Homeless Misconceptions

I never thought homeless people could teach me significant lessons about myself, my faith, my prejudices, and how I view the world but as some of us had opportunity to get to know a few homeless people over the past month I found I was so wrong about this. It all started with the idea of giving coats to homeless people in Santa Cruz. Some of us collected coats and on a particular Saturday afternoon we drove over, parked and went in search of people in need.

Finding people without coats was relatively easy. On that first afternoon we were able to distribute many coats to both men and women; and they were very glad to receive these coats. After all, it’s been a very rainy season and many had wet clothes and were in need of dry things. But as we interacted with various people on the street, certain misconceptions which lay hidden in my soul began to push their way to the surface, finally bursting forth like sprouts through top soil.

One of my misconceptions was that, if a person is homeless, that person couldn’t possibly be following Jesus. Thus, we should help them in some tangible way so that through this help we might have a bridge~an opportunity~to share the gospel. I mean, being homeless cries out to us how these, these~people are in such obvious need of the gospel; and we need to tell it to them so they will trust Christ, with the result that they get off the streets and get a home like everybody else.

Now, I’m not sure why I thought this but I did. It seems in my view, having faith in Christ on the one hand and living in a home, whether rented or owned on the other, somehow was a mark of being a Christian~of having true faith. But as we interacted with homeless people, several asked if we were from the faith community. Others told us about other Christians who help them. One told us about how she had a Bible and used to read it but it had been ruined in the recent rains. And others spoke of attending some of the local area churches.

I was forced to ask myself where, in the Bible, having a home was put out as evidence that one is following Jesus? And I was forced to admit it isn’t there~anywhere ! And as I thought about this I was reminded of an old Rich Mullin song, He Did Not Have a Home. The song says Jesus did not have a home; and Jesus even said himself once how foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man had no place to lay His head. It’s in the gospels; and it hit me, like a ton of bricks how Jesus, while here on earth, went around for at least a part of His ministry as a homeless guy. In the face of it, I had to conclude how judging a persons standing with Jesus solely on whether they had a home or not was, well, not wise. If Jesus could be homeless and still be the Son of God then a person could be homeless and be following Jesus. This realization was freeing.

Another misconception I had about the homeless was about productivity. My misconception was, all homeless people are simply unproductive~making a habit of living off the productivity of society at large. I’ve seen many, many homeless people in my time, standing on street corners pan handling, pushing ‘borrowed’ shopping carts laden with clothes, bags and goods, sitting, standing or walking on the street as they passed by on their journey to nowhere. And I’ve said many times before, under my breath or to other people with me “Why don’t these people get a job?” After all, if they were productive they wouldn’t be homeless, right?

Well, during the course of a weekend talking to homeless people I discovered this thought pattern to be a huge misconception too. We gave a coat to one homeless guy and in return he gave me a web site address. The site is a site he set up to sell bracelets, anklets, and other body ornaments made from hemp rope, by him. And in return for a coat, he gave me a bracelet and showed us his stock of bracelets~several hundred of them~all hand made, hand dyed, hand tied. Some had glass beads imbedded and we found out he blows the glass himself. Wow, we said, that’s productivity!!

I mean, to make all those bracelets, anklets and other body ornaments took a lot of time and effort on his part~and to number and label all of them and to set up a web site to sell them and to develop this business requires every bit the productivity and discipline any other business requires; and yet, the guys homeless but the guy has a goal. His goal is to sell enough bracelets and anklets to buy a farm ’cause he likes living and working on farms.

As we learned these things, I could hear what sounded like a large limb or tree cracking and falling; and I realized it was the sound of my misconceptions being torn down and slammed to the ground under the gentle convicting hand of the Holy Spirit. For as these misconceptions pushed their way thru the top soil of my mind, I was brought face to face with just how judgmental I am, in an unrighteous sort of way~measuring people thru the grid of what I perceive as ‘righteous’~with any one from outside what I see as ‘right’ being suspect.

And I realized, I must change~for my attitudes just didn’t reflect Jesus at all !

NOW vs TEBOW~now, who’s intolerant? Really?

Rarely do I read an editorial that makes me want to stand up and cheer~but I just read one by Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins that did and I want to share it.

Jenkins is pro-choice (she says so plainly in her article). But she’s clearly upset at and in total disagreement with the National Organization for Women over their reaction to Tim Tebow’s Super Bowl ad, scheduled to air during this years Super Bowl. The ad, featuring Tim Tebow and his mom, tells the story of how doctors advised Mrs. Tebow to abort her baby due to significant medical risks to her when she found out she was pregnant and how she and her husband chose instead to carry her baby to term~and how Tim Tebow is the result.

