Hey, eu importo-me com aqueles povos pobres demasiado!

Eu sou tired de ser acusado do indifference aos pobres. Franje povos e os radicais (como os leitores aqui) dão-me geralmente uma estadia dura. Certo, eu sou descontroladamente bem sucedido. Certo, eu desgasto $140 calças. Sim, eu dirijo um Audi e/ou Lexus SUV da minha esposa. Mas apenas porque eu sou o pastor afluente de um megachurch suburbano não significa que eu não me importo com a pobreza. Eu importo-me com aqueles povos pobres demasiado!

Cada semana, eu olho milhares excedentes das caras… que olham a mim para ajudar-lhes compreender o que significa seguir Jesus. Nós todos sabemos que Jesus se importou com povos pobres. E em minha própria maneira, em meu próprio contexto suburbano, eu tenho demasiado um ministry aos pobres.

Hey, talvez trabalha para algum de você para viver entre os pobres em vizinhanças urbanas, fazendo seu jardinar, protestar, deixando povos fora das ruas, ou o que-outro--est-você-povo-. Mas o descanso de nós está procurando umas maneiras mais práticas, mais mainstream de importar-se com os pobres. São aqui 10 coisas I, ou minha igreja, fêz no ano passado para ajudar aliviar a pobreza:

1. Convide altofalantes elevados do perfil e ou músicos ajudar levantar a consciência. Última semana nós tivemos um concert enorme da juventude em caracterizar da igreja Derek Webb. Esse guy é TODA SOBRE importar-se com coisas como a pobreza. No ano passado nós tivemos altofalantes do convidado de Pão para o mundo e Evangelicals para a ação social. Nós tivemos mesmo Shane Claiborne vindo fale em uma juventude especial e os adultos novos rally o ano passado. Sure, these sorts of events are expensive. But you can’t put a price tag on awareness.
2. Promote the One Campaign. In the southwest corner of our lobby (by the E parking lot), we have an information kiosk where people can learn more about the One Campaign. And every quarter, we include a blurb about the One Campaign in our projection announcements.
3. Give some of your church budget to global poverty. We set aside 1% of our multi-million dollar budget for World Relief. That ends up being a lot of money. And when we spent $19 million on building expansion last year, we put $190,000 towards organizations like Compassion International and Bread for the World. At our church, we have particular concern for foreign poor people.
4. Do a sermon series. Last year, I did a sermon series called “Poor People of the Bible.” Each sermon began with a hilarious little skit featuring different poor Bible characters. At the end of each sermon, I offered practical steps for faithful living. Sometimes it was a hard task…especially with the teachings of Jesus. Jesus overstates things a lot and it takes serious translation work to help it apply to my congregation.
5. Serve the poor. Since there aren’t any poor people in our suburb, we have built partnerships with urban soup kitchens and shelters. My small group, for example, helps serve breakfast to the homeless every month. It makes my heart feel warm to help out. Afterwards, as a reward, we treat ourselves to a swanky brunch at our favorite restaurant.
6. Buy Fair Trade. Most people are poor because of bad choices. But some people are poor because they can’t get a decent wage. That is why it makes sense to buy Fair Trade goods on occasion. For example, whenever I order a double mocha at Starbucks, I make sure that they use Fair Trade Coffee. My wife could spend hundreds on new purses, but sometimes she make a sacrifice by making hand made purses from women in Peru. Since they only cost $90, she usually buys two at a time.
7. Put pocket change into those little cans at grocery checkout lines. I think that money goes to alleviate child homelessness. Every little bit helps.
8. Create jobs. Most of our janitors at church were unemployed for a long time before we hired them. Sometimes people need a helping hand. And personally, by utilizing a gardening service and a maid service, my family is employing exactly the sort of person who would be poor without a job.
9. Don’t throw it away, donate it. It may be junk to you, but often times, poor people aren’t that picky. Consider donating it to Good Will. After all, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
10. Vote for Obama. While I can’t official endorse a candidate as a pastor, as a person, I am endorsing Barack Obama. In the past, I’ve always voted Republican. But Obama fills me with such hope. A vote for Obama is a vote for hope. If you vote for anyone else, you don’t care about poor people.

for further reading . . .

• Interview: Becky Garrison, Satirist