On February 18, 2015, Dayna and I had lunch with the Tadas. I am grateful for Dayna’s assertive initiative to make it happen. During a lunch hosted by Joni and Friends for ministry partners, we saw Joni Eareckson and Ken sitting alone at a table for six. Dayna immediately went and sat down in front of Joni. I sat down next to my wife, sitting across from Ken. I was wondering if this was okay for us to do. When I finally nodded in gratitude, realizing how amazing this day was unfolding, I saw Ken graciously smile. He began speaking with me, and for the rest of the lunch, Joni conversing with Dayna and Ken conversing with me. In 2015 I had yet to need a wheelchair myself. That began in 2020 when I needed a wheelchair occasionally. By October 2022, I began needing a wheelchair all the time. Something else that drastically changed between 2015 and 2022 involves my understanding of how indispensable the weakest members of the Body of Christ are.

Prior to my own declining health, I hadn’t ever truly thought about the truth expressed in 1 Corinthians 12:21-22, The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘l don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘l don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. On several occasions Joni Eareckson Tada mentions that this is why we can, even should, boast in our weaknesses from disabilities. However, I could not fathom how those who are so weak could ever be so indispensable. (l never considered Joni to be weak.) In the hospital, I kept apologizing to the nurses, and I would apologize to Dayna and to the kids. With nerve damage from multiple sclerosis, I saw myself as a burden. How could a burden serve as an indispensable member of the Kingdom of God? I kept crying out to God, How could this be? How could I possibly be indispensable? I need help now with everything. By the end of October 2022, and certainly by June 2023, when I came home from my next hospital visit, I realized I was completely dependent on the Lord. I could do nothing well in my own strength, which was a blessing in disguise. Trying to do things in our own strength will always be living by the flesh instead of by the Spirit. Joni has indicated that the biggest handicap goes to those who believe they’re strong enough to live for Jesus in their own strength.

As Joni has also said in the October 15, 2025, edition of Christianity Today, “God doesn’t like spinal cord injury. He takes no pleasure in multiple sclerosis or children born with spina bifida (or other forms of suffering.) He sees the mosaic. He sees how it all fits together into this incredible pattern for not only our good but the good of all those around us, and for his glory.”

 
Kevin Avery is our Missionary in Residence ministering daily on-line in Asia and African teaching and praying with persecuted pastors and special needs ministries.

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A benediction is a blessing and a closing prayer. It is a sending forth of the people of God back to their everyday lives with a sense of faith, joy and service. Some benedictions are found in the Bible: read Numbers 6:24-26, Psalm 121:7-8, 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13, or Hebrews 13:20-21. Last Sunday Dr. Deborah Saxon read this beautiful benediction at the conclusion of our morning worship. She is program director for an interfaith organization in Indianapolis, a professor of religion and an ordained Christian (Disciples of Christ) minister.  (She is also Dorothy’s niece and has the distinction of being the flower girl at our wedding.) This benediction is adapted from the 4^th Century Church.

May the Lord Christ

Walk ahead of you,

to prepare and plan your way.

Walk beside you, 

companion on your journey as you go.

Be under you, 

to support and sustain you when you fall—

for you and I will.

Walk behind you, 

to complete and finish what 

you must leave undone, unfinished.

Be within you, 

to give peace and comfort on the journey.

But above all, 

may the Lord Christ be over you, 

Watching, calling, guiding, challenging,

Now, and forever more!

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Jesus walks with us. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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Susie Hinton had a story to tell based on an incident that happened to a friend at school. She began to turn it into a novel, although she did get a D in creative writing that junior year. She persisted in her observations of high school life and the petty cliques that amplified the differences. She graduated from Tulsa’s Will Rogers High School in 1966. Published in 1967, that novel The Outsiders, continues to be a bestseller every year.  An interesting quote from the book highlights the gaps, the social barriers, between north and south Tulsa: “Can you see the sunset from the South side real good?” “Yeah, real good.” “You can see it from the North side too.”  Ponyboy Curtis and Cherry Valence.

