Tag Archive for 'Poverty'

Give Until It Hurts

Published
by
Michael Clary
on May 16, 2008
in Finance, Poverty and Simple Life
. 0 Comments

If every Christian is called to be generous with their resources, how much should we give? To what extent should we sacrifice?

I am reading Tim Keller’s book Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road and he offers a helpful principle. “Be sure that your giving cuts into your own lifestyle so that the burden of the needy falls on you.” He is essentially arguing that if your giving habits do not alter your lifestyle in someway, you aren’t giving enough yet. You should give until you feel pinched.

He also quotes another book by Thomas Gouge, who said that “the poor have a right unto part of thine estate.” God supplies some of us with abundance so that we can steward it properly by giving to meet others needs. Gouge says that the poor man’s bread rots in my cupboard, the poor man’s clothes hangs useless in my closet, and the poor man’s gold rusts in my treasure chest.

What dollar amount out of your monthly income causes you to feel squeezed?

This would need to be determined by each person’s conscience, according to Keller. Are we squeezed when it forces fewer meals out in restaurants? Are we squeezed when we buy a higher mileage used car instead of a new car?

This is convicting for me, because I can force myself to squeeze when OPEC and the Saudi’s want more oil money to waste in Dubai by charging me $4 a gallon for gas, but did I squeeze myself enough for my poor neighbors down the street?

Noisy Worship Music

Published
by
Michael Clary
on May 9, 2008
in Everything is Backwards and Worship Leading
. 0 Comments

When your church gathers for worship, what are you really doing? If you truly want to worship, then you should be giving ascent to the things God says are important.

What, then, are the things God really wants to see from you when you gather for worship? Does he want to see good musicians and a talented vocalists? Does he want to hear skillful arrangements and prayers laced with tender piano music, led by an up and coming worship leader with diving board hair?

If you have a kick-butt worship band, and everybody comes and raises their hands and sings out really loud, and the offering plate is overflowing, and everybody is having a great time… if you have all of this but your church does not have any sort of outreach to the poor, needy, broken, psychologically troubled, physically handicapped, or the otherwise down-and-out, and your church favors the affluent, pretty, smart, creative, educated, white, sophisticated, and/or the otherwise resourceful and well-to-do…

Your worship music will suck.

Amos 5:23-24

Take away from me the noise of your songs;

to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Worship is primarily theological and secondarily musical. If you have great music but a man-centered, do it yourself, I’m OK and you’re OK bankrupt theology, God doesn’t want to hear it.

Try This Recipe for Relating to the Haitian Poor

Published
by
Michael Clary
on May 8, 2008
in Poverty
. 0 Comments

Mud Cookie: Dirt, Vegetable Oil, and Salt.

 

BVOTD #14: The Homeless Man is Your Boss

Published
by
Michael Clary
on May 7, 2008
in Everything is Backwards and Poverty
. 0 Comments

Backwards Verse of the Day: Luke 22:25-30

Since Jesus was going around announcing his Kingdom to everyone, the natural questions started to arise among his followers. Who will be the chief of staff? Who will be the Press Secretary? Communications Director? Secretary of State? Who will be VP?

Its hard to run a kingdom alone and his disciples knew that when Jesus’ kingdom is fulfilled he’d need to surround himself with the right personnel. Naturally, then, they wondered: “Who is the greatest?” This is not a school-yard conversation between bullies. This was a legitimate question to ask when one expects to be in the inner circle of a revolutionary new king.

This is how Jesus answers the question:Pensive Homeless Man

And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

This was at the heart of Jesus’ kingdom message. The poor, outcast, the hungry, servants, lowly, needy, the homeless, and so on are the best qualified in God’s kingdom to be the Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the House, etc. God’s Kingdom is not like the “Gentiles” who demonstrate power and authority via harsh rule; God’s kingdom is ruled by service, humility, and kindness to those in need.

The homeless man who doesn’t have a dime to his name but spends cold winter nights in an urban shelter, going to a store front church because that’s the only place that will accept him — he may be your boss in the Kingdom.