I had a few minutes to grab some coffee at the local coffee watering hole across from the city hall of Rome, Georgia (Swift and Finch) and reading some more of “Lessons from the East” by Bob Roberts, Jr. The occasion for me heading to the coffee shop and stealing a little free reading time was to sign the paperwork, along with Jeff and Mary Margaret Mauer, with the City of Rome that seals Global Impact, Three Rivers Church’s wing of glocal engagement, taking over possession of the old Southeast Elementary School building.
The work GI will be doing there is Restoration Rome where we will seek to be the solution to the foster and adoptive care crisis in Rome/Floyd County and Northwest Georgia.
Here is the coolness of the situation. I’m reading Bob’s book that talks about all that Bob passed on to me and his other spiritual sons AS I’m waiting to go with some of TRC’s domains engagers to take possession of a multi-million dollar facility (for free) to work with the city as opposed to for the city and to be salt and light and to repair what’s broken and make disciples who make disciples as those disciples are released to engage their domains and so on. Now, I’m sitting here reading “Lessons from the East” that defines my spiritual DNA passed on from Bob while getting to taste the fruit of that DNA all in the same moment. Sheer coolness. That makes all the work of 13 years of planting, growing, shrinking, working hard, working multiple jobs, being mean about the vision, working in hard places, losing, failing, two steps forward and three back well worth it.
No doubt, much hard work lies ahead, but this is Isaiah 40:31 for real happening. It’s Acts happening.
That moment made me:
- Thankful for Bob Roberts, Jr. Bob is a spiritual hero to many because he’s a champion for the kingdom not his own kingdom and that has produced fruit and reward in heaven. Bob, it is written down! Your reward in the kingdom will be great. This work in Rome is the direct result of your teaching me and me passing that on to others. Thank you for being faithful to be like, teach like and act like King Jesus. This is fruit from your work.
- Realize that when we seek the greatness of the name of Jesus, his kingdom come and his will being done that supernatural kingdom living is a reality. This kind of stuff increases my faith and makes me thankful. We have been given resources from the city in working with the city for the work of the kingdom. Only the Spirit can work such coolness.
- Realize that when we release domain engagers to engage their domains that exponential work happens. Restoration Rome is being done by and through many others and a team of many others from multiple domains because they’ve been affected by TRC people who have the “glocal” DNA. Jeff and Mary Margaret Mauer have carried the load on this work and their training, skill sets, education and desire for the kingdom all converged into this moment. We “release”. We don’t hold on to. Again, thank you Bob for teaching this stuff us!
Go read “Lessons from the East”. Go here “Lessons from the East” to buy this book. For TRC folks, you’ll recognize it because it’s your culture articulated in one book. For others it’ll be upside down of what you know, but its full of life giving insights.
Again, thank you Bob!
Theology in the Dirt 