Click here for video- embrace this guy's spectacular accent!
Today in out Fellows meeting we viewed this clip together and discussed the question "Should we abolish wealth?" Watch this clip of Claudio Oliver sharing about how we should embrace the values of limits, renunciation & sacredness in our lives to do the work of abolishing wealth.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
A New Kind of Poverty
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.”
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.”
Luke 6:20-21
Through the course of these past weeks, the topics of the
poor and/or poverty have come up in several conversations and my understanding
of the subject has expanded and shifted. There is no doubt more to poverty than
meets the eye. I would love to share some of what I have learned, and I’ll
start by asking you a question.
If you were to stop reading right now and go to the top of
your browser right now and search poverty, what images would you expect to see?
What sort of emotions and feelings would you affiliate with such a word?
-a Lack of: Shelter- $$$- Ability- Freedom- Food- Resources
I just searched it and found countless images of sad
malnourished children from various third world countries around the globe. The
individual people, our brothers and sisters, captured in these stills are no
doubt experiencing intense material poverty. Most often we think of poverty in
terms of material lack. But is that all there is to this brokenness called
poverty?
This past week at our Wednesday night gathering at “The
House” (Kris, Jeudy and my house) with our neighbors, Jeudy and Becca shared
about their experience on short missions trips to Mexico. They touched on how
through connecting with individuals in the communities they visited in Mexico,
they saw incredible faith and intense joy in a place one might not expect; in
lives gripped by the unyielding hand of material poverty. A place of beautiful reliance on God, when
they had nothing else to rely on. Maybe Jesus know what He was talking about
when He shared the beatitudes with us…
A second conversation about poverty occurred at our
bi-weekly Community Fellows training where we discussed a chapter out of the
book, “When Helping Hurts,” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. (I would
recommend this book to EVERYONE) The
chapter was entitled “What’s the problem?” and included a whole new perspective
and definition of poverty. A perspective shared from the material poor
themselves. They shared about poverty primarily in terms of, “shame,
inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social
isolation, and voicelessness.” This starkly contrasted my initial thoughts on
poverty and the poor. For them it was less about the physical things they
lacked and more about the mental and perspective repercussions of the material
lack. This is a HUGE and necessary paradigm shift. I realize that for me, as
long as poverty remained cornered in the physical realm, I could ignore the
true relational poverty I was dwelling in.
“Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work,
that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable.
Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings”
-Bryant L.
Myers
Poverty can look just like me… or you.
Sin is the root, and inceptor of this prideful perspective I
so often can have of myself. I love being self-sufficient and okay--- ALL THE
TIME. It is underneath that façade of collectedness and self-sufficiency that
my poverty is exposed. I am really good at convincing myself I don’t need
anybody. This is my brokenness and my struggle. I was made for community with
creation, others and myself, yet I make choices every day that deepens and
widens the chasm between myself and the shalom God desires.
Thank God for my neighbors, the needs they have exposed in
me, and the opportunity to live in community with them.
I need them.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Bellflower High Class of 2012
 |
| Jocelyn and the crew |
 |
| Kero and the guys |
 |
| Congrats to Jocelyn |
 |
| D'Montae |
 |
| And Kero! |
Friday, June 15, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Why Bellflower and Why Now?
Phew...
Time is flying! Faster than I ever imagined it would. Here I sit, now a COLLEGE GRADUATE, with a bachelor's degree in Social Work... I feel like just yesterday I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed little 8 year old going to Calvin College for a siblings weekend with my then RA brother Ryan! Playing Starfox 64 til late at night, (probably really was about 10pm) and watching Toy Story for the first time. Those were the days! A much simpler and slower time...
*Blink*
Some 10 plus years later, and I have now come to the conclusion of college, facing the reality of "real life" just around the corner. With this passage of time comes the re-evaluation of values, priorities, and direction. This re-evaluation is spurred on by resounding questions of; who am I, who have I been created to be, what should I do and how should I live? These questions are both broad, and focused, frightening and exciting. They are issues that seemingly every college grad is confronted with upon exiting the four (hopefully just four) formative years of university. It is an exciting new frontier as we have our first crack at life outside of an educational institution. This has inspired within myself several different reactions and emotions ranging from total freakout, to great excitement, from great sadness to total bliss. It is almost as if one must go though a mourning process as we bid farewell to the old realities of college and explore one totally new.
