Is justice an imperative or an implication of the gospel, and why are people getting so stirred up about the answer?
As I write this, Christian relief agencies, denominations, churches, and parachurch ministries around the world are mobilizing to aid the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. But the call to alleviate suffering and rescue the oppressed is not only being answered in the wake of catastrophes. Over the last decade there has been a significant awakening to social justice issues among evangelicals. From Rick Warren’s PEACE plan to the efforts of Christian bands like Jars of Clay and Hillsong United, issues of justice and compassion have moved from a sideshow among evangelicals to the center stage.
Research conducted by LifeWay last year found that “Younger evangelical pastors are less likely to self-identify as conservative than older generations and more apt to view social justice as a gospel imperative.” Commenting on the findings, Ed Stetzer said, "I think ultimately that we are at a season right now where the issues of social justice are growing and a desire to integrate compassion and commission are clearly evident among younger evangelicals and evangelicals as a whole.”
Some are celebrating this movement as long overdue; the healing of an unfortunate rift in the church that occurred nearly a century ago by pitting social concern and justice against the preaching of repentance and salvation. The impact of the Modernist-Fundamentalist controversy shaped the direction of the American church for most of the 20th century by creating an “either/or” scenario. Either a church cared about social justice or it focused on saving souls.
The fact that orthodox, conservative, Bible-believing evangelicals are now showing great interest in matters of justice and compassion may indicate the aftershocks of that rift 100 years ago may finally be over. Or are they?
Earlier this week J. Mack Stiles, a 30-year veteran staff worker with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, wrote an impassioned article explaining his belief that IV is slipping into the errors of liberal theology. Central to his argument is the recent elevation of justice within IV’s ministry—an elevation that parallels what’s been happening among younger evangelicals in general.
Stiles’ objection is not that IV, or many other evangelicals by extension, should not engage in social justice, but that they are elevating justice too high. “As important as social action is,” he writes, “we still must not confuse the gospel with an implication of gospel living. If we do, the gospel message is lost in a sea of confusion.”
Stiles articulates the critical question: Is the pursuit of justice a gospel imperative or a gospel implication? Those, like Stiles, who view justice as an implication are concerned that elevating it will take attention, resources, and urgency away from what they see as the gospel’s core—the salvation of souls. In addition, the new excitement around justice could be a slippery slope toward the social gospel that neglects salvation altogether.
On the other side are those who believe we evangelicals have been defining the gospel too narrowly for too long. Richard Stearns, president of World Vision and the author of The Hole in Our Gospel, says:
“Proclaiming the whole gospel, then, means much more than evangelism in the hopes that people will hear and respond to the good news of salvation by faith in Christ. It also encompasses tangible compassion for the sick and the poor as well as biblical justice, efforts to right the wrongs that are so prevalent in our world…The whole gospel is truly good news for the poor, and it is the foundation for a social revolution that has the power to change the world.”
There are many voices on both sides of this debate, and the rhetoric seems to be increasing in volume. One side is vowing to guard the gospel against neo-liberalism; the other side is hoping to restore the gospel to its fullest expression by reconciling proclamation and demonstration.
Is the stage being set for another church rift in the 21st century paralleling what happen 100 years ago? Like InterVarsity, are you feeling the tremors in your church of a conflict over the scope of the gospel and the proper role of social justice? And where are you turning for informed theological reflection on this subject? How we address this controversy, and not simply which side we land on, may impact the evangelical world for decades.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
IDOL PLEASURES by John Ortberg
What we prize, we eventually resemble—in unintended ways.
Charles Tilly has written a fascinating book called Credit and Blame, about … well, if you can't get it from the title, it's not my fault. Tilly, a Columbia professor of social sciences, says that humans have invented four ways of giving credit.
1. Tournaments: a process of competitive elimination that starts with many contestants but narrows the winners down to one or a few.
2. Honors: where members of a select group screen outsiders and select a chosen few for recognition.
3. Promotions: the achievement of a certain rank or advance based on some level of performance.
4. Networks: local tribes of people distinguish certain members in their midst who deserve social prizes.
What struck me was a paragraph he wrote about the world in which prizes most resemble tournaments. "Consider the world of novelists, poets, painters, dancers, runners, violinists, boxers, opera singers, fashion models, jazz musicians, and motion picture actors. Tournaments seduce. They offer spectacular rewards to a few highly visible winners, and stimulate excessive hopes among likely losers. They involve innumerable participants, part time or full time, at the lower ranks, but only a handful who receive recognition at the top."
I could not help but think about churches. And pastors. "… spectacular rewards to a few highly visible winners, and stimulate excessive hopes …"
I could not help but wonder: are churches being turned more and more into a giant tournament? Are we creating a church culture where there is an unspoken expectation that success is being the celebrity pastor of a celebrity church, and everything else is failure?
I know that those of us who go into church work are to regard ourselves as servants, are to offer our lives as a gift. But I wonder, really—are we just after the same prizes that everyone else is after: recognition, success, power, having people admire us, being thought of as strong and competent, having people want to listen to us or be around us or consider us important?
"Tournaments seduce …" I don't think many of us go into church work for those reasons, at least not consciously. But in a tournament-structured, prize-obsessed society, it is hard to create an alternative culture.
I was at a church last year in South Africa that, when it is not hosting worship services, is a venue for "American Idol." Except that, since it's in South Africa, they call if South African Idol.
You could say they stole it from us, except I think the show was being done in England before it was being done here. The Idol phenomenon runs pretty deep. I tried to think of something funny to say about the irony of a church hosting a competition to discover an idol, but it had been commented on by about the last 50 speakers at that church so it didn't go over particularly well.
