Wayne Jacobsen

Thank you for all the comments, emails, and cards expressing your love and concern for our family in this season.  It is all much appreciated.  Many want to know how we are doing, so I thought I’d let you know.  Surprisingly we are doing well.  There’s plenty of sorrow, certainly, but in it there is a deep peace knowing this was her time and that here life was a full and fruitful one, and yes, full of challenges and pain as well.  She was a great part of this family and is missed greatly.  My mom lived a long and fruitful life and her legacy is her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  She always put family first and cared for us all as deeply as one can care.

Mom died almost three weeks ago now and the reality is setting in more and more, especially with our grandchildren who are sorting through the reality of death.  Her celebration service is this weekend, over three weeks since her passing and that has not been easy to wait so long but we had to leave time for friends and relatives to get here.   We’ve also been helping dad with all the paperwork and arrangements that have to be done.   The last six months was an incredible journey for both of them that drew them more deeply to a dependence on Father than they’d ever known.  Those days were so sweet, even in the conditions they endured that he is at rest.  His prayer a few years ago when he almost died following surgery that he would outlive her so that he could help her through whatever challenges she faced.  It’s not easy to watch him go on alone now, but he is most certain that God is having his way in all these things. 

Though Mom helped Dad on the vineyard, she was the consummate homemaker with a safe and nurturing environment for her children.  She loved us and our families well and would do anything to help us along in our adult years as well.   With an open heart and an open home she also found time to be a “mom” to hundreds of other young men and women who have written me with gracious words of the influence my mom had on their lives in the counsel and prayers she shared with them. 

Saying good-bye in this age is not easy, but it is joyously without regrets.  A few years ago God laid it Sara and my hearts to spend more time with them in these declining years and we’ve done that with them and will continue to with Dad.  Everything that needed to be said got said and letting her go into the Age to Come was incredibly graced with God’s presence, direction, and transformation for both Mom and Dad.  We will celebrate her life this weekend with lots of people from all across their path.  Yes, it will be sad, but grief is not something I fear when God is in it.  The tears only express the love and it is as much a part of life as the laughter of better times.  My brother has just completed a video celebrating her life and our family.  I’ll post a link to it next week for those who can’t make the service and would like to see it.  (Link to video here.)  For our Central Valley friends, here is her obituary if you missed it on my Facebook page last week: 

Jo Jacobsen

Joanne “Jo” C. Jacobsen, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother quietly passed away on Friday, July 25 in Auberry, CA with her husband at her side.

Born on April 9, 1930, in Selma California, Jo graduated from Selma High School in 1947 and was married shortly thereafter to Eugene Jacobsen.  They enjoyed sixty-six years together that included rearing their four sons and working the grape vineyard where they lived south of Selma.  A passionate follower of Jesus, she was active in the church congregations she attended and with community activities such as cub scouts and PTA.
She is survived by three of her sons and their wives, Bruce and Susan Jacobsen of Fresno, CA, Wayne and Sara Jacobsen of Newbury Park, CA and Clay and Cindy Jacobsen of Camarillo, CA.  Her eldest son, Rod, passed away in 1999 and is survived by his widow, Kathy Jacobsen of Hayden, ID.  Her surviving sister, Ranella Kindlund, lives in Kingston , GA.

She delighted in her children, and their families with nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.  She worked with her husband on the vineyard and hosted numerous parties and gatherings on the ranch.  She enjoyed hand-crafting and quilting and her countless cookies, pies, and cakes were greatly appreciated by friends and family.  Her wedding cakes graced many a young couples wedding in the area.

In 1993 they sold the vineyard and retired to Shaver Lake, CA, where they relished their later years with family, close friends and active involvement in the Church of Shaver Lake where Jo played piano for the worship team.

Services will be held on August 16 at 1:30 pm at the Chapel at Shaver Lake, CA.   (41340 Tollhouse Rd)   Please dress casually.   Remembrances can be sent to the Benevolence Fund for the Church at Shaver Lake (PO Box 601, Shaver Lake, CA 93664), which will be used to purchase equipment for the Wish-I-Ah Care Center were Jo spent the last five months of her life. 