There were several staple moments, that through God's guidance and provision, He directed my path for the future. In my sophomore year I was afforded the opportunity to study abroad in South Africa. In my time there I was given the chance to plug in and invest in a local community of Mpophomeni. Mpophomeni was a township of 30,000 native black South Africans with diverse cultural backgrounds. While there I had a chance to see the beauty of joining a community as first and foremost a learner. This trip was followed by another two-month stint in the summer of 2011. In my cumulative 6 months in South Africa, I came to realize that as rewarding and fruitful as the time had felt, I was only beginning to scratch the surface in my understanding of the Zulu culture. Without a deep and comprehensive understanding of the Zulu paradigm, the effectiveness of my community development and incarnational ministry left more to be desired. It was then that I believe God revealed a piece of His plan and desires for my life. He made it nearly impossible for me to avoid the question of why it is so difficult for me to live with that kind of intentionality in my home culture in the United States. The exciting part though, is that in the last few months one thing has become progressively more clear. With God's help, I am ready. Ready as I will ever be for what awaits in the great unknown of seeking that life in the U.S. That's the reassuring thing about this journey as we stay dusty following the Rabbi. There is no place I could go where He has not walked before.
This knowledge brings shalom.
Shalom (שָׁלוֹם): a Hebrew word meaning peace, but shalom is more then just simply peace; it is a complete peace. It is a feeling of contentment, completeness, wholeness, well being and harmony.
That is why I am ecstatic to share an amazing opportunity that God has provided for me for this upcoming year. Shalom is all I have felt about the opportunity to move into a living and learning community in the Eucalyptus neighborhood of Bellflower, California with the Community Fellows Community and Leadership Development Program. Myself and two others will be immersing ourselves in life in this neighborhood as we learn to love our neighbors and the city well. It is a seemingly vague and difficult role to define, but I look forward to stepping boldly with the Holy Spirit's help into the unknown. I am more excited than ever to share the joys and tears, successes and failures, confident steps and the stumbles with these individuals as we learn along the way. Relying on God, each other and all of you whom support us will be integral the refining of our hearts in this process, and will be the only way that God's glory will be exposed in our lives, and this city. I invite you to proactively journey along and share your wisdom, prayers and encouragement, because it will no doubt be needed! The adventure begins June 1st, and you are invited to come along.
Now all there is left to do is JUMP into the beautiful unknown of God's gracious plan. Here we go!
*Blink*
Some 10 plus years later, and I have now come to the conclusion of college, facing the reality of "real life" just around the corner. With this passage of time comes the re-evaluation of values, priorities, and direction. This re-evaluation is spurred on by resounding questions of; who am I, who have I been created to be, what should I do and how should I live? These questions are both broad, and focused, frightening and exciting. They are issues that seemingly every college grad is confronted with upon exiting the four (hopefully just four) formative years of university. It is an exciting new frontier as we have our first crack at life outside of an educational institution. This has inspired within myself several different reactions and emotions ranging from total freakout, to great excitement, from great sadness to total bliss. It is almost as if one must go though a mourning process as we bid farewell to the old realities of college and explore one totally new.
There were several staple moments, that through God's guidance and provision, He directed my path for the future. In my sophomore year I was afforded the opportunity to study abroad in South Africa. In my time there I was given the chance to plug in and invest in a local community of Mpophomeni. Mpophomeni was a township of 30,000 native black South Africans with diverse cultural backgrounds. While there I had a chance to see the beauty of joining a community as first and foremost a learner. This trip was followed by another two-month stint in the summer of 2011. In my cumulative 6 months in South Africa, I came to realize that as rewarding and fruitful as the time had felt, I was only beginning to scratch the surface in my understanding of the Zulu culture. Without a deep and comprehensive understanding of the Zulu paradigm, the effectiveness of my community development and incarnational ministry left more to be desired. It was then that I believe God revealed a piece of His plan and desires for my life. He made it nearly impossible for me to avoid the question of why it is so difficult for me to live with that kind of intentionality in my home culture in the United States. The exciting part though, is that in the last few months one thing has become progressively more clear. With God's help, I am ready. Ready as I will ever be for what awaits in the great unknown of seeking that life in the U.S. That's the reassuring thing about this journey as we stay dusty following the Rabbi. There is no place I could go where He has not walked before.
This knowledge brings shalom.
Shalom (שָׁלוֹם): a Hebrew word meaning peace, but shalom is more then just simply peace; it is a complete peace. It is a feeling of contentment, completeness, wholeness, well being and harmony.
