tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231781602024-03-07T13:39:11.915-06:00A Shepherd's SongOccasional reflections along the journey of spiritual formation...Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.comBlogger313125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-22046130694491655632009-08-15T15:07:00.010-06:002015-09-29T19:49:32.932-06:00A Civil Discourse on Healthcare ReformI have posted a couple of notes on Facebook that reflect my belief that Christians are called to a high standard of integrity in discussion and debate of divisive issues - Health Care Reform being the current issue - and my disgust at at the propaganda and disregard of the truth that characterizes much of the current debate.<br />
<br />
A few of my own observations on Health Care Reform...<br />
<ol>
<li>Any definitive statement on what is or is not included in the bill is pure conjecture at this point. When Congress recessed, there were a number of bills and proposals in various stages of the process, but as of now, there is no voteable bill in either house.</li>
<li>I do not believe that there is any question that some form of reform is needed. There are parts of our system that are the best in the world, but there are also millions of working Americans who cannot afford to fully access the system. (Not to mention the millions of God's other children within our borders that are somehow undeserving of access to basic health care)</li>
<li>I'm probably not the most politically astute observer, but this is an issue that should transcend partisan politics. It seems to me that President Obama, in trying to get something done while he still has/had the momentum that comes with being newly elected has attempted to get something done too quickly to be the quality reform that is needed; it also seems to me that much of the conservative opposition stems more from the motivation of derailing Obama's presidency than from actual disagreement on the issues.</li>
<li>President Obama outlined eight principles for health care reform in his FY 2010 Budget overview. I can't find much among these to disagree with....</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li> Reduce long-term growth of health care costs for businesses and government. </li>
<li> Protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of health care costs. </li>
<li> Guarantee choice of doctors and health plans. </li>
<li> Invest in prevention and wellness. </li>
<li> Improve patient safety and quality care. </li>
<li> Assure affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans. </li>
<li> Maintain coverage when you change or lose your job. </li>
<li>End barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions. </li>
</ul>
Of course, the devil is in the details, and when the details are being defined by congress the resulting sausage may not be edible to anyone. But if the prevailing shouting continues to obscure the details, we will never know.<br />
<br />
Below are the links to the sites mentioned earlier...I hope they provide some clarity.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/health/policy/10facts.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/health/policy/10facts.html</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
“A Primer on the Details of Health Care Reform” from <em>The New York Times</em>, published August 9, 2009.</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm">http://www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
This regularly-updated site from the Kaiser Family Foundation compares the different reform proposals on the table.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://factcheck.org/">http://factcheck.org/</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
Factcheck.org is devoted to nonpartisan myth-busting and truth-telling.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/07/14/20090714gan-healthcare-spin14-ON.html">http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/07/14/20090714gan-healthcare-spin14-ON.html</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
A summary of factcheck.org’s research into several of the arguments surrounding health-care reform, published July 14, 2009.</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/8_myths_about_health_care_reform.html">http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/8_myths_about_health_care_reform.html</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
8 Myths about Health Care Reform from the <em>AARP Magazine</em>, published July/August 2009.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
<br /></div>
Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-36555117968540150002009-06-06T13:38:00.002-06:002009-06-07T13:41:00.813-06:00D Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6PfYnvPE6WZwpiwoh5FlOntlOs2wH5KAvgyp3goS-WRBiW7lJM0QmrWoJc1YOSF7K-SJpP9Moy7CSq5DwuLbEAeqSZ9hoaLjVKo7UefDg6HWyYxL-mRjTl_bAANJDkfe769J/s512/IMG_0737.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 452px; height: 339px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6PfYnvPE6WZwpiwoh5FlOntlOs2wH5KAvgyp3goS-WRBiW7lJM0QmrWoJc1YOSF7K-SJpP9Moy7CSq5DwuLbEAeqSZ9hoaLjVKo7UefDg6HWyYxL-mRjTl_bAANJDkfe769J/s512/IMG_0737.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Thank You.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-28511283603186681732009-05-25T11:33:00.002-06:002009-05-25T11:45:08.012-06:00Memorial DayReposted from Memorial Day, 2006 - A speech given by my grandfather at a Memorial Day service in Cameron, WVa, on Memorial Day in 1953.<em><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Mr. Chairman, Beloved and respected defenders of our America in the struggles of the past and in the present bloody war. Ladies and gentlemen - It is not necessary that I explain the object of our service today. Its purpose is engrafted on your memory as one of our most cherished privileges. The privilege of a free people, scattering the tokens of undying love upon the graves of those who made the supreme sacrifice and honoring the memories of those whose bodies are in the embrace of mother earth in foreign lands or sleeping in the bosom of the mighty deep.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>And although it is not possible to erase from our memories the terrible realities of war, yet we can raise our hearts in thanksgiving and appreciation. And as we bow our heads in honor of our brave boys and girls, we feel at the same time the tenderest sentiment of a great sorrow. And the gladness of a greatful heart.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>We mourn and yet we rejoice. We uncover our heads as a token of true solemnity, and yet we bless the courage of these defenders of the Grandest Nation on earth America.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Who can point to a more noble purpose than to meet as we meet today?</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>And as I look over this audience I see the same true spirit outlined in your countenance as they manifest in their service. I see the same sentiment of loyalty. I see in the flush of the cheek your willingness to do and to dare in defence of the flag we love.