Late yesterday afternoon I sent Finding Church to my editor.  I have been inside this manuscript since last August and it is always a funny feeling to send it off.  Now I can’t touch it for the next two weeks and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  Afterwards Sara and I began our two-week vacation by going out on the lake with my daughter Julie and her three kids to watch a beautiful sunset develop in the west and the super moon rise in the east.  What a special, quiet, and awe-inspiring time. 

So I woke up this morning without that book in my head for the first time in a year.  I began it up here a year ago and it has been quite a journey getting all my thoughts down about Jesus’ church in one place.  I know there’s still some tweaking ahead, but we are on the home stretch to finally get it out to others.  I hope it will spawn a great discussion about what the church really is and how people engage her with freedom and joy.  

We have not yet made a final decision on the cover, but have appreciated all the help so many of you gave us.  I probably received over 400 comments and emails with opinions that were all over the map.  It’s amazing how passionate people can be for their favorite idea and how anguished they can be over ones they didn’t like.   It was a real study in diversity and how personal preferences are not a matter of right or wrong.  And you were all at a disadvantage because you hadn’t read the book yet to even know what’s inside.  We weren’t taking a poll anyway, just trying to get some feedback to help guide our thinking.  We got that and more.  In the end it will come down to what my artist and I both think best represents the content of this book.   We’re getting close now and hopefully will announce the cover in the next week or so.   It may be one of those three, or another idea we’ve been exploring of late.  We never thought we could make everyone happy, and after all it’s only a book cover anyway, not an art piece for the Louvre. 

Sara and I are with my father and we’re going to take a couple of weeks off to enjoy our kids, grandkids, and lots of friends and relatives that will be gathering next weekend for my mom’s celebration.  I’m looking forward to seeing lots of people that have shared life with this family for generations. 

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone dig a toilet in the hot sun for his friend.”  

No, that’s not how the Scripture reads, but it is true enough!  This is way above washing dirty feet, that’s for sure.  And way above helping a friend move.  The outpouring of love from the Kenyans in Katale for the Keyans in West Pokot has astounded me.  Yes, many of you have provided the means for them to do it, but they have gone and done the hard work of digging foundations, pouring cement, building the walls, and now finishing the school and the dispensary.   If you’ve missed the earlier part of this story, you can catch up here.
The work is almost done. Three wells are up and running and the school and dispensary are almost complete.  The work continues as does the need.  I received this report from Michael yesterday:

Dear brother Wayne, greetings in the most powerful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thank you very much for your support.  This project has changed the image of this region, and people now can understand about God. 
The greatest support is about water, hospital and the school.  These were the three major needs for this wonderful people.   I have spent a long time there with the engineer and some volunteers who remain to see that every dollar goes to the right materials.   Every project is in the process of being completed soon. 
I cannot even explain the great love beyond the boundary and the great investment which you have invested towards our people, may God receive all Glory, the honor and praise.  It is true we are overwhelmed by the need here.  We cannot take you as a source of solving our problems, but keenly through the conviction of the Holy Spirit may give us the help we need.   In this region many people have more affected with hunger, which I cannot even tell and sometimes we meet people they look like skeleton.  Your greatest help among all, is to help them to get water and we have heard, the songs from their tradition language praising for God for heaven who has make all of these for them to get water, their family and animals.  It was a great gift to save the life of thousands across this region.
This is amazing grace; the people in this community were happy and rejoicing.  Every evening you can hear young men making a circle jumping and dancing praising God who has answered their prayers for all this generation.  Old women and men in the community were sitting under the big tree talking about the miracle that God has done. 
Recently I was visited by four representatives of the community who walked very long distance during our first visit outreach.  You remember that you contributed additional food for this community.  They came with a request to have a well drilled for them, which their community can share.  They live a very long distance from the other wells.  I feel strongly in my heart that God one day will hear their cry and provide for them.
I know the need of wells is so great and we cannot satisfied every community, but we can give what the Lord has given us, for some whom God may lead.   The extra money you sent for the well company to repair their damaged truck has melted their hearts and they promised us that if we needed to add another well they would do it for only $29,000 no matter if it needs to be deeper than the expected.  They will do it for God’s glory.
About outpatient services, we need now to start the process of getting licenses, so that we may be given assurance of start up the dispensary soon. I think we send it to you the amount; we have book some appointment with the health department at the end of this week. After that, then we will evaluate the doctor and two nurses.
Yours,
Brother Michael

