Marathon Training Update

I ran my fifteen miles this morning before church. It took me three hours. I listened to half of the book of Jeremiah on my ipod and then to a Catalyst podcast featuring a very interesting interview with Malcolm Gladwell. He had some things to say about the relatively new surge of attention from church leaders on issues of poverty. In his book The Tipping Point he calls such movements "social epidemics" and looks at what causes them. I noticed a huge increase in the emphasis on poverty alleviation at the Willow Leadership Summit this year. Maybe the epidemic is catching on thanks to leaders like Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. Gladwell seems to think so.

Anyway, I have really been struggling to get out there and run, especially those weekend long runs. My bed feels so comfortable! If I hadn't made this public commitment to run the marathon I think I would have given up by now. I know if I don't stick to my training I will have a very difficult time completing the actual marathon on October 7th.

I look for inspiration wherever I can find it. The video below kept me at it this week along with cheers from the guys on the park benches and seeing Keyonda McQuarters out there on Monday. It was Keyonda who actually inspired me to run the marathon for World Vision. She announced to our BUILD group that she was running and I felt the call!

This is a huge challenge for me. This morning it was raining and cooler which actually made it much easier than last Saturday's twelve miles in the blazing noonday sun. What was I thinking!

Mostly it is hard, but this morning, in about my tenth mile, a flock of geese came soaring down skidding to a stop right beside me as if to say, "We're with you! Don't give up!" and I felt the endorphins kick in for a few minutes so I could experience the runner's high that makes it worthwhile.

I like this quote from the book, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi:

Contrary to what we usually believe... the best moments in our lives, are not the passive receptive, relaxing times-- although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.

This training is definitely one of those body and mind stretching experiences for me. I also still have a long way to go to meet my fundraising goal, so please stretch with me to help the kids in Africa!

This Is True

This was the liturgical reading at the LaSalle Street Church a few weeks ago. Senior Pastor, Laura Truax, told me they repeated it for several weeks in a row and people were very moved by it.

It is not true that this world and its inhabitants are doomed to die and be lost;

This is true: For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him shall not die, but have everlasting life.

It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction:

This is true: Jesus has come that we might have life, and have it abundantly.

It is not true that violence and hatred shall have the last word, and that war and destruction have come to stay forever;

This is true: For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, in whom authority will rest, and whose name will be the prince of peace.

It is not true that our dreams of liberation for humankind, our dreams of justice, of human dignity, of peace, are not meant for this earth and its history;

This is true: The hour comes and it is now, that true worshippers shall worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil that seek to rule the world;

This is true: To Christ is given authority in heaven and on earth. Christ will be with us always, to the end of the world.

More about white tees

In case you haven't been following the interesting comments in the post below I want to highlight this interesting artice that Westy has found from the Sun Times about gangs and white tees. Thanks Ryan!

White Tee

In the story I linked to below, Bart Campolo mentioned that the guys on the corner all wear white tees. Here's why... the hip hop group, Dem Franchize Boyz and their song "White Tee". Here's a link to the lyrics. Such is the power of music.

Bart Campolo: I Hate It When All You Can Do Is Pray

Thanks to my blogger buddy, Ryan, for sending me the link to this beautiful story by Bart Campolo.

What to do with your $10

Here's a link to an interesting discussion on the Freakonomics Quorum Site about the dilemma we face when we get asked for money by panhandlers.

You are walking down the street in New York City with $10 of disposable income in your pocket. You come to a corner with a hot dog vendor on one side and a beggar on the other. The beggar looks like he’s been drinking; the hot dog vendor looks like an upstanding citizen. How, if at all, do you distribute the $10 in your pocket, and why?

Today at the Leadership Summit Michael Porter made the point that "Society depends on us to use our time, relationships and financial contributions to do the most possible good." (You can see the slides from his presentation at this link.) World Vision provides the opportunity for us to sponsor an impoverished child for just $30 a month. And of course, I would suggest the "Good Samaritan method". The Good Samaritan found the beat up man along the road, got personally involved by putting him on his own donkey (his own Honda Civic). He drove him to the nearest rehab center (the Inn) and paid for his entire rehabilitation. Breakthrough is one of those places that cares for the real needs of people. It seems to me that giving to ministries like Breakthrough or World Vision would do "the most possible good".

Transforming the World

Here's a link to an interesting post by Mark Galli on the Christianity Today web site in which he makes the case that God has not asked us to transform the world.

To be sure, he says we can be "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." As such, we can indeed give the world a glimpse of kingdom life so that many will give glory to God. But there's nothing there about the world being transformed. What Jesus wants us to do primarily, it seems, is to love those right in front of our noses.

I remain puzzled as to why we're so bored with the very things Jesus asks us to do, like picking that foreigner up out of the ditch, giving away our goods to the poor, going to court with a young man who's being railroaded by the system, taking an orphan into our home, going the extra mile with the oppressive and manipulative, forgiving the offender, baptizing, and witnessing. I find these things really, really hard to do. I fail all the time. If I can't even do these things well, why would I believe that I could transform my culture, let alone change the world?

What do you think?

Restored by the Woods

Sorry I haven't blogged for so long. I have been gone a lot, backpacking with a friend in Colorado and then writing for a week in Canada. I am so filled up with a sense of God's majestic power, awesome creativity and passionate love by being in nature. This has been a wonderful summer for me because I have had lots of opportunities for solitude in the woods. This is the view from the window of the cabin in Lake of the Woods, Ontario, where a friend let me stay so I could focus on writing. I ran everyday and picked wild blueberries and rasberries to add to my morning oatmeal. It was such a great place to write. I am now at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, running into lots of great friends and soaking in the messages. I especially enjoyed Carly Fiorina yesterday. They started the conference with a video about the history of the church. It was very inspiring. Near the end of the video there were some great shots of our congregation at River City Community Church. Wish I had more time to blog, but I've gotta go. More later.

True Worship

"This disparity between economics and justice is an issue of worship. According to the narrative of Scripture, the very heart of how we show and distinguish true worship from false worship is apparent in how we respond to the poor, the oppressed, the neglected and the forgotten."

-Mark Labberton serves as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, California, and the author of The Dangerous Act of Worship—Living God’s Call to Justice (IVP, 2007).

Hiking the Conundrum Trail

This weekend I am heading out to Colorado to go backpacking with a friend near Aspen. I have hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail nearly every year for the past eight years, but this will be my first time in the Rockies. We'll see how physically fit I really am!! The trail goes up to 11,200 feet and passes some hot springs. I am looking forward to spending time with a good friend whom I haven't seen for a long time and taking in the beauty of the mountains.

Renewal Radio

I am the guest on Gene Getz' radio show all week. You can listen to it at this link. I think it is aired primarily on satelite radio. I met Gene at a Moody conference I attended. The audio of me speaking is quite old from when I spoke at Moody Founders Week, but the interview is from last fall.

Messianic Largresse

My friend Cindy Harris sent me this convicting quote from the great book Walking with the Poor by Bryant L. Myers.