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>We are all endowed with the same loyalty to our government, the same determination to protect it and the same courage to defend it. As a people we are grand in government, grand in prosperity, and grand in achievement. Alone we stand upon the foundation of our greatness. But it is not enough that we proclaim our greatness. There is more for all of us to do. And as we meet together on this Memorial Day, let us renew our devotion to our government and so educate our people that our American form of government will never decay.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>May we ever appreciate the heritage bequeathed to us on the altar of sacrifice. And may we realize the sacredness of that loyalty which binds us together up on the plain of equal rights. We know our greatness and let us, by a just and righteous conduct, cherish it.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>The strength of true greatness depends upon the basic principles of honesty and justice. It was these principles that won for us the glorious independence of this nation. It was these that governed the makers of our constitution, and it is these same principles which must govern our future acts if we would maintain the proud position we hold among other nations. Only five remain who fought in the civil war. They range in age from 105 to 110 years. But later, thirty-five years ago there went forth from their homes thousands of fine young men. They crossed the rolling deep and pitched their tents in Flanders fields and in the Valley of the Argonne. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>They lived in dugouts. They marched and ate and slept in mud. They rushed into living hells. They were cold, weary and homesick, no one but Almighty God knows the length and breadth and the depth of the awful anguish and suffering of those who fought and died on those European battle fields. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Then again in world war two the call came for defenders of our sacred rights, and your boys and mine answered that call with the same undaunted courage and the same unquenchable spirit that characterized the brave lads of 76, of the Spanish American war, and the boys of world war one - They went forth, met and conquered the enemy in the skys over Europe, in the mud of Italy, in the jungled islands of the Pacific, and in the frozen north land. And today our brave boys are fighting in the jungles of Korea against the most barbarous and uncivilized enemy we can imagine. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Why do young men postpone the day of marriage, print the last long lingering kiss on the lips of a loved one and rush into war with its uncertain future? Why do fathers and mothers bid their boys and girls a fond goodbye and send them forth to the many battle fronts? I am sure they did it for a principle.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>There has never been an upward movement in the history of the world for the liberation of the people of the earth that has not been achieved by the shedding of precious blood. Mans forward march from lower to higher ideals is written on the roadways of history in foot prints of blood. And today the souls of men and women are being tried all because the power seeking dictators of the world would regiment and enslave the peoples of the entire world. And turn their God ordained libery into slavery.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Religious liberty, domestic security, social welfare, and political independence are all thrown into the balance. And our boys have cast their lives in the scales to maintain these blessings. These blessings can only be enjoyed so long as we have proper regard for a divine being. God is on the ocean, on the desert, on the isles of the sea and in the frigid north land. As well as in the U.S. For the nations and kingdoms that will not serve Thee shall perish. Yea these nations shall be utterly wasted. Isa 60:12</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>We make the sacrifice because we love our country and her institutions. And when our eyes behold that emblem of our national existence, we feel as though we could clasp its folds in our dearest embrace, and kiss each star that bedecks its field of blue. Flag of our fathers. Flag of our Washington, our Lincoln, our Douglas, our Grant. Flag of our brave men in their present conflict. As we see it floating on the wind of Heaven we feel and know what it represents.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>We stand before you in awe and admiration while in our hearts we thank God that you still float over us the emblem of liberty and freedom - God bless America.</em>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-49712980686864499042009-05-03T12:38:00.004-06:002009-05-03T13:24:52.792-06:00From the Depths of My SoulFrom the depths of my soul I cry out.<br /> Lord can you hear me? Have mercy O God!<br />From the depths of my soul I cry out.<br />In the midst of the sea I cry out.<br /> Save me! The water is over my head.<br />In the midst of the sea I cry out.<br />There is a time to mourn, There is a time to weep.<br /> There is a time for sorrow when deep calls to deep.<br />In my moments of grief I cry out.<br /> Have you forgotten me? Where are you Lord?<br />In my moments of grief I cry out.<br />From the depths of my soul I cry out:<br /> Still I will praise you, Lord!<br /> ....Randy Gill<br /><br />Dennis Rine and I grew up together; his parents and my parents are friends; his daughter <a href="http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/050209_Thomas_Pate_Charged_with_Wifes_Murder">Micah</a> and my daughter Lauren were the same age and knew each other from years at Camp Tahkodah. I cannnot even imagine the pain and grief that he and Terri are experiencing right now. I am helpless to do anything but pray. And so my prayer is for Dennis and Terri, for their son Casey, for Floyd and Patty, for Penny and Tim and their families; my words fail me but my spirit groans within me; my prayer is for the Pate family, and my prayer is for Thomas; my prayer is for all of their friends who are grieving and heartbroken; and my prayer is for all of the heartbroken and hopeless people in this world.<br /><br />From the depths of my soul I cry out, Have mercy, O God! Blessed be the name of the Lord.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-38615604198170548362009-04-19T22:53:00.007-06:002009-04-24T21:26:52.524-06:00Britain's Got Talent Judges Do It AgainYou may or may not have heard of Paul Potts, but in 2007 he won the Britain's Got Talent contest. The judges initially treated him with a bit of disdain when he walked onto the stage, but when he began singing...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DelJrP3P7tA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DelJrP3P7tA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This year <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk">Susan Boyle</a> has had a similar experience...You might think that the judges would have learned, but then you also might think that we would learn from our own bad judgments...Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-3760067060356563102009-04-09T07:11:00.002-06:002009-04-09T07:32:09.766-06:00Under the Passover Moon<em>The following excerpt from the book</em> Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of the Jesus can Transform Your Faith <em>appeared in today's </em><a href="http://www.heartlight.org/"><em>Daily Heartlight</em></a><em>.</em><br /><em></em><br />The full moon of Passover stared down at Jesus, its light filtering through the shivering leaves of the olive trees, their branches trembling in the early April breeze. Despite the evening chill, sweat glistened on his forehead. Still praying, he stood and then peered into the darkness, listening to a distant murmur of voices. One of his own talmidim, Judas, was approaching. Trailing him was a mob of soldiers, snaking up the hill.<br /><br />Under a nearby tree, Peter, James, and John were lying in a heap. Twice, Jesus had pleaded with them to stay awake, asking them to keep vigil with him on this, the most difficult night of his life. Yet there they were, wrapped in their heavy woolen talits, mouths agape and snoring softly, oblivious of the approaching threat ...<br /><blockquote>They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him (Mark 14:32-40 NASB).</blockquote><br />Whenever I think back to this scene from Gethsemane, I can't help but wonder about Jesus' narcoleptic disciples. How could they have fallen asleep when their beloved rabbi had implored them to stay awake and remain alert? How could they have nodded off when the climax of salvation history was about to take place? I couldn't imagine a satisfactory answer, and this was just one of many questions that filled my head whenever I thought back to that fateful week.<br /><br />I remembered previous Palm Sunday services I had attended, where only minutes after the children stream down the aisles, joyously waving palm branches to celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the mood shifts, turning solemn as the gospel account of the passion is read.<br /><br />Why were the crowds in Jerusalem so fickle, adoring Jesus one week and then hating him the next? And why, I wondered, did Jesus choose a Passover Seder to celebrate the last meal of his life?<br /><br />Fast forward two thousand years, to the fellowship hall of my church, on the afternoon of the Thursday before Easter, known as Maundy Thursday. We are setting up for a Passover Seder. As Gentile amateurs, we are doing our best to recreate the Last Supper, giving ourselves a chance to meditate on its significance. Perfect historical accuracy isn't the point. Our goal is to relive a little of Jesus' final evening with his disciples so that we can better appreciate the Maundy Thursday service.<br /><br />All afternoon the church kitchen bustles with clattering pans and chitchat as we hurry about our tasks, cutting parsley, boiling eggs, and spooning horseradish onto plates. When we finally sit down, I am famished. The time ticks by as I endure the long Seder liturgy, with just a bite of parsley dipped in salt water and dry, cardboard-like matzah (unleavened bread) smeared with horseradish to tide me over.<br /><br />When we finally dig into our simple meal of lamb stew, I devour my humble feast! Afterward, I hurriedly help with clean up and then slip into the back of the service, which has already begun. The liturgy is mournful and solemn. The events of the day have taken their toll on me -- the non-stop preparations, beginning the Seder feeling famished, and then overeating to compensate. I feel a crushing lethargy sweep over me. Over the next hour, the sanctuary lights gradually dim to complete darkness. I can barely see through shuttering eyelids. As the service rolls on, I rouse with a start. Did someone call my name? I can almost hear the disappointment in Jesus' voice. "Could you not watch with me just one hour?"<br /><br />I had always thought the crowds unimaginably fickle. Suddenly, I understood why the disciples found it so hard to stay awake! And they had an even better excuse than I had. Traditional Passover celebrations involved a huge meal plus four cups of wine, and they started at sunset and went well past midnight. What's more, they took place after several days of exhausting travel and preparation. Certainly everybody in Jerusalem would have wanted to crawl straight into bed after their late-night feast. Aware of this perennial problem, the rabbis ruled that a person who dozed lightly could remain a part of the dinner, but anyone who fell sound asleep could not.<br /><br />Our amateurish attempt at reliving the Last Supper led to other insights on the final hours of Jesus' life. I realized, for instance, why the leaders had plotted to arrest Jesus after the Passover meal. A man so wildly popular couldn't have been arrested in broad daylight. To avoid an uprising, the chief priests had to proceed in secret. So they let Judas lead them to Jesus while he was outside the city. Passover was the perfect choice, because every Jewish family would be<br />celebrating the feast that started at sundown.<br /><br />Jesus' arrest and trial proceeded swiftly, occurring during the wee hours, when most of his supporters were in bed. Peter's denials happened as the rooster crowed, around four or five in the morning. According to Mark's Gospel, Jesus' final sentence was handed down at sunrise (Mark 15:1). One has to ask, what group of people were around at the crack of dawn on a major Jewish holiday to shout crucify him? Mostly corrupt priests and Roman soldiers who wanted to kill Jesus.<br /><br />But there's more. Jesus was crucified at nine in the morning -- the time of the first Temple service of the day! The authorities knew they had to finish their secret trial before the crowds re-entered the city. And indeed, as Jesus was carrying his cross out of town, his supporters reappear, weeping out loud as they see him being led to his death (Luke 23:27). His followers had just learned of the events that had transpired the night before.<br /><br />Prior to our Passover Seder, I had always thought the crowds unimaginably fickle, cheering Jesus one day and then shouting for his head the next. But Jesus' supporters never changed their minds! How could they have when they were not even present at his arrest or trial? The entire plot unfolded after the Passover festivities, while most people were sound asleep.<br />---------<br />(c) 2009 Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-61669424154821949852009-03-19T18:28:00.002-06:002009-03-19T18:33:20.857-06:00Set Forth Your Case<em>The Covenant Men's book club is currently reading </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416542744/bookstorenow600-20"><em>The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief</em></a><em>. This quote from Clark Pinnock is a simple summary of the topic and caught my attention...