Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

Yesterday I finally finished reading Peppermint-Filled Piñatas: Breaking Through Tolerance and Embracing Love by Eric Michael Bryant. I’m sorry it took me so long to finish it but I was working on my own book proposal and well LIFE.  

Anyway, I brought the book home a few weeks ago and Cassandra (my beautiful wife of 20 years) stole it from me.  I had finished the first two chapters but the title caught her attention.  Then she read the entire book within 24 hours!  So, I had pencil underlines all through out the book!  So yes, she liked it.  Or should I say it challenged and convicted her about building relationships in our community.

Eric Michael Bryant is a pastor at Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, CA.  For those of you who don’t know Mosaic is pastored by Erwin McManus.  Mosaic is a unique church in that it is truly multi-racial. Eric is one of the few white people on staff.  He and his wife purposely moved to an area in LA where they are in the minority.  

The title of the book comes from when he went out to get candy for their child’s birthday party.  He wanted to save money so he bought peppermint candy.  But his wife knew that children wouldn’t want the cheap stuff they wanted the good candy.  He compared that to life.  People don’t want cheap relationships they want the good stuff.

He said the invention of the garage door has probably hurt relationships as much as anything.  I would tend to agree.  We just wave at our neighbors and push a button and go out of site.  He said as believers we need to quit hiding from the world and get in the world.  We have to get messy and dirty with people.  Not their lifestyles but we have to be involved and life is messy.

Eric is very transparent and doesn’t preach at us through this work.  But it was very convicting and confirming to both me and Cassandra that this is what church should be about.  Church is being the hands and feet of Jesus not a building, or a choir or band or the best pageant in town, etc….

I highly recommend Peppermint-Filled Piñatas and give it 4.8 hockey sticks out of 5.

Many of you know that I serve on staff at a new church in NW Charlotte.  I know God called us to serve here but unfortunately the church can’t bring on a full-time salaried person quite yet.  I’ve been looking all summer for a 2nd job. As most of you know I used to hang out at Starbucks every day to pray, read, study and meet people.  It was a great experience.  Unfortunately I haven’t been doing that since I resigned my former church for obvious reasons! $$$$

My wife and I were in Uptown (downtown for other cities) Charlotte walking around.  Uptown Charlotte is a cool place.  If we didn’t have children at home I would love to live there.  I love big cities and Uptown has the feel of a little NYC.  People are moving in droves to the condos and townhomes in Uptown.  While we were walking around I saw a competitor to Starbucks coffee shop that had a sign looking for employees.  So 2 days later I applied for a job.  I actually interviewed with the manager and participated in an in store experience.  I thought for sure the manager was going to offer me a job but he told me later that week that he wasn’t going to get to hire anyone until maybe the fall.

In the mean time I applied at another of the Starbucks competitors (online) in the building of the largest bank in America.  That was 3 weeks ago.  On Monday I called the 1st store back and asked if business had gotten better and he said no so I pretty much ruled it out.  Then on Tuesday I met my friend Mike Landrum at the Starbucks I used to go to on a regular basis and I was about to apply for a position there.  But I overheard the manager say that they were one of the casualties of the Starbucks closure.  I never realized that my stopping to hang out there would cause them to close!

After having lunch with Mike Landrum I got a call from the 2nd store manager of the Starbucks rival store and he wanted to meet with me.  He knows the other manager and he believes the reason he didn’t hire me was because of my faith.  But this manager has no problem with me.  So yesterday I did another in store experience and it was great. In fact the 1st manager walked in to get some straws and my new manger got a kick out of it.  I hold no grudge and know that God had His reasons.  I even had a chance to talk about God’s will vs. fate.  

I’m not there to convert people and I have no ulterior motives other than I need the money.  But I don’t believe God allows things to happen by accident.  I’m praying that my book, Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee will be accepted by the literary agent that I have been talking with.  But I already have another book in mind called “CONFESSIONS OF A BARISTA.” 

I can’t wait to the stories I will get from working in the real world.  I’m excited about working in Uptown Charlotte because I see a real need for God among the people who live and work there. Camey Gravley affectionately calls her husband the “Wal-Mart” pastor so maybe I can be the “Coffee Pastor.” Should be an interesting ride!

I had the privilege of serving on staff at a dynamic church in Jacksonville, NC. Jacksonville is the home of Camp Lejeune. We met some extremely cool men and women who were sold out to God and our nation. I love the new Marine advertising campaign which says “We don’t take applications, only commitments.” That is so true of the men and women I’ve met who serve in all of the armed forces. They aren’t just there for a job, they are committed to serve.

I believe the church needs to adapt this slogan. My experience is that we have a lot of “safe Christians.” When is the last time you saw God do something that only he could do? How many times I have heard and seen people put God in a box? I’ve been guilty of this myself. How many times do we say no to ministry opportunities because we think it is impossible. Well last time I looked in Philippians 4:13 it says:

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

It doesn’t say I can do all things on my own. It doesn’t say we live on facts and figures. Too many times we say no to God before we ask what He wants! We are living a “SAFE CHRISTIANITY!”

I used to live like God could do everything and then I got complacent. But God has a way of shaking you up. It started last summer as my friend Mike Landrum and I began reaching out in our Samaria and started to see God move. Then I heard Craig Groeschel speak a dynamic message called “Practical Atheism” and I realized I was a practical atheist because I was talking about what God had in past tense and not what He was doing right then. I repented that day and decided I would no longer live that way.

