Summary of tonight's opening at ccda:
1. Started with the Cincinnati youth symphany orchestra. Beautiful.
2. Barbara Williams-Skinner, chairperson of the ccda Board, talked about how we are standing between the old and new. She used Deuteronomy 1:6 where Moses is speaking to Joshua and passing on the baton of leadership. She talked about how the church of old is steeped in a culture of racial alienation and there's a new generation that wants to break free. God is calling us as a whole people, collectively as His followers to:
-Break camp. We've settled into white spaces and black spaces and Latino spaces, rich and poor spaces...we're separate and disconnected from one another. We do not know one another. We do not understand one another. We need to break camp. Get up and move from this separation and begin to spend time together. Begin to know one another. Own our fear and move toward freedom. We have to mentor people in freedom not in fear. We have to model the way.
- Advance into hill country. Move up. Not even so much physically as mentally. We have to pray like never before. This land cannot be possessed by our own power. It will be God's power. We have to change our language about one another. If our associations and relationships don't look like a piece of the Kingdom of God, then we should move ourselves until they do.
- Possess the land. The land of racism and poverty will be possessed by the Kingdom when we surrender and come broken-hearted and humbled to the foot of the cross to be reconciled first to God and then to one another.
3. John Perkins had a few words of vision for us about the Church not accomodating to apartheid but being a living testimony of the Gospel of reconciliation.
4. Soong Chan-Rah gave a compelling talk about our changing world. How by 2023, the majority of children in America will be non-white. By 2042, the majority of Americans will be non-white. And the American Church is changing as well. The growing segments in Christianity in America are multi-ethnic and non-white churches . By 2050, about 85% of the Christian world will be a non-white population. His question was "why are we then captive to white, western culture's paradigm of Christianity?"
Chan-Rah used Haggai text to talk about the 3 R's of Christian Community Development:
Relocation- He spoke about how relocation is less about the white wealthy moving into the inner city to help change the community and more about how it is the willingness to give up power and privilege to learn from the poor. That God's power most often manifests in weakness and struggle.
Reconciliation- God's power, God's Spirit is essential for reconciliation. It's about God's covenant of Grace, not about earning points for God or works.
Redistribution- Haggai 2:9 and 2:6. "This temple will be greater than the glory of the former house." At the current time in Haggai, the beautiful temple that Solomon had built was a pile of rubble. But 2:6 talks about "the desired one of nations" coming...Jesus... which will make this pile of rubble even more glorious than before. We are that pile of rubble. And there is nothing more glorious than the moment Jesus steps in. What should we be redistributing? We should be sharing and spreading the presence of Jesus in our lives.
The night closed with a joyful, passionate worship set by a gospel choir from this area. And then several folks went to an ice cream social down the block. I can hear music from it and imagine lots of folks networking. This is the kind of conference that you can almost never sleep at...always something going. I, however, am getting old and need to find a little sleep tonight. I want to be up early to run with Noel Castellanos, the ceo of ccda, and other interested runners. I can go because I am a runner now! :)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
on the streets in Cincinnati
I was up before light this morning and asking in the lobby where I might find a coffeeshop in the neighborhood of our hotel. Hotel staff gave me directions to a nearby Starbucks, and I proceeded to walk outside to accidentally take a right, left instead of a left, right as she had told me to do. I could tell quickly that I was heading in the dark toward even darker streets, and I was keenly aware that I was a woman, a stranger to this city, and I had with me my laptop and my bookbag that had every dollar and bank card I had brought on the trip. At one corner, I met a homeless man seated up against a building with a big backpack and bedroll next to him. I asked him the location of the Starbucks that I was trying to find, and he pointed me in the right direction, ending with a "can you spare me change for a cup of coffee?"
With my response being that I'd buy him a cup if he wanted to come along, I found myself walking and talking with Gary, a man who'd been on the streets for four years. In our course of conversation over a cup of coffee and some donuts at Starbucks, Gary became a man with a story rather than an object and statistic of homelessness that we typically picture in our minds. Gary graduated from high school one year behind me and has a birthday in two days. He's troubled by the death of his mom 17 years ago, a death that he believes was a murder at the hands of his half brothers, but that the police ruled a suicide. Gary is obsessed with this and trying to prove the police are dirty. No matter how many topics we addressed, Gary came back to this story.
