Monthly Archives: November 2022

Happy Thanksgiving to you.

I hope this brief email finds you dog paddling in a warm pond of winsome gratitude. I don’t know what your life is like right now, but may the good things of God comfort and cheer you in the midst of whatever. 

Here’re five things I’m thankful for today:

1. You. I appreciate you reading this weekly email and opening yourself up as a conduit for God’s love to Muslims. If enough of us take enough steps, we’ll shift the tide. 
2. Muslims. I get a little misty-eyed remembering the kindness Muslims have shown me all over. 
3. Good work. I love my jobs: Husband, dad, pastor, writer, mobilizer.
4. Hope. The magnitude of goodness ahead is shattering. Jesus said in Rev. 21.5, “Look, I am making everything new!” 
5. God. That the likes of us should be known and loved by the likes of Jesus. SMH!

With Thanks, Shane

Thanksgiving Blessings! 

My name is Joseph-Joshua and I consult with Shane regarding “Muslim Connect.” Thank you for taking a moment to read this brief note. 

The humble heart that Jesus has cultivated in Shane has paved the way for a steady stream of godly challenges and thought-provoking questions. We recently surpassed 300 consecutive Muslim Connects (Yay!) and we are on track to 400 (around November 2024).

Because of the laser-focused mission of this ministry via weekly emails 📧 we aim to consistently present quality Jesus-centered writings that empower believers to “love Muslims like Jesus does” in their day-to-day lives.

You might also be interested to hear we recently passed 3000 subscribers on our way to a goal of 5000 by March 2023 (with your help). And if you’re a total email nerd: Between 45%-50% of subscribers regularly open the weekly email. (That’s huge in this space and among the best of those I consult.)

Giving Tuesday is next week (11/29) and I want to personally ask you to prayerfully consider giving a one-time financial donation to strengthen this ministry that will fuel ⛽️ us into 2023 AD with encouragement and provision. 

The Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the faithful believers etched in Philippians 4:17 encapsulates our sincere request:

“Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.”

Here is the secure giving link to participate.

THANK YOU SO MUCH😀!

For the Lamb,

Joseph-Joshua Torrez

Kingdom-Building Consultant

Contact: 719.653.5898

ELPACTO@icloud.com

havAs the delightfully K-Love-y lyrics of Zach Williams say, “Fear is a liar.” Usually. The fear that kept me from getting on a skateboard and dropping into my friend’s homemade half pipe was a truth-telling friend! But usually fear lies. 

Did the midterms go as you’d hoped or not? Or are you still waiting to see? Here in Colorado’s third congressional district, we’re still biting our nails, awaiting a likely recount. 

Makes me revisit the basics:
If you’re a Christian, must you only vote a certain way? Don’t think so. 
Are there issues that matter? Definitely.
Is democracy in danger of dying? That’s that lying fear talking again. 

Given I have the political sophistication of an axolotl, I’ll spare you any broad comments on the results of the midterms. But can I tell you about one little, winsome, hopeful outcome?

In January 2023 a 23 year old Muslim woman will be sworn in to the Illinois General Assembly. Nabeela Syed, U.S. born daughter of immigrants from India, went from dodging religious attacks in high school to now helping lead her state. 

Although you might disagree with some of her policy positions, why might her election be a good thing? 

1. This can happen in America. Good on us. We’ve come at least as far as allowing women to vote, to run for office and young, second generation immigrants can win elections.

2. I look at my 20 year old daughter who just got her FFA American Degree (IYKYK!) and wonder about her future: How will she lead and what will the country in which she leads look like? I look at my 13 year old daughter and think, “Ten years from now when she’s 23, what will we see? What might she do?”

3. Hopefully Nabeela’s victory will spark two unplanned consequences: 1. A bunch of young Muslim kids will be less afraid when they go to school tomorrow. 2. Some Jesus-loving crazies, whether Republican or Democrat, will lever her newsiness to initiate a conversation they’ve long wanted to have with a Muslim neighbor or co-worker. 

