Know Who Your Real Enemy Is

The following are quotes from the Greg Boyd sermon "God's heart for the Poor" - quotes that were so striking and challenging and yet calling to something deep in my spirit, quotes that I don't want to forget, that I want to seep into my mind until I see the world differently:

Greg Boyd asks the question - from a kingdom perspective, what keeps people in poverty? Here are some of his thoughts:

"In the broader culture, when it comes to thinking about poverty issues...we look at everything through the grid of our knowledge of good and evil. So we come at this through our judgements and that's why, invariably, people think...that if only we could blame the right people... accuse the right people, well then we will solve this problem."

"But, according to the Bible, the problem of poverty and most other social problems are much deeper than any political program's ever going to fix...deeper than any human ingenuity is going to fix."

"The Bible teaches that the problem of poverty and every other social problem is not, and here's the unique kingdom perspective, is not primarily, a problem with people. People make choices, and they're morally responsible...but the fundamental problem is not people. The problem, most fundamentally, is that this world is oppressed. We're under the influece of principalities and powers that we ourselves invited into this world back in the Adam and Eve days, and we are oppressed. Here's what Paul says, incredibly important verse. "For our struggle" - this would include the struggle about poverty and responsibility with wealth, "the struggle is not against flesh and bload but against the rulers, against the authoriries, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil the heavenly realms."


"The forces are using an unjust system to dehumanize everyone, rich and poor. The powers use an unjust system to dehumanize the poor by reducing them to a subhuman level of existence...by reducing them to a system that's beneath human dignity; that's not how humans were meant to live. But the powers also dehumanise, use an unjust system to dehumanize the affluect. And this is what we need to see. Reduce us to a subhuman level of existence by... reducing us to brainwashed mice who are perpetually on the consumeristic treadmill chasing the proverbial cheese of the American dream; that's not how humans were meant to live...Robbed of the joy of living a simple life, an extravagantly generous life. The powers are playing us. Dehumanizing one group because they have too little, dehumanizing another group because they have too much, inflicting us with judgements that keep us from working together to fight them and to fix the problem"

"It is time for God's people to tell the system to kiss off. It's time for God's people to wake up to what is going on. It looks like it's about us, but it's bigger than us, We've got to know who they real enemy is. It's time to wage war against the powers, and we do that by refusing to make other human beings the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 if it's go flesh and blood, it's not the enemy. If it's got flesh and blood, it's someone that Jesus died for, which means it's someone we're suppose to be fighting for, and against the powers."

"Rather, the way we do warfare against the real enemy is by refusing to make them (those different to us or those with whom we disagree) the enemy, collapsing our judgements and asking the question how can we together resist the system, fight the system, rage at the machine which is so polluted with the principalities and powers"

"What we need to understand is that the way we struggle against the principalities and powers is not just by changing our beliefs. That's a pre-requisite but changing beliefs in and of themself, that doesn't do anything. You fight the system and the powers behind the system by changing how you live."

"To fight the powers, the affluent and the poor need to agree together to collapse all of our judgements, to walk humbly with our God, and to live in ways and relate in ways that will alleviate injustice and demonstrate compassion.'

We have to do it together.

Micah 6 in the light of Ephesians 2

In our last Moms4Justice Gathering we listened to Greg Boyd's sermon "God's Heart for the Poor" which should actually have been titled "Know who your real enemy is".

He starts by referring back to comments that some had made about his previous sermon, where he looks at Micah 6 and the fact that the Lord requires of us to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Some were concerned that he was meaning that these works are required for salvation. He clarifies that he is not saying salvation by works, and refers to Ephesians 2 "for it is by grace that you've been saved through faith". He then uses a very helpful metaphor - you really should go listen to it as I am not going to do it justice by trying to explain it - to explain that Micah 6 is not teaching salvation by works, but it is rather pointing to salvation FOR works. Ephesions 2 goes on to say "for we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

To quote Boyd: "The reason why we're saved by grace through faith so no one can boast is because we are God's handiwork, and we're created for good works. We're not saved by works, but we are saved for works. The reason why we're saved is to do the works that we were created to do."

"our job description was to receive His fulness of life and then to manifest that fullness of life back to God, to each other, to the animal kingdom and to the earth"

"the reason why Jesus Christ came down and saves us by grace through faith so that no one can boast is so that now we can recover that original design and begin to live out what it means to be God's handiwork made in the image of God, begin to live life the way God wanted us to live life. He saved us for these good works...acting justly...showing compassion and mercy... and walking humbly with our God."