Tim Keller, in his thoughtful book Counterfeit Gods, notes that while we think of idols as bronze statues that people bow before, an idol is really anything that we allow to take the place of God; anything from which we seek that which only God can give. Some would-be idols are obvious: money, sex, success, pleasure, love, attractiveness, addictions, Bob's Big Boy Hot Fudge Cake.
Some are more subtle. A relationship, for instance. We call an obsession with having someone's approval co-dependency; the Bible's word for it is idolatry. A country can be an idol. A family can be an idol.
How about a church? Could a church be an idol? How ironic would that be: the very place designed to house the worship of God could end up being the site of idolatry, with the pastor the biggest idolator of all. I sometimes wonder, if we were honest about it, how close we are to creating American (Church) Idol.
So I've started using a little IQ test, to help me assess my Idolatry Quotient. You can pass it along to someone who needs it:
—Where does my sense of security come from—from God, or from how my church is doing?
—After a worship service, do I find myself grateful that God is God and feeling joyful that I get to live in his care? Or—if I'm honest—are my emotions dictated more by how many bodies were in the room?
—Do I spend more time thinking about God, or thinking about how to make my church/ministry do better?
—How do I feel when the prospect for more prizes in the church tournament—recognition, praise, reputation, applause—get taken away from me?
—Does my sense of identity flow more out of my relationship with God or out of my performance at church?
—How much do I sacrifice to know God better versus how much do I sacrifice for my church to work better?
Maybe for people in my line of work, our idols don't have names like Baal, Zeus, or Molech; they have names that feature apostles (if you're an older mainliner), or geographical features like mountains or bodies of water (if you're a middle-aged non-denominational baby boomer), or slightly abstract and random metaphors (if you're under 40), but end in the word "…Church."
The good news, if by chance you feel depressed or guilty about any of this, is that on the other side of idolatry is always freedom. The toppling of idols—even respectable, admired, best-practice, fastest-growing idols—is always the road to liberation.
Lord, deliver us from our idols…
Charles Tilly has written a fascinating book called Credit and Blame, about … well, if you can't get it from the title, it's not my fault. Tilly, a Columbia professor of social sciences, says that humans have invented four ways of giving credit.
1. Tournaments: a process of competitive elimination that starts with many contestants but narrows the winners down to one or a few.
2. Honors: where members of a select group screen outsiders and select a chosen few for recognition.
3. Promotions: the achievement of a certain rank or advance based on some level of performance.
4. Networks: local tribes of people distinguish certain members in their midst who deserve social prizes.
What struck me was a paragraph he wrote about the world in which prizes most resemble tournaments. "Consider the world of novelists, poets, painters, dancers, runners, violinists, boxers, opera singers, fashion models, jazz musicians, and motion picture actors. Tournaments seduce. They offer spectacular rewards to a few highly visible winners, and stimulate excessive hopes among likely losers. They involve innumerable participants, part time or full time, at the lower ranks, but only a handful who receive recognition at the top."
I could not help but think about churches. And pastors. "… spectacular rewards to a few highly visible winners, and stimulate excessive hopes …"
I could not help but wonder: are churches being turned more and more into a giant tournament? Are we creating a church culture where there is an unspoken expectation that success is being the celebrity pastor of a celebrity church, and everything else is failure?
I know that those of us who go into church work are to regard ourselves as servants, are to offer our lives as a gift. But I wonder, really—are we just after the same prizes that everyone else is after: recognition, success, power, having people admire us, being thought of as strong and competent, having people want to listen to us or be around us or consider us important?
"Tournaments seduce …" I don't think many of us go into church work for those reasons, at least not consciously. But in a tournament-structured, prize-obsessed society, it is hard to create an alternative culture.
I was at a church last year in South Africa that, when it is not hosting worship services, is a venue for "American Idol." Except that, since it's in South Africa, they call if South African Idol.
You could say they stole it from us, except I think the show was being done in England before it was being done here. The Idol phenomenon runs pretty deep. I tried to think of something funny to say about the irony of a church hosting a competition to discover an idol, but it had been commented on by about the last 50 speakers at that church so it didn't go over particularly well.
Tim Keller, in his thoughtful book Counterfeit Gods, notes that while we think of idols as bronze statues that people bow before, an idol is really anything that we allow to take the place of God; anything from which we seek that which only God can give. Some would-be idols are obvious: money, sex, success, pleasure, love, attractiveness, addictions, Bob's Big Boy Hot Fudge Cake.
Some are more subtle. A relationship, for instance. We call an obsession with having someone's approval co-dependency; the Bible's word for it is idolatry. A country can be an idol. A family can be an idol.
How about a church? Could a church be an idol? How ironic would that be: the very place designed to house the worship of God could end up being the site of idolatry, with the pastor the biggest idolator of all. I sometimes wonder, if we were honest about it, how close we are to creating American (Church) Idol.
So I've started using a little IQ test, to help me assess my Idolatry Quotient. You can pass it along to someone who needs it:
—Where does my sense of security come from—from God, or from how my church is doing?
—After a worship service, do I find myself grateful that God is God and feeling joyful that I get to live in his care? Or—if I'm honest—are my emotions dictated more by how many bodies were in the room?
—Do I spend more time thinking about God, or thinking about how to make my church/ministry do better?
—How do I feel when the prospect for more prizes in the church tournament—recognition, praise, reputation, applause—get taken away from me?
—Does my sense of identity flow more out of my relationship with God or out of my performance at church?
—How much do I sacrifice to know God better versus how much do I sacrifice for my church to work better?
Maybe for people in my line of work, our idols don't have names like Baal, Zeus, or Molech; they have names that feature apostles (if you're an older mainliner), or geographical features like mountains or bodies of water (if you're a middle-aged non-denominational baby boomer), or slightly abstract and random metaphors (if you're under 40), but end in the word "…Church."
