Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Yes! Amen!



Please watch and then let's chat.....[or I will tell you what I think cuz this is a blog and it is really hard to chat beings that I am leaving the minute I finish ;)  BUT I would love to hear your thoughts so... go watch and then let's chat].


Good, hu?  Um ya!

You know that train?  Ya, it is filled with 160 MILLION orphans, innocent children.  We are singing louder, having more "feel good, inspirational conferences," bigger more convenient buildings so we can gather together and worship in comfort.  All the while singing louder and louder because well...."you do not want to get on that soapbox" or "there are so many and it makes me sad to think about."

I refuse to buy into that.  I have, and I will not any longer.

I am at Jesus feet about taking a few women to Ug@nda in February.  I have had so many "weird" comments that it drives me straight to the word of God and EVERY>SINGLE>TIME I walk away seeing that taking women to care for orphans, the poor and oppressed, is not weird. 

What is weird is to sing louder.

7 comments:

  1. So true and good Sha. I am kinda laughing right now...because....yesterday....I said to Charsie (you know how you do when you have a homeschool kid..they kinda become your wife)..what I said was, " I just feel like when I go get Esther God will have someone with me, besides Charlie, another woman." So her and I agreed to pray about it and we threw a few names around...THEN...this morning I said to Charsie my child/wife...I just keep thinking February is when we will be getting Esther..she said why??? I said I don't know just a thought I keep having...maybe it's because that would be 9 months from when she was concieved in our hearts???? Huh?? Don't know, but I think it's fun to dream big dreams!!!

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  2. I want to shout a Big AMEN! I see so much "weirdness" not only in those around me, but in myself, and I think you were SPOT on about the train being the Orphans! I will not sing louder anymore!

    I think, even in the simplest of forms, so many can often sing louder when the children in our school systems are going hungry or going home to abuse.

    I think that train can be the children and women sold into the sex trade all over this world.

    Thank you for this post! I desire so deeply to make a difference, to be radical and to stop that "train"!

    I am so inspired by this post and it has caused me to stop, be still and listen for the weirdness in my life I need to change and to be radical and to have Bible Based thoughts

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  3. Preach it sister! REcently I was told, "it is great that you feel sorry for these people, but I think in the long run you will be doing yourself and this kid a disservice if you bring him home. I dont' think etiher of you would be happy. Just sail away into your retirement years, you aren't a spring chicken you know."

    Seriously, it would be better for a child to remain in an orphanage with no family, no love, no hope? ARE.YOU.KIDDING.ME?

    These words came from my brother. My family thinks I am weird because I am so passionate about the orphan.

    Blessings,
    Suzanne
    onelessbrokenheart.blogspot.com
    freedomhollowfarmkiddos.blogspot.com

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  4. Hi Shauna. The video startled me in a way. I think Francis saying that for most of us, our lives are far from the Biblical norm, which is seen as weird or extreme...and that we have been satisfied with prosperity, sitting in comfortable churches that allow us to justify our "freedom in Christ" to do what we want and spend how we want to spend. We have not been willing to really be like Jesus. So it becomes weird when someone like Francis says, "How much more do you need when you see people in poverty and without clean water, the millions of orphan, people trapped in the sex trade, etc." Just sing your songs to God and enjoy your worship and leave the weighty matters of justice to someone else.

    I often feel "weird" thinking the way I do. In one of Francis Chan's last sermons, he mentions that churches have missed it, thinking we can gather groups of people together to love each other better. It's because it's not connected to doing mission together, which naturally binds us together. That's what you experience with your friends and family through your passion for the orphan. And that's why there are close knit bonds between those who went to Uganda together, served, and were challenged together. It's a natural byproduct of 'doing' the mission of building disciples together.

    I think that's why this generation has grown weary of the church, which is heavy on the 'telling' and short on the 'doing.' They're looking for more....a purpose for being followers of Christ beyond the comfortable, rule driven church that focuses too much on personal growth, etc. Anyhow, just some things I'm thinking through as I try to figure out how I fit in the schema of 'church.'

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  5. This is good. I've been a Christian most of my life but in the last year my eyes have been opened to the church in a different way. While I've never been the church-hoping type I have been the type that didn't think twice about big churches with big screen tv's and lots of money spent on programs in the church. I'm finally realizing how church-focused many churches are instead of focusing on the lost and the orphan. Every church I've been in has done something for "sanctity of life" Sunday but I've never had one recognize orphans. We're so thankful that God has opened our eyes and now we're praying about our next steps.

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