It's Personal

This article was originally published in the Franklin News-Post.

Just over two weeks ago, I accepted an invitation from this newspaper’s editor, Mary Kate White, to write this column on a rotating basis.  The way it is scheduled, I will submit a column once every four weeks for inclusion in the Religion Page of the newspaper.  I asked her why she would be interested in me contributing in such a way.  She said, in part, “I was drawn to your ministry because it seems somewhat unconventional.”  I loved her response!

My wife (Terri Lee) and I live in Boones Mill.  We will celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary at the end of this month.  We have three daughters, Jordan, Caitlin, and Whitney, who each graduated from Franklin County High School in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively.  Each graduated from different colleges or universities in 2016 and have moved on with living their own lives.  My wife and I established a ministry in 2016.  It is named, My Brothers’ Crossing – a legacy ministry of Bobby and Pam Clark.  Truthfully, I am not a fan of religion.  Our faith is based on a relationship.  In a word, our ministry is unconventional.

For those of you who are not familiar with My Brothers’ Crossing, this ministry was borne of a tragedy that occurred in August 2015.  My brother, Bobby, and his wife, Pam, were killed in a motorcycle accident on a Friday night returning from a church service.  Following the lead of Bobby and Pam’s daughter, Robin, our family moved on a path of forgiveness toward the driver of the truck involved in the accident.  I was moved by the Holy Spirit to go to court on behalf of this man, C.J. Martin.  I went to court to pay his fine.  Today, not only is C.J. Martin my pastor.  I am also ordained as a minister in the church he founded, House of Purpose.

I said I was not a fan of religion.  Yet I am a minister at a church.  I believe that religion gets in the way of what is truly important in our faith walk as Christians.  I believe what is important in our faith walk is the relationship each of us are called to have with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  God sent His only begotten Son as atonement, as a sacrifice, for the sins of the world.  God desires a relationship with us.  He wants each of us to draw close to Him.  Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, each of us can be forgiven for our sins.

Receiving forgiveness.  It is such a simple thing to do, yet for many of us, it is one of the most difficult things to do.  Why the conundrum?  I think it has to do with pride.  Lack of humility.  Disobedience.  Self-centeredness.  Rebellion.  Personally, I struggled to understand the concept.  Simply couldn’t wrap my mind around it.  Couldn’t grasp the magnitude of it all.  I couldn’t accept that I was worthy, or God loved me in such a way that Jesus died for my sins.  I didn’t have any problem accepting that He died for others – just not me.  I was too broken.  I had too much shame.  I was unclean.  I didn’t deserve it.  The truth of the matter is, none of us deserve it.  That’s what makes it so powerful.  It is a gift such that no one should boast.  No one can do a thing to earn it.

In my mind, much of what we think of in terms of religion today are rules that were established by man.  In many instances these rules interfere with our relationship with Jesus Christ.  At House of Purpose, we have an expression which represents a way of living.  Love God…Love People!  As Christians, we are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  And, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Love covers a multitude of sins.
If you have questions about what it means to receive forgiveness or pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ, please contact us at jt.clark@mybrotherscrossing.org or terri.lee.clark@mybrotherscrossing.org.  We look forward to contributing to this column in the weeks and months ahead.