I'm not sure we're that pro-life

Upon hearing all the discussions, comments, and protests that marked the recent anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I wanted to re-post this blog I wrote for The Expectations Project on what I think it looks like to truly be pro-life, as well as expound on a few more thoughts:

As the Church, I believe we should be fighting for the unborn. But when they are born, will we still fight for them?

Are we as the Church even doing all we can NOW to ensure all children truly have the full life God desires for them?

The Church needs to be fighting equally as hard for children after they are born as we are fighting for them in the womb. And currently, I'm not sure we are.

If we are going to advocate for more children to be brought into the world, let's make sure we are supporting the families that might have considered abortion, to help ensure they can care for their children. Let's make sure we are helping provide programs that will make sure these children are fed and clothed. Let's make sure their schools will look out for them and give them a fair chance at escaping poverty.

If we are not fighting for these things for children once they are in the world - things that will keep them alive and give them a quality life - are we really pro-LIFE?

http://www.theexpectationsproject.org/2012/12/what-does-it-look-like-to-truly-be-pro-life/

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.