If poverty is the absence of things, then the solution is to provide them. This often leads to the outside becoming the development “Santa Claus” bringing all good things: food, well drilling, education, and proclamation. The poor are seen as passive recipients, incomplete human beings we make complete and whole through our largesse.

This unwitting attitude has two very negative consequences. First, this attitude demeans and devalues the poor. Our view of them, which quickly becomes their view of themselves, is that they are defective and inadequate. We do not treat them as human beings made in the image of God. We act as if God’s gifts were given to us and none to the poor. This attitude increases their poverty and tempts us to play god in the lives of the poor.

Second, our attitude about ourselves can become messianic. We are tempted to believe that we are the deliverers of the poor, that we make their lives complete. We can inadvertently harbor a belief that we are the ones who save. Such an attitude is not good for our souls.

What are your thoughts? Is there a right way to help? What is it?

My Trip to Africa With World Vision

I'm not sure what to say. A common theme you hear from people who travel to Africa is that you really can't describe it. First of all, the trip itself was very well planned and orchestrated. We had the normal travel dilemmas of travel in developing countries, but our accomodations were great and we saw so much in the few days we were there. The people I traveled with were lots of fun so we stayed up late and talked and "debriefed" every day, which was great in itself.

But how can I describe the impact of seeing such poverty yet such joy. It is a huge contrast to our culture here in the states. Our wealth gets in the way of experiencing the depth of joy and love for one another that is so obvious in the villages.
As we were leaving a daycare center in Zamtan, Zambia, I saw a little boy, probably three years old holding his foot and crying. He had evidently stepped on a thorn and had hurt his foot. Instantly a group of children gathered around him and a girl, probably two years older than him, scooped him up on her shoulders and he stopped crying. That kind of care for one another was so compelling. All of the women wear two or three wraps so they can easily hoist a child to their backs when necessary. It gave new meaning to the quote, "It takes a village to raise a child".

I was impressed by the difference we can make with World Vision by digging wells and providing drug treatment for HIV/AIDs. There is also such value placed on education. Kids walk for hours to get to school and women are struggling to learn to read in remote areas. They don't take education lightly. The fact that I have a doctorate degree was a big deal to them.

We also stayed at the Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana. What an amazing place! As we drove in at dusk we saw herds of elephant, buffalo, hippopotami, and giraffe. It was surreal. We also saw Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. I didn't get any pictures of that but the experience of being there is similar to the feeling I got when I first saw the Grand Canyon. It is breathtaking. God is so amazing, so powerful. I put about a hundred pictures on Shutterfly which you can view at this link.

Heading for Africa

I am leaving for Africa today and won't return until July 3rd. I am traveling with World Vision to Zambia, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Botswana and Victoria Falls. I'm sure I will have much to blog about when I return but probably won't have computer access for the next couple of weeks.

Fire at Shane Claiborne's Simple Way House

Thanks to the Jobless Minister for alerting me to the fact that one of the Simple Way houses in Philly caught on fire last night. Thankfully everyone got out in time.

Where's your focus?

Here's the Lilac Chaser illusion from Wikipedia. If you stare at the cross in the center of the circle for 20 seconds or so, the image seems to change and instead of a circle of lilac dots a green dot seems to chase them out of existence. Hmmm, seems life is a lot like that. Where we focus can change our perspective. In the words of the old hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, by Helen Lemmel, when we focus on Jesus, "the things of earth will grow strangely dim".

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Redeeming a Needy Neighborhood

Here's a link to an interesting interview with Rev. James Meeks about Redeeming A Needy Neighborhood.

Our mission was always to build a healthy people, and that automatically means that you are concerned about what else happens on your Jericho Road. And on your Jericho Road, you not only care for the wounds of those set upon by robbers, but you go door to door telling robbers they're unwelcome.
And we get the streetlights fixed!

Sojourners Candidate Forum on CNN

Sojourners hosted a CNN live broadcast of leading Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama on Monday, June 4, for A Presidential Forum on Faith, Values, and Poverty at Lisner Auditorium of The George Washington University. This video has highlights from the Candidates Forum.

Quiet Riots in the African American Community

Here's a link to a CNN post by Roland Martin about Obama's comments regarding the growing despair in the African American community. Martin quotes from a speech given by Obama at the Hampton University Annual Ministers' Conference on Tuesday during which he said...

(Quiet riots) happen when a sense of disconnect settles in and hope dissipates. Despair takes hold and young people all across this country look at the way the world is and believe that things are never going to get any better.

You tell yourself, my school will always be second rate. You tell yourself, there will never be a good job waiting for me to excel at. You tell yourself, I will never be able to afford a place that I can be proud of and call my home.

That despair quietly simmers and makes it impossible to build strong communities and neighborhoods. And then one afternoon a jury says, 'not guilty' -- or a hurricane hits New Orleans -- and that despair is revealed for the world to see.

Here's what Roland Martin had to say...

What Obama spoke of I see every day. I can look out our bay window and see men and women going to work each day, trying to make ends meet, and they often don't. I see women walking their kids to school just to keep them safe, but inevitably, some don't come home, like the 31 students from Chicago Public Schools who have been murdered this year. Oh, I definitely see the urban terrorists -- gang members and drug dealers -- who tear the fabric of the black community apart with their rampant violence.

People shouldn't have to endure "quiet riots." They should be shouting from the rooftops, and we should hear their pleas.

Martin criticizes the bloggers who "know nothing about the conditions of the nation's urban poor, want to sit in their ivory towers and pretend that if you just read, write and work hard, all will be well. And there is no doubt that the work ethic and willingness to do better is paramount, and encouraged -- even by African Americans. But it's also critical to know that there are many who are working and working and working, and don't seem to be making any headway."

Here's a link to the full text of Obama's speech.

The Teddy Stallard Story

Here's Tony Campolo, the consummate story teller, telling two of his great stories: the bag lady at Nordstroms, and the Teddy Stallard story. Does it matter to you that the Teddy Stallard story is not true? The story has even been made into a heartwarming video. It is actually a work of fiction created by Elizabeth Ballard (now Elizabeth Ungar). It's an urban legend. I still like listening to Tony tell a good story. And, of course, teachers can make a huge difference in the life of a child.

Cross-cultural Faux Pas

My friend Max sent me an email today with this list...

• When Pepsi translated “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” into Chinese, they literally said, “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.”
  
• Purdue Chicken's “It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken” in Spanish became, “It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate.”
  
• The first attempt to translate Coke in Chinese was “Ke-kou-ke-la,” which, depending on the dialect, meant either “Bite the wax tadpole” or “Female horse stuffed with wax.”
  
• Parker Pen’s “It won’t leak in your pocket & embarrass you,” in Spanish translated into, “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.”

                --Sarasota Herald-Tribune - 01.19.98

Forsaken, Humiliated and Extremely Weak

I really resonated with this post on Yolanda Field's blog from yesterday. We are in the middle of a pretty intense struggle at Breakthrough and really need your prayers.

