John Fischer The Catch

So far I’ve talked about the effect our involvement at the Isaiah House for women without homes has had on the volunteers, but neglected to point out what effect it is having on me.

One such thing I noticed just yesterday. I had just enjoyed breakfast in town with a friend and was on my way back to my car when I spotted a homeless woman planted on the sidewalk, and I knew I had to do something.

How could I pass her by? Could I possibly pass by any of the women of the Isaiah House were I to meet up with one of them on the street? Of course not, because I know them. It would be like passing a friend and not saying “Hi.”  Suddenly I realized I knew this woman. She was no longer distant and I was no longer disconnected.

At my car, I checked my wallet and found only a twenty. That was more than I was willing to give, so I went back to our breakfast spot and bought a cookie to make change. Walking back to my car again, I passed by and handed her a few bucks.

As I drove away, I thought, “Hey, dumb dumb, why not give her the cookie too? Because the cookie was for me. Not exactly flying colors on my first test.

Had she been one of the women from Isaiah House would I have done anything differently? Well, yes. First off, I would have sat myself down next to her and talked with her for a while. I would have gotten her name, found out how she was doing, and attempted to see if there was something I could do for her. And I would have given her the cookie, or better yet, shared it with her. Sharing it would have put us more on an equal level. And if I gave her any money, I would have done it discreetly, instead of just handing it to her and walking away. And heck, I might as well have just given her the rest of the twenty.

It’s amazing how things change once you get to know someone.

Here’s what I like about the kingdom of heaven on earth: You can be totally who you are and be totally accepted.

Marti and I are going to do something Wednesday evening at Isaiah House that we would clearly never do in any other kingdom on earth. We’re going to sing together. Remember “Coming Home” by the rap group Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey that we featured here a couple weeks ago? Well, I located a background track and we’re going to perform that song together for the women of Isaiah House.

Now you have to realize the significance of this. Marti can’t sing and I can’t rap. And yet we’re going to do this. We wanted to conclude our “fashion show” with this song because it’s so perfect for everyone there, but we know we can’t just play it for them. We can’t get a group of people to sit and listen to a song without a visual focus like a video, but we have no screen large enough for that. That’s when Marti shocked me by suggesting we do it together.

I initially objected. That’s because my first response to virtually anything new is “No, can’t do that.” And Marti’s response is “And why not?”

“We have to have the music behind us; I’m sure they don’t have a background track available.”

“Well, have you tried?”

“No.” So to humor her I tried, and guess what I found? Instrumental tracks to the song. There’s one down.

“Well I can’t rap and you can’t sing.”

“So, we’ll do it anyway. You’re the performer. If I can sing, certainly you can rap.”

The real answer is: we can’t do this but we’re going to do this anyway. If I stop to think about this at all, I come to the same conclusion. I’ve basically made a fool of myself every month in front of this group. If I can “dance” like Fred Astair, I can certainly “rap” like Sean Combs. But why? Why would I attempt these things with this group and not someone else?

Because these are people who don’t care if you don’t get it right. They just love that you try. You can’t humiliate yourself in front of these women because they’ve all been humiliated. Perfect performances don’t matter. Being there matters. As a matter of fact, all the things that matter in the kingdom of heaven matter in this group – things like love, acceptance, forgiveness, mercy, faith, hope… I mean… what else is there? No one’s going to impress anyone in heaven – at least any more than anyone else; we’re just going to all be impressed by God and equally impressed with each other.

Really… Marti doesn’t even sing in church. But she’d sing at the Isaiah House. What does that tell you about the kingdom of heaven on earth?

[We can still use your contributions towards undergarment gift cards, just indicate your gift is for Operation Runway. Also, I’m going to include the lyrics to “Coming Home” below. If you’re not used to listening to hip hop, you’ll probably miss a lot. You can also hear the song and see the video by going to our website and scrolling down to June 1.]

