Book Review: The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns

I've got to be honest. When I saw this book was available through Booksneeze, I hurried up to finish my last review so that I could request and review this one. If you've read my blog at all, you know that global poverty and all of its sinister companions (unclean water, HIV, etc.) are very important issues to me. And, while I happen to be involved with another certain program, child sponsorship is also a very big deal to our family. So this book by the president of World Vision seemed to be right up my alley.

And it was. Stearns shares honestly about his journey from determined skeptic to devout Christian to corporate-ladder-climber and finally, to his present day position. He points out what he feels (and I happen to agree with him) is missing in the gospel believed and shared by most Christians today: the passion for bringing about the Kingdom of God on earth here and now with one act of love, service and obedience at a time. Specifically, he refers to Isaiah 58, which Jesus quoted when sharing the reason for His coming: to proclaim good news and hope to the poor, imprisoned, widowed, etc. He cautions against a simple "fire insurance" faith and makes a case for one that can change the world.

Stearns makes a passionate plea for a paradigm shift among individual Christians and entire churches. He brings to light specific problems facing much of the impoverished world and shares stories of tragedy and triumph that he has seen firsthand during his work, so that we can feel personal connection, passion, and responsibility to love our neighbors all over the world. There is even a section at the end of this book called "What are you going to do about it?" that offers suggestions for readers who feel moved to do something but aren't sure where to start.

You don't have to look far to find books about missions or serving the poor. But what makes this book unique is the experience and authority Stearns has as a man who gave up the "American dream" to seek God's kingdom and serve the poorest of the poor. Not only would I recommend this book to anyone who asks, but I also am thinking of ordering a box of them myself to share with ministers and friends, to place in church libraries, and to leave lying around in some strategic locations. It is that important.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Beat It, Bullies!

(I have several sponsorship packets for any of my IRL friends who haven't yet discovered the joy of child sponsorship through Compassion International. It's so easy to get started and for $38 you can send those bullies packing.)

Doing Something...

Sorry I've been a lazy blogger all week. Last weekend was a hectic one; the ministers' wives were responsible for the worship service at our church Sunday evening. We decided to make it a laid back "talk show" type atmosphere where we could share a little more about ourselves and our passions for ministry. A few months earlier, though, our pastor asked me if I would share the sermon message for the evening. So at the end of the talk show time, instead of answering questions, I tried to get up & preach teach.

I'll share more about that another time. I just wanted to explain why my blog-time was limited. Basically, after that, I kind of let my brain go numb for a few days. I've also been trying to spend more time with the girls, especially Big Sister, when they're awake. Again, more about that another time.

The other cause for some of my delay in posting is what I want to address. As soon as I heard the news Tuesday evening, I knew that I wanted to share my heart for Haiti. I just didn't exactly know what to say.

I still don't. There are very few words that could express the horrible devastation the earthquake in Port-Au-Prince has left in its wake. I think everyone who is paying even the slightest bit of attention feels compelled to help, or at least pray, for the hundreds of thousands of people affected. I heard someone call in to the local Christian radio station today, saying that she worked at a school and wanted to get her kids involved with the relief effort. But how?

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you know one of my passions is Compassion International, a Christian child sponsorship program with the aim of "releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name." Our family sponsors two children, Skarleth in Nicaragua and Emmanuel in Tanzania. But did you know that Compassion serves more than 65,000 children in Haiti? Many of them in the areas worst affected by this disaster.

When I think of the devastation and poverty I know to exist in Haiti prior to the earthquake, and then imagine it compounded with this terrible earthquake, I feel burdened. When I think of the sponsors who face the death of their sponsored child, I'm just sick. And of course, then I think of the parents in Haiti who have lost their flesh & blood children, and their homes, or the children who have lost everything and everyone, or even the families who remain intact but desolate and desparate. And I can't think about it anymore.

But I can't STOP thinking about it either.

If you're like me, and you want to do something right now that can make a difference, and you don't know of a trusted organization to receive your donations, please consider Compassion. They work through the local church and ministries in each Sponsorship area, which means they already have the advantage of being first responders- being able to assess and address the needs of their area quickly and effectively. They also have amazing financial responsibility, which is important as we hear from the FBI about fundraising scams. And finally, something I know concerns many of you, Compassion is a ministry. Everything they do is to show people the love of Christ.

To donate to Compassion's relief effort, click on the widget below.

