Dear Friends,
I am writing today with the honor of having been named Executive Director of Word Made Flesh (WMF). It is with a full heart that I note my deep thankfulness of being commissioned by Word Made Flesh’s board of directors to step into this role.
Knowing that the board consulted with WMF Regional Coordinators, Field Directors and staff around the world in their decision-making process makes me all the more grateful to embark on this endeavor as significant seeds of camaraderie have already been planted throughout our organization.
I have great hope as we look ahead toward enacting new initiatives while simultaneously focusing on undergirding our long-term communities and works. I purpose to stay true to the core ethos of our organizational identity well articulated in our Lifestyle Celebrations as we journey forward. These are exciting days!
Word Made Flesh, just on the cusp of a quarter of a century of existence, has built an organizational legacy of valiant and faithful leaders who, through committed, sacrificial service, have been fostering and stewarding relationships and communities with some of the most vulnerable of people experiencing poverty, oppression and marginalization in the world. This is a legacy we will honor and continue; at times in new forms, but always with the same core meaning.
I am committed to encouraging Word Made Flesh to further live into seeking healthy, sustainable rhythms of growth. This is a renewed focus on what have always been underlying patterns of vibrancy and vitality in our doing community together. It has been said that the only time an organism is completely inert is when it is dead. It has also been noted that muscles atrophy unless they are regularly exercised. On the other hand, too much exertion too quickly for too long lends itself to system failure – burn-out. Thus, there is a broad, moving middle-ground that each organization must navigate to retain healthy existence — avoiding death by neglect or death by over-stimulation. There is an African proverb that excellently describes our general overall practice and one that we will continue to seek to follow as we move forward: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” As Word Made Flesh, we choose to seek to go far together in community; branches of the same vine. This follows a core principle for me, which is that we are better together. We will look to walk this creative, sustainable third-way that pursues growth while also promoting rest.
In moving forward, at Word Made Flesh, we will continue to seek to live into that Pauline discipline arising from Galations 2:20, “and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Of course, this is a rephrasing of the principle in John 1:14 from which we take our organization name, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory…” There will always be much to learn, but we know that as Christians we are to seek to be like the one we strive to represent. Therefore what does it mean that we have seen his glory; what is the glory of Christ? Jeremiah 22:16 offers a helpful interpretation,” He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? says the Lord.” I believe that we begin to see the glory of God the more that we live into being the hospitable “ambassadors of reconciliation” that Scripture calls us to be. So, we seek to find and see the glory of Christ in the fellowship of his sufferings, in the people who are experiencing suffering in this world…“inasmuch as you have done it unto these the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”
In the coming weeks, I will be writing with further updates about Word Made Flesh. In the meantime, please do pray for all of our people working around the world and please pray for the funding we need to come in to continue to best fulfill our work. If God is moving on your heart to help Word Made Flesh in any way and you are unable to find how to do this via our webpage, please feel completely free to contact me and I’ll be glad to figure out how we can best partner together. You can read more about my personal story by visiting my bio.
For now, allow me to leave you with a prayer from St. Francis writing in the 13th century:
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
St. Francis of Assisi – 13th century
Amen.