On our walk back toward the hotel, the city had begun to bustle at 6:30 in the morning. The street we took back was not the street that we had taken to get coffee, and I was amazed by the mix of the business community and street folks. That always impacts me so much in the downtowns of large cities. The stark extremes of wealth and poverty sharing the same sidewalk but not sharing eye contact. It's just such a picture of our separateness and brokenness as a society.
Gary and I parted after I told him that I'd like to pray Jesus's peace for him over his mom's death, and now I'm sitting in the hotel lobby ready to do a little reading and noticing several of the ccda leadership wandering through. My daughter just called to usher in the morning and I'm now going to attempt to "chat" with her a spell on facebook. Our group is excited to be here...it's fun to watch the relationships begin, and we're anticipating all that God has for us through this week.
With my response being that I'd buy him a cup if he wanted to come along, I found myself walking and talking with Gary, a man who'd been on the streets for four years. In our course of conversation over a cup of coffee and some donuts at Starbucks, Gary became a man with a story rather than an object and statistic of homelessness that we typically picture in our minds. Gary graduated from high school one year behind me and has a birthday in two days. He's troubled by the death of his mom 17 years ago, a death that he believes was a murder at the hands of his half brothers, but that the police ruled a suicide. Gary is obsessed with this and trying to prove the police are dirty. No matter how many topics we addressed, Gary came back to this story.
On our walk back toward the hotel, the city had begun to bustle at 6:30 in the morning. The street we took back was not the street that we had taken to get coffee, and I was amazed by the mix of the business community and street folks. That always impacts me so much in the downtowns of large cities. The stark extremes of wealth and poverty sharing the same sidewalk but not sharing eye contact. It's just such a picture of our separateness and brokenness as a society.
Gary and I parted after I told him that I'd like to pray Jesus's peace for him over his mom's death, and now I'm sitting in the hotel lobby ready to do a little reading and noticing several of the ccda leadership wandering through. My daughter just called to usher in the morning and I'm now going to attempt to "chat" with her a spell on facebook. Our group is excited to be here...it's fun to watch the relationships begin, and we're anticipating all that God has for us through this week.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
CCDA in Cincinnati
I've arrived in Cincinnati, the location of this year's Christian Community Development Association conference. There are 21 adults of us from the Wloo/CF area here, and we're looking forward to spending the next five days together learning about best principles and practices for community transformation in Christ.
I'll look forward to sharing a little of our week here on this blog in the upcoming days.
I'll look forward to sharing a little of our week here on this blog in the upcoming days.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Haiti Home of Hope
The people in the picture above are Jennifer and Bill Campbell. Bill and Jennifer and their son, Jessie, received God's call and left their Kansas City home to move to Haiti in 2002 to run an orphanage. What they first believed would be a home for about 15 boys, God has made a home for 36 children, boys and girls.
Bill and Jennifer were at Orchard Hill a week ago and shared for over an hour in the sanctuary on a Wednesday evening.
I was moved and inspired by their great faith and obedience. I was moved to prayer that these little ones will grow up not only strong in body, but strong also in mind, soul, spirit. At the Haiti Home of Hope, the children are receiving 3 meals a day, an education, and they're learning about God's Word and their identity in Jesus. They're hearing the Gospel, and they're experiencing the Gospel being lived out all around them. I pray that God would raise them up to lead and help transform their community in Christ.
Other prayer requests and needs at this time are:
- money for infant formula so that the Campbell's can continue a milk program for babies in the area.
- money for a new truck that is badly needed.
- Also prayers for Jessie. He's in Kansas City, living apart from his parents, for his senior year of high school.
When we send teams to Haiti from Orchard Hill, the teams visit the orphanage, which is near Pignon, each year.