Haiti Earthquake

The same night that I heard about Haiti, the Tennessee Volunteer fans I know were all hearing about the resignation Lane Kiffin. And that was all they were talking about. And I couldn't stand to be on facebook or listen too much to conversations at church Wednesday night, because more Christians were troubled about a football coach leaving than a country decimated.

I'm not claiming to be more pious or to care more about the poor than those friends of mine. I don't know how much they have been paying attention to this disaster or what they might have done to offer help. But I do know that we all have some pretty messed up priorities sometimes.

One good thing that might come from all of this is that people are beginning to step up and do the right thing. And they might begin to see the poverty and devastation that were a part of daily life in Haiti before this quake, and are a part of other countries all over the world, and do something.

If you want to DO something, and you're not sure what, please consider a gift to Compassion. And share Compassion with others you know who might be wondering what they can do to help, too. I truly believe that Compassion will use our money to serve the people of Haiti when we can not physically be there to serve them ourselves.

Compassion at Catalyst

Remember this post about the Compassion graduate who spoke at Catalyst?

I just found out you can watch it for yourself here.

Do yourself a favor- grab a box of Kleenex before you click on the link. Trust me.

Catalyst Conference, Day 2

Wow. It was another fabulous day at Catalyst.

The highlight of the day for me was when a graduate from the Compassion program shared his story with the 13,000 people in attendance. He talked about living in extreme poverty in Kenya from the ages of 4-7, including a time in his life when his mother left him with relatives (to be the 8th child at an already meager table) to try and find some hope for him. When she finally returned, she took him on a long train ride to a city with a Compassion project in a local baptist church. At age 8, he was sponsored. Not long after that he received a letter from his sponsor that, as he put it, "altered the course of his life." A letter he had kept for 19 years.

The letter was a simple one. His then 20-year-old sponsor told him that he was glad to have a friend in Kenya, but even more important was the Friend they shared in Jesus. This young man told the 8-year-old boy about how Christ had changed his life. And in doing so, changed someone else's.

After sharing for a bit, the emcee asked the now grown Kenyan man if he had ever met his sponsor. When he said he had not, the next question made us all hold our breath: "Would you like to now?"

Sure enough, a man walked on stage and the audience erupted in applause. What happened next is a blur of tears of joy. It was one of the most moving things I've ever experienced. I've been involved with Compassion for more than 5 years no, but I've never witnessed a sponsor and child meeting for the first time. It was amazing.

We did what Compassion calls a "Packet Pass" where we walk through the crowd handing child packets to anyone interested in sponsoring. In my section I ran out of packets and ran to get more. After the session ended, I went to the Compassion booth to help the (wonderful) mob of people sign up to change a child's life. It was wonderful to be a part of something like this.

I have to e-mail the marketing guy from the event to find out the exact numbers, but for right now I can tell you that somewhere between 500 and 600 children were sponsored at this event. God is good! And God's people show God's goodness and love when they give themselves to the "least of these."

Check out the Compassion widget below for more information about getting involved with this amazing ministry. If you're already a sponsor, you can find out how to help at events or become a Child Advocate to support Compassion even further.

Get this widget!

A few other awesome ministries were mentioned today. I'll try to share about them in some upcoming posts.

I can't resist...

... one more post about Compassion. I know I said I'd cool it for a bit, but this is too awesome not to share! Compassion just sent out this message:

On May 20, 2009, Compassion welcomed Fellow Blewussi Kpodo in Togo as our 1 millionth sponsored child. This is the first time in Compassion's 57-year history that we are ministering to 1 million sponsored children at one time.

You are part of an amazing movement of grace and compassion! Families and communities are seeing Christ's love in action all over the world. The impact has been incredible as lives are being transformed.

Let's keep it going! We're not stopping here ... even for a moment. Let's quickly reach out to the next million children who are still in great danger, who are hurting, who are lost.

Let's do it together, as God's people, in the name of Jesus!

Amazing. Click on sweet little Fellow above, or on the widget to the right, to join this ministry. I'll try not to post about it again for a few weeks... but I'm making no promises!

Our Tanzanian Family Member

Here is a picture we just recently received from one of our sponsored children, Emmanuel. He is 17 and lives in Tanzania. When we signed up to sponsor him, we were already sponsoring Skarleth, our other (cute, little girl) Compassion child. I had noticed at an event I where I worked a Compassion table (and have since confirmed at numerous other events) that few people want to sponsor the older boys. So, I brought Emmanuel home and asked John if we could sponsor another child. Our church takes good care of us, but we are still basically a one-income family, so it was a hard decision. But it was a wonderful one. Emmanuel has done so well in the Compassion project. He sends us report cards, tells us what scripture he is learning, and prays for us. And we're the ones who are supposed to be supporting him!