I must admit that the more I understand God's heart for this world, I come to realise that issues of justice, poverty, compassion, and restoration are core to Jesus' gospel of salvation, not a nice-to-have addition. They are all included in the Good News that Jesus came to bring and live and die for!

Central to God's heart

There are over 400 distinct passages in the Bible that address issues of poverty and greed and wealth and responsibility. Over 3,000 particular verses address this topic. The Bible is saturated with this over and over and over again.

 

God calls his people to practice justice, to have a heart for the poor, to provide housing for the homeless and food for those who are hungry and to care for the widows and those that are under oppression. The Bible is saturated, just saturated with that theme.

 

In fact, greed is the second most frequently mentioned sin in the Bible. The first one is idolatry, and I would argue that greed,  actually,  is  simply  a  form  of  idolatry.  It's pervasive  in  the  Bible.  In  fact,  the  number  one  reason  why  God  judges  nations  in  the  old  testament  is  because  of  their  greed.  Greed  is, simply, a matter of  hoarding more than you  need when there are people who have less than they need, hoarding more food than you need when there are people who are hungry. That's called gluttony. Hoarding more resources than you need when there are people who don't have enough  resources, that is greed. And the number one reason why God judges nations in the old testament, including Israel, is because of their greed. This is a topic that is central to God's heart. I don't think you can get a topic that is more central to God's heart than this one.

 

The above is a quote by Greg Boyd from his sermon, Seeing What God Sees, 4th October 2009.

http://whchurch.org/sermons-media/sermon/seeing-what-god-sees

 

Micah 6 v 8

Micah chapter six, verse eight. A very famous passage that reads like this: "He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? This  is what's good. What does the Lord require of you? "To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

 

That's what the Lord requires of you. To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

 

What does the Lord require of thee? To act justly. That means to live with a view towards justice, to promote justice. It means to confront justice and to confront oppression. It means to live in a way where you strive to alleviate inequities. That's what it is to live justly.

To love mercy. Mercy has the connotation of, on the one hand, of forgiveness where you give someone not what they deserve but, rather, you express kindness towards them, but also has the general connotation of just being compassionate, to have mercy on someone who is less fortunate than you. It's to be compassionate. What does the Lord require of us? To act justly, to love compassion. Not just be compassionate but to love being compassionate and merciful.

 

And then, to walk humbly. To walk humbly means you just walk in a way that's free of arrogance, free of judgmentalism, and free of self righteousness. That's what the Lord requires of you. Act justly, be compassionate, and be humble.

 

The above is a quote by Greg Boyd from his sermon, Seeing What God Sees, 4th October 2009.

http://whchurch.org/sermons-media/sermon/seeing-what-god-sees

Compassion by Command

Last Monday we spent time listening to Greg Boyd speaking on how we are saved so that we can be restored to right relationship with God and all of creation, which includes living our our response to Micah 6v 8. The sermon is part of a 9 sermon series on COMPASSION BY COMMAND.

The sermons can be found here

http://whchurch.org/sermons-media/sermon-topics/poverty

Watch this space as we share our reflections on these talks.

Time to reflect

As we walk upstream we will feel the downward flow pushing against us with every step we take. Every time we lift our foot out the water, the other left to stabilise us is pummelled with the current, as we return our foot to the water it experiences the drag of the tide.  No matter how long you have been going, and no matter how used to it you become, the flow will always urge your feet to move backwards. And if not backwards it will compel your feet to stand still and preventing you from pushing further upstream.

 

This month we took some time to sit in quiet and reflect on these questions. I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee or tea, find a quiet space for 10 minutes, and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you reflect on these questions :

??? In what way are you feeling the flow against your steps upstream? Where in your life is it hard to keep pushing forward according to your Kingdom values?

??? What are the things/people that keep you going? Knowing these strength-giving resources will sustain you over many years of walking upstream, as long as you are ruthless, actually only Holy Spirit empowered-ruthlessness, about including them in your daily life.

??? What is your vision – what part of the kingdom do you most long for to be fulfilled? Knowing this will motivate you to keep going upstream.

Quotes from Sally

Just found my notebook where I took notes when Sally shared her journey with us. Here is a challenging quotes:

My purpose is to raise kids who are passionate about something other than what they own or to whom the are connected.

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The middle-class frenzy is all about making sure our children get the best. What would be nice for our children isn't necessarily what God's best for them is.

