Jim, with the Word at his bar
My church was dead. The teaching/founding pastor had grown deeper in his own labyrinth: evangelism.
No vision; no thematic plan; no series. Lost in his own maze without a string or thread to lead any out.
I needed the word. I had heard a cassette tape ( if you don’t know what that is- here: )

by a guy named Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and I wanted more.
But I had to subscribe to get a tape series. And I had to find the guy that produced, replicated and mailed them.
I did. I travelled to Jim to meet him and get the subscription. Jim owned a bar on the East Side of Manhattan. This was his tape office.
As he bartended Jim copy tapes on his duplicating machine and then mailed them from his mailing list. He gave all the monies to the church. Didn’t keep a dime. But he told me Tim was getting too popular the list too big and he had to soon stop. His wife was complaining it was taking too much time. ( Eventually Redeemer made its own office; hired staff; the mailing list I heard grew to twenty thousand plus in 1996 )
But now I didn’t just want to be on Ng the mailing list. I wanted to know what Jim’s Favorite sermon/ talk was.
He listened to them all; tasted all; and I wanted the best, the most moving and different meal.
This is the text he gave me. Ephesians 5,
1 ‘Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’
Tim’s essential point: a Christian doesn’t dance; skip; or run after, in Jesus’ steps. Christians walk.
Daily, day by day; moment by moment we walk.
Jim day by day copied and mailed the word out.
He walked, lived it,
Walk, as a loved child.
charles osewalt's blog 
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