A Clean and Innocent Heart

Give me, O Lord, purity of lips, a clean and innocent heart, and rectitude of action. Give me humility, patience, abstinence, chastity, prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance. Give me the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness, and of Thy fear. Make me ever to seek Thy face with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind; grant me to have a contrite and humbled heart in Thy presence--to prefer nothing to Thy love. Most high, eternal, and ineffable Wisdom, drive away from me the darkness of blindness and ignorance; most high and eternal Strength, deliver me; most high and eternal Fortitude, assist me; most high and incomprehensible Light, illuminate me; most high and infinite Mercy, have mercy on me. Amen

  --A Gallican Sacramentary, from A Guide To Prayer for All God's People

The Reality of Getting Old

So, I was running around the Garfield Park Lagoon the other day (eight times around both lagoons is ten miles). It was a grueling long run and I was hot and tired when I came upon a group of young boys. Can I call them young punks? Anyway, one of them yelled, "You go, old lady!" and they started laughing and singing the Rocky song, "Dah da dah...., dah da dah..." I doubt any of them will be running a marathon any time soon, but it doesn't matter. They're young and can't imagine ever being as old as me.

The sad reality is, many of them will not see age 53. Their lives are in danger every day. I am amazed by how many young men I see in wheelchairs around here. They are victims of urban warfare.

So, my aging body rounding the lagoon for the eighth time gave them a laugh. OK. I can take it. I actually get lots of encouragement and high fives. I feel a little like Akeelah in the movie, Akeelah and the Bee, when the community began to get involved in her success. If this old lady can run a marathon, maybe there's hope for change after all.

Can Chicago End Homelessness?

Thanks to Rebecca for pointing me to this link of a Time article about the Chicago Plan to End Homelessness. She asked for my thoughts, so here is my two cents...

While I have supported the plan in concept I have always doubted that there would be enough money allocated to make it work. I think it is wonderful to have a plan and it is very motivating to work toward ending homelessness entirely. I believe we could eliminate homelessness in Chicago, but not without the political will to channel lots of money into the process and I don't see that happening. We have made progress, but not nearly enough.

Basically the plan set forth by a wide coalition of funders, homeless advocates and government officials (of which I was a contributing member) espouses the "housing first" model. This has resulted in government dollars being directed away from shelters and toward subsidizing permanent housing units.

Research has shown that people without homes are more likely to achieve stability in their lives if they are housed first. That is kind of a "na dah" to me. Of course if we could put everyone in our shelters into their own apartments today, we would. And if there were no more homeless people waiting to take their places in our shelters, I would say, let's sing the hallelujah chorus and close all of the shelters in the city!

Of course, that isn't close to the reality of the situation. Our shelters are always full with a waiting list, and we try our best to get people moved into housing as quickly as we can. We have thirty subsidized apartment units for our participants, as well as the sixty shelter beds we offer, and they are always full too.

Housing people in apartments costs about six times as much as housing them in our shelters. Some of the guests who stay with us are able to get off the dole and live on their own, paying their own rent, if given the support they need for a time in our shelter. What motivation does someone have to get and stay employed and pay their own rent if they are handed a hefty rent subsidy under a "housing first" model when they are capable of working if given a chance? And if the subsidy is all they get (supportive service dollars are not readily available) then "housing first" becomes "housing only" and people can still be living by themsleves in addiction, isolation and poverty and be growing increasingly depressed. Of course, women fleeing domestic abuse situations need special protection that is not acknowledged in a pure housing first model. I think there are lots of other special services needed such as drug and alcohol recovery programs, life skill training, etc.

I appreciate the work of the legislators and advocates that brought about recent state legislation that has added a ten dollar fee to real estate transactions. I was part of that advocacy. This is generating an additional ten million dollars per year for rent subsidies, but that will only accomodate about 6,000 people, while there are something like 70,000 on waiting lists for subsidized housing. While we certainly need more affordable housing, I think to close the shelters is foolishness and will only bring more hardship on people who are waiting to find suitable housing that they can afford.

While Breakthrough gets some funding from the government we are not dependent upon government funds to stay open. When the city cut the funding for our men's shelter last year, we put out a plea to our private donors and kept our doors open. Not all shelter providers have that kind of diverse funding base. When others shut their doors it just makes our work more important and necessary. (By the way, the city later reinstated our shelter funding after facing severe criticism from homeless advocates.)

I believe the chronically homeless (those who are mentally ill and have been on the street for years) should be housed in some type of community setting. Giving them keys to their own apartments without adequate support will not ensure their success in independent living.

The work of Breakthrough and other homeless service providers is important because we build relationships with our homeless guests. I'm not saying other providers and government entities don't do that, but I think the depth of care that Breakthrough demonstrates is rare. Every person is different. We cannot assume that what is best for one person is best for another. So we allow our guests to choose their own goals and empower them to make good choices.

The ministries and organizations who have been operating shelters and day centers for years provide those caring relationships that make such a crucial difference in the lives of struggling people. A government dispensed rent subsidy will not have the same impact. Sadly, I am watching service providers close their doors because "providing the poor wanderer with shelter" as Isaiah sets forth in Isaiah 58 is no longer the politically correct thing to do.

The article mentions Daley's plan to require 10% set asides in new construction for those making $75,000 or less. I agree with the advocates who are asking the question, why not 15% for those making $60,000 or less. We need to stem the tide of the fast paced gentrification that is forcing residents out of their homes throughout the city by advocating for scattered site affordable housing that is really affordable.

My Urban Education Started at Moody

At church yesterday a friend commented about how meaningful it has been for a group of Romanian senior citizens who live in Jenkins Hall, a building that is part dormitory for Moody Bible Institute students and part subsidized housing for seniors, to have a Moody student from Romania organize a Bible study for them. Talk about practical Christian education! Imagine the beauty of crossing the ocean to go to school and learning that you are living near senior citizens from your country who are hungry to study the Bible!

It reminds me of Acts 17:26-27 when Paul explained to the Athenians that "from one man (God) made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him."

The leadership of Moody has consistently made the decision to stay in the city doing the work that Dwight L. Moody and Emma Dryer started after the Chicago fire of caring for those who were devastated physically and financially by the fire and educating students in a multicultural setting to take the Word to the World. It was that heritage of Moody that attracted me to the city in the 70's. After biking around the many uniquely diverse ethnic neighborhoods and visiting with struggling Chicago residents in the housing projects and medicare nursing homes for Moody assignments, I was hooked on the city and I'm still here.

There was no Urban Studies program back then. I studied Bible Theology because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I knew whatever I ended up doing, I wanted to know Scripture and serve God. Last week a young woman at one of our River City Community Groups commented about how wonderful the Urban Studies program was for her at Moody. Studying Scripture in the context of the complex issues that present themselves in the city brings a depth of understanding that is rich with application. Since all people are made in the image of God, I think we get an even more complete picture of who God is when we truly learn to understand and love people from cultures other than our own. The city provides a wonderful theological laboratory in which to experience God's love for all people.