You can write an encouragement email to the Campbell's at campbellsinhaiti@yahoo.com
The Haiti Home of Hope exists to provide food, shelter, clothing, medicine, education, and most importantly, the love of Jesus, to orphans and other needy children in Haiti.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Kingdom footprints
I recently completed the Chicago Marathon...my first marathon experience...and I posted this same blog at the marathon blog found at http://www.iowansforafrica.blogspot.com/. I thought the marathon was a great example of seeing God's presence, His goodness, His work all around us all the time.
Some things have the Kingdom of Heaven written all over it and just need to be named as such. The Chicago Marathon was just such a thing. It was definitely like the kind of party Jesus would have thrown.
Some things have the Kingdom of Heaven written all over it and just need to be named as such. The Chicago Marathon was just such a thing. It was definitely like the kind of party Jesus would have thrown.
Who was at the party? Every color, age, ability, size and shape. Some running. Some cheering. It was the same party whether you were a runner or a spectator. There was this enormous sense of oneness at this event. On the course, there were the some of the fastest people on two legs on the face of the planet and there were people in wheelchairs. There were many who were running for a cause or in memory of someone. There were the injured who often had friends walking with them toward the finish line. The street was oozing with perseverance, determination, comradery.
On the sidewalks, there were a million plus people cheering. Smiles, signs, costumes, excitement, encouragement that never ended. People didn't pack up after the fastest runners were through. They stayed and cheered on and on. Fans called out people's names. They yelled. They clapped. "This is YOUR day!" "You're amazing!" "Be strong to the finish!" Many fans cheered in one section and then moved to other mile markers throughout the course, so we'd see some encouraging faces again and again. Thousands of volunteers handed out Gatorade and water with smiles and cheers. Some people offered pretzels, candy, cookies to runners. There was joy and encouragement abounding.
Throughout this world there's a desire in people to believe that there's still good. That people still care for one another and are kind. A place to go where you feel safe to be known because you believe people will encourage and love you despite your struggles. That was the environment of this marathon. The marathon's affirming messages were "You are loved. You are capable. You have worth. We are all together doing this."
After rounding a corner early on in the first few miles and getting jazzed by seeing Maribeth and Darwin Boelts, my first familiar faces, I determined two things right then. 1. I would smile throughout the entire race and 2. I was going to make eye contact with as much of the crowd and volunteers as I could.
Those two things were like an infusion of energy for me the entire way. Even in the last 6.2 miles when the legs really began to feel the run, the crowd kept my mind and spirit strong and energized.
On the sidewalks, there were a million plus people cheering. Smiles, signs, costumes, excitement, encouragement that never ended. People didn't pack up after the fastest runners were through. They stayed and cheered on and on. Fans called out people's names. They yelled. They clapped. "This is YOUR day!" "You're amazing!" "Be strong to the finish!" Many fans cheered in one section and then moved to other mile markers throughout the course, so we'd see some encouraging faces again and again. Thousands of volunteers handed out Gatorade and water with smiles and cheers. Some people offered pretzels, candy, cookies to runners. There was joy and encouragement abounding.
Throughout this world there's a desire in people to believe that there's still good. That people still care for one another and are kind. A place to go where you feel safe to be known because you believe people will encourage and love you despite your struggles. That was the environment of this marathon. The marathon's affirming messages were "You are loved. You are capable. You have worth. We are all together doing this."
After rounding a corner early on in the first few miles and getting jazzed by seeing Maribeth and Darwin Boelts, my first familiar faces, I determined two things right then. 1. I would smile throughout the entire race and 2. I was going to make eye contact with as much of the crowd and volunteers as I could.
Those two things were like an infusion of energy for me the entire way. Even in the last 6.2 miles when the legs really began to feel the run, the crowd kept my mind and spirit strong and energized.
I love how God's Kingdom footprints were all over this marathon. Encouragement, a deep sense of acceptance and community, victory and overcoming limits, sharing and caring, joy even in the pain...these are all marks of the Kingdom that Jesus ushered in and invites us to live in everyday.
