The ache of things...

I have been doing a series of messages at our church on the Upside Down Kingdom and this last Sunday we looked at The King On A Donkey. In the passage (matthew 21:1-16) we dug into many parts parts of the passage that speak challengingly to how we as a church "come" into a city. But one portion of the narrative really hit home yesterday afternoon to me personally. This part of the chapter had a new sting to it for me.

The disciples laid down their garments first...(vs 7)
Then the people laid down their garments next...(vs 8)

As I sat in my "Man Hole" which is my area in the garage that I have converted into an art studio, music listening area, pondering couch, pipe and cigar smoking lounge and a place to admire the beautiful yard God has given me. As I sat there in my haven of rest, I felt the tinge of regret at that thought of leaving it all to move to East Central in the next month. We are downsizing to relocate into the community we have planted a church.

That means leaving the quiet, rich, safe suburbs for the urban poor. It means leaving the trickling water fountain I built that whispers to me in the early morning hours as the sunlight glistens on the early dew in my own private garden of eden that is my reclusive back yard. It means no more quiet prayer times in the backyard under the chinese maple tree that is scented by the plethora of flowers and lilac trees that populate my refuge. It means leaving the worry free safety of kids being able to play in our fenced "kids area" which is a boys dream...dirt piles, forts and a place for unfettered destructive freedom. Go outside and play...will no longer be said so easily.

As I sat there enjoying a deep pipe of mellow Hawaiian Sunset tobacco and watching the swirling smoke dance in the evening light with the background of evergreens nestling me in my little hobbit hole...I felt the ache.

The ache of things.

But in reflection on that moment of post-suburbanite regret, I realize that sometimes we have to lay down our garments first before the Savior enters our city in new ways. Sometimes it takes leaders to lay it down first, before others will follow. I also realized that there is pain in laying down your favorite garments for the Lord to walk over them on His donkey. My riches for His pavement. My stuff laid down so that the city can see her King in the beauty that He deserves. Anyone can rejoice in the King strolling into the city on dirt roads. But can we rejoice when it requires us to lay down our "things"?

Maybe He isn't entering our cities in the way we all long for because the streets have no garments anymore? Maybe the church needs to stop clothing itself and start paving the streets again?

It won't happen until we ache...