I Need You

I need your help to stay the course. When one is confronted with the issues I've seen just over the last week...of poverty and incarcerations...your view of life changes. As you continue to think about the larger world and the overwhelming need you begin to think differently about your life. But...

Have you ever been on a missions trip? Ever went to a different country and been impacted by what you've seen? When you come home, something stirs in you for a bit...but then where does it go? The people you share it with don't quite understand it, although they enjoy hearing how God's worked in your life...but they don't identify. Getting the picture...?

To live more justly, then, requires more than you. In a way it requires a community. It takes people challenging you...spurring you on...identifying with you. I think one of the biggest cripplers out there to changing living habits in the areas of justice is the lack of identification and conversation: we're islands somewhat. What I need are people who I can share similar experiences, convictions, longings with. The synergy created there drives me to keep on.

I'm grateful for a few folks to do that with...although I don't see them often enough. They are relatives and fellow pastors and friends. The point is this journey gets bewildering at times, and it's necessary for us to have folks to live and think justly with.

Feeding the Hungry

Over the past two weeks our church has been collecting food for a sister church of ours in the Brethren in Christ church, Harrisburg BIC. They are located downtown and have a food pantry servicing the impoverished in downtown Harrisburg. Normally we have a food collection Sunday the first Sunday of the month. However, the last time our folks were down there they were having to turn people away because of the lack of food, so one of our folks felt the need to do something more and to make the need well known.

Today we took three carloads full of food over to their food pantry. The response from our folks was amazing. I had the privilege of stocking the empty shelves at the food pantry. At one point I was almost in tears. I was thinking about how I have a great dinner each night (my wife's a GREAT cook!!!). My kids (at least two) have all the diapers they need. We have the ability to brush our teeth every night. I'm looking at these shelves realizing 40 families depend on help from this pantry.

Oftentimes those of us who aren't in those situations of need feel guilty for where we are. Let me encourage you, the guilt is not necessary. It's self imposed. Don't feel bad about what you have. However, you must realize that what you have is not all yours. You have the ability to give not only out of your abundance but you have the privilege of giving in sacrifice. So you give up a Starbucks coffee a week (or perhaps a day) to provide some food...or something to that effect.

The temptation for us in affluent suburbia is to give without it making us think and change our own lifestyle. Because someone lives in poverty changes how I live. It changes my attitude. It changes how I spend my money. It changes how I look at my house (not having to keep up with the Jones' so much). Giving is one thing, but allowing the giving to change you is another...and I think this is what must happen in each of us as we think we're 'helping' others.

We may never meet the people we help. They may never meet us. But the action of giving should somehow change both the one who gives and the one who receives.

Christendom Falling: A Call to Serve

Last post explored the history (in a very brief and broad way) of the rise of Christendom. Now I would like to move on to what I think this may mean and where opportunity may arise for followers of Jesus.

Because Christendom allowed us to freely operate followers of Jesus over time became more and more socially acceptable. What happened in the early centuries of the church where Jesus' followers were subversive, underground, and radical slowly became more and more acceptable. This has a direct impact on how our faith is lived out in our present day situation.

Perhaps the greatest challenge is that of power. With the rise of Christendom and its influences the otherwise socially powerless church all of the sudden had the backing and power of the state. We currently live in a situation where we experience religious freedom (of which I'm grateful). However, the growing church (in the early centuries and currently in the persecuted church) did not...and does not have that power. What we've lost in our acquiring of power and continual search for 'religious rights' here in America is the church's call to serve.

This is mainly what Jesus is calling us to in the gospels, is it not? We are called to serve others. We're not called to either wield nor seek power, but to become 'powerless' in order to serve our fellow man. It it through this service that we demonstrate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Power fails to bring people to a true knowledge of the gospel because it is not offered, it seems forced. However, when you see the opportunity and call to serve other people those you serve are left speechless because of your good works (off-quoting Peter here).

If we see this time as a time when churches are losing their power (political, social, etc) then instead of grumbling to get it back we should be challenged to see it as a great opportunity to become the last...to serve.