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The temptation is to make a plan so our children don't feel the pain (of hard life situations), but if we make a plan they will never develop a backbone. We want them to experience justice at home, but the world we live in is just not a fair place. We need to help our children to process the unfairness, rather than facilitate it so they don't have to experience any injustice. This is such a disservice, rather see these moments of injustice as opportunities for learning.

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You take away the power of key life lessons if you continually plug away at them before your child is ready to engage with them.

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Its not really about taking a stand

Linked to what was highlighted in a previous post, Sally shared that as we live out our values, they become our norm, they become what our family does. Sally has seen how her kids are informed by their family environment as they grapple with peer pressure and choosing friends and deciding if they should also start swearing or not! It is not necessarily the verbal stands that she and her husband have made that influence her kids, rather it is every-day, small decisions made over hundreds  and hundreds of days that turn into deep rooted family values.

So sharing your heart for justice is NOT so much about taking a stand - "we in this family are going to love the poor" or "we are taking a stand against materialism" - it is, as mentioned before, all about how we as parents live our lives in the everyday. And as mentioned, to give ourselves the space and opportunity to live our lives according to our values, we need to free up our time and money to do so.

Live it

Your child will learn more about sharing by watching you take off your coat and give it to a cold street person, than by all the teaching and bible stories you can tell them.

So live your values.

Spend more time praying through and being intentional about living what you believe, than stressing about how to teach your kids to do so.

Especially when they are small, when language is not their primary way of learning, they will pick up life lessons by seeing what you do and how you respond. They take note of the way you show respect to the beggar rather than ignoring them. They watch you sweat as you lay bricks at a volunteer house build. They experience God by sitting along side you as you pray in your moment of pain and angst. Every day they observe you as you engage with this world according to your values.

And when they get older - the stories, the teachings, the values that can be verbalised will hang seemlessly on the life experiences that they have LIVED WITH YOU.

Being OK with being misunderstood

Walking upstream means making choices for yourself and your children that other people will not understand. Even other Christians. Sally shared some funny and also some not-so-funny moments when others - including a long time friend & a well-meaning sports coach -  just didn't "get" her or her family's choices. Sometimes there is space to really share one's heart. But sometimes it is OK to just be misunderstood. There is a freedom that comes from not always having to justify one's self and one's choices. Free to just follow God's promptings.

It's for our kids best?

I have - frustratingly - lost my notebook that I used to capture the thoughts of Sally who shared with us moms last month. So will have to write from memory.

Sally is a mother of 4 beautiful kids; ages ranging from just-starting-school to just-starting-teens. Sally and her husband have been deeply moved by Jesus' love for them and for this world. This has birthed in them, and Sally in particular, deeply compassionate hearts. Add to that a strong ability to reflect and discern; as well as a willingness to think differently, and to step out of the comfortable places to walk in obedience and faith. And what do you have is a really inspiring mom who is intentional about raising her kids to love others.

I will share with you what struck me as she related her parenting journey and learnings. Please - if you were present - feel free to add more.

Sally rightly points out that our time and finances are finite. If we allocate all our time and finances to ourselves, then it will be really hard - if not impossible - to be generous. If being generous is your value, it is helpful to really think through your budget and make sure you are not allocating every cent. That way you have some money to give. This doesn't seem like rocket science does it. No. But what really hit me, is that the biggest reason why we allocate all our money is because we are motivated by the strong driving force "it is for my kids best". It is for my kids best to get them into a good school and it is for their best to have extramural activities like playing the oboe or flute, it is for my kids best to get extra sports lessons, it is for my kids best to have the latest gadget... So she and her husband have had to really look at this phrase "it is for my kids best" and turn it over and really see if everything that is offered under this label is just that - the best for their children.

So they decided that their kids just go to one extramural that is included in their school fees. Paying for more activities over and above that is just not possible for them - not if they want to share, not if they want to be able to respond to those in need, not if they want to be open to being prompted by the Holy Spirit to give.

And so it is with time. Sally shares that their deicsion to limit extramural activities has also created breathing space with regards to time. Time to be spontaneous to show love & care to those around them. Sally has found if your time is all carved out with playdates, school and extramurals and homework - there is just no time to respond with compassion to those who God brings across your path. Because you are always in a rush, you are needing to be at the next thing that is "for the best of your kids" and so you can't stop, you can't bring that supper, or go build a Habitat house with your kids, or visit the poor, or or or ... respond in the way God is calling you to bring light.