I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good! Psalm 34:8
I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good! Psalm 34:8
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
book review
I just finished reading The Monkey and the Fish by Dave Gibbons. He talks about "liquid leadership for a third-culture church". Basically, Gibbons talks about the huge shifts taking place in our world. This global village we live in that is now becoming extremely multi-cultural, multi-ethnic. The technology that is linking people together, the collaboration that is happening among international companies and communities, the rise in a generation that has social advocacy on the front burner. Gibbons challenges the Church to take these great opportunities to join this shift with the love and creativity and servanthood of Jesus. He challenges the Western Church to examine some of her paradigms and consider some questions that might make for some new thought, some new ways of being and doing as a follower of Jesus.
Definitely worth the read!
Definitely worth the read!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The secret of the Kingdom in throw-away books
A few years back I read a book by Gerald Mays titled Addiction and Grace. Mays lists his 13 or 14 addictions that he's identified in his life. I began to identify mine...I think I had 17 or so that might qualify: a few being caffeine, sugar, carbs in general, a tendency toward workaholism, etc. I don't know if books would qualify as an addiction, but I really love books and have a hard time passing them up.
I had to run into the Dollar Tree yesterday, and even though my mission wasn't to buy a book, I always take a quick glance in the book section to see what unlucky author has landed his/her books on the shelf of a $1 store rather than the NY Times Bestseller List. One never knows if I might find an unexpected treasure amongst the titles. There on the bottom shelf, was a row of Bibles. I think they've always been there when I've looked , but it just struck me yesterday. Amidst cheap crosswords and word finds, poorly written children's books, a few biographies and how-to books, was the most powerful book in the world...relegated to the bottom shelf of the dollar store.
I was reminded of it again, today, as I walked with my daughter into one of our most favorite places to visit...the public library. On the way in, there was a book cart with a sign that said "Free Books". Though it looked picked over, I stopped (okay, it probably qualifies for addiction) to glance through the titles left. Of the maybe 30 books on the cart, I found about 15 Christian books, some of the titles being:
Servant Leadership
Suffering
Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life
Honest Prayer
Christians and the Art of Caring
Who is this Jesus?
I was thinking about how these books were sitting there free for the taking and seemingly not moving off the cart in much of a hurry. I was thinking about how even Christians might not like to engage themselves in many of these titles. More and more, I'm convinced of the upside-down kingdom of Jesus...the power of God found in the way of compassion and suffering, servanthood and sacrifice...the way of Jesus. I'm pretty sure that the more I stretch myself in these disciplines, the more my faith will have a chance to break out from my comfortable and cultural experience and grow.
Did I pick up those books? You bet I did. For me, the real task won't be the discipline to read them. The real task will be to move past word into deed.
I had to run into the Dollar Tree yesterday, and even though my mission wasn't to buy a book, I always take a quick glance in the book section to see what unlucky author has landed his/her books on the shelf of a $1 store rather than the NY Times Bestseller List. One never knows if I might find an unexpected treasure amongst the titles. There on the bottom shelf, was a row of Bibles. I think they've always been there when I've looked , but it just struck me yesterday. Amidst cheap crosswords and word finds, poorly written children's books, a few biographies and how-to books, was the most powerful book in the world...relegated to the bottom shelf of the dollar store.
I was reminded of it again, today, as I walked with my daughter into one of our most favorite places to visit...the public library. On the way in, there was a book cart with a sign that said "Free Books". Though it looked picked over, I stopped (okay, it probably qualifies for addiction) to glance through the titles left. Of the maybe 30 books on the cart, I found about 15 Christian books, some of the titles being:
Servant Leadership
Suffering
Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life
Honest Prayer
Christians and the Art of Caring
Who is this Jesus?
I was thinking about how these books were sitting there free for the taking and seemingly not moving off the cart in much of a hurry. I was thinking about how even Christians might not like to engage themselves in many of these titles. More and more, I'm convinced of the upside-down kingdom of Jesus...the power of God found in the way of compassion and suffering, servanthood and sacrifice...the way of Jesus. I'm pretty sure that the more I stretch myself in these disciplines, the more my faith will have a chance to break out from my comfortable and cultural experience and grow.
Did I pick up those books? You bet I did. For me, the real task won't be the discipline to read them. The real task will be to move past word into deed.
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