Missional Living

One of our students, and my bff, JaNette.

Love tha’ kid.

Amazing young lady who makes me smile.

It’s the story of a mother who gave birth to a son. And the son who holds the fate of the world in his hands.

Her name is Sarah. Not Mary.

I gotta admit, there’s only about two shows on television I watch with any commitment, so when the announcement came that my one-of-two favorite shows, Heroes, would NOT be aired beginning in January, I fell into a panic.

But God is good. FOX announced the upcoming Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

 After viewing several trailers online, you’ll see why this one is my favorite.

If you want more of the plotline, watch this.

I’m just not over it yet, so indulge me.

The past week was filled with the wonderful monotony of living. The laughter of my four-year-old. The smells of Thanksgiving dinner. The excitement of our 7-year-old as we decorate our Christmas tree. Running through the park, walking in the rain, fishing at sunset, hearing the lap of the water against the shore, the song of the birds flying overhead. All creation screams these subtle hints of the Creator. Our God is like a man hiding, who clears his throat and thus gives himself away. In the stillness, there is a deep-down resound of creation that all is well. And all will be well because He holds us in his mighty hand.

Yet there is still something very wrong. There are still crowds of homeless families under the 6^th street bridge that beg for food. There are HIV-ravaged children. And the single mom working two jobs, whose ex-husband won’t pay child support. The married couple that still can’t get the bill collectors to stop calling. The elderly man who feels desperately alone and forgotten—especially during the holidays. Sometimes we have trouble finding God under the bridge or among the sick and depressed and lonely…although I believe He’s there.

And something tells us he’s been there before. Long before. The lingering scent of hope. The fragrance that reminds me of how things are supposed to be. How they will one day be again like in The Beginning. Hope in the smiles of terminally ill children. The silent strength of struggling parents. The elderly with lapfulls of orphned-now-adopted children. The laughter of the once-hungry-and-thirsty. The peace of giving away the shoes on your feet and knowing God will provide tomorrow’s manna. The chagrin of seeing it all take place under the radar of those lost in a busy, corporate, ladder-climbing rodent race…and knowing it will happen all over again tomorrow because we are still chasing after shalom and its Prince.

The magnificent monotony of it all.

After Part One and Part Two, there is one thing I still cannot get over.

We can no longer look at people and communities and think that they should simply  get an education, work harder, and join our political party of choice. Why? Because according Proverbs 3:27-28, we are not supposed to withold good from someone, as it is their right . If it is in your power to act, act. Thread out your resources because it is their right...

Oops.

It is their ‘right’? Because we modern Americans are extremely and foolishly individualistic–we believe that who we are is a product of our choices (what we’ve done, where we’ve studied, how hard we’ve worked, etc.)–we don’t understand that the reality is that the vast majority of who Tom Cottar will be is already decided by the environment of my community, my parents, and host of other things. My sons, by virtue of being born to me, statistically have about a 300% greater chance of economic and social ’success’ than those living 20 miles away in East Austin…much less those halfway around the world in a country with less resources than mine.  "Well, they can pull themselves up by their bootstraps…" I didn’t pull myself up by my bootstraps. And probably neither did you. "Yeah, but I’ve worked hard for what I have..", we say. Really? Do you really think so? I think we’ve worked hard with what we’ve been given. That’s all.

If you and I have been given money, power, education, skills…it is simply our duty to shalom to thread it out. To reweave the fabric so that we can all flourish. Don’t you think that a failure to be radically invovled with the poor is not just a lack of compassion…but a lack of justice? Proverbs says it is their right. In fact, perhaps that’s why Proverbs 11:10 says that when the righteous prosper, the city rejoices. According to the book of Proverbs, the ‘righteous’  (Heb., tsaddiq or sadik) are those who put  themselves at a disadvantage for the prosperity of the community, while the ‘wicked’  are those who put their own social/economic needs ahead of the community.  Wow. Which one are we? Can we be ‘righteous’ and ‘individualistic’? Can the gospel be about me and be ‘righteous’? Be careful…

Don’t be depressed. As I’ve thought about it over the past few weeks, it’s hard to figure out how to do justice in our community and our world without being overwhelmed. What do I do? Do I buy only Fair Trade coffee? Do I give to Operation Christmas Child or organize something of my own?  Do I support Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay) in the Blood: Water Mission project in Africa (it’s only $1)? What about the cutters at To Write Love On Her Arms and the addicted at XXX Church ? Not to mention the countless pregnancy centers, homeless shelters, and at-risk teen programs across the country? What about the single mom across the street who needs her yard mowed? What about the elderly that needs their house cleaned…and just needs a listening ear? Do I visit them?

Yes.

