Quotable Monday

"Scripture describes a Kingdom comprised of diverse people with all manner of gifts and talents. Each citizen of this heaven-based Kingdom has been given an important work to do.  Those with highest standing in heaven are the people who, in our earthly value system, are considered least important.

It is disquieting to realize how little value I attribute to 'the least of these', the ones deemed by our Lord to be 'great in the Kingdom' (Matthew 5:19)  I have viewed them as weak ones waiting to be rescued, not bearers of divine treasures.  The dominance of my giving overshadows and stifles the rich endowments that the Creator has invested in those I have considered destitute.  I selectively ignore that the moneyed, empowered, learned ones will enter this Kingdom with enormous difficulty.

One who would be a leader, I am cautioned, has a greater weight of responsibility to honor the despised, share his earthly possessions, model interdependency and encourage the use of gifts concealed in the unlikeliest among us.  To the leader, then, the gift of humility is offered- the gift is the salvation of the proud, which comes with great difficulty from learning to receive from those who are the least on Earth, yet greatest in the Kingdom."   - Robert Lupton, Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life. 

I'm reading this book for my third time, this time discussing it with a co-worker and an intern in our ministry.  In my reading last night of the first part of the book for today's discussion, the paragraph in bold was the one that stuck out the most to me.  This is truly the journey...to empty oneself  so that one might learn mutuality, interdependency, and authentic community.

Christ's redemptive power

Last Sunday, Chassidi gave the message for Mother’s Day at Harvest…she talked about not only honoring mothers, but also honoring God who can redeem the lives of mothers who have not always made the best decisions in and for the lives of their children.  She invited her husband Brion’s mom, “Net”, up to share, and Net shared a marvelous story of God’s redemptive power through Christ in her life.  From 20 years of crack cocaine addiction and losing her children to a life of being rescued by Jesus, clean from drugs, and restoration in her family. 

John, Brion’s brother, came up at the end and shared this song he wrote for his mom:

Quotable Monday

I have a quote notebook in which I write in  or cut out and tape all sorts of quotes from a whole array of sources that, when read, move my mind and heart and hopefully at some point, my life.  Here's two for today:

"Today it is very fashionable to talk about the poor.  Unfortunately, it is very unfashionable to talk with them."  -Mother Teresa

"The ministry of reconciliation is a struggle in the terrain of habits, desires, identities, loyalties, and power."
-Chris Rice and Emmanuel Katangole from Reconciling All Things.

thank you, Dallas Willard

I think it was about 10 or 11 years ago when I first read The Divine Conspiracy written by Dallas Willard.  Never has a book outside of the Bible overwhelmed me so magnificently with the life of Christ, the Kingdom of God, and the vision of life in the Kingdom of God.  Willard left his earthly body behind on Wednesday, and John Ortberg wrote a lovely tribute to his friend in the article found here.

The Word on Wednesday

Ezra 3:10-11 “When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel.  With praise and thanksgiving, they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.”  And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.  

These verses reminded me this morning of one of the reasons we had a joint worship service on Saturday for Love Cedar Valley.  It was a chance to gather as God's people to be reminded that He alone is the source of love, goodness, kindness, and that it is in the posture of gratitude and thanksgiving that we  serve.  Coming together as One Church to praise Jesus Christ as the foundation for all things good is fundamental in the restoration of our community.  

Ezra 3:12-13  “But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.  No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise.  And the sound was heard far away.” 

Change is hard!  Perhaps especially for the older generation who remembers how things were in days past.  Perhaps also for churches as they operate in ways that are familiar and known to them.  We must trust and follow the Spirit of God as He moves us toward community restoration in some ways that are more unfamiliar and unknown to us. I love the following verses found in Isaiah 43:18-19.."Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."  

jobs for life celebrates another graduation

One of the JFL graduates is quite the artist!

Students and mentors turn their classroom space into a celebratory meal after completing the 8 week Biblically-based curriculum that helps to prepare students for work and life.

Our prayers that this session's four graduates would be able to find and keep meaningful work!  Congratulations!  
Read more about Jobs for Life at www.jobsforlife.org   

Walnut love

The Walnut Neighborhood received a lot of lovin' on Love Cedar Valley yesterday!

Friends helped George and Judy scrape their front porch to prepare for painting.

Teens from Harvest, Orchard Hill, and the Boys n' Girl Club served together  in the neighborhood.

Patti D. cooks up a little breakfast for the community breakfast offered at Harvest yesterday morning.

Love Cedar Valley friends offered flowers to residents in the Walnut Court Retirement Home.

A teen center was painted at the Boys n' Girls Club

An ambitious crew hauled out carpet from a newly purchased home in Walnut and worked to scrape off the  backing.

Mike worked in the Almond house lawn to remove some old dead trees from the backyard.

Harvest turned around after their community breakfast and offered free hotdogs for any passersby.

Anthony hands a May Day Basket to a Walnut neighbor.

Josh and Mark beautify the grounds throughout the neighborhood.

Brion serves to beautify the grounds.

Harvest friends provide a tea time for residents at Walnut Court Retirement  Apartments.