Needless to say, the NOW leadership is having near seizures. How dare CBS allow an ad like this one to air? It’s so contrary to NOW’s likes. Pro choice~yes. But only the choices WE think should be made. But if the choice is one we disagree with then the typical ‘intolerant’ hype gets slung around at the head of the offenders.

Well, Sally Jenkins does some slinging of her own in “Tebow’s super bowl ad isn’t intolerant; it’s critics are”~and I find her verbal pugil fest quite refreshing !! I hope you do too, for this lady really knows how to say it, and say it good!!

Earthquakes and Sex Trade~a partnership from hell

I came across an article in USA today, sent out on Twitter by Mark Driscoll affirming what many fear~that the earthquake in Haiti joined with exploiters to perpetuate a trade long alive in Haiti~sex trafficking~and it launched me to ask a question~What do earthquakes and the sex trade have in common? Answer: Much in every way!

Both leave behind them rubble~earthquakes demolishing buildings, turning them to dust; the sex trade demolishing people, grinding them to powder.

Earthquakes often kill~suddenly and without warning, burying their victims under crushing loads of debris; the sex trade kills slowly, from the inside, crushing it’s victims dignity under the weight of slavery, violence and exploitation.

Earthquakes are a natural disaster, noticed by millions when they strike; sex slavery is a human disaster, noticed by few but felt by millions who are struck.

Earthquakes and sex trafficking have a lot in common~and in Haiti, earthquake and the sex trade forged a partnership from hell, as evil men and seducers take advantage of the natural disaster to perpetuate the human one.

But there is another tragedy under the surface of this one. Truth is:

Earthquakes cannot be prevented. They will be with us until the end of time. But the sex trade~trafficking in women and men~is preventable, and could be ended in our life time. But how?

The solution is simple, for as Sir Edmund Burke said long ago, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for enough good men (and women) to do nothing.”

Most of us can’t do much~but all of us can do something. For starters, read the article in USA Today which I referenced above.

Follow that up by following John Vaneks blog as he writes about human trafficking. John’s a friend of mine serving our community with the San Jose Police Department. As head of the anti-trafficking task force for the SJPD, John sees the serpents head of human trafficking up close, personally. He is a wealth of information~and desires to mobilize citizens to stand against this evil.

And then, plan to attend West Hills Community Church on February 28 as we focus on this greatest social justice issue of the 21st century. Jim Martin of International Justice Mission will be our speaker, and the topic? IJM’s work to end human trafficking.

From there, the rest is up to you. Most of us can’t do much but all of us can do something~and the little acts from the many grow large for the rescue of people and the end of human trafficking.

Funds on the fly~Haiti relief #2

After announcing the Haiti Relief Fund at church on January 17, gifts have been given to date totaling $4000, give or take; and so Brad and I researched organizations thru which we could channel funds. We wanted to send money through groups who had people on the ground in Haiti, who had good accountability in place, and who were doing vital work~and after considering several options, we settled on two groups.

The first is Loma Linda University, where David Puder studies medicine. LLU sent a medical team over after the earthquake, headed by Dr. Scott Nelson. Since this medical team, working in conjunction with Hospital Adventiste de Haiti in Port au Prince, is in country right now and is providing medical aid, including life saving surgeries, we sent $3000 in aid funds to them.

I also came across an organization while reading Mark Driscoll’s blog~Churches Helping Churches~and we have sent $1000 to them for Haiti relief. CHC  is committed to bring help to churches b y churches, and thus far has sent $200, 000 in medical supplies and other aid to Haiti. If you visit the CHC web site you can view three short video clips of Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald in Haiti, as they tell of the need for churches to help churches.

To give through the church make checks payable to West Hills Community Church and write Haiti Relief Fund on the memo line.

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith” Gal. 6: 10

Helping w/ Haiti Relief

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake which hit Haiti, helping with Haiti relief is on everyones mind.  We will be  taking offerings at West Hills Community Church and will funnel these funds through agencies  already on the  ground. To donate, make checks payable to West Hills Community Church and in the memo line  write “Haiti  Relief Fund”.

One good option for us is to send aid through the Loma Linda University relief fund, as they have doctors on the  ground in Haiti at this time who are directly involved in medical relief to many injured victims. Our contact with  LLU is through Dr. David Puder, who is a graduate of the Loma Linda medical school class of 2010 and a friend of many at West Hills. David sent an email appeal which gives some information about this opportunity.

For information on eleven other agencies involved in Haiti earthquake relief  click here.

Let’s pray, and act, as followers of Christ.

“Then the righteous will answer Him saying, “When did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you  drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you or naked and clothe you? And the King will answer, “Truly I say to you, as you did it to the least of these my brothers and sisters you did it to me!”

