24
Okay, I admit it. I am really into the TV series "24." It is a series that I have kept up on for five seasons now. I am impressed with the way new tv series are constructed these days. Every episode of TV series are connected to a larger story-line. Each episode builds upon the overall theme. Often this series follows some mystery yet to be discovered or a mission being completed.
The series, 24 is about a special branch of the government. It is an elite Counter Terrorist Unit that works to complete a mission and protect citizens of the United States. It is a pretty intense series. One agent in particular, Jack bower, is the series star. He is the hero that usually comes against major enemies and problems to save the day in the nick of time. He works to defend and protect the security of each American.
I don't recommend that you get hooked on the series as I have but there are some very interesting thoughts I have following nearly every episode. I am always impressed with the courage, strength and smarts this guy demonstrates. While I don't approve of every tactic Jack employs I have to say that I am impressed with his results.
One of the things that Jack that really impresses me is the level of passion he exhibits. Jack is intense and determined! His mission is real and the show demonstrates him at work in real time. Each episode is one hour in the real time. Jack doesn't rest, he doesn't eat and he doesn't even "chit-chat." He is determined, focused and very emotional. His passion is sure and his focus is clear.
The second thing I am impressed with is Jack's determination to accomplish his mission no matter what. He only has 24 hours to complete his work, each episode is one hour in real time. So, to say the least, the show is wildly intense and Jack is usually stressed out because he is trying to complete the mission with a time variable that applies incredible pressure.
I wonder, am I that intentional when it comes to my faith? Am I that concerned about the need to accomplish my mission? Perhaps I may not be that intense because my mission doesn't seem to be that critical. Maybe I don't feel the impact of saving the world from chemical bombs and terrorist. Maybe I don't see the need as clearly focused as Jack.
But, what I do does make an impact in the lives of others. Perhaps I need consider that my mission is even more important than Jack's. I have to realize that what I do from day-to-day has eternal ramifications. Demonstrating love in the name of Christ is a worthy cause, indeed!
I may not have the pressure of 24 hours but I have the mandate of serving the "lease among us" in the name of Christ. And so do you! Let's get to work because our mission is a worthy one. After all, our work comes as orders from our great Chief and Commander, Jesus Christ.
dee-ak-on-ee'-ah: the measure of church success
Diakonia is the greek word for minister. It is a noun. It is a term that seems to have been lost in Corporate America...where success is based on the devaluing of what is sacred and the defacing of those in need. Yes, I said it. I know that you have often thought it. You have read the news. Another company bases its decision to lay off hundreds on the bottom line - profits. Hmmm? Success is based only on profit sharing! For Corporate America, it is an easy decision. All you have to do is devalue individuals and look the other way. After life, if it doesn't look good, feel good or make me happy, we avoid it!
Now there are certainly extremes and many companies have to make tough decisions in order to stay in business. Where I object is when the CEO bases their decision on only profit sharing and we reward CEOs who lay off hundreds of hard-working people by giving them a bonus. They saved the company! Or did they? They may have saved the bottom line but sold have they sold the soul of the company or even their own?
I am not opposed that a company make money. I think that this acceptable. But how much profit is enough!
Well, I can't change American greed but I can certainly speak to the church. After eighteen years of service to the Church, I wonder, has the corporate church made similar choices. Saving the bottom line grief church leaders ease this tension through campaigns that raise dollars but not efforts in prayer. They raise significant building projects without raising the passion for ministry!
Yet, the scripture seems to hold our "feet to the fire." Mark 10:43 says, (the works of Christ) "Greatest among you must be the servant." This is diakonia. Jesus speaks of himself; "For the son of man did not come to be served. But to serve and give His life as a ransom for many." this is diakonia.
Diakonia is the transforming measure of church success! It is not about success in numbers, while I think that people are drawn to it! It is not financial gain, yet I think that God will resource the church quite reasonably! It is not saving the bottom line as Corporate America defines. It is being the servant, attendant, domestic care-giver, minister to the poor and sick.
Not sure? Look read Isaiah 61:1 and Matthew 25 for starters. Jesus lived his life and was the diakonia - the great shepherd. I am not suggesting that the minister have a martyr complex but I am suggesting that the minister have a heart of compassion for those who are hurting, in crisis, and looking for something genuine and authentically consistent with the Bible. If we preach it we out to live it!
St Augustine once wrote:
"This is what love looks like: it has hands to help others; it has feet to hasten to the sick and needy; it has eyes to see suffering and want; and it has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men, women and children."
I like that! It is time for the body of Christ to be who were are called to be.
