Discipleship and Citizenship

Discipleship.

Churches encourage members to engage in a wide array of discipleship programs and have committees to provide resources in spiritual disciplines, classes, and more.  Olson and Friedrich acknowledge that discipleship is the domain of the church and we are comfortable with that.

Citizenship.  

Schools and communities try and teach our children to be good citizens by participating in their communities and government.  Vote!  Know what your community is doing and how to advocate for change.



Olson and Friedrich challenge their readers to connect these two domains. Religious motivations should shape how one feels about affordable housing, childcare opportunities, health care for children, or fair wages for immigrant workers.  Churches feel comfortable addressing and meeting the immediate needs of those in the community, yet are often uncomfortable digging deeper into the issue and asking why it is happening and what can be done about it on a public policy level.

Scripture reminds us that it is our work as advocates to speak.  What would have happened if the Canaanite woman had not insisted her child was deserving of Jesus's attention and healing?  Olson and Friedrich are clear - advocacy about power.  Yet out baptismal vows boldly claim that as Christians we accept the power of God to resist evil and injustice.  Therefore child advocacy, and all it entails from acts of mercy of feeding hungry families to acts of justice in fighting for affordable housing for families, is Christian Discipleship.

Here is a common metaphor to leave you with:
You are enjoying lunch along the river with your friends.
You hear someone yelling for help from the water.
You (with your mad lifeguard skills) jump in the river and save them.
A few minutes later, someone else is in the river needing your help again!
You jump back in and rescue them too.
A few minutes later, another person!
You are getting tired, but continue to rescue those in need.
When do you go upriver to look for who is pushing people in the river?

There will always be those who are in the river and need compassionate help to get out.  Yet, others are called to the justice work of looking at the systems of oppression and working to keep people out of the river in the first place.

How can the church address both of these paths?

Peace,
Erin 

Who, me?

Continuing working through Weaving: A Just Future for Children, an Advocacy Guide by Diane C. Olson and Laura Dean F. Friedrich, I was reminded of a childhood song -

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?  (repeat)
(John Doe) stole the cookies from the cookie jar!
Who me?  Yes, you!  Not me!  Then who?

Responsibility.  Accountability.
Definitely difficult concepts, especially if we as Americans must choose to change something we love.

In review - Olson and Friedrich on the subject of child advocacy:
Framework is important!!
Metaphor is a loom, which requires a frame, made up of:
1 - Theology
2 - Scripture
3 - A Safe Environment (Chapter 3)
Then comes the weft: (strings going vertical)
*Child Advocates

A huge part of advocacy is making the choice to do something.  They turn the frame into something - without them it is just an empty loom.  While advocating for children can be a one time act of mercy or compassion, more often it comes a continual process of justice.

Olson and Friedrich give an great discussion on types of advocacy.  Here is the list -
* Education
* Service
* Public Policy
* Coalition Building (partnering)

Some of which are much easier, or more comfortable for churches however as Christians I firmly believe we are called as the body of Christ to each one of these.  As leaders I think it is crucial to focus on making connections and building relationships to encourage each of these types of advocacy roles within the gifts of a congregation - including children!

On a related topic, I am often asked (as a UM Deacon Candidate) what a Deacon does?  The best thing is a deacon can do ministry in so many places!  Deacons can serve in hospitals, schools, community organizations, or even churches.  A great metaphor for a deacon is a bridge builder.  I understand my calling as a deacon as one who helps to encourage and facilitate the connections between churches and those who are in the church with the needs of the world.   Many of us are called to acts of compassion and mercy - such as giving change or a granola bar to someone begging in the street, yet others are called to justice work - such as advocacy as described as a process, creating relationships and asking/addressing the question of why is this person here?

How do you respond to the concept of advocacy?
Do you feel called to any particular type of advocacy, whether towards a particular group or using the categories listed above?
How does advocacy fit within your calling?

Peace,
Erin

Learning the little things

I often get caught contemplating the big questions in life.  What is my calling?  How can I help world poverty and hunger?  How do you put into practice the teachings of God?  Is God really just?  I mean there are a lot of stories in the bible....

But today I was watching two little boys of a friend of mine and we went to the park.  The older one, 4, found an acorn and remembered that earlier I had said that squirrels eat acorns and he said - "For the squirrels?"  The rest of the time he went looking for acorns and digging in the sand.

I was so proud that he made the connection and that today he learned about squirrels and acorns.  It was a big deal in his world and therefore, also in mine.

I struggle with parents who say, I want to let my child decide what to believe when they get old enough.  Well... if we really believe in God and God's love as our salvation - they we should care.  Kids are amazing and they learn so much in a day.  I hope that I can help share my love for God and his love for them to this family as we get to know each other better.

I also struggle with the verse - Only those who come like little children will enter the kingdom of heaven.  Little children don't simply believe what you say, they are inquisitive and get into everything and all over the place - (mentally and literally!)  It makes me have hope that when I have all these big questions, I am like a child trying to understand something much bigger than me.

