Beauty to Peace

As I sit here, totally buried in 16.2 inches of snow and windchills of -50, watching 7th Heaven re-runs and refusing to do anything dealing with my job, I can't help but think over the past year of my life. Each year, I pick a focus word instead of putting together an impossible set of resolutions. 2013 was the year of Beauty, in which Freedom was added towards the end.

Just after the New Year, I hopped on a plane for the first time in my life to spend a couple of weeks with my best friend. The time was much needed and started my reflection on the beauty around me. Deep conversations always put me in a thoughtful mood, and time with Naomi reminded me of the beauty of friendship, even in distance and how God brings people together to share life-even the most unpredicted sets of people. 

I began Student Teaching at Norwell Middle School and got to know a group of kids that will forever be a part of who I am. (their constant Instagram spam will never let me forget them.) I was terrified to embark on Student Teaching while living in Hardy Hall, getting little sleep and having a ton of school commitments, but I survived and it quickly became my favorite year yet. I was daily reminded of the beauty of God's creations on my solo drives to and from the school and in the students that I worked with as well as my fellow teacher's passion for bring Christ into their occupation.

I feel like it wouldn't be an accurate account of my year if I didn't include my most memorable and exciting night of my college career. It may or may not have included much of an anonymous building on an anonymous campus creating a hallway slip-in-slide, massive amounts of laundry soap and escaping campus security on multiple counts. It will always live in my memory-reminding me of the beauty of friendship and letting go in the moment. 
 
I graduated Huntington University sending me into an overload of change: moving from the place that I had called home for 4 years and the relationships that had held me strong during even the most stressful moments. I protested putting away all of my belongings in my room at home for nearly a month because I didn't want that to be reality. Change does bring beauty if we seek God in the midst of it. 

I began applying for summer jobs long before the school year was even over and yet remained unemployed for far to long, causing me to worry about finances leading into some major life changes. During that time, my trusty Silver Stallion decided to die on my way to Ohio, causing me to be unemployed and without transportation. God provided and a high school friend offered me a job at Ideal Beach Campgrounds and my uncle happened to have a Mazda 6 on his lot for my price. There is an immense amount of beauty in the wait and in getting to work with a crazy group of people ranging from 7 years younger to 20 years older.

The thing I've learned most about beauty is that it isn't going to always slap you in the face with it's presence. Beauty is something to be sought, in each moment and in each living being.  I, too often, write off individuals or situations because they are not my picture of ideal- 2013 repeatedly kicked me off of my high horse, showing me beauty in everything if I only took the time to look for it. 

All of that being said, 2014 is sure to be a year of even more challenge as I tackle the idea of peace and purpose and the freedom that comes with those two ideas. I am currently in a job that I knew I wasn't going to want to have forever, but one that is proving to be more of a challenge than originally thought: I have a couple of months to debate my purpose and attempt to find a peace in this "bridge job" (one that I am simply doing until I can figure out what comes next). A friend recently reminded me that we are too often looking for the next thing and promising ourselves peace in it-when God is asking us to simply be where we are now and find Him there. I currently live in a small town where I know a total of one other person and spend most nights alone watching a strict routine of trashy television with my guinea pigs. I struggle with being alone and being unfulfilled with my current occupation and surroundings and simply finding peace with myself and the God that I frequently neglect leaving me in a frequent state of frenzied anxiety.

Have I mastered the idea of "Free Beauty"? Of course not, I am only hoping that my journey to peace and purpose will teach me more about God's beauty and the beauty that He daily floods the world with.

Intercession or Connection

Recent interactions have caused me to realize how often modern day Christianity replaces real connection with either the false promise of or actual deed of intercession. We live in a go go go world where we are rarely ever merely attempting to accomplish one task or engage with one person, or God for that matter (how often are we serving the god of accomplishment, money and Jesus all at the same time? I'll leave that for another time.)

