Then we shall see face to face...

So comforted by these words today. We are KNOWN fully, even if we do not yet KNOW fully.


"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears...For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Cor. 13:8-9, 12)

Deeper darkness

Some very wise words from Ravi:

"Calling for gun control and then entertaining the masses with bloodshed is only shifting the locus from law to entertainment. Do our entertainers ever pause to ask what debased values emerge from their stories? The death of decency is audible and visible in what passes as movie entertainment and political speech..."

http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=45b75085e6ab57e339ea89d67&id=43e1a268bb&e=edebcd0bee

We are needed.

The heartbreaking tragedy that occurred in Connecticut this past Friday shows us that this is the time for those of us who are followers of Christ - His Church - to step up. More. We are needed.

Yes, there need to be stricter gun laws. And through this situation, as well as through situations closer to me in my own life, I've seen how crucial it is that there be more education and assistance around mental healthcare. 

But there also needs to be more of an acknowledgment that personal, unresolved issues, broken families, and our broken, violent culture contribute to tragedies like we saw on Friday.

I'm reading more and more about the divorce of Adam Lanza's parents and how hard it was on him, about his brother who hadn't talked to him in two years, about his fascination with his mother's guns.....and all this shows how NEEDED the Church is. It is the Church that can bring the peace, redemption, and healing of Christ to broken individuals, families, and entire cultures - preventing future tragedies from occurring.

There are deeper things going on than the need for more gun control (although again, that is an important discussion that needs to be had as well). But we as the Church NEED to help our culture address these deeper issues. We need to talk with those around us about the devastating effects of broken families and violent media; we need to more actively love our neighbors, involving ourselves in the brokenness, providing the community and support struggling parents might need, talking about and being an example of the wholeness God desires for us.

And we as the Church can also feed the deeper longing that all people have - a desire for a greater world, one without pain or injustice or violence. In Christ we have a hope that WILL be realized - He created us with a longing for something better because He wants to give it to us. In Christ we not only can experience healing now, but our hope in something better can be realized - as this season of Advent reminds us, Christ came for us and IS coming again someday to make all things new. He will walk with us and establish His peace and justice forever. He will one day put the world completely to right again.

This is why the Church must lead the way in our broken culture, bringing Christ's healing to the deeper issues that perpetuate the violence, and bringing the hope of the Kingdom that will come.

What does being "pro-life" really look like?

The following is a post I wrote for The Expectations Project.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

In American politics – and especially coming off of the frenzied presidential election season – the faith community gets played by all sides. And almost no phrase is used to court or manipulate the faith community more than the phrase “pro-life.”

Over the past couple years, I’ve had several experiences that have caused me to reflect on what it means to be pro-life. I’ve seen that being truly pro-life does not mean simply advocating for the reversal of Roe v. Wade. I’ve come to believe that I cannot be comprehensively pro-life unless I also choose to continually advocate for the lives of those children after they are born.  I must ensure they will have the chance to live the full lives God desires for them. If we are to call ourselves pro-life, we must be pro-life in every area of our lives.

Yes, there are several verses in God’s Word where He speaks about knowing us in the womb (and that is a wonderful, miraculous thing). But there are also hundreds of verses that talk about God’s love for His children once we are outside the womb. God makes it very clear to us what it means to be pro-life by His standards:

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

So if we advocate for the voiceless in the womb, but when they are born to a mother who does not want them – or who is not equipped to love and provide for them the way God desires – and we are not there to advocate for them then, can we truly call ourselves pro-life, by God’s own standards?

God has called me into a situation this past year where I’ve learned more of what it looks like to live out my pro-life beliefs according to God’s standards. I’ve gotten to walk with a woman through the darkness that almost resulted in her terminating her pregnancy, I saw how it was God working through our relationship, and the community of support our church provided her, that led her to keep her baby. I’ve gotten to see God’s life-giving power begin to change her life – again, mostly through the community of people from our church taking the time to invest in her and love her. Just recently I got to hold her little baby in my arms, look into his face, and reflect on God’s amazing grace, lived out through a few truly pro-life relationships, that got him here. It was not simply saying we were pro-life that brought him to us. It was God’s love lived out in our lifestyles, in our willingness to enter into the tough, often exhausting relationship that has helped both mother and baby begin to enter into the full life God has for them.

And being pro-life does not stop here. This is just the beginning. It is through continuing to invest in her and her little boy, being present in their lives, advocating for them, supporting them, walking with them, teaching them, and learning from them, that I am able to truly call myself pro-life.

Which is why I firmly believe education is a pro-life issue. One of the most powerful and effective ways I can advocate for my friend is by helping to ensure that her children attend schools that give them the support and education that will help them break cycles of abuse, neglect, and poverty (the kind of poverty that causes children to have almost no quality of life, that makes abortion seem like the best option for a poor woman facing an unexpected pregnancy). Through receiving a quality education, through having teachers who invest in them, through having a school that meets their needs, my friend’s children will have the chance to live more of the full life God intended for them – and the full life my friend might have had growing up if she had had more education advocates.

I keep thinking about the schools she went to – what if there were programs in place or a couple teachers who had the time, training, or resources to invest in her – how different her life might have been. I believe that through our schools, we can provide what my friend needed when she was 12 – we can provide that mentor, that teacher, that coach, that program that will catch others like her and give them a chance to live up to their God-given potential.