Thanks Moody, for expanding my view of God and helping me to find God's calling for my life.

Less Righteous In My Indignation

From A Book of Uncommon Prayer by Kenneth G. Phifer...

Will you help me to be less quick to judge
            and less righteous in my indignation?
Will you help me to be more open to life
            and to other people?
Will you give me confidence enough to be less
            defensive and less ready to react to rebuffs?
Give me steadiness and firmness
            and true commitment to the life of faith. Amen.

Forgiveness and the Power of Words

I was reminded today that words are powerful. They can bring joy and encouragement or they can cause harm. Blog posts and comments can be deleted, but once they have been read, the damage is done. The words cannot be retrieved. When I first started blogging I was too careless. I didn't really think anyone would read my little diatribe so I wrote without checking out the facts, sometimes as a way to vent my emotions. So, I am asking God and you to forgive me, and resolving to be more careful never to write things that are critical about other ministries. I pray that my words will always bring life, and when I fail, please let me know, and also, please forgive me.

I'm training for the Chicago marathon!!

On Monday I made the big decision to start training for the October 7th, Chicago Marathon. Someone asked me if I am a runner. I had to say no. I was a pretty disciplined runner for a time in my 20s and 30s, but I am 53 now and haven't run for more than a decade. I hope, in the words of Rocky Balboa, to "go tha distance"!

At the end of June I am heading to Zambia, DR Congo, Botswana, Victoria Falls, and Zimbabwe with World Vision. I know from my trip to Ethiopia in 2004 that I am going to be overwhelmed with a desire to do something to make a difference.

So I decided that one small thing I can do is join the World Vision Chicago Marathon team and raise money for World Vision while I run. I set $5,000 as my target to raise so please join me in this important cause. You can pledge online at this link. I am going to need all of the encouragement I can get!!

Shane Claiborne on "Speaking of Faith"

Shane Claiborne is a leader among young people who are seeking to live simply and take seriously matters of poverty and justice. He is the author of the book, Irresistable Revolution and founder of the Simple Way, where he and others live simply and in community in Philadelphia. Here's the link to the public radio site with the audio and other info. They call him a "new monastic".

Coming to Abba as Children

"When we get a vision of the God of whom Jesus speaks we will want fellowship with this one who combines the best qualities of a good father and a good mother. We are children. There is not question about Abba's receiving us. All we need to do is acknowledge our childishness and come. This is the reason why the broken and simple, the poor in spirit, the anxiety-ridden, the mourning, the meek, the unsatisfied and unfulfilled, the hungry and thirsty, the persecuted and ridiculed find it so easy to turn to the God Jesus reveals. Those who are doing quite well on their own and think that they have life securely within their grasp don't like to admit their ultimate helplessness and come as children before Abba. They don't feel the need of it. It also may be beneath their dignity."
       -- From Companions on the Inner Way by Morton T. Kelsey

Emotional support for students helps them achieve

Here's a link to an interesting article from Catalyst Chicago about research that indicates that paying attention to the social and emotional needs of teachers and students leads to higher academic performance.

Poverty Alleviation: Where do we start?

We can all do something: skip a meal, do without new gadgets, simplify our lifestyles, eat fewer meals in restaurants, buy clothes from recycle shops. I think the word I hear is, "Just do something!"

"How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need, and yet refuses to help."
                1 John 3:17-18

The Josiah House

I got this email from a friend today...

I had a thought today that I just have to share with you.

I was reading the story of Josiah this morning and how he tore his clothes in grief when the Scriptures were discovered and after he studied them, he realized they had not been following God’s ways and will for their lives. I was then reading my favorite book, Walking with the Poor, at lunch just now and he was talking about passages in Isaiah 1:17 and 10:1-2 and Ezekial 17:48-49 about the sin of Sodom. So many Christians have been reading these passages in the past few years and are being awakened to the obvious themes of seeking justice and encouraging the oppressed in Scripture.

Today is like Josiah’s times, a time of waking up to what we have not cared about or noticed in God’s word for a long time. We could tear our clothes too, don’t you think? It grieves me that this isn’t THE topic of conversation everywhere. Sometimes I feel like people think you have to be especially “called” to care for the things that Breakthrough does or the people we minister to. No! It isn’t a special calling! Am I nuts?

No, you are not nuts and I think you just gave me the name for the house we're supposed to open that I described in my May 3rd post entitled, The Need for More Theological Reflection. Let's call it the Josiah House. Has anyone seen a suitable house for sale? It should be able to sleep about fifteen, have space for a library and resource center, a fireplace would be nice, and of course a very large dining room so we could put a big table in it that would seat about 20.

It will be a hospitality house where people will come to stay for a few weeks or months to learn the language and theology of the gospel and justice. Guests will work to maintain the facility half a day or serve in community ministries and then spend the other half day in the resource library doing guided study assigned to them by their mentor. It will be about reclaiming the message of Scripture about the gospel, justice, mercy and compassion. We will have conversations open to the public nearly every night with special guests in to lead discussions. We will have lots of fireside chats and meals and conversations at the big table. I can see it in my head as clear as day. The next step is to find the house and get funding to buy it. Send me an email if you want to be part of a meeting to talk about this.

A Mother's Love

Here's a link to a great story written by Olivier Currat, about a mother from our neighborhood and how her love mended a broken relationship. It made me cry. Olivier volunteers with Starfish Studio, the ministry that puts together a film making class for kids at Breakthrough. Olivier and his wife, Colleen, recently moved into our community. I got to know Colleen better by sharing a BUILD group with her.

A Wake Up Call

I live alone with my dog, Charlie, so apart from Charlie's occasional barking sprees when someone enters the apartment below, or me talking to myself, it is pretty quiet in my apartment. So when my phone rang at 1:30 in the morning last week I was startled from a deep sleep. I immediately thought one of my kids was in danger and my heart dropped as I picked up the phone.

"My daughter needs your help." My mind was still in a fog as I tried to sort out who was on the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" I asked.

She gave me her name and told me her daughter was, at that very moment, in the middle of a fight with her boyfriend and was not safe. "She needs to go to a shelter immediately. I live in Minnesota and got your name off the Internet. Can you please help?"

I was struck by the fear and desperation I heard in the woman's voice and remembered my own fear when I answered the phone thinking one of my own family members was in trouble. If it was my daughter, I wouldn't have paused a minute. I would have jumped into the car immediately. I understood why this woman would get on the Internet and track me down all the way to my cell phone in hopes that someone of faith would reach out to her daughter.

What was I supposed to do? Get in the car in the middle of the night, drive to the south side by myself and enter some unknown situation? What if the boyfriend was violent? What if I drove all the way to Englewood to find she wasn't there or didn't want my help?

"Do you have a number I can use to reach her?" I asked, thinking more information might be helpful. She gave me her daughter's number.

"What are you going to do?" She asked persistently.

"Well, I'm not sure, but I'll do something," I responded.

