I Was Hungry—and You Gave Me a TASTE of Redemption

Last week my friend, my son, and I volunteered at a food pantry. My facebook status that day read something along the lines of, “I hope that as we serve at food shelter today—my son will be formed at an early age—to be the kind of person who loves and serves.”

I often encourage parents, children’s pastors, and teachers to intentionally bring children alongside of them to serve the church and community. My personal goal, for my own son, is to enable Jayden to reflexively learn to love. For brain science teaches us (see “Liars, Lovers, and Heroes”) that we can make a choice once—and it is a choice. We make it again—and it is still a choice. But over time the chemicals in the brain work to cause us to act reflexively instead of making a choice. It becomes a habit. And even though my little man is only 3 he organized Ramen Noodles by color and did quite well.

As we were all working, sweating, and sorting through about one-hundred pounds of food, I was struck with several thoughts.

All too often, when asked to donate to the hungry, we give Ramen and starches—which is fine if you are near death. But usually people who come to food pantries need more than just starches to sustain life. They need to be given something special that conveys love and offers a “taste” of the restoration of creation—that which we (those of us doing the donating) have already experienced.

So I composed this list of advice—for those who are looking to donate to a food pantry (and reasons why):

1. If you do not already know this, most “poor” people in the US can scrape up twenty cents to buy Ramen Noodles. If you want to give something “like” this—try donating the pasta in a bowl or easily heated non-perishables you would take to work for lunch.

2. Splurge on the extra forty-nine cents and get the good cookies. Skip over the store brand (the ‘make you want to spew cookie’), and get a snack you would enjoy if you were a bit down on finances and needed to skip over the snack isle with sad eyes. Try Ritz bits crackers, Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and fruit snacks.

3. If you really want to help someone who is down on finances, give them the things that are the hardest to purchase. Milk, eggs, meat, and cheese. All these things are quite expensive and usually get overlooked when money is low. Especially meat.

4. Gas cards would be a great way to help someone feeling stumpy on cash. Particularly when the cost of one gallon of gas sky-rockets the price of a gallon of milk.

5. Forget the cheap Jell-O mixes in boxes. Seriously. I know it sounds crazy—but think about the times you had to work really hard to make ends meet. Did you want to pull out the pan, boil water, stir it, wait for it to cool, stick it in the fridge, and then serve it? Or would you rather just pull it out of the fridge and hand it to your kids? Remember next time—give the food pantries the already mixed Jell-O.

6. Think beyond the starches. If you’ve ever found yourself scratching your head and wondering why those who seem to have the least amount of money are also the largest people you know, the secret can now be revealed. It is because the poor eat cheap starches to fill them up when hungry. Think about how you would feel eating starches and noodles every single day in order not to be famished. It’s not so fun. Go the extra mile and get creative about filling those starving for food like fruits, vegetables, and meats.

7. When I was going through the boxes of food at the shelter, my favorite thing to find was coffee (the good kind), tea bags, soda, and fruit drinks. This is the FIRST thing to get skipped when your finances need to be skimmed. If you really want to show God’s redemptive love, pick up some fair trade coffee beans and help both the farmer overseas AND the person short on cash.

8. Think “easy and quick” when selecting things to donate for breakfast. Usually those who are poor are running off to work in the morning to slave at a job we (those of us donating) would never think to apply. Such as factory workers, maids, and other “lowly” tasks in the eyes of the wealthy. Ask yourself: What would you want to eat for breakfast on the run? I know I enjoy eating breakfast cereals, pop tarts, breakfast bars, and even those cool cereal straws. Donate these to the food pantry.

9. Donate money specifically tagged for gift cards. This way those who come to the food pantry can get what they need from the store (which usually includes the perishable things like milk, eggs, and meat).

10. Try donating a box of cake mix and frosting or easy cookie mixes. Look at the directions and find the boxes/bags where all you do is throw in an egg, stir in some water, and thirty minutes later you have homemade cookies. For—there is nothing quite like a warm chocolate chip cookie to share God’s love with the hungry.

“For I was hungry—and you gave me a taste of the redemption of creation…”

Learning How To Be Poor

Learning How to Be Poor: Stretching a little income (or savings) after a job loss
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Many of us are losing our jobs these days and are unable to find another one. In fact, several of my close friends have either lost their job or cannot find one—so we came together and created this list to help others who may be in the same situation.

Hopefully, together, we can figure out how to survive these tough days. For it is when the community draws together, especially when things are rough, we have hope to make it through. True community takes care of each other.

And note, it is not exactly easy to "learn how to be poor" when your income is striped from you-- but it is quite the lesson to be learned. And instead of focusing on what you miss about the life you used to have (when you had an income), try thinking about how unfair it is that many, many people live on less than a dollar a day.