The good news, if by chance you feel depressed or guilty about any of this, is that on the other side of idolatry is always freedom. The toppling of idols—even respectable, admired, best-practice, fastest-growing idols—is always the road to liberation.
Lord, deliver us from our idols…
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Final Full Day in the DR
Hello for the last time from the Dominican Republic...we just finished a final team time on the beach on a warm and breezy night...we said goodbye to new friends this morning at our ministry site and then headed into the capital city of Santo Domingo...we visited the market and then walked in and around some of the oldest buildings in the Western hemisphere, including the National Cathedral and National Monuments of the DR...these buildings are amazing structures and are almost 500 years old!
We then drove to the coast and spent some time this afternoon enjoying a resort on the ocean...there has been good food, lots of Dominican music, and a time to relax after a very busy week for us all...in many ways, it is somewhat strange to be at a resort after being part of a community with such great physical needs during our time in the DR...you find yourself feeling somewhat guilty and somewhat resistant to what you see all around you...yet in many ways this resort represents more of who we are as blessed Americans...and the greatest challenge of this trip is yet to come in many ways...God's calling to us is not to just feel guilty and grateful...it is to live with what we have seen, experienced, and heard from God in a place of prominence in our daily lives...it is the challenge of living in our own community and culture that God has placed us in as a Christian who is compassionate, communicates about the needs of others near and far, and serves out of a heart that is full because of what God has done in Jesus for us...that's really our final task of this trip...to spend time asking God to show us specifically what our response individually and as a team will be as we come back to Cornerstone...we'd ask you to pray for us to be motivated and passionate to be advocates for the people of the DR and to help us to build a community that is focused on others and creates a mindset of service and love and character in the soccer community and other places of influence in our lives...
We are tired and yet so very blessed after our time on this missions trip...we appreciate your prayers and support more than you know...we are excited to tell stories, show pictures, and talk about what God is up to in this world when we return...don't be afraid to ask questions of us when we are back with you...
Thanks for reading this blog and giving us encouraging comments back...I've loved being with young men who I believe will indeed changte the world...CHIP
p.s. Please continue to pray with us for the people of Haiti...the ministry we have partnered with here in the DR, Unto Inc, is hoping to drive 10,000 bottles of the water they make to Haiti later this weekend...
If our flights are on time, we should arrive back at CU around 1 am or so early on Friday morning...we have heard that there may be some folks flying to the DR trying to get back to the USA tomorrow from Haiti as well...
We then drove to the coast and spent some time this afternoon enjoying a resort on the ocean...there has been good food, lots of Dominican music, and a time to relax after a very busy week for us all...in many ways, it is somewhat strange to be at a resort after being part of a community with such great physical needs during our time in the DR...you find yourself feeling somewhat guilty and somewhat resistant to what you see all around you...yet in many ways this resort represents more of who we are as blessed Americans...and the greatest challenge of this trip is yet to come in many ways...God's calling to us is not to just feel guilty and grateful...it is to live with what we have seen, experienced, and heard from God in a place of prominence in our daily lives...it is the challenge of living in our own community and culture that God has placed us in as a Christian who is compassionate, communicates about the needs of others near and far, and serves out of a heart that is full because of what God has done in Jesus for us...that's really our final task of this trip...to spend time asking God to show us specifically what our response individually and as a team will be as we come back to Cornerstone...we'd ask you to pray for us to be motivated and passionate to be advocates for the people of the DR and to help us to build a community that is focused on others and creates a mindset of service and love and character in the soccer community and other places of influence in our lives...
We are tired and yet so very blessed after our time on this missions trip...we appreciate your prayers and support more than you know...we are excited to tell stories, show pictures, and talk about what God is up to in this world when we return...don't be afraid to ask questions of us when we are back with you...
Thanks for reading this blog and giving us encouraging comments back...I've loved being with young men who I believe will indeed changte the world...CHIP
p.s. Please continue to pray with us for the people of Haiti...the ministry we have partnered with here in the DR, Unto Inc, is hoping to drive 10,000 bottles of the water they make to Haiti later this weekend...
If our flights are on time, we should arrive back at CU around 1 am or so early on Friday morning...we have heard that there may be some folks flying to the DR trying to get back to the USA tomorrow from Haiti as well...
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Final Day in Los Alcarrizos
First things first...we know that a major earthquake hit Haiti earlier this evening...and we are all fine...we are actually several hours away from the capital of Haiti...we know of no real significant damage in the DR and in the area where we are...although some of our guys did feel a shake on the basketball court right before dinner...thanks for your prayers for safety...we actually played a soccer team of Haitians this afternoon...
We spent our final day working in this community today...we laid rows of block on top of the foundation we laid yesterday...another team from Canada will be finishing the building of the house for a family living in desperate poverty next week...and we also had a chance to spend a few minutes at a local school built by students from Tri-City Christian School...we listened to them sing songs they learned in school and then our soccer boys led some rousing choruses of FATHER ABRAHAM and I'M IN THE LORD'S ARMY...complete with hand motions...you would have loved seeing it...
We had a new crew of kids for our soccer clinic in the afternoon and then played a final soccer match against a local Haitian team...the CU team scored several goals and enjoyed a win in the DR...it was exciting to see how soccer allowed a new group of people that often struggle in the community for relationship and acceptance as people from another country...they will now be connected to the local church and Christian community we have worked with...the power of our sport that the world loves to serve as a vehicle for sharing the Gospel has impressed us all once again, and we've loved using dribble moves, through ball passes, and shots on goal to build relationships and point others to the most important relationship in our lives...
