Religion Respected by the Working Class and Poor

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV).

I read a very interesting column in our local newspaper today. You may access it at http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/article.aspx?subjectID=65&articleID=20080713_222_G3_pncase93712. Here are the first few paragraphs:

"In her 2001 memoir of seminary life, Episcopal priest Chloe Breyer expressed befuddlement that the Rikers Island inmates to whom she was ministering mocked her liberal approach to religion.

"'They want answers, not questions,' Breyer wrote in frustration. 'The more contradictions I point out in the Bible, the more the inmates decide there is no point in wasting their time with a religion that lacks answers.'

"Can you blame them? The poor and working class tend to prefer non-squishy religion prescribing a stark moral code--even if they struggle to live up to its demands.

"It's not hard to see why. Unlike Breyer, whose father is a Supreme Court justice, and other social elites, folks living nearer the economic margins have far more to lose from individual and communal moral failure.

"A Mexican immigrant housekeeper whose husband works on the road told me that her Pentecostal congregation in Dallas is the only thing she has to help her keep her teenage girls on a path to a stable future. Given the skyrocketing teen pregnancy rate among Latinas, you can see why a mother like this housekeeper gravitates toward Pentecostalism, not liberal Protestantism or laissez-faire Catholicism."

As a guy in a working class job (mail carrier) who is involved in a ministry to the urban poor (Contact Church of Christ), I concur with the conclusions of the author. Among the majority of people with whom I associate, the moral relativism of postmodernism has little appeal. It's more of a concept to be discussed among university professors, editorial writers, preachers, and guests on National Public Radio programs. In real life, most of us understand that genuine right and wrong exist. We do not debate whether it is right or wrong to torture children, cheat people out of money, or spread harmful gossip. We do not respect churches without the sense to recognize the existence of truth or the backbone to tell the truth.

Because we fail to live up to the highest ethical standards, we also want to be in churches that will tell the truth to us with grace. We want leaders who are both honest and compassionate. We are attracted to the forgiveness available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We are drawn to the hope offered in his resurrection and promised return. We appreciate being in the presence of people who have his Spirit within them, people who care about us and will help us in dealing with our sins, temptations, and problems.

If a congregation wants to reach the working class and poor, it will proclaim the truth and love the people.

Hot Links

Here are a few posts and articles worth reading:

Trey Morgan provides great advice for husbands at http://www.treymorgan.net/2008/07/real-men-dote.html.

Mike relates a heart-breaking story of a family neglected in their time of need by their local church at http://theupperroom.typepad.com/the_upper_room/2008/07/alone-in-church.html.

Phil Sanders offers some insightful analysis of data from the Pew Forum's latest religious survey of Americans at http://philanswers.blogspot.com/2008/07/conviction-crisis.html.

Allen Hickerson mentions the small rural church that he serves. Its Vacation Bible School was a success. I appreciate the effort of a small congregation in a small town exerting the energy to help the children in their area to know Christ. His post is at http://allens-brain.blogspot.com/2008/07/cornland-ccs-vbs-1st-night-success.html.

Rubel Shelly reminds us that God gets mad and that it's okay for us to get mad too at http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200807/20080711_godgetsmad.html.

Sarah Logsdon writes about the women of the Contact Church who are mentoring the girls and young women in our congregation. Please don't miss this one at http://urbanlogfamily.blogspot.com/2008/07/scared-enough-to-change.html.

Thanks for reading!

First Contacts

Last Sunday evening, I asked our small group Bible study members at the Normandy Apartments what topic or biblical book they would like to study next. Earlene suggested that it would be fun to pretend that God had inspired a letter to the Contact Church. What would it say? So I asked for each member to think creatively this week and write a letter to the Contact Church expressing what he or she believes God would want the church to hear. Of course, we realize that this is merely a creative exercise, but it could give us an idea of how each person in our group is thinking at this time. It also could open our eyes to some blind spots, as each person shares different perspectives. This is my letter:

The First Epistle to the Contact Church of Christ

Brothers and sisters,

God has been good to you. Some of you were in rebellion against God. You hated God and everyone associated with him. Some of you were simply wandering through life lost. But God has changed you. He has not destroyed you. He has not even allowed you to destroy yourselves. He has saved you.