Do something. What has God given you? What resources do you possess that, if you were to thread them out, would reweave and rebuild your community the way it ought to be. The way it was intended to be. How can you and I create a city-within-a-city in which all people can flourish? Where Genesis 1 and 2, as well as Revelation 21 and 22, are being rebuilt. That, dear friends, is really what Jesus’ miracles were all about—the restoration of shalom and the proclamation of the good news.

Beginning Thursday, I will be offline the rest of the week.

Jimmie and I have a dear college and CastMaster friend who lost his mother to cancer this week. I’ll be travelling to far north East Texas for funeral and family activities. Please pray for Kyle and his family.

Also, have been experiencing some whack-job internet problems this week and my internet access is pretty hit-and-miss. I can receive emails sometimes. Sometimes I can even get the whole email. But I can’t send very many. If you’re reading this, it means this post actually made it through the system successfully. Hopefully, I’ll have The Justice League, Part Two up this afternoon if we’re still live….

 Here's an easy one. After taking a couple of weeks off after my Cap 10 run and birthday extravaganza, I signed up yesterday for the Austin FCA-sponsored Run for Glory on Saturday, May 12 at the Dell Diamond (home to the Round Rock Express). Your $10 entry fee not only goes to a great ministry, but you get a free shirt, a complementary smoothie and 2 tickets to the Express game that night. 

Although I signed up for the 5k run, you can choose from a 5k Bike, 5k Fun Run, or a 1-miler for kids.  Go here to sign up and see if you can beat me! 

I am surrounded by deceivers and liars…who are my most beloved friends and family. 

On Sunday afternoon, my wife called me and asked me to run up to the youth center to allegedly help her and a friend 'move something'…but when I got there the room was filled with 80 or so people who had shown up for a surprise party to celebrate my 20th anniversary in student ministry and my (early) 40th birthday. Family from out of town. Friends I hadn't seen in 15 years were there. Former students who are now married with children of their own and current students that are currently walking with me through a messy life of what it's like to worship and follow Christ in Austin.

It turns out that I was the one that ended up being moved.

For a year, my wife has had people hack into my laptop, steal phone numbers and emails, strategize, send photos, and write stories of our lives together. For the second time in my life, I was speechless. (The other time was when I held Darien for the first time in the delivery room.) 

The letters and words were beautiful. There were photos and slideshows that brought back a flood of memories and highlighted some remarkable ministry and personal moments. But the best part? Being reunited with family and friends. Rekindling the eternal bonds of those relationships that have sustained me and formed me over the years. Parents. Mentors. My brother. Co-laborers in student ministry. Adults and students that have been like iron-sharpening iron over the years, encouraging me, investing in me, and blessing me by sharing their lives with me. It's an incredibly overwhelming and humbling experience to have a roomful of confidants and Jesus-lovers by your side, and to know the unmerited favor of such eternal relationships. 

In the midst of things, the Holy Spirit reminded me (as He usually does) that this is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. Not some ethereal plane of eternal bliss. Not the portly, cloud-sitting, harp-plucking cherub we see in those lame paintings. But the Kingdom-rule of living in and among a brother/sisterhood of genuine community. A community focused on God-life, God-rule, and God-love. Agape love in the most literal sense of cine sera. A way of living that is God-centered and others-focused. Of all the things I chase after in my life, only two will last forever in the Kingdom: the things I've learned and the relationships I've formed. Or, more simply, WHO and WHAT I know.

Woven throughout His ministry, Jesus states, "…the Kingdom of Heaven is like…" . It is valuable. It is Eternal. It is Relational.  It is Compassionate. It is Shalom of the truest sense. And it is Communal. It is ike the man who sells all he has to obtain the treasure (Mt. 13:44), this God-life is worth more than we possess. It is like the workers in the landowner's field (Mt. 20), we are richly and equally rewarded. And it is like the mustard seed (Mt. 13) that is very small when planted, but when watered and nurtured and fed, grows so great that others come and enjoy the benefits of it's maturity. 

I was left standing at the microphone at the end of the party to 'say a few words'. I couldn't think of anything to say. Until today. What follows are my 'few words':

Thank you, Jesus.  

There was never any doubt.

A group from our church ran the Race Against Time 5k yesterday. Although I've never run anything before (not even track in high school), it was fun. I got to run with friends and catch up afterwards with others. That's the good news. 

The bad news is I ran the course in 29:26. (9th in my class; 84th out of 181). I got smoked by Jen-Jen (pictured), the second fastest girl in the world.

Afterwards, I was sucking down some Gatorade with an old buddy who said, "Hey, Cottar, look at it like this way: you blew past a TON of Southern Baptist pastors!"

"That's like being the tallest midget," I said, "that doesn't really count…"