God’s Work In Litter

Many Christians, many Churches live self isolated from the reality of mission in their own neighborhood. Believers are ready to get involved in almost any activity that appears spiritual as long as it allows them to escape their responsibility to the Gospel. They will give to foodbanks, mission work to the homeless, mission work overseas, maybe even deliver hampers at Christmas; how many are willing to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to their neighbors?

Is that not the Great Commission, be the Good News to our neighbors? “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10: 29 in The Parable of the Good Samaritan. V 37, Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Near all Christians know The Prayer of St. Francis

The Prayer of St. Francis

Here’s a modern version for many today’s Christian:

I pray each eve that I might be
a channel for God’s might.
Dear Lord show where my burdens be,
My guide to put things right.

If I could mend one broken dream
Bring ease for one more pain.
Play my part in God’s great scheme
Help one soul for Christ to gain.

A hundred souls I’ll pass today,
each one begs to say hello.
I’ve been conformed to go my way,
and never take this chance to grow.

I know not this man with sad worn face,
This lady with her arms so full.
So I pass by and hold my place
in case rejection takes it’s toll.

I’ll admit, that is a little harsh. For most Chistians it is having the opportunity to witness which is lacking. Modern culture prevents us from foisting ourselves upon an unsuspecting public. We need a method of introduction. Being brave enough to go door-to-door is not a good option for most. The answer though, could be right before us, under our feet. It’s called Litter.

Litter is a problem in every community, in every neighborhood. I have found that in walking the neighborhood twice per week picking litter, I have become a familiar figure to many of my neighbors whom I would never have met otherwise. Most will give me a pleasant hello and many want to stop and chat. My neighbors have come to trust me. I am performing a civic duty. Over the past year, I have helped mothers with babies unload their cars, helped a man build a stairs, fixed the chain on a child’s bike, intervened twice in bullying situations and captured a runaway puppy. Twice I have been called to the ministry of consoling, to just be an ear or a comfort for one in distress. Through conversations with those I have met, two couples have joined our house church.

This is much the same with the other four “litter pickers” from our small church. Not to boast, but, 8 new souls for Christ to a congregation of 60 is a better average than most week long visiting evangelical crusades. Yes it takes time, and commitment but, is not that what we are called to do? Give our time and commitment for Christ. “Go ye out into all your neighborhoods and make disciples.”

Litter Picking is not only a support for the community, it can also be used as a Christ lead tool for evangelism. As one person said on a site for volunteering, “It’s (volunteering) a commitment to live/work/play/support/ and regrow our community not just as a “neighborhood” but to support our neighbors in compassionate ways as people.”

The major need for most Christians is training in relating the Gospel message. Being able to answer questions on God, Christ and Salvation.

Who is God?
Who is Jesus?
What is Salvation?
Why do I need to be saved?
Saved from what?
Why should I go to Church?
Why Baptism?
Etc., etc.

Every Church must have a continuing course in Evangelism, the fundamentals of Faith. Sadly, fundamentals are the most neglected part of most congregational teaching. Without the basics of Faith, how can we grow? How can we Evangelize?

---

Prayer of St. Francis image from: brenda-turner.tumblr.com

Greatest Book I Ever Lived

It has been often said of the Bible, “The Greatest Book I Ever Read”. So very true.
Better for every Christian to make the Bible, “The Greatest Book I Ever Lived”.
Better yet; for the Church to say, “The Greatest Book We Ever Lived“.

For although Faith is personal, Faith can only be of value if demonstated in community within the whole of society.

James 2: 14-24 on Faith and Deeds:
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”

The Chistian life is one of action, a life of ‘Doing’. Doing What? Doing the will of God.

In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. …”

The action therefore is in doing the will, discovering the will of God  for our lives is the important factor. The verse goes on to say,

“… Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’”.

Just professing that we believe in Jesus is not enough. Jesus says we must do “the will of My Father in heaven”, if we expect to be with Him in Heaven. Our faith must be an obedient faith by doing the will of God if it is to be a saving faith; otherwise it is not a saving faith.