I know I've plugged Compassion a lot lately, so I'll lay off for a bit. After this... if you feel so led, visit the Compassion site and see if there is a child, maybe an older boy, who is waiting for someone to sponsor them. It could be one of the best decisions you ever make!

Song for Sunday: Kingdom Coming

Wow! Today at our church, 74 children were sponsored through Compassion International! I am absolutely thrilled at the response from my church family. Shaun Groves led worship and shared about the ministry of Compassion, and he sang this song. I hope the lyrics are right, I googled them.

Kingdom Coming
by Shaun Groves

Oh, God what do we see and hear
Your kingdom coming
Oh, God why do we bleed and fear
Your kingdom coming

Let it come in us
Let it come through us-

‘Til the sword is spared
And the bread is shared
‘Til the dying’s done
Let your kingdom come
‘Til the rich ones give
And the poor ones live
‘Til the weak are strong
Let your kingdom come

Oh, God what do we pray down here
Your kingdom coming
Oh, God why do we slave through tears
Your kingdom coming

Let it come in us
Let it come through us-

Oh, God what do we pray down here
Your kingdom coming

Your mercy come
Your justice come
Your will be done through us on earth
Your healing come
Your peace will come
Your will be done through us on earth

This song is available to download for free by clicking on the widget below, or by going to this site. Be sure to check out the video of Shaun sharing a little more about what it means to be a part of the kingdom of God.

John and I were fortunate to have lunch with Shaun and his manager, Ben (who was a blast from my past from college days when I worked at Camp Cedarmore) and our music minister's family. He has a great blog (or Shlog) on his website as well. Check out this post from a while back about Kingdom Coming and see the first draft. And, as always, if you want to sponsor a child through Compassion, check out the widget to the right or just click here.

Compassion International

You MUST read Angie's recent posts on her blog, Bring the rain. Yesterday's, especially, is an amazing picture of the work of my favorite organization, Compassion International. She is visiting Compassion project sites in India and writing about it in a way that only she can.

If you are moved by her experience and the power of God at work through Compassion, it gets better. You can sponsor a child and get to know one special life being touched by this ministry- by your ministry. Check this out:



I am also going to be adding a sponsorship widget on the side of my blog so that it will be accessible all the time. If you want to look at some more information, or even see a few "child information packets" before you choose a child to sponsor, I can help. If you just want to know more about Compassion, I'd love to tell you about it. It may not be as amazingly crafted as Angie's post, but I promise I've got a lot to say!

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day, and we're pretty excited about it at our house. (I'd be more excited if I weren't feeling awful due to an attack of every nursing momma's nightmare, but que sera sera.) We're not always the greenest family, but we really try to do our part. Here are some things we've done in our home over the last few years in an attempt to be nicer to our earth:

1. Cloth diapers! You knew it was coming. We are saving landfill space, keeping human waste out of landfills (and from running off into our water... think about that!), and using less wood pulp and petroleum. Yes, energy is used to make and wash cloth diapers, too, but we'll use far less (and use them over & over.) We're also keeping chemicals off of our daughter's bottom, and we know exactly what materials are up against her skin.
2. Reduce & Reuse: I try to buy almost all of the girls' clothes second-hand. We don't have a lot of new furniture, and we try to look for sustainably harvested wood when we do consider a purchase. I personally would rather slap some paint on an old piece anyway- more character! I belong to the local Freecycle group and Hubs just joined Swaptree, both to stop ourselves from keeping things that are just taking up extra space (and buying more) and to keep usable items from being thrown away. We have a ton of reusable shopping bags- we keep some in both of our cars in case we make an unplanned stop on the way home. A friend (the Brown-eyed Pea!) gave me some really cute Envirosax bags that fold up to fit in my purse or diaper bag. I use them in retail stores where I never remember to bring my canvas bags!
   