We spent a final time together as a team reflecting on how God has changed us, the ways we will be different people, and the vision we have for impact in the future as a result of this very significant week in our world...I loved listening to guys talk about living lives filled with gratefulness and unselfishness, seeking to continue to daily read Scripture that inspires us and fills us with God's desires for our lives, and building a soccer community that is something that will model for opponents, fans, the CU community, and current and new players a team that works hard and uses its platform for global impact and influence...there are such rich and meaningful days ahead for each of these young men and the soccer program at CU...
I have to tell you personally this has been a fantastic trip...I've taken students all over the globe and I have loved these last days in the DR...what a joy to have the privilege to watch this team serve God with a heart that loves the people, cares for these kids, and is passionate about changing the future of a community that has needs God allowed us to help meet...in many ways, you see this generation of Christ-followers at its best...and tonite I praise God for waht He is doing and will do...
Tomorrow we will do a little shopping (hopefully you will get a gift from your sons?), see some historical sites in the DR, and head to a resort for an afternoon on the beach...we look forward to being together and are looking ahead to seeing many of you when we get back home later this week...all the guys are doing well and representing CU and Jesus and their families well...
Good night from the DR...CHIP
P.S. There is an article you might want to check out on the Cornerstone Home Page on the university's website about our trip!
We spent our final day working in this community today...we laid rows of block on top of the foundation we laid yesterday...another team from Canada will be finishing the building of the house for a family living in desperate poverty next week...and we also had a chance to spend a few minutes at a local school built by students from Tri-City Christian School...we listened to them sing songs they learned in school and then our soccer boys led some rousing choruses of FATHER ABRAHAM and I'M IN THE LORD'S ARMY...complete with hand motions...you would have loved seeing it...
We had a new crew of kids for our soccer clinic in the afternoon and then played a final soccer match against a local Haitian team...the CU team scored several goals and enjoyed a win in the DR...it was exciting to see how soccer allowed a new group of people that often struggle in the community for relationship and acceptance as people from another country...they will now be connected to the local church and Christian community we have worked with...the power of our sport that the world loves to serve as a vehicle for sharing the Gospel has impressed us all once again, and we've loved using dribble moves, through ball passes, and shots on goal to build relationships and point others to the most important relationship in our lives...
We spent a final time together as a team reflecting on how God has changed us, the ways we will be different people, and the vision we have for impact in the future as a result of this very significant week in our world...I loved listening to guys talk about living lives filled with gratefulness and unselfishness, seeking to continue to daily read Scripture that inspires us and fills us with God's desires for our lives, and building a soccer community that is something that will model for opponents, fans, the CU community, and current and new players a team that works hard and uses its platform for global impact and influence...there are such rich and meaningful days ahead for each of these young men and the soccer program at CU...
I have to tell you personally this has been a fantastic trip...I've taken students all over the globe and I have loved these last days in the DR...what a joy to have the privilege to watch this team serve God with a heart that loves the people, cares for these kids, and is passionate about changing the future of a community that has needs God allowed us to help meet...in many ways, you see this generation of Christ-followers at its best...and tonite I praise God for waht He is doing and will do...
Tomorrow we will do a little shopping (hopefully you will get a gift from your sons?), see some historical sites in the DR, and head to a resort for an afternoon on the beach...we look forward to being together and are looking ahead to seeing many of you when we get back home later this week...all the guys are doing well and representing CU and Jesus and their families well...
Good night from the DR...CHIP
P.S. There is an article you might want to check out on the Cornerstone Home Page on the university's website about our trip!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Setting the Foundation
Today's guest blogger is Josh Rimel...here's his thoughts on a day filled with hard work and lots of smiles from the Dominican children...
Today was probably one of the hardest times of work I have ever experienced, and although i am sore, sunburnt, and very tired, I enjoyed every minute of it. The day started out with breakfast at 8 and then right after we headed off to start work. We left the camp and headed out through the vilage to the work site. Today we were suposed to begin laying the cement foundation for a new house. When we got there we realized that everything we would do would have to be done by hand except for the actual mixing of the cement. We did this from breakfast till a late lunch. When lunch came we all were completely exhausted. After a quick siesta time. (A fabulous Dominican tradition!) We then headed out to the fields to start soccer clinics for the Dominican children. It was very exciting to see the soccer guys bonding with the kids. At the end of the day the soreness and sunburn was indeed all worth it. Seeing how God is using us to minister to these people is amazing. Please keep praying that God continues to use us to accomplish physical work and share the love of Jesus with the children we play with tomorrow...
It really was a day that required huge energy to complete the task...and the team rocked it...we carried water buckets,(I was thinking of the millions and millions of women and children who carry jugs of water for miles as I struggled to walk a block...) shoveled hundreds of buckets of sand and gravel, wheelbarrowed at breakneck speed to a foundation, and celebrated getting the job done...
Tonight we spent a good chunk of time talking about the needs we have seen and the responsibility we now inherit as people who understand poverty and life in another part of the globe on a personal level...and I loved hearing the words of players and Coach Bell that this is indeed laying the foundation for what is to come...we are excited to seek what God will lead us individually and corporately to do to respond in obedience to Scripture's call to "pursue true religion that is taking care of orphans and widows" in the days, months, and years to come...Coach talked tonight about the fact that we have now walked through a new door and there is no turning back...and I can't wait to see the path of response on behalf of the people of the Dominican Republic that God leads us on in the future...what a privilege to be part of a new work in the soccer community...as we finished sharing with the children who loved being able to play and learn soccer (some for the first time!) that we felt that God had clearly led us to come and meet and play with them, they immediately asked if we would be there tomorrow...and it will be another day to build blocks of cement on a future new home, and another day to communicate to children who we know how much Jesus loves them through chasing a round ball across the grass...
Tonight I'd ask you to pray for God's spirit to cement in leadings and lessons in the minds and hearts of each team member that will be strong and ready to grow as we finish our work here...I'm certain that God is excited about speaking to a crew of young men who can be used to impact their teammates and our CU community and the world...headed off to sleep so we can be fully present here for one more day...