</em><br /><br />For the Scriptures then, the existence of God is both a historical truth (God acted into history), and an existential truth (God reveals himself to every soul). His existence is both objectively and subjectively evident. It is necessary logically because our assumption of order, design, and rationality rests upon it. It is necessary morally because there is no explanation for the shape of morality apart from it. It is necessary emotionally because the human experience requires an immediate and ultimate environment. It is necessary personally because the exhaustion of all material possibilities still cannot give satisfaction to the heart. The deepest proof for God's existence, apart from history, is just life itself. God has created man in his image, and men cannot elude the implications of this fact. Everywhere their identity pursues them. Ultimately, there is no escape. ... Clark H. PinnockCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-87403306097236134002009-03-07T15:40:00.004-06:002009-03-07T15:51:33.580-06:00Every Person We Meet<em>One of the 5 principles that we have adopted at Skillman as part of our effort to become more missional is "Every person we meet is created and loved by God". The following is the lesson I wrote for our life groups to use as a basis of discussion.</em><br /><br />Dwelling In the Word – Luke 7:18-22<br /><a href="http://www.searchgodsword.org/desk/?query=lu+7:18&sr=1&t=nas">18</a> The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. <a href="http://www.searchgodsword.org/desk/?query=lu+7:19&sr=1&t=nas">19</a> Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" <a href="http://www.searchgodsword.org/desk/?query=lu+7:20&sr=1&t=nas">20</a> When the men came to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, `Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?' " <a href="http://www.searchgodsword.org/desk/?query=lu+7:21&sr=1&t=nas">21</a> At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. <a href="http://www.searchgodsword.org/desk/?query=lu+7:22&sr=1&t=nas">22</a> And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.”<br /><br />I was in Austin a couple of years ago attending the annual Texas Association of School Administrators Midwinter Conference. Austin suffers from severe traffic congestion, and with the legislature in session, plus a thousand school superintendents and about twice that many more other administrators the problem was magnified. One afternoon it took more than twenty minutes to drive the mile from the convention center to my hotel. People were typically impatient and all seemed to be in a hurry to get where they were going.<br /><br />As I pulled up to the light at my exit, there was a shabbily dressed woman walking from car to car with a sign asking for money. As she came near, I made eye contact with her and smiled. She started to pass by, then backed up and motioned for me to roll down my window. She said, "I have been standing on this corner for over two hours, and you are the first person I have seen smile. I just wanted to thank you for smiling and tell you to have a blessed day."<br /><br />(Rubel Shelley tells this story about Josh Graves)<br />Professor Jack was a homeless man in Detroit. In better days, he played in a band, owned a restaurant, and had a family. Addiction to drugs took all those things away from Jack. When Josh first met him, Jack was taking a meal from some church members whose hearts had been convicted about their need to help the poor. And he certainly qualified.<br /><br />Jack began to be a tutor and coach to my young friend as the two just sat and talked. Josh can, in fact, tick off a catalog of things he learned from Jack. One of the most important lessons came early in the course.<br /><br />As with first-rate teachers from Moses to Socrates to Jesus, Jack was open to questions. So Josh dared to ask him what good-intentioned people with charitable hearts could do that would really make a difference for the poor and homeless. "Make us feel real," he said. "We want to feel like we are real people. See us. Talk to us. Be with us. Help us feel. It isn't just about feeding us or giving us clothes. It's about seeing us."<br /><br />1. What does the passage from Luke imply about the way Jesus interacted with the people he encountered?<br /><br />2. What do the two stories imply about the way we interact with the people we encounter? What are the similarities of our interactions with people with those of Jesus’ interactions with people? What are the differences?<br /><br />3. Do we really believe that every person we meet is created and loved by God?<br /><br />4. What would it look like if we took to heart this quote from Oswald Chambers?<br /><blockquote><p><em>When the Spirit of God has shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, we begin deliberately to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ's interests in other people, and Jesus Christ is interested in every kind of man there is. We have no right in Christian work to be guided by our affinities; this is one of the biggest tests of our relationship to Jesus Christ.<br /></em><em></p></em></blockquote>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-37369998908330384232008-12-04T07:05:00.000-06:002008-12-04T10:16:00.504-06:00Love Is...<em>One of those few emails worth passing on...</em><br /><br />A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:<br /><blockquote><p>'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8 </p><p>'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' Billy - age 4 </p><p>'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5 </p><p>'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6 </p><p>'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4 </p><p>'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7 </p><p>'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' Bobby - age 7 </p><p>'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' Nikka - age 6 </p><p>'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7 </p><p>'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6 </p><p>'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that.' Cindy - age 8 </p><p>'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5 </p><p>'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt.' Chris - age 7 </p><p>'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' Mary Ann - age 4 </p><p>'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4 </p><p>'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' Karen - age 7 </p><p>'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget. Jessica - age 8 </p><p>And the winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry'</p></blockquote>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-2630811382861443412008-12-01T14:46:00.002-06:002008-12-01T14:50:12.560-06:00SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP<em>The following is from a series on leadership that Edward Fudge has been sharing through gracemail...</em><br />We have been considering three fundamental truths of spiritual leadership.<br />(1) Spiritual leadership involves lowly service, not legal power. Therefore we must not confuse spiritual leadership with political position.