The Ministry of the Pew (or ‘Seats” since we don’t have ‘pews’)

While reading a new book I got, The Trellis and the Vine, I came across a new concept`The Ministry of the Pew’~the idea that as Jesus followers, we go to work when we enter church by being mindful of serving those around us. The concept is explained more fully in the article linked below~but basically explains that when I sit in church, part of the way to serve Jesus is to interact with, minister to, and serve those I sit close to. Hum, I thought, what a novel idea. If while sitting in church, we were to tune in to those close to us, and engage them more personally than small talk, the way we do church might be radically changed.

Maybe we can experiment with this at West Hills or at the church of your choice. So, click on the link, read the article and put what is said there into practice. And let me know the results. It just may be the Lord will do new things as we build one another up in love~on Sunday before and after morning worship.

The Briefing Library: Factotum #1: The Ministry of the Pew

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Confessions of a Book Addict

I have a confession to make. I’m ‘addicted’ to books as well as to reading~and have been for years. I mean right now, I’m working through three biographies, a book of letters, an historical novel, another novel and assorted books about Christian spirituality~and in the midst of these active reads, I’m tempted to drive to Barnes and Noble to buy a few more. After all, I’m purposing to finish at least three of these by the end of the year~a tall order. So the question is, how in the world did I get so hooked on books?

It happened like this. A long time ago when, in elementary school, my fourth grade teacher encouraged her students to join a book club. She did this as she taught us that those who read well and like it are able to travel all over the world, and even back in time, to any place or era they want to visit while never leaving their home. She added how for readers the world would be both larger and smaller~larger because as readers we would gain a broader view of it and smaller because we could bring events and lands far off very near. And she explained how we could even meet characters from history who lived before by simply reading their biographies. To her, the world of readers was a much richer world.

Now even in the fourth grade, riches~and living in a rich world~was desirable so I took her advise and along with several other fellow students, joined the book club. The way it worked was, every month an order form came out with multiple choices of books on various subjects. After looking over the choices we, the students, could choose one or all the titles appearing there, pay a small price for the books (they were paper backs in the ’60’s so were really cheap~I mean in those days gasoline was $.25 cents per gallon even) and in a few days, usually a week, said books would arrive at the school. Our teacher would then distribute the treasures to we who were eagerly waiting and away we went~reading ’til the next order form came out.

I would usually order three or four books at a time~one per week ’til the next order came~which is where my habit of buying multiple books at one time must have come from~and would try and have the books read within the month. This cycle lasted for about nine months, through the school year~and by the end, I was~you guessed it~a book addict~and I’m afraid I’ve been that way ever since. Even today I can’t pass up a good book; and as far as I know there is no cure in site~but then, even if there was I wouldn’t take it ’cause frankly, it’s a good addiction.

You see, I’ve discovered that what my teacher said so many years ago is very true. Good books DO enable one to travel to regions beyond. They DO enable one to meet all sorts of characters from history and fantasy. Good books enable one to experience events of the past on the page. Good literature DOES make the world both larger and smaller. And books are even better than movies cause in a book one is privilege both to the events in the story but also the very thoughts of the actors. Books entertain. Books enrich. Books equip. Books expand ones mind and horizons~and if they are of a certain nature they even bring glory to God, exalt Jesus Christ and equip those who have faith in Christ to know, love and serve Him more.

Yes, I’m addicted to good books and will be, I guess, until my eyes grow dim and I can’t read anymore or I quit this life and go home, to the city whose builder and maker is God. And truthfully, for all the benefits acquired through reading, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Do You Tweet?

In the early years serving as pastor at WHCC, I was not very savvy with computers or anything else electronic; and it took a few friends~John Bynum, Scott Sherratt and Mark Scianna~to convince me how computers would revolutionize my life. The result~I got a computer and, presto, chango, my life was revolutionized (almost like conversion). And this started the proverbial ‘down hill slide’ as I feared, being drawn into the vortex of~you guessed it~cyber space~and it’s been quite the metamorphosis ever since.

In the years since, I have moved from a desktop PC, to a Dell laptop, to a Macbook, to an iPhone, and so forth. And of course, one can’t possess technology like this without using it to communicate. That, too, has been a journey~from email to following internet forums, to blogging (which I said to myself at one point I would never do) to MySpace, to it’s cleaner, more decent alternative~Face Book. After all this, though, I said to myself that something had to be done~the ‘down hill slide’ had to cease~I had to deliver myself from the techno madness that had taken me over.

