Wanting the lions back…

One of the fellows who has caught my attention recently is a fellow by the name of Chris Elrod. Chris is the lead pastor and founder of Compass Point Church in Lakeland, Florida. A pastor, speaker, blogger and writer, Elrod is best known as a successful Christian comedian who toured extensively throughout North America from 1990 to 2000.

I’m finding much that he says resonanting with where I currently find myself.

In a post in May of this year, he states:

In America we have multi-million dollar churches on every street corner. In other countries small groups of Christians meet secretly in basements. In America we can have an endless choice of Starbuck flavors before the worship service. In other countries Christians forage for food because the government has taken away everything they own. In America we have church campus parking attendants and courtesy trams. In other countries people walk for days just to hear the Word of God spoken. In America we can purchase a Bible in any WalMart. In other countries entire sections of Scripture are memorized because Bibles are confiscated. In America we take offering to purchase two-story video screens. In other countries an offering is taken to support the family whose Christian father or husband is residing in a “re-education” camp. In America pastors gather together for multi-media pep rallies and conference freebies. In other countries pastors gather together on the cold floor of a jail cell to pray for one another and nurse each other’s torture-induced wounds. In America the church has been replaced with easy-to-access, consumer-driven rock shows. In other countries the lions have been replaced with firing squads, public hangings, community stonings and gruesome beheadings.

American Christianity in the 21st century is no longer something to fight for, give blood for or lose life for. It is an advertising tag line for the politician. It is an easy bankroll for the airwave “prophet”. It is a cheesy subculture for the religiously fat. It is a spiritual juke-joint for the communal needy. There is no cost. There is no danger. There is no cause. There is no commitment. Christianity in the U.S. has become a feeble, jelly-like mass lying on the sands of culture jiggling back and forth whispering, “Notice me…notice me.”

The heart of a 20-year-old Christian is different than the heart of a 41-year-old pastor. They do not believe that we need another church plant in suburban America. They do not believe that we need another addiction-defined therapy group. They do not believe we need another pop-culture infused worship service. They believe that we need persecution. They believe that we need incarceration. They believe we need hardship. They believe we need a public coliseum. They believe we need the lions back.

I’m afraid they may be right…

Not smart nor popular. I am in agreement…

The beat goes on

I’m in a lyrical frame of mind today! Keep reading and you’ll discover why “the beat goes on” is so appropriate for what happened “down south” this weekend.

Just got this from Áudrey:

Today [Saturday] we had 89 children in the kid’s worship! It was wild!

Yesterday [Friday] we visited a lady who was extremely depressed and wanted to die. She accepted Jesus and was able to sleep the whole night through. She came to the kids’ worship today and was quite happy.

The children will lead them…

The kid’s worship is taking off and they are responding fabulously! I’m not kidding around with them but am doing a real live worship. They sing, pray, listen to a message. They are great!

We’re gaining the reputation in town as a good church. I’m hearing a lot of people speaking well of us.

—Áudrey Feitoza
—Ubaúna, CE

Faith and Hope

I’m going to put the cart before the horse — I’m going to show you, then I’ll tell you!

[rockyou id=86678131&w=426&h=319]

6 down, 5 to go

We’ve had people step up and take on 6 of the 11 kids! That is phenomenal!

I’ve had people contact me crying, hearts broken: “I’m going to make a difference in one of those children’s lives.”

So little goes so very far.

Still have 6…

People, we can do this!

“I took these photos of some children in Paxólas; you know the family, they live at the end of the “Street of the Dead,” close to the interstate highway. They are living in inhuman conditions. The children are sick and worm infested. I took the photos to see if there isn’t some way that we can get some help in some form for them. They are all coming to the worship services [about a 2 mile walk].”

This note from Áudrey came in this afternoon. Seems he and I are on the same page! We are 2 weeks away from launching our “Adopt-a-Child” program but he sees that we literally cannot wait – this family is in serious trouble.

There are 16 people in this family, 5 adults and 11 children. The family income is less than $50 per month. Note that I did state that correctly: $50 per month!

I want to kick off the “Adopt-a-Child” program prematurely.

I want to see 11 kids “adopted:” $1 per day, $30 per month, every month. Two members of this family are already Jesus followers – I want to see the whole family in the Kingdom! They are asking for nothing; let them see that they mean everything to the Lamb.

 
Acrisvam                                                                 Gleicione

 
Anastácia                                                         Rodrigo

Maria da Fátima (with grandmother)

Give me feedback! How many do you want? Will you make a difference in the life of someone who has absolutely nothing? Will you show them Jesus? Is anyone reading?