When Jesus gave his life for you, he changed the course of your life. Your trust in him is well placed.

Therefore, continue to do good in God's name. Continue to fight the temptation to sin. Stay sober. Don't allow alcohol or drugs to enslave you again. Be intoxicated with the Spirit of Christ.

Avoid anger, envy, and anxiety. Live in joy, gratitude, and peace.

Be sexually pure. No adultery. No homosexuality. No sex outside of marriage. Enjoy your husband or wife, but do not share.

Continue to help others. Keep looking for people who need help. Keep sharing the message of Christ with everyone. Keep growing. Keep praying. Keep reading or listening to the Bible. If you do these things, you will continue to become everything you and God want.

Finally, have hope. You may face disease, racism, job loss, and other serious problems, but don't let go of hope! Jesus Christ will return, and everything will be made right for you.

Vote for James Simmons

If you live in northeastern Oklahoma, please vote for James Simmons tomorrow night (July 7, 2008) on Gimme the Mike, the local singing competition similar to American Idol. James (aka Jamie) is the former worship leader for the Contact Church of Christ. He is an outstanding young man currently studying at Oklahoma State University. The phone lines should be open for 2 hours after the show airs at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night on KOTV Channel 6.

Fighting Poverty

"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses" (Proverbs 28:27, NIV).

About a year and a half ago, we began to memorize Scriptures as a family. Typically, we spend about 10 days reading a verse during meal times. Lately we have been reading Proverbs 28:27, a verse that emphasizes how much God wants his people to care for the poor.

Poverty comes in various forms.

The economically poor cannot meet their financial needs. They cannot make enough money to pay their rent, buy groceries, or purchase other necessities.

The physically poor suffer from health problems. They may deal with a chronic disease, a mental disability, depression, or other health issues.

Those who are poor in wisdom deal with the results of bad choices in life. They may have dropped out of school. They may have become addicted to alcohol or drugs. They may have joined gangs. They may have divorced their spouses. They may have been fired from numerous jobs due to perpetual conflicts with bosses or co-workers.

The spiritually poor live without a spiritual connection to God. They are missing the benefits of life with Christ.

Sometimes people face every form of poverty at once. Sometimes we face different combinations of poverty at the same time. Sometimes we face only one form of poverty at a time. However, nobody goes through life without ever facing poverty.

So the question is: How can I help? Could I buy someone lunch? Could I take a sack or two of groceries to their apartment? Could I help someone find a job? Could I visit someone in the hospital? Could I listen to someone feeling depressed? Could I help someone study for the GED? Could I teach a class about building and maintaining strong families? Could I let someone know how good Jesus Christ is?

Let's fight poverty in every form, and receive God's blessings in the process.

Preachers Say the Funniest Things

I love irony. Here are a couple of ironic statements I have heard from preachers:

"We do not allow solos in this church, because it leads to pride." Then the preacher preaches an entire sermon solo.

"You don't need a commentary. Just read the Bible." When a preacher says that, prepare yourself for a 30 minute oral commentary on a single verse, complete with the historical background and context, definitions of Greek or Hebrew words, maps, charts, and lessons on the nuances of the grammar of an obscure language.

If you have heard or said an ironic statement from the pulpit, please share it. I would love to read it.

Good Citizenship

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men" (Titus 3:1-2, NIV).

In the spirit of America's Independence Day, here are a few ways to be good citizens (without being political):

1. Obey the traffic laws.
2. Pray for our leaders.
3. Recycle.
4. Volunteer at a pregnancy resource center or adoption agency.
5. Initiate a canned food drive at your work place for a local food bank.
6. Adopt a pet at a local animal shelter. (But leave behind the pit bulls.)
7. Donate blood.
8. Join the military.
9. Pay your taxes.
10. Invest time in your family.

Feel free to add to the list. Thanks for reading, and have a happy 4th of July!