"Please call me and let me know what happens," she pleaded. "I'm not going to be able to sleep until I hear from you."

"Yes, I will call you." I sat for a minute to consider the situation. I understand the desperation of a mother for her children, the pain of thinking your child might be in danger and the helplessness of feeling like there is nothing you can do.

I said a quick prayer and picked up the phone to dial the daughter. "She's not here," the female voice informed me on the other end of the line. "She just left to go to a shelter."

I admit, I was relieved. I called the mother back to let her know her daughter was safe at least for now.

I got the wake up call. Would I do for others what I would do for my own family? Do I really feel God's love for abused women, for desperate mothers? Everyone we serve at Breakthrough is someone's son or daughter. Sure, I helped to open a shelter for women, but would I be willing to get more personally involved? To step outside of my comfort zone? God's still working on me!

1 in 4 kids don't have health care

Joyce Caine sent me a link to this CBS news article about kids and health care. It seems to me that our country needs to make at least basic health care available to all. This article indicates that part of the problem is lack of transportation to health care facilities. This highlights the need for more community health centers. Under Todd Stroger, Cook County is closing more than half of the community health centers and cutting off much of the funding for Stroger Hospital. Here's another link from Joyce about the lack of dental care for kids.

The Need for More Theological Reflection

I love talking about theology and I think it is especially important at this time in the life of the church to engage in theological discussions. I define theology as the application of God's word by persons in every area of life.

We develop theology in our context. The urban context generates an urban theology. Being in the urban environment and living in a community with a high level of poverty has led me toward a theology that has taken on more of the language of God caring for the poor and the marginalized and Jesus as the suffering servant who understands pain and rejection. I am learning the language of the Exodus that is so prominant in the African American church and I am noticing more than ever the multiplicity of Scriptural passages that reference justice for the oppressed. Christian praxis in the city requires theologial reflection. I think that is done best in community.

I have been wanting to start something like a L'Abri in the city. Those of us who are old enough to remember will recall that during the 60's and 70's Francis Shaffer would invite people who were seeking to make sense of God and culture, to join him in a chalet in the Swiss Alps to sit around the fireplace and talk about the intersection of theology and contemporary thought. I think we are in a similar place in the church right now and we need to have lots of theological discussion and reflection. I am sensing that many younger people don't have a container to put theological thoughts into and some who have learned a "systematic" theology are finding their theological framework being dismantled and they're not sure how or if to reconstruct it. Now is a great time for us to have more conversations about God.

I think the emerging church movement is bringing good conversation, but I am also concerned that some are moving away from Jesus and the power of His death and resurrection. I was listening to Doug Pagitt from Soloman's Porch on the Emergent Podcast yesterday. They were talking about the "Centered Sets" approach to understanding the Church. I have used the concept in my Wheaton classes because I like the notion that we don't always know who is in or out (of the faith). What is important is that we love people where they are and point them toward the Center, which is Christ, to urge people to turn toward and to be in the process of moving toward Christ wherever they may be in their journey. The gospel is good news. Jesus laid down his life to buy us freedom,freedom from the bondage of sin and freedom to live a new, vibrant, abundant life. So we urge people to come toward the center where they find love, peace and freedom in Christ.

Anyway, in the podcast, they suggested it would be better to consider the importance of "Relational Sets". I have also heard it labeled as "Network Sets". Basically, what I heard them saying is that we are all connected and it is the love that matters. There was no mention of Jesus or of Christ being the center. While I enjoy "out of the box" discussion and I don't feel I have to agree with everything someone says to learn from what they have to say, I am concerned that some in the church, in their reaction to certain facets of the traditional church, might actually throw away any faith in "The God Who Is There".

At Breakthrough we talk alot about reweaving the fabric of the community by buiding a network of support around everyone who comes our way and that these relationships are reciprocal and we all grow in the process, but at the heart of that network is faith in Christ. The network/relational approach works to restore people to right relationships with one another when God is lifted up as the head and the one who brings us together in unity.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Eph 4:16

I think we need to develop space for people to talk about these things. I wish we could get a big house in the city where people who are searching and questioning or who are wanting to learn more about God's concern for the city and the poor and justice, could come for a month or two and stay and we could have guided study and discussions open to the public.

What do you think?

"The Christian message is an embodied message, carried by living witnesses. The clarity and attractiveness of this message is dependent on the quality of our life with Jesus and our willingness to give expression to that life through word, deed, and sign."

From Walking with the Poor by Bryant Myers

Justice and Partial-Birth Abortions

Here's a link to a thoughtful article posted by Stephen Monsma, from Calvin College, on the Center for Public Justice web site about the Supreme Court and partial-birth abortions.

Justice demands that both the unborn or being-born child and the mother be given their due in our nation’s laws. Banning almost all abortions should be balanced by actions that include fixing our health-care system so that everyone has access to health insurance and to basic health care. Public policies should also provide adequate assistance to poor single mothers and their families, as well as job training and supportive services when they have chosen for life and against abortion.

Steps such as these would help assure that our public policies are just—both for the unborn human life and for their mothers.

You can read Justice Anthony Kennedy's horrifying description of the partial-birth abortion process at this link. This is definitely a justice issue.

Brenda Salter McNeil on Commitment to Reconciliation

Creating a Counter Culture for the Common Good

The Gospel and Losing Weight

Lately people have been asking me how I am losing weight. I have lost about 20 pounds since the filming of that embarrassing Willow Creek video. So instead of trying to explain, I decided to write this post, so from now on I can just say, "Hey, if you really want to know, check out my blog"!

First of all, I have to confess that I fell off the wagon throughout most of 2006. I was feeling a lot of stress and I gained weight. I just couldn't get my eating under control. Finally in mid-February after spending some time with friends in Florida, I had a very frank conversation with God in which I acknowledged that I knew I needed to live a more healthy lifestyle but I didn't have the discipline or even the desire to exercise or lose weight.

As I have reflected upon that prayer, I am coming to see that anything that controls me that is not for my good and for the good of the kingdom is really evidence that I am not embracing the gospel. The gospel is the good news that it is not by my effort, but by the power of Christ that I am resurrected to right living. After I admitted my inability to change my behavior I felt God's love for me, just as I was, along with a gentle nudge to start recording everything I ate.

I resurrected an old software program that I had downloaded a few years ago called Fitday. A basic version is available for free online, but I recommend the $30 download Fitday PC version from fitday.com. I entered my desired weight as a goal and the software told me how many calories I needed to cut back in order to achieve my goal. When you enter most food items the software automatically tracks the nutritional value along with the calories, fat and carbs. This helps me decide what foods to eat.

You can also enter your physical exercise. I pulled out an old fitness program that I actually enjoy, the Quick Fit System by Gilad, which is available in VHS format for $40 and DVD for $70. It is a 12 week program that includes aerobics with some punching and kick boxing and body sculting workouts that work every muscle. I also downloaded a Weight Loss audio by Barrie Konicov. He uses subliminal persuasion as you drift off to sleep to help you think positive thoughts about weight loss.