That is why I am ecstatic to share an amazing opportunity that God has provided for me for this upcoming year. Shalom is all I have felt about the opportunity to move into a living and learning community in the Eucalyptus neighborhood of Bellflower, California with the Community Fellows Community and Leadership Development Program. Myself and two others will be immersing ourselves in life in this neighborhood as we learn to love our neighbors and the city well. It is a seemingly vague and difficult role to define, but I look forward to stepping boldly with the Holy Spirit's help into the unknown. I am more excited than ever to share the joys and tears, successes and failures, confident steps and the stumbles with these individuals as we learn along the way. Relying on God, each other and all of you whom support us will be integral the refining of our hearts in this process, and will be the only way that God's glory will be exposed in our lives, and this city. I invite you to proactively journey along and share your wisdom, prayers and encouragement, because it will no doubt be needed! The adventure begins June 1st, and you are invited to come along.
Now all there is left to do is JUMP into the beautiful unknown of God's gracious plan. Here we go!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
What to say... Angaz
In the last weeks since I have written, God's fingerprints have firmly been stamped all over our collective lives as the South Africa Resource Team. His hand has so clearly guided the transformation that is occurring within my heart, our team, and on into Mpophomeni. He has been winding His thread through our journeys for nearly 8 months now since the dream began. He has been with us walking alongside us in the spiritual and relational valleys, winding/confusing paths I/we have experienced. Often in times like these it is difficult to see Him and understand His plan. On rare occasions it seems, God provides hilltop realizations/experiences. Opportunities to look back on the slope that lay behind, and fully recognize where God has been in it all. God has known all along the path we have wandered down as a team. A path that for nearly a month, winded unnecessarily, as we floundered about on our own. It is evident in reflecting on our preparation as a team, just how American and individualistic we were/are. This realization also allows me to understand a bit more of my struggle through this past year. I feel as though with each passing day in America, a part of Themba was lost. Themba meaning HOPE in Zulu, was one of the names I was dubbed by my closest friends here, namely Zwe and Khaniyi. The concept of myself as Themba, became a symbol of experiencing the fullness of God's love, life and joy. Slowly I began to lose sight of who God created me to be. I began to allow myself to be defined by other things beside Christ. I continually drifted and searched to no avail, for how I could continue on as Themba in America. As a result, I approached this summer and trip much less as a team and much more from the perspective of individuals, each with different personal expectations of our time in Mpophomeni. Each desiring the fullness that God offered and provided in various ways our previous time, but none knowing how to reach this intimacy and community. As I reflect on what God has done, I realize how He took my expectations of further community development/ministry experience, and molded it to His desires of what He intended to teach me. These passages drive straight to the heart.
-"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 1 John 2:9-11
We were desiring to love Mpophomeni well, but were struggling to love each other well. As a result we were staggering about in the dark, desiring God's glory amongst the people, but clueless as to how we could take part. In short, the Holy Spirit conquered the fear and darkness within us. Fears of vulnerability and the darkness of our selfish nature, into the light of HIS love. We were depriving God of glory within our pride, our stubbornness and inability to acknowledge bitterness/apathy in our hearts.
-"We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." 1 John 4:19-21
In my heart there was great dissatisfaction that we were not experiencing the fullness of what God has for us. Praise God that He has broken our individual selves down, and is busy creating something new in us. Something that honors HIM so much more completely and fully than we individually are capable of! As this transformation has occurred, God's blessing is so clearly upon us and our interactions within the Family Centre. There has been an incredible change within our hearts and minds that can only come from HIS spirit. The JOY He affords us as a result is indescribable and pure. Hallelujah. It is with open hands that we desire to offer up these last weeks. God, glorify yourself in and through us. As we each day come to love eachother more and better, out of God's love within us, God is opening doors of relationships and conversations not possible without Him. Each day we are drawn closer and closer to the heart of God. The best place to possibly be, at "Indawo Yothando." A place of love!
-"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 1 John 2:9-11
We were desiring to love Mpophomeni well, but were struggling to love each other well. As a result we were staggering about in the dark, desiring God's glory amongst the people, but clueless as to how we could take part. In short, the Holy Spirit conquered the fear and darkness within us. Fears of vulnerability and the darkness of our selfish nature, into the light of HIS love. We were depriving God of glory within our pride, our stubbornness and inability to acknowledge bitterness/apathy in our hearts.
-"We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." 1 John 4:19-21
In my heart there was great dissatisfaction that we were not experiencing the fullness of what God has for us. Praise God that He has broken our individual selves down, and is busy creating something new in us. Something that honors HIM so much more completely and fully than we individually are capable of! As this transformation has occurred, God's blessing is so clearly upon us and our interactions within the Family Centre. There has been an incredible change within our hearts and minds that can only come from HIS spirit. The JOY He affords us as a result is indescribable and pure. Hallelujah. It is with open hands that we desire to offer up these last weeks. God, glorify yourself in and through us. As we each day come to love eachother more and better, out of God's love within us, God is opening doors of relationships and conversations not possible without Him. Each day we are drawn closer and closer to the heart of God. The best place to possibly be, at "Indawo Yothando." A place of love!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
July Already?