CHIP
Today was probably one of the hardest times of work I have ever experienced, and although i am sore, sunburnt, and very tired, I enjoyed every minute of it. The day started out with breakfast at 8 and then right after we headed off to start work. We left the camp and headed out through the vilage to the work site. Today we were suposed to begin laying the cement foundation for a new house. When we got there we realized that everything we would do would have to be done by hand except for the actual mixing of the cement. We did this from breakfast till a late lunch. When lunch came we all were completely exhausted. After a quick siesta time. (A fabulous Dominican tradition!) We then headed out to the fields to start soccer clinics for the Dominican children. It was very exciting to see the soccer guys bonding with the kids. At the end of the day the soreness and sunburn was indeed all worth it. Seeing how God is using us to minister to these people is amazing. Please keep praying that God continues to use us to accomplish physical work and share the love of Jesus with the children we play with tomorrow...
It really was a day that required huge energy to complete the task...and the team rocked it...we carried water buckets,(I was thinking of the millions and millions of women and children who carry jugs of water for miles as I struggled to walk a block...) shoveled hundreds of buckets of sand and gravel, wheelbarrowed at breakneck speed to a foundation, and celebrated getting the job done...
Tonight we spent a good chunk of time talking about the needs we have seen and the responsibility we now inherit as people who understand poverty and life in another part of the globe on a personal level...and I loved hearing the words of players and Coach Bell that this is indeed laying the foundation for what is to come...we are excited to seek what God will lead us individually and corporately to do to respond in obedience to Scripture's call to "pursue true religion that is taking care of orphans and widows" in the days, months, and years to come...Coach talked tonight about the fact that we have now walked through a new door and there is no turning back...and I can't wait to see the path of response on behalf of the people of the Dominican Republic that God leads us on in the future...what a privilege to be part of a new work in the soccer community...as we finished sharing with the children who loved being able to play and learn soccer (some for the first time!) that we felt that God had clearly led us to come and meet and play with them, they immediately asked if we would be there tomorrow...and it will be another day to build blocks of cement on a future new home, and another day to communicate to children who we know how much Jesus loves them through chasing a round ball across the grass...
Tonight I'd ask you to pray for God's spirit to cement in leadings and lessons in the minds and hearts of each team member that will be strong and ready to grow as we finish our work here...I'm certain that God is excited about speaking to a crew of young men who can be used to impact their teammates and our CU community and the world...headed off to sleep so we can be fully present here for one more day...
CHIP
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Moving Day
We just returned from a little driving tour of the capital of the DR...saw where Sammy Sosa lives, where Christopher Columbus first landed on this island, and felt the warm waters along the beach for a few moments...we are learning a bunch about this country, its history, its people, and even its church...we walked a few blocks together to worship in a Dominican church this morning...it's always special to worship with other members of the body of Christ in other parts of the world, and it is even fun to see if you can sing the words to the worship songs in English as they are being sung in Spanish by the rest of the congregation...the pastor spoke from MARK 1 about the power of the Holy Spirit, and I am often moved by the way that God's spirit seems to be moving in His people in other cultures that allows them to be free and fresh in their worship of the God of all nations...
We also had a chance to participate in one of the most cherished things in the DR as we played a baseball game against some local students late in the afternoon hours...let's just say they hit two grand slams in the first inning and threw faster than some pitchers earning a living playing baseball in the US...I have to confess personally that I did get a chance to hit a home run off of our Dominican host that must have been a flash back to my baseball days in college some 20 years ago...literally everywhere you go in this country young boys are seen scooping up grounders and firing the ball around makeshift diamonds...it will be fun to see some of these young men at the Christian school tomorrow as they gain an education that will change their future...and I did think that we could field an amazing CU baseball squad if we gave them some uniforms!
But clearly the most meaningful experience of this Sunday involved a move for a local family...another family from the Grand Rapids area has been down here for the last week as well building a new home for a family of 10 in the local community...this family all gave up Christmas presents and invited friends and family to join them in raising the funds to build this house as their first activity of the new year...this afternoon we had the chance to watch and join them in moving and then presenting the keys to this family...we first walked through the old home that housed 8 children and others in their family...the dad in the family has died and the mom has also struggled with serious illness...and they lived in a home made of scraps of board and tin on the side of a mud hillside...raw sewage flows beneath their home and the roof leaks during the rainy season and acts as as oven for the windowless home in the year round heat...the family from GR carefully loaded up their possessions and took the family a couple blocks to their new home...a three bedroom house with windows, freshly painted with bright colors, and a strong tin roof and clean cement floor that also featured running water and electricity...it was a moment of great joy and celebration of the goodness of God as a family from west MI became the answer to a mom and child's desperate prayers thousands of miles away...
I've seen some moments like these before in other countries and continents of the world, but you are always moved deep, deep within your soul...you are so overwhelmed by the suffering you encounter and then so overhwelmed with the hope that has replaced some of that suffering...for me, these moments are a taste of heaven...they represent both what God is doing now in our lives and what we will experience one day as we live with Him and experience a new and fresh life we couldn't ever imagine would come to us...one of the most powerful things we saw today is the opportunity, the calling, the privilege, we have to be agents of the transforming love and goodness of a God who is and does make all things new...
Tomorrow we will again be participating in that work of re-creation God has invited us to join Him in here in this place...we will be laying cement to help create structures that will be places where God's loved is felt and heard...and we will be running soccer clinics for children who we pray will know that a bunch of college guys who came from a cold place want them to feel the love of Jesus as we teach them a game God gifted us to play...thanks again for your prayers and may you join us in seizing the moments we all have to be part of bringing new life and new hope to people as ones who have been made new ourselves...
