The Watsonian
random musings of theology, culture, politics & everything elseJust a reminder
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I am what I criticize
I have a problem.
I put up witty quotes on Twitter, put links out there about justice issues & make a big fuss about the modern day church and their lack of care for the poor.
but I don’t do anything in my personal life to change this.
I am not digging deep into this problem to figure out the root.
Do I think that its bad to do all the things I listed above? no, but when that’s all I do, then I shouldn’t do anything.
If I am not getting down to the grassroots level and seeing poverty face to face. When I am not going to the orphans & widows and offering help, love & encouragement. When I am not personally feeding the hungry, giving water to the thristy and protecting the innocent, I am not doing my job. If I am not looking into the eyes of those who need redemption & rescue.
I can clang and clamor. I can yell from the rooftops. I can preach till I am blue in the face. But if I am not actually DOING something, then that’s all junk.
So I am going to try to balance my life. Less talk about justice. More doing & seeking of justice locally and globally. Less talk about helping the poor. More going to our local homeless shelter and feeding the poor. Less talk about the church doing nothing. More of participating in what the church is already doing in helping those in poverty.
thanks for the introduction Anne Jackson!
Olivier and I
Meet Olivier.
Olivier lives on the plains of Dimansa in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in Africa and in the world.
Olivier is only 8 years old.
Yet, he is responsible for caring for children and running errands.
According to Compassion, “most of the adults in Dimansa are unemployed but some work as subsistence farmers and earn the equivalent of $35 per month.”
Thanks to Anne Jackson, I was introduced to Olivier today.
And I want to give you the opportunity to meet your own Olivier.
Go to compassion.com and sponsor a child.
Its only $37 a month.
Thats probably how much you spend on coffee every week from St. Arbucks.
And you can have the pleasure of meeting your own Olivier from around the world.
what’s the most important in Scripture
abortion? homosexuality?
I cannot picture Jesus barricading himself in a church building with ‘Yes on 8′ posters all around Him, because what it basically says to that community is ‘go to hell’
God is not a white man
White Man by The Michael Gungor Band
God is not a man
God is not a white man
God is not a man sitting on a cloud
God cannot be bought
God will not be boxed in
God will not be owned by religion
But God is love, God is love, and He loves everyone
God is love, God is love, and He loves everyone
God is not a man
God is not an old man
God does not belong to Republicans
God is not a flag
Not even American
And God does not depend on a government
But God is good, God is good, and He loves everyone
God is good, God is good, and He loves everyone
Atheists and Charlatans and Communists and Lesbians
And even old Pat Robertson, oh God He loves us all
Catholic or Protestant, Terrorist or President
Everybody, everybody, love, love, love, love, love
the Kingdom of God is like…
15 students giving up their time to pack backpacks to handout to those with less in a few weeks
15 students giving up their Friday & Saturday nights to spend time at our local children’s shelter
15 students taking money they earned over the summer and giving it to those in the community
15 students making a video for a friend that is in Afghanistan & away from his wife and son
15 students eating together, dreaming together & working together to be subversive agents of hope in our community.
that’s the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven.
Just a little word after insideOut last night, the teens & students that are part of InsideOut, you guys are living the kingdom and I am so proud of all that you are doing!
blessed are the peacemakers…
sometimes it seems that violence and oppression run rampant in our world.
some headlines from this week in my local newspaper (the Atlanta Journal Constitution):
Police: Man kills wife, grandson and himself
Pro Boxer Vernon Forrest fatally shot in Atlanta
Man beaten to death in lot outside Phillies’ park
violence pervades & invades our culture. when you have a problem, the answer is violence. within the wisdom of our national, state, city and family leaders, the solution to violence on our streets, neighboorhoods, etc. is more violence. revenge has an eager appetite.
but God’s kingdom, God’s will, calls us to a higher standard. Jesus said on the sermon on the mount, ‘blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons (children) of God.’ Now if we look at the historical context, we know that Jesus’ words were radical. The Jewish people were looking for a powerful revolutionary, one that would reverse the rule of Rome through force and power. And the messiah they got was one of compassion and love. One who invited them into a whole new way of life, a whole new creation.
So what does that mean with the violence and headlines that show that the world is literally going to ‘hell in a handbasket’?
It means that we are supposed to live this peace. That we proclaim that Jesus is making a better world, a better way. That we proclaim peace when others yell ‘war.’ That our first answer is to look for a non-violent response. That we provide opportunities for violence to be less prevalent in our own lives and in our own communities. How many murderers would not have turned out that way if there was somebody who stopped them when they were younger and just mentored them? How much violence would be stopped if mom and dads began to love each other and their families? What would the world look like if people really believed that Jesus was raised from the dead?
‘they will beat their swords into plowshares’
the things that were once used for violence can began to create something useful, something beautiful.
what’s most important?
so here we go, so random coffee-induced Sunday morning thoughts as I am sitting on my couch listening to Robbie Seay Band’s album “Give Yourself Away” (great album by the way)
-Posed this question on Twitter earlier this morning and wanted to put it on here,
“as ldrs, do we encourage people to invite others to church or do we encourage people to live the Kingdom daily? Which do we emphasize more?“
So what do you think, what do we do more? which is more important? by our words and actions, which do we show is more important?
I can speak from experience, and I may be the only one out here that has done this, that my words and actions speak that I believe church attendance is more important than serving the poor, pursuing justice, living authentic worship, etc. That I believe in a hierarchy in my daily life. That someone that speaks from a pulpit has more influence on my friends lives than I do. That somebody with a Masters of Divinity from a upper crust seminary has more insight into the brokenness of the people around me than I who live among them everyday. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that the church exists to partner with Christ followers to show people a better way, but when we just rely on the church to show them this way, our friends will just not get it. Just a thought…
giving love…one backpack at a time
Don’t really feel like I need to explain this. It’s actually pretty simple…we are giving away backpacks stuffed with supplies to 200 kids here in Bartow county. That’s it. No strings attached. Nothing.
But we want to give you a chance to give. Each backpack (fully stuffed) is around $12 each. So if you want to help, you can buy 1, 10, or 200 and we will turn that around and buy some more for kids.
So, if you live here in Cartersville or in Sydney, Australia, you can give through a few ways:
1. Mail a check to:
Tapestry Church/ 650 Henderson Dr PMB 293/ Cartersville, GA 30120 Attn: Backpack Giveaway
2. Go to our paypal link here and donate by card.
3. Drop cash or check by: Cartersville State Farm- CL Smith Insurance/ 12 Dixie Ave/ Cartersville, GA 30120 and ask for me (Josh)