Here are a few pictures from the completion of the dispensary: 

Digging the latrine for the dispensary

The dispensary nears completion

The flooring is poured inside and out and the electrical has been installed.  Inspectors arrive this week to work out licensing and supply.  

So, what’s next?  We are praying with them about God’s provision for another well at $29,000.00.   This group of people are too far away to utilize the three previous wells.
From the beginning God has convicted me that while we can help as he leads he did not want the people in Kenya to become dependent on the West, but to look to God as their provider.  That’s why we’ve not only tried to help, but we’re also trying to find ways to create enterprises whose profit can meet the ongoing costs of the orphanage, dispensary and schools.  This has not been easy, but it is important that they have the opportunity
The petrol station we built last year was part of that. Unfortunately its profits only cover about two thirds of the orphanage and education of the children. 
So I have asked them to look for another enterprise to make up the difference.  They may have landed on something now that would not only provide the balance for the orphanage but also the dispensary and schools in North Pokot.  They want to set up a distributorship for grain, buying it during the harvest, and dispensing it in the months that follow.  Their projection is that for a $14,000 investment they will be able to set up this business, employ locals to run it and make enough money each month to handle the ongoing needs both in their region and in North Pokot.  At the same time they will be able to help make food available in the communities where they live.  We are still sorting through the numbers on this venture to see if they add up, but this might be the answer to a lot of prayer.
If God has put it on your heart to help with these needs, you can direct it through Lifestream.  Contributions are tax-deductible in the US.  As always, every dollar you send goes to the need in Kenya.  We do not (nor do they) take out any administrative or money transfer fees.  If you would like to be part of this to support these brothers and sisters and see the gospel grow in this part of Africa, please see our Sharing With the World page. You can either donate with a credit card there, or you can mail a check to Lifestream Ministries • 1560 Newbury Rd Ste 1  •  Newbury Park, CA 91320. Or if you prefer, we can take your donation over the phone at (805) 498-7774.
 

In the home stretch now to finishing my new book. At the moment we’re playing with the cover. We’ve been using the one in the thumbnail at left as we’ve been going through this process, but now some other ideas have emerged.  The problem is I like them all!  Good problem to have I guess.  But I wanted to get some input from others on this.   We are looking for a cover that expresses the heart of the book, but at the same time catches someone’s eye.  It needs to be provocative and intriguing to draw people into an amazing story of how his church is finding expression in the world.

To help, here are some excerpts that get to the heart of the book’s message:  

Now I know that this new creation could never be contained in a human organization. She may exist alongside it, but she transcends it in the same way Jesus transcends the old creation.

The church Jesus builds is a family living in the growing reality of his affection. That’s why Jesus said he would build his church because we are not capable of doing so and our attempts have always distorted her image and hurt others in the process in spite of whatever good they have done. Jesus established his church by inaugurating a new creation of men and women who would live beyond the human conventions of society. It can only be expressed in the interaction of lives he is transforming.

His church does not arise from the old creation and thus will defy all our attempts to contain it or manage it. His church is a reality we recognize as our relationship with him grows. Our task was never to build it, but only to give ourselves to the new creation and watch as his church takes shape around us as he links our lives with others. We don’t have to name it or try to control it, but simply cooperate with her as long as she takes expression around us. When it served its purpose we can let go of that expression to see what he will do next. The relationships endure, not necessarily the task or the program that gave it shape.

There is more in the Gospels to commend this view of church than anything that points us to the religious systems we have created instead. Jesus was quite clear about the nature of his church, we just missed it because we never considered that he told us everything he wanted us to know about the church.

