I Hate Suicide

Hate is a strong word, but I have chosen it intentionally.

The Loftin family has been connected with the Zambetti family (Memphis) for over two decades. Wade Zambetti (27) has been fighting mental illness for years. The struggle ended yesterday. I am hurting with and praying for the Zambetti family and all Wade’s friends.

Fourteen months ago I lost my friend Randy Russell. In the hours after I learned of Randy’s death I wrote the following words, as parting of my grieving process. I am posting this now as a way to honor and remember both Randy and Wade.

My longest friendship has been with Randy Russell. We met when I moved into the Garden Parks neighborhood in Jackson, MS at age 5. I have always admired, respected and looked up to Randy. Sadly, I have not always stayed in touch with him, but I have never stopped loving him. He is a successful physician, a loving and faithful husband and father, a passionate Christ follower, and someone who has invested huge amounts of time in ministry to disadvantaged children.

But today I will try to focus not on what I hate, but what I love. I love faithful and merciful Jesus. I love Randy. Today, I choose to focus on the Light instead of the darkness. One day at a time.

Another Tentmaker

A few months ago I had a series of wonderful but disturbing “aha” moments regarding the church in America, the needs of the world, and my role in God’s mission. The information was not new to me, but God brought several factors into focus in a way that moved me.

I love the Church of Jesus Christ, but most people would agree that the church in America is broken and needs transformation. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and to bring healing and hope to the hurting. Jesus calls the church to follow Him in this mission, but we are distracted with other duties and preoccupations. This is true for entire churches as well as individuals.

Much of my time and the time of other leaders is dedicated to facilitating relatively easy and “non-invasive” changes in the systems of local churches – increase giving to missions, send more short term mission trips, preach more about the mission of God, help the poor in the community, etc. However, I am now convinced that pervasive and foundational changes need to be implemented as soon as possible. The type changes I am suggesting may not be universally affirmed, but something has to be done. Changes in the two areas I am suggesting will release a much greater portion of the church’s resources (time, prayer and finances) to be used in addressing the underserved needs in our communities and around the world. Deal with this sad fact – 41% of the people in the world have no access to the Gospel.

I began to follow Jesus in 1970 as part of a spiritual awakening among teenagers across the nation. I made this course-altering commitment weeks before my senior year at Wingfield High School in Jackson, MS. My chief spiritual mentor coached us to do a few things well – study the Bible, pray and share the Good News. The gang of young folks under his leadership kept those disciplines passionately. One year later, I heard God call me to “full time ministry.” My dream of being a rich banker was replaced. I subconsciously assumed, “Instead of receiving a paycheck from a bank, I guess I’ll be paid by a church.” Since my sophomore year in college the only income I have earned has been from churches and non-profit ministries. Recently I realized that few Christians in history or around the world today connect calling to ministry with “paychecks” – at least not like I have.

Approximately 80% of a local church’s finances (and I expect prayer and volunteers) are allocated for needs related to its buildings and paid staff. I’m not sure what I can do about church buildings, but I can do something about the salary issue. In keeping with the pattern of the Apostle Paul and the vast majority of Christian workers over the ages and around the world today, in March I decided to become a tentmaker, a bi-vocational Christian worker (Acts 18:1-4 NIV). I want to model this ministry lifestyle, not just talk about it.

Within one week of this commitment, I was approached and recruited by the founder and director of Awake Consulting and Coaching (www.awakeconsulting.com). This spring the FOI board affirmed my request to begin a relationship with Awake, and I am now working with my first two clients. I have been amazed by the similarities between the coaching I have done with church leaders and the coaching I am providing to business leaders. Some healthy cross-pollination is taking place. Regarding my time and energy, I am fitting my consulting work into my FollowOne schedule. This is easy since much of my consulting work is done via teleconference.

I want to discourage any perception that “James left the ministry” or that “FollowOne is closing.” FollowOne continues to be strong as we strategically engage in God’s mission. The change in my vocational situation is due to God’s call on my life, and it is consistent with FollowOne’s commitment to help churches more effectively, sacrificially and strategically participate in God’s mission.

FollowOne, like most churches and ministries, is feeling a financial pinch. The sour economy, however, is not the driver for my vocational shift. As my income from consulting clients begins and grows, the amount of money paid to me by FollowOne will be reduced.

Pray for me in this new chapter of my life. This is God’s calling for me. That doesn’t make me better or worse than other Christians, but perhaps my witness will help people consider new ways to respond to God’s call.

