What if your kids could open a window into the lives of the world's poorest children? Would it affect the way they think and live? Quest For Compassion is an interactive journey into four distant villages. Your kids will explore fun games while discovering some of the stark realities of the developing world. They'll learn things they never knew, keep a prayer journal, read Bible verses on poverty, and much more. Visit QuestForCompassion.org/learn today.
The sky was just turning dark as I pulled up to the bridge where we were supposed to meet. As I turned off the engine and opened the door several heads peeked out from under the bridge. A parade of sorts began to meander over. We greeted each other as we do each time we meet—gratitude and thankfulness dripping from their tongues. Two of them could not make the 25-foot walk to the car without help, too inebriated from another rainy day spent masking the pain of their predicament. The seven individuals now climbing into my 10-year-old Toyota Land Cruiser are all homeless.
Join Not For Sale this Spring as we gather in Washington, DC & Ottawa, Canada to ask our legislators to re-Abolish modern-day slavery.
Being a modern-day Abolitionist means advocating for stronger legislation against human trafficking, as well as protection and care for survivors. These two-day events will combine advocacy training, networking, and meetings with your elected representatives as you give a voice to those in captivity.
Be a part of the movement this March. Help us send a message to your elected officials that ending global slavery should be a priority!
Washington, DC
March 1-2, 2010
Ottawa, Canada
March 2-3, 2010
Visit EndGlobalSlavery.org
to learn more & register TODAY!
Space is limited! Check in for more details online as the date approaches...
This radical Christian’s ministry for the poor, The Simple Way, has gotten him in some trouble with his fellow Evangelicals. We asked him to address those who don’t believe.
By Shane Claiborne
To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.
Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.
Twenty-one months ago I was a youth pastor at a church, and then the elders voted to close the doors. The rent was too high, the tithes too low, and we couldn’t see an alternative. Attendance had been declining for several years and there was no easy way out. My idea was to keep the church together. To this day, aside from me and my wife, two remain from that church. The seeds of Adams Avenue.
Read the rest here.
A friend emailed me the following story this week.
A few years ago a female student wanted to visit with me about some difficulties she was having, mainly with her family life. As is my practice, we walked around campus as we talked.
After talking for some time about her family situation we turned to other areas of her life. When she reached spiritual matters we had the following exchange:
“I need to spend more time working on my relationship with God.”
I responded, “Why would you want to do that?”
Startled she says, “What do you mean?”
“Well, why would you want to spend any time at all on working on your relationship with God?”
“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”
“Let me answer by asking you a question. Can you think of anyone, right now, to whom you need to apologize? Anyone you’ve wronged?”
She thinks and answers, “Yes.”
“Well, why don’t you give them a call today and ask for their forgiveness. That might be a better use of your time than working on your relationship with God.”
THE QUESTION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
-by David Ryser.
A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school of ministry. My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly searching for ways to challenge them to fall more in love with Jesus and to become voices for revival in the Church. I came across a quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this:
Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.
seen here
October 18, 2009
Op-Ed Guest Columnist
Rebranding America
By BONO
A FEW years ago, I accepted a Golden Globe award by barking out an expletive.
One imagines President Obama did the same when he heard about his Nobel, and not out of excitement.
HE IS HUMAN
BE KIND
he is HUMAN
be KIND
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: September 28, 2009
Centuries ago, historians came up with a classic theory to explain the rise and decline of nations. The theory was that great nations start out tough-minded and energetic. Toughness and energy lead to wealth and power. Wealth and power lead to affluence and luxury. Affluence and luxury lead to decadence, corruption and decline.
Read the rest here.
seen here
Information Is Beautiful has collected several dozen buckets of data — from the size of the yoga industry to spending on the Iraq War to the Chinese defense budget — and given us a sense of their relative weight.
I thought this was worth sharing.
The institutions—both those already so stripped and those being stripped—are finding, in the loss of discussion and differences of opinion and experience, a uniformity that, like uniformity everywhere, is stultifying.
Continue reading "Beyond Denominations, the Hyphenated Church" »
Sometime last year I met my friend's wife for the first time and she asked where we lived. Her second question was, "What do you do in La Jolla?" I proceeded to tell her that I didn't actually work in La Jolla, but that I was a teacher in a neighboring community. As I was rambling on about my profession I got the the feeling that I had completely missed the question. She was attentive and alert and warm as I spoke, but I couldn't help feeling that I wasn't answering her question.