3. Recycling: Our county does not have a curbside program, so we bought big plastic laundry hampers to keep in the garage- one for each type of recyclable. At first we were driving them to a nearby center, but then my hubby helped arrange for us to start collecting recycling at church. An organization for the disabled picks it up. We don't have to take it anywhere out of our way, and they keep the funds and are able to provide work for some of the people they service.
4. Composting: We started small with this one. We just collect our coffee grounds, fruit peels, egg shells and other organic waste in old plastic salad containers. When they get full, we dump them in a pile in the wooded part of our yard beyond the fence. When Hubby mows or when I prune the roses or weed flowerbeds, that goes with it too. Hubs turns it frequently, and it becomes a nice rich fertilizer. We'd eventually like to get a fancy composter or a pretty canister for our counter, but it is possible to start composting without it!
5. Speaking of yard work: last year I planted some perennials (most came from someone at church for free!) that were tough and needed less water. This year we are planning to mulch a larger portion of our yard because the mowing, watering, fertilizing and chemicals sometimes needed for lawn maintenance isn't very green (sidenote- cypress mulch is NOT made from sustainable forests, go with something else.) Trying to use native plants is another way to make your yard more earth friendly. National Wildlife Federation has some great resources on how to make your yard greener and friendlier for wildlife in your area.
6. Using less water: We turn off our faucets when brushing our teeth. We try to water the flowers or fill up the pet water dishes using the water that is wasted when the shower or sink faucet is heating up (although this is a tough one to remember). We cram the dishwasher and the clothes washer full before running a cycle. Whenever possible, we bathe the girls together (that's just easier anyway!) We installed a low flow showerhead that has a "pause" feature for when you're lathering your shampoo or shaving your legs. (Here is a blog I found that is giving away one of these for free! Check it out!) And, although I have mixed feelings about admitting it, I do let it mellow if it's yellow. But only when it's just us at home. If you come over, we will flush. I promise.
7. Using less energy: We tried to weather-seal our home, with mixed results. Our front door is still very drafty, so if anyone has any tips, let us know. Hubby is very good about turning out lights and such (I am a bit forgetful but getting better!), and we have solar lights for our front walk. We use our ceiling fans and are trying to wean ourselves off of the heat & a/c a bit at a time. Oh- and CFL light bulbs. There is no reason not to buy these- even if you're a global warming skeptic, they will save you money! We also try to use less gas when we can, but we do not live within walking distance of anything, so that is difficult.
8. Use less paper (I guess this could have gone under "reduce" but I forgot: We use cloth napkins, cloth baby wipes, and keep our old towels for spills and such. We still use paper towels, but a roll lasts us a long time. We use scrap paper for everything we can, try to print on both sides, and sign up for e-statements, bills, catalogs, etc. I pay my bills online, and if I do get paper bills, I keep the envelopes for any snail mail I might need to send. I haven't bought a box of envelopes in years! We do still get a lot of magazines, though, so we need to work on that.
   
9. Spending wisely: There are a lot of organizations that say they are doing things for the earth- it can be hard to discern where to contribute. We've given to Earthjustice, National Wildlife Federation, and the ASPCA (which is not really about environmental conservation, but is about taking care of creation.) We also broke our bank on one silly dog who came to live with us, in the name of compassion and caring for God's creatures. We try to buy recycled paper products and to support companies that try to offset their carbon footprints, avoid animal testing, etc. I use a lot of natural cleaners, baking soda, vinegar, borax, etc. We buy a lot of organic products, even though they are more expensive. If everyone did, the supply would eventually go up and the cost would go down! I've already seen this happen some in the last few years as being "green" has become more trendy. Another way we try to shop smart is to buy things that have less distance to travel- naturally local farmers' markets are best, but even just things from the same state or region is better than stuff flown in from Chile or wherever. Some people say that is better for the environment than purchasing organic! Also, we try to buy things with less packaging and that are more concentrated or lighter to ship. Did you know eco-friendly powdered detergent is better to buy because it weighs less for transport?
10. Speaking up: My husband shared a very powerful sermon with our church last year about our responsibility to care for God's creation. He has also found some groups in our area who get together to share ideas, raise awareness, etc. for the cause. At our own church, we've started a group to help make things greener- we've already gotten the recycling and convinced the kitchen to stop using disposable dishes! Speaking up also means being informed, voting and voicing your opinion to our civil servants & politicians!!!
    

Did I give you this long list to toot my own horn and try to win a prize for the Greenest Gal? Not hardly. I was just hoping at least one of the above ideas would give you a new way to change the way you treat the earth. If you have questions about how some of those things work, or more ideas to share, please feel free to comment! We definitely still have a long way to go. Here are some things we are planning (or dreaming) to do at our house:

1. Install rainbarrels to water our lawn & gardens, and use gray water more.
   
2. Remember to change our air filters so our a/c and heat run more efficiently.
3. Take shorter (or cooler, or both) showers.
4. Put up a clothesline to dry things outside (we currently have a small drying rack for diapers, but I want a big one!)
   
