David with his Birthday Cake (Made from scratch by my wife).

I have a friend named David. He lives in an orange grove. He lives in a tent. Most people would say he is homeless. And I would have to agree except David’s real home is 1041 Corporate Drive. That’s the address of the church I pastor.

I have a friend named David. He rarely changes his clothes. His hygiene is almost non-existent . David smells bad too. When I talk to him, I am greeted by the odor of cigarettes and Bud light beer. People don’t like to sit near him in church. I’ve even heard people don’t want to worship God when David is near.

I have a friend named David. He comes to church every week. He comes on Friday night to hear the worship team rehearse for the next day. He comes back again the following day, for both services. He sits through CrossWalk U. where we talk theology and philosophy. David tells us about the night Jesus Christ walked into his tent and talked to him—and he wasn’t even doing drugs. He tells us this story, again, and again, and again. David loves our church. David prays for our church—every night.

I have a friend named David. He’s a former drug addict. He’s an alcoholic. His mind is gone. At times he doesn’t remember my name, my wife’s name, or my kid’s names. What does David remember? He remembers how his mother died when he was young. How his wife left him in Colorado and broke his heart. He remembers that he used to do the “hard stuff, but not anymore”, as he says. He remembers to tell me these stories every time I see him, as if it’s the first time. And David remembers, that every week when he gets to church there’s warm coffee waiting for him, sometimes a bagel and donuts too.

I have a friend named David. I watched him in church today. He was sitting three rows in front of me. He was wearing his new blue coat. A coat from donations I helped him find in storage today.  I watched David listening to the music, trying to sing. I watched him leave three times to have a cigarette. But David always comes back. I watched him sing “It is Well with My Soul” and it is well with my soul, for I belong to a church that has a homeless man who worships God better than I do.

I have a friend named David. I’ve been told I need to talk to him about his drinking and his smoking. I’ve been told I need to talk to him about his hygiene. We are glad he’s here but we want him to change. We want him to be like us. Smell like us. Look like us. Act like us.

I have a friend named David. I wish he would change. I wish there would be a miracle. But I doubt it can happen. I do not even worry if it will happen. I am at peace. God hasn’t given me the power to heal my friend, fix my friend. He’s only given me the power to love my friend.

I have a friend named David. I watched him in church today. I smelled him in church today. I heard him in church today. And I thanked God for my friend today. Jesus was in church today, not in the beautiful people I saw, not in the lovely children that sat near me, not in the songs or the prayers or the sermon today. Jesus was in church today through a homeless man named David.

I have a friend named David. He’s been sent from God. When I see David, when I hear David, when I smell David, I am reminded that church isn’t about me. This worship experience isn’t about me. It’s not about my comfort, it’s not about my happiness, it’s not about my well being. It’s about Jesus, and Jesus is sitting three rows in front of me in a homeless man named David.

I have a friend named David. Do you?

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And … love your neighbor as yourself.”

I pastor a church in the suburbs called CrossWalk. We have a saying around our church that we are learning to love well.  It’s our mission and it comes from this simple yet challenging teaching of Jesus.  Scot McKnight refers to this as the  Jesus Creed. Several years ago be began reciting it throughout the day. It transformed his life and eventually led him to write The Jesus Creed.

Since the Jesus Creed is the basis of  CrossWalk’s mission we decided to encourage our community to go through Scot’s companion book 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed during the season of Lent. Each day provides a simple reflection on learning to love well. So far it’s been a good experience. In fact my family is using it everyday. We’re reciting the Jesus Creed with our kids each morning and evening (we’ve even had some fun with it while driving around town).

So if you’re looking for something to add to your Lenten practices this year, there’s still time to grab a copy and join us on our journey. In fact, come by CrossWalk this week if you are in town and I’ll give you a free copy (We gave away 300 copies at CrossWalk the last few weeks). There’s a few books left, but its first come first serve at this point.