The Church is able to be pro-life in a way the rest of the world can’t. We are able to bring a deeper understanding of the value of the life of every child. We are also able to bring a deeper understanding of the true, full Life found in Christ, and the passion and commitment the knowledge of this Life brings to our work. We must not let ourselves be restricted to a narrow vision or what being pro-life looks like – rather, we must be present in our schools, and use our voices to advocate for the public education reform these kids and families desperately need. If we don’t, I do not think we can truly call ourselves pro-life.

the preview Advent gives us

Jesus shows us what being a true King, a true leader looks like. He shows us a new way, a way opposite of the world - He shows us the way God intended our leaders to be:

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth…the wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox…they shall do no evil or harm in all my holy mountain, says the Lord….Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; and he will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness I the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is his name by which he will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’” (Isaiah 65:17, 25; Jeremiah 23:5-6)

In addition to this prophetic vision, the way in which Jesus lives radically alters the human understanding of kingship. For, the earthly ministry of Jesus was not one of power, military might or oppression. Indeed, Jesus turns the whole concept on its head.....

For those who care to see and hear in a new way during this season of Advent, Christ, the King Sunday points us to King Jesus who did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of humans. It is before the rule of this servant-king that one day all will bow. (http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=45b75085e6ab57e339ea89d67&id=5c816f522e&e=edebcd0bee)

Someday the world will be made right again and we will see our beautiful King ruling with justice, love, and peace. Let this season of Advent fill us with deep JOY as we think about a world with no more corrupt leaders, no more pain, and no more hurting. And let the joy and hope of Advent's reminders spill out of us to the world around us, so we help make it a little more the way God intended it - until the perfect King comes and makes all things new.

until then.
can't wait.

The importance of Jesus

The final part in the series:

 

Guest Post: God’s Role In Restoring Families

November 9th, 2012 by Blythe Scott

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final installment in a four-part series by Blythe Scott, the City Partnership Coordinator at The District Church located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In this series, Blythe examines what it means for the Church to strengthen and restore families.


The family structure has the ability to either set an individual up for lifelong success or cause devastating lasting effects, more so than anything else in someone’s life. Because of this, the family more than anyone/anything else keeps an individual in cycles of pain and brokenness. I've seen how true this is many, many times. But there is hope even for these seemingly hopeless situations:

The Church.

God calls us as the body of Christ to break the cycles of pain and brokenness in these families. The Church is called to be the hand of God in the world.

Satan is working hard against the family, no matter the situation or circumstances, regardless of race or location. He is working in powerful and supernatural ways to hurt mothers and fathers, tear marriages apart, and cause lasting harm to children. For the sake of these injustices, we must think, pray, discuss and act on behalf of the family while recognizing Satan’s destructive nature.

Remember my story of Jane, the single mom who joined my church? I can honestly say that it is only because of the hand of God that Jane is where she is today. It is not because of my own works that Jane chose to keep her baby; the power of Christ was crucial. And much of the time with Jane, Christ worked through members of my church, through people who welcomed her, spent quality time with her, and listened to her story and struggles. Because of the time I spent with her, Jane asked me to be the godmother of her baby, a position that will allow me to continue speaking God’s redemption into her family. This is Christ working through His Church - because we made ourselves available to be His hands and feet.

This is the bottom line: we are called to make time in our lives for consistent relationships, for doing all that God has called us to in this world (Acts 20:28). And all the while, we must have faith in the power of God to overcome our human limitations and the obstacles of the world. God's Word tells us that He is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). God does not call us to do the work alone. Rather, He calls us to work together, to intercede before Him, and ask Him to mend what is broken. We must have faith that He hears, responds, and is working passionately to restore the family.

How we can strengthen and restore families

The third part in the series:

Guest Post: How YOU Can Strengthen and Restore Families

November 1st, 2012 by Blythe Scott

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a four-part series by Blythe Scott, the City Partnership Coordinator at District Church located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In this series, Blythe examines what it means for the Church to strengthen and restore families.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This idea of strengthening families can sound so abstract, but in reality it all comes back to two things: people and time. The work is very real, and it’s very hands-on. I’ve witnessed through working with my church and what I’ve seen from other churches and organizations as well:

1. Examine the needs in your city, town, neighborhood or Christian community. Pray for God to show you the opportunities there are to serve and build relationships with those in need. Be open to The Holy Spirit, and then go where He takes you. In my church we have several teachers who desperately need volunteers in their classrooms – an open door for our church to serve our kids. This can lead to deeper relationship with both the children and their families, and inspire bigger movements to heal a family. For example, at my church, visions to start a pregnancy center and foster care initiative are in the very early stages of prayer and discussion.
2. Partner with like-minded churches and organizations. Look for an organization where you can serve meals, teach classes or serve others in another practical way. Form a network that families can call on for resources and that your local government can easily use as an example of an effective partnership. This will help the Church support families and invest in individuals more powerfully and effectively. You can also use this opportunity to meet new people and build relationships.
3. Create an official partnership between churches and schools. Pair up with a school to provide mentors, resources, events and support for school administration, teachers and parents. Identify the most at-risk kids and create specific programs focused on them and their families. A recent article from Christianity Today provides some examples of effective church-school partnerships that invest in kids and families. I believe that volunteering at a local school is a great way to build relationships with kids and serve families. I’ve seen how much influence my husband has had in his classroom as a teacher, and I’ve seen such a need for more examples like him.
4. Mentor, foster and adopt kids. Broken families are in need of consistent role models to speak into their lives and help them break negative cycles. Thousands of children in the US alone are waiting to be adopted, an opportunity that the Church can help fill. If you’re not in a place to foster or adopt, mentor a child on a regular basis. Create a partnership with your local government around foster care such as providing permanent homes or respite care for foster and biological families. Some great examples of these partnerships are Focus on the Family and Safe Families for Children.
5. Advocate. Use your voice on behalf of hurting kids and struggling families before our government, churches and communities. Show your support for programs, like parent coaching, and community partnerships that support and strengthen families.