I've worked with adolescents for about eight years now; four of those years taking place at a small, Christian, liberal arts university in a small Midwestern town. This university, in particular, prided itself on relationships (not the romantic ones-though many of its attendees graduated with a ring by spring and their MRS degree.). I mean, true and connected relationships-as you walked down the side walk, it wouldn't be uncommon to see a couple of friends or a student and professor sitting off to the side talking. My favorite part about Huntington was that most of these interactions began or ended (or both) with prayer. We had professors asking us what was going on in our personal lives and how they could pray for us. It also wasn't uncommon, even in non-ministry classes, to have a professor or fellow student begin the class in prayer. When one of the business professor's wife was dying or when our financial aide director died-the entire campus received emails of intercession on their behalf. When one of the student's fathers went missing overseas, every one began interceding for him. 

I used to meet with a friend and mentor, who is also a youth leader, once every couple of weeks. Though we always had positive, honest and deep conversation, my favorite time was always towards the end because she would pull out her journal and ask what she could be praying about. Many friends would ask this question before prayer, but Hillary took it seriously enough to make the personal connection to ask what I needed intercession for and to not only ask, but to write it down so she could look it up later. 

As a youth leader, friend, sister and mere Christian human being, I prayed on behalf of my kids, family and friends on a daily basis, though I have always found it to be true that intercession is made more meaningful when the person actually knows about it. Unfortunately, we live in a Christian world where "I'll pray for you" has become a new cliche catchphrase that is very rarely actually followed through with. That being said, when someone utters it after pouring out our hearts to them, we doubt the sincerity. 

When I moved to college, it became increasingly harder to stay connected with my youth girls at home (something Hill wrote in her journal on my behalf multiple times). I prayed for them daily, and often had an idea as to what they needed prayer for. However, if you asked them today, many of them would tell you that their was a long period of time that they felt overlooked and abandoned. They knew I was interceding for them, but they were desperately missing that connection.To be honest, those girls pulled away from me during this adjustment period of pure intercession because they felt like I wasn't there for them any longer, like I had moved on and didn't care about them. Though this was false, there was no known action to prove otherwise.

Intercession without connection is like thought without action. I'm not saying that every action has to be publicized or at least brought to the notice of the recipient, but hasn't your day ever been made by an anonymous note left on your windshield or a package of candy/flowers left at your doorstep or someone in front of you paying for your meal/coffee at the drive-thru. These actions each brighten our day and cause us to feel loved and cared for even when left anonymous. We could sit at our house and pray that the person feel the love of God today or that they get over their illness, but those prayers coupled with a card or a package of cough drops is going to go a bit further to lift the person's spirits.

Earlier tonight, someone that hadn't sought out real conversation with me reminded me that she cared for me and was praying for me after an argument about pure intercession lacking connection, leading to a lost trust and relationship. When said person offered this prayer, I instantly felt what my girls must have felt four years ago-abandonment trying to be mended with mere words, yet without action. Someone was saying that they still cared without any evidence backing their words. Empty.

Now, put this into a different profession: if a doctor merely said that he was talking about what it would take to heal you of your terminal disease, would you continue to want to put trust in that doctor to heal you? If a teacher merely talked to the principal about what she would teach without ever stepping foot near the students, would you trust that teacher with your child's education? If a waitress told her manager about your complaint without the manager coming to your out of the back, would you feel heard? The answer to each of these questions is probably a no unless you are a pretty laid back, forgiving individual. Though I have talked a lot of intercession coupled with connection being the job of a youth leader, it is really the job each and every one of us commits to when we ask Jesus to be our Lord. 

Take a minute to see how intercession worked in the days when we weren't living a go go go lifestyle with electronic and post-it noted to-do lists:

James 5:14-20 gives us the exact process that we should follow when someone needs prayer showing the action such has calling the sick and anointing with oil and then persistent and fervent prayer on their behalf:

" Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith with save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months, it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit..."

Ephesians 1:15-19 shows us how to make intercession more of a connection even though we may be separated by distance. The author not only says that they are continually praying for these people, but gives the specifics of the prayer recited:

" For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might."

I could go on forever listing verses that give examples as to how we should pray, but I think these two illustrate two aspects that we are frequently leaving out. We need to seek those that we are praying for out. We are called to be more like Hillary and take dutiful note of what our friends could use prayer for-intentionality. I want to make it clear that we don't necessarily have to tell the others the exact prayers or even just tell them of the prayer each and every time-however it always adds sincerity when we inform each other of the prayers that are being given on our behalf. 

I ask you to look inside your relationships: are you replacing connection with intercession or are you coupling them together for the most sincere impact?