I wasn't.
She asked what I did in La Jolla. What did I do in La Jolla? The question was honest and simple enough. Why was it so hard to answer?
As usual, we spent Sunday morning at La Jolla Shores having breakfast with our friends. We were blessed this morning to catch up with some we hadn't seen in about a month. They were excited to see us and have their friends there with them.
This is church for us. Friends, food, fellowship, prayer.
After sharing a meal together and talking about how we are doing and seeing what needs we can pray for and try to meet we all circled on the grass to pray together before leaving. A couple of us prayed, and one friend in particular asked if he could pray at the end. Part of his prayer went something like this,
"God, we don't deserve your love and kindness. But if you can, we'd really love to be in heaven with you someday. Do you think you could just let us come and sit in the back row?"
The back row. I think heaven is going to be full of people like this. Surprised to be there. Expecting to be sitting in the back row, only to discover special VIP seating reserved especially for them, the least of these.
Friday is a defining moment in the history of justice. The members of the United Nations Security Council will be presented with the results of the International Criminal Court's Darfur investigation — an investigation that they requested. Their response will determine whether there is going to be an international standard of justice that holds perpetrators accountable for the worst crimes in the world.
The evidence the prosecutor has presented is clear and compelling. Millions of people have been displaced; hundreds of thousands have been killed; and at the center of it all stands Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who has been indicted on seven counts of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity. (See pictures of Darfur in crisis.)
Proverbs 31:6-7 (New International Version)
6 Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine to those who are in anguish;
7 let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
I'm getting more and more tired of hearing people share about their conviction to NOT give money to "pan handlers" because they just don't know what they're going to use the money for, or they know exactly what they are going to use it for - alcohol.
Perhaps rather then giving them a buck or two then, we should buy a beer for them and sit and listen and love them. The way I see it, the worst that could happen is we might be accused (as Jesus was) of being "a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners." (Matthew 11:19)
seen here
I saw this add today in the May 4 issue of Newsweek. What a great question.
Came across this article this morning about HOMEpdx, a street church in Portland.
I love this, “We do magic tricks by making the invisible visible,” Ken often says. “When we pay attention to our friends without houses then they began to appear to themselves.”
Found this here, I like it.
Chalmers Johnson is known as San Diego's own Jeremiah. He said in a recent interview, "I'm going to lecture you about history. History tells us there's no such thing as a successful democracy and also a successful empire. You can be one or the other – but you can't be both. If you are a successful empire, it will destroy your democracy. That's essentially why Britain gave up at the end of World War II. They concluded that just after defeating the Nazis, they couldn't continue to use Nazi methods. It wasn't well done, but they preserved their democracy."
“It is the essence of leadership to recognize we've gone the wrong direction,” Johnson said. “We're using the wrong weapons. We don't know what we're doing.”
Read the article here.
I remember a friend from college wore a shirt with several Yoplait yogurt containers with the caption, "Is this all the culture in your life?" or something like that. Funny, that's what I thought of when I saw the, "I'd consider following Christ if he was on Twitter" thing. Sad also, to think how many reduce their followership of Christ to something as mindless as subscribing to someone's Twitter or showing up to a weekly event.
I've been down to the park a lot this year. Nothing really quite like holding hands and praying through the fence after sharing communion together.
It makes one (at least me) wonder what God sees as he looks down... a line? a fence? two different groups? or just his children?
Friendship Park in the news (links):
Christian Century
El Diario
Los Angeles Times
National Public Radio
New York Times
San Diego Union Tribune
Sojourners
Washington Post
"...the particular faith that motivates each of us can promote a greater good for all of us. Instead of driving us apart, our varied beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted; to make peace where there is strife and rebuild what has broken; to lift up those who have fallen on hard times."
Continue reading "Barack Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast" »
'I was 18 when I met him. I fell in love and went to Italy on holiday with him. Within 3 days of being there everything changed. He went from being my best friend, to a being the person I feared the most. I didn't have much experience with men. Now, because of him, I've slept with over 3000. He sent me out to work on the streets every night for months. He used my hair to mop the floor, put guns to my head, and slashed me with pieces of glass, so I did as I was told and behaved. I was constantly watched, followed everywhere. He had every escape route covered. He was everywhere.' Philippa is a survivor of trafficking.