So which cover below most appeals to you and why?  Comment here or on Facebook if you’d like.  I know opinions will vary, and I can’t promise we’ll select your first choice, but the interchange will be extremely helpful to me.  Thanks to all who contribute.  

All three covers were designed by Dave Aldrich at Aldrich Design

I’ve got some new pictures to share with you from our friends in Kenya and some news to pass on.  The wells in North Pokot have been completed and are fully functional.  The schoolrooms and pharmacy superstructure is complete and they have begun finish work inside.  The people there are so grateful to the volunteers from IGEM and to those who have contributed money toward their need.  Over the last few months your generosity has placed almost a quarter of a million dollars and countless hours of volunteer work into their impoverished tribal lands of 120,000 people. If you missed the story of how all that happened you can read it here.  

The needs, of course, continue to finish the rooms, equip them, and help support the staff who will help with education and medical needs.  There is some talk now about expanding the dispensary into a small field hospital to treat those who have no place else to go.  We are currently working that through channels to see if that is a possibility.  I know we cannot meet every need in Kenya so I’m trying to remain sensitive as to what God has asked of me and what I have to say no too.  Coming from a wealthy country those lines are not easy to find.  My heart goes out to people who have so little when we enjoy so much in this country.  My prayer every day is that God will give us wisdom in all of this and that their depence will grow on him not on Lifestream or The God Journey.    This isn’t easy!

Also, Im wrote previously about a pharmicist from Australia who has taken a personal interest in this project.  Her name is Rashida Cottrell and not only is their family sharing in the need there, but she is also going to be competing in a Tough Mudder run as an incentive for others to give as well.  This is a great story of passion and support.   You can get more details here or you can Rashida her for more information.  If you’d like to support her efforts and you’re from Australia you can do so and get a donation receipt.  If you’re in the US and want to support her you can give to Lifestream in her name and we’ll forward the funds on to Kenya and let her know that you helped her. 

I find myself both overwhelmed with gratitude at the generosity of so many of you and by the ongoing need in that corner of the world.  Who knew that God could open a door for my connections on the web for just such a time as this for people who are in such great need.  Your prayers are most welcome for the people in IGEM and those in North Pokot.  If you can and want to help financially you can direct it through Lifestream as contributions are tax-deductible in the US.  As always, every dollar you send goes to the need in Kenya.  We do not (nor do they) take out any administrative or money transfer fees.  If you would like to be part of this to support these brothers and sisters and see the gospel grow in this part of Africa, please see our Sharing With the World page at Lifestream. You can either donate with a credit card there, or you can mail a check to Lifestream Ministries • 1560 Newbury Rd Ste 1  •  Newbury Park, CA 91320. Or if you prefer, we can take your donation over the phone at (805) 498-7774.

Here are the new pictures: 

The work on the dispensary continues

With grateful hearts the people of North Pokot say good bye to the well drillers.  

The water flows freely in North Pokot

The volunteers who built the schoolrooms and dispensary arrive back in Kitale

For a farmer there is nothing like the firstfruits of summer.  In a vineyard, that’s when the grapes are turning ripe enough to enjoy.  I was out in my four-vine vineyard this morning and looked among the leaves and the picture below is what I found!  The first bunches are turning ripe and what a sweet treat it is to bite into the first grapes of summer and know that all the pruning, weeding, and nurturing have accomplished their work.  

It’s a good thing a vine is bright enough not to judge its fruitfulness in winter, or even spring.  It could throw quite a pity party when its branches don’t even have any leaves, or the bunches of grapes are small and hard.  Fruitfulness is a process, not only for a grapevine, but for us.  I wrote the book In Season: The Father’s Process of Fruitfulness to encourage people to get their eyes off of the results and embrace the process by which God invites us into himself and reshapes our lives so that the sweetness of his light and power can be shared with the world.  We so easily grow impatient, don’t we?  We judge ourselves by the fruit we think we should have by now and miss enjoying him while he’s shaping that fruit through the pruning of winter and the nurturing of spring. 

