Pastor encourages church to learn to love like Jesus

By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
Amber David is a leader at St. John’s Downtown Church in Houston. Men look up to him, get advice from him, learn how to be a man by watching him. He elicits change and is responsible for testing more Houston residents for HIV than any other person.
He came to St. John’s Downtown Church in big hoop earrings, red pumps and a dress that swished around his calves.
“If we had rejected Amber David, he never would have fulfilled his purpose,” said Rudy Rasmus, pastor of the church. “Why are we afraid of people? Because of how they may differ from our perception of normal?
“In the real world, what we have to do is meet people where they are. We leave it to God to alter what needs to be altered in that person’s life. Can you imagine the burden of having to judge what is right and wrong in someone’s life?”
Rasmus was one of two keynotes speakers at the third session of the Holy Boldness Urban Ministry Academy March 28-30 at Travis Park UMC, San Antonio.
Holy Boldness is a two-year academy designed to show clergy and lay leaders ways to transform congregational life.
It covers even Holy Boldness themes in its first year. Themes are offered in three sessions. The first session was held Sept. 28-30 and the second was Jan. 18-20.
The third session’s explored how to missionally engage the community.
Rasmus reminded those present March 29 about the love Jesus showed to everyone who came to him.
He wrote his book, Touch, he said, because he believes it’s what makes a difference in someone’s life—because someone in his life “invited this love that was so overwhelming that it intrigued” him.
Rasmus said his downtown church sees about 8,000 visitors a year—visitors who want to see if the love they heard about on the streets is real when they walk through the doors.
He encouraged attendees to find the most difficult archetype to love and start there—because it’s “where movement will be defined” for their church, he said.
“In you role, you are part gang leader,” Rasmus said. “Some of the most effective groups are gangs because they understand the importance of family. It’s not who came out of some womb. It’s someone you can count on to watch your back when you’re both up against the wall. It’s unconditional acceptance for who you are, what you are, why you are.”
“We love people regardless of what they can or cannot do for us. Jesus loves us in spite of us. We’ve all got something jacked up about us. Some of us are just very good at hiding our jacked-up-ness.”
Rasmus said people should expect friction between the wealthy and the homeless.
“There will always be folks in the neighborhood who resent the fact that there are homeless people outside their doors,” he said. “Jesus said whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me. Those who don’t have a heart for the poor, they find somewhere else to go to church. That’s the reality of the situation.”
Future urban ministry session are planned for later this year and 2009.