God Bless you on your struggles and adventures.
Peace
your sister in Christ~Erin

Educating our Kids

There are a lot of interesting things to think about that don't really matter.  Like what makes the sunset mostly red or why we only see the constellation Orion in the winter in this hemisphere.  I mean, they do matter in the grand scheme of the world, but not necessarily in my world.  Or the questions like Is God omnipotent and changeless?  Because if he is then why does he rule differently today then in the old testament?  Not to say that there is a right answer but interesting topics to discuss.  Discuss - not debate.  Talk about in a respectful and loving way.  (Sometimes I have discovered these kinds of topics can lead to hurt feelings or uncomfortableness among some present...sorry! We didn't mean it!)

And then there are the things that matter that I simply rejoice that other people know and take care of that I don't really understand or want to know about.  Like the laws.  I like to vote, but I don't want to be a politician.  I want to elect someone whom I have faith in and be able to say thanks or please don't do that.  Scientific research too!  I don't want to stare at petri dishes trying to find a cure to cancer but I'm really glad someone else does!

There are however things I do care about that do matter.  For one, my faith.  God has touched my life in such an amazing way I want to share it with others.  I can only imagine as a parent how much you would love your child and want to share the wonders of the world with them.  For many parents this includes their faith.  So the question to discuss here is should you, the church, or anyone indoctrinate kids?

I can see both a yes and no answer to this.  There is a common thought today that well... I just let my kids decide when they get old enough.  (falling on the no side)  Yes, faith is a personal decision.  Yes, kids often follow the values of their parents and other role models around them.  If the ideas are shared and presented.  But, we don't let our kids (mostly) decide when their bedtime should be, what is good for them to eat and not, how much TV to watch, what is appropriate to wear or say... the list goes on.  It's just a part of parenting.  We teach kids what is good and right and what is bad and wrong.  So why is faith questioned?

Well... faith or religion?

There is also many who teach kids theology that personally I think goes a little to far.  Yes, Jesus loves them and I agree kids should know that.  But I just watched the documentary Jesus Camp lately and was very distressed at some of the things happening.  I have read about Islamic extremist schools for young boys that teach the west is evil and a threat to peace and happiness and God.

Hitler also educated youth.  With propaganda they believed that still today makes many of us tremble.  So there are extremes to this question.  What do we teach kids about faith and God and the church?

I think that this is a fascinating question.  It came up in a discussion with my sister yesterday.  We were talking about God parents somehow and she mentioned how her and her fiance just touched the subject a while ago and he was not okay with me as a God parent because I am not catholic and they are.  We don't believe the same things.

Well yes and no.  Earlier in the conversation she laughed at me and said "why aren't you catholic?".  We share so many fundamental beliefs about God and faith.  That's why we are all christians!!  Yet we often don't know the truth behind the differences or over emphasis them.

I say teach the kids the truth of the gospel.  Use scripture for references.  And teach them the differences of the major faiths and famous religious people and what they said.  Saint Augustine is one of my favorite people - yes a catholic!  But I still love being a part of the United Methodist Church.  I also love Luther - (just saw the movie LUTHER as well - excellent!)

Bottom line - we all love God and have a very unifying message in his gospel.  Teach that to anyone with ears who will listen.

In peace,
your sister in Christ~Erin

Worldly Children

I think it's fair to say that everyone is a sucker for kids.  They are so cute!  We feel a tug of our heart by the cute things they do and are outraged by anyone who would wish any of them harm.  It seems in Chapter 18 of Matthew, that Jesus feels the same way.  Children are precious and we mush protect them and love them.

My heart is drawn to children and youth.  I love spending time with them - playing and teaching.  Especially the very young children.  They are just so cuddly and will just reach out and love you.  I used to look forward to my time working in the nursery every week because I knew the kids would make me feel better.

It is the pictures and stories of children hurting that reach out and touch our hearts the most.  This week our world is hurting from the terrible disaster that has happened in Haiti.  Disaster relief and volunteers have been working to help those injured, homeless, and hungry to simply survive until lives can begin to be put back together.  Here are some stories, but think about them along with Jesus's words "and whoever welcomes a child in my name, welcomes me"







One patient is a 2-month-old baby with severe burns over 50 percent of her body. She's really not drinking that well. She's at risk for dehydration and infection. One second she's up, and then not responsive and listless the next - she need better care. This is a baby that would be in an intensive care unit in the United States.

We're here with 15-year-old Lovely. Two days ago she was found under rubble, three days into the disaster - she had a corpse on top of her. The Miami Search and Rescue Team actually went in and had to amputate her arm in the field.

We then operated on her and resuscitated her on a folding card table under a tree. She's alive, but infection is setting in - we're going to the operating table to clean out the wound and hopefully she'll do OK.

Better news today for a two month old who was trapped beneath rubble for four days. We spent an hour resuscitating her and then she was airlifted out to Miami's Jackson Memorial hospital where's in critical but stable condition.



With prayers for all those suffering and grateful for my own blessings, 
your sister in Christ~Erin