<br />(2) Spiritual leaders exercise grace-gifts from God, not worldly qualifications. Therefore we dare not focus on worldly achievements when choosing spiritual leaders.<br />(3) The Bible identifies gifted people, not legal qualifications. Therefore we should not confuse technical qualifications with spiritual characteristics.<br /><br />Scripture nowhere provides a single, uniform list of qualifications for spiritual leaders. There are two New Testament passages which people often read in that fashion, written by Paul to his co-workers Timothy (1 Tim. 3:1-7) and Titus (Titus 1:5-9). However, when we read these passages carefully, we discover that they differ in several significant ways. Paul gives Timothy a description of the individual gifted for the episkopes ("oversight," "episcopacy" or "bishopric"), the work of overseeing or watching over other believers. He sends Titus a description of the person gifted to serve as a presbyteros ("senior," "elder" or "presbyter"). Christian scholars differ as to whether elders and bishops served in one position or two in the first century.<br /><br />These two passages also contain different descriptives. Of the 30-35 traits mentioned in the two lists, only five are the same in Greek. If Paul were listing official qualifications, we would expect his lists to be identical. In addition, the descriptives Paul does give are often negative in form (don't pick this kind of person). The named traits are almost always relative as to quality (no precise threshold given). And there is no attempt to define these sometimes ambiguous terms. Paul is certainly not listing formal qualifications for an office, but is rather giving informal descriptions of those who are divinely gifted for the ministry of spiritual leadership.<br /><br />Copyright 2008 by Edward Fudge.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-69073915680514693252008-11-15T23:12:00.003-06:002008-11-16T00:29:32.348-06:00Community Code of ConductFrom Jim Wallis's blog - pretty good ground rules for discourse in any setting - church, politics, work, community...<br /><ul><li>I will express myself with civility, courtesy, and respect for every member of the community, especially toward those with whom I disagree—even if I feel disrespected by them. (<a href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=Romans+12%3A17-21&section=0&version=nrs&new=1&oq=&NavBook=ro&NavGo=12&NavCurrentChapter=12" target="_blank">Romans 12:17-21</a>) </li><li>I will express my disagreements with other community members' ideas without insulting, mocking, or slandering them personally. (<a href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?passage=mt+5:22&version=nrs&context=1&showtools=1" target="_blank">Matthew 5:22</a>) </li><li>I will not exaggerate others' beliefs nor make unfounded prejudicial assumptions based on labels, categories, or stereotypes. I will always extend the benefit of the doubt. (<a href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=Ephesians+4%3A29&section=0&version=nrs&new=1&oq=&NavBook=ro&NavGo=12&NavCurrentChapter=12" target="_blank">Ephesians 4:29</a>)</li></ul>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-56506952360989593132008-11-12T21:20:00.002-06:002008-11-12T21:28:29.581-06:00Third PlacesThe concept of 'Third Places' is one of the topics of conversation over on the Facebook group <em><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20407942541">The Missional Conversation in Churches of Christ</a></em>....<br /><br /><em>Frost suggests that people generally live out their lives between three distinct places: Home, Work and a third place. For many Christians, their third place is church and church activities. (He goes on to suggest a deep interconnectedness between this reality and the decline of the church.) While many Christians spend their free time engaged in religious activities with religious people, most everyone else has traditionally found their third place in spaces like bowling alleys, pool halls, mothers' groups, local pubs, and beauty shops.<br /><br />Identifying the third places of your community will tell you a lot about the people we are seeking to reach. Furthermore, it identifies for us the places our churches must go if we are to reach them. People don't have time for a fourth place. That is what the church isn't getting.</em>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-270137795378610792008-11-07T08:13:00.004-06:002008-11-07T23:34:50.314-06:00Barclay on the GospelWhile Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"<br />On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."<br />-- Matthew 9:10-13 (NIV)<br />_________________________<br /><br /><em>The social gospel is not an addendum to the gospel; it is the gospel. If we read the Gospels, it becomes clear that it was not what Jesus said about God that got him into trouble (but) his treatment of men and women, his way of being friendly with outcasts with whom no respectable Jew would have anything to do. It has always been fairly safe to talk about God; it is when we start to talk about men that the trouble starts. And yet the fact remains that there is no conceivable way of proving that we love God other than by loving men. And there is no conceivable way of proving that we love men than by doing something for those who most need help.<br /></em>... William BarclayCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-3284252703923696872008-11-03T08:31:00.001-06:002008-11-03T08:57:29.765-06:00Occasional QuoteThe two great features of Protestant theology are its doctrines of justification by faith and the law as the rule of life. This is a synthesis of New Testament grace and Old Testament ethics. With this synthesis, Protestants have solved the problem of finding a gracious God, but they have not solved the problem of finding gracious neighbors. They can fellowship with God because he is gracious; but they find it difficult to fellowship with one another, because they are not so gracious.<br /><br />... Robert D. BrinsmeadCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-87678525259809301602008-10-24T07:29:00.002-06:002008-10-24T07:36:13.962-06:00God's Politics...<em>I generally do not engage much in political discussion, but with the election looming I thought that this article by Jim Wallis is worth some thoughtful consideration...</em><br /><br />After the last election, I wrote a book titled God’s Politics. I was criticized by some for presuming to speak for God, but that wasn’t the point. I was trying to explore what issues might be closest to the heart of God and how they may be quite different from what many strident religious voices were then saying. I was also saying that "God’s Politics" will often turn our partisan politics upside down, transcend our ideological categories of Left and Right, and challenge the core values and priorities of our political culture. I was also trying to say that there is certainly no easy jump from God’s politics to either the Republicans or Democrats. God is neither. In any election we face imperfect choices, but our choices should reflect the things we believe God cares about if we are people of faith, and our own moral sensibilities if we are not people of faith. Therefore, people of faith, and all of us, should be "values voters" but vote all our values, not just a few that can be easily manipulated for the benefit of one party or another.