Earlier this year a remote volcano in Iceland brought modern international commerce to a standstill. The eruption caused such a giant cloud of ice and debris to rise into the atmosphere that planes could not fly over many of the most frequently used flight paths that connect the nations of the world. Food sat rotting on runways, families were indefinitely separated, and the engines of economic production were slipping into neutral or worse. A mountain in the remote northern reaches of our planet basically sneezed, and we were powerless to resist it.
All of this upheaval to the efforts of modern man was caused by a small part of God’s creation. You would think that when events like this occur, when God figuratively allows a mountain to sneeze, that we would be humbled by his might. Yet I sensed none of that in the world around me. I heard people frustrated that they had to change their plans and routines, but no awe of creation itself or the Creator of it all. Most folks were missing the point that all of our plans amount to nothing in God’s eyes. If just one small part of what He created can have such a dramatic impact on our world, what does that say about our insignificance compared to His Glory?
And yet, He tenderly loves each one of us, and knows us intimately, even better than we know ourselves. He loves us so much he suffered and died to restore our relationship with him. He desires to work in us and through us to accomplish his purpose. Paul wrote that ‘when I am weak, he is strong.’ Events like those described above remind me that even our greatest strengths are weak and useless compared to God’s splendor, and I marvel at the sacrificial love He demonstrates by welcoming us into His Presence.
We are approaching the day when we celebrate God’s choice to send His only Son here to earth to save us all. Remember how much glory and power that babe in a manger had, and worship Him in gratitude for giving it all so we could be free.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Transformation
Last Thursday I was blessed to spend an evening in the presence of God’s transforming love, and the sweet aroma of that evening is still making me smile. Officially, it was the annual Urban Promise banquet and fundraiser, the yearly opportunity for this wonderful ministry to strut their stuff and ask donors to help them continue their work. In reality, it was a demonstration of God’s power to bring light to darkness, redemption to the lost, and hope to those who are hurting.
Urban Promise is a ministry devoted to “Raising up the next generation of urban Christian leaders.” They accomplish this through a variety of programs that reach the children and youth of several cities, including Wilmington, Delaware. In Wilmington, they now have 5 after school camps that provide tutoring and safe havens for children in some of the poorest neighborhoods, as well as a Christian school that educates students through 6th grade, a new high school program, summer camps around the city, and last but not least, a mentoring and jobs program for local teens called the Street Leader program.
The Street Leaders are employed as aides in the after school programs and summer camps, but more importantly they are taught how to live lives worthy of leaders in their community. This program is showing remarkable fruit academically; ALL of these young men and woman graduate high school, and ALL of them are able to attend college. Compare that to the citywide average of 10% college attendance, and you know they are doing something special and unique.
Far beyond these objective academic statistics is the way lives are being transformed from the inside out. These successes are the fruit of change on the inside, brought about by the hope these youth now have in their Savior, Jesus Christ. That was the message they brought to the Chase Center on Thursday night.
The program was presented entirely by the youth, and it was powerful. They spoke, read their own poetry, danced, sang and acted out the reality of their lives in the inner city, and the beauty and redemption that is the love of God.
Admittedly, I am a soft touch for these kids. I have been supporting this work for years through my prayers and gifts, and was thrilled to see children that I did crafts with as kindergarteners standing on that stage performing. I loved seeing old friends, and cried tears of joy as the children shared their talents. God is truly transforming lives here, and it was a blessing to see that in action.
The transformation did not end when the children left the stage. One dear friend who attended summed it up this way, “my heart has been softened tonight, in ways I had allowed it to grow hard.” Many of us were encouraged to see what could be accomplished through faith in our awesome Lord and Savior. Our eyes were opened to possibilities, and several people spoke of their desire to get involved with the ministry for the first time or in new ways.
May we ALL see the evidence of God’s transforming power in us and around us, and be as courageous as those who are giving their lives to the work of Urban Promise.
(Click on the title of this post to be directed to the Urban Promise website for more information.)
Urban Promise is a ministry devoted to “Raising up the next generation of urban Christian leaders.” They accomplish this through a variety of programs that reach the children and youth of several cities, including Wilmington, Delaware. In Wilmington, they now have 5 after school camps that provide tutoring and safe havens for children in some of the poorest neighborhoods, as well as a Christian school that educates students through 6th grade, a new high school program, summer camps around the city, and last but not least, a mentoring and jobs program for local teens called the Street Leader program.
The Street Leaders are employed as aides in the after school programs and summer camps, but more importantly they are taught how to live lives worthy of leaders in their community. This program is showing remarkable fruit academically; ALL of these young men and woman graduate high school, and ALL of them are able to attend college. Compare that to the citywide average of 10% college attendance, and you know they are doing something special and unique.
Far beyond these objective academic statistics is the way lives are being transformed from the inside out. These successes are the fruit of change on the inside, brought about by the hope these youth now have in their Savior, Jesus Christ. That was the message they brought to the Chase Center on Thursday night.
