Saturday Scripture

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

- Isaiah 42:1-4

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.

- Acts 2:42-47



(In December 2006, I visited Kit Danley of Neighborhood Ministries in Phoenix, AZ.  As we visited, she recommended that I read through the Bible and highlight all of the Scripture passages that spoke of God's heart of compassion and justice.  In 2007, I did just that.

In 2008, I attended a workshop at a CCDA conference in which the facilitator instructed the class to work in pairs to name as many Scriptures (by reference or by text) that had to do with God's heart of compassion and justice.

The two exercises above have impacted me, and over the past five years, my eyes have been opened in a whole new way as I spend time in God's Word.  

I am going to spend Saturdays this year sharing Scripture passages on the blog, one OT and one NT, that help lay the Biblical foundation for compassion and justice; Scripture that describes God's character and His imperatives for His people.)

thinking missionally

Click here to watch a beautiful video called "Thinking Missionally"

history lessons

Some people just like to study. That's me.  Two weeks at home with my 8th grade son, and I am back into studying quadratic expressions and equations with great gusto.  I think I've worked harder than Nathan has this past week on studying Algebra and factoring polynomials.  I've been teaching Nathan from home since his injury/sickness, and he can't remember the last time he's so thoroughly covered a math chapter.  I gave him the chapter 8 test today, and I think I was more excited about his readiness than he was!

While we were home last Monday around the house, I took great interest as the television began to report the election of a new pope in Rome.  It brought back another time of study for me that has stuck with me over the past decade.

Ten years ago, I was teaching junior highers and high schoolers on Sunday mornings at church.  Over and over again as a youth director, I would get questions from students about Church history.  "What is the difference between the various denominations?  When did they split?", "What were the Crusades?", "What was the Reformation?", "What does the Catholic Church believe?", and on and on.

I had never learned about Church History as a kid growing up in a Protestant church, but I grew really interested in getting a better understanding of what happened between the Book of Acts and  the 21st century.  I picked up a book on the History of Christianity and took copious notes through the sections:  the roots of Christianity, Church and Empire, Christian Empire, conversion of Europe, Crusades to Renaissance, the Reformation, Enlightenment and Revival, Mission and Revolution, and the Global Church.

This past Monday, as I watched  and listened to the new pope, Pope Francis I, I dug out all my notes from that period.  A decade ago, at the end of studying that book on Church History, and after writing dozens of pages of notes, I concluded with a short paper on the 5 themes that I saw run throughout Church History:

1.  God has a plan of redemption and has continued to work despite human's fallenness and the circumstances found in the world.  

2.  God has continued to bring His Kingdom through people who are in a love relationship with Christ; people who are devoted to Him in a personal relationship and devoted to His Word.  

3.  God works through people who have His heart for the poor and oppressed and who serve.  Seeking justice for the sick, marginalized, forgotten, weak are key in the way the Spirit has moved throughout the history of the Church.

4.  Power is a problem over and over again throughout Church history.  Those in power have repeatedly abused power and forgotten God and the poor.

5.  Wealth is a problem over and over again throughout Church history.  Those with wealth have repeatedly become inward-focused and have forgotten God and the poor.  

I don't remember a lot of the facts of what I studied through that book on Church History.  But I do remember reading over and over again, across the span of centuries, about the centers of religious power vs. the faith communities on the fringes who humbly and sacrificially loved and served Christ and neighbor.  Repeatedly, the centers of religious power would oppress, war, collapse while God's Spirit would move through the remnant of those who were devoted to His Word, to compassion for the least of these, and to spiritual disciplines that kept them in a close personal, obedient, love relationship with Jesus.  It was such a stark pattern time and time again.

I am prayerful for this pope who is known for his devotion to Christ, his humility, and his compassion for the marginalized.  I'm hopeful that in his position of religious power, He will steward his leadership in such a way to call the whole Church back to Jesus and His way of acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God.

Quotable Monday

"Tonight was my first meeting due to a conflict for the first one and there was love throughout the meeting.  Although there were different churches represented, there was no division but one purpose in Christ."

-Terri Smith, sharing about her first experience at a Love Cedar Valley planning meeting

Yay, God, for oneness in Christ!

Check out www.lovecedarvalley.com  

Saturday Scripture

Deuteronomy 27:19  "Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless, or the widow.  Then all the people shall say, 'Amen'."


Luke 10:36-37  "Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’"

(In December 2006, I visited Kit Danley of Neighborhood Ministries in Phoenix, AZ.  As we visited, she recommended that I read through the Bible and highlight all of the Scripture passages that spoke of God's heart of compassion and justice.  In 2007, I did just that.

In 2008, I attended a workshop at a CCDA conference in which the facilitator instructed the class to work in pairs to name as many Scriptures (by reference or by text) that had to do with God's heart of compassion and justice.

The two exercises above have impacted me, and over the past five years, my eyes have been opened in a whole new way as I spend time in God's Word.  

I am going to spend Saturdays this year sharing Scripture passages on the blog, one OT and one NT, that help lay the Biblical foundation for compassion and justice; Scripture that describes God's character and His imperatives for His people.)

The Word on Wednesday

Ezra 3:2  Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.

Ezra 3:6  On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid.

First things first.  Strong God-centered foundation.  Rather than building the temple first and then offering gifts and worship after its construction, the Israelites who returned to reconstruct the temple,   built an altar to God and worshiped Him first.  Their actions spoke of their allegiance and trust in God, their priorities, the center of their motives and actions.   The world would have us build the temple first and say thanks to God with a celebration afterward...that is a people-centered approach. By building an altar and worshiping first, the Israelites were demonstrating that the temple was established by God, empowered of God, and for God's glory.    

Ezra 3:3  Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.

So many non-profits, even churches, in our communities start off with a Christ-centered vision and foundation, but lose this center over time.  They might lose the leadership that keeps Christ as the core, their center might get compromised if the voice of the organization drifts from a Word-centered voice to people-centered voices, or they might set aside their Christ-center in order to attain grants and monies to help operate their organizations.  

These Ezra verses are important verses for Christian Community Development work.  Of course, Christ the Restorer wants His Church involved in rebuilding neighborhoods.  But it's only people-centered community development unless the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is changing hearts and lives in our work.  Intentionally and unwavering....Christ the foundation, Christ the center, Christ the leader...from the beginning, through the fear and opposition, until His return.  

youth art team is back in the house!

Youth Art Team is beginning a new session together..a photography session.  They are using a curriculum called the The Viewfinder Project.   Check out the cool pictures from their first day at this link:

http://youthartteam.blogspot.com/2013/03/new-project-viewfinder-project.html