Living amongst multi million dollar mansions, thousands of undocumented immigrants live in subhuman conditions without electricity, running water or sanitation. They all work to build and maintain the local neighborhood homes and businesses. Award winning filmmaker John Carlos Frey spends a year amongst Mexican laborers in the hidden shantytowns of wealthy San Diego, California.
Watch a clip here
Since the 70's, Border Field State Park/Friendship Park has been a place where people could come to spend time with friends and family on the other side of the border.
Some friends of mine go to the fence every Sunday to share communion with our neighbors to the south, reminding us that God’s family isn’t contained by borders or nations.
The federal government is in the final stages of completing a triple border fence through this state park, in violation of the will of the people, the intent of the park, and the Environmental Protection Agency. This “fence” will eventually go all the way to the water with a large “no man’s land” (think DMZ) blocking any sort of contact between people on either side of the fence.
I went this past Sunday to participate in communion. A friend of mine took some great shots, see them here.
For info on the park go here
In his parting press conference today, President Bush says he sees nothing wrong with America's moral standing in the world.
from Faith in Public Life
By Jeromy Johnson, re-posted from A Mending Shift:
The War is Over.
That is what the leaflets dropped over the Philippines by the U.S. after WWII read. The War is Over. In other words, we, as the United States of America, were saying: We are no longer trying to kill you. As far as we are concerned, you are no longer our enemy.
But there were some who heard and read this good news and did not believe it. They thought these leaflets were lies and propaganda from the enemy. These people were known as “holdouts.” They hid in the Philippines believing that the U.S. and her allies were still fighting against them. They believed they were still at war with an enemy that, in truth, had declared peace on December 31, 1946.
One of these Japanese Solider Holdouts was named Onoda. He was the lone survivor of a group of four other holdouts. In fact, 14 years after the war ended he was (incorrectly) declared legally dead in Japan. But in 1974 he realized, through a series of circumstances, that the war was over:
“On March 9, 1974, intelligence Officer 2nd Lt. Hiroo Onoda emerged from the jungle of Lubang Island with his .25 caliber rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition and several hand grenades. He surrendered 29 years after Japan’s formal surrender. When he accepted that the war was over, he wept openly.” (read more)
Over the past few weeks, the situation with the LRA has worsened again. A military operation aimed at defeating the rebel group went horribly wrong, and the LRA retaliated by abducting over two hundred children and killing hundreds of innocent civilians. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes so far.
What are now being called the "Christmas Massacres" made international headlines over the holidays and are some of the worst attacks in the history of this conflict. They mark an alarming new chapter in a long war.
In a village on the shores of the largest man-made lake on the surface of the earth lies a major hub for trafficked children amidst Ghana's fishing industry. Children as young as three are seen as favorable workers because their nimble fingers are able to release small fish from the masses of nets. Often they are put at great risk when forced to untangle nets below the water's surface. Many of these children are given only one meal a day, consisting of a single bowl of gari soaked in the lake water, resulting in undernourishment and serious health-related concerns.
Apparently and for some not-very-clear reason, it is incumbent upon the faithful in every new epoch or changing era of Christian history to re-define what we mean when we use the words “church” and/or “Church.”
Read the whole weblog from emergentvillage here
"I don’t want to talk about how Christianity is changing, and who is happy about it and who is not. I want to sing about how wonderful he is, how grace is the most beautiful thing, how following him is what life is all about."
Click here to watch
Merry Christmas
A Postcolonial Advent Meditation
The Jews of Jesus’ day were waiting for the coming Messiah. Like the Jews of Jesus’ day we are waiting as well. We are also remembering the coming of baby Jesus and the anticipation surrounding his advent. Along with waiting we are asking for both a personal and communal advent. During this season we are longing to be renewed and reminded of the old, old Story. We ask God to trouble the stagnant waters of our souls.
Re-posted from Musings of a Postmodern Negro
Continue reading "Advent Reflection: Salvation Came From The Cut" »
Your gift moves us one step closer to peace
With a new year, there is new hope for Darfur. But we have to stand together and urge our new president to take swift, bold action. Nothing less than an end to this genocide will do.
Your year-end contribution will give help give the resources needed to keep the pressure on our leaders and insist that they do the right thing.
Please fill out the fields below to process your donation. And thank you so much for being a part of this movement.
