Tag: learn
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Jesus Knew . . . And We Are Made New
06.10.11 | Comment?by Chris Gough
I have been a Christian my entire life, and I am starting to come to an at least hazy realization that Jesus actually knew what he was doing.
I am not referring to the part where he would have preferred a different path than the cross, or how he had some sort of special understanding of the women at the well or even the foreknowledge of Judas and Peter’s denials. I am talking about his revolutionary conquering of the world through service.
Galatians 2:10: “Do not forget the poor!” Peter says to Paul as they part ways. It is his one piece of advice, but Paul doesn’t need it. His response: “This was the very thing I was eager to do.” Somehow, Peter, the rock of the church, and Paul, the first and probably greatest theologian, understood that service to the poor was mission critical.
What wasn’t said by Peter was, “Do not forget the poor, they really need our help.” Hmmm. I suppose he also didn’t say lots of things . . . but this particular hypothetical is something I have been thinking about. After all, there a lot of poor. A majority of the world’s population land below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day. Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats clearly implies that those who care for the poor are caring for Jesus and are saved, but the very next story in scripture implies that that is not the whole picture. A woman pours expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet, and the disciples remark that it could have gone to feed the poor (They remembered the parable!). But Jesus responds, “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” John 12:8. Poor disciples . . . they almost had it! Do we get it? Do I get it?
It’s easy to get discouraged or disoriented in our faith; probably because faith requires testing. When we do not face tests, we question the value of faith, and when we question the value of faith we question its surrounding principles. And pretty soon we are in the massive flow of the world’s typical flimsy wisdom.
I haven’t fully grasped scripture’s implication that Christ is seen clearest among the poor. It is all over God’s Word. So when Jesus’ own example was one of service, we find an unconventional, revolutionary worldview of service.
“Do not forget the poor!” Peter got it, and so did Paul. So, put your faith to the test. Step out and see if God’s hand will transform. We could see this with the rich, but it is cloudy; credit could always go to their network, their resources, their education. The poor are clearer. In their stories God receives full credit, and the presence of His hand is unmistakable.
So when Jesus proclaims that he has come to set the captives free, and then washes the feet of a “nobody,” we have to stop and acknowledge that this is an eternal wisdom at play. As we serve and care for the poor, we encounter God; and we will find that in it all, our own poverty is revealed and WE are made new.
Jesus knew what he was doing.
Note: Chris Gough is a worship leader at Bethany Community Church and taken a lead role in creating the Spilling Hope Compilation Volume 2, available for FREE download here: http://www.spillinghope.org/compilation-2. So check it out! Also, Spilling Hope Compilation Volume 2 artists will be performing a variety of live shows around Seattle in the coming weeks. Seryn will be at Sunset Tavern next Wedneday June 15 (http://www.serynsound.com/), Jubilee will be playing TONIGHT (Friday) at Skylark (http://livejubilee.org/calendar/), and Cahalen Morrison and Eli West will be at The Tractor Tavern Sunday, June 12 (http://cahalenandeli.com/).
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From Guilt to Joyful Generosity
06.08.11 | Comment?by Peter Warski
Earlier this year, I was riding home with a friend. We were returning from dinner at Zeek’s Pizza, which had provided me with some leftovers I was planning to enjoy for lunch the next day.
Sometimes, God speaks softly, and at other times, He punches you in the gut. On this particular evening, He chose the latter form of communication.
We pulled up to a red light. As I thought about how tasty the pizza had been, a man came alongside our car, holding a sign: “Hungry. In need of food. God bless.”
At the bottom of the sign was a drawing of a pizza.
The box of Zeek’s in my hands suddenly felt heavy. It became instantly clear what I should have done. The man wasn’t asking for anything questionable. He was asking for something to eat.
As my friend rummaged for her purse, my mind raced. I should give out of my abundance — but then what will I eat for lunch? Before I could complete my thoughts, the light turned green, we were off, and I hadn’t moved an inch.
When I got home — pizza box still in hand — the pangs of guilt swept over me. Was I really that greedy? So greedy that I wouldn’t give up cold pizza slices just because I’d have to find a different lunch? Guilt soon led to self-condemnation. Self-condemnation convinced me that I simply needed to pray.
As I did, I was reminded of a few points. First, when it’s clear that God is calling us to do something — whether it be as mundane as giving away your leftovers, or as monumental as moving to the other side of the world — we should be obedient. We should not rely on our own reasoning. Doing so inevitably leads to us putting our own interests and desires ahead of our biblical mandate to love and serve others. I’ve learned that the hard way.
Secondly, we need to remember that God’s grace is always sufficient: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). The guilt and self-condemnation I experienced was not from God — but the scenario that led to it was. He wants us to be reminded of the responsibility we have as His followers. But He wants us to carry out that responsibility with joy and humility, not guilt or reluctant obligation. That’s why He gave us the greatest gift of all — one that eternally frees us from those latter negative emotions so that we can be a light in a dark world.