Coming Home

[Chorus]
I’m coming home
I’m coming home
tell the World I’m coming home
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday
I know my kingdom awaits and they’ve forgiven my mistakes
I’m coming home, I’m coming home
tell the World that I’m coming

Back where I belong, yeah I never felt so strong
(I’m back baby)
I feel like there’s nothing that I can’t try
and if you with me put your hands high
(put your hands high)
If you ever lost a light before, this ones for you
and you, the dreams are for you

I hear “The Tears of a Clown”
I hate that song
I always feel like they talking to me when it comes on
another day another Dawn
another Keisha, nice to meet ya, get the math I’m gone
what am I s’posed to do when the club lights come on
its easy to be Puff, its harder to be Sean
what if the twins ask why I aint marry their mom (why, d–n!)
how do I respond?
what if my son stares with a face like my own
and says he wants to be like me when he’s grown
s–t! But I aint finished growing
another night the inevitible prolongs
another day another Dawn
just tell Keisha and Teresa I’ll be better in the morn’
another lie that I carry on
I need to get back to the place I belong

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
“A house is Not a Home”, I hate this song
is a house really a home when your loved ones are gone
and niggas got the nerve to blame you for it
and you know you woulda took the bullet if you saw it
but you felt it and still feel it
and money can’t make up for it or conceal it
but you deal with it and you keep ballin’
pour out some liquor, play ball and we keep ballin’
baby we’ve been living in sin ’cause we’ve been really in love
but we’ve been living as friends
so you’ve been a guest in your own home
it’s time to make your house your home
pick up your phone, come on

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
“Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”, I love that song
whenever it comes on it makes me feel strong
I thought I told y’all that we won’t stop
we back cruising through Harlem, these old blocks
it’s what made me, saved me, drove me crazy
drove me away then embraced me
forgave me for all of my shortcomings
welcome to my homecoming
yeah it’s been a long time coming
lot of fights, lot of scars, lot of bottles
lot of cars, lot of ups, lot of downs
made it back, lost my dog (I miss you BIG)
and here I stand, a better man! (a better man)
Thank you Lord (Thank you Lord)

[Chorus]

It’s been a good week of reflection on how bringing not only food and clothing, but a celebratory event to a homeless shelter is like the kingdom of heaven on earth. The surprise of the guests, the trust that’s been built over time, and the singular nature of giver and receiver – how distinctions fall away and we are all recipients of God’s grace – have all enriched our understanding of God’s will in heaven being done here on earth. Marti cracked open a hard shell when she first came up with this idea, and good stuff has been pouring out ever since.

Yesterday I took a load of clothes over to the garage of one of the volunteers and we’ve got ten racks on wheels borrowed from a local department store. Not yet full of clothes, we believe they’re going to be. Of course looking at those racks made us realize we will have to rent a truck with a hydraulic lift in order to get everything over to Isaiah House. We hardly know what we are doing here, and that’s part of what makes it so much fun.

The volunteer made a comment about how a young person who is going to do some music for Wednesday’s fashion show was a little nervous, and I answered how that was totally unnecessary because this is the easiest audience anyone could ever play for. They love and appreciate everything you do. I’ve been known to make a fool of myself in front of this group and they appreciate that I tried. Hey, it’s better than the show they were going to get which was nothing.

It’s probably too late now to send clothes (Monday is the deadline for receiving), but we can still receive donations for undergarments. This has been a challenge for me to write about (i.e. how to you put bras and panties in a devotional?). But Marti took the cake when she came up with this little description to go along with the gift card we are going to give each one.

We Attended Lingerie Academy and Failed. Here is Why.

✓Lesson 1: Buying for yourself and not the recipient will result in her polite murmur of thanks as she says to herself, “I would never be caught dead in this!”

✓Lesson 2: Do you know if she has a prejudice against frills, flimsies, and fiddly bits? Does she prefer an ocean of lace or cotton? Is the undergarment for the extravagantly endowed or the voluptuous vixen?