Make a gift of $50 or more, and you'll get a free Save Darfur t-shirt.
The Bible does have a few things to say about it:
Jonathan Brink just came back from The Great Emergence National Event took place last week, December 5-6, in Memphis, Tennessee. While there he posted daily updates from the event, and followed-up with a intriguing recap post entitled "Children of Divorce," which is definitely worth reading!
A few years back, Emily Sagor’s extended family got bored with the practice of drawing names from a hat and giving a token gift to that aunt or this cousin. “It was somewhat unfulfilling because you would ask what they wanted, then buy that thing,” says Emily.
The new ritual is much more popular. In September or October, nominations are collected for charities about which family members care deeply. Each person who nominates a charity explains what it does. Then the family votes and the winning charity is announced. Checks flow to Emily’s aunt, who writes one big check to the organization in the name of the whole family.
Emily says the “winning” charities have included a hospice that sent a volunteer “to help my grandmother’s last few months of life.” This new holiday gift-giving strategy has produced some unexpected rewards: “Each year, we end up not only learning about organizations that are worth our attention, but we also learn more about each other and what matters to each of us,” explains Emily.
Cox, M. (2008). New Strategy for Charitable Gifts. Whose Birthday is it, Anyway? Ideas for a Christ-Centered Holiday 2008, 25.
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(NASB)
What do you think of when you hear the word justice?
Some good definitions I found:
jus·tice –noun
an act of love which seeks to make things right.
in·jus·tice –noun
people with power taking something from people who lack power.
What does this mean for followers of Jesus? What does this look like?
Robert Cornwall was a struggling pastor in Oregon in the 1950’s. Money was tight and he needed some extra income to support his family. As a result he offered his services as a counselor in a local hospital one day a week. On his first day he was led down several corridors by two doctors who then proceeded to unlock the door to room 37. "There you go," they said locking the door behind him. "We’ll be back in an hour."
God has been wrecking me in a lot of ways lately about what it is to not only worship as an individual but to worship as a church.
I feel like I’ve come from a background (and maybe some of you can relate) where worship is just the singing part and worship is an atmosphere setter.
Right?
I mean it kind of gets everyone calmed down. It kind of gets everyone focused, at least it’s supposed to.
But the real point of the whole church service is what? The sermon. And if we have a few minutes after the sermon we have a song, or maybe half a song and then we’re out.
And this was my understanding and I thought that was the point. That’s why you gather. Right? I mean you could actually even come late and skip the singing, because really the whole point of coming, besides seeing each other and some free donuts was the sermon.
But what I’ve come to realize, and believe, is that represents a really false and dangerous theology.
Continue reading "worship :: living in view of the throne" »
A University professor at a well-known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?"
A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!"
"God created everything?" the professor asked.
"Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."
The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that faith in God was a myth.
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two cups of coffee.
Continue reading "the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee" »
THE ONE DECLARATION
“WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty. WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional resources for basic needs – education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans – would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget. WE COMMIT ourselves – one person, one voice, one vote at a time – to make a better, safer world for all.” http://one.org
My son is 18 days old today! The night Chase was born, Shelly was asleep in the hospital room, and I was holding Chase. I’d only “known” him for 10 hours. Sure I had anticipated his arrival for months, I’d spoken to him, felt him kicking in the tummy, but I had only seen him, touched him, smelled him, and held him during those last 10 hours – yet I knew that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him!
Question: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Answer: Psalm 117
Question: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
Answer: Psalm 119
Question: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible?
Answer: Psalm 118
There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118.
There are 594 chapters after Psalm 118.
Add these up and you get 1188.
Question: What is the center verse in the Bible?
Answer: Psalm 118:8
Question: Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for our lives?
The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the center of his will, send them to the center of his Word.
Psalm 118:8 "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man."
Isn't that odd how this worked out? (Or was God in the center of it?)
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
I sit here Easter morning with mixed emotions. Remembering today and what we celebrate, the resurrection of Jesus, but I am deeply saddened. Yesterday my Grandmother and dear friend Irene passed away. Incredibly she is sharing in Easter morning in a more powerful and personal way than any of us ever has for she has been resurrected with Jesus. She has never felt better and been happier I know. But I miss her so bad already.
Granny I will always count my blessings. My memories of you are some of my favorite. Thank you for loving me like a grandson.
Your grandson,
Jared