Nothing about Jesus and God is safe. When he calls us he demands not just commitment but submission! Look at what Jesus said is involved in following Him:

Luke 9:23

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

The 1st Century Jew understood this meant 1 thing—DEATH! Taking a cross meant that a person was going to their execution. If Jesus were saying it today it would probably say, “take up your electric chair, lethal injection or firing squad.” Nothing about Jesus and living for Him is safe!

I get really bugged when followers of Jesus don’t even trust God. It bothers me when so called Christ followers don’t believe “God sized” stories or say it is just a coincidence! I don’t believe in coincidences! My God is bigger than me. If I understand everything then why would I need God? Then when someone lives a dangerous Christian life they get ridiculed for actually trusting God. I don’t get it.

In Matthew 14 Jesus was walking on the water while the disciples were in a storm.  All the disciples were scared to death but Peter asked Jesus to let him come to him on the water.  All the other disciples must have thought he was crazy.  But Peter is the only one who didn’t play it safe and got out of the boat.  Only Peter can say he walked on water!

I want to challenge you to get away from the safe, religious Christianity and get out of the boat and see God do amazing things in your life today!

What do you think?

I haven’t updated what God has been doing in our life for a few weeks now. But before I do so, our family would like to sincerely thank those of you who have consistently prayed for us, encouraged us, and contacted us during this transition. God has blessed us with INCREDIBLE friends and family!

Life has been challenging to say the least. But, also a time for us to slow down, be still before the Lord, and truly hear from Him. I know some of you have been wondering what I will be doing vocationally and I have too. Almost from the beginning of our adventure, God has been revealing and making it clear as to what He has planned for us. We did not go looking for ANYTHING and God showed up for us! It is awesome to see God work when we do nothing, and are faithful to wait on Him!

“MY” plan was to put our home up for sale at the first of January and take control of “OUR LIVES.” But God had “HIS” plan. Our prayer for the last 6 months has been that God would allow our family to minister together as a team. We’ve also been praying that God would stretch our family to where we would see God working, moving, and know beyond a doubt, it was God and not us. We have especially prayed this for our children. We have also prayed for God to show us where HE is at work and allow us to join in. Well, he has faithfully done all of this!

I can’t go into public details for another week or so, but God has truly become alive to our family. It has been in ways that are unmistakable. We will NOT be moving. In fact, what I/we will be doing requires us to stay right here. I have been meeting with a ministry team of partners for 5 or 6 weeks now and finding where I fit in on the “TEAM.” We will be sharing publicly real soon.

Here is the “STRETCH” part for us. This ministry is going to require that we “RAISE FINANCIAL SUPPORT” at least partially for 10 months. We are confident that God will do this, but I don’t like asking people for money. However, this is what God has put before us and we are excited to see how He is going to “change” lives. This won’t be a lifetime commitment-it is for only 10 months.

Here is what I can share with you at this time:

• We will be involved with a “Simple” ministry.
• It is a “GRACE-FILLED” ministry (Cassandra and I went through Grace Life International Discipleship Ministries “Exchanged Life” training this past weekend. This is preparing us for the ministry before us).
• I have a bulging disc in my back from working on a fork-lift and haven’t been able to work in over a week. It is also looking as if I will not be able to return.
• I will never ship valuable stuff of my own.
• God has truly shown Himself to us.
• We are joining God in a work that He was already doing (this has been an “EXPERIENCING GOD” thing).
• I will work with a “TEAM”
• I will begin in March.
• God has been amazingly faithful!

If you will pray for us, we would be thankful. I’m also humbly asking that if God places us on your hearts and you would like to help financially for a short time (10 months)–email me at bamabusman@yahoo.com, or Cassandra at cassbuss@yahoo.com and we will give you the details. Hopefully, early next week, I will be able to share with all of you the mission that God has placed before us.

With gratitude,

Kevin & Cassandra

Last night we went out to eat and had voodoo rolls.  Ummmm….   We walked across the street to see the progress that has been made on the pumps to the levies but it was cold and the wind was coming off the lake.

Today there is a group from Maryland working with us.  It is great to see so many churches and Christians coming together to help people they don’t even know.  I can’t put into words how bad it still is in the Gentilly area and the lower 9th Ward.  I would say in Gentilly only every 10th house is occupied and that may be an exaggeration.   Edgewater has been ministering to these people since Katrina hit.  This church is very important to the community.  I’m glad we got to be a small part.  This is my 4th time down here.  I’m very passionate about helping these victims because I lived through Katrina and 5 other hurricanes.  As I read about Cyclone Sidr slamming  Bangladesh, killing at least 1,100 and forcing 650,000 to flee I am heartbroken for them.  When you see how it affects people in person it moves you.

We were able to get the doors finished on the front of the church.  We stained and glossed about 30 doors.  We fixed holes, hung sheet rock, did plumbing and electrical all week.  We are tired but I wouldn’t trade this week for anything.  My 13 year old son Jacob was able to come because he is homeschooled and it was special to work with him.

Well, we are headed back to the Riverwalk–maybe we will see another New Orleans wedding.