World View Matters

The following is an interesting article written by an avowed atheist about the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to change culture for the good. It can change homes and individuals too!

"As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God

Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity of the people's mindset

Matthew Parris

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in" to continue reading

George Herbert: Submission

Once again our friend Fred Smith has pointed us toward the timelessness of what it means to be a True Steward of Life from The Temple (1633), by George Herbert: (It does take a few reads to get even for the poets among us!)

¶ Submission.

BUt that thou art my wisdome, Lord, And both mine eyes are thine, My minde would be extreamly stirr’d For missing my designe. Were it not better to bestow Some place and power on me? Then should thy praises with me grow, And share in my degree. But when I thus dispute and grieve, I do resume my sight, And pilfring what I once did give, Disseize1 thee of thy right. How know I, if thou shouldst me raise, That I should then raise thee? Perhaps great places and thy praise Do not so well agree. Wherefore unto my gift I stand; I will no more advise: Onely do thou lend me a hand, Since thou hast both mine eyes.

Advent Conspiracy

Recovering the Stewardship of Christmas

Greed is Not Good

As Stewards of all that God has entrusted us it is important that we base our life and decisions on the Rock solid foundations given to us by God Himself. This sounds like an obvious statement but given our 'state' of mind, body and culture greed can creep in to even the most well intentioned of us.

In the 1980s movie Wall Street the villain, Gordon Ghekko's famous line is, "Greed, for the lack of a better word, is good". But greed is not good. Yet all of us are impacted by our own fallen nature and the culture in which we live and the prevailing mindset of our culture would say that "greed is good". Is there an antidote to a life of being blown by the winds of culture and the pursuit of fools gold? Yes. The antidote is found in the life of devotion to truth and love found in community. Something rarely found today. It may sound simplistic but Christ calls us to imitate His love and the Paul admonishes us to imitate him in I Corinthians 11:1, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ". A good question to start the day with is, "Whose thinking am I imitating?"

When thinking about 'how we live' and the decisions we must make I am convinced it's not so much "what would Jesus do" that should direct us, but 'what would Jesus think' and how can I imitate His thinking? That's what Sheldon wanted when he wrote those famous words. He wanted the church to "think Christianly", and his book was a reminder of how the church was to think about the sojourner and the poor.

How do we 'think' about money, education, family, the latest scandal on Wall Street and our 'calling' in light of the economic crisis we find our world? There are many unemployed and frightened people around us who need love and truth and today's global crisis may be an opportunity like few others to point friends and family to 'the' Truthgiver who brings comfort and right thinking in plenty and little.

Grace and peace.

Fixing a Problem With a Problem

This morning I heard our President say how "sorry" he was that during these difficult times he has had to walk away from free market theory and turn to more government oriented solutions to the free market. Well, as anyone who has studied history or had a flat tire knows you cannot fix a problem with a flawed solution - you only put off further problems. Duct tape will only hold for so long! History shows even kings can't create an heir by looking for a better wife. The 'problem' is theirs.

In considering how 'we' live and our daily personal, family and cultural problems I wonder how 'unorthodox' our fixes or solutions are? Since you can't make something whole that is broken what are we basing the solutions to our family, personal and even financial difficulties upon?

From raising kids to the economics of a household we need a standard. Any solution just won't do (at least not for our house)!

May I suggest a good start would be to read Psalm 1 several times a week and choose a Proverb a day through the holidays and going forward as a way of moving towards making un-orthodox thinking more orthodox. Maybe even resolving to read the Bible in 2009 all the way through? I don't have the solutions any more than the "authority" on CNBC this morning, but I know that the Giver of life wrote THE book that will help us think more orthodox and begin to see things from His subjective point of view. In that way perhaps we will begin to see how all things actually do work together for our collective good? Just a thought!

Grace and Peace

Don't Sell Them Short

Last night my son Williams who just turned four brought into our bedroom a picture of crazy and indecipherable lines. He was so proud of what looked to us like a mess. He burst out with joy and a ton of energy, "These are the footprints of God!"

Those "footprints" are hanging on our bedroom mirror!!! Don't sell the little ones short.

Blessings

What a Tangled Web We Weave...

This morning the world will wake up to an astounding story of thievery and deceit. One of Wall Street's well known fathers has confessed to creating a 'Ponzi scheme' that has stolen some $50,000,000,000.00 (that's billion) from pension funds, businesses, savvy hedge fund managers and individuals from Titans of industry to grandmothers who trusted 'the system'. Story here.

Perhaps this will help Joe and Josephine Investor realize the financial industry is set up, not to make clients money, but to sustain and enrich itself and those who created it. As a business owner I understand that making a profit is what business is created to do. This allows for salaries and retirement systems to be funded. Yet it appears, as has always been true, some among us have taken 'gain' at others expense to a whole new level.

Wall Street, the banking system, and insurance industry today reminds me of shark infested waters and from my point of view the 'innocent' rarely survive with their money without building a cage around their wealth and understanding the need for an advocate or trustworthy guide for the dangerous waters. I believe we are seeing a shift in this industry and that the financial services industry, or any industry for that matter, can only survive long term if it's participants follow the Golden Rule that has been given to us all. A reckoning is taking place and many crooked players who have stolen from others may be exposed for what they are and the 'financial system' has become...precarious at best. This doesn't leave us without hope. It should remind us not to put our confidence in wealth or prices but to trust in our unshakable King.