urban christians

Tim Keller's preaching and ministry model often inspires me and gets me thinking. He recently wrote an article for Christianity Today that did both to me again. As I contemplate the issues of the biblical ministry of justice and love for neighbor, I was drawn into what Keller has to say. The article is entitled "A New Kind of Urban Christian" and it rasises many issues that resonate with the life nad ministry of John Perkins (see previous post). Among the statements that caught my eye:

• "As the city goes, so goes the culture...People who live in large urban cultural centers, occupying jobs in the arts, business, academia, publishing, the helping professions, and the media, tend to have a disproportionate impact on how things are done in our culture. Having lived and ministered in New York City for 17 years, I am continually astonished at how the people I live with and know affect what everyone else in the country sees on the screen, in print, in art, and in business."
• "Once in cities, Christians should be a dynamic counterculture. It is not enough for Christians to simply live as individuals in the city...Christians are called to be an alternate city within every earthly city, an alternate human culture within every human culture, to show how sex, money, and power can be used in nondestructive ways."
• "Christians should be a people who integrate their faith with their work. Culture is a set of shared practices, attitudes, values, and beliefs, which are rooted in common understandings of the "big questions"—where life comes from, what life means, who we are, and what is important enough to spend our time doing it in the years allotted to us. No one can live or do their work without some answers to such questions, and every set of answers shapes culture."

Check out the article and share your thoughts...

let justice roll down

Over the course of my vacation in Southern CA last week I read a book called Let Justice Roll Down (can be purchased at www.ccda.org) by John M. Perkins to prepare for our upcoming trip to New Orleans for Hurricane relief. The book chronicles Perkins' journey from the poverty, prejudice and racism of his upbringing as a sharecropper in New Hebron, Mississippi in the 30's to his founding of Voice of Calvary ministries. Perkins left Mississippi as a young man, after his brother was killed, to go to California where he found job opportunities, a different brand of racism and faith in Jesus Christ.

He returned to Mississippi to share the Gospel and help his own people find equality, justice and economic independence through cooperative efforts. His ministry shockingly led to a night when Perkins and some of his colaborers endured an inhuman night of torture at the hands of white law enforcement officers. Perkins was almost beaten to death, yet the Lord spared him and his colleagues allowing his incredible work of "redeeming lives among the poor which will in turn redeem (biblically transform) whole communities." The mission of the John M. Perkins Foundation sums up his life work well, "To raise up, nurture and equip leadership who will 'wholistically' minister to the poor through communicating biblical truth to achieve the building of community through Reconciliation, Relocation and Redistribution."

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to walk in the shoes of a man who has witnessed and endured intense racism firsthand. I have never looked at life through the eyes of such a man as John Perkins until reading this autobiography. This is a man who finds his joy in the Gospel, who preaches the Gospel and who puts hands and feet to the Gospel in a wholistic way.

In a few weeks, we will be taking a small team (there's still room! Contact shelly@graceslo.org if you're interested in joining us) to New Orleans August 12-19 to work alongside Trinity Christian Community in the redevelopment of this city's community, devastated a year ago by Hurricane Katrina. I'm eager to get a glimpse of TCC's ministry, which provides training opportunities and resources for faith-based organizations having an impact on at-risk communities throughout New Orleans. Throughout collaborative efforts, more lives can be changed and our reach can be greatly expanded.

"Seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you...
and pray to the LORD on its behalf..." Jeremiah 29:7

number 3?

While not exactly the hand of God, seeing Floyd Landis in le maillot jaune (yellow jersey) in this year's Tour de France today has made me very happy. After seeing prerace favorites Jan Ullirch and Ivan Basso (Tour favorites) yanked because of a dping scandal and Alejandro Valverde crash out of the race with a broken collar bone early on, I've been looking for a brighter spot on this year's race. Those of you in SLO might remember Landis coming through town as the race leader and eventual winner of the Tour of California. He went on to win two more races this season--the Tour de Georgia and Paris-Nice. He's had a great year so far despite suffering from a terribly damaged hip joint. Right now he stands as this year's favorite to win. If he does he will be the third American in the 93 year history of the Tour to win after Greg LeMond (3) and Lance Armstrong (7). Go Landis!

marking the hand of God

Marking the hand of God, or identifying God at work, is one of my favorite things to do. Our church staff relates where we have seen God moving each week at our staff meetings. I love asking our college leadership this same question. When I share ways I've seen God at work it helps me to pay attention and reflect on incidents that I might normally miss. When others share their observations, I am encouraged and lifted out of the daily grind of task I need to complete.

One of my heroes is C. H. Spurgeon. He was a man of the Word, a bold preacher and I am always impressed with the way ministries grew up around his church under his leadership. Often I turn to his Morning and Evening devotional for some food for my soul. Earlier this week I came across a reflection on Psalm 103:2 that focused my attention on God's blessings and hand in my life, so I thought I'd share it with you all. Enjoy...

“Forget not all His benefits." Psalm 103:2

It is a delightful and profitable occupation to mark the hand of God in the lives of ancient saints, and to observe his goodness in delivering them, his mercy in pardoning them, and his faithfulness in keeping his covenant with them. But would it not be even more interesting and profitable for us to remark the hand of God in our own lives? Ought we not to look upon our own history as being at least as full of God, as full of his goodness and of his truth, as much a proof of his faithfulness and veracity, as the lives of any of the saints who have gone before? We do our Lord an injustice when we suppose that he wrought all his mighty acts, and showed himself strong for those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders or lay bare his arm for the saints who are now upon the earth. Let us review our own lives. Surely in these we may discover some happy incidents, refreshing to ourselves and glorifying to our God. Have you had no deliverances? Have you passed through no rivers, supported by the divine presence? Have you walked through no fires unharmed? Have you had no manifestations? Have you had no choice favours? The God who gave Solomon the desire of his heart, hath he never listened to you and answered your requests? That God of lavish bounty of whom David sang, “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things,” hath he never satiated you with fatness? Have you never been made to lie down in green pastures? Have you never been led by the still waters? Surely the goodness of God has been the same to us as to the saints of old. Let us, then, weave his mercies into a song. Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness, and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of Jesus. Let our souls give forth music as sweet and as exhilarating as came from David’s harp, while we praise the Lord whose mercy endureth for ever.

As I wrote yesterday, I see God at work in David's life in huge and small ways. How about you, where do you see God at work?

four on the fourth

I'm a week behind on this blog post, but I can't let the Fourth of July pass without celebrating my little David. He turned four years old last Tuesday (4th of July!) and each birthday is a celebration in our family of God's faithfulness, sovereignty and care. Four years ago our little guy was born with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. We grieved, we rejoiced and we didn't know what to expect from this little boy.

He came home to us three weeks after his birth taking all his nourishment through a G-tube. That very first day the Lord directed me to John 9:1-3, "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.'" We have seen God at work in David over and over again in his short life. As you look at these pictures, you'll see the first is David with his Curious George (given by his proud dad!) the first day of his life. The second picture is with the same Curious George--how far he has come!

Since we've moved here to the Central Coast, David has begun to sit up regularly and is now scooting all over the house on his bottom (In honor of our friends in Russia, this is known as the "Misha Scoot" around our house). He has no G-tube and is even beginning his first stages of self-feeding. Soon he will join the ranks of other big boys and big girls and begin his first year of preschool--we can't believe our little guy has come to this stage already! Scripture tells us to "Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice." Some of you have wept with us along this journey. We invite you to rejoice with us at this stage of the journey!