With Love and Hellos from Each Member of our Team,
CHIP
We also had a chance to participate in one of the most cherished things in the DR as we played a baseball game against some local students late in the afternoon hours...let's just say they hit two grand slams in the first inning and threw faster than some pitchers earning a living playing baseball in the US...I have to confess personally that I did get a chance to hit a home run off of our Dominican host that must have been a flash back to my baseball days in college some 20 years ago...literally everywhere you go in this country young boys are seen scooping up grounders and firing the ball around makeshift diamonds...it will be fun to see some of these young men at the Christian school tomorrow as they gain an education that will change their future...and I did think that we could field an amazing CU baseball squad if we gave them some uniforms!
But clearly the most meaningful experience of this Sunday involved a move for a local family...another family from the Grand Rapids area has been down here for the last week as well building a new home for a family of 10 in the local community...this family all gave up Christmas presents and invited friends and family to join them in raising the funds to build this house as their first activity of the new year...this afternoon we had the chance to watch and join them in moving and then presenting the keys to this family...we first walked through the old home that housed 8 children and others in their family...the dad in the family has died and the mom has also struggled with serious illness...and they lived in a home made of scraps of board and tin on the side of a mud hillside...raw sewage flows beneath their home and the roof leaks during the rainy season and acts as as oven for the windowless home in the year round heat...the family from GR carefully loaded up their possessions and took the family a couple blocks to their new home...a three bedroom house with windows, freshly painted with bright colors, and a strong tin roof and clean cement floor that also featured running water and electricity...it was a moment of great joy and celebration of the goodness of God as a family from west MI became the answer to a mom and child's desperate prayers thousands of miles away...
I've seen some moments like these before in other countries and continents of the world, but you are always moved deep, deep within your soul...you are so overwhelmed by the suffering you encounter and then so overhwelmed with the hope that has replaced some of that suffering...for me, these moments are a taste of heaven...they represent both what God is doing now in our lives and what we will experience one day as we live with Him and experience a new and fresh life we couldn't ever imagine would come to us...one of the most powerful things we saw today is the opportunity, the calling, the privilege, we have to be agents of the transforming love and goodness of a God who is and does make all things new...
Tomorrow we will again be participating in that work of re-creation God has invited us to join Him in here in this place...we will be laying cement to help create structures that will be places where God's loved is felt and heard...and we will be running soccer clinics for children who we pray will know that a bunch of college guys who came from a cold place want them to feel the love of Jesus as we teach them a game God gifted us to play...thanks again for your prayers and may you join us in seizing the moments we all have to be part of bringing new life and new hope to people as ones who have been made new ourselves...
With Love and Hellos from Each Member of our Team,
CHIP
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Game Day in the DR
Here's another blog from Dave DeBoer, a senior captain who helped put together this trip in many ways...
Today we got to play in a 4 team soccer tournament in Santo Domingo at the University of Unhfu. Our first match was against Rolando Bauger, a club team consisting of mainly 17 and 18 year olds and we demonstrated grace by getting beat 4-0. Our second match was against the other team in the losers bracket, the University of Oym. They scored a quick goal in the first half which is the way the game ended. We had the opportunity to interact with the team members from the DR, by praying with them and Ian shared a bit of why we're here. He explained that we are here to not only play soccer but our passion for the game is trumped by the compassion for God's people that has brought us here. The Carribean sun showed its face in full force today and scorched us. After dinner we had a good small group session talking about the different emotions that we encountered through the day , what it means to be a man of strength and compassion, and what tension has arisen through the experiences we have had.
I have loved for many, many years now seeing how the game we all love serves all across the world as a point of connection and quick relationship...soccer allows us to go to other cultures and quickly build common ground that allows us to answer questions about why we are here and how we have an even greater love for Christ who is our source of our gifts and the One who gives us purpose and meaning in life...it is always a joy to use the gifts and passions God has given us for Kingdom purpose! We'll head to church to worship with our Dominican brothers and sisters in the morning and enjoy a Sunday together with new friends in the DR! Thanks for your prayers as you worship together with believers back home!
We miss you all! And be sure to check out the 2 previous new posts that have pictures from the trip...thanks for your words of encouragement and everyone says HI to family members and friends...CHIP
Today we got to play in a 4 team soccer tournament in Santo Domingo at the University of Unhfu. Our first match was against Rolando Bauger, a club team consisting of mainly 17 and 18 year olds and we demonstrated grace by getting beat 4-0. Our second match was against the other team in the losers bracket, the University of Oym. They scored a quick goal in the first half which is the way the game ended. We had the opportunity to interact with the team members from the DR, by praying with them and Ian shared a bit of why we're here. He explained that we are here to not only play soccer but our passion for the game is trumped by the compassion for God's people that has brought us here. The Carribean sun showed its face in full force today and scorched us. After dinner we had a good small group session talking about the different emotions that we encountered through the day , what it means to be a man of strength and compassion, and what tension has arisen through the experiences we have had.
I have loved for many, many years now seeing how the game we all love serves all across the world as a point of connection and quick relationship...soccer allows us to go to other cultures and quickly build common ground that allows us to answer questions about why we are here and how we have an even greater love for Christ who is our source of our gifts and the One who gives us purpose and meaning in life...it is always a joy to use the gifts and passions God has given us for Kingdom purpose! We'll head to church to worship with our Dominican brothers and sisters in the morning and enjoy a Sunday together with new friends in the DR! Thanks for your prayers as you worship together with believers back home!
We miss you all! And be sure to check out the 2 previous new posts that have pictures from the trip...thanks for your words of encouragement and everyone says HI to family members and friends...CHIP
Friday, January 8, 2010
A First Full Day in the DR
Hello again on a Friday night in the Caribbean...We had a full day of work and experiences today after getting a much needed long night of sleep...and one of the guys on our team is going to share what he saw, he felt, and what God is doing in His life...I think you'll enjoy reading it...