Last week, I asked for one church to go with me to the Ivory Coast in February to help consider a potential partnership with a Muslim background believer who’s reaching out in wholistic ways to underserved Muslim tribes. If you missed that message, search “Ivory Coast” in your email and you’ll find it.

When I grow up I want to be Chris Clayman. The guy has befriended Muslims all over the place and actually lived in Mali! In a brilliant recent article on the Crescent Project website, Chris shares four things unreached people wish we knew about them. I’m going to briefly list them here in hopes they’ll intrigue you enough to ingest the whole article. 

1. Muslims – Like Everybody – Want to be Treated As Humans, Not Tasks
Ask for and listen to their story. Share your story. Then look together into God’s story.

2. Muslims Will Happily Discuss Topics You’re Accustomed to Avoiding
Imagine your upcoming Thanksgiving table. Muslims often love to discuss those topics you’re already planning to avoid!

3. Muslims Would Like to See You More
In Muslim relationships, we might need to take our hang-out time norm and square it! 

4. Muslims are Moved By Love More Than Logic
The love of Jesus, oozing through the cracks of broken vessels accomplishes much.

Consider yourself teased and go read the article. And get Chris’s engaging book, Superplan. I’m reading it right now. 

+++++++++++++

I’m a big fan of getting out of our home culture and among people who neither look, think nor see life like we do. You can probably do this ten minutes from your house. You can definitely do it by going to a different country. 

I’m currently looking for one church to help set up that possibility among underserved Muslims in Ivory Coast. Just one church who’s shaking off the Covid malaise and hearing interesting, new nudges from God to get back at the task, to receive fresh vision and direction, to take a gutsy step into the unknown of his kingdom. 

Do you know that church? Attend it? Pastor it? Reach out and let’s chat about a vision trip in early 2023. The cost will be higher and the work less defined than you might be totally comfortable with. It will be, in the words of my mentor, Steve Hawthorne, “a Christopher Columbus Cruise.” The potential upside though is huge.

Check out the opportunity to win a $300 Amazon card below!

I’m all up in the hermeneutical weeds lately, pondering God’s purposes for women in ministry. This is largely fueled by concern for what some of us might be missing due to the limitations we put on certain roles. 

This made me wonder about Muslims. As you may have noticed, some Muslims don’t have the best track record when it comes to how women are treated. Further, I had never heard of a woman imam.

An imam is not an exact parallel to the pastor role as we generally view it, but imams do give weekly sermons, lead prayers and impart knowledge. While I’m hesitant to say there are no female imams among Islam’s nearly 2 billion adherents, I suspect you could host them all at your house for Christmas. (How cool would that be?!?) 

My initial look at this has surfaced a couple of things:

1. The Quran does not explicitly forbid women from being imams.
2. Precedent to date has been almost entirely that they are not. And the concept of bid’ah says, “We don’t innovate the religion, Dude!” Ergo, non-dudes need not apply. 
3. One of the key reasons women are “obviously” not imams is because imam basically means “in front.” Women shouldn’t be bowing in prayer in front of men because men wouldn’t be able to concentrate on their prayers. Before we condemn all Muslim men, I do remember having my own concentration issues during a sacred dance performance at church when I was a teenager! 

Today Chinese women continue to serve as imams of women-only mosques and there’s one in France! (You know the French!)

Part of me suspects a limit on women in leadership actually thwarts the overall growth of Islam. So maybe we shouldn’t advocate for it.

Don’t miss your final chance in this last week to win a $300 Amazon gift card to celebrate the 300th edition of Muslim Connect! To enter, simply share the following on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: 

“Check out this interesting article, “Seven (Maybe Surprising) Things We’d All Do Well To Keep in Mind About Muslims” and consider signing up for the author’s helpful, weekly email. I get it!” (You can add that you enjoy it, you know, if you do!)

Once you’ve shared it, click here to let me know you have. I’ll randomly choose one cool respondent for the gift card.