I am officially 12 days in. In other terms of measurement this equates to:
- 3 showers
- Easily over 36 cups of rooibos/coffee
- Approximately 16 bowls of corn flakes
- 1 book read
Time seems to be doing anything but slowing down. Not that the pace of life is stressful or fast, it's not. I am actually finding plenty of time to "slow down" each evening. Working on maintaining a consistent journal. So much happens each day, it is a daunting task to even begin jotting things down. Staying motivated in that regard is crucial. I know the purpose of it is to one day be able to look back and see God's faithfulness... I desire that one day, now it just seems arduous. Nonetheless, God is definitely making Himself known daily here. In those small things, the smiles, the expansive sky, a loving touch. (definitely feeling the love these days considering touch is my love language.)
A touch can be such a humanizing thing and an incredible human expression of God's love. So many of the children have a deep longing for this acknowledgement, in physical form, that they no doubt deserve yet likely have been depraved of in their short lives. It's a desire that is innate in us. To touch and be touched. A Godly exchange in humanity. These are moments that I cherish, these are moments that I hope God will grant me increasing sensitivity, that I might take note of Him around me.
In other news, we have gotten together for our first time with the Howick Community Church youth, to begin some relationships with them with our ultimate hope to bridge understanding between them and the township youth. Be praying for God's direction and hand in this. Within ourselves we can do nothing. Which is a relief that we can place this in His hands and just make ourselves available.
In other requests, safety here in the township is a risk that we cannot ignore. So long as we keep our wits about us and stay street-wise, we are just fine. There have been some trip ups, so we could definitely use some prayer with that regard!
Major praise to acknowledge. The Mpophomeni Family Center ministry, it's staff, social workers, child care, are amazing! God's hand is upon this ministry, and boy is it apparent. It astounds me how perfectly each staffer fits their roles, the way their skills and passions match up to exactly what is expected of them! They are seriously some of the most incredible people I know. If there is one thing that I would love to emerge from this summer with, would be the knowledge that we provided these brothers and sisters in Christ an encouragement. Time to wrap it up, much love and peace to you all. Hopefully we can keep you updated a bit better this coming week! Sala Kahle!
- 3 showers
- Easily over 36 cups of rooibos/coffee
- Approximately 16 bowls of corn flakes
- 1 book read
Time seems to be doing anything but slowing down. Not that the pace of life is stressful or fast, it's not. I am actually finding plenty of time to "slow down" each evening. Working on maintaining a consistent journal. So much happens each day, it is a daunting task to even begin jotting things down. Staying motivated in that regard is crucial. I know the purpose of it is to one day be able to look back and see God's faithfulness... I desire that one day, now it just seems arduous. Nonetheless, God is definitely making Himself known daily here. In those small things, the smiles, the expansive sky, a loving touch. (definitely feeling the love these days considering touch is my love language.)
A touch can be such a humanizing thing and an incredible human expression of God's love. So many of the children have a deep longing for this acknowledgement, in physical form, that they no doubt deserve yet likely have been depraved of in their short lives. It's a desire that is innate in us. To touch and be touched. A Godly exchange in humanity. These are moments that I cherish, these are moments that I hope God will grant me increasing sensitivity, that I might take note of Him around me.
In other news, we have gotten together for our first time with the Howick Community Church youth, to begin some relationships with them with our ultimate hope to bridge understanding between them and the township youth. Be praying for God's direction and hand in this. Within ourselves we can do nothing. Which is a relief that we can place this in His hands and just make ourselves available.
In other requests, safety here in the township is a risk that we cannot ignore. So long as we keep our wits about us and stay street-wise, we are just fine. There have been some trip ups, so we could definitely use some prayer with that regard!
Major praise to acknowledge. The Mpophomeni Family Center ministry, it's staff, social workers, child care, are amazing! God's hand is upon this ministry, and boy is it apparent. It astounds me how perfectly each staffer fits their roles, the way their skills and passions match up to exactly what is expected of them! They are seriously some of the most incredible people I know. If there is one thing that I would love to emerge from this summer with, would be the knowledge that we provided these brothers and sisters in Christ an encouragement. Time to wrap it up, much love and peace to you all. Hopefully we can keep you updated a bit better this coming week! Sala Kahle!
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