I started fasting one day a week. I really don't like fasting, but I know it is biblical so I do it. Afterward, I am always glad I did and I find I am less controled by food when I do. So, the combination of prayer, fasting, caloric restriction, exercise and positive thinking has made this process actually enjoyable.

I have reached my goal so now I just pray that the Lord will give me the grace to maintain. My tendency is to begin to think I have done this and I don't need God anymore, instead of living and breathing the gospel of the power of Christ's death and resurrection everyday and living in humble gratitude for the gift of new life. For today, my energy is up. I'm feeling much better, and I'm grateful to God for setting this captive free!

Bob Lupton: Gentrification with Justice

Here's an audio file of Lupton on Gentrification and how we should respond. Gentrification is a term referring to the "gentry", people with money, reentering a community that has been run down for years, buying dillapidated properties at low cost, renovating or building new construction. Gentrification is a good thing in that it brings vitality to a community. The propblem is, if it is not done with justice the poor are forced to move. Lupton says we are currently exeriencing a diaspora of the poor being displaced and scatterd to communities outside the city. This brings new challenges to both urban ministries and suburban churches.

Bob Lupton to speak at Park Community Church

I have been with Bob Lupton today at Mars Hill Bible Church. He spoke tonight and we got to hang out throughout the day. He told us he has been diagnosed with cancer and asked for prayers for his healing. Please join me to pray for his complete healing and that he can carry on his work in the city of Atlanta. He has devoted his life to Christian community development.

Those of you who live in Chicago can catch Bob at Park Community Church at 9:00 and 11:00 Sunday morning. Park meets at the Francis Parker School at 2233 N. Clark (at Webster).

I am also with Daniel Hill, the pastor of the River City Community Church, at this conference in Michigan and Daniel gave me an overview of the sermon he will preach this Sunday about Cornelius and Peter. You don't want to miss it. So I suggest, Park at 9:00 and River City at 11:00!

American Idol Gives Back

Lots of people were talking yesterday about the Wednesday night American Idol charity performance. I noticed today that it is available to download through iTunes for $9.99. It was a very inspiring show in which lots of celebrities and musicians joined to raise money to help fight poverty in the US and Africa. All proceeds from the iTunes sales go to the cause as well.

Going to Mars Hill

Since I am one of the 50,000+ who listen to Rob Bell's sermons through the Mars Hill Bible Church Podcast, I am especially excited to be taking off for Grand Rapids today to join a group of CCDA leaders for a conference at the church. The Mars Hill leadership is encouraging members to engage with the community in holistic ministry and has invited the CCDA in to help them learn the principles of Christian community development. I will be sharing about how listening to the community has influenced how we minister at Breakthrough. We are meeting with the staff for three hours this afternoon, so I am looking forward to some stimulating interaction. Please pray that God will use me to add something meaningful to the discussion.

Midday Connection Think Tank

Yesterday I joined a group of about fifteen women to brainstorm ideas with Anita Lustrea and Melinda Schmidt, the hosts of the Moody Network Midday Connection program. The program will be going to two hours instead of one next year and they are trying to decide how to structure the program for that. It was great to meet such a powerful group of women in leadership and to hear what media they read, watch and listen to. I wrote down a list of good books they suggested and got lots of ideas for sermons and articles. It reinforced for me the benefit of focus groups to generate good ideas. Thanks for inviting me Anita!

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me

I was talking with a friend today whose wife teaches sixth grade at a middle school. He said the new principal has a hard time making firm decisions about discipline and consequently the students are increasingly out of control. Last week while reading through Psalm 23, I reflected on the words, "your rod and your staff, they comfort me" and thought about how important and actually comforting it is to have people in our lives who love us enough to stop us when we are out of control. Kids, especially, need to know that someone will push back when they exceed the limit of acceptable behavior. Without the comfort of the rod and staff, we actually feel unloved. I am thankful for friends who confront me when they think I need correction. I don't always receive it well at the time, but I am learning to treasure God's discipline through trusted friends. I have not been a good disciplinarian of others so it helps me to recognize the value of discipline in my own life so I can become better about challenging people around me to grow, and to do it lovingly.

The Police

I walked out of my apartment this morning to see a Chicago police car double parked beside my neighbor's car? "You live by these ignorant people?" a female police officer asked me with a snarl.

"Excuse me?" I replied.

"Do you live above these ignorant people?"

I know my neighbors and they are not ignorant. I felt my temper rising. "Why are you calling them ignorant?" I asked.

"Well we are writing him a ticket for an expired licence plate and he went off."

I felt my neighbor's pain. When you struggle to make rent with no margin for anything extra, when you can't even afford the $78 to renew your licence plate sticker, getting a ticket is not a good way to start the day. And then to be treated with such disrespect, to have your neighbor told you are ignorant. Please, is that necessary?

"We need to do a lot of work on police relationships in this neighborhood," I said. "My neighbors are not ignorant".

"I'm sorry you have to live by them." She growled.

"I love living here. And I like my neighbors." I replied. I am beginning to understand more personally why there is such animosity toward the police in my community. It's the unnecessary roughness.

More on race and the VA Tech Tragedy

Ed Gilbreath wrote some great thoughts about this on his Reconciliation Blog. Let's join him in his prayer that "there will be no backlash in the Korean American community and that our Asian brothers and sisters will feel loved and welcomed in this country." Thanks Ed.

20% rise in reading scores for Breakthrough kids

It has been a good year so far for students in Breakthrough’s Nettie Bailey Student Achievement Program. “It is exciting to see then dig in and push themselves,” says Academic Coordinator, Seth El-Jamal. “Everyone is making progress in one way or the other.”

A large focus of the after-school program is to increase reading scores. In addition to valuable time spent with tutors, students use a learning software called Orchard Gold Star Targeted Educational Software. The cumulative effect makes a difference. Seth says, “By the second quarter, 43% of the students were reading at or above their grade level, a 20% jump from the first quarter.” Students will be tested again this spring.

Seth also discussed how Breakthrough assists students by helping them recognize their unique learning styles. “Many school systems use the left-brain, analytical model,” he explains. “But some students learn better through right-brain methods.”

“For instance, some students respond better to math by seeing the problems from a spatial perspective,” he says. “When they can touch and manipulate pieces of a puzzle, it can make learning easier.”

The learning style assessment has worked well for some struggling students at Breakthrough. “It’s not an issue of whether or not they are smart,” he says. “It’s more about them knowing their own best way to learn. They need to know that.”

The New Hate Crime: Violence Against the Homeless

Click twice in the frame below to watch the latest "Breakthrough Stories" podcast. Jonathan Choe investigates an upsurge in violence against the homeless and why we should be concerned.

Let It Be Some Other Asian

In case you don't read comments on blogs (I rarely do), I want to highlight an interesting string of comments on my Tuesday post about the Virginia Tech shootings regarding race. Kindra Morelock referred us to this article written by Andrew Lam, a Vietnamese American who says...

