Community 4:12

Love One Another. Just as I have loved you.

Day 13 of CCC's 21 Day Bible Challenge.  John 13.

John 13: 34 - 35  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:  just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Father in Heaven, if only we humans whom you have entrusted this world to would do this.  You dreamed of a world filled with love . . . not hatred or competition or envy or strive.  Forgive us for what we have done to your world.  Forgive me for my contribution to your broken world.  Help me to love the way you love.  Wipe all pride and judgement and selfishness from my heart.  Eliminate the rascism and prejudice that keeps me from truly loving my neighbors.

By this all people will know you are my disciple, if you have love for one another.

Reassurance

"Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway."--John 20:29.

I wonder if this verse provided any reassurance or comfort for Mother Teresa in her times of feeling separated from God.  It does me!

We Lost, But Somehow God Will Win

Today, the people of Aurora spoke (or at least a small percentage who came out to vote).  They said "no" to the schools, the kids, the health of the community.  The referendum did not pass - - -preliminary results show we lost about 37% to 63%.  Not even close.  A big group of us crowded into the District 131 Service Center tonight hopeful and praying that the community would vote for a positive future.  We left with tears in our eyes, but more determined than ever to not let the 13,000 children in East Aurora down.  It is impossible to imagine how the district will survive without the funds the referendum would have brought in.  But I am holding tight to Hebrews 11:6:  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek him.”  I have to believe that God has a plan for the city of East Aurora that we just do not understand.  I know He loves those children no less than the children of Naperville, yet they seem to be up against incredible odds.  Lord, what role do you have for us to play in your beautiful plan?  We are eager and ready to fight the battle you lay before us.  Just guide our every step, because without you, it does seem hopeless.

Lord's Prayer for Justice

Thanks to Josh Jackaway for sharing this with me today.  I don't know the author and have shortened it slightly, but it is powerful!

"Our Father who always stands with the weak, the powerless, the poor, the abandoned, the sick, the aged . . . Who art in heaven where everything will be reversed, where the first will be last and the last will be first . . .Hallowed be thy name may the reverence we give your name pull us out of the selfishness that prevents us from seeing the pain of our neighbor . . .Your kingdom come help us to create a world where we will do justice, love tenderly, and walk humbly with you and each other . . .Your will be done may the complete mutuality that characterizes your life flow through our veins so we may radiate equal love for all and your special love for the poor . . .On earth as it is in heaven so that the joy, graciousness, tenderness, and justice of heaven will show forth within all of our structures on earth . .. Give help us realize that we must give to the poor, not because they need it, but because our own health depends upon our giving to them . . .Us the truly plural us, including those who are very different than the narrow us . . .This day not tomorrow.  Do not let us push things off into some indefinite future so that we can continue to live justified lives in the face of injustice because we make good excuses for our inactivity . . .Our daily bread so that each person in the world may have enough.  Teach us to give from our sustenance and not just from our surplus . . . And forgive us our trespasses our blindness toward our neighbor, our self-preoccupation, our racism, our sexism, and our incurable propensity to worry only about ourselves and our own . . . As we forgive those who trespass against us those who victimize us, our imperfect parets and systems that wounded, cursed, and ignored us . . .And do not put us to the test do not judge us only by whether we have fed the hungry, given clothing to the naked, visited the sick, or tried to mend the systems that victimized the poor.  Spare us this test for none of us can stand before your gospel scrutiny.  Give us, instead, more days to mend our ways, our selfishness, and our systems . . .But deliver us from evil that is, from the blindness that lets us continue to participate in anonymous systems within which we need not see who gets less as we get more.  Amen."

Why Do You Think?

I'm stumped.  Here at CCC in the past few weeks we have had some awesome and challenging teaching based on Matthew 25 . . . you know, the "sheep & the goats, the feed the hungry, clothe the naked" passage.  I can't really imagine how much more direct our teaching team could have been in reminding Christ-followers of our obligation to be involved with the poor---both through financial giving and through personal interactions with them.  We provided a whole list of very concrete ways people could take a first step.  I was listed as the contact person for people to get in touch with to take that first step.  In a church of 5,000, I have heard from a whopping 15 or 20 people.  I am sure there is a group of people who are still really praying about and grappling with what step to take.  But I'm guessing that is not the case for the majority of people.  So, tell me, what do you think it will take to inspire people to get involved?  (Bill, this is your cue to rant!)

Amazing Grace at Warehouse

A few of us from CCC went this morning to visit Warehouse Church in downtown Aurora.  It is a church known for its outreach to the homeless, addicted, impoverished, and otherwise marginalized.  Pastor Randy Schoof has been a real inspiration to me for his tireless commitment to trying to unify God's church in Aurora.

