The apostles in the Acts situation could have very easily just dispatched a few more rations to the minority widows. Or told them to stop complaining, dividing the church. Or perhaps they would have done the American solution: Dispatch the minorities to take their meager resources and their widows and “go plant an ethnic church across Jerusalem, or across the street”. They did none of those easy solutions. Instead they very wisely instituted the Diaconate, to ensure justice in the camp. And the church grew. And the model was prescribed for other city churches.
Wouldn’t we love to see a collaborative group of City Deacons to ensure justice in the camp?
In the OT, there was a second tithe taken every three years that was completely for the work of serving the poor. Using that as a benchmark Christians giving 13+% of their own increase would allow each church to budget 25% of the overall giving for mercy ministry for the sake of the poor.
Great practical application here - and OT connection to precedent for deacons. Cornelius Van Dam makes similar connections in his book on deacons.
Church budgets should themselves be tools for discipleship. If we want members to care about the poor as individuals and families, the church budget needs to go first.
"I know I am not alone in my experience of confusion within churches and their frequent neglect of social concern. All of this great theology has led you, like me, to the conviction that our churches must be guardians of the poor and oppressed. We know that Christ will test our churches based on our commitment to justice for the weak (Matthew 25:31-46). Yet, we look around, and such commitment appears increasingly rare. We feel alone in our convictions."
Yes to this, Ben! Love the recovery of these ideas about the role of an expanded deacon ministry. As the social safety nets in our country continue to be eroded, this conversation is so needed. Will the Church step into these gaps that have been willingly outsourced? While I know almost nothing about church leadership structures, I have my own thoughts from lived experience.
~ When Baher needed 24 hour nursing care, even with my medical background, navigating group homes, medicaid and structures of assistance required vast amounts of time, expertise and often led to frustrated dead ends. The current system to help the vulnerable is nearly impossible for even the most resourced. I remember the head pastor of my mega church responding to my question of "I don't know how to take care of this disabled man with brain injury? Do you think the leaders could help me with wisdom?" He responded with the passing comment "You know what you should do, Bess." (which he meant put my husband in a nursing home which was financially and legally impossible given all the hoops/legal services, years to get medicaid etc that would be required) He also said "this is too big for our church" (which was +3000) However the expectation was that I could do it....for years.....until I couldn't and was honest about how it was destroying our four children, myself & even my parents - then I was disciplined for not meeting their moral standards.
Church leaders MUST better understand the systems that the vulnerable in their congregations HAVE to navigate. We need more supports for these systems and more knowledge vs simplistic assumptions.
~ The nursing home where Baher lived was a mile down the road from our large church where we had worshipped and served for 14 years. The head pastor only visited once - four & 1/2 years into our journey - after he was confronted about this. And he visited as pretense....slipped in to check off the box. Over the years I observed who did show up in these unattractive places of need. There were several African-American churches who were not even located nearby but came monthly to administer communion to anyone who wished . I was so moved by the faithfulness of these 'no-name' churches who came to visit the sick and afflicted; in contrast, the tremendous resources at this church up the street did not seem to see or desire to creatively interact with opportunity right in their backyard.
~You're right... I am still so confused about the libraries lined with pretty theology books in the offices of that church that didn't square with a commitment to see & move towards the least of these, even their own member's suffering, let alone other nearby neighbors. Maybe i am naive...maybe I expected too much. I know I fail my neighbors and friends in need as well...but hopefully there is a struggle to wrap wider arms around my role, our role, in this hurting world.
I obviously could go on....but i've likely said too much.
But the revival of these sorts of thoughts and models seem hopeful to me!! An Amen! to remembering that the church used to be at the front of societal care structures, toiling in the ministries of mercy. The consolations of Christ will be come on earth as it is in heaven if we pray towards a revival & rethinking of the church's 'heart structure', one that can circulate the love of God throughout the whole of the body. May it begin.