For those who want to embrace that process in your own life, have made In Season our Featured Book of the Month, and reduced the cost to $9.99 plus shipping for as many books as you want to order this month.  You can find it here.  
You can also find quantity discount pricing for In Season and other Lifestream titles if you want to use one of them for a study this summer or fall. 

Here is the chapter this morning’s walk in the garden reminded me of.  It’s one of my favorites, demonstrating that our growth in his kingdom will make us softer and sweeter, and that’s what will make us fruitful in our relationships with others.  

Softer and Sweeter

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest
for your souls.
Matthew 11:29

In the last few weeks before harvest the grapes ripen rapidly. Two dramatic changes take place in these final weeks to make them the succulent grapes the farmer desires.
By early August the grapes have grown almost to full size. But if you pick one and bite into it then, you’ll be greatly disappointed. The grapes are still hard, and tart enough to pucker your lips. It is during these final weeks before harvest that the grapes fill up with sugar, making them soft and sweet.

The leaves are in full production at this time, pumping the grape bunches full of sugar. Almost daily you can taste the changing sweetness as the sugar content soars. This influx of sugar also softens the pulp inside the grape. As you bite through the firm outer skin, you’ll find the pulp has softened inside so it almost explodes in your mouth.

When the grapes turn soft and sweet, harvest is at hand. Today with special instruments farmers can measure the sugar content and know exactly when the grapes are fully ripe. Farmers of old, however, trusted their eyes and taste buds to tell them the same thing. Softer and sweeter. The same things that signal the maturity of a grape also signal the maturity of a believer. As God brings his promises to completion in our lives, one of the signs that he is about finished is the softness and sweetness that floods our demeanor.

Earlier, in the midst of promise and warfare, we might find ourselves a bit harder, full of arrogance, fighting and striving in our own efforts to accomplish God’s work. But the perseverance of summer shows the weakness of our own efforts.

By learning to trust God’s doing more than our own we become softened with humility and gentleness and sweetened with lovingkindness. All of the fruits of the spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are expressions of a life that has been through the fire and come through with greater trust in the Father’s affection and his work in the world.

However, these are not the attributes most desired or generated by the world system. If you want to make it in this world, you have to be tough. Don’t show any sign of weakness (meaning kindness or goodness) because someone is waiting to take advantage of you the moment you do. Those are the rules. Everyone who succeeds learns them early and follows them adamantly.

Everyone, that is, except Jesus. In every conflict he faced, through every lie directed against him by those who sought to destroy him, he only demonstrated these incredible fruits of the Spirit. His authority scared many people, even though he held no political power or ever enforced his will on anyone. He went about doing good, but this only threatened those who would not allow God access to their lives. “We’ve never seen anyone like this!” the people gasped as they looked for ways to kill him.  Softness is not weakness; in God’s kingdom it is the greatest measure of strength.

All too often I’ve seen people loaded with knowledge and zeal but still captives of the world’s system. They are harsh and their words are judgmental. In their wake are a lot of offended people—not by the gospel—but by the way they’ve been treated. They want to be somebody. But as long as they want to be somebody their ministry will be polluted. Even in places where God has genuinely called them they are defensive and easily threatened, and they compensate for that with aggression and manipulation. Where they don’t succeed, they are frustrated and bitter at those they perceive as impeding on their ministries.

Those who have lived deeply in Jesus reflect the same humility and gentleness that Jesus did. They no longer advance their own agenda, angry when they don’t get what they think God has for them. They are not pushovers because they will resolutely stand in the truth, and they do so with a grace for others. They don’t threaten to leave and go somewhere else “where their gifts will be appreciated.” They easily express the compassion and care of Father to those around them. With simple love and concern they are able to help people engage God. They know that God opens doors and shuts them, and when he does, no man stands in his way. They are content with their part and have no need to diminish others to make the light shine brighter on them.