✓Lesson 3: Camiknickers are passé, the trend is towards brighter colors with everyone but blonds looking good in red. Playtex has moved on from the Cross Your Heart to the Wonderbra.

✓Final lesson 4: Do you have any idea of the recipient’s “vital statistics?”

Clearly we flunked. Therefore, in lieu of us choosing an intimate for you, we hope you enjoy choosing whatever close-to-the-skin item you wish to purchase with this enclosed gift card from the Women of Vision.

[Your contributions towards these cards can be made online in the usual manner (designate for Operation Runway) or via check made out to SMMI and mailed to 1278 Glenneyre, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (write Operation Runway in the memo). We’re preparing for 65 women.]

The back seat of my car is already full to the headboard with clothes. Many have already been so generous.

What is it about homeless people that draws us and repels us at the same time? Isn’t it that we are not that far from each other? I think it’s a very thin line that separates the homeowner from the homeless – the sheltered from the unsheltered.

What Marti has found is a celebration of common humanity that transcends any lines or boundaries. Once you step over the line you find out it was only there in your mind anyway. This is certainly what this experience has taught me.

I think in some ways, this is the greater achievement in what she has done, and I don’t assume to speak for the other volunteers, but I can only guess they found this too. Not that Marti has helped the women of Isaiah House as much as she has brought all the rest of us over the line and shown us both the treasure that is to be found in our common humanity, and the needs that exist in our own lives. When it comes to charity work, there is always the question of who is helping whom.

Our fear of homelessness, especially in this economy, is great. Part of that fear is that we know deep down inside how thin the line is. The way to overcome that fear is not to shy away from the line, but to step over it and embrace your own need in embracing others.

We commonly call these people “less fortunate.” But maybe they are not. Maybe they are the fortunate ones. Maybe this is the blessing Jesus talked about that comes to the poor, the hungry, the persecuted. And maybe there is hope in us finding it too. Maybe it’s as easy as stepping over the line. After all, it’s a very thin line – so thin that once you step over it, you realize it wasn’t there at all.

A week from today, Operation Runway takes place at the Isaiah House for women without homes in Santa Ana, California. The models will be women challenged by their circumstances, but trying to pick up the pieces of their lives, nevertheless. The surprise is: there will be laughter.

Increasingly at these events there is a high amount of joy let loose. I’m not completely sure to what this celebratory outburst can be attributed, but I have a feeling that trust could have a lot to do with it.

Even the most skeptical of Isaiah House women have come to display a smile and an almost childlike vulnerability when the third Wednesday rolls around and these crazy Women of Vision show up with who knows what up their sleeves. The love is tangible; the gifts have real value; the food is exorbitant; the party, compared to the rest of their lives right now, is lavish. Even the volunteers, who have been afar off, have been brought near by a love that lifts the spirit. Hugs are genuine; words are believed; intangibles like worth and dignity have meaning.

So when they walk the runway, there is no question: they will sashay.

It’s amazing that it has taken a relatively short period of time for this to happen, but trust is a magical thing. And a consistent effort can crack the hardest shell. “And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17). This, too, is of the kingdom of God on earth.

Just a reminder that the things from your closet will have to go out today (3-day service) or tomorrow (2-day). We need to have everything in by end of day, Monday. Click on the link below for a reminder of what we need, but make sure nothing is worn out. It needs to be something you would wear yourself where your value counted.

And men, we can use your donations – either online or by check – to purchase new undergarments and stockings, and to help us pay for the costs of the event.

Click on the link below for a reminder of what we are looking for and where to send it.

Operation Runway Reminder

And believe me… they will sashay.

Those of you who have been with us for a while know about the connection we at the Catch have with Women of Vision Orange County and their monthly dinner event at Isaiah House in Santa Ana, California, a shelter for women without homes. I say “event” because my wife, Marti, who happens to be in charge, turns it into something special for these women every month. We have had a Happy Unbirthday party, a Christmas celebration, an Academy Awards night, a Garden Party, and last month, a Maypole dance. And, when called upon, many of you have come through in a grand way with gifts at Christmas, feathers and jewelry for our Academy Awards, and tea cups for our spring garden party. It’s a budding partnership and a way we have come together to do something tangible to represent the kingdom of God on earth.

