Words'nTone

On May 2, I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker for a Church’s 150th anniversary.  The pastor of the church is a Director on our agency’s Board and knows my faith, my background as a minister, and my heart regarding the poor.  So, she kind of knew what mesage I would bring.  The added bonus, for me, was the context of Methodist history and John Wesley, one of my Church heros.  I have posted various rough drafts of the message (slash sermon) as I was writing it, but I thought I’d post the link to the draft as a whole so you can download it--well for those who’d like a copy or to plagerize (which you may freely do, of course).  After the message, a number of poeple indicated that they either are or will be allies in our communities “war on poverty.” It was a great evening, and the response of so many people hints that the Church is indeed ready to take on the task of moving people out of poverty.  I quote one part of the message here that summarizes my intentions...you will have to read the whole thing for the point of the whole message.

I am often accused of seeing “the poor” behind every text of Scripture.  Perhaps that’s a little exaggerated (maybe not).  But perhaps, more so, I emphasize the call to Biblical Christianity through Scripture by showing others their lack of seeing the poor behind much of the text of Scripture.  In fact, this time it is really there—the poor is behind the parables here.  Maybe you can’t see it, but its there…the poor are behind those last verses: THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.” Yes of course we can see that the Kingdom of God is likened to a large branchy-garden plant, where the animals can find protection.  Perhaps this is the veiled reference.  It is, but there is more.  Jesus references specific Old Testament texts—which his first disciples and those listening to him would have been very familiar, and in the parable of the mustard seed, he reaches back to Daniel 4 and the story of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and a frightening dream that had plagued the king.

Download the full text of Wasted Evangelism (Mark 4): Our Work of Evangelism and Social Action.

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