Living in that reality shows us that the harvest is at hand. If we don’t live in that place, our misplaced passion can easily crush the very people we’re called to touch with his life. The end product of summer, for those who traverse it with perseverance and growing trust, is a gentle and humble spirit. There is no more accurate sign of maturity than those who treat others, all others, with kindness and gentleness. When that settles on your heart, you know that summer has come to an end.

Let the harvest begin!
 

Every picture below brings me untold joy at this amazing work God has done in Kenya through the generosity of people Kenya and the generosity of those who frequent my websites. Incredible!

• For God to do what he did he had to disillusion a young preacher, Michael Wafula, nine years ago to go on an Internet search to find out if something more real was out there than the Christianity he knew.  
• And God lead him to a free copy of He Loves Me, which he downloaded and it began to provide the answers for some of the deepest longings of his heart.
• And God had to stir that man to invite me to come to Kenya, which opened a door for us to have a wider conversation via email for three years.
• And God had to me in contact with a missionary from Australia on her way to Kenya and her willingness to meet with Michael to see if the opportunity there was legitimate.  She wrote me back after her return to tell me that, “this man has a heart of gold and you can trust him with anything.” 
• And then God alerted me to the post-election violence in Kenya and nudged me to get a hold of Michael and see if he needed anything.  He had 250 people in his back yard he could not feed.  So we sent money for food and costs to help some displaced people. 
• God began to knit our hearts together as we had opportunity to help with other education and medical needs. 
• And then God stirred Kent Burgess and me to go to Kenya and spend time among this marvelous group of people who were just learning that God is a God of love.  They responded well to the dfthings we shared and launched them on a very different journey to share his love around east Africa instead of God’s principles.
• And then God had to stir us to get involved with seventy-two orphan children who were living in their own filth in a slum and many of you to send contributions to help relocate them to a safer and more sanitary space. 
• And then God had to put them in touch with 120,000 forgotten people in the upper reaches of Kenya who were dying of drought and poor sanitation.
• Meanwhile God had been stirring some people in Texas to put money into a fund, having no idea how it might be used.  
• And God had to stir the Kenyans we knew to want to go to that region with food and medical supplies and many of you to help fund them to go with over $62,000.  
• And God stirred them to return
• Then God made sure the people in Texas heard about the people in West Pokot and nudged them to help relieve the suffering there.  They sent $155,000 over two weeks to help the volunteers build a school, a pharmacy, and drill three wells. 
• And he nudged 55 volunteers to return to West Pokot to build the buildings and help further feed the people.  
• Then God tapped a woman in Australia who is a pharmacist by trade and wanted to help set up the pharmacy. She was willing to pay to build it, but that money had already been provided. 

Tell me God can’t touch a world by the simple obedience of people that he can knit together at a moment’s notice!  Does he need extensive institutions that eat up all the money in administrative fees, or obedient people he could bring together to rescue a group of starving people on the plains of Kenya? 

As I look back over this story I wouldn’t have seen any of these singular events as the most important thing going on in my life that day.  And yet, God was able to write a story of love and hope that astounds me in retrospect.   This is his church. He can really be its head.  What can happen in this world as thousands and thousands of people simply listen to him and do what he asks of them.  He truly does all things well!
I received this from Michael yesterday:

Dear brother Wayne, greetings in Jesus name, it is very long time without communicating but I thank God for this young man Thomas who has been communicating with you, including updates towards Northern Parts projects.  As you know, this place is far away and the roads are very bad, it needs grace of God, especially the well number two where we spend long time because of the broken down of the truck, we stay on the road some days till we fixed again, but God is good we are now joyful that all wells are covered, and found out last night that well number three is done.  All of us we were so joyful for what the Lord has done.  This is amazing grace.

I have gone many places in East Africa specifically Kenya but I have never served such wonderful people with hunger towards the word of God, thank you very much for all cooperation, also for the addition funds to enable this project to be completed.  So now the dispensary is very big and spacious. We have now the store inside, pharmacists inside, wards for women, Men, labour Ward, resting labour Ward, intensive care unit room, rooms for doctors, room for Nurses, room for staff, room for keeping records and Toilets and bathroom.  This is so great. Those rooms raise more work and funds.