Fiercely,
Danni

Engagement

We live in a world that has mastered the art of being completely absorbed into whatever device of connectivity while walking without allowing the distraction to run us into a wall, or fire hydrant or more than likely, another pedestrian that has too mastered this disconnected multi-tasking. This world spends thousands of dollars each year on devices to supposedly keep us connected to each other, yet we neglect to schedule time for a family dinner or spend a couple of hundred dollars on a plane ticket or gas money to go visit a beloved friend or family member unless they are on their death beds.

We live in a world that walks through life with heads bowed, not because we are shamed, but because we want to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible with minimal distractions. We live in a world that has Caller ID, which is less to inform us as to who is calling and more to  prevent us from wasting our time with anyone whom isn't worthy. We live in a world where marriages are created online because we are too consumed with ourselves to take a couple hours and meet someone in person that may not pan out as our version of "The One". 

We live in a world that lacks engagement. I don't mean the engagement where a lovely young gentleman bends to one knee while bestowing an expensive diamond set in only the finest of golds for the one that he loves, I mean the engagement that spends that much thought and effort on living every day life intentionally with everyone they come in contact with-not merely the love of their lives. 

I have one student of mine that has begun to haunt my heart on a nightly basis. I can't go an afternoon without her face, her giggle or her lost eyes popping into my consciousness. She reminds me a lot of myself at her age-the tough, lonely age of seventh grade. I've been haunted as to what the difference is between the two of us: How have I ended up me, when at this rate, she is going to end up as far from me as she can. I've been hurt with thinking of God finding intentionally choosing a different path for myself while he simply looks the other way each morning as she drags herself to school. I simply couldn't let myself allow that to be the difference between the two of us because I know (and have discussed in previous blogs) that the ache in the depth of my heart for her is not even close her Father's who daily extends His hand to her only to have it pushed away or hid by so many things in her life.

I've concluded that the difference lies with engagement. Not the engagement held in God's hand because He extends the sparkling diamond set in gold to her on a daily basis just as He did to me even when I refused to acknowledge His offering and bent knee. The engagement held in the hands of everyone else. The engagements that prove to be false as they leave her alone at the very altar where someone held me in their arms. The engagements who bruise and steal her innocence where someone extended a hand to help me up. The engagements that leave her alone with the lies that seek to kill and destroy where the promise of hope and life was spoken to me. 

Engagement doesn't solely come from God, though He is the groom that we should seek to emulate. We each have the daily choice to intentionally engage others. We have the hourly opportunity to bow to one knee, holding the other person's needs above our own for just a minute to really listen, voicing the love and truth that we seen in their hearts and eyes, begging them to enter a bigger adventure alongside ourselves...hand in hand. The second we accepted the ring that Christ held out for us, we signed the license to sacrifice for others, to listen and to love...to live with a fierce and whimsical intentionally that joins multiple people not only for a life of better and worse, sickness and health, good and bad here on Earth, but lifetimes of healing and undistracted joy in Heaven.

We live in a world where it is socially acceptable and even encouraged to blockade ourselves from anyone who many require more than a few seconds of our time without offering us immediate rewards, yet look where that mindset, that lack of engagement has placed us. We live in a world where the heads bowed hide tears and pain; where the headphones blare lyrics to block out the screams, lies and bruises; where the fancy suits and shiny shoes simply hide the insecurities, fear and dreams. 

We live in a world that is begging for someone to bump into us, to tear away the headphones and to look past the flashy clothing. We live in a world begging for engagement.

Fiercly,
Danni

Pray it Never gets Easy.

Has your heart ever just completely sank for the world only to realize that if your human, fallible, incomplete heart hurts that much that you can not even begin to fathom how deep God, the Creator and Father's pain goes?

I am beginning my third week in the classroom and I never could have imagined how tough it would be to look into the eyes of some of my students each day-to know of the pain that is inflicted as the walk out into the world, or the depression that weighs on them within my walls. I have been a youth leader for several years now and have worked with students with eating disorders, depression, abuse aftermath, suicide attempts, self-inflicted scars-it never gets easier to see young people dealing with these things (or at least, it is my deepest prayer that it never gets easy)-but I expected my experience ease the impact a bit in the chance that I ever had to see any of these things within my students. False.