A Holy Experience

“What Does a bit of Radical Christianity Really Look Like?”

This was asked by Ann on her blog, “A Holy Experience” (Logo Right) and who goes on to say:
“The poor have made me rich and telling the stories of those who need a voice — has changed mine.”

She was relaying the story of Katie – kissesfromkatie.blogspot.ca

“Katie is with the dirty and lovely in Uganda — forsaking the American dream for God-sized dreams. .. everyday she simply wakes up and just says yes to what God gives her wherever she is ”

“Because all radical Christianity is first rooted in relationship Christianity — with Christ and His children. Right where we are.”

Matthew 28:16-20, The Great Commission

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and, see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.”

Jesus has spoken to His disciples, GO. Are we not all His disciples? Do we not all desire to be disciplined by Christ? To say yes is to be one who is committed to spreading the Word of salvation to all people. That can only be done by doing, doing in faith; doing because of our faith.

Because of our faith in the salvation that Christ bought for us, we are partakers of salvation and therefore doers of the Will of God. The main will of God being that all people worship Him in spirit and in truth. The second job, actually in conjunction with worship, is to love. Love who? Our neighbors. As James is saying in chapter 2, We show our faith by our deeds.

“observe all things whatever I have commanded you:”

The Sermon On The Mount (Matthew 5-7), the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), and Parables make up the bulk of Jesus’ teachings for us to be advocates for.

First Jesus asked each of us to be fully ware of our limitations, put God then others first, and purify our hearts and minds.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus taught about: comforting, feeding, showing mercy, peacemaking, fair wages, unjust trade, oppression of widows, economic injustices, political corruption, morality, adultery, divorce.

Matthew 5: 16, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Not only are we, the Christian Community, to be advocates, we must be seen for what we believe in. Involved, Active and Vocal.

Matthew 5: 24, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

For too long we have allowed secularism to steal God’s Thunder.

NIMBY

#*^*?@+ Happens

For all those who are favorable to having Enbridge build the Northern Gateway pipeline to the west coast, ask yourselves; “What would I allow to be built in my back yard?”

The community wants to allow a company to build a dynomite magazine in our town and the best place is in your back yard. It is perfectly safe. When was the last time you heard of a dynomite magazine blowing up? It will be monitored. Yes there is a very remote possibility of an accident and you will lose everything, but, with new technology, the chances of anything bad happening are extremely remote. We will be selling this dynomite to other communities and we will all recieve some monetary gain from the sales. We will buy our dynomite from other provinces, there is no profit in using our own. We will make more money selling it.

So what do you say? The mayor is on board with the project. We will grant you a special priviledge, how about the Key to the City. That would look nice on your mantel.
You can’t say no. Either you agree with allowing Dynomite Joe to build a magazine or we will expropriate your property, give you nothing and build it anyway.

Dollar Cycle

There is an old saying, Money is made round to go round. That is no longer the adage. A dollar spent at a locally owned and operated business using local services and selling local products where possible, will cycle in the community approximately seven times, buying more locally produced products and services, paying local wages, paying local taxes, paying for community services. Everyone in the community benefits and more community services can operate effectively and efficiently within budget. There is less unemployment and better paid employment.

Alas, in reality, people tend to spend their dollars at national or even international outlets where, the prices are less but, where the over half the dollar is skimmed off the top leaving the dollar to cycle only, on average, 3 times in the community. Generally the wages are lower, meaning less taxes are paid. The goods and services they offer are mostly imported, jobs and profits leave the country. The footage per retail is condensed leaving less local taxes collected by the community. Whenever a retail giant moves in to a community they will brag about how many people they will employ. In reality, the overall employment level drops as they force local merchants out of business. Local taxes have to increase to compensate for the losses.

Multinational and international retail giants are a lose, lose, lose reality. A loss for the community, a loss for the country and a loss for the tax payer.