Today was a day that I will never forget. This morning after breakfast we went straight to work. Today we worked on making a second floor of a building that will soon become a weight room for students and people of the community. It was probabally the hardest labor I have had to do and yet it was the most enjoyable. It's funny because I thought the day would never come where I would actually have fun working! After lunch we went on a walk through one of the villages. What I saw was unexplainable. These people literally have nothing but the clothes on their back and yet every single person seemed to be very joyful in a way that you do not see in America. When walking through I saw a little girl off in the distance staring at me but seemed to be too shy to approach. I walked up to her and handed her a lady bug beanie baby, and the expression of this little girl gave me shivers down my spine. To us a beanie baby means nothing and most of us wouldn't even want it, but to this girl it was like she just got a brand new car. The truth is at that moment I don't know who was happier, that little girl or me. The feeling of giving and helping the needy is an amazing feeling that I think has changed my life. The Dominicans know what really matters in life. They are so content with what they have. They value and love one another like nothing I have ever seen. I came on this trip because I have a heart for the needy, and the least I can do is sacrifice a week of my life to help change the Dominicans lives, but really it's the Dominicans who are changing mine.
Signing off from the DR, Zac Tolsma
I love seeing God at work in student lives and loved reading the paragraph above filled with such a powerful testimony...what a privilege to come to this community and be changed as we seek to be part of the change God is at work doing here...we look forward to a big day of soccer tomorrow, filled with matches against local teams...we're excited to meet the players on those teams and it will be fun to play against guys who love the same game we do in another part of the world...and we look forward to telling them about the One who has brought us to their country...
We always sense the prayers of you back at home and it's pretty neat to see how God always shows up in real ways as we seek to serve Him, even in the first day...
Looking forward to tomorrow...CHIP
Today was a day that I will never forget. This morning after breakfast we went straight to work. Today we worked on making a second floor of a building that will soon become a weight room for students and people of the community. It was probabally the hardest labor I have had to do and yet it was the most enjoyable. It's funny because I thought the day would never come where I would actually have fun working! After lunch we went on a walk through one of the villages. What I saw was unexplainable. These people literally have nothing but the clothes on their back and yet every single person seemed to be very joyful in a way that you do not see in America. When walking through I saw a little girl off in the distance staring at me but seemed to be too shy to approach. I walked up to her and handed her a lady bug beanie baby, and the expression of this little girl gave me shivers down my spine. To us a beanie baby means nothing and most of us wouldn't even want it, but to this girl it was like she just got a brand new car. The truth is at that moment I don't know who was happier, that little girl or me. The feeling of giving and helping the needy is an amazing feeling that I think has changed my life. The Dominicans know what really matters in life. They are so content with what they have. They value and love one another like nothing I have ever seen. I came on this trip because I have a heart for the needy, and the least I can do is sacrifice a week of my life to help change the Dominicans lives, but really it's the Dominicans who are changing mine.
Signing off from the DR, Zac Tolsma
I love seeing God at work in student lives and loved reading the paragraph above filled with such a powerful testimony...what a privilege to come to this community and be changed as we seek to be part of the change God is at work doing here...we look forward to a big day of soccer tomorrow, filled with matches against local teams...we're excited to meet the players on those teams and it will be fun to play against guys who love the same game we do in another part of the world...and we look forward to telling them about the One who has brought us to their country...
We always sense the prayers of you back at home and it's pretty neat to see how God always shows up in real ways as we seek to serve Him, even in the first day...
Looking forward to tomorrow...CHIP
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Hello from the warm Dominican Republic!
Well as the snow falls in Grand Rapids back home, there is a warm breeze blowing on a beautiful night in the DR...we made it safely and had a perfect travel time...we go settled in the camp location where we are staying and had a chance to spend some time walking the community where Unto, our ministry partner is serving and providing hope and healing in the name of Jesus in amazing ways...
The majority of the people in the community are dealing with significant poverty and have real physical needs...it is always a bit of a shock to see a different world and it creates what I'd call a healthy and uncomfortable tension as you think about what you have been blessed with and what most of the people in the world are dealing with each day...we had a chance to see several homes that have been built by teams for families that local churches have communicated have very serious needs...there is also a beautiful Christian school complex and satellite sites that is now bringing education to the children of the area with an academic quality and Christian focus...there is also a feeding program and vocational training center in addition to a thriving clean water program that Unto is helping to resource...it's exciting to see all that is happening to bring transformation of lives in the name of Jesus in this place...
Everyone is doing well and we are headed to bed fairly early after only grabbing some sleep on buses and planes in the last 36 hours...we enjoyed a good dinner on an outside patio area and even snuck in a quick game of basketball to stretch our legs...
Tomorrow we will be working hard to help build the walls of a new weigth room facility that will serve the school and the community...there is a growing substance abuse struggle among the young adults in the community and creating places like a gym to work out serve to keep them off the streets and connect them to people who care about them and often introduce them to the person and presence of Jesus...
We will then be playing in a tournament against some Dominican soccer teams on Saturday and spending time holding clinics for children next week in addition to working on other building projects including laying the foundation for a new family home...it promises to be hot and rewarding week ahead for us...
Each morning we will be up spending time alone with God studying Scripture dealing with issues like Imago Dei, compassion, justice, mission, and serving in love...we will conclude each night with a time of debrief and sharing as we seek to build a framework of experiences and ideas that will change us and allow us to live differently when we return...
It really is a joy to be with a group of young men who enjoy each other and are seeking to serve Christ with their best this week...we appreciate your prayers and will be thinking of you in the snow as we doze off tonight...