The most practical thing we can do is to build relationships. Make time in your life for a least one disciple relationship with a child, teenager, mother, father – anyone. Invest in someone consistently and intentionally by mentoring them, walking with them and helping them grow more into the image of Christ. This changes us. It restores relationships and families. By making room for consistent relationships with others, we are truly able to help make families whole.

The story of Jane

The second part in the series:

Guest Post: The Story of Jane

October 23rd, 2012 by Blythe Scott

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a four-part series by Blythe Scott, the City Partnership Coordinator at The District Church located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In this series, Blythe examines what it means for the Church to strengthen and restore families.

Oh Blythe, I’m so excited I’m going to cry! No one has ever thrown me a baby shower before. No one has ever done all of this for me.” – Jane*

Jane is a dear friend I met last year, and someone I have grown to deeply care for in just a short period of time. She said these words to me after a few friends and I asked if we could host a baby shower for her. Needless to say, Jane was overwhelmed that someone – anyone – would do something like this for her.

Her reaction leads me to this question: “What can the church do to strengthen and restore families?” I acknowledge that this is a big question, but by sharing Jane’s story and my relationship with her, I hope I can demonstrate that this is a question that is worthy – one that demands – the Church’s attention.

From a young age, Jane grew up in several different places, frequently switching between the care of her biological mother and father. At age twelve, her mother introduced her to drugs and at fourteen, she became involved in prostitution. She then went to live with another relative, but continued with drugs and prostitution until her thirties when she checked into rehab. I met her while volunteering at the local drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility where she resided at the time.

I invited Jane to church one Sunday, and she kept coming back. Over time, we developed a friendship and she joined my small group at church. As our friendship grew, Jane and I reached a new level of trust. Last year, Jane confessed to me that she was pregnant with her fifth child (the other four are currently in the custody of different relatives). She was scared, and certain she wanted to give up her child. But together, we met with one of the church pastors. It was during this time that I witnessed God using my pastor’s and my relationship with her to begin to change her heart and mind. Through that meeting, Jane decided to go through with her pregnancy, and is very excited about her new role as a mother. And when Jane asked me if I would pick her up from the hospital after having the baby, I realized that it was because I am the one that she relies on to be there for her.

Through our friendship, Jane comes to me for advice, has been able to ask questions about faith, and eventually made the decision to get baptized. She told me she is re-thinking what love really looks like. And my relationship with Jane has truly been just as life-changing for me, as I’ve walked with her through her tough questions, her pregnancy, and now motherhood. It is through our relationship that I’ve seen God’s amazing grace and deep love in whole new ways, and have grown so much in my own understanding of God’s character. Although hard at times, I am so excited to continue walking with her, supporting her, loving her, and learning with her. I can’t wait to see how God’s amazing grace will continue to play out in her life.

This is where the Church can fill holes: by being Christ to people and strengthening future families in the process. There is enough need all over the world that all of us who make up the Church are called to seek out consistent relationships with others. This is not to undervalue how hard, uncomfortable and discouraging it can be at times. My relationship with Jane has been one of the hardest – but also one of the best and most refining – parts of my year. It hasn’t been easy; our experiences, mindsets, and outlooks could not be more different! However, I believe that God calls us to have relationships with people who are different from us – because our differences. He calls us to be involved in the broken situations, the tough relationships, and the relationships with people who are different from us because He knows that through these relationships both people are refined.

I feel like God has taught me just as much through Jane as he has taught her through me. God has allowed me to truly disciple her and influence her life and her family, as I have learned to be open and vulnerable with her.

To strengthen a family means walking alongside them in love, truth and grace. It’s not always easy, but it’s how God calls us to join Him in furthering His Kingdom on this earth - and it's how we are able to glimpse more of His beautiful redemption unfolding before our eyes.


*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the individual.

The Power of Relationships

This is the first in a four part series I wrote as a guest blogger for Shepherding the Next Generation. You can read the original blog here.


Guest Post: The Power of Relationships
October 18th, 2012 by Blythe Scott
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a four-part series by Blythe Scott, the City Partnership Coordinator at The District Church, located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C.  In this series, Blythe explores what it means for the Church to strengthen and restore families.

Washington, D.C. is filled with numerous volunteer opportunities. Non-profits and direct service projects are everywhere, so it’s easy to volunteer on a one-time basis, see the immediate fruit of that work, and walk away. However, it is quite a different experience to invest consistently in the lives of others who are struggling.

As a person who looks at the “big picture,” it is my instinct to go right to the big, sweeping gestures that can change the world tomorrow. I have witnessed some impressive, large-scale movements do amazing things for the Kingdom, but I believe that we as the Church need to learn how to slow down and to live more simply by following Christ’s example. This is not to say that we should not advocate for the broken in a large-scale way (I feel called to do that as well), but the past couple of years- especially through the example of pastors and others in my life – I have seen how powerful it is when we truly invest in and disciple one another. Through Christ’s own life, we see that is through deep, invested relationships that the world is changed.

So, how can the Church strengthen and restore families? By seeking out relationships with those who are struggling — despite how intimidating and tiring this process may be. I learn this lesson daily, and it is hard. It requires us to overcome our self-focused nature and to step outside of our comfort zone. It requires spending time with those who may be different from us – just as Jesus modeled for us in His relationships with His disciples.

