To Consolidate or not to Consolidate

...is not the real question.

To be sure, it's an important question, but it's a secondary question. In my opinion, the primary question is the same one that Cain asked God as a response to God's question, "Where is Abel your brother?" Cain's response: "Am I my brother's keeper?" This is a question that needs to be asked as we as Memphis voters consider this decision.

I admit that I am not very into politics, and I realize that there is a lot that I do not know. But the more I learn, the more I am convinced that we, especially those of us in our county who consider ourselves to be followers of Christ, need to ask this question. How responsible are we to one another? How responsible are we to those children in our city who do have anyone taking responsibility for them? The answer to questions like these will determine how we make decisions in regards to an issue like this one.

The Commercial Appeal has a great section devoted to this issue on their website. One of the most helpful is this chart. It's very telling.

Amos Story - Pt 2

Just watched this video again. Reminded me of one of the best quotes from the conference.

Aaron Ivey: Adoption is one of the clearest pictures of the Gospel that we have.

Think about that as you read these lyrics. Then watch the video again.

I'll find a way to get you here

If it takes my fleeting breath

Another sunrise hits the ground

And it's a dark lonely sight

Light years away I hope you know

There is somebody searching

For the way to get you here

Close your eyes and dream

Of a better day with me

As angels hold you tight,

May you sleep in peace tonight

Amos Story

Reflection from Verge - Day 3

The final day of the Verge conference was a memorable one. A couple of highlights of the day: First up was Aaron Ivey's music and story. He and his band played one of their house shows. Their music is terrific (I just bought their album off emusic), but it was their story that made the biggest impact. Part of the goal of their house concerts is to raise awareness of the need for adoption, especially in Haiti. For over two years he and his wife were trying to adopt a little boy named Amos from Haiti. They were finally able to bring him home two weeks ago. You can read more of the story on Aaron's blog, and below is a local news story.




Francis Chan was up next, and spoke on the topic of suffering. Suffering is all throughout the Scriptures, yet we are surprised when we experience it. Chan said that we have this backwards: we ought to be surprised (and worried) if we're not experiencing it. After he spoke the band came back up and led worship, then Matt Carter came up, and honestly shared that he wasn't sure what should happen next. It was time for break-out sessions to begin, but he gave permission to stay and continue seeking God. He sat down. Silence, then one by one, different people began shouting out the praises of our God. Later the band came back up and led us in a wonderful time of worshiping through singing. It was one of those moments where you're reminded that the psalmist said it best, that the nearness of God is my good (Ps. 73:28).

This moment, and the ones following, encapsulated what I appreciated most about this conference. The leaders were humble and dependent on God. Sure they were stumbling around at times, but when God is moving, that's the best posture to have. I am so glad that we got to go to Verge. I know that God is continuing to work what we experienced into the life of our church. So grateful for that!

The Effects of a Broken Spirit

A spiritual goal I have for 2010 is to read through the entire Bible. This is something that I've never attempted, and am I excited by the challenge. I'm using this reading plan. Yesterday I was getting caught up after missing a couple of days, and came across a verse that I had never read before. It's from Exodus 6, which begins the back and forth dialog between God and Pharoah, with Moses as middle man.

In verse 2 God begins speaking his Father's heart for his people. He reminds Moses of the covenant that he established with them. He says that he has heard his people's groans as a result of their slavery, and he is going to redeem them. They will be his people and he will be their God. So Moses relays this message to the people, but verse 9 says that they did not listen.

You would think that if any message would cause you to listen, it would be this one. The Father's heart is on display. We see his passion and pursuit for his people, yet they don't listen. But the passage isn't over, and it's the remainder of verse 9 that spoke to me so powerfully. We learn here that there is a reason that they didn't listen. It's not because of their rebellious ways. It's not because they don't think God knows what he's talking about.

Verse 9 says that they didn't listen "because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery."

Here's what I felt God saying to me. I don't know what it's like to have a broken spirit, especially one that comes as a result of harsh slavery, or, really, any other kind of injustice. Because of this, I need to have a special compassion for those who have, and I need to seek understanding on what they are going through. It's difficult for me to understand how someone could not be captured by this message, but perhaps that's because I don't know the powerful effects that a broken spirit can have on a person.

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness (Ephesians 6:12). These forces that Paul is talking about impact lives more than we realize. It's a scary thing. But here's the good news. We have someone fighting for us. In this passage God moves from Loving Father to Just Redeemer. He fights for his people. And the rest of the good news: He wins!

I am thankful that God fights for my soul, and I want to join that fight for the souls of others.

Oreos and Government Spending

Shane Claiborne showed this video tonight at CCDA. Any thoughts?