<br /><br />In 2008, the kingdom of God is not on the ballot in any of the 50 states as far as I can see. So we can’t vote for that this year. But there are important choices in this year’s election — very important choices — which will dramatically impact what many in the religious community and outside of it call "the common good," and the outcome could be very important, perhaps even more so than in many recent electoral contests.<br /><p>I am in no position to tell anyone what is "non-negotiable," and neither is any bishop or megachurch pastor, but let me tell you the "faith priorities" and values I will be voting on this year:</p><ol><li>With more than 2,000 verses in the Bible about how we treat the poor and oppressed, I will examine the record, plans, policies, and promises made by the candidates on what they will do to overcome the scandal of extreme global poverty and the shame of such unnecessary domestic poverty in the richest nation in the world. Such a central theme of the Bible simply cannot be ignored at election time, as too many Christians have done for years. And any solution to the economic crisis that simply bails out the rich, and even the middle class, but ignores those at the bottom should simply be unacceptable to people of faith.</li><li>From the biblical prophets to Jesus, there is, at least, a biblical presumption against war and the hope of beating our swords into instruments of peace. So I will choose the candidates who will be least likely to lead us into more disastrous wars and find better ways to resolve the inevitable conflicts in the world and make us all safer. I will choose the candidates who seem to best understand that our security depends upon other people’s security (everyone having "their own vine and fig tree, so no one can make them afraid," as the prophets say) more than upon how high we can build walls or a stockpile of weapons. Christians should never expect a pacifist president, but we can insist on one who views military force only as a very last resort, when all other diplomatic and economic measures have failed, and never as a preferred or habitual response to conflict.<br /></li><li>"Choosing life" is a constant biblical theme, so I will choose candidates who have the most consistent ethic of life, addressing all the threats to human life and dignity that we face — not just one. Thirty-thousand children dying globally each day of preventable hunger and disease is a life issue. The genocide in Darfur is a life issue. Health care is a life issue. War is a life issue. The death penalty is a life issue. And on abortion, I will choose candidates who have the best chance to pursue the practical and proven policies which could dramatically reduce the number of abortions in America and therefore save precious unborn lives, rather than those who simply repeat the polarized legal debates and "pro-choice" and "pro-life" mantras from either side.<br /></li><li>God’s fragile creation is clearly under assault, and I will choose the candidates who will likely be most faithful in our care of the environment. In particular, I will choose the candidates who will most clearly take on the growing threat of climate change, and who have the strongest commitment to the conversion of our economy and way of life to a cleaner, safer, and more renewable energy future. And that choice could accomplish other key moral priorities like the redemption of a dangerous foreign policy built on Middle East oil dependence, and the great prospects of job creation and economic renewal from a new "green" economy built on more spiritual values of conservation, stewardship, sustainability, respect, responsibility, co-dependence, modesty, and even humility.<br /></li><li>Every human being is made in the image of God, so I will choose the candidates who are most likely to protect human rights and human dignity. Sexual and economic slavery is on the rise around the world, and an end to human trafficking must become a top priority. As many religious leaders have now said, torture is completely morally unacceptable, under any circumstances, and I will choose the candidates who are most committed to reversing American policy on the treatment of prisoners. And I will choose the candidates who understand that the immigration system is totally broken and needs comprehensive reform, but must be changed in ways that are compassionate, fair, just, and consistent with the biblical command to "welcome the stranger."<br /></li><li>Healthy families are the foundation of our community life, and nothing is more important than how we are raising up the next generation. As the father of two young boys, I am deeply concerned about the values our leaders model in the midst of the cultural degeneracy assaulting our children. Which candidates will best exemplify and articulate strong family values, using the White House and other offices as bully pulpits to speak of sexual restraint and integrity, marital fidelity, strong parenting, and putting family values over economic values? And I will choose the candidates who promise to really deal with the enormous economic and cultural pressures that have made parenting such a "countercultural activity" in America today, rather than those who merely scapegoat gay people for the serious problems of heterosexual family breakdown.</li></ol>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-26406505771267066682008-09-10T22:44:00.002-06:002008-09-10T22:49:59.663-06:00To The Least of TheseGive us a heart for the hopeless,<br />The weary and wounded,<br />For all who are hungry, helpless, and poor.<br />Let us see the sorrow,<br />The pain and the heartache<br />That all the abandoned endure.<br /><br />May we reach out to the broken,<br />the beaten, the battered,<br />To all who have fallen, disgraced and ashamed.<br />May we be a comfort, loving forgiving and<br />Offering grace in Your name.<br /><br />To the last, to the lost, to the least of these,<br />Let us be Jesus today.<br /><br /><em>Randy Gill, 2007</em>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-50262879768118321262008-04-30T21:49:00.001-06:002008-04-30T21:52:06.913-06:00Quotes for Today<em>Ultimate confidence in the goodness of life cannot rest upon confidence in the goodness of man. If that is where it rests, it is an optimism which will suffer ultimate disillusionment. Romanticism will be transmuted into cynicism, as it has always been in the world's history. The faith of a Christian is something quite different from this optimism. It is trust in God, in a good God who created a good world, though the world is not now good; in a good God, powerful and good enough finally to destroy the evil that men do and redeem them of their sins. This kind of faith is not optimism. It does not, in fact, arise until optimism breaks down and men cease to trust in themselves that they are righteous.