In order to create these relationships, we must boldly and confidently follow the calling God has set out for us. We must be willing to cross boundaries, step over man-made barriers, and overcome human hesitations and discomfort. We must allow ourselves to be vulnerable with others, whether with a close friend or a co-worker who is struggling with a broken family. All it takes is willingness for a certain depth and vulnerability on our part to help address the pain and brokenness in a family. This does not undervalue the process; in truly vulnerable and dedicated relationships, there will be hard times. I believe that in our world today, making the time for consistent relationships is not what many of us prioritize, and I am not the exception.

God calls us to love the least of these. He calls us to live differently, to unite together in Christ and to seek something better for our neighborhoods, our towns, our cities and our country.  The family is the most influential force in our lives, and therefore we are called to support and strengthen families. To do that, we must be willing to be vulnerable and to cross cultural, racial, and socioeconomic boundaries to build relationships. It is not enough to just give advice to someone when they do not know or trust you (believe me I’ve tried!) You cannot expect someone to go to a parenting class or to go listen to a speaker when you do not know or have some sort of relationship with them.

Where do you start? Create space in your lives for these relationships, invest in others, and truly disciple others.

Thanksgiving update

To read my latest update, click here!



Happy Thanksgiving!

Christ loves all of us "weird" kids

I usually try not to acknowledge ignorant things said by Christians in the public eye, as I don't think much good usually comes from starting a social media fight about the person. But my heart was so grieved as I listened to Pat Robertson's most recent comment that I was brought to tears, and because I really believe his comments have the potential to severaly hurt the Gospel of Christ, I feel they need to be addressed.

As Russell Moore says in the article below, I believe Robertson's recent comments on adoption are truly from the devil. He says the literal opposite of what Christ actually said. Friends who have heard or read Robertson's recent comments on adopted and "weird" kids, please know that this man's comments do NOT represent Christ.

Christ came to love the most hurting and broken, not from far away but by taking them into His arms and into His life. He wanted to hang out with the "weird" ones, the most messed up ones, above anyone else - which is ALL of us, because we all have issues, we are all sinners. And He desires those of us who call ourselves Christians to follow His example, to love the most broken, the "weird" ones, as Christ has loved us.

I truly pray that Robertson has fellowship and accountability around him, or would get some soon, who would advise him to step back from speaking publicly and saying things in his old age that harm the image and mission of Christ. And I pray most of all that unbiblical comments of his would not obscure the beautiful, powerful love of Christ that is seen in the way He loved people in His life - and in the way He loved us through His death on the Cross. It is through this holy, heartbreaking, glorious death that God adopted all of us orphans into His family. I pray the world would see this love - this love that drove Christ to interact with the lowest and most forgotten of society, and that then drove Him to the Cross - through people like my Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Andy, and my pastors Amy and Aaron, who have taken these kids who are not their "own" into their lives, loving them for all their possible "weirdness" - just as Christ does with all of us.
"I say to my non-Christian friends and neighbors, if you want to see the gospel of Christ, the gospel that has energized this church for two thousand years, turn off the television. The grinning cartoon characters who claim to speak for Christ don’t speak for him. Find the followers who do what Jesus did. Find the people who risk their lives to carry a beaten stranger to safety. Find the houses opened to unwed mothers and their babies in crisis. Find the men who are man enough to be a father to troubled children of multiple ethnicity and backgrounds..."

Watch Robertson's comments here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhyJpLIpRVA

And then read this incredibly well-written and powerful statement from Russell Moore:
http://www.russellmoore.com/2012/08/17/pat-robertson-vs-the-spirit-of-adoption/

Newest update! He is making all things new:

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=1cd618e734eeacffbc7acb1d9&id=76e8380eb4&e=f28904317d

Jesus, the Church, and the Hunger Games

So, the Hunger Games. I'm a fan. And a couple articles I've read recently describe perfectly why I like them so much - they're gory and graphic at points, yes, but for a purpose:

"In fact, the books communicate an anti-violence message through violence. Collins' editor said that the author brilliantly crafted "a critique of violence using violence to get that across, and that's a fine line." (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/reviews/2012/hungergames.html)

Suzanne Collins blatantly and accurately describes our culture today and the scary direction we're headed. It made me think about how horror movies and creepy killer thrillers continue to come out of Hollywood and only grow more and more perverse. And how people desire violence, and are entertained by it, instead of being disgusted by it. And how my husband's 5th grade students talk about their graphic video games and shooting each other like it's nothing, and how they hit each other as a part of their normal interactions.

"Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the lead role of Katniss Everdeen, described Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy as holding up "a terrible kind of mirror: This is what our society could be like if we became desensitized to trauma and to each other's pain." (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/reviews/2012/hungergames.html?start=1)

It is clear to me that there is much action that needs to be taken by the Church. So many of us shy away from speaking out on important issues because our political and cultural situation is so polarized and messy. We are placed in either the conservative or liberal camp, are labeled Republican or Democrat. And most of us are neither because most of us recognize how distant both views are from the biblical truth we hold to, so most of us just remain quiet at a time when our voice is more important than ever, hoping to stay out of the ugliness of our current political situation.

But I believe it's this shying away by the Church that has in part allowed our culture to get so out of control. The world needs the Church's voice, the voice of Christ, speaking His Truth into its darkness. We must participate, we must use our voice, we must use government as God meant for it be used: as a tool to do His work, to bring His good purposes into this world. We cannot ignore the redemptive force that the institution of government can be. We cannot remain silent and let a certain party or politician use government - as well as the "evangelical block" of voters - for its purposes.