This week the Tony Award winning Broadway musical, The Outsiders, began its national tour here in Tulsa. The cast is making visits to the high school to talk with students and to see where it all began. Most of us know what it is to be the outsider when everyone else seems to be an insider. Insiders have their own little rules, customs, and special words. It is always hard trying to fit in. Pretending to be an insider is nearly impossible. That is why most outsiders stay quiet while trying to decipher the insider norms. The book, the movie and the musical turn very dark in places because embarrassment and anger walk hand in hand. Insiders can embarrass themselves in their treatment of the outsider. Outsiders can embarrass themselves by trying too hard to be accepted. 

Visiting a church is often an insider-outsider experience. We have taught ourselves to scan the room, look for clues, and ask ourselves if there is anyone here that looks like me. Is there anyone one here who will bridge the gap? Outsiders seek belonging, understanding, and friendships. Insiders can become so accustomed to each other that they find no need to invite anyone else into their circle. I am reminded of the biblical caution, Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2) 

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today.  Welcome in all the angels. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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This is the church. This is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people. If you folded your hands the wrong way, then the question becomes, where’s all the people? Can you still do it—fold your hands into a church with a pointed steeple? It was hard to do the first time when we were little children in Sunday School. It gets harder as joints stiffen and muscles tighten. But it has always been a fun little illustration. When your hands-made-little-church is full of people, we cannot help but smile. But we also know that it is just easier to fold our hands together with our fingers, the people, on the outside. The lessons from our hands-made-churches remind us that churches are (1) made of people, (2) who serve and worship together, and (3) spill all out into the world with the joy of Christ. Some people want to focus on the number of people in a church. Some people focus on the style of ministries and kind of worship services. Others may want to see if the church people are as real in their faith during the week as they may appear to be during Sunday church.

Can we make a church with our hands? We can if they are servant hands of earnest prayer and faith. We can make a church if our hands are cleansed by the confession of our sinfulness and open to receive God’s merciful grace. We can make a church with our hands as we labor together with Christ, sharing His blessings and telling of His salvation for all people. We can make a church with our hands if we recognize our weaknesses are where God’s strengths begin. Hands in worship. Hands in prayer. Hands in friendship. Hands that care. Willing hands to do our part to honor Christ with all our heart. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but God who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:7-9)

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. You are the church. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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Yesterday I received a call at the church office from someone I did not recognize, but he told me he was a friend of a mutual friend who had not responded to his repeated telephone calls over the last three months. He asked me if I had heard from this friend recently, and I told him I had not. This led to him speculating about what happened to our friend. He then changed to telling me the purpose of his call was to make certain that I knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow or the next day, and what did I know about that. I had read that morning about the claims of someone a few months ago who had a vision of Jesus telling him that Jesus was returning on September 23 or 24. I told him I believed Christ was coming again one day, but no one knew what day.

The caller then began to explain to me all the various scriptures and coincidences concerning the founding of the state of Israel and Christ’s rapture of the church during the Hebrew festival of Rosh Hashana when the high priest in Jerusalem blew the shofar and, did I believe them? I noticed this call was going long. Just for the record, I receive these kinds of calls two or three times a year. Some seem to be testing my theology or trying to find something to argue with me about. I asked the caller, why should any believer worry about Jesus’ return, and why would Jesus tell any person today something He had already told His disciples that He did not know about God’s timing?  The caller told me to look it all up on YouTube, he had a call coming in, and we said goodbye.

The return of Christ is a word of Hope for all believers. It is the day of Victory over all things evil, and the dawn of a New Creation. I tend to leave details of these things up to God. In the meantime, we are called to be faithful messengers of the Gospel today—telling the story of the wonders of His Love and Grace to those who are lost or unprepared for eternity.

Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Share the Hope. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.

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