Let me suggest a little more reading:
"The Church of irresistible Influence" - Lewis, Zondervan Publishing
Bread of Life
When Jesus described Himself as the bread of life he was helping His disciples understand that all their provision is found in Him. I find it very relevant that the author of life and God of the universe would describe His essence in terms that are universally understood. By saying he was the Bread of Life there would be no doubt what He meant. Centuries later the meaning is as real as it was then. Life needs food to survive!
I just finished a great sandwich from my favorite coffee shop. You guessed it, Panera Bread. As I nibbled away on my meal, I reflected upon the hunger I felt and the satisfaction of being filled. My hunger was real and so was my satisfaction! I gained an immediate energy boost and my brain began to think wildly. All this because I had something to eat.
In our world there are many who do not have the luxury of a simple loaf of bread yet I am surrounded by plenty. It makes me feel guilty, of course. But it also makes me truly thankful for the blessings and the privileges I take for granted.
Today I reflect upon the resources I have in abundance. I can honestly say that I have an abundance! While I recognize my abundance in good things I also approach the Lent season with a keen awareness that I must be willing to do without too! And in these times also be grateful to God!
Love is not just enjoying the abundance of plenty. Love is also sacrificial. I must be willing to share what I have with those in need as well as be willing to do without for the sake of Christ!
Help me, Lord to enter Lent with a willing heart. Willing to give away what I do not own anyways. Help me to be willing to sacrifice personal comfort for the sake of others. Help me to not complain when I seem to have little!
For as much as we do unto the least of those in need, we do unto our Lord, Jesus Christ. Perhaps by giving away what we can not keep we get what we can not live without! Thank you, Jesus for the reminder!
New Links Added to LOVE
I haven't been adding much to my blog because I have been busy adding to my love web site. Check out the new pastor's section at
www.love-cc.org
IMAGINE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!
In Matthew 6 Jesus taught His disciple to pray. " Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven." There is nothing that stirs my imagination more that the phrase, on earth as it is in heaven; especially when I consider the fact that Jesus instructed His disciples on what to pray and how.
I wonder, what is heaven like? I imagine it is a place where no child is fatherless, no one is hungry, no one suffers. Could Jesus really have meant that we should pray His Will here on earth? What if he did?
I imagine that He may have intended for His followers to have been included in bringing about His Will! If He did, what role would we play in this? Perhaps through our faith, we can make a difference? Through our demonstration of LOVE we can participate in His Will on earth.
Imagine, on earth as it is in heaven. LOVE works to mobilize the body of Christ around the needs of the poor. Could it be that God would intend through prayer to accomplish His Will?
What are your ideas?
One More Borrowed BLOG on Poverty
I know, twice in one week. I have found another very interesting discussion blog dealing with the subject of poverty. Your comments are appreciated! (Bishop Carder, no relation to me, provides this blog article.)http://www.wesleyblog.com/helping_the_poor/Read the article and come back to make a comment on my blog.Posted: Rick Carder
Today I report using a written article from John Armstrong ( www.johnharmstrong.com )January 28, 2006
How Should We Respond to Growing Income Inequality?
A national report, issued on Thursday (January 26), shows that the gap between the nation’s top wage earners and lower- and middle-income families is growing over the past two plus decades. This gap began to grow in the 1980s (slowed from 1996-2002) and continues to increase off and on since. Liberals and conservatives view the gap very differently. These difference allow us to think about social and economic policy seriously.
Consider, for point of reference, that the study shows that the richest 20 percent of families had average incomes 6.8 times as large as the poorest 20 percent in the early 2000s, up from 5.4 times in the early 1980s. And the highest incomes in the early 2000s were 2.5 times as large as the middle 20 percent, up from 2 times twenty years ago. Average incomes for the richest people were up 51% overall and only 21.5% for middle income families. Average incomes for the poor rose by 20.5% during the same period!
So, what are we to make of this data? Ah, there’s the problem. Liberal economists see a growing tragedy. Conservatives see it otherwise. The Chicago Tribune understood it starkly and thus the headlines read: “Rich, Poor Income Gap Widens.” Conservative policy analyst Rea Hederman Jr, at the Heritage Foundation, noted that, “Even people at the bottom quintile are better off than they were at the start of the period.” So, is the glass half-empty or half-full?
