Imparting Wisdom

Man, I wish I had something exciting to say, something that will compel people to stop pointing fingers and get involved.  Yesterday while doing my daily devotion I read this passage of scripture and I immediately thought of my families on the West End of San Antonio.  This passage of scripture reminded me that not everyone had the luxury of a person of wisdom to speak into their lives, like I did.  I made bad decisions in my life because I was hard headed and rebellious not because no one was there to impart wisdom.   

People sometimes are where they are not because they want to be, but because they don't know any other way.  

How do you learn to be a good parent if you haven't had it modeled or told to you? 

How do you not have 6 children before you are 25 years old, if that is all you've seen? 

How do you get a job when no one in your family has ever worked?  

How do you cook healthy meals if you've only seen people microwave Ramien Noodles and hot dogs?  

How do you know you can eat well off of $35 when all you've ever know is people's scraps? 
 
How do you cope with life's issues without drugs and alcohol when you've seen people use these substances when they are sad and happy?

How do you survive without government assistance if you've never seen anyone do it? 

This is the mindset we contend with on a daily basis.  Mindsets that have become complacent with not having, not because they like it, but because that is all they've ever known.  

Read this Proverb and you'll gain a little Wisdom...
 
Proverbs 4:1-23 (NLT)
¹ My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment,
² for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions.
³ For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.
⁴ My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live.
⁵ Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶ Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.
⁷ Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
⁸ If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.
⁹ She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.”
¹⁰ My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.
¹¹ I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.
¹² When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble.
¹³ Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.
¹⁴ Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
¹⁵ Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.
¹⁶ For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
¹⁷ They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence!
¹⁸ The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
²⁰ My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words.
²¹ Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
²² for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.
²³ Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

The Solution

  
The problem with poverty is that, haves and have nots alike, seem to believe that poverty and being "poor" is just about money and material possession. But it's not. And if you served in the neighborhood in which we serve I believe that you'd also come to that conclusion, if you wanted to see it. It's easy to see the material need but to see past that would mean getting involved, but that's a discussion for another blog.

But what is poverty? Who are the poor? And how do we alleviate it? My ideas and thoughts on these questions is where my original vision and calling to urban ministry was born. But in all things sometimes you get off course and have to be reminded and that is what the book, "When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate without Hurting the Poor...And Yourself", by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, did for me. It reaffirmed the calling in my life to do more than just give people stuff.

I worked for the "Welfare Office" for twelve years and I loved the people but hated how the system took people's dignity. Back then I knew that the issue was not about food and clothes...something was missing, but it was more than just introducing them to Jesus...they needed to "know" Jesus and they needed to "know" that it just wasn't about dying and going to heaven. That Jesus can heal all their hurts, hang ups and bad habits which caused them to be unable to meet their material needs.

"When Helping Hurts" states that "Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings."

So, when you look at poverty that way, who are the poor? Oh come on...look at it...you are poor and I am poor, we all have areas in our life where money and things, just won't fix it and neither will a surface religious relationship with Jesus.

I've realized that in order to alleviate material poverty we first have to begin addressing the poverty of the soul. Programs can't and won't do what relationship will. Isn't that why we are introducing people to Jesus anyway... but we introduce people to Jesus talking about death. What about living right now...TODAY? What can Jesus do for the community while they are still living? Who really wants to have a relationship with the mortician and hang out in the funeral home before they die? Not me, and that is how we introduce Jesus to people. Who wants to meet someone that they can only have a relationship with after they die a natural death?

"When Helping Hurts", answer for the alleviation of poverty of the soul and material poverty are:

"Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation."

"Material poverty alleviation is working to reconcile the four foundational relationships so that people can fulfill their callings of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of their work."

Ok, so here is where the rubber meets the road...and why Urban Connection is making such drastic changes in what we do and how we serve those on the West End. What we are doing is not easy. This isn't for the squeamish. And honestly it scares me to death, which is why I know it is exactly what we are supposed to be doing.

I truly believe that our new vision...

The West End is an open door community where

nothing is missing and nothing is broken,

Kids play safely, serve others and learn continually,

growing into productive, contributing adults.

Families are peaceful, whole and engaged.

The Community is unified, thriving, beautiful

and uses its voice to inspire city-wide transformation.

And mission...

"Sharing the Love of God,

Strengthening relationships,

Engaging individuals and Families,

Restoring genuine community

is from God. And that as we believe, trust and allow him to lead and guide us that things WILL change.

It's about Jesus!!

A friend wrote a blog this morning titled "Accept Your Calling"   http://www.trihmfoundation.blogspot.com/

It reminded me that the journey of my life is Not about me...it's about Jesus!!

OUCH!!

The last 18 months have been a period of transformation for me as a leader and for Urban Connection.  It hasn't been easy, it has been gut wrenching at times.  A lot of cuts and bruises.  I've had to make some very tough decisions in order to bring about healing and get the organization back into alignment with its original purpose and vision.

For a while I felt that something was wrong. Wasn't exactly sure what it was, but we weren't having the impact that we should be having in the community.  We'd been here 9 years and we were sharing the love of God, and building genuine community...weren't we?  At closer look no.  We were building something, alright, a dependency and sense of entitlement that was frightening. We  were building relationships, meeting needs, but nothing was changing but the increase in the number of people we were serving and our expense budget.  People were just as broken, just as dependent, just as lost and angry as when we started.  I woke up one day and realized that we were hurting the very people we were trying to help.

OUCH!!! 

What do we do?   I found the answer in the book "Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life; Rethinking Ministry to the Poor", by Robert D. Lupton:

"How then do we care for those in need without doing them harm?  Social policies over the past four decades have taught us that programs intended to help can rather quickly become entitlements, and entitlements engender unhealthy dependency.  Our challenge, then, is to couple unconditional kindness with appropriate opportunities that foster one's growth toward full potential.  The gestation time will vary widely.  Some will surprise us with their strength and quickness.  Others will disappoint us with their lack of motivation and slowness.  But all must assume full responsibility for their own rate of progress or regress.  We who would help do a disservice by offering relief from the essential discipline of their emergence from the cocoon."

So we have changed. We have a new Vision, Mission and Goals.  With this change there is No more free food, No more free clothes, school supplies, programming etc.  Fees are low, but everyone has to take responsibility for what is happening in the neighborhood.

If our neighbors need food they can purchase it through the Angel Food Ministries program  http://www.angelfoodministries.comhost.asp?id=15357  (you can use it too, if you want). $35 will feed a family of 4 for a week using this program and it is food just like you'd buy in the store. 

If parents what their children in our programs they will pay dues as low as $45 for one child for a whole semester if they meet certain income guidelines.   If they can't afford it then they can volunteer at Urban Connection, the local schools or another non-profit.  But nothing will be free.

This is just the beginning of our changes.  It has been a tough transition for some, but others are moving a long without missing a beat. 

I think I see healing beginning...

Camp of the Hills in Review

Through the generosity of donors 29 children were able to attend Camp of the Hills during two different weeks of camp (an Elementary and a Middle School week). 

From the link below I think you will be assured that they had a great time and learned new things about themselves and about God, especially about His love for them.

Next year we'd love to send more.  Please visit our website www.urbanconnection-sa.org and look for ways that you can help make this a reality.  

 Camp of the Hills in Review