As you ponder that one, here are some of our ideas to help make it through job loss and develop a unique and beautiful sense of humility at the same time. Use these ideas to grow and develop as a Christian who cares about poverty-- and happens to be experiencing your own lack of income at the moment:

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1. Find a “Community Share Program” in your area. Often churches or community centers will buy in bulk and allow people to purchase for low amounts. (Valerie Boyd)
If you are in Wichita (or nearby in Kansas) see: http://www.prairielandfood.com/site.htm

2. Sometimes utility companies have programs for people who lost jobs—see if they can put you on a sliding scale payment schedule or assist with a few months (Chrissy McCormick Franko).

3. Shop around for the best deal before purchasing. It might take time but will be worth it in the end (Chris Lyons).

4. Take only a small amount of cash with you if you go out (for example, don’t leave the house with credit or debit cards but only $5 in cash)—so you will not overspend (Bob Gunter).

5. Rice and beans are an incredible source of nourishment. And cheap (Joseph Leppert).

6. Try the “developing nations washing machine”—where you pour some water in the tub, dump in a little detergent, and scrub away with your hands!

7. If you have student loans, call them up and ask for a form. Often times they will allow you to go into financial forbearance (with the accumulating interest) for up to a year at a time—especially when you lose a job.

8. Buy the Sunday paper and clip coupons.

9. After you clip coupons swap what you don’t need with some friends and family (Lois Gunter).

10. Become a member of your zoo—often once you pay a small fee it includes free visits the rest of the year.

11. Buy frozen meat in bulk to pull out and thaw for later (Chrissy)

12. Don’t buy it unless you can eat it or wear it.

13. Find all your local parks and visit them for fun—take picnic lunches.

14. Walk or ride your bike (Chris).

15. Join PAT (Parents as Teachers) to receive newsletters on the free events they provide for families (this often includes trips to museums and more).

16. Buy clothes only for your kids—unless yours fall apart (Valerie)

17. For a small fee-- sometimes your car loan will allow you to skip a few months. Be sure to call and ask about the possibility (Chrissy).

18. Find a bread thrift store for discounted prices on breads and snacks.

19. Buy hair dye at the store and have a friend help—instead of going to the beauty parlor.

20. Go to “Great Clips” for a haircut under $15.00. Watch for their $4.99 specials (usually in January). Sometimes they send out coupons too.

21. Use the library and stop buying books (Chrissy).
OUCH. That one hurts.

22. Christy’s book amendment: Find a used bookstore (like at Goodwill) or peruse books at yard sales. For those of us who read everything—with pen and highlighter in hand.

23. Borrow and share books with your friends.

24. Make side dishes for dinner in the microwave—it uses less energy than the stove (Chrissy).

25. Make your own bread. Here is a simple recipe (for 3 loafs of bread) from my friend Kaza Fraley:
Mix 3 cups of water, 1 ½ tablespoons of Fleischmann’s bread machine yeast or 1 ½ packets. Stir. Add 3 cups of wheat flour and 3 cups of white flour (or 6 of one or the other) and 1 ½ tablespoons of salt. Stir until it is a dough. Cover with a towel and let it sit for 2 hours. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Make grapefruit size balls, grease cookie sheet, and let it sit for 30 minutes (to adjust from being refrigerated). Preheat to 450 and bake for 30 minutes.

26. Or make your own bread by stalking your local thrift stores until you find a bread machine.

27. Trim the lattes and coffees at the coffeehouse, but buy extra tissues for the tears—(Bob).

28. Buy coffee beans and make your own coffee at home (and buy fairtrade, please).

29. Don't be afraid to barter! It may be difficult to get comfortable with this, but the worst thing that happens is that you will hear the word "no". If you're a parent, you've already heard it at least seven times that day! Barter everywhere! If a jacket is missing a button, ask the manager if they will take less money. At garage sales, people are going to sell an item or throw it away. Less money is better than no money in their eyes (Valerie).

30. Peruse Craig’s List for your needs (Valerie).

31. Join freecycle to post your needs or meet others needs. This can be a great place to give and receive.
See: http://freecycle.com/

32. Access the minutes you need in your cell plan and shave it down if you can (Chrissy).

33. Access your cable needs and shave off what you do not need (Chrissy).

34. Check all the gas stations before you buy—see which one has the lowest price (Bob).

35. Make a weekly menu. From that menu make your shopping list. Base your menu on sale items and/or coupons, and use everything you buy. For example, if you buy cabbage for coleslaw, then use the rest for cabbage rolls or bierocks (Valerie).

36. Keep off as many lights as possible to trim the electric bill (Chrissy).

37. Sometimes local animal shelters will help provide food for your pet if you stumble across hard times and lose your job (Chrissy).