The program was presented entirely by the youth, and it was powerful. They spoke, read their own poetry, danced, sang and acted out the reality of their lives in the inner city, and the beauty and redemption that is the love of God.
Admittedly, I am a soft touch for these kids. I have been supporting this work for years through my prayers and gifts, and was thrilled to see children that I did crafts with as kindergarteners standing on that stage performing. I loved seeing old friends, and cried tears of joy as the children shared their talents. God is truly transforming lives here, and it was a blessing to see that in action.
The transformation did not end when the children left the stage. One dear friend who attended summed it up this way, “my heart has been softened tonight, in ways I had allowed it to grow hard.” Many of us were encouraged to see what could be accomplished through faith in our awesome Lord and Savior. Our eyes were opened to possibilities, and several people spoke of their desire to get involved with the ministry for the first time or in new ways.
May we ALL see the evidence of God’s transforming power in us and around us, and be as courageous as those who are giving their lives to the work of Urban Promise.
(Click on the title of this post to be directed to the Urban Promise website for more information.)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Make this week matter!
We will be exercising our greatest duty as American citizens one week from today. If you are not yet certain what the issues are, or which candidates you will choose to represent you, please take time this week to study your options. The following list of links is just a sampling of the wealth of information available to you.
I heard President Obama state at a campaign rally yesterday, “We gotta have middle class families up in front. We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back."
I don’t know about you, but I have no intention of sitting in the back of the bus. Voter turnout in this election will determine whether conservatives are further marginalized, or whether we can begin to restore our nation to its place as a shining lamp of Liberty.
Please prepare yourself, and exhort your friends, co-workers, neighbors and anyone else in your sphere of influence to vote between now and Tuesday, 11/2/10. It is easy to vote absentee in Delaware this week by just walking into the Department of Election if your schedule next Tuesday prohibits you from getting to the polls.
Walk, run, skip, or crawl to the polls; just VOTE!
Delaware Family Policy Council 2010 voter guide for statewide offices as well as State Senate and State House
http://www.delawarefamilies.org/index.cfm
Christian Coalition national scorecard of votes by current Senate and House members:
http://cc.org/files/13/2010Scorecard8_5x11.pdf
Positive Growth Alliance, a Delaware voter guide based strictly on economic issues
https://pgalliance.org/uploads/VOTER_GUIDE_2010.pdf
Christian Coalition voter guides by state, they have guides for 43 individual states, but not Delaware.
http://www.cc.org/voter_guide_download_center?sid=80834
This ResistNet site for Delaware has links to all kinds of state information sources like press outlets and blogs, as well as links to most campaign sites.
http://www.resistnet.com/notes/Delaware_Guide_to_2010_Elections_and_Campaigns
League of Women’s Voters has a very informative site on voting in general. Much of it is geared to 19-30 year old women, though not technically a voter scorecard
http://www.vote411.org/home.php
Liberty Counsel looks like an interesting resource for those in pastoral leadership. From the site, “To help you fulfill your high calling to fearlessly speak the truth, Liberty Counsel provides free information about what pastors and churches may do with respect to political candidates and lobbying.”
http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=16245
I heard President Obama state at a campaign rally yesterday, “We gotta have middle class families up in front. We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back."
I don’t know about you, but I have no intention of sitting in the back of the bus. Voter turnout in this election will determine whether conservatives are further marginalized, or whether we can begin to restore our nation to its place as a shining lamp of Liberty.
Please prepare yourself, and exhort your friends, co-workers, neighbors and anyone else in your sphere of influence to vote between now and Tuesday, 11/2/10. It is easy to vote absentee in Delaware this week by just walking into the Department of Election if your schedule next Tuesday prohibits you from getting to the polls.
Walk, run, skip, or crawl to the polls; just VOTE!
Delaware Family Policy Council 2010 voter guide for statewide offices as well as State Senate and State House
http://www.delawarefamilies.org/index.cfm
Christian Coalition national scorecard of votes by current Senate and House members:
http://cc.org/files/13/2010Scorecard8_5x11.pdf
Positive Growth Alliance, a Delaware voter guide based strictly on economic issues
https://pgalliance.org/uploads/VOTER_GUIDE_2010.pdf
Christian Coalition voter guides by state, they have guides for 43 individual states, but not Delaware.
http://www.cc.org/voter_guide_download_center?sid=80834
This ResistNet site for Delaware has links to all kinds of state information sources like press outlets and blogs, as well as links to most campaign sites.
http://www.resistnet.com/notes/Delaware_Guide_to_2010_Elections_and_Campaigns
League of Women’s Voters has a very informative site on voting in general. Much of it is geared to 19-30 year old women, though not technically a voter scorecard
http://www.vote411.org/home.php
Liberty Counsel looks like an interesting resource for those in pastoral leadership. From the site, “To help you fulfill your high calling to fearlessly speak the truth, Liberty Counsel provides free information about what pastors and churches may do with respect to political candidates and lobbying.”
http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=16245
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