Voice Box

friday listening party: Matt Maher sings for the widow and the orphan

You know Matt Maher as the songwriter of 'Your Grace is Enough' and 'I Will Rise.'  But do you know that his newest album, Alive Again, is, in my opinion, one of the most creative and theological profound worship albums of late.  He does not give into cliche, yet he stays grounded in the ancient weight of his faith.  There are several highlights on his album, 'Alive Again', 'Remembrance', and 'Christ is Risen'.  But since this blog consistently focuses on the needs of the poor and the vulnerable.  I want to share with you today his song, 'No Greater Love'.  Enjoy.

people who give, give more

I have a theory of charity, generosity, and basic service that I want to test out on you.  Often, people become fearful of ASKing for help or donations, especially when they are ASKing someone who has given before or recently.  But here's how I think it works...

People who exercise, exercise more.

People who drink, drink more.

People who love, love more.

People who horde, horde more.

People who are lazy, are lazy more.

These kinds of activities, like giving, are self-replicating and continuously multiplying themselves.  The more you do them, the more you do them.  It sounds simple, but a lot of people don't believe this.  These activities are not closed systems, but open-ended and bottomless reservoirs.  So, if you GIVE, THANK YOU.  It probably means that you are someone who GIVES MORE.  It probably means that you are someone who understands that to be human is to help others be human, which means living open and generous lives with the down-and-out.

Thank you for giving!

if I don't get some shelter... I'm gonna fade away...

My wife got up this morning at 3am to drive to Nashville for the first annual conference of the Christian Trafficking Shelter Association.  We all need shelter.  It is one of the basic human needs.  Maslow places it in his second tier of needs - the needs for safety.  The Psalmist knows that God is our shelter.  There are so many - here in the US and around the world - exposed to the elements, vulnerable to storms, war, fire, rape, and murder (as the Rolling Stones say).  I pray that we know how to turn to God for our shelter and to 'build' shelters for the vulnerable people on this planet.  As I'm thinking about this and thinking about my wife in Nashville, I've got two songs stuck in my head.  Enjoy Ray LaMontagne singing 'Shelter' and Rolling Stones singing 'Gimme Shelter.'

access is our greatest asset

Last weekend, a Christian orphanage in an Islamic nation was raided and the foreign staff was ordered to leave the country.  Plenty of other great organizations have experienced similar heart-breaking setbacks, as have we.  These kinds of obstacles, changes, and challenges are not uncommon when trying to do good in certain parts of the world.

It reminds me of something I've said often in the last several years: Access Is Our Greatest Asset.  When trying to operate in cross-cultural settings and provide hope and help to our neighbors from different people groups, nations, tribes, and languages, without the access to be in relationship to them, all the money and well-designed programs and flashy marketing materials in the world mean nothing.

There are no guarantees, and if you engage in cross-cultural activity, leisure, business, or charity, there are risks involved.  But by following these six principles, we can hope to guard our greatest asset: access!

1. Cultivate Cultural Intelligence.  David Livermore has written about this in his book, Serving With Eyes Wide Open.  We have focused on IQ, the intelligence quotient.  Recently, we have turned our attention to EQ, the emotional quotient.  The time is now to focus on CQ, the cultural quotient.
2. Develop and Empower Indigenous Leadership.  Mission is not a one-way street - and shouldn't be!  Mission is exchange.  The best way to manage this delicate balance is to have indigenous women and men in leadership.
3. Be Innocent and Wise.  Jesus gave his disciples this advise when he sent them out.  When building foundations and completing projects, we need to remember that it is not by power and might that these things are accomplished, but by God's Spirit.
4. Be Holistic.  By addressing the heart, soul, mind, and strength in those we connect with and in helping them to connect with our Triune God, we prevent lopsided efforts that topple easily.
5. Use Best Practices.  There is no lack of zeal in the non-profit and international mission worlds.  But without knowledge and expertise, this zeal can implode and undermine good intentions.  When possible, draw from an interdisciplinary team of economic, theological, pastoral, educational, medical, sociological, legal, financial, technological, and management experts to develop and operate cross-cultural mission ventures.
6. Patience is a Virtue.  We've got to be in this thing for the long-run.  Life is a marathon - and life together in mission all the more.  Remember that perseverance and endurance over level paths will help us complete the mission.

Remember, access is our greatest asset.

Tylenol at CVS & meds for Ethiopian children

I received this note from a friend this week...

You may not know this about me, but I do not think globally. I tend to gravitate toward causes that are in my city. But, when I received your invitation to consider giving to the medical needs of the upcoming Doma trip to Ethiopia, I didn't immediately discard it. I read the description more than once, actually. On Saturday of last week, our son had a fever of 102 degrees. The doctor's office told us that we were doing everything right and to alternate Tylenol and Motrin. If he still had the fever on Thursday, then the doctor would see us on Friday. When we ran out of medicine, we didn't think twice about running to CVS to pick up two new bottles, which cost over $10.

It made me realize how lucky we are that we could do that and how helpless parents in Ethiopia must feel when they cannot make their own children feel better. Our eyes and hearts were opened by something that we had not previously considered, and we took a moment to humbly remember how blessed we truly are by contributing to the Doma medical mission to Ethiopia.

Please consider giving toward the medicine and supplies necessary for Doma's April trip to Ethiopia.

Glenn Beck thinks I'm a Nazi

Glenn Beck recently advised his listeners to leave their churches if they hear the words 'social justice' and 'economic justice'.  Beck claims that these are code words for Nazi or communist activity.  I don't know that I've ever used the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' from the pulpit, but that's not because I don't believe that the Gospel preaches that Christ makes ALL things new and that God is reconciling ALL things to himself through Christ.  Mr Beck - I believe in justice in all spheres of life and I believe that God is a just God.  I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.  A pastor from Denver has posted a thoughtful and thorough response to Mr. Beck here.

book review: Make Poverty Personal by Ash Barker

Make Poverty Personal by Ash Barker is an absolutely critical read.  This became real to me when it was sitting on my desk and somebody walked in, saw it, and said, ‘That’s your problem.  You think about the poor too much.’  First, I didn’t know I had a problem.  And second, I feel compelled to live like Jesus did – at the intersection of community and compassion.  By following the arc of the Biblical narrative, from Exodus to Eschaton, Barker leads a sweeping expedition that will inspire and challenge.  In addition to the sound Biblical exposition, Barker’s personal experience and deep conviction appear on every page.  He is not an academic speaking from a distance; but he and his family have served the poor with their very lives.  He is not only responding to urgent and overwhelming needs; he’s thinking about what the Bible really has to say.

the younger son (sermon from Lent 2, Luke 13:1-9)

You can hear my sermon from Sunday here:

The Younger Son

This is a sermon from Sunday's lectionary reading in Luke 13.  But I'm using it as a lens to view the character of the younger son in the famous parable of The Prodigal Son.  Tune in next week to encounter the father.

the older son (sermon from Lent 2, Luke 13:31-35)

You can hear my sermon from Sunday here:

The Older Son

This is a sermon from Sunday's lectionary reading in Luke 13.  But I'm using it as a lens to view the character of the older son in the famous parable of The Prodigal Son.  Tune in the next two weeks, to encounter the younger son and the father.