We need always to be thinking and writing about [poverty], for if we are not among its victims its reality fades from us.
—Dorothy Day, from her book, Loaves and Fishes
I find myself often thinking or writing about poverty in part because we have so many who come to the church office seeking assistance. The reality of poverty would fade from me if it were not continuously forced upon me simply because I don’t want to know about it. I do not want the disruption my Christian duty to the poor imposes upon me. The truth is that even if the person in front of me is “undeserving” of my help, then I have a duty to introduce to the truth of Jesus Christ and help them get straightened out to a place where they are “deserving.” So far from having no responsibility to the “undeserving” I have an even greater responsibility.
John Wesley preaching John Wesley preaching at a meeting house in Nottingham, England, in 1747. Note that his listeners are separated by gender which was customary at the time.
This coming Sunday, I plan to preach on the lectionary readings from both John (13.31-35) and Acts (11.1-18). In particular I’ll be focusing on John 13.34-35:
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (NRSV)
The difficulty in this passage that I’ll be addressing the tendency of congregations to pick and choose who we will love and who we will not by welcoming and associating with only like-minded individuals (theologically, politically, demographically, etc.). We prefer to associate with like-minded people because they are easier for us to love. This does great harm to the diversity necessary for a congregation (or a denomination) to truly be the body of Christ—instead a congregation being made up of eyes, ears, feet, hands, etc. we end up with one congregation made up almost entirely of eyes, one almost entirely of ears, etc.
The Vision Team is reading Simply Christian by N. T. Wright for a theological/devotional phase of our time together. Since not everyone on the team has received a copy yet, we’ll put off any any reading assignments until the first meeting in May. It’s a great book that I would recommend to anyone. There will be a copy available in the church library for anyone who wants to read it.
Everyone had a good time at the church dinner after the 10:50 worship service today. The fellowship was great. Thanks to everyone who helped with food preparation and clean up.
We’re having a free, all-church dinner tomorrow after the 10:50 service because of the amount of food left over after today’s funeral dinner. Come and get it.
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963, Dorothy Height was the only woman, besides Mrs. King, invited onto the platform.
When Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation’s first African-American president 46 years later, she was invited onto the platform once again.
“This is real recognition that civil rights was not just what Dr. King dreamed,” she told The New York Times about Obama’s inauguration. “But it took a lot of people a lot of work to make this happen, and they feel part of it.”
Height, a United Methodist who worked tirelessly on behalf of civil rights and equality for women, was one of those people. She died April 20 at Howard University Hospital in Washington at the age of 98.
I was in an all day meeting in Parsons yesterday for the District Board of Professional Ministry. The board is meeting again all day today. Jenny will still be available.
We received $300 in special offerings for Nothing But Nets yesterday. In addition the Nurture Committee decided to make Nothing But Nets the VBS mission project.
Update of April 23, 2010: That amount has now risen to $311, enough for 31 nets.
This is the professional blog of John and Jennifer Collins. We are ordained clergy members of the Kansas East Conference of the United Methodist Church and are currently appointed as pastors of Coffeyville First.
The views and opinions expressed here are our own.
Contact Information
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304 West 10th Street
Coffeyville, Kansas 67337
There will be a meeting of the Finance Committee next Monday (May 3, 2010) at 5:15 pm.
Everyone had a good time at the church dinner after the 10:50 worship service today. The fellowship was great. Thanks to everyone who helped with food preparation and clean up.
We received $300 in special offerings for Nothing But Nets yesterday. In addition the Nurture Committee decided to make Nothing But Nets the VBS mission project.
This is the professional blog of John and Jennifer Collins. We are ordained clergy members of the Kansas East Conference of the United Methodist Church and are currently appointed as pastors of Coffeyville First.
The views and opinions expressed here are our own.
