Monday, October 27, 2008

To All You Wounded Warriors

At a recent mens retreat I had the privilege of being sharpened by a number of fellas who had true brokenness in their lives: Unfaithful wives, sexual addictions, violence in the home, anger management issues, failing parents, failed ministries. One old friend emailed me just to say thanks for the time we got to share together after years of lost contact. My final sentence to him was this: "From one wounded warrior to another: stand in the grace we have come to cling to, no longer out of theological commitment, but raw necessity." Look, I'm not OK and neither are you. We serve our king, not because we have earned the right, not because we have lived right, not because it is right, but because we have expended all our other resources and run out of options. As Peter said, "To whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life." Lord, all we can offer you is broken lives and wounded hearts, inflamed with the passion of one indiscriminately loved.

8 Comments:

Blogger Dave said...

Timely, indeed, Brother. If it weren't for grace. . .

October 27, 2008 at 3:10 PM  
Blogger Gregory Fish said...

if it was tanglewood you're speaking of, i wish that i could've gone. we had some men from the church go. well, i'll see you in tulsa at the missionary convention!

October 28, 2008 at 2:18 PM  
Blogger Lancelot said...

this is the truest word I've heard you speak.

October 28, 2008 at 6:29 PM  
Blogger Thom Stark said...

I don't know. Once Mark said, "I'll let you go; I've got to go work on my dissertation." That was pretty true. But I guess you weren't there for that, so your statement stands.

October 30, 2008 at 6:20 PM  
Blogger Lancelot said...

i stand corrected. if a tree falls in the woods, and I didn't see it fall...

October 30, 2008 at 10:52 PM  
Blogger Blake Bergstrom said...

I'll never forget the day that you practically yelled at a group of youth pastors and said, "Guys, I don't care how great she is in bed, or how big her boobs are...she is not worth it." You were challenging us to remain faithful and true to our wives. You about cried at the thought of how many guys have fallen in ministry because of that. This proves that we are wounded to the core of our beings. It is evil days that we are in and it is time that we live as victorious warriors by the power of the Holy Spirit.

October 31, 2008 at 12:31 AM  
Blogger bookhawk said...

This is at the heart of every person who has stood before their flock and pointed to the Great Shepherd. No one stands worthy not one. At the core we stand before others as a testimony to the amazing grace of a loving God. Broken, yes. Worthy, no. Loved by God, yes, yes, yes.

November 25, 2008 at 2:13 PM  
Blogger Falantedios said...

From Cheater to Father - the hopeful path of a refugee to God's grace.

Thank you, Mark.

in HIS love,
nick

December 30, 2008 at 2:24 PM  

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