We need to begin to speak more boldly about the cultural issues that are taking our country in such a dangerous direction. The issues that cause divorce, broken families, fatherlessness, increased desire to see violence...it is these issues that produce the anger, rage, and brokeness in the individual that lead to the perpetuated violence and desire for bloodlust.

We need to speak out on these issues, demanding leaders and policies who will help our country turn in a different direction. The more the Church speaks out on these issues, creating programs and advocating for policies that work, the more the government and our culture will listen.

We need to develop after-school programs that teach moralism and character in our schools. We need to teach respect and the importance of non-violence to our kids. As my pastor oftens says, every social movement that has produced lasting change in our country was begun by the Church: women's rights, civil rights, labor rights...it is Christ's revolutionary teachings of love, peace, and justice that truly bring change to our country, because it is knowing Him and follwoing His teachings that speak to the heart, and produce change in the individual person. Christ knew that it was change in the heart of a person, not programs forced on someone by the government, that would produce change. That is why the Church must speak out. We are needed to lead the way. We must bring Christ, show His truths, to truly bring change to individuals, and ultimately our culture. By speaking out in Christ's name, voicing His truths to our culture and our leaders, demanding action that aligns with His teachings, our culture will be affected.

But if we don't begin to speak out and lead the way, I fear the path we are headed down is one toward the world Suzanne Collins created in her books. The desensitivity to death, even to death that right now is the worst kind of evil to us: the death of children. The fascination with watching children fight, the bloodlust, entertainment for some at the cost of the lives of others. The focus on clothes, food, appearance, materialism. The use of entertainment for evil.


"While the outer districts look upon the Games with horror and foreboding, the privileged, spoiled, and ridiculous citizens of the opulent Capitol love every minute—like we worship football or any given reality show. To them, these deaths are only a good show...Like many good sci-fi fables, Hunger Games says a lot about us: our voyeuristic culture, the tempering distraction of mindless entertainment, the balance of compassion and self-preservation, the interconnectivity of the haves and have-nots, hope and fear as controlling agents, and children's loss of innocence." (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/reviews/2012/hungergames.html?start=2)

That world, as creepy as it is, is not far off from what I see around me now. And unless the Church leads the way and boldly brings Christ and his Truths into our politics and culture, I fear we will continue down this path.

New update!

See below for my latest newsletter update:

https://us2.admin.mailchimp.com/campaigns/preview?id=1404049

Q, Humility, and the Church

Below is a blog I just wrote for The Church in DC blog:

Q, Humility, and the Church

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Q Conference came to DC earlier this month. Q is a space "where church and cultural leaders can learn, dialogue, innovate and collaborate around the important topics shaping the church’s future role in culture...We are driven by the belief that inherent in Christian faithfulness is the responsibility to work towards creating a better world, one that reflects God’s original design and intention. Q is a place leaders can explore what that might look like and how God’s kingdom is showing up in the lives of their peers as they restore through the cultural goods they create and lead."

Yes, Q was as awesome as it sounds. It was an amazing experience, full of challenging talks and inspiring ideas. I will be processing it all for awhile, but a couple things in particular really stuck out to me:

One of them was David Brooks' talk on Humility. If you weren't able to attend Q, I highly reccommend you listen to his talk (which will be available on the Q website on May 31st). It was funny, brilliant - and a painfully accurate description of the self-centerdness and pride that defines our culture today.

"Humility is not low self esteem. Humility is low self-preoccupation." -David Brooks

It is with this definition that Mr Brooks showed us how much our culture today is severely lacking in humility. We as a generation are entirely self-preoccupied. We are consumed with ourselves, with our opinions, with our lives. Our national debt is so high because we consume more than any generation previous to us, with little thought to those coming after us - because we think we deserve it. Whatever is best for us is what goes. There is no moral standard today - in fact, according to research, there is a serious moral emergency: when asked, people literally cannot describe a situation with a moral dilemma, because there are no defined limits of right and wrong. Whatever the individual thinks is right, is right. Each person defines their own morality. This is a true moral dilemma. Our culture today tells us it is all about us - that our purpose in life is to find ourselves. But as Mr Brooks pointed out, our purpose in Christ is actually the opposite - it is to lose ourselves.

We as the Church need to show our generation this truth - that true fulfillment is found in losing ourselves, in thinking less of ourselves. But are we even promoting this truth well within the Church, or do we reflect our larger culture more than we realize? How much do we each think about my personal faith, my future, my job, my possessions, my comfort, my sexual satisfaction, my emotional needs, how am I making a difference in the world (I personally struggle with focusing too much on this last one). We are so caught up in ourselves, in our needs and desires, that we often forget God's two greatest commandments: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Yes, we are important. God says to love our neighbor as ourselves, which means we are to love and take care of ourselves. God desires us to know Him and spend eternity with Him, so our lives and our personal salvation are important. But because we are sinful, selfish, prideful human beings, it is easy to focus too much on this. He has created us and blessed us in order that we may love Him and love others - that is what is best for us because that is what he has created us to do. And as we've clearly seen from the world around us, the more we focus on ourselves, the more miserable we each seem to become and the more broken our society as a whole becomes:

A couple of the other most moving, poignant talks at Q for me were on racism and our criminal justice system (which will, again, be available here on May 31st!) The brokenness that exists within our justice system, and how it so unjustly affects young African-American men especially, blows my mind. How does such injustice exist in our country today without more Christians speaking out about it? How are there not more voices raised demanding reformation? How are more believers not involving themselves in the lives of youth to break the cycle and bring redemption to lives written off by so many?