My students have been working on writing their autobiography: they were asked to think of any combination of three events or people that have impacted their very being, shaping their personality. After much thought and deliberation by many students, I was constantly bombarded with questions like:
            "Miss B., are we going to be presenting these?"
           "Miss Blackburn, who all is going to be reading these papers?"
           "Can we write about whatever we want, Miss B.?"
           "Mrs. Blackburn (no matter how many times I tell them I'm not married,it still happens)-
            is anyone other than you going to look at these papers?"

After plenty of reassuring them that I am the only person going to be looking at these papers unless I feel the need to get someone else involved, and urging them to not confess to any crimes in their autobiographies, the students have begun pouring out their hearts and fears on their papers (some more legible than others). I spend most of class time walking around pointing the talkers back on track or pushing the chair-tippers forwards, but when I get the chance to stop and read over someone's shoulder, I am frequently left speechless. I pray that it never gets easy.

The first week of school, I remember telling a friend that I preferred a school that had more "issues" and less "perfect children" than my corporation appeared. One would think that with my own coming from a school full of suicides and drug overdoses, cutting and hidden sexual harassment, I would have been more open-minded to the truth that no school is full of "perfect children"-no matter what its demographics.  Golly, how much more wrong could I have been.  

As I look over their shoulders, I am witness to an outpouring of stories centered around incarceration, death, cuts and scars, suicide attempts, depression, domestic violence and abandonment.  As I look around the room, into their giggles, smiles and incessant chatter, I can't believe the lives they have lived before entering my room. My heart returns home heavy after another day of learning more of the truth behind the attitudes and defiance. I pray it never gets easy.

I am saddened for this coming generation: one that few will not be exposed to violence and depression, one who body is often displayed for all to see, one who watches their celebrity idols die, be sent to rehab and dance like nobody should at the VMAs (but that is a different topic ;)) Today was different though-for the first time my mind wandered to the Creator of this generation and the pain He must endure each day as He watches us be slumped with reality. I can not even fathom the amount of love He holds in His heart for each of us, how great the desire to hold these hurting children in His arms and how hard it is for Him to let us be. I am grateful that He is there to comfort each of my students in their time of desperation and am left speechless at His desire to use me. 

Tonight, I will say a prayer, Thanking the Father of the Fatherless for His part, Begging Him to wrap my seventh graders in His arms, and lastly, I will Pray that it never gets easy to see their stories and to hear their grief.  

Summer of Provision

God's provision has never been more evident to be than it was this summer. I think God knew just how much I needed Him to make himself visible this summer and to steer me through all of the obstacles because, man, I was in over my head. Let's just take a look:

1.) R.I.P Silver Stallion: My best friend from Colorado was in Ohio because of family for a few months. Since we don't get to see each other too often, we try to jump on every opportunity we have.  I was planning on driving to see her two days before she was officially leaving: It was going to be a quick trip and since it was summer, weather wasn't an issue. I packed up and left, only to have my car lock up about twenty minutes outside of Huntington. My parents thought it was the power steering and that I just needed fluid so I used my muscles to get the rest of the way to Huntington. The further I drove, the more my car slowed and the harder it was to drive-I would pull over and let it rest and it would go for a bit and then stop again. I managed to turn into AutoZone (right next to the University so I was on familiar territory). Turns out it wasn't the power steering....the engine just literally died on me. 

Wondering how my car dying, thus preventing me from seeing my best friend before she moved across the country proves God's presence? Well, I was blessed with great friends that lent me their vehicles when I needed a car. As God would have it, after much prayer and budgeting-not to mention the work of my father calling every car ad around-my uncle's car dealership happened to get in a car that they usually wouldn't buy. It was in great condition with minimal miles and the dealership hoped to make a lot off of it after buying it cheap. He cut us a deal and soon I had a car. God Provides. 

2.) There's more than Corn in Indiana:It was June and after applying for any available job in the surrounding towns for the summer, I had absolutely no leads. (Granted, this did come in handy when my car died because I had no way to get to work) I finally broke down my pride and posted online that I needed help. I needed money to get a car and a car to get a job and I desperately needed money. A flood of friends began offering their cars to me if I needed them and even more unexpected was the person who offered me a job. We had gone to pre-school, middle school and high school together as well as different 4-H events, yet I could have probably counted on one hand the number of unnecessary interactions that we had had in all of those years. She popped up on my Facebook saying that she needed help at the Indiana Beach Campgrounds with activities this summer and that she could get me a job if I applied (I hadn't even gotten my application completed before she was informing me as to when training started). 