</em> ... Reinhold NiebuhrCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-12121642415767550832008-04-30T21:45:00.000-06:002008-04-30T21:46:31.196-06:00Certainty<em>Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We imagine that we have to reach some end, but that is not the nature of spiritual life. The nature of spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty, consequently we do not make our nests anywhere. Common sense says - "Well, supposing I were in that condition . . ." We cannot suppose ourselves in any condition we have never been in. Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately we abandon to God, and do the duty that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time. When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him. Jesus said, "Except ye become as little children." Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next. If we are only certain in our beliefs, we get dignified and severe and have the ban of finality about our views; but when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy</em>...Oswald ChambersCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-50382541769978346542008-04-17T22:00:00.001-06:002008-04-17T22:01:53.141-06:00Quote of the Day<em>Genuine outrage is not just a permissible reaction to the hard-pressed Christian; God himself feels it, and so should the Christian in the presence of pain, cruelty, violence, and injustice. God, who is the Father of Jesus Christ, is neither impersonal nor beyond good and evil. By the absolute immutability of His character, He is implacably opposed to evil and outraged by it.</em> ... Os GuinnessCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-46524799526345184342008-04-06T20:57:00.002-06:002008-04-06T21:31:49.800-06:00Imagination vs MemoryCharme passed this along to me a couple of days ago. A guy named <a href="http://evotional.com/2008/04/out-of-imagination.html">Mark Batterson</a> wrote it on April 1, and the perspective it lends to the missional discernment process is worthy of consideration... <br /><blockquote><p>Neurological studies have shown that over the course of time, there is a cognitive shift from right-brain to left-brain. And if we don't find a way to stop the shift, memory overtakes imagination. We stop creating the future and start repeating the past. We stop innovating and start imitating. We stop doing ministry out of imagination and start doing ministry out of memory.<br /><br />A few years ago I read something R.T Kendall wrote that impacted me: "The greatest opposition to what God is doing today comes from those who were on the<br />cutting edge of what God was doing yesterday."<br /><br />One of the byproducts of the neurological shift away from right-brain imagination toward left-brain logic is that we become too logical. And it seems fitting on April Fool's Day to say that great leaders are illogical. The people God uses the most are people that aren't afraid of looking foolish. In fact, if you aren't willing to look foolish you're foolish!</p><p>I Corinthians 1:27 says that God uses foolish things to shame the wise. Nothing has changed. He still uses fools. So maybe the church should adopt April Fool's Day and make it a holy day!<br /></p></blockquote>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-87848354453918129392008-04-01T22:21:00.001-06:002008-04-02T07:49:31.650-06:00Death, Be Not ProudEaster came really early this year, and I'm still reflecting on it. I came across John Donne's poem on the powerlessness of death, and thought it appropriate...<br /><br /><em>Death, be not proud, though some have called thee<br />Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;<br />For those, whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow<br />Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,<br />Much pleasure, then from thee much more, must flow,<br />And soonest our best men with thee do go,<br />Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.</em><br /><em><br />Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,<br />And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,<br />And poppy, or charms, can make us sleep as well,<br />And better than thy stroke. Why swell'st thou then?</em><br /><em><br />One short sleep past, we wake eternally,<br />And Death shall be no more: Death, thou shalt die.<br /></em>... John Donne (1573-1631), Divine Poems: Holy Sonnets, no. 17Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-55912725741613116022008-03-31T07:57:00.003-06:002008-03-31T09:11:03.599-06:00Oswald Chambers on PrayerThis year one of my daily devotional resources is Oswald Chambers' 'My Utmost for His Highest'. I must admit that some of them kind of pass over my head, but this morning's caught my attention...<br /><br /><em>The reason many of us leave off praying and become hard towards God is because we have only a sentimental interest in prayer. It sounds right to say that we pray; we read books on prayer which tell us that prayer is beneficial, that our minds are quieted and our souls uplifted when we pray; but Isaiah implies that God is amazed at such thoughts of prayer.</em><br /><br /><em>Worship and intercession must go together, the one is impossible without the other. Intercession means that we rouse ourselves up to get the mind of Christ about the one for whom we pray. Too often instead of worshipping God, we construct statements as to how prayer works. Are we worshipping or are we in dispute with God - "I don't see how You are going to do it." This is a sure sign that we are not worshipping. When we lose sight of God we become hard and dogmatic. We hurl our own petitions at God's throne and dictate to Him as to what we wish Him to do. We do not worship God, nor do we seek to form the mind of Christ. If we are hard towards God, we will become hard towards other people.</em><br /><br /><em>Are we so worshipping God that we rouse our selves up to lay hold on Him so that we may be brought into contact with His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship to God, or are we hard and dogmatic?</em><br /><br /><em>"But there is no one interceding properly" - then be that one yourself, be the one who worships God and who lives in holy relationship to Him. Get into the real work of intercession, and<br />remember it is a work, a work that taxes every power; but a work which has no snare.</em>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-25402605938052929952008-03-30T22:04:00.002-06:002008-03-31T09:10:06.379-06:00I'm Back...I didn't intend to take 2 months off from blogging - it just kind of happened. It has been an extra busy time at work and I'm in the midst of a 3-month stint as chairman of the elders. So far during this 3 month period we have gone through a reaffirmation process (for the first time ever at Skillman) of 1/3 of the current elders, have had the retirement of our senior adults minister, the resignation of our worship minister, our annual congregational business meeting (as required by Texas state law for non-profits), and the regular congregational meeting that we have on the 5th Sunday of each of the months that have 5 Sundays - and I have another month to go....