I believe the answer directly connects to Mr Brooks' main point: selfishness. The Church today is too similar to the culture around us. It is easy to not care about that which does not affect us directly. We are focused more on ourselves than on loving God and loving others. The Church needs to lead the way in shifting our perspective outside of ourselves, or else I truly believe our societal problems will only get worse. As my pastor reminds us often, every powerful social movement in our country's history has started with the Church. It is the Church that must lead the way in stopping the inward focus of individuals in our culture. God meant for His Church to live differently than the culture around us, to further His redemption in the world and exemplify His sacrificial, sefless love to the world so that Christ would be seen. I believe that means we as the Church must be aware of this disease of selfishness infecting us, must pray and discuss this more, and must take active steps towards focusing outward, towards taking all that God has given us and using it to better love Him and others. We must do this, because I really believe it is only the Church that will be able to help bring about this shift in our larger culture as well, and help bring the full life that God desires to all people - those who are in physical need as well as spiritual.

And I think praying about and taking action on the injustices surrounding our criminal justice system is a great place to start. What if the Church in each city came together and unified around the issues that cause these injustices? That would be a powerful movement, a powerful voice, that our larger culture couldn't ignore. If every member of every church in DC committed to becoming a mentor for one vulnerable, at-risk youth in our city - either one headed down that path or one who has just come out of incarceration - I believe the rates of incarceration among African-American males would drop dramatically. I believe this would bring attention to the problems surrounding our justice system, as well as the very real solutions that could be brought about. And all this by the churches in our city unifying around a committment to disciple and mentor - something we can all do, and something for which I believe Christ commands we make time.

Through my church I am looking into what programs already exist and what ways we as the Church can invest in the lives of vulnerable youth. This month we at The District Church have committed to praying specifically for foster kids and other vulnerable youth, and about the ways God is calling us to bring Christ's redemption into their lives. Please join us in praying and in seeking God's will for how He wants the Church in DC to be His hands and feet in this area!

April is actually Child Abuse Prevention Month, and this coming Sunday, April 29th, is Blue Sunday - a national day of awareness for child abuse and neglect that many churches across the country are observing. As you'll see from looking at the website, Blue Sunday is a great example of a way the Church is already taking action to invest in the lives of vulnerable children, helping to break cycles of neglect, abuse, and fatherlessness that feed the cycles of high incarceration rates, joblessness, and racism. Many in the Church are already taking action to think outside of themselves. So please help bring this converation into your church, or continue it if it's already going on! And please let me know if you'd like to join our church in the initiative we are praying about, or let me know what your community is already doing - I know there are already many churches working to bring God's redemption into this area, and I would love to hear what's already happening and see this become a widespread, unified movement among the Church in DC!

As I pray for this initiative and the injustices that exist in our city, I continue to think about Mr. Brooks' observations and advice. I pray that the Church would grow in the true humility that he talked about, that we might lead the way in redeeming our culture from the grip of selfishness and pride that leads to so much personal and societal injustice. I pray we would look to Christ and be filled with hope by the reality that in the end His selfless love will win out against all pride and greed and the evil it brings. But I also pray that we would rely on the power of His love in us and follow His example of sacrificial love in our everyday lives - thinking less of ourselves - so that we may help His Kingdom come just a little more in our world now.

Update letter

In case you'd like to read it, the latest update letter on the lives of Blythe and Stephen can be found here!

To serve or to walk?

Being involved in areas of service most of my life, but only recently living in a community where I have the opportunity to live life beside those I serve, I have begun to process through some important questions that I've never really thought through before. Some of my rambling thoughts are as follows:

How much are we truly doing incarnational, life-changing ministry if we are continually serving those outside of our world, but not walking alongside them? It just doesn’t sit right with my spirit that so many of us think we have done God’s work if we simply serve the least of these year after year. And it is good to serve. But if we are continually serving, and doing nothing to produce long-term change in the world of those we serve – if we don’t transition to walking alongside them – then I do not believe we are really doing what God intended His Church to do.

In the U.S., there is a sharper divide between the fortunate and less fortunate than in almost any other country, so outreach and service can more easily become something different than it was meant to be. Rather than easily being able to share what little possessions we have, rather than working together for God’s Kingdom, there is already naturally a sharp divide in this country between the fortunate and less fortunate. There are already two worlds. Living in DC I have seen the reality of these two world in sharper contrast than ever before. There are some of us who have a lot, who lived in a world where violence and abuse and rape were only statistics. Then there is the other world where abuse, fatherlessness, violence, death, abortion, and emotional abuse are cycles that haven’t been broken for decades and are only growing stronger. And those of us from the first world think what Jesus means by loving the least of these is to serve some of the ones from the second world – the few who have sought out help or are so messed up they can't hide anymore – and serve them in a shelter or a program once a week. So rather than entering the second world and helping to break the cycles so that we are all working side by side for the unity of all things as Christ taught us to, we are content to do what our American church has told us is “good” – we serve others for years and years, empowering them to stay in their world, and by doing so telling them they deserve to stay in their world.

We cannot be content with this. Being the Church means working for the redemption of all things. It means living out Christ’s love in this world in such a way that it brings people together, that it destroys barriers, that it unifies. I am coming to understand from Scripture that if we are content to be a “Church” that enforces disunity, that not only allows but empowers two different worlds to exist - this is not the Church Christ desired. We are called to live so differently that we break down walls, unify different worlds, and destroy injustice by the very way we interact with others.