Pray also for the men and women being called to ministry in America. Consider the fact that God has impacted entire nations through the faithful service of unpaid or tentmaker ministers in cooperation with a very small number of full-time paid Christian workers. There is, of course, a great need for faithful and effective Christian workers to be paid for their services, and some of them need full time support. But thousands of other workers would be just as effective if a portion of their income was from a tentmaker position. This change would release millions of dollars for ministry to the unreached and underserved people in our communities and around the world.

If you have questions or concerns about my new tentmaker status, please contact me. I want to hear from you. Here I stand – for the glory of God, for the soul of the church and for the good of the world.

So what do you think?

Ideas? Questions? Concerns? Scripture? Let’s talk.

A Mother’s Voice

Sully, our yellow Lab puppy, is 5 months old. He is 95% wonderful – affectionate, obedient, funny, etc. But his love for other dogs causes trouble. If he sees another dog and I don’t have a good hold on his leash, off he goes. His passion for four-legged friends makes him ignore the danger of crossing the street as well as my urgent commands and pleas. This drives me crazy.

Mothers know something about that feeling of desperation. After years of prayer and training, mothers ultimately watch their children run off according to their own passions.

Today I honor three mothers – Sarah Davis Loftin, Carolyn Covington Loftin and Ashley Loftin Gilland. God used and is using their faith, knowledge, life experience, prayerful sensitivity and undying love to provide guidance for their children. Like other children, I listened at times, but sometimes my passions made me run headlong, foolishly. Sorry Mom.

Although only God is characterized by perfect love, these mothers have shown their children unfailing love. Their love has involved patience, forgiveness, pain, joy, celebration, prayer and hope. Their love has honored Christ.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers and potential mothers! May all your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and beyond remember your voice and the voice of the One you follow.

Faithful Lovers

Weddings are full of emotion. As I stood by Jonathan (my son) last Saturday, tears came flooding in at several points. I could feel the eyes of Ashley and Meme (my daughters), but I knew better than to look in their direction. With Herculean effort, I stayed somewhat composed.

There were many intense moments in the service for this “best man.” When beautiful Mary Ashton stepped out from the rear lobby and made her way down the aisle to stand with her groom. The tender exchange of vows. The music. And there was an unexpected exhilaration as Pastor David read the Scripture.

I have attended and performed about two hundred weddings, and many of them included a reading of I Corinthians 13, “The Love Chapter.” But this time was different.

Yes, the chapter pertains to the love of husband and wife. And, yes, it is a challenge for all our relationships. But I had missed a broader and perhaps more profound application.

We all know that love is not primarily an emotion. It is an unconditional commitment characterized by tangible actions on behalf of others. But when we connect I Corinthians 13 with the parable of the Great Commandment (Mt. 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20), the Love Chapter becomes far more than a wedding text.

If I am not finding ways to use the resources God has entrusted to me (energy, time, finances, prayer, influence, etc.) to communicate and demonstrate God’s love to those who are not aware of God’s grace, then all my religious activities are in vain. They may be well intended, but if my prayers, worship, stewardship, and Bible study are not accompanied and flavored by a participation in God’s mission in the world, I am not faithfully loving Jesus.

Pray that we will all be “faithful lovers” for the glory of God and the good of the world.

Listen to this song, People of God by Michael Gungor; I think its lyrics relate well to these thoughts.

Hasta Luego vs. Goodbye

Life is full of farewells. A child goes off to college, gets married, heads off to a new job, joins the military or goes to the mission field. Friends move to another church or relocate to another city. A spiritual mentor takes a different position. Or a loved one passes away.

Next Monday my sweet mother will have surgery for colon cancer. The prognosis is actually great. As long as she survives the shock of surgery itself, she should not have to face chemo or radiation. Sarah Loftin is 85 years old.

I fully expect Mama to survive the ordeal of surgery, by the grace of God. So my ramblings here are not about death, but rather about the farewells of life.

Consider two phrases used for farewell. Goodbye is a rather dismal although well-intentioned parting. A few months ago our daughter Meme was packing up her car in order to head back to Mississippi State. In a moment of fatherly tenderness, I whispered to her, “Goodbye, baby.” To which Meme responded, “Daddy! Don’t be so….. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.” She had the right perspective.

That’s why I like the Spanish farewell. Hasta luego is full of hope and faith - “I will see you later.” Hasta luego reminds me of the certainty of sunrise no matter how dark the night. I think of the new heaven and new earth made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rev. 21:1-4).

No matter what shakes our world – earthquakes or surgery – Christians never have to say goodbye. On Monday January 18 I will kiss my mother and tell her, “See you later.” And I will.

Thank you for praying for Sarah Loftin, and her four children, Beverly, Pat, Kathy and James. God is faithful.

How can I be praying for you?