With the advent of Twitter I said to myself, ‘Ah, this is where the buck stops. I’ll never tweet ! I mean, tweeting doesn’t even sound manly. I have to resist the urge, making sure never to be birdy.” And I did resist~for a while. But then, I kept seeing Twitter links  on web sites; and tweets from folks in my arena posted to Face Book; and heard how easy it is to tweet~even from my iPhone~until finally, I discovered I just couldn’t, wouldn’t, resist the tractor beam of the tweet. And so now, I have laid aside my manly dispositions and started acting like a birdy~tweeting with all the rest.

So do you tweet? Ya know, it’s really not that bad. I must admit, since I started tweeting, I feel~well~addicted like any other good cyber addict to the latest communication craze. I’ve been humbled because I caved~but I also have one more way to consume my time while staying connected. For after all, this IS the 21st century ya know; and we have to be children of our times, right? Well, sometimes we do (www.twitter.com/birch2u).

How do Works Relate to Salvation?

One question people commonly have in churches is stated above: How do works relate to salvation? As I think on this question, the simple answer is, ” Works will not save a person but without works no one will be saved.”  Isn’t that a contradiction? How in the world does that work? It works simply.

We know from the New Testament that God’s salvation is by grace, through faith, apart from works. Passages such as Romans 4: 1-5 and Ephesians 2: 8-9 make this clear. However, we also see how true faith produces good works (Galatians 5: 6; Ephesians 2: 10; Titus 2: 14); and that works produced because of faith bring faith to completion (James 2: 21-25).

Putting the two truths about works together, it is clear that Jesus and the apostles held works done to gain salvation in a different light than works done as a result of trust in God. The former depend on what we can offer to God and cannot save, for they are not mixed with faith in Jesus. The latter are a part of salvation in the sense that they are the outflow of true faith in Jesus.

The question then becomes, why do I do the works I do? And what do I trust for salvation? If I trust my works to save me I will surely be lost. If I trust Christ to save me, and do works because I want to please Him, Christ saves me and the works are the evidence of this.

I develop this further in the article Is Obedience to Jesus Works Righteousness? Check it out.

On Owning Christ and Suffering Well: Samuel Rutherford

I don’t usually write letters to those who hold public office. They live in their world and I live in mine and I’m content with that. But this was not the case in the past. Pastors often wrote magistrates, governors, kings and presidents; and often, the content of their letters called their recipients to serious reflection on their responsibility before God. One such letter was written by Samuel Rutherford to a Mr. John Osburn, Provost of Ayr, on March 14, 1637.

The letter speaks to me, not so much that I should be more involved in the political system, but that I should be involved with those holding public office when possible in order to influence them for Christ. May God grant grace to be more proactive in this, for the good of the nation, state or city, that Jesus might be glorified.

But it speaks to me in another way too. Samuel Rutherford’s was banished from preaching in his church in Anwoth in September, 1636 and forced to live, against his will, in the primarily Roman Catholic town of Aberdeen until sometime in 1638; and as appears in this letter, he suffered well. He states in this letter how he kisses and embraces Christ’s cross, and this same theme is found in many of the letters written to friends during this time.

What was the key to Rutherford’s suffering well? It was Christ~intimacy with and dependence upon Christ as the source of his joy and strength. He was truly a man who could say, as John Bunyan said, that he learned to “live upon God, who is invisible”. His sustenance during this trial was supernatural~and communion with Christ saw him through until he was finally set at liberty.

Rutherford’s letter is below. He wrote:

Much honored Sir~Grace, mercy and peace be to you—Upon our small acquaintance and the good report I hear of you, I could not but write to you. I have nothing to say but that Christ, in that honorable place He has put you in, has entrusted you with a dear pledge, which is his glory; and has armed you with His sword to keep the pledge, and make a good account of it to God.

Be not afraid of men. Your Master can mow down His enemies and make withered hay of fair flowers. Your time will not be long; after your afternoon will come your evening and after evening night. Serve Christ. Back Him; let His cause be your cause; give not a hair-breadth of truth away; for it is not yours but God’s. Then, since you are going, take Christ’s testimony with you out of this life–”Well done, good and faithful servant!” His ‘well done’ is worth a ship full of “good-days”,  and earthly honors.

I have cause to say this because I find Him truth itself. In my sad days, Christ laughs cheerfully and says “All will be well”. Would to God that all this kingdom [speaking of Scotland] and all that know God, knew what is between Christ and me in this prison–what kisses, embracements and love communion! I take His cross in my arms with joy; I bless it, I rejoice in it. Suffering for Christ is my garland. I would not exchange Christ for ten thousand worlds ! No, if the comparison could stand, I would not exchange Christ with heaven.

Sir, pray for me, and the prayers and blessing of  prisoner of Christ meet you in all your straits. Grace be with you.