It was a great experience seeing him "in action."  There were the expected differences between Warehouse and CCC--much less structured and much longer service and a different clientele.  But the most surprising thing to me was the message focus.  After the first hour, the kids were dismissed for "Children's Church" (and my own kids shocked me by just jumping up and joining the others to run downstairs!).  Then Randy devoted the next hour to speaking about and showing clips from the movie coming out Feb. 23rd-- Amazing Grace.  It is about anti-slavery pioneer William Wilberforce, whose faith inspired his drive to fight for justice.

With passion and conviction, Randy spoke about our responsibility as Christians to attack the injustices of society today as Wilberforce did in his day.  The topic itself was not surprising.  What struck me was that Randy was giving this talk to a church make up at least in part of poor and oppressed people.  He made it clear that whether we have the resources or not, Jesus calls us ALL to help change the world. 

Randy ended with the challenge from Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." I left Warehouse this morning totally inspired to see the movie . . . and to help change the world!

God at Work in Aurora

I got this incredible email tonight from Stacey Ciullo, the amazing volunteer who leads our ESL class in Aurora on Monday nights. 

When I got to class last night, one of my students was there waiting for me, and she told me that something horrible had happened.  She said that she saw that boy get shot on Saturday as she was driving.  She's been having a very tough time because about a year ago, her son was shot and killed by gang members as well. 

Well I had my Spanish/English bible with me at the time, and I just started reading verses to her about not worrying and that all you need to worry about is making yourself open to what God has to say to you. 

Then for the Bible Lesson, I handed out that Psalm 21 pass out to everyone, and we read it..first in Spanish so they can understand everything, and then in English, and I told them why I wanted to do that for a Bible lesson (in light of all of the recent violence in Aurora).  So that was pretty powerful because it just opened up a great conversation amongst the whole class about what we, as God's community, can do to transform Aurora by being lights of the world (which we have done a Bible Lessson on), and then one student actually brought up the Bible lesson about the mustard seed, saying that with that we can move mountains (or make a difference in Aurora).  So it was a really good thing.  Last week, I asked everyone if they might be interested in starting an ESL bible study, and I didn't really feel like I got much of a response, but last night, all of the students said that they would be interested.  So please just pray about that that we can go in God's intended direction with that and that His blessing be upon it.  I figured we could do this one bilingual, because I want them to be able to learn some English also while learning about the Bible, but I don't want a language barrier to hinder them from understanding the Bible.

If this is not an example of God working through someone, I don't know what is.  Thank you, Stacey, for going way above and beyond your role and letting God use you to change these women's lives. 

Is God Sorry Today?

With the new year, I have started a fresh read through the Bible.  Can't say I am going to do it in 90 days like some CCC attenders are doing, but I am starting at Genesis and reading through.  Today I read something that I don't remember from previous readings.  Genesis 6:5-7  "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  And the Lord said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land . . . for I am sorry that I have made them.'"  And then comes the famous Noah and Ark story.  What struck me today was the "I am sorry that I have made them" statement.  I had never considered that God might regret creating human beings that would choose to be sinful.  I couldn't help but wonder if God has any of those same feelings today, as he sees the famine and poverty and war and hatred that we humans have allowed to fill so much of our planet.  Reading this made me even more motivated to work for and with God to bring a piece of heaven to earth.  I want to be someone who makes God proud of his creation.

Reflections

New Year's Day.  Always kind of a hard day for me.  Many people I suspect approach the new year with eager anticipation about "new beginnings."  This is one day, though, when my "glass half empty" approach to life is hard to hide.  On this day, my mind just naturally goes to reflecting on all my "failures" as a wife, mother, friend, Christ-follower, ministry leader.  And while I may try to resolve to do things differently in the coming year, I know the reality is that at this time next year, I will be battling the same demons.  I so resonate with Paul in Romans 7:19 "For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want."  I know these thoughts are Satan trying to beat me down and deflect me from focusing on the work I know God has called me to.  So, I will try not to let my mind dwell there long.  That's why I always make myself write out a list of "questions and curiosities" I have about the coming year.  It is then fun to go back at the end of the year and see how last year's questions were answered.  My favorite question to answer is always my last one . . .How is God going to show up in my life this year?  In 2006, He revealed himself to me in Africa in some pretty powerful ways.  Where will He choose to appear this year?

Lessons from Job

I was reading Job this morning and chapter 2 ends with verse 13: So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.  This is describing the response of Job's 3 friends when they saw his pain after the many tragedies Satan had inflicted upon him.  It reminded me of an experience I had in Rwanda this summer when we visited a genocide memorial.  The experience became so overwhelming that I started to cry.  A native Rwandan who didn't speak any English came up to me and held me.  She then took my hand and escorted me to a room where she sat beside me for at least 15 minutes . . . never saying a word.  She then gave my hand a squeeze and got up and left.  That was a very powerful lesson for me . . . sometimes we work so hard to comfort people with our "wise, caring words," when really the greatest comfort we can bring is just to be with someone and let our undivided presence alone be enough.