It is not comfortable to walk alongside people, which is why I don’t think the American Church is very good at it, and why I am just now learning what the Bible actually says the Church should look like. It is much easier to keep our money, our schedules, our relationships with those who are similar to us, and go serve those who are different once a week so we feel good about ourselves. It is easier to go to church with those who think like us, who are from the world and have the same problems and blessings. Believe me, this is what I’ve been learning about myself the past couple weeks, as I’ve begun to walk alongside my friends from that other world. It is hard to connect with them a lot of the time, to talk to them about Jesus in a way they can relate to from their perspective, to talk about our problems and issues – because they are so different. It has required me to change my schedule, what my free time looks like, what I think small groups and worship should look like at our church. It has convicted me about my own selfishness when it comes to friendships, how it is so much easier for me to hang out with people who are like me. It is intense to truly walk alongside others.

We need to spend more time thinking about what it means to live in such a way as to bring about reconciliation and redemption to all circusmtances and situations. What does it really look like to do that? Do we really believe that is what God has called us to? If so, do we really desire that? And if we do, are we really living in such a way as to accomplish that? Are we willing to? Are we willing to change our lifestyles, how we have always done church, always done outreach at our churches? I believe this is what it will require to really live differently in our culture today and be the Church Christ intended us to be. But it’s worth it – it’s so worth it to see the people you once served giving advice to others stuck in the same cycles they used to be, to see them fired up about changing things. This is what it is all about – walking alongside people as Jesus walks alongside us, showing us what true reconciliation and unity looks like.

This is REAL (thoughts from Ash Wednesday)

There is this deep, excited, magical feeling I get when I read any of the books in CS Lewis' Narnia series, or listen to a song by Mumford and Sons, or look at the view on top of a beautful mountain when no other sign of civilization is in sight.

I get this same feeling when I think about Jesus, living, walking, breathing, talking to people with fire in His eyes. It's this feeling of thr reality of holiness, of glory, of Something so much bigger than myself.

I got this feeling again this week as I worshiped with other Christians at our joint Ash Wednesday service with a couple other churches. There were several moments, when everoyne around me was crying out to God as loud as they could while we were singing Psalm 51 and Amazing Grace, that I just felt this magical, wonderous feeling stirring so strongly inside me. Looking around, I just kep thinking, This is real - and praised God for it. Jesus, someone Ive heard about my whole life and work for everyday, can sometimes become a thought that I get used to. But He lived, He laughed, He touched and healed. And one day I will stand by His side and get to kneel at His feet and thank Him for the fact that He thought of me on His walk to the cross. I will get to stand at His side as He literally destroys all evil.

As I looked at everyone around me believing this same thing and visibly feeling the same feeling I was feeling, the magic of it all only left me more in awe. This is real - not only that night, but throughout centuries, believers have gathered together on Ash Wednesday and dedicated themselves to walkng with Christ through His suffering. They all believed in His reality that much. So did my fellow worshipers on Wednesday - many of whom I did not even know. Yet we were all joined by the magic of Christ - the reality of the combined love and holiness of a God who walked earth and gave Himself willingly up to suffering, for us. And because of this reality, millions of people over thousands of years repeat the same words, pray the same prayers, and dedicate themselves to walking with Him in His suffering. That is beautiful, exciting, magic. That has to be real.

It is this beauty, these moments of knowing God's reality and glimpsing Him "dimly in a mirror" (1 Corinthians 13:8-12hj...reading this chapter in Scripture is another moment I get a glimpse of another world, something so much bigger than myself) - it is these moments when I am most happy. Because it is these moments that take me outside myself. I am not focused on my selfish worries and prideful little stresses. I am in the presence of Something greater, Something that somehow simplifies myself.

So on ASh Wednesday, I was able to clearly see and committ to what God is calling me to this Lent: He is calling me to live in the magic. Train my mind on the ismple reality of Who He is, and think of myself less. This is a daily, lifelong habit that I know all believers strive for, but for me, this is especially hard. I worry,s tress, and overanaluze. I have a brain that thinks ALOT - which is a blessing when it is in God's hand, but a curse when in mine, because I just think about MYSELF too much. So this Lent, I am repenting of my selfishness, of my over-analytical, selffocsed tendencies that distract me from the beauty that is Christ and the life He has given me, and am committing myself to truly walking with Him in His solemnity and suffering this season. I am commiting to training my mind more on the glory and majesty that I once again experienced on Ash Wednesday - the beauty of God becoming man, of this Man giving Himself for me. The beauty of receiving ashes on my head, along with millions of others, reminding me of my humanity and my sinfulness and my need for Someone to rescue me. And I'm committing myself to the reality of the words of Amazing Grace that we sang at the end of the night:

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home...
When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.

These words fill me with that kind of hope and peace that can only come from really beleiving in the reailty of Something greater than yourself. They remind me that this is real. This wonderous, magical feeling that comes when I am comptely confident that there is Something greater than the hurt in this world and the importance I've given myself and my mistakes. I think this feeling can best be descirbed by verse 12 of Psalm 51, which we read at the service. The "joy of my salvation" fills me, overwhelms me, makes everything so much more beautiful and simple. This Lent, I repent of my selfishness and committ to walking with Christ through His time of suffering, learning to keep my mind trained on Him, letting Him convict me, refine me, teach me - and letting everything else in my life flow from that. And I know as I learn to train my mind on His reality, that His magic - the "joy of my salvation" that He gives me and that we will fully celebrate on Easter - will only increase everyday.