38. If your local animal shelter cannot help you with food, buy your pet’s food in massive bulk (Chrissy).

39. Buy what you need used (Chris).

40. Go with a friend and split the price for Sams Club—so you can get cheaper gas and purchase in bulk (Bob).

41. Sell your kid’s old clothes and toys at a local consignment shop for extra cash (or trade in for bigger sized clothes). Sometimes you can find stores who do this for adults (like “Plato’s Closet).

42. Peruse your local goodwill and thrift stores when you’re in need of clothes. Watch Goodwill—they like to have $1.10 days (where each article of clothing only costs $1.10).

43. Go through all your items and sell what you do not need at consignment shops or at a yard sale for extra cash.

44. Start a garden to grow your own vegetables over buying every week (Bob).

45. Join a community garden or take part in a farming community workday for discounted vegetables (Kaza).

46. Buy generic brands—food, clothes, etc (Chris).

47. Try getting one song off Itunes instead of a whole CD. That could save up to $15.00 in one setting.

48. Cook from scratch. Example: 10 lbs of potatoes can be bought for 2.99 on sale. Frozen hashbrowns are 1.19 for a one pound bag (Valerie).

49. Use leftovers! A week worth of leftover vegetables can make a great soup! (Valerie).

50. Remember that your network is important. Stay connected with others. Don't be afraid to share your situation. You never know what someone else might have or who they may know! (Valerie).

51. If you’re on the east coast stop by Gabriel Brothers. There is one in Lavale, near Cumberland MD and another in Winchester. Some of the clothing is slightly damaged—the majority of it is not too bad and they have a small household section in the back. Testimonial: “I got 2 polo shirts for 10 bucks, was gonna buy a pair of jeans for 5 bucks, but I didn't like the fit” (Chris).

52. Buy white & pink nail polish and French manicure sticker guides—and do your own nails instead of getting an acrylic for $25 to start and $15 to fill.

53. Trim your magazine subscriptions down.

54. Give homemade gifts for birthdays and Christmas.
See the “Buy Nothing” Catalog for ideas: http://buynothingchristmas.org/catalogue/index.html

55. Wait until a movie comes out to Redbox and rent for $1.00 plus tax (instead of $8 per person in the theater). Or sign up to get the weekly text message codes from Redbox for one free rental each week (as long as you bring the DVD back the next day).

56. Go to church events for fun (which are usually free).

57. If you see items on clearance you know you’ll need (like tissues or Band-Aids), stock up!

58. Get on the coupon mailing lists for the things you need (Family Christian Bookstores, Borders, Barnes and Noble, and more).

59. Use electronic coupons. You can often combine them with paper coupons for even more savings (Valerie).
See: pgesaver.com

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No matter what, the picture above (from scripturepics.org) should remind us that God provides and will take care of us-- even in soomething as frustrating as job loss and poverty (if we can even use the word poverty and speak of "car payments" and "ipods") ...but it sure does feel pretty horrible some days.

"Bad Boys"

Go ahead and hum the tune that comes to your mind based on the title of this article to yourself. It goes something like this: "Bad boys, bad boys- whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?" Yes, I guess most of us know that one.

At some point or another, nearly everyone takes time to stop clicking the remote and view this show. The police come and get the "bad guy," in order to bring them to justice or save the "bad boy" from himself.

However, I want to take a moment to really consider what it means to utter the words "bad guy."

We do it often. We watch the news and feel relieved when the "bad guy" is caught. We skim through the newspaper and feel terrified when the "bad guy" is loose. We look at the posters hanging in the post office and see the visualization of the "bad guy." We watch the villains in our movies attempt to destroy the hero or heroine and then get excited as the "bad guy" almost inevitably loses.

We even utter such a phrase in the opposite direction. For example we will say, "He's not such a 'bad guy.'" Or even sometimes look at it as an exciting, positive thing. A girl will comment she enjoys the "bad boys."

And thus, I think we can easily establish the phrase "bad boy" or "bad guy" permeates our culture. It is something we barely think about anymore- it is a part of our normal routine.

But as you read this article, I want to challenge you to really think about the term "bad guy."

Is anything or anyone really bad?

When we look at the story of creation in Genesis, one particular phrase jumps out multiple times. And God saw creation was made of "bad boys." Um, no. Over and over it reads, "And God saw that it was GOOD." As we read the creation story, we cannot help but see that the creation and wonder of the matter formed by God's hand is really good!

So then we must ask- what is it that makes something or someone created by God and called "good," APPEAR BAD to us? OR- does it actually change and BECOME BAD to it's very core?

If we claim that something or someone who was created good is genuinely evil or bad to their very being, we would be implying something quite tragic. We would actually be saying this particular part of creation is BEYOND REDEMPTION. If someone is bad to their being- actually "bad" to their core, they would be beyond the ability to be good; to be transformed.

Do any of us really want to call something "bad" and thus imply that created thing is beyond redemption? That this person is beyond the grace of God to transform and be renewed?

If we