And that is exactly what this is. This is the banquet where the invited guests were too busy to attend so the street people were brought in instead.  This is the wedding at Cana with the best saved for the last. This is a foreshadowing of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb when forgiven sinners will sit astonished at the glorious provision made for them when they are still not quite sure how they got there. These are the workers walking away from a job with a full day’s pay stuffed in their pockets for one hour of work, not wanting to say anything to anybody for fear the mistake might be discovered and they’d have to give it back.

This is the kingdom of God on earth and I wish you could be there to see it. There’s nothing quite like the look on these women’s faces when they discover what new surprise awaits them. They’re starting to anticipate something wonderful when they realize it’s Women of Vision night. One woman last month spotted Marti setting up early and said, “It’s the tea cup lady! What’s she up to today?”

Well this month (June 15) she’s up to Operation Runway – a fashion show of clothes the women will be able to keep and wear to job interviews and to work. We want them to be able to pick out from an array of fine clothing something that will suit them, and then to model their new wardrobe on a “runway” with lights and throbbing music.

And this is where you come in. Women, we need you to donate something from your closet, and men, we will welcome monetary contributions with which we can purchase underwear and stockings. We anticipate 75 women in a wide array of sizes, and the more things we have, the more they have to choose from. If you wish to take part, please click on the link below for a full description of just what we need. Please be sure and read thoroughly as the details are important.

One more thing: because of my negligence in not getting this to you sooner, we have a very limited amount of time to work with. We need to have everything in by next Monday, June 13, so you will need to act on this probably today or tomorrow. I apologize for not getting this to you sooner.

Please indicate checks and online donations are for Operation Runway.

The Catch – Operation Runway

Friday I left you with the indication that we were going to be looking into the kingdom of heaven and whether it is here on earth or just something we are going to experience someday. Well I have been looking at especially the gospel of Matthew because this is where Jesus is quoted the most about the kingdom of heaven. Matthew was the most concerned about showing Jesus to be the Christ (Messiah) and the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. In doing so he pitted Jesus against the scribes and Pharisees (the Jewish religious leaders of the day) and much of that discussion centered on the kingdom of heaven, what it was like, and who is getting in and who is not (prostitutes, peasants and sinners: in; Pharisees and religious leaders: out).

Without going into a long dissertation about the kingdom and dissecting numerous verses in Matthew, which I don’t have the space for here, nor is the purpose of this Catch to be a detailed Bible study, let me share with you my conclusion to the matter that those of you who want to make it your own study (and I would encourage you to do so) can find out for yourself. (You should be making your own conclusions anyway, not just accepting mine.)

There is no way I can read all that Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven (he preferred “kingdom of heaven” to “kingdom of God” 6:1) without coming away with the understanding that our experience of the kingdom starts now. We are a part of the kingdom of heaven on earth, and our job is to bring that kingdom to bear on all of our affairs. (Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.)

I believe it is the responsibility of you and me to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. It is our responsibility to find out what is going on in that kingdom so we can know what to make important here on earth – things like peace, justice, mercy and freedom. Why did Jesus heal people if it wasn’t because they will all be healed in the kingdom of heaven? Come into touch with Jesus, you come into touch with the kingdom of God.

How will people you touch today know that they have in some way been touched by the kingdom of heaven?

So is my home here or is my home “there” (meaning heaven)? The answer is “Yes.” And the answer is “Yes” because of the kingdom of God on earth.