5. Use more power strips to completely turn off electronics with "stand-by" modes.
6. Invest in CSA (community shared agriculture) by volunteering and purchasing produce.
7. Be more discerning about more of the products we buy- especially toiletries & some cleaning products.
8. Replace our existing appliances with more energy efficient ones.
9. Install other sources of power at our home- solar panels, wind, etc.
10. For our next vehicle, go hybrid or biodiesel.

And here is a really unique idea from my hero, Shane Claiborne. I haven't convinced Hubby to let me do it yet, but one of these days...

And here is a link to part of the Earth Day special I watched in fifth grade. Thanks to Chad M. for sharing it. Bette Midler played Mother Earth. She was (who am I kidding, still is) one of my heroes, so I really paid attention to this one.

Also, I want to let you know about an offer from Reynolds Wrap for a FREE roll of their new recycled aluminum foil. It is only good TODAY, so click here to check it out!

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." Psalm 24:1

Downsizing?

A few months ago, I noticed that the NutriPals snack bars I always buy for Hannah were on close-out at the grocery store. Usually they were around $6 a box, so I only bought them when I found them on sale or had a coupon. When I came across the close-out sale, I stocked up! My girl is a super picky eater, and with these bars she at least gets some nutrition even if she is just snacking while she plays or watches Max & Ruby. Well, the stockpile of snack bars ran out a week or two ago. Yesterday at Publix, Hannah saw them while I was picking out jars of babyfood. I noticed the price- $3.99 for a box. Now, we love shopping at Publix, but the deals there aren't that great... I wondered why they closed out the old only to bring back new, cheaper ones. Aside from a few new cartoon characters on the box, I was stumped- until after dinner when Hannah wanted a bar for dessert. I opened the box and pulled out the highly anticipated "s'mores bar" and started laughing. It was TINY! Like half of the size of the old ones! In fact, I had an old one in the diaper bag for "blood-sugar emergencies" (aka temper tantrums) so I pulled it out to compare.


It's hard to tell because the older bar got a little squished in our diaper bag (I carry everything but the kitchen sink; it's a wonder it didn't disintigrate all together!) but the old one was 1.41 oz, compared to .78 oz for the new one. Seriously? I mean, I guess Hannah did have a hard time finishing the old ones, but now we're popping two at a sitting! AND that "nice" new price? When I used to get the old ones on sale, it was MUCH cheaper. Even if you factor in the full old price, I'm now getting 1/2 as much at 2/3 the price. I know the economy is bad, and everyone is taking a hit. But not only are people worrying about losing their jobs, they are worrying about skyrocketing prices. NutriPals snack bars aren't a necessity, but what about milk? Here in Chattanooga, it's not unusual for milk to be as high as $5 a gallon- and I'm not even talking about the organic, no growth-hormone stuff I try to buy for my girls. I clip coupons and shop sales, but I am fortunate that I do not have to worry about if I can provide nutritious food for my children. Millions of people, here in the US and all over the world, are not so lucky.

I recall hearing someone not long ago talk about how heart broken he or she was to see poverty and starvation. It can shake your faith to the core. But when this person cried out to God, to ask why God was allowing this to happen, why God was not feeding the orphaned, the widowed, the oppressed, a funny thing happened. God asked them the same question. WE are Christ's hands & feet, and His serving utensils too. If we are fortunate enough to be able to utter a frustrated laugh when we see the price of our favorite snacks increase, what are we doing with the blessings we have? Rob Bell shared a startling statistic in his video "Rich"- The money it would take to wipe out world poverty is about equal to the amount that Americans spend each year- on ice cream. Meanwhile, every five seconds, a child dies from hunger-related causes. Makes that scoop of Rocky Road taste a little bitter...

What can we do? There are all sorts of small things churches and individuals all over the country can do- 30 hour famines (which takes place this month), Rice Bowls, sponsorship through Compassion or World Vision, donations to Heifer International, buying fair trade products to ensure people a living wage, even just visiting a website. On a local level, you can participate in canned food drives- (your mail carrier will even pick it up for you in May!) and keep snacks or fast food gift cards with you to distribute to people you see on the street. While there are systemic things that need to happen to truly end world hunger, each of us is called to act- to be faithful in the small things. For more reading on hunger & poverty policy, check out this website: Food First. Also, there is an awesome blog kept by two Social Justice teachers who tried to live on $1 a day. It is very eye-opening. My intention is not to give you a guilt trip today, but my prayer is that we can be more determined to feed God's children. Jesus says whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Him.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'" (Matthew 25: 34-36)

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