All the work it will be completed next week, we thank God also for our volunteers who have worked tirelessly.  May the Lord bless you so much; send our greetings to all who has stand with us.

Amazing grace, indeed! 
Every one of these pictures speaks of the new life springing up among the people in West Pokot.  Don’t miss the last two!  After sending $93,000 in hopes of striking water in three different wells, to see it flow freely brings a smile to my heart.  

The pharmacy nears completion

A few of the volunteers who donated their labor

Distributing the maize to feed the hungry

A river of life for the people in West Pokot

The used to walk 40 kms for water, now they with joy draw water near their own homes

For more information or to contribute to our work in Kenya, see our Sharing With the World page.  

At 4:35 pm Monday afternoon, I wrote the final sentence in my new book, Finding Church:  What If There Really Is Something More?  That’s always a wonderful moment, akin to a builder turning the last screw in the dream house he’s been building for his family, or a trucker turning off the freeway toward home at the end of a cross-country trip.  It’s a wonderful feeling.  Part of what helped me get to the end was the cheerleading of a friend who said he had the sense that “this message is a modern version of what Christ was doing while he was here in human form, fighting for the freedom of his beloved.”  Gracious words, given that he hadn’t read it yet, but I hope that’s true and I’m blessed not to be the only voice in that fight.  I do hope, however, that for many for whom the term “church” conjures up images of pain, arrogance, or bondage, might look elsewhere to the church that Jesus is building that is filled with love, life, and grace.  

If you’ve been following this odyessy you know I was close to this point four months ago before I blew it all up on the advice of a good friend and first editor I ever had.  I love how it has come back together and hope now we’ve find the form that will best convey this material.  But even then I had yet to work on the final chapter.  Though I had some notes there, I was never sure how this book would end.  On this reformatting I kept wondering and it didn’t become clear to me until early on Saturday morning as I began to approach it.  I had no idea how to give a final summation given the fact that this journey is still unfolding for me and that I have great hope that God is still percolating something amazing beneath the surface of our world and that the church will yet take expression in ways more profound than any of us see at this point.  Finally I knew how to end it in the only way this book could end, in a chapter titled, “To Be Continued”. 

Here are a few excerpts:  

No, this is not a promise for a sequel called Finding Church Too!  I am simply acknowledging that this book speaks into a story that is far from complete.  Though Jesus is building his church in the world she is not yet all that she needs to be to bring this age to its conclusion and to be presented before him as his spotless bride.  He is still building his church though in ways that mostly go unnoticed and unnamed. 

And while I’m filled with anticipation at what might yet lie down the road, I have no idea what she will look like in the end as people are untangled from obligation to human systems and become more preoccupied with him and his kingdom.   What will it look like as we learn to love one another from the heart and care about each other the way God cares for us? The tastes I’ve had locally and internationally of this family when people are focused on him and generous with each other have fulfilled every desire I’ve had to experience his church in the world.  My heart yearns to see more of his children find their way into that reality and when they do, what will we look like then?  I told you upfront that I wasn’t an expert with all of the answers and now that we’ve arrived at the final chapter, hopefully you’re convinced. If you have more questions than answers, you are not alone.  I do too.  I want to keep learning how I can more effectively engage this church Jesus is building and I anticipate that to be a life-long adventure.  But to be honest, if I died tomorrow I could truthfully say that I’ve been able to participate freely in the incredible beauty and power of his church that I always hoped was possible. 

Finding church is not a matter of locating a group you like and joining it.   I hope many of you arrive at the end of this book as exhilarated as I am by the possibilities of finding a more vibrant church experience than you have found to date.  If you’ve wondered why you never seemed to fit freely into the human models we’ve created, perhaps now you understand why.  You weren’t rebellious or independent; you just had a seed of life in your heart that refused to settle for an illusion when something real beckoned you onward.

Finding church is not a matter of simply joining a Christian group, but actually embracing him and inside of him discovering how to live and think with others in the new creation.  We can’t describe her in intellectual terms and then implement our own strategies to fulfill it.  The church has to be experienced alongside others who are being transformed by him.  You don’t control that, and neither do I. We can only make ourselves available to him and see how he links us together. 

