Love Wichita?

On Saturday, April 24th, thousands of volunteers from churches throughout Wichita joined together to demonstrate the love of God by performing acts of service throughout the city. When one considers the magnitude of the effort needed to transform a city, country, or the world, it is very easy to become overwhelmed. In no way can one person or group of people meet the needs. As a result, it becomes easy to believe that any effort to help is pointless, because the needs are so much greater than our ability to meet them.

The vision of Love Wichita, however, is: To seek the peace and prosperity of Wichita, believing that our city will be forever changed, one life at a time. Rather than allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed and immobilized by the need, it is important to realize that we are fully capable of impacting the lives of other individuals, families and groups. And by the process of affecting individuals, we impact our city, our country, and our world.

Remember the story of the starfish:

One day an old man was walking along the beach. It was low tide, and the sand was littered with thousands of stranded starfish that the water had carried in and then left behind. The man began walking very carefully so as not to step on any of the beautiful creatures. Since the animals still seemed to be alive, he considered picking some of them up and putting them back in the water, where they could resume their lives.

The man knew the starfish would die if left on the beach's dry sand but he reasoned that he could not possibly help them all, so he chose to do nothing and continued walking.

Soon afterward, the man came upon a small child on the beach who was frantically throwing one starfish after another back into the sea. The old man stopped and asked the child, "What are you doing?"

"I'm saving the starfish," the child replied.

"Why waste your time?... There are so many you can't save them all so what does is matter?" argued the man.

Without hesitation, the child picked up another starfish and tossed the starfish back into the water... "It matters to this one," the child explained.

As you go through the coming week, ask the Lord to show you his starfish in need of help.

Rejoicing Comes in the Morning

Hear the word of the Lord from Psalm 30:

I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.  O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.  O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. Sing to the LORD you saints of his; praise his holy name.  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."  O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.  To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit?  Will the dust praise you?  Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
_________

The message contained in these words provides great comfort for those who are hurting or experiencing dark days of the soul.  From beginning to end, there is a  promise of deliverance.  Whether from the depths, grave, or pit, from crying or from wailing, the Lord provides rescue.  And the result is healing, favor, joy, and dancing.  So, then, we are promised that if we call out to God, we can expect to be delivered from our problems and be happy for the rest of our lives.  

Huh?

Dictionary.com defines joy as "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something especially good or satisfying." Despite our tendency to think differently, it is possible that this definition speaks to more than health, wealth, and success. The hard truth is that the "something especially good" may not be the curing of a fatal illness, but the reunification of the family facing the situation. The "something...satisfying" may not be the return of the wayward child, but the deepening of faith experienced by the parents.  The job, the relationship, the health, and the finances may never really improve. Regardless, joy and a witness of praise can still come in the morning, if they are rooted not in the world's definitions but in that which comes through Christ.

Into our several hells

There is evidence that our society is going to hell in a handbasket;
The hell holes are easy to spot in the news;
And we, even in our privilege, know the signs and degrees of hell.                                                  
But we confess that you are the God
          who has descended into our several hells,
                                                         submitted,
                                                         suffered,
                                                         been present . . .
          and then raised in power to new life.


We care not so much about your ascent into heaven
          as we do about your restoration of the earth.


You are the God who raised others even as you ascend in new power.
     So raise us this day from all our negativities;
     So raise our city this day from its cruel failures;
     So raise our world this day from its several hells
          of brutality and uncaring.
     So raise us to new praise and glad obedience.


You who descend and who are raised in splendor.  Hallelujah!   Amen.


On reading 2 Samuel 12
Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Bruggemann (c) 2003

Post Easter Thought

Author Anon    Translated by Francis Pott

The strife is o’er, the battle done;

The victory of life is won;

the song of triumph has begun.  Alleluia!

The pow’rs of death have done their worst,

But Christ their legions hath dispersed;

Let shouts of holy joy outburst.  Alleluia!

The three sad days have quickly sped;

He rises glorious from the dead:

All glory to our risen Head!  Alleluia!

Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,

From death’s dread sting Thy servants free,

That we may live and sing to Thee.  Alleluia!  Amen.

He is Risen, Halleluiah!

New Birth!

Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In His great mercy
He has given us a new birth
to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead
and to an inheritance
that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.
It is reserved in heaven for you,
who because of your faith in God
are being protected by His power
until the salvation
that is ready to be revealed at the end of time

1 Peter 1:3-5