GIVING when times are tough

All of the talk lately in the media is about the economy. I have been thinking about how this affects peoples giving. People’s giving habits can have a great affect on the lives of others. At our church, Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, we have no paid staff, no building, no real overhead cost so a decrease in giving only affects what we are able to do.

But many churches and organizations are dependant on people’s generosity. In a small organization like Vision Nehemiah where I work, if people don’t give then we can’t make payroll (which unfortunately is the case right now). For the PURSUE program that I lead, if I can’t find people to give towards our scholarships, then we will have less scholarships to offer which could keep students from going to college. I also think of my friends at Breakthrough Urban Ministries where my wife works. They have two sites and over 50 people on staff. If people don’t give, then they will not only have to cut services, but they would also have to let go of staff.

That leads me to my thoughts about giving. Some of these things are my personal struggle in being generous when times are tough economically. So let me begin with a question.

Do we give first or do we give out of what is left over?

It seems to me that we have often given out of our abundance. After the bills are paid and we get what we “need”, then we give. As I consider this, I think of I Corinthians 16 where Paul challenges the Corinthian church to set aside money at the beginning of each week. I also had to look at II Corinthians 8,9 where Paul spends a couple of chapters talking about giving.

It seems to me that a main purpose in giving was to share in God’s resources so that there could be equality in the body of Christ. II Corinthians 8:13-15 says:
“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
It almost sounds like a voluntary Christian socialism, but I will leave that point alone.

I see in chapter 9 verse 6 that “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

And also in verse 7 that giving is more about the attitude than the amount.
“man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

My favorite verses in these two chapters are verses 12,13 of chapter 9.
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”

This is what excites me most about giving. Not only that it meets needs, but also that it will validate to a watching world the faith that we claim. Wow.
So I am going to strive to be a giver despite the economic outlook. I guess that is more where faith begins in the giving process, when you can’t see how it can all work out outside of divine intervention.

How has the current economic situation affected your giving?
What has God taught you about giving over the years?

A culture of disrespect

Whether you like George W. Bush or not, he is still the president of the United States of America. I think that it is completely shameful that a movie would come out mocking a sitting president. W. opens in theaters tonight and I hope that no one shows up.

It is very disappointing to me that U.S. citizens would participate in this total disrespect of the office of the presidency. Other nations around the would must sit back and laugh at how we have shamed ourselves. We are a nation that lacks respect for authority. We lack respect for our history. We lack respect for the position of leadership that is the presidency of the United States. It is one thing to respectfully disagree with decisions and policies. It is quite another thing to disrespect authority.

I think that this attitude will continue no matter who is leading. People no longer have a basic respect for authority. Our generation seems to have little concern for respectfully disagreeing.

To what extent should we respect the authorities that God has placed over us?
(Parents, teachers, boss, police, government, pastors, etc.)

Back to school

I am taking the big step of returning to school. I have applied and been accepted into a graduate program at Wheaton College. The program is Christian formation and ministry. I also have been awarded a full tuition scholarship through the Billy Graham Center for my involvement in Urban Ministry.

I am both excited and hesitant about this opportunity. I love to learn and look forward to the chance to be back in a classroom in the academic setting. I also am very grateful for the blessing from God of the scholarship that I have received. But I know that I already have a lot on my plate and wonder how this will fit in with all that. My prayer is that God will give me balance with being a husband, father, elder/pastor, coordinating PURSUE, and student.

I hope that this program will not just benefit me personally, but also my church and community.

From the mouths of children

A little boy was overheard praying: 'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am.'

After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, 'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.'

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, 'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?' One bright little girl replied, 'Because people are sleeping.'

A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. 'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked. 'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, 'Did God throw him back down?'

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, 'Would you like to say the blessing?' 'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied. 'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, 'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?'

Anyone else have any stories of funny things that you have heard children say?

I'll take half!

A sad picture of where a bitter divorce can lead. This Cambodian couple decided to saw their home in half and he moved his portion.

What are your thoughts on divorce?

Is it always wrong according to the Bible? Is it ever OK?

How do you see divorce being destructive?

Thoughts for our financial situation

Matthew 6:25-34

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Does anyone else think this relates to our current situation?

Fatherhood

Sometimes we can make our children's sports more of a priority than they should be.

"If I teach my son to keep his eye on the ball, but fail to teach him to keep his eyes on Christ, then I have failed him as a father."
Voddie Baucham

Questions for Brian McLaren

Brian McLaren continues to write books and speak on his ideas about post modern theology and ideology. A recent Christianity Today article by Scot McKnight shares positively about McLaren, but then asks some questions in three areas.

CLARITY, THE CROSS, THE KINGDOM AND THE CHURCH.

McKnight ask what is the problem with having some answers. What is the problem with clarity?

McKnight takes issue with McLaren's reducing the act and message of the cross to a protest against violence.

McKnight questions why McLaren emphasizes the kingdom of God without ever talking about the church as the agent God uses to initiate the kingdom.

I found the article quite fair and reasonable. These are questions that demand answers. McLaren cannot simply rewrite the message of the cross and expect that everyone is just supposed to fall in line or have no questions. I pray that McLaren would answer these "questions from a friend" and return to a sound doctrine and the whole message of the gospel.

Have you read McKnight's article?

Do you think that the questions that he is asking need to be answered or are they unimportant?

How should the church of today respond to McLaren and his writings and teaching?

God speaks

Is hip hop music angry in tone?

Sorry for the absence from posting. I have had a lot going on.

I came across an excellent conversation on between John McWhorter and Ta-Nahisi Coates that began by discussing hip hop music and then ventured into the role of race in our nation. I would highly suggest taking the time to listen if you are interested in the influence of hip hop music or on issues of race. You can find it here. I am a big fan of McWhorter's books and I found myself agreeing with a lot of what he said, but also found great insight from the perspective that Coates offered.

One of the points that McWhorter makes is that a key element or central ingredient to the genre of music that is hip hop is anger/rebellion/a sense of disrespect of authority. Because of that, he suggests that although it may express emotion it offers little in terms of solutions.

What do you think? Is hip hop music, at its roots, angry?