Well, the answer depends on a host of other questions and on how these all relate to economics and social welfare. Liberal thinkers believe the widening gap between the rich and the poor is bad. Consistent with the class conscious emphasis that such inequities create liberals see this very simply, it is a justice issue. It is, very simply, “Not right." Whatever it takes to adjust things so that “fairness” is brought into the equation again thus becomes the goal for liberal policy makers. Conservatives, on the other hand, favor the free market and the effects such a market creates for all, both rich and poor. They insist that these cycles happen and thus no truly free market system, in other words one that is uncontrolled by the government tinkering with it too much, can or should be adjusted to shrink income gaps. In fact, conservatives argue, the more business succeeds, and the market prospers the wealthiest among us, the better it will be for everyone who wants to benefit from the general prosperity created. The evidence of the recent survey can be read so as to support this very conclusion.
As a Christian I do not believe the resolution to this question is clear cut, at least in every instance. I also do not believe that we have a mandate to narrow the income gap based upon Old Testament prophetic texts, a common mistake made by the Christian left. The church clearly has a mandate to care for its own and to do good for neighbors. But these commandments do not dictate public and economic policy. They do not, in other words, support soft socialism. This is where the confusion comes when we apply biblical texts to modern governments and their economic decisions.
What contributes to income inequality does interest me great deal. Liberals argue that the primary culprit is obvious. The rich benefit from the free market and the poor suffer. But is this simplistic nostrum really true? This recent study suggests a number of contributing factors that ought to be considered in this debate. For example, the biggest contributor to income inequality is the erosion of wages for workers without college degrees, the report stated. But even college educated workers have recently lost ground, partly because of job erosion due to globalization. Other forces driving inequality are periods of relatively high unemployment, the general shift from manufacturing jobs (witness the problems at GM and Ford this week) to service related jobs, the loss of real impact by labor unions and the decline in the importance of the minimum wage. Liberal analysts suggest answers that you would expect---increase the minimum wage, strengthen social support for working families and make unemployment insurance more widely available. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, suggests that investments in education are the best first step; i.e., get better skills and better education.
Even more important, at least to my mind, is the impact of demographic trends on this income gap, trends that liberals rarely discuss. These trends include the rise of single-parent families and the part this contributes to both poverty and the decrease in disposable income. The issues here, as I noted above, are not simplistic. The solutions are not either. I resist large scale tinkering with the economy precisely because I am convinced it takes away real, and personal, freedom. This creates a far deeper problem for the whole society in the long run as I noted in my positive references to Ronald Reagan last week. I also believe that we fail the poorest among us if we do not have a real national conversation about how to solve the myriad of problems created by the destruction of the family. Family breakdown, both morally and spiritually, will be the undoing of our social fabric. I still believe revival, true Christ-centered revival, is the first step toward such real change. Liberal social theorists see this as “pie in the sky” religiosity but history abounds with evidence that such revival has time and again created huge social and economic change within a society.
The goal is not to shrink the income gap by new governmental interferences in the economy. This tends to be driven by an “economy lite” version of socialism. The goal is to raise every boat by a growing a healthy economy that works for the benefit of all. And we must encourage real charity in every way possible. At the same time we must provide the kind of social network that truly cares for the poor and offers positive help to them that is not demeaning. This is why I prefer the Christian approaches, influenced by both Catholic and Reformed (Kuyperian) social theory, that are offered by serious thinking people like those who teach and write for the Acton Institute.
If you are a Christian economist, or thoughtful businessman, you can start by helping ordinary members of our churches understand how this works and what they can really do about the issue of poverty in America. Fresh calls for governmental solutions are not the only alternative. I do not think they are even the best alternative.{end article}
John raises several key discussion points about poverty. I challenge the church to become a participant in helping families who have needs. If there is one area that the church can agree upon it is what Jesus said; "For as much as you do unto the least of these...you have done unto me." Jesus offered a compassionate response to the needs of people. So ought we!
-Rick Carder
Is the church getting the job done?
Is the church getting the job done? You judge.
FROM: “WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE U.S.A.” From: "Alice & Eddie Smith - U.S. PRAYER CENTER" <usprayercenter@cs.com>
-The U.S. is the third largest unchurched nation in
-North America is the only continent where Christianity isn't growing.
-Seven out of 10 people in North America do not know Christ.
-The United States is now the 13th largest receptor of Christian missionaries in the world.
-More than 70% of all churches in the U.S. are plateaued or declining.
-Half of all churches last year did not add one new member through conversion growth.
-While the U.S. population grew by 11.4% over the last 10 years, church growth declined by 9.5%.
-The U.S. Census Bureau projects that 47% of the U.S. population will be non Anglo-American by 2050.
-4.1 million Muslims live in the U.S.