Sally's challenge to us was not that we should stay away from extramurals or playdates, but to know that if we allocate all our time and resources, we will have none to give away. And we will find ourselves living a life that is separate to our heart and our values.

She also called us to see through the big label of ITS FOR MY KIDS BEST. Let God show us what is for our kids best, not the world around us.

Build-a-Bear se voet:)

I've been reflecting on our time together this last Saturday, decorating and clothing teddy bears. I started thinking about Build-a-bear. For those of you who don't know about it, Build-a-bear makes teddy bears, gives it a heart(literally) and then you can custom make it, with all sorts of accessories which costs a fortune. Lovely idea but costs the earth. So we kind of did a build-a-bear thing this last Saturday. Only difference is, some of the little ones, put THEIR hearts into it, to such an extent, that it was pretty sad for them to say goodbye to their bears. Some tears were shed. They put THEIR creativity, THEIR ribbons and buttons and masks, THEIR time, THEIR ideas into it. It came at a cost. This time, we didn't give away used toys. Toys they've gotten bored of. They didn't give away used clothes, clothes they've grown out of. They didn't give away tinned food, food their mommies bought. They gave away something of themselves. It was sacrificial, compassionate and kind...but it was hard. I think for the first time, we got it. All of us. We gave of ourselves. We had to dig a little deeper. I'm not calling myself to ascetism. I'm not wanting to put my children through trauma for the sake of making a point on serving the poor. I'm calling us all to think about our giving. Am I doing this Kids for Justice as another tick in the box of a fun activity, which has a spin-off of giving to the poor? Am I giving away my kids clothes, because it clutters up my space and has reached its usefulness in their lives? Or am i giving something away because, it's good quality, even new, still useful to me, but i don't need it as much? I'm speaking of myself here. my reflections. I'm also not discrediting the things we have given away, but rather re-examinng the motives and reasons behind it. Am I putting my HEART into it? Maurietta Stewart(still learning)

Rubbing shoulders

It's one thing to demonstrate our values to our children. They see how we choose compassion instead of ignoring the beggar at the traffic light. We find ways to include them in our acts of generosity, encouraging them to give rather than always take, always focus on getting. As we explore how to build friendships across cultural and economic barriers, our kids experience that it is OK to have friends that are different. Sometimes we might even share with them our pain at the brokenness in our country, our anger that the unfair ways that many are treated. Our kids can't help but taste, see and feel what is in our hearts.

It is another thing to share all of this with the other moms with whom we rub shoulders at play groups, moms groups, whilst waiting to fetch our kids from school or as we chat at a playdate intiated by our children. Some of these moms have the same faith as us, others not. Some of these moms are caught up in the culture of materialism, status and performance. This is not surprising given that the suburbs where we live are stewing in the values of "having the most stylish house" and "wearing the trendiest clothes" and "going to the right schools" and "having that holiday home" and and and.

So do we just keep our heads down and try to get through these encounters moms who value different things to us; or are these opportunities for the Kingdom. Are these moments where we can shine the light of passion for justice and restoration and compassion? Of course we long to be real and authentic. We desire to have integrity, not hiding parts of our selves that might be different. But  know that when we share our hearts for social justice it may not be understood, and it may not be well received. We know that the light of social justice shines on how we spend our money, how we give and how much, how we treat those working for us in our homes, how we view those who are different, how we view those who are poorer, and many other life choices. We know that these issues provoke a strong response, they are not nuetral, polite conversation fillers. People get offended, not wanting to change, angry at the guilt that might rise in their hearts. They may not want to hang out with us again. They may not want their kids to play with our kids. Yet other people will be convicted, just like we have, and start looking at how to live life differently, they will be drawn to the hope we have that God's kingdom is advancing to bring hope to the hopeless and freedom for the captives.

So I encourage you moms, to rest in the Holy Spirit, to receive love and affirmation in your Father's arms so that you can shine your life, your passion, your views, your life-changing decisions as you rub shoulders with other moms. That you will be your whole self - not just the part of your self that won't offend or be controversial. That you will speak truth in love. That your words would be salt and light and like a double-edge sword. That your heart will never judge, but always love. And that God will use us to share his heart for reconcilitation and restoration of this nation with the mothers that we encounter in our every day lives.

Constant Companion

One mother shared how she had to find a new way of connecting with Jesus during the dark days of her post-natal depression. In these emotionally strained months she had very little energy to carve out time for the classic devotion time. She started chatting to Jesus, throughout the day, not in a formal way, but comfortable - just as you would a friend. Her life is busy, and she shares honestly that it is not as though she does not live in God's presence every minute, but she is growing in this discipline of being conscious of God's companionship throughout the day. It is brings her life. She has also started inviting her children into her chats with God. Driving to school in the morning she moves easily from conversing with them about their day, to praying with them about the day.