Evangelicalism is steeped in the tradition of a home in heaven that devalues our role here on earth. We sing, “This world is not my home I’m just a-passin’ through…” Larry Norman coined the phrase “Only visiting this planet.” Knowing we have a home in heaven is useful only in that it enables us to endure the worst here on earth or it’s a motivation for witnessing. During the Jesus Movement of the early 1970s there was very little concern about the here and now; it was all about getting as many people saved as possible before the Lord came back to take us all home, “Maranatha.”

The problem with this thinking is that it makes our life not matter for much now. All we’re doing is basically waiting to go home.

But start listening to Jesus and you get a whole different perspective.

It was the message of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2), the message Christ took up for himself (Matthew 4:17), and the message he sent his disciples out two-by-two to proclaim (Matthew 10:7) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Or, Change your ways because the kingdom of heaven is no longer far off… it’s right here.

In Matthew 16:19 Jesus states to his disciples, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

And for heaven’s sake (no pun intended) in the basic prayer he taught us all to pray, right off the bat he has us praying, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (italics mine).” What is that, if it isn’t to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth right now? Does that sound like anybody’s waiting around for anything?”

This pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by stuff has got to go. It has gotten us all disconnected from our intended life here on earth and that is to announce the kingdom of heaven has come and start living like we’re in it.

What that means is what we are going to be exploring in the weeks and months ahead, but sufficient to say right now, from just the words of Jesus we’ve looked at here, that it means change (repent) and action (connecting heaven to earth in all we do). I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to find out what that means, because I don’t think I’m doing it.

I’m going to spend one more day on the song, “Coming Home” by the rap group Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey on the chorus, because I have a few more things I want to say about it, and I just realized I didn’t save it properly to the website. That means none of you could comment about the song in the right place, and I really want to hear what some of you have to say about it. If you missed it, go to our site and stroll down one day. The YouTube links are provided.

Me, I’m amazed at the song’s honesty and the way it captures what happens when a repentant life meets forgiveness. It’s a picture of forgiveness you can literally feel in your heart. This is a man who is owning up to his life and able to embrace it because he’s been forgiven. Without announcing itself as such, it is a contemporary salvation song – a song that brings the current generation a message of hope. Something of value can rise from the rubble.

There is another thing worth noting about this song and that would be its interpretation of “home.” Traditionally in gospel music, home is heaven – a place where our ultimate journey ends. The spirituals always spoke of another home because this one was so miserable. For many it didn’t even exist. But in this song no one dies. Home isn’t there; it’s here and now.

This is home in time and space. This is home where family and friends are. Home, where the consequences of my bad choices are, yet I can be here because my perspective on everything has changed. This is home where the grace of God lives. That grace has been extended to me, I accept it, and extend it in turn to everyone here, and everyone who darkens my door.

“Tell the world I’m coming home…” Is that just the arrogant statement of a rap artist who thinks he has the world’s attention (he does)? I don’t think so. I think it’s another indication that it is this world he is talking about, not another one.

What’s that? Oh nothing… It’s just that yesterday I had a couple unseemly characters at my door and I momentarily forgot about the grace of God. I forgot to extend it to these guys. I would have treated them differently had I remembered.

So my son is 11, my daughter is 29 and my wife is… is… (she’s going to read this)… 39… and they are all telling me I have to check out this new song, “Coming Home” by the rap group Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey on the chorus. Something tells me that if it communicates across the age span I have in my family, it must be pretty special.

What I found was a refreshingly honest self-evaluation full of regret and self-incrimination: “What if the twins ask why I ain’t married to their mom?” and “What if my son stares with a face like my own and says he wants to be like me when he’s grown?”

These are the harsher rap sections of the song that are musically rescued each time by a beautifully melodic chorus sung with a great deal of sensitivity by Skylar Grey: “Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday. I know my kingdom awaits and they’ve forgiven my mistakes, I’m coming home…” The song is basically a musical rendition of how grace and forgiveness cover up our messes.

Home is the mess; home is the loss; home is where I blew it, but home is also the place where forgiveness and grace covers all. So come on home. Embrace it all…  Ain’t no place like home.

Song and video:

Song and lyrics: