to my dad’s global ministry, and beginning to reach out to our local community has me nearer to God’s “apron strings” than I’ve been in a long time.

Is God with us?  Well He promised to be with us till the end of the age (Mat. 28), so really the question is whether we want to be with Him.  How much of His involvement do we want in our daily decision making?

Just now as I’ve been writing I received a text message with an invitation that I had to quickly bring before the Lord and decide on.  I quickly prayed and sensed God’s peace that this week I just simply couldn’t add anything to my plate.

That’s how I want God’s presence in my life to be, a constant gentle staff to guide me to the left or right, coaxing me forward or having me lie down in green pastures by still waters.

There’s nothing wrong with resting, even “loafing” on the couch at times.  But I thank the Lord for keeping me in a place of needing to know He’s with me… where I truly depend on His intervention… something I can count on as long as I simple desire Him and invite Him into my daily walk.