"As the country waited to learn the identity of the killer at Virginia Tech, all ethnic Americans held their breath, waiting to see if they would shoulder the spillover of blame for the acts of an individual. To be a minority in America, even in the 21st century, is to be always on trial. An evil act by one indicts the entire community. Whoever doubts this need only look at the spike in hate crimes against Muslims and South Asian communities after 9/11."

Crime's Invisible Victims

Here's a link to the Chicago Reporter, a periodical produced by the Community Renewal Society. The article is entitled Uncounted and Unseen, about the tragic consequences to children when parents are incarcerated. It really affirms the importance of what we are trying to do at Breakthrough to minister to men and women when they come out of prison, so that they don't ever go back. Lots of kids are counting on us to be there for their parents.

Children need wraparound services from time of arrest through the sentencing and the incarceration period. As one of the incarcerated parents put it, "When you sentence the parents to three years, five years and life, … the child has been sentenced, also." As the number of people in our prisons rises, so does the number of children left behind, creating a population far more likely - some estimates go as high as 70 percent - to end up in prison themselves. More often than not, these young people, who are overwhelmingly poor and black or Hispanic - and their caregivers lack access to the resources that could keep them out of the system.

Virginia Tech Student Newspaper

Here's the link. The grief I feel is almost overwhelming. I pray for the friends and families and I hold my daughters tighter than ever.

Imus and what lies beneath

I often get new students or new BUILD participants who sincerely believe that racism pretty much died out with the sixties and the civil rights movement. We go to great lengths to read about and discuss the continued disparities in education, income, health care and experiences with the criminal justice system on the basis of race. It seems especially lately what lies beneath is oozing to the surface in even more outrageous incidents with Imus' outlandish statement about the Rutgers Team, Michael Richard's racial rant and Senator Joe Biden referring to Obama as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy". These are just a few of the situations that have hit the press. We hear about these kinds of racial slams often in our community.

Here's a link to a great article by Ed Gilbreath in Christianity Today about the Imus affair. He summarizes it in the quote below...

"Racism is a sin. And sin, despite our best efforts, continues to dog us. Without honesty, without grace, without vulnerability, without humility, without the spirit of Christ from all sides, we cannot rise above our present dysfunction."

Thoughts inspired by BUILD

Joyce Caine is the principal of a new local high school and facilitates our Saturday morning BUILD group. She posted today about their visit with Mary Nelson at Bethel New Life and their group's discussion about whether or not one can have an effective ministry in what she calls "the hood" without actually living there. She always has interesting thoughts.

The Spiritual Formation of Moses

I've been enjoying some great messages from the Zondervan Podcast this week. I listened to Eugene Peterson on Wednesday. He said writing The Message was just a continuation of what he was already doing as a pastor, taking Scripture and putting it into common everyday language. He said he didn't start writing because he had something to say, but because he wanted to discover what there was to say. I like that. That's why I blog. It's in the writing that we find our message.

Today, as I walked around the lagoon, I listened to Ruth Haley Barton speak about the spiritual formation of Moses. It is an outstanding message, especially for leaders. She traces Moses' growth from an undisciplined justice crusader who committed murder, to his place of solitude in the wilderness where he got in touch with his own sense of being an alien in a foreign land tracing back to his roots as an Israelite raised as an Egyptian, and then to being called to leadership and formed by God to the point where his vision for entering the promised land was superceded by his desire to be with God. It's a great message and very well delivered.

Good Fiction

Taunted by Paul Luikart's blog post hinting that I don't read fiction, I picked up a book on Thursday at the University of Chicago bookstore that my friend, Laura Truax, recommended. Laura said she read the book in one day and that it was a read she couldn't stop thinking about. Ditto from me. I started it yesterday and finished it this morning, all 287 pages. It is haunting. The tragic life of a father and son after the world has burned. They scavenge for food and live in fear, mostly of the "bad guys". It made me appreciate the security of my home and the abundance of food, friendship, comfort and beauty in my life.

We need bicycles

Summer is coming and Breakthrough's Youth and Family Program staff has declared an urgent need for girls bicycles, with 24" wheels and either 10 or 18 speed. Some of you have extra bikes hanging in your garages. Here is a practical way for you to make a huge difference in a kid's life.

Speaking up for Asian Americans

Yesterday Today's Christian posted an article about the Youth Specialties skit that was offensive to Asian Americans and North Park University prof, Soong-Chan Rah's action to bring it to their attention. I commend Youth Specialties for their response of issuing an apology and working so expeditiously to remove the skit book from circulation. Here's a link to Soong-Chan Rah's blog.

The Evolution of American Evangelicals

Today on Speaking of Faith, Krista Tippett interviewed Richard Cizik. Cizik is vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals and editor of Washington Insight. He said in the interview that, "preaching the gospel and being salt and light in society is not an either/or choice". Cizik has become a lightning rod in the NAE because he is advocating that the agenda of evangelicals should include care for the environment and poverty as well as the issues of abortion and gay rights. There is another link on the web site in which Cizik speaks about the 17th and 18th century evangelicals who were revolutionaries who called people to social engagement, not just to a conversion to Christ but to doing something as a result of that faith commitment that would change the world around them. He says the flaw in the 50s and 60s is that the movement didn't call evangelicals to do more than simply maintain a privatized faith. He says we have a greater calling. Amen! I admire his courage.

Care, the Bigger Part of Cure

The picture still burns in my mind. It is a haunting reminder of the energy I spend avoiding the cost of loving others. I establish an emergency relief fund instead of inviting hungry families to sit at my table. I develop a housing program to avoid the turmoil of displaced families living in my home. I create employment projects that distance me from the aggravation of working with undisciplined people. As a counselor I maintain some detachment with a fifty-minute hour and an emphasis on client self-responsibility. And even as I share the gospel with the needy, I secretly hope that God will handle their problems.

Of course I don't allow myself to think this way very often. I choose rather to concentrate on the positive things I am doing for people, helpful things, right things. But when I am honest with myself, I must admit that I cannot fully care for one who is suffering without entering into his pain. The sick must be touched if they are to be healed. The weak must be nourished, the wounded embraced. Care is the bigger part of cure.

Yet I fear contagion. I fear my life will get out of control, and I will be overwhelmed by the urgent affairs of others. I fear for my family. I resist the Christ who beckons his followers to lay down their lives for each other. His talk of a yoke, a cross of bearing one another's burdens and giving one's self away is not attractive to me. The implications of entering this world of suffering as a "Christ-one," as yeast absorbed into the loaf of human need, are as terrifying as death itself. Yet this is the only way to life. The question is, will I choose life?

   From Theirs Is the Kingdom by Robert Lupton

The Visible Power Of The Resurrection In Our Lives

Daniel Hill read the following quote from W. H. Vanstone in his sermon this morning.