This is what the Spilling Hope campaign is all about. As we come upon Celebration Sunday, I encourage everyone to keep this message in mind — and accordingly, to give with humility, joy, generosity, and obedience to God. By remembering Christ’s sacrifice, and by following His example, we truly begin to reflect His nature in the midst of a broken world.
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Lord, Have Mercy
06.04.11 | Comment?by Mica Wegener
Growing up in the Lutheran church, each Sunday our prayers were uttered in unison. After each prayer, the congregation paused and, with a certain confidence that comes with familiarity, recited, “Lord, in your mercy, hear out prayer.”
For many years I thought these prayers were empty. I felt it was a cop-out of sorts –- if you were really talking to God, then why would you need the words printed in a bulletin? And if this whole Jesus thing was relational and personal, then why on earth would we say the exact same line over and over as if we had nothing better to say? In His great mercy, God has since changed my understanding.
You see, I find it is far easier now to talk to God in my car, to write a prayer in my journal, or to quietly speak with him during church in the safe walls of my mind. But in this public confession, in this communal declaration that the liturgy provides, I cannot escape –- we cannot escape –- the fact that we, too, need His great mercy, and not just those for whom we are praying.
You may be wondering about now, what does this have to do with Spilling Hope? And I would tell you, the answer is everything. Long before the campaign began this spring, as our community group met to carefully plan the events, I was under the impression that I would be the one giving; I would be the one spilling hope. I was quite wrong. Yes, that is a piece of it, but I needed God’s mercy to re-direct my prayers, to reveal to me greater depths of what he does through things like this campaign.
After Film Night came to a close, I stood in a circle conversing with some of the panelists, when one said something that struck me. He said “We seem to be under the impression that people need Jesus, and that’s the main point. Most of these people don’t need Jesus –- they already have Jesus. It’s not that they’re all poor and need Jesus. It’s that they’re poor, they have Jesus, and they need water. And water –- money -– is something we have and can give.” And then, it all became painfully clear. I had missed the point. All this time I had been praying for reconciliation in Africa, when I too need to be reconciled: to my brothers and sisters in Seattle, to those across the oceans, and most importantly: to God. He calls us to learn about His Kingdom, and in doing so, to live in it. This task is far from easy. Giving generously and living aware of others is one piece of it. In learning about the need for water in Africa, I have learned about my own need for living water in Christ. In learning how they spend their precious time, I, in turn, learn how foolishly I use my own. And in learning how much they need, I have begun to see how much more I could give. In understanding their need, I have heard my call. I need them just as much as they need me. You see, in seeking to bring reconciliation, I have found that I need to be reconciled myself: reconciled to the call which I have so often not answered. And in seeking to serve communities I thought were in need of Christ, I have found my own desperate need for Him. In spilling hope, hope I did not know I needed has been spilled into my life. Would you pray with me?
Lord, two in every fifty people that hear about need in the world actually respond. May we be a people who not only respond with our words, but also in our actions.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we thank you for the resources you’ve so greatly blessed us with. The average person in our nation uses 100 gallons of water a day, compared to the 5 gallons most people in Africa and developing countries have to use. Lord, teach us to preserve what you’ve given us, and to respond in gratitude.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus, as we learn, grant us eyes to see our own need. As we give, keep our hands open. And when we fall short in our efforts, send your grace to remind us that we, too, are being reconciled and reformed. Spill upon us your hope, as we dance in the rain of your love with our brothers and sisters around the world.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
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Spiritual vs. Material Wealth
06.03.11 | Comment?by Cherith Brooks
Living in a pretty big city in America (Seattle) places me in the center of commerce. As I walk downtown, I move past stores with giant pictures of models in bizarre poses, lights beaming off of the facets of gems placed on black mats to emphasize their glamour, and people sitting on the corners of streets with cardboard signs. I find myself right in the middle of these two different worlds. Should I continue to gaze upon items that make me feel as if I do not have enough, or should I pay attention to those who show me that I definitely could survive with much less? Spilling Hope has taught me to reconsider my beliefs about what I actually need.
While Spilling Hope has been going on, I have been cutting back on spontaneous snack purchases. Since I am already a cautious spender, I had to think of some way that I could noticeably live more simply. When I thought, “Maybe I’ll get a coffee,” I would think about if I really needed it, and then would acknowledge that I could make my own drink at home. Hearing about how little financial resources people in different countries have to live on astonishes me. One spontaneous snack purchase of mine could go a lot further somewhere else. Participating in Spilling Hope has made me grateful, and has inspired me to know that change can be made. The people that receive the wells from Spilling Hope also inspire me to be more joyful about God’s blessings and provision, which is plentiful.
Matthew 6:19-20 is a good reminder: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Instead of gaining satisfaction and worth from material ownership, it is more rewarding to participate in community and honest work. Many of us find that when we get the item that we have wanted, we are content for a short time before thinking of something else to want. Since there is this constant gap between where we want to be and where we are, there is room for dissatisfaction. This scripture reminds us that spiritual wealth is the most significant wealth. I do believe that spiritual fulfillment through living in an active relationship with God is the only way to reach satisfaction.