<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />My original bracket has North Carolina beating Memphis in the finals - I am still in good shape on that half of my bracket. I won't bring up the fact that my other 2 final 4 selections were Duke and Georgetown...Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-34597291299672332442008-02-04T21:54:00.000-06:002008-02-05T10:48:04.645-06:00Post Super Bowl MusingsBeing a Cowboys fan, I was ambivilant as the game began, but I found myself in the unexpected state of pulling for the division rival underdog Giants. It was fairly predictable that Tom Brady would move the Patriots efficiently down the field for the go ahead score late in the game. What was exciting was the question of whether the maligned Eli Manning would be able to respond. I wonder how many other non-Giants fans found themselves pulling for Eli in those final minutes?<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />I'm not that big on all the hoopla and entertainment that surrounds the Super Bowl, and deliberately did not tune in until right before kickoff. Hence, I missed the reading of the Declaration of Independence, which was reportedly one of the highlights of the day....Jordin Sparks did one of the better performances of the National Anthem that I've heard. I hear many variations before the start of most of my basketball games - they are not always inspiring or necessarily pleasurable; this one was....I also thought the half time show was better than usual....Most of the commercials were uninspiring and unoriginal. I did think the fire breather was a little bit funny and the talking stain was more than a little funny. (It also provided a pretty good illustration of the barriers that can interfere with communication) The two Coke commercials and the Diet Pepsi Max one were pretty good. I thought the Sales Genie commercial with the Pandas stereotyped an entire culture and was in poor taste....Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23178160.post-51183393432737807222008-02-02T23:48:00.000-06:002008-02-04T00:02:34.832-06:00IRC - Barbara's Reflections<em>One of the experiments planned as part of our second year of Partnership for Missional Church is called 5 in 5. The idea is that we will interact with and get to know 5 different cultures in our community within 5 months. There are several purposes. One is to expand our awareness of God at work in our community. Another is to develop and build relationship with our neighbors. A third is to prime the pump of our imagination as to ways that we can get out of our building and join God in His activities. Last Saturday a group of us visited with refugee children and families who have been resettled in an apartment complex a couple of miles from our building. Barbara compiled her reflections on the day...</em><br /><br />Last Saturday, Jan. 26th, 22 Skillman people went to an apartment complex off of Greenville Avenue to host a party for some refugee children. While we were there, we learned about the IRC - International Rescue Committee. This group was founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein. The IRC is the oldest and largest non-profit nonsectarian voluntary organization that provides assistance to refugees and victims of oppression and violence in their home countries. Dallas is one of 25 resettlement communities in the U.S.<br /><br />The terms “refugees” and “immigrants” are not the same. Refugees have been forced to leave their countries due to fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, or membership of a particular social group or political opinion. Immigrants voluntarily leave their countries of origin to reside in another country.<br /><br />The U. S. accepts a certain number of refugees each year, determined by the President and Congress. In 2006, the U. S. admitted 70,000 refugees, although more could have been admitted – in recent years many slots have gone unfilled.<br /><br />In order to qualify for resettlement in the U.S., a person must come from a country or belong to a group designated by the U.S. Department of State. They have to prove that they have a well-founded fear of persecution. Officers from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service conduct interviews to identify people who are eligible for resettlement in the U.S. Once they are approved, they undergo medical and security screenings.<br /><br />When they arrive in the U.S., the gov’t and non-profit agencies, such as the IRC, provides time-limited assistance, helping refugees to adapt to American society, get jobs, learn English, find housing. They are entitled to refugee status for one year after they arrive, then they are eligible to become permanent residents. Five years after their arrival in the U.S., they may apply for American citizenship.<br /><br />Our group provided snacks for about 40 beautiful children from Burma and Burundi, and helped them complete an art project. We gave them the socks and scarves that the congregation provided. We also met several volunteer workers who are also refugees. They are grateful for the help they themselves have received and want to give the same help and kindness to other refugees. One of the workers told us her story about her family fleeing their home country of Burma due to persecution related to their political beliefs and how they ended up in a refugee camp in Thailand before they were relocated to the U. S. She spoke of the difficulty in adjusting to a new country with different customs, foods, and language.<br /><br />We had an opportunity to spend some time with people who don’t look and sound like us, but yet a connection was made in that brief time. It made me think about God’s beautiful creation – this tapestry of people and cultures that God created. What an amazing plan He has! He is at work in the lives of people everywhere, whether they are living in an apartment complex filled with refugees or in this sanctuary of our congregation.<br /><br />I have been thinking a lot recently about what it means to be “missional”. I think that I have defined being “missional” too narrowly. It’s more than providing support for mission efforts. It’s more than doing good deeds and working and picking out a particular “cause” or service project to be involved in. All of these things are good. But I think it also involves taking the time to hear the stories of people and genuinely being interested in them. Being “real” with people leads to further discussion and further opportunities to share Jesus. To be honest, this is difficult for me. But I know that this is something that I can do each day if I will only take the time to be aware of what’s going on around me.<br /><br />I think this experience with the refugees raised our awareness. We became aware of issues faced by refugees and their needs. We became aware of their desire to rebuild their lives in a new country. We became aware of their spirit.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07009150782165141219noreply@blogger.com0