Chronicles of a Tinman

Crack kids, track kids, hookers and robbers
The naked and hungry, mothers and fathers
Abuses, excuses, and guns in your hands
And I even welcome the arrogant man
I welcome you all to the biggest of feasts
A night of no shame to pause and to breathe
This is a night of love's renovation
A feast I am sure that could change a whole nation

Me, I am not such an excellent host
I am one who forgives but needs it the most
I found the liar, the killer of hearts
And I ran away with a new way to start
I journeyed a road where a bright man appeared
He looked into me, and my eyes filled with tears
My breath fast and short and my heart burning deep
He gave me new eyes and a new way to see

So come as you are, as you are, as you are
Come as you are, as you are, as you are

I still defiled his great love ways
I felt such a famine when I ran away
I missed the presence, the voice like a song
I was nasty and dirty, I knew I was wrong
But he ran to me like a dream like a father
This love is not earthly, this love must be other
He carried me home, and threw me a party
A party so loud like the greatest love story
Oh my dear friend applaud now please
I've invited you heart to announce you are free
He takes your chains, busting you out of prison
Just open your heart, let your heart come and listen

Come as you are, as you are, as you are
Come as you are, as you are, as you are

Who could accept all your pounding and screaming
Your raging, your freaking, cussing, and beating
All while He holds you and always forgiving
This is the story of love and of living
Wipe off your tears and laugh just a little
Come break this bread, celebrate the Forgiver
Raise up a glass, a time to remember
Come break this bread, CELEBRATE THE FORGIVER!

Come as you are, as you are, as you are
Come as you are, as you are, as you are
Charlie Hall - Hookers and Robbers - From the album "The Bright Sadness"

The Bright Sadness is Charlie Hall's newest album, although it's not really that "new" (2008). The album is a beautiful journey into the heart of the relationship between fallen man and loving God. It is a magnification of the follies of man and a gazing into the power, wonder, and grace of God. This whole album has been somewhat of an inspiration to me, or I suppose more accurately, a renewal of ideals. This song in particular clearly illustrates an issue that has been weighing heavily on my heart as of late.

There are few things within the church (both in the larger sense as well as the smaller, physical body) that sicken me as much as hearts hardened toward local missions. My church is flourishing, and as such it has taken upon itself new areas of ministry. One large area of growth has been in the ministry of international missions. This sounds wonderful, and it is a growth worthy of praising God and rejoicing. The problem is that, somehow, my church has managed to possess such a timidity of local missions that we have skipped the step of going out and ministering to our local neighbors. We have instead decided to circumvent those lost souls in our back yard and have since stretched our arms out to Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, and Peru; even nationally we have gone to New York, yet despite our far reach it seems we cannot manage to go out into our own community and share the love of God.

Again, I have nothing against the international or far reaching missions. Christ has called us to go out to these places. I also have no problem with bringing people into the church and discipling them as we do. The has arisen for me as two things have become clear.

First, my church has never been one that is truly accepting of "people" as Jesus was. I use quotations because I mean people in the sense of: "And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples... And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Mark 2:15,17” I don't want anyone to misinterpret what I am saying. My church, as a whole, loves all people (we really do), but this does not mean that we are willing to let any and all those "people" come waltzing in through the glass doors into our luxurious coffee shop or our stadium seating worship center without some menacing glares and shocked expressions. We are more of a country club at home games and a hospital on the away field. This bothers me to no end because I see the lost and hurting souls in this community and I know what could be accomplished if we would break down our pretentious walls and let love flow free, but we won't anytime soon.

The second thing that has been bothering me is that, even if my church is not ready to bring in the whole community of lost souls we could at the very least go out to them. Jesus said GO in the great commission, both locally and far away. Well, we have a fair grasp on the far away part, the hard part, but where is the local support? If my church would humble itself and the members would allow themselves to associate with the dirty and tired, the broken and hurting lost souls of our community there is no end to what God WOULD accomplish.

I love that Hookers and Robbers is followed by "I even welcome the arrogant man" in Charlie Hall's song. It is a reminder to me that one of the greatest sins is pride. Often put ourselves far above those sins that are so easily visible, drugs, sex, violence, yet we overlook lying, greed, and pride, the sins that are so easy to hide. We are quick to judge and slow to forgive, but we must remember, God has called us to open our hearts and homes to the lost. He has broken His son, Jesus so that we could be forgiven. Now he calls us to do the same as Charlie Hall says, "Come break this bread, celebrate the Forgiver!" Who are we to take the forgiveness of God for ourselves and deny it to others? I pray that we would humble ourselves before our awesome God, open our hearts to the dirty, broken, sinners of this world, break bread with them, and together, CELEBRATE THE FORGIVER!