"As Jesus moves about, He leaves behind him, a trail of transformed scenes and changed situations: fishermen no longer at their nets, sick people restored to health, critics confounded, a storm stilled, hunger assuaged, a dead girl raised to life. Jesus’ presence is an active and instantly transforming presence. He is never the mere observer of a scene, or the one who waits upon events, but is always the transformer of the scene and the initiator of events."

Daniel asked the questions: “Is there anything in your life that’s happening that can only be called revolutionary? Are there areas in your life that are being killed and resurrected? Are there changes that are taking place in your life that nothing can explain, other than the power of the resurrection? He went on to challenge us that there should be revolutionary things happening in our lives. "May those around us see the power of the resurrection in action in our lives.”

You can download Daniel’s sermon at the link on the right, which will bring you to the River City sermon podcast in iTunes.

Happy Resurrection Day! May we live more fully in the power of the resurrection!

The Advantage of Having a Growth Mindset

Stanford Professor Carol Dweck, author of the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, explains the difference between fixed and growth mindsets and why it's important for those of us who aspire to be tutors and mentors to challenge students to be able to admit mistakes and overcome them and to believe that they can grow and learn. Here's a link to an article about it in Stanford magazine.

This is important for those of us who work in communities where educational achievement expectations are so low. Beyond just building skills, a large part of what we need to teach involves belief that learning and academic success is possible. “Study skills and learning skills are inert until they’re powered by an active ingredient,” Dweck explains. Students may know how to study, but won’t want to if they believe their efforts are futile. “If you target that belief, you can see more benefit than you have any reason to hope for.”



Here's a graphic illustration that describes the two mindsets.

What Would Jesus Really Do?

Here's a link to an article on the CNN web site by Roland Martin, talk-show host on WVON-AM in Chicago, entitled, "What Would Jesus Really Do?"

An African-American pastor I know in the Midwest was asked by a group of mostly white clergy to march in an anti-abortion rally. He was fine with that, but then asked the clergy if they would work with him to fight crack houses in predominantly black neighborhoods.

"That's really your problem," he was told.

They saw abortion as a moral imperative, but not a community ravaged by crack.

CNN TV is going air a discussion about how Jesus might solve modern-day problems in a special report, "What Would Jesus Really Do?" tonight and Sunday night at 8 p.m. Chicago time. It sounds interesting.

Mother-daughter stuff

Last night at about 9:00 my daughter, Teri, called me in a panic. Her car wasn't starting and she wanted to go to Target. So I drove up to the northside and jumped her car which started right away. We thought she had left her inside light on and it had drained the battery so she left for Target and I went home. An hour later she called to say she was at Target and her car wouldn't start again. Since she had the jumper cables with her she found someone to jump the car again. I told her she needed to take the car to a mechanic. Fortunately there is a good one very near where she lives so she could just drop off the keys and call them in the morning.

At 11:15, she called again. She had decided she needed to drive down Lake Shore Drive to recharge the battery and the car had died near Fullerton Avenue. I was a little miffed that she had not listened to me about taking the car right to the garage and of course, she was in a meltdown phase, so when I got to her again we created some drama together. She says I lectured her instead of empathizing. I say she gets mean when she is panicking and there is nothing I could ever do right. I finally told her to call AAA which really ticked her off.

Recognizing the tension between us, I had prayed on the way over, that God would help me with my attitude and teach both of us through this rather stressful experience.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I jumped her car again as cars flew by on the expressway and we hobbled it back to the mechanic and left a note with the keys under the door.

So today, to ease the tension between us, I suggested we go to dinner. We had a nice meal at Charlie's Ale House in Andersonville. As I drove her to her apartment in Uptown she mentioned that my car was low on gas. I nodded that I knew and would take care of it. I dropped her off fifteen minutes before I was supposed to teach a Wheaton in Chicago class a block from her apartment.

Since I was a little early, I decided to review my notes for the class. I let the car run because it was cold outside, and, as you can guess, the car died! I ran it totally out of gas! I can't remember ever running out of gas!!

So I had the wonderful privilege of calling Teri to say, "Please honey, could you come to my rescue and drive me to the gas station?" She lectured me the whole way about how irresponsible I am and I got to show her a more pleasant way to ask for help and of course, we laughed the whole way. God has such a sense of humor!

I love you Teri!

OK, This is cool...

The Bible Experience is downloadable audio of Scripture accompanied by a cinematic musical score, and read dramatically by African-American personalities including Angela Bassett, Common, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and more. You can download The Easter Story for free today and get 12 more stories from The Bible Experience for $3.95 each.

We weep

Last week the bludgeoned body of Christopher Pineda was found in the Cal-Sag Channel. Since my daughter knows one of his cousins we followed the story with interest. He was not a gang banger or a trouble maker. He was a good student and would soon have been the first in his Guatemalan immigrant family to graduate from high school. It seems Chris was the victim of a senseless violent attack by a street gang, probably based upon his ethnicity. He was in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time.

As I let that tragedy sink in I began to weep. I tried to imagine the pain his mother must be experiencing. She waited all week for Christopher to come home without sleep only to learn he would never be home again. Through my tears I heard God’s words speak into my heart, “I too experienced the tragic abusive death of my son. No one feels the pain of that mother with as much understanding as I do. You weep because you feel my heart. I grieve over the injustice in the world.”

And so, we weep. We weep for the sons and daughters whose lives are cut short. We weep for the mothers who cannot feed their children. We weep for the fatherless child, the abandoned baby, the children hit by stray bullets, the victims of hatred and oppression and racism, the uneducated, the unemployed, the unloved. And as we weep we feel the heart of God who, out of love, sent his son to suffer and die in order dismantle the abusers of power and show us the way of humility and service. We long for the day when justice will flow down like a river and righteousness like a never failing stream. (Amos 5:24) But for now, sometimes all we can do is weep.

In the company of giants

"If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants."

                - David Ogilvy

My car was egged today

Of course, my initial thought was, "Hmmm, someone doesn't want me in this neighborhood." It could have been coincidental, but I don't think so. I'm a white person in a black neighborhood. I symbolize the disruption of the neighborhood. The gentry, the rich whites, who could live anywhere, are buying up property that was once affordable, forcing long time residents out. I believe in John Perkin's three R's: relocation, redistribution and reconciliation, but I don't think community members are all that jazzed that I am here. Relocation, gentrification, how do we live with that angst?

Reconciliation Blues

We had a great time with Ed Gilbreath on Saturday. What a great guy! Be sure to check out his blog and the comments people are leaving there. He is opening up some much needed dialogue. Here's a picture of him (in the middle) with our BUILD alumni coordinators, Stephen Nelson and Michael Dawson. Thanks Ed!Click below to hear a recording of the workshop

Real Estate Hot Spots

Oh no! There goes the neighborhood. Check out this link to MSN and scroll down to see the second hottest real estate spot in the country!

Afire with God

Earth’s crammed with heaven
And every bush afire with God
But only he who sees takes off his shoes
The rest sit around it and pick blackberries.

                 Elizabeth Barett-Browning

Don't forget tomorrow's workshop