The apostles in the Acts situation could have very easily just dispatched a few more rations to the minority widows. Or told them to stop complaining, dividing the church. Or perhaps they would have done the American solution: Dispatch the minorities to take their meager resources and their widows and “go plant an ethnic church across Jerusalem, or across the street”. They did none of those easy solutions. Instead they very wisely instituted the Diaconate, to ensure justice in the camp. And the church grew. And the model was prescribed for other city churches.
Wouldn’t we love to see a collaborative group of City Deacons to ensure justice in the camp?
Amen!
In the OT, there was a second tithe taken every three years that was completely for the work of serving the poor. Using that as a benchmark Christians giving 13+% of their own increase would allow each church to budget 25% of the overall giving for mercy ministry for the sake of the poor.
Great practical application here - and OT connection to precedent for deacons. Cornelius Van Dam makes similar connections in his book on deacons.
Church budgets should themselves be tools for discipleship. If we want members to care about the poor as individuals and families, the church budget needs to go first.
"I know I am not alone in my experience of confusion within churches and their frequent neglect of social concern. All of this great theology has led you, like me, to the conviction that our churches must be guardians of the poor and oppressed. We know that Christ will test our churches based on our commitment to justice for the weak (Matthew 25:31-46). Yet, we look around, and such commitment appears increasingly rare. We feel alone in our convictions."
Yes to this, Ben! Love the recovery of these ideas about the role of an expanded deacon ministry. As the social safety nets in our country continue to be eroded, this conversation is so needed. Will the Church step into these gaps that have been willingly outsourced? While I know almost nothing about church leadership structures, I have my own thoughts from lived experience.
~ When Baher needed 24 hour nursing care, even with my medical background, navigating group homes, medicaid and structures of assistance required vast amounts of time, expertise and often led to frustrated dead ends. The current system to help the vulnerable is nearly impossible for even the most resourced. I remember the head pastor of my mega church responding to my question of "I don't know how to take care of this disabled man with brain injury? Do you think the leaders could help me with wisdom?" He responded with the passing comment "You know what you should do, Bess." (which he meant put my husband in a nursing home which was financially and legally impossible given all the hoops/legal services, years to get medicaid etc that would be required) He also said "this is too big for our church" (which was +3000) However the expectation was that I could do it....for years.....until I couldn't and was honest about how it was destroying our four children, myself & even my parents - then I was disciplined for not meeting their moral standards.
Church leaders MUST better understand the systems that the vulnerable in their congregations HAVE to navigate. We need more supports for these systems and more knowledge vs simplistic assumptions.
~ The nursing home where Baher lived was a mile down the road from our large church where we had worshipped and served for 14 years. The head pastor only visited once - four & 1/2 years into our journey - after he was confronted about this. And he visited as pretense....slipped in to check off the box. Over the years I observed who did show up in these unattractive places of need. There were several African-American churches who were not even located nearby but came monthly to administer communion to anyone who wished . I was so moved by the faithfulness of these 'no-name' churches who came to visit the sick and afflicted; in contrast, the tremendous resources at this church up the street did not seem to see or desire to creatively interact with opportunity right in their backyard.
~You're right... I am still so confused about the libraries lined with pretty theology books in the offices of that church that didn't square with a commitment to see & move towards the least of these, even their own member's suffering, let alone other nearby neighbors. Maybe i am naive...maybe I expected too much. I know I fail my neighbors and friends in need as well...but hopefully there is a struggle to wrap wider arms around my role, our role, in this hurting world.
I obviously could go on....but i've likely said too much.
But the revival of these sorts of thoughts and models seem hopeful to me!! An Amen! to remembering that the church used to be at the front of societal care structures, toiling in the ministries of mercy. The consolations of Christ will be come on earth as it is in heaven if we pray towards a revival & rethinking of the church's 'heart structure', one that can circulate the love of God throughout the whole of the body. May it begin.