I hope this book is continued in a broader conversation of men and women worldwide who are passionate about Jesus and his kingdom that are willing to look past our differences to the common unity we have by virtue of the fact that we are children of the same Father.  It won’t be about the best way to do church, or to which one you belong, but how can we all belong more fully to Christ.  How can he be our shepherd and lead us to greater freedom from our own agendas so that we can truly be one as Father, Son, and Spirit are one?  How can we encourage each other on that path, and how might he connect us in conversations and collaborations of generosity and graciousness that will make him visible in the world…

Sharing my joy with friends I’ve been near over the last couple of days at finally completing this book, illicited the same question:  “So when will it be ready to read?”  So before I get those emails, I’ll answer as best I know.  I’m going to spend the next month polishing up the entire work. While I’ve already cut about 15,000 words from it, I want to streamline it a bit more and hoping find another 5,000. For those of you who don’t write, that may not make much sense. Why cut out something I might want to read?  I am not cutting it to leave things out; I’m cutting out the extraneous matter to make what’s most important stand out.  And believe me, there’s always extraneous matter.  If I was with a real publisher it would take another 12 months to get it ready for publication. But since I’m doing this one on my own I’m hopeful to get through editing, lay-out and cover design by early September and release the book in late September. That’s all best-case scenario.  If I have to blow it up again, it will take even longer.  But I’m hopeful that I won’t need to.  

Thanks to so many of you who have been an encouragement throughout this process.  I

As my work on the book winds down this summer, it looks like some more travel ahead as fall rolls around.  I’m putting some of the finishing touches to the final chapters now and then will take one more spin through the whole thing before sending it out for editing. Hopefully I won’t have to blow it up and rebuild it again.    

I’m already committed to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State on July 6, and now in Clovis, CA on July 26.  If you’d like to join us at either event, please see our Travel Page for more information. These are all conversations to help others process their journey in learning to live loved and connect in more relational ways with other believers.  

Also, it looks like trips are in the works this fall for 

Atlanta, GA  •  Houston, TX  •  San Antonio, TX  •  Austin, TX  •  Kentucky 

Even though these aren’t final and we don’t have dates for these yet, I’m letting folks know in case you are in those areas and want to tag on to the trip with anything else while I’m there.  It helps to know that before we get tickets nailed down.  

At the end of last week I received the following poem in my email and was so touched by it that I shared it with almost everyone I was with this last weekend.  So I wrote him to ask if I could share it on my blog and with his permission you’ll find it below.  It captures the whole story of redemption in a magnificent way and ends in just the right spot.  

I met Jimmy last summer at our Seeding Community Conversation in North Carolina and was touched by this young man’s story, his passion for God’s kingdom and his willingness to follow Jesus even through painful and difficult places.  Recently my brother suffered a very painful loss and is processing that in his own journey.  I suspect this poem might have grown out of that.   

Genesis

by Jimmy Wolfe 

After the Beginning, my world
was formless and void.
Darkness,
           Doubt,
                     Chaos,
Covered and hovered over my heart.
There was light. Until there wasn’t.
Succumbing to the weight of night,
           the sun surrendered and
I could  not see what was good.
Dusk without dawn.
           How many days?
The earth stopped bringing.
           Life stopped living.
                      I stopped believing
but not trusting.
Dusk without dawn.
How many days?
On a seventh day, through the stormy silence,
I heard the Word speak
           “Rest, I will.
                     Trust, I Am.”
His whispered Breath filled this dust and
           Light broke through,
                     a garden grew,
                               a Kingdom came.
As I saw Him seeing me,
my fig leaf fell and His love
drove Fear and Shame through
the Eastern gate as fiery angels
turned West to hem me in.
And on One Tree Hill, He said,
           “Eat. Drink. Remember.
                      You’ve known good and
                                you’ve known evil.
Now, you know Me.”

© 2014 by Jimmy Wolfe