Which means more of my other-worldly Aslan, Mumford and Sons, Ash Wednesday, majestic mountain-top experiences....it's just so much better thinking more about Jesus.

The Deepness of Adoption

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. (Ephesians 1:3-8)

Ever since I first met my beautiful adopted cousins when I was just an awkward pre-teen, I've desired to provide a home for those who had none, just as my aunt did for my cousins. And as I've gotten older and come to understand the beauty of what God has done for me through Christ, my desire to love others the way He first loved me - to give others a place the way God gave me one - only deepened my desire to adopt. As Paul says to the Ephesians in the passage above, God planned before time even began to show His amazing, glorious love to us through adoption. He planned to give His only Son - whom He loved so much - as a sacrifice for us so we could be adopted into His family. He planned to bring us from nothing and make us sons and daughters, so we could see how very deep His love is for us. Beginning to understand this - and I know the deepness of God's adoption for us will take my whole life to even begin to understand - has given me a deep desire to show love to the most lonely, most hurting, most vulnerable people. And most often the most vulnerable are children, especially those without parents to take care of them the way God intended.

And living in DC this past year has opened my eyes to the meaning of "adoption" in even deeper ways. There is so much brokenness in our culture today - and almost every single issue of brokennes we see around us can be traced back to broken families. There are so many children in the foster care system who have never known the unconditional love of two parents. There are so many children who still live with one or both of their biological parents but still do not receive the love and affirmation God desires them to have through their earthly parents. Whether it is through talking to an employee at DC Child Welfare Services, hearing my husband talk about his 5th grade students, or seeing how a mother interacts with her child on the street - there are so many children who need to be "adopted." Whether legally adopted into our homes, or adopted through mentorship and discipleship, God has called us all to show the love He has shown us to others. And adoption is one of the most tangible ways - if not the most tangible way - we can do this. And while I do believe Stephen and I will legally adopt a child into our home someday, and while I believe God has blessed many with the desire and resources to legally adopt, others might not be called to adopt in that way. But I believe we are all called to give the world a glimpse of our adoption into God's family by adopting others into our family in some way.

I just read a thought-provoking article on urban ministry called "Discipling Urban Youth," where the author, Tyler Staton, highlighted the importance of discipleship. As I often need to be reminded, Christ didn't call us to start an orgnaization that saves the world or try to come up with a plan that will change a city overnght. He called us to be intentional with a few others in our life - loving them, discipling them, and bringing them closer to Him. And through doing this, the world will be changed, but by bit. Because Christ knew that through doing this - through intentionally pouring our lives into a few others, walking with them, discipling them as He did His disciples - He knew that they would feel the same feeling of adoption into a family as we felt at one point into His family. And it is this adoption into our lives that will help others get a glimpse of God's love for them, of God's reconciliation and adoption into His family for all eternity.

So whether you're at the place where you're ready and able to legally adopt a child into your family forever, whether you're at the place where you can meet with a child once a week, or whether you can go into a local teacher's classroom and help tutor some students on a regular basis - we are all called to adopt in some way. We are called to live differently - to live in such a way that Christ's redemption can be seen in our lives. And in our world today, there are enough children without families, without parents to show them the unconditional love of God, that this is an obvious area where God is asking us to live differently for Him. Whether it be giving up time with friends, time relaxing at home, or some over-time at work, I truly believe this is a way we can be "salt and light" in this world, helping to bring the Kingdom of God into this world. Adopting children into our lives - whether they be 2 months old or 22 years old - is a need the Church can fill in every coutnry in the world, and an incredibly beautiul way to show God's eternal love to the restof the world.

I've been thinking and praying with Stephen and some others at my church about ways the Church in DC can step in this gap and help lead the movemnt of adoption in DC. There is much space in the foster care system, in our public schools, and in many other places for the Church to step in. So please be praying for us as we seek to dsicern God's will for us in this area. Most importantly, be praying about how God is calling you to show His heart for adoption to this hurting world.

FYI: One of my pastors, Amy, preached a sermon last week on restoring the family, foster care, and adoption. It is definitely worth a listen! You can go here to check it out.

Living Simply, Living Beautifully

In thinking and praying about what I'd like my life to look like in 2012, I've realized that I want it to look more simple. And more beautiful.

These are things I naturally struggle with. I struggle to live simply with my physical possessions, to live simply with my time and money, and to live simply mentally. I want to live with my mind constantly on things above, on Christ and Him crucified, as Paul said. As I do that more, I know the things I spend my money on, how busy I am, and how much I stress and overanalyze, will begin to decrease more and more. My life will look, and will be, more simple. Thinking more of Christ and less of myself will allow me to truly know more of Him, what He desires for this world, and for my life. I’ll be able to prioritize easier, make decisions easier, and over-analyze everything less. I strive to know more of Christ, and therefore live more simply this year.

I also strive to live more beautifully. Everything that is of God is beautiful. So do I reflect that beauty in every area of my life? Do I live beautifully? Does His love break through me in my love for others, and is His glory, His beautiful, incomparable holiness, reflected in every decision I make, every part of my lifestyle? He is BEAUTIFUL. He radiates. He is the sun and every color, He is magical and exciting and produces greater awe than the most majestic sight we've seen on this earth. Do I reflect that in my life? Do people look at me and see little flashes of the beauty of Christ? Am I a "poor reflection as in a mirror"?

This year I strive to live more in His Presence, so that His beauty and His Truth manifests itself more in me and brings others to see more of Him.

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
-1 Corinthians 13:12