-2.5 million Buddhists live in the U.S.
-About a quarter million Sikhs live in America, with 100,000 living on the east coast. Other areas with high numbers of Sikhs are Chicago, Detroit, and Austin, Texas.
(Source: North American Mission Board Planting Team and Barna Update, 2003)
U.S. PRAYER CENTER 7710-T Cherry Park Dr, Ste 224 Houston TX 77095
NOW, LET’S GET BUSY SHARING LOVE WITH A HURTING WORLD!
- Rick
Serving Re-Entry Needs
Rev. Rick Carder
from: RECIDIVISM AND PRISONER RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS:JOSEPH WILLIAMS
source: Congressional Testimony, February 2, 2005.
via: 
HighBeam™ Research
Serving the needs of the poor is broader than just providing emergency funding. In fact, many are surprised to learn that many who are poor are those coming out of prison. The needs confronting those entering re-entry programs include housing, education, employment and many other similar needs as those who are living in poverty and are of low-income working families. Crime does impact poverty!
People from faith-based organization can and should develop an involvement with those coming out of jails and prisons. Services and voluntarism should provide assistance for those in need that are of low-income and entering into re-entry programs.
The Church: Making An Impact
A friend of mine was often quoted as saying; “You impress people from a distance, you impact them up close.” This statement has been a part of my ministry philosophy for nearly twenty years. Churches today are charged with the task of making disciples that truly make a difference in the lives of people. While much of the ministry is people oriented many leaders simply perform ministry as a duty and task. Some leaders leave an impression upon people but the ministry is distant and too often indifferent to individuals. The Challenge of this article is to look at ways a church can disciple people that make an impact on people.
Making an impression isn’t hard to do. All a church has to do is develop a program that meets the interests of people through forms of entertainment. For example, a church can perform a great musical. Many show up and enjoy the program. They leave the performance impressed with the talent and ability of people. However, they may have not been impacted. Often churches fail to do follow up after a musical. Gathering a crowd is celebrated by churches! But were they impacted? Sure the performance was good and may have brought about a tear and heart-felt response. But, is this the impact churches really want to make? Some churches may even record decisions that were made and indicated on a response card. Did the church follow up with this decision? Did they place a personal phone call or home visit to discuss this decision?
What if a church could develop a discipleship ministry that focused its efforts on making an impact upon the lives of people? What would this look like? Making an impact requires something that merely making a positive impression. It requires a personal contact and involves a personal interaction with someone. This is something that churches often miss by simply gathering a crowd.
What is my point? In ministry to people in crisis or families who are needy a key to transformation requires a personal connection. This is a relational impact that changes a person’s outlook on life and potentially that way they view faith and religion. Simply impressing a person is superficial. Often people say things like, “They were nice.” Or “They dressed well.” But what if people responded by saying, “That person really cares about me”
IN THE MINISTRY OF LOVE TO THOSE IN CRISIS people are looking for something genuine and authentic. This should be the hallmark of compassionate ministries. People should be impacted by our ministry, not just impressed with its quality or organization or performance-based outcomes. While making an impact should involve excellence it should never settle for “good impressions” that in the long run do not change lives.
Pastors and ministry leaders can not do this alone. They need to develop an army of people willing to be disciples that reach people through personal means. If a church is to make a larger difference than its army of followers should also be larger. It starts with the leader and those willing to become disciples and serve in the name of Christ should be recruited and trained.
Tell me what you think about this article. For more ideas on how to make an impact on people go to http://www.compassdriven.com/ or http://www.love-cc.org/ . Let me know what your church is doing to make an impact on people.
What If?
Last night I attended a meeting of pastors from several churches. Their discussion was centered on the needs of the poor. It was exciting to hear the stories and ideas on how to help the homeless and low-income populations. What impressed me most about their discussion was the empathy and compassion that pastors and church leaders had for the poor. Being there and hearing these pastors share caused me to reflect on the question of "What If?"What if churches come together to demonstrate God's love in practical ways?What if pastors captured a vision for serving the poor in our communities?What if our community developed a heart for the hurts and pains of the poor and hurting?What if people in our churches begin to love and demonstrate compassion to people in need?
At this meeting of pastors my question began to be answered. As pastors and church leaders come together to support the needy and demonstrate LOVE in the name of Christ, I believe that a by-product will be a delivery of HOPE. For those in our communities that are needy, the most precious gift the church can offer is a hope in the name of Christ. A hope that has an eternal message A hope that produces faith A hope that never disappoints.
For this group of pastors the vision of "What If?" can become a reality.
