#EVERYDAY

Acts 2:46 New International Version (NIV)

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

#EveryDay is one of the five values we hold to for our work downtown.  How does it differ for me than before? I’m conscience of a time when Monday was dedicated to a triage from the last Sunday in staff meetings and review.  Then Tuesday and Wednesday were dedicated to prepping for Wednesday night’s rehearsal, secluded up in my office writing parts or connecting for personnel to the Worship coming up.  Thursday and Fridays were about the next Sunday.  I lived between Sundays with the next Sunday in my mind.  My life, and my ministry, seemed to live from Sunday to Sunday.  I don't describe it as wrong ... it was necessary for what we were doing.  I'm just describing something different today!

Now I can look at any and every day as a potential for including it in a strategy to reach this community.  Today I’m grading papers.  I woke up this morning knowing I’d take the time for these papers.  But I took the first half-hour this morning praying about where I’d spend my day.  I’ve been grading papers for over four hours (and I’m tired of grading papers)!  And, I’ve got 25 more assignments to go and I’m looking for a break.  BUT I’ve strategically placed myself at a neighborhood coffee house/cafe’ to work.  I’m not secluded.  I’ve had no less than five conversations with people I recognize.  One gal is a leader in conversation across America about Local First.  She’s leading conversations about communities and their impact.   Another conversation is discussing the patron sitting ten feet away who claims to be an analyst with the FBI on assignment.  Another conversation is calling Community Bridges to help find assistance for said “FBI agent”.  I’m guessing (and it’s just a guess) that she is neglecting her meds.  The police even noticed her behavior and called the Cafe’ to see if she was being disruptive inside.  But as I assist both the police and the barista to call Community Bridges, it validates our discussion on how every person is important to the Kingdom and validates our words in the mind of the barista that asked for my assistance in the first place.

#EveryDay isn’t just a type of branding and slogan.  We lean into it because we discovered how easy it is to compartmentalize our life to ‘church’ on Sundays and ‘everything else’ to the ‘everything else’ week.  But Christ doesn’t call us to that.  His death was worthy of purchasing all days of the week.  And therefore strategizing our lives such to spend each day with the over-arching concept that we can live for Him; in a coffee shop with the computer rather than an office; talking life and community. Always in a strategic presence to give a hope for the cause that is within us.