once upon a time, on april 4, i drove from birmingham to atlanta. when it came time to turn in for the night, i took residence on ragamuffin soul’s and whittaker woman’s couch.
i went into a back room to make a call, turned on the light, and saw this.
ummm….?
ok, not really.
but i am going on a blogging strike.
ok, not really.
but i did want to remind you that two beautiful girls, BOTH GIRLS HAVE BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU! agena and richenette are living in the midst of the crisis in haiti right now.
they’ve also been waiting for sponsors for over six months.
i keep reading how people are “thinking” about sponsorship. um, now is the time to do something. yup, i’m talking to you.
that is all. carry on.
thanks again for sponsoring appeson so quickly!
in addition to releasing agena (below) and richenette (below, below) from poverty by sponsoring them (**THEY STILL NEED SPONSORS**), you can also take another step to make a difference in haiti right now!
kenyon emailed me and suggested that we contact our state representatives to ask them to provide relief and aid to haiti.
he wrote:
I just wanted you to know that I just sent an email to my elected representative urging them to take action on the issue of Haiti. I understand that the church should do something as well and I pray that it will rise up. But I feel at this time the situation is so desperate that the government would be best suited for sending food and troops to help with its distribution.
you can do that online by clicking here.
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let’s meet agena!
Agena lives with her father and her mother. Her duties at home include caring for animals, helping in the kitchen and cleaning. There are 3 children in the family. Her father is sometimes employed as a farmer and her mother is sometimes employed as a farmer.
Singing, playing with dolls and hide-and-seek are Agena’s favorite activities. In pre-school her performance is average and she also regularly attends church activities.
Your love and support will help Agena to receive the assistance she needs to develop her potential. Please pray for her.
This child has been waiting for a sponsor for more than six months. Credit card payment is required to ensure that this child’s wait ends today. Help make a difference in the life of this child, who is anxiously waiting for a sponsor.
Agena lives in the mountainous community of Macieux, home to approximately 3,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of wood and have corrugated iron roofs. The most commonly spoken languages are Creole and French.
The regional diet consists of maize, beans, chicken, bread and rice. Common health problems in this area include worms, typhoid, coughs and fever. Most adults in Macieux are unemployed but some work as subsistence farmers and earn the equivalent of $21 per month. The community needs employment opportunities, schools and qualified teachers.
Your sponsorship allows the staff of the Macieux Child Development Center to provide Agena with Bible teaching, health education, recreational activities, educational classes, scholastic materials and uniforms. The center staff will also provide community service projects, meetings and educational workshops for the parents or guardians of Agena.
AGENA HAS BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU! CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR AGENA RIGHT NOW!
**please do not click the ?select this child? button on that page unless you are sure you want to sponsor him (as that will make his page unavailable for at least an hour, and someone else might miss a providential opportunity).**
appeson was sponsored within minutes. so, why stop now? there are now sixteen children from haiti who are waiting for sponsors, and have been waiting over six months.
meet richenette. she is nine years old and she needs a male figure in her life…could you (if you’re a guy) or your husband (if you’re a gal) help be that for her?
In her home, Richenette helps by carrying water and helping in the kitchen. She lives with her mother. Her mother is sometimes employed as a farmer. There are 2 children in the family.
Playing with dolls, jumping rope and playing group games are Richenette’s favorite activities. In primary school her performance is average and she also regularly attends church activities and youth group.
Richenette lives in the mountainous community of Damas, home to approximately 1,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of wood and have corrugated tin roofs. The primary ethnic group and language is Creole.
The regional diet consists of maize, beans, chicken, bread, rice and yams. Common health problems in this area include fever and coughs. Most adults in Damas are unemployed but some work as subsistence farmers and earn the equivalent of $22 per month. This community needs qualified teachers, scholastic materials and employment opportunities.
Your sponsorship allows the staff of Damas Child Development Center to provide Richenette with Bible teaching, health education, medical care, recreational activities, academic support and scholastic materials. The center staff will also provide educational workshops for the parents or guardians of Richenette.
RICHENETTE HAS BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU! click here to go to richenette’s sponsorship page.
**please do not click the ?select this child? button on that page unless you are sure you want to sponsor him (as that will make his page unavailable for at least an hour, and someone else might miss a providential opportunity).**
please understand that i seriously over analyze everything – especially words. i’m from the belief that words shape everything, so their importance is paramount.
with that disclaimer in tact, please let me say…
every time i hear the words “worship was off the hook tonight” (and not merely because they said “off the hook”…we’ll save that 80s catch phrase for a later discussion) or “i can’t wait to worship this weekend” i literally feel my stomach do this awkward knotting up thing.
i truly wonder if as a modern day church culture we are reshaping the true meaning of worship with our words…which then leads us to reshape the true meaning of worship in our lives.
and honestly, i think we take this issue too lightly. i know i’m not the first to bring it up or wonder about it. but within our own church bubble, we almost repeatedly chant, “we know worship is a lifestyle…we know worship is a lifestyle…”
do we? do we really?
god does not take empty worship, or even ceremonial worship, lightly. when i was working on my book, i studied a lot about the different forms of sacrifice and their meanings. it is almost spooky how old testament sacrifices parallel to the things we say today.
amos 5:21-22 says,
“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.?
burnt offerings were a sacrifice that said “i’m giving everything to you.” it was the only offering that nobody ate afterward. the entire animal was consumed by fire (devotion, dedication) and the smoke offered to the heavens (offering upward to god).
the israelites said they were completely dedicated to god. they sacrificed entire animals in order to prove it. but god saw their hearts. and he would have none of it.
how often do we say “god, take all of me?” but it’s just because we feel like we need to say that?
empty worship. god sees it.
micah 6:8 defines what god requires for true worship of him.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
how many times do we get this backwards?
step 1: get people to a weekend service.
step 2: encourage them to “feel” the song.
step 3: inspire their hearts to fully unite and engage with the father’s love for others.
the heart comes before the words. before the song. and well before the weekend service.
::edit:: nathan points us to this incredible song by jon foreman that was just put up today that addresses the same issue.
i had a great phone call with my agent yesterday and we are discussing what book comes after mad church disease.
obviously you guys are the smartest people i know, so go ahead.
what book needs to be written? what book is missing?
when i was in birmingham last weekend, i met a lovely gal named crystal. we were eating lunch at a fabulous little place called brio and talking about her church.
“i love going to church,” she said. “it makes me SO uncomfortable. like wiggle-in-your-seat uncomfortable.”
can i tell you how much my heart smiled when she said that?
our society is addicted to comfort. and when church is comfortable, it merely blends in with the rest of society. what makes it stand out? are we only providing help and support and leaving out the uncomfortable aspects of holiness and the gospel?
when it comes to a weekend church experience, how is your church planning to challenge people? yes, you should make everyone feel welcome…but there is a HUGE difference between feeling welcome and being comfortable.
i have a post over at deadly viper today…
just so ya know.
it starts,
I put God to the test.A lot.
And it?s weird how often he comes through?
one of the FAQs i have gotten about compassion international is “how does it work?”
the answer is actually one of the biggest reasons i heart compassion. they ONLY work through local churches. you will not see compassion’s logo on projects or americans running the show. only nationals and only the local church.
i stole this from shaun to help explain.
Compassion ALWAYS works through the local church. All care provided to children and their families comes through the local church in that family?s community. Compassion believes it is the responsibility of the Church to care for the poor and caring for the poor through the local church allows children and their families to not only have their physical needs met but also puts them in close proximity to people who can help meet their spiritual needs as well.