I went to training and concluded this was going to be the perfect job. There was a lot of down time that I could spend reading, applying for jobs and preparing for the school year and the rest of the time was spent doing activities with campers. I was basically a well-paid camp counselor (only I rarely actually did work) It was perfect! God Provides!

About a month later, Kroger called me saying that I could have my old summer job at the gas station back and after talking with the manager, I signed on to work the late night shift as a cashier. They knew that I was only going to be working about a  month and yet, they hired me! God provides in abundance!

3.) Driving Miss Danni: As I said, I was blessed with amazing friends who offered up their vehicles when I needed to drive, and a mother who works at home, thus rarely needed her van. This was great and I don't want to undercut my appreciation for all of these people; however, I was still hoping to be getting a big-girl job in a month or two and needed a car, yet still had barely any money (the product of working a volunteer job for 3-years while in college). My dad was searching every add and looking at any number of cars every night after work in order to find something, yet we were still having no luck. He stopped in at my uncles car dealership one night just to see if by any chance they had something within my price range (which was a big gamble because they would rarely have something within my range). To his surprise, they had just gotten in a vehicle that they only bought because they figured they could make a large profit off of. Uncle Rick worked it out so that they were barely making anything off of it and expedited the buying process. Dad and I dropped by to take it on a test drive for a weekend and I loved it. We went it the next business day and the car was mine! God provides!

4.) Becoming Miss B.:  This was probably the most frustrating part of the entire process. Before the school year had even ended, I began applying for teaching jobs everywhere in Indiana (I had no preference where I ended up as long as it was close enough to still be a Big Sister and was teaching middle school) I eventually broadened my area to include Ohio and Kentucky and parts of Michigan. I was thrilled with right off the bat, I received an interview and even more bummed to learn that they had to fill the position before I was able to make a trip down there (literally like 2 days later). Nearly 50 applications later (not an exaggeration) and beginning of July, I hadn't heard anything from anyone else...not even an interview. It seemed as though everyone that I had graduated with was being called for all sorts of interviews and being offered multiple jobs, when I still had nothing. I was breaking down, praying for God's direction and provision. 

I happened to be home one day when I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. I, of course, let it go to voicemail, and then was elated when it was the Principal of Indian Springs Middle School in Columbia City (about 20 minutes from HU where the majority of my friends still resided). I called right back and set up an interview on my next day off. Mom ironed my suit and I prepared all of my materials, making sure I was leaving in order to be there about a half hour early just in case I got lost.  Not even ten minutes from my house, my NEW CAR made a popping sound and abruptly decided it didn't want to move anymore. I managed to get it off to the side of the road as gas fumes quickly overtook the car. I flashed back to gas station training and old Oprah episodes about cars exploding because of cell phone waves and how you shouldn't get out of the car unless fire happens so that I wouldn't let a spark off of my body ignite the car. Panicked, I called my mom and begged her to find someone quick to watch the babysitting kids while she brought me the van. I then called the school corporation in tears saying that my new car broke down and despite the fact that I was running early, I would probably be late when the sweetest lady on the other side said to breathe, calm down and not to worry just to get there when I could. Mom came with one of the babysitting kids' dads who just happened to be a mechanic: He concluded that my gas line popped off and that I was lucky because the car could have certainly exploded. I jumped in the van and through my sobbing, began the drive yet again to Columbia City following the GPS. Conviently, the GPS led me to the middle of a corn field, leaving me to enter a local bank where only Ft. Wayne residents worked who were kind enough to find a woman who gave me directions to the school.

FINALLY, I pulled in, straightened my suit, still flustered by the mornings events and met the Principal (with being late, the assistant principal was unable to be there, I thought this would be an automatic no hire situation).  The interview went smoothly and about two weeks later, I accepted the position that I was sure I wouldn't get-a 7th Grade Writing position despite all of the hassle with the interview! God Provides Gracefully!