I'll have some stories to share from our work day tomorrow night...
With our Love and Prayers from the DR,
CHIP and the CU Soccer Crew
The majority of the people in the community are dealing with significant poverty and have real physical needs...it is always a bit of a shock to see a different world and it creates what I'd call a healthy and uncomfortable tension as you think about what you have been blessed with and what most of the people in the world are dealing with each day...we had a chance to see several homes that have been built by teams for families that local churches have communicated have very serious needs...there is also a beautiful Christian school complex and satellite sites that is now bringing education to the children of the area with an academic quality and Christian focus...there is also a feeding program and vocational training center in addition to a thriving clean water program that Unto is helping to resource...it's exciting to see all that is happening to bring transformation of lives in the name of Jesus in this place...
Everyone is doing well and we are headed to bed fairly early after only grabbing some sleep on buses and planes in the last 36 hours...we enjoyed a good dinner on an outside patio area and even snuck in a quick game of basketball to stretch our legs...
Tomorrow we will be working hard to help build the walls of a new weigth room facility that will serve the school and the community...there is a growing substance abuse struggle among the young adults in the community and creating places like a gym to work out serve to keep them off the streets and connect them to people who care about them and often introduce them to the person and presence of Jesus...
We will then be playing in a tournament against some Dominican soccer teams on Saturday and spending time holding clinics for children next week in addition to working on other building projects including laying the foundation for a new family home...it promises to be hot and rewarding week ahead for us...
Each morning we will be up spending time alone with God studying Scripture dealing with issues like Imago Dei, compassion, justice, mission, and serving in love...we will conclude each night with a time of debrief and sharing as we seek to build a framework of experiences and ideas that will change us and allow us to live differently when we return...
It really is a joy to be with a group of young men who enjoy each other and are seeking to serve Christ with their best this week...we appreciate your prayers and will be thinking of you in the snow as we doze off tonight...
I'll have some stories to share from our work day tomorrow night...
With our Love and Prayers from the DR,
CHIP and the CU Soccer Crew
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Prayers for the DR Trip!
My name is Chip Huber and this is my first year serving in the Spiritual Formation office at CU...I also happen to be a long-time soccer player, coach, and lover of the game...and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to travel with other folks from the CU soccer community on this mission trip experience...
As we head off to the Dominican Republic in a few hours, here's a prayer update I want to offer to you...we covet your prayers as we seek to have a transformational life experience together as a team and with the people in the DR...I'll be blogging from the DR several times over the next week and will get some help from the guys in sharing stories and experiences from our trip...…here are ten specific prayer ways you can pray for us:
1.Safety and health in our travels around the DR over the next 7 days
2.A good working out of schedule and administrative details as we attempt to see and be part of many different experiences in a short time period
3.Ability to connect with and love and learn from our Domincan brothers and sisters
4.The continued impact of the Christian school which is being used by hundreds and hundreds of students in this community, and the physical strength to help in the further expansion of this school to serve the needs of a growing child population
6.A deep sense of community and growth in our team as we seek to discuss and mull over the experiences and resulting questions we will encounter...we are excited to build deeper friendships with each other and use our athletic gifts in soccer as a ministry and witness tool...
7.A fresh vision for future projects and personal involvement in the work God is doing in the DR and other nations around the world
8.A greater love for Christ and a heart that beats and cares for and loves the poor and oppressed and sick people in our world
9.Opportunities to pray for/with and encourage believers and the local body of Christ in the DR as they share the Gospel in word and deed with the children and adults of their communities
10.Ability to hear and receive stories and learnings that we can then take and use as powerful resources in being advocates and leaders when we return home
We can’t wait to return and give you the stories of our trip along with some photos and videos we will have taken…once again, thank you for being part of this Kingdome…your overwhelming generosity and partnership is truly a remarkable blessing in our lives…We thank God for your friendship, gifts of love, and your prayers…
Together in His Work and for the 2010 Soccer Missions Crew,
Chip Huber
Dean of Student Engagement at Cornerstone University
As we head off to the Dominican Republic in a few hours, here's a prayer update I want to offer to you...we covet your prayers as we seek to have a transformational life experience together as a team and with the people in the DR...I'll be blogging from the DR several times over the next week and will get some help from the guys in sharing stories and experiences from our trip...…here are ten specific prayer ways you can pray for us:
1.Safety and health in our travels around the DR over the next 7 days
2.A good working out of schedule and administrative details as we attempt to see and be part of many different experiences in a short time period
3.Ability to connect with and love and learn from our Domincan brothers and sisters
4.The continued impact of the Christian school which is being used by hundreds and hundreds of students in this community, and the physical strength to help in the further expansion of this school to serve the needs of a growing child population
6.A deep sense of community and growth in our team as we seek to discuss and mull over the experiences and resulting questions we will encounter...we are excited to build deeper friendships with each other and use our athletic gifts in soccer as a ministry and witness tool...
7.A fresh vision for future projects and personal involvement in the work God is doing in the DR and other nations around the world
8.A greater love for Christ and a heart that beats and cares for and loves the poor and oppressed and sick people in our world
9.Opportunities to pray for/with and encourage believers and the local body of Christ in the DR as they share the Gospel in word and deed with the children and adults of their communities
10.Ability to hear and receive stories and learnings that we can then take and use as powerful resources in being advocates and leaders when we return home
We can’t wait to return and give you the stories of our trip along with some photos and videos we will have taken…once again, thank you for being part of this Kingdome…your overwhelming generosity and partnership is truly a remarkable blessing in our lives…We thank God for your friendship, gifts of love, and your prayers…
Together in His Work and for the 2010 Soccer Missions Crew,
Chip Huber
Dean of Student Engagement at Cornerstone University
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