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Thoughts on Health & Economic Development, from World Relief
06.02.11 | Comment?“How Can a Church That Cares About Health Change a Community?” by Maurice Kwizera
The World Health Organization (WHO) uses a broad definition of health “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
In Rwanda, WR is partnering with many local churches committed to address people health in broad sense – but with a definition that includes “spiritual health” as well.
Before I share about their work, here are a few facts about health in Rwanda:
Health Facts for Rwanda:
● 43% of households in rural area are headed by women, widows, or children.
● 19% of children under 5 are malnourished.
● 1 in 5 children will die before their 5th birthday – most from curable and preventable disease.
● 3% of adults have HIV/AIDS.
● Life expectancy is 52.7 years.
Churches are well positioned to minister to the health needs of the vulnerable: more than 2/3 of the population attend church at least once a month. Churches are in the remotest areas where access to health care and information can be poor. The community trusts in church leaders and church members in general; any health initiative from them is recognized as a crucial component in successful delivery of health services.
A church delivers health services with remarkable cost effectiveness: Churches are able to use their volunteers and influence to cascade information throughout the community in a short amount of time. Rwanda has many health success stories on this:
Maternal and child health: In one district where World Relief empowered 2,800 church volunteers and 350 church leaders in community mobilization for maternal & child health, more than 29,000 households were regularly visited twice a month for health education. As a result, the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets increased from 3% to 70% in the target population, severe malaria cases in district Hospital decreased from 570 cases (2003) to 108 Cases (2006), and annual death cases due to malaria among children under 5 years of age steadily decreased from 30 to 0 within a period of five years.
HIV/AIDS prevention: World Relief worked with the local churches from which 5,800 peer educators were selected, equipped with knowledge and tools and then committed to the education of youth on HIV/AIDS. After 5 years, more than 373,000 youth aged 12-24 years were reached with knowledge and life skills for HIV prevention through small groups regularly meeting at church.
Fighting stigma & traditional beliefs: Word Relief has also worked throughout the country to help churches overcome the stigma of AIDS and be a leader in the community at accepting the sick for who they are. Also, church are fighting traditional beliefs and encouraging people to go to hospitals instead of “traditional healers.”
Where a local church cares about health, a holistic healing is brought to the community.
Photo: A volunteer from a local church helps weigh a baby as part of a nutrition and child survival intervention in Rwanda.
(Maurice Kwizera is the community mobilization manager in WR’s Child Survival program and has previously served as manager of WR’s HIV/AIDS program.)
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“Why Is Economic Empowerment More Important Than Giveaways?” by Pascasie Nsanzabozwa
We’ve all heard the saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” As cliché as it sounds, the concept of giveaways versus economic empowerment is a huge issue in development work. In Rwanda, there are many people with serious and urgent needs and sometimes we just don’t have the ability or resources to take care of the root causes of their poverty.
As we try to follow Jesus’ example of having compassion on the vulnerable, we instinctively want to help that immediate need as we are able. However, handouts are not going to create a sustainable skill and often rob those we try to help of the self-esteem and independence they could achieve from learning how to improve their economic development.
“Savings for Life” groups in Rwanda are mobilized by church leaders. WR’s role is to train volunteers from these churches in how to train these groups to save.
So how do savings groups work?
- 15-25 community members are mobilized by local churches to form groups.
- Groups meet weekly and each member deposits their weekly savings (usually less than $1) into the group savings fund.
- As the fund grows, members borrow from the fund to start small businesses.
- A social fund is set aside as an emergency grant for members who experience crisis.
- Group members add to savings between meetings using daily savings.
- Loans are repaid with interest and the savings fund grows even more!
- At the end of the 9-12 month cycle, each member receives their savings PLUS a portion of the interest collected. (They use these funds to pay school fees, buy livestock, and start small businesses.)
- The group then decides to disband or begin a new cycle. (Almost all continue for several additional cycles.)
Because the church is involved, members learn more than how to save in these groups; they form relationships with others who are trying to lift their families out of poverty. Over time, they grow to love and trust each other.
I visited a group last week called, Twitezimbere which means “let’s prosper.” The 20-member group, almost all of whom are women (78% of the program’s clients are women), are growing in unity.
Hadidja, a Muslim member has been welcomed into the group. She has been inspired by how the group members, most of whom are Christians, love each other.
Another women’s husband has been hospitalized for the past three weeks, and the group decided to donate the social fund to his family and spend time together weeding his cassava fields.
These examples of compassion and caring for people who might have been strangers 2 months ago, is truly moving.
These savings groups are giving a ministry to churches to empower people to help themselves – rather than making them dependant on support from outside.
Photo: A savings group gathers at a weekly meeting to contribute to their savings fund.
(Pascasie Nsanzabozwa is the economic development manager at WR Rwanda.)
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