Reflections on Poverty and Possibilities

God seems to speak with reoccurring themes in my life.  I'm pretty sure I'm not exceptional in this regard.  It's lovely to have that "ooohh" moment when you realize that the brush strokes aren't random, but are actually pieces of the whole...and God being incredibly patient and painstaking...sometimes it's years down the road that you realize that something meant far more than you realized at the time. 

When I posted on "Possibilities", mostly it was just because I had been reading Hard Times and liked the quote.  But I've come to realize those thoughts are related to the other ways that God has been changing the way that I see ministry and my place in it.

I've been reading in a book called When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fickkert. (Excellent book--I highly recommend it).

http://www.whenhelpinghurts.org/book.php

The book has given me a lot of food for thought...not only relating to anti-poverty efforts, but to ministry in general and has linked up with other things that God has been teaching me this summer.  Point 1: I am not the answer. (Shamelessly stolen from Kathy Ryan;p)

"until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good"--When Helping Hurts

When I try to fill all the needs that I see from my own strength, it's presumptuous--a sin as a friend of mine points out--and also ineffective.  If Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing, how arrogant of me to think that I can and should try to speak to every need that I see!  I am here for Him to work through me.  Not to say that there won't be a cost, but it's the difference between joyous work and burdensome, between dancing and drudgery.  Side note: working in the kitchen is one of the best places that I know for character development:)  Also, God is not planning to do all His work in the world through me!  Which brings me to...

Point 2: Labor in ministry from the standpoint of humility and honor.

"We are not bringing Christ to poor communities. He has been active in these communities since the creation of the world, sustaining them "by his powerful word" (Heb. 1:3). Hence, a significant part of working in poor communities involves discovering and appreciating what God has been doing there for a long time! This should give us a sense of humility and awe as we enter poor communities, for part of what we see there reflects the very hand of God.  Of course, the residents of these communities may not recognize that God has been at work.  In fact, they might not even know who God is.  So part of our task may include introducing the community to who God is and to helping them to appreciate all that He has been doing for them since the creation of the world." --When Helping Hurts

Nobody likes to have someone trying to fix them.  This applies beyond the borders of working with poor communities. May we fear God and walk towards those we minister to honoring the image of God that they bear, honoring their own responsibility and the freedom that God has given them, honoring the work of God in their life, honoring the secret name given by God that they alone will know.

And finally Point 3: God values and honors me also.

Will you believe that the very first post on this blog (Psalm 8) addresses this?  Going back to the whole process thing, I didn't actually figure out that honor and humility are the themes of the Psalm till outreach this past spring.  And He is still teaching me to believe those very things about myself. Humility--who I am and who I'm not.  Honor--that He values and trusts me despite my brokenness and finiteness.

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ALMIGHTY God, who hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word; Grant that the same light enkindled in our hearts may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Book of Common Prayer