"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." Matthew 1: 23



Immanuel - God With Us



Every moment

Desperate

I have been surprised by how often I have met with Jesus in the times when I have been desperate. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12 v 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for, Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Ok I can't honestly say that I have delighted in hardships as Paul does. But I have definitely found that if I don't rush to move away from that desperate feeling, but let it sit with me, and bring it to Jesus; then He meets with me in beautiful ways. It may be exasperation at not being able to figure out how to respond to my child's behaviour or need; or compassion and helplessness at seeing poverty around our city; or sorrow for the hard times a friend is facing. All these situations make me desperate. I have a choice, to rush on into all the tasks for the day, to pretend that I am not moved by these issues because they are too much for me; or I can just let the desperation be my companion for a while - even as I am hanging the washing or driving go fetch my child from school. And invite the Holy Spirit into that place of desperation - birthing in me a prayer, an idea, an SMS, a response, a worship song, or something else that affirms that I am connecting with the Father's heart.

Jim Cymbala in his book Fresh Wind, Fresh Power (page 19) writes: 'God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact makes room for more of His power.'

So I encourage you, the next time you feel desperate, don't run from this uncomfortable feeling or drown it out too quickly with a cup of tea or coffee. Bring it to Jesus in the stillness of your heart, even whilst you are chasing your 3 year old around the garden or whilst changing that nappy. You'll be surprised at how He will respond in the midst of the joyous chaos of life.

New Ways

Having a new born baby in the house, or an active toddler causing glorious chaos changes they way we do things. There are just somethings that are no longer possible - from how much sleep we can get, to leaving beautiful, decorative glass vases out on coffee tables. So too with our spiritual journey, when we kids arrive with new time-tables and demands, some spiritual disciplines become less possible. Some of the ways that were very helpful in our pre-kid days in connecting us to Jesus are no longer working. That morning quiet time is now tortorous after a night of broken sleep. Having long coversations with church friends after the service now consists of a few hellos as one chases that busy toddler around.

Some of us realised that we have been using our pre-kid-day standards of spirituality to assess our current intimacy with God. And this results in guilt and a sense of failure. But God is not limited to using a couple of ways or disciplines to build His relationship with us. He is so passionate about keeping His daughters close to His heart and has lots of creative ways of doing so. We need to let go of doing Jesus the old way, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into new, "mother-friendly" ways of enjoying our Father's presence, and being filled up with His word and Spirit. Watch this space as we share some of the more "mother friendly" ways we have found helpful in keeping us intimate with Jesus.

Jesus, our Centre and our Source

How can we sow seeds of social justice in our kids lives so that as they they grow up these seeds will sprout into hearts of compassion, eyes that look at the world as Jesus does, and mouths that speak out against oppression or injustice. So that our children will be hope- and life-bringers to all who know them and that they might be used by God to bring His kingdom of freedom, life and restoration to our nation and continent?

It is never going to happen in our own strength.

In our own strength we might teach truths that become burdens of guilt, we might shine a light on poverty in a way that crushes their tender spirits, we might overwhelm them with the worlds problems so that they withdraw completely into the selfish, safe space of just-focusing-on-me, or we may turn into irritating, nagging mothers where "bringing transformation" becomes reduced to a chore, something to tick off a list so that we appease mom.

What we seek to birth in our children is impossible without Jesus. As mothers we cannot inspire our children without Jesus being at our Centre and without him being our Source. 

But how do we make space for Jesus to be our Centre when there are a million mom-things clamouring for our time, energy and attention? This is what we chatted through at our most recent gathering, and will continue at our next. Watch this space as I post some interesting observations, thoughts and helpful hints from some  inspiring, but totally down-to-earth moms.

Dangling our feet in the water

We haven't stopped walking upstream. But sometimes this business of being a mother means that you have to sit on the side of the river with your kids, dangling your feet in the water, and just focus on them for a while. And so we haven't met as moms for a few months, but tonight we finally gathered. And instead for forging ahead, we too sat alongside the river to keep to the river metaphor. This time with a cup of tea in our hands and a bowl of yummy biscuits to share, and had a good catch up chat. Watch this space next month as we reflect on the fact that God is the source and the centre as we raise our children with hearts for social justice.