After a week in the position, and after attending my Huntington church yet again, as I sit on campus using the wifi that I no longer pay 32, 000 dollars for, I am confident in God's provision through each step getting me here this summer. God amazes me each day and I will forever remember the summer of my 22 year when everything seemed like it was going wrong-just when God turned everything around! 

Carried.

I drive to student teaching each morning, each morning I'm far too tired to pay a whole lot of attention to the world around me, but each morning I see this father carry his son down the stairs of their front porch to place him in a wheel chair already at the sidewalk. Some nights, when I am driving back to school at the right time, I see the same father pick his child up out of the wheel chair to carry him up the steps to the house. It touches my heart every time I witness this daily routine. 

I am sure the family would love a ramp, because this child is at least a middle school student, so he's not the lightest of fellows to be carried each day. The current living situation is clearly not the best. 

Today, as I was driving, it was sprinkling rain and cold and the father was moving the wheelchair out onto the sidewalk so he could go to the house to fetch his boy. As I was driving, a message became vivid to me. God simply said, "I am the father and you are the child, I carry you each day". I began to tear up as this reality hit me. I am not in the ideal situation, God would love me to be with Him right now in the perfect world that He created, but I can't be. So instead, He lovingly carries me through the inconvenience of a sinful world each day. It doesn't matter if it is sunny or if He needs an umbrella to shield me from the rain. 

He carries me. He carries you. Each day.  

Fed up with the Church.

I am a follower of Christ; I have been a leader in Christian organizations for many years.  However, I will be the first to admit that I am fed up with the Western Church. I feel as though the western church is too busy making everyone feel accepted and wanted that they are straying from the message and the standard that we are supposed to spread. The church is too concerned with being politically correct and not causing offense towards any sin, person or sect of people...and it appalls me.

You could argue that we are called to love everyone, but I think people miss the rest of the verse. We are called to love others as Christ loved us. So let's examine different ways that Christ loved people. 

In Matthew 21, Jesus approached the temple only to see that people had created a market of the temple. When seeing this, Jesus threw tables and reprimanded the people for making the temple a hangout for thieves. Now I don't see Jesus saying this in a calm, normal preaching voice; I hear him with a raised voice, a voice that shows that he is frustrated. The kind of voice that you hear from your parents when they are correcting you. In these moments, you know your parents mean business, but you still now they love you.

In John 4, Jesus went to the well and met a Samaritan woman. This woman had been living what we would call a questionable lifestyle. Jesus didn't just wrap her in his arms and invite her home, he told her how her ways love life weren't up to the standard of God. He used a loving voice and didn't call her a tramp or anything like that that the rest of the world was calling her....He corrected her with love.

In John 9, Jesus heals a man that was born blind. He doesn't just wipe his hand over this mans eyes, he make him walk down to wash in the nearby pond. Jesus could have catered to his needs right then to give him what he wanted, however, Jesus told the man to move in order to heal himself. The blind man still had to work for it.

In Matthew 26, during the Last Supper, Jesus tells Peter that he is going to deny his belief in God three times. Jesus doesn't seem to scorn his friend for this, he simply accepts reality. He is simply pointing out what Peter is going to do and telling him that regardless, he is going to love him. Still on Peter, during the feet washing, Peter tries to refuse to have his feet washed and Jesus points out his need for his feet to be washed.

The church is overly concerned with making people feel loved and tip toeing around a world filled with sin-thus creating a world of sinners who are unaware of their sin or need for salvation. We think we are doing a service to our brothers and sisters, but in reality, we are hiding salvation and heaven from them. We are hiding the grace and love of a God that loves despite our mistakes. We are hiding a community of broken yet redeemed people from them. 

The church is so worried about not causing a ruckus or offending people, when in all reality, Jesus did that exact thing. He turned over tables in the temple, he lived in such a way that was against the norm, he took the death punishment, he hung out with the dirty and diseased. He caused a ruckus everywhere he went! He wasn't worried about making people feel comfortable, He mastered the art of tough love...of showing love through correction and pointing out flaws. He accepted and loved the sinner while denouncing the sinful lifestyle. 

The church needs to stop living in fear of the people of this world and accept the standards of living that Jesus lived by. Yes, we are called to love, but loving doesn't mean letting our brothers and sisters wander around without knowing their sin. We are called to live how Jesus loved us.