Quote of the Week...
“Although it is not always socially acceptable, not always popular, we are called to the ministry of reconciliation. We have been entrusted with a specific message—that Jesus Christ died to reconcile us to God and to each other. The two things were accomplished at the same time, in the same act of salvation… This is our story, and we have a mandate to tell it.” — Brenda Salter McNeil
Everyday Giving
[Phil Stout]
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Here’s a link to a great article written by my daughter-in-law. “Everyday Giving” could be a life-changer for 2010 and beyond.
Advent Conspiracy
Check out Advent Conspiracy. It can help you take a new approach to Christmas.
Trade As One
If you’ve been on this site before and checked out my “Links” page, you know that I’m passionate about fair trade. Today I heard a statement that blew my mind.
“If every person who attended church in this country made just one fair trade purchase, one million families would be lifted out of poverty for one whole year.”
I heard it on the “Trade as One” web site. This video tells you a little bit about “Trade as One” and gives a simple explanation of what fair trade is and why it is so important.
The Gift of Hope
I’m pumped for Christmas. I’ve already placed a wreath on my office door, I've got a Christmas coffee mug on my desk and Christmas music playing while I work. And to top it off I received an email today that really got me excited. Nazarene Compassionate Ministries now offers an NCM Gift Card.
Here’s how it works: You purchase an NCM Gift Card. You give the gift card to someone.
They learn about NCM causes at ncm.org. They donate to a cause using their NCM Gift Card.
The NCM Gift Card can be redeemed toward over 100 projects and causes, ranging from water wells, to supporting unsponsored children, to HIV/AIDS ministries, and more. Through such gifts, NCM partners with congregations worldwide to provide education, prayer, economic partnership, and training for communities in their times of need. Through this we can extend Christ’s love in word and action to those in need.
You can go to ncm.org/giftcard to purchase an NCM Gift Card and give the gift of hope.
Seriously
Forgiveness is risky business—particularly when we are engaging in that peculiarly Christian practice of forgiving and loving our enemies. Most of us really don’t want to see our enemies forgiven. We’re afraid that if we forgive, we are somehow minimizing the evil of their deeds. So when someone chooses to forgive an enemy they are often vilified by their friends.
I don’t know if Lisa Gibson will be vilified, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be misunderstood. But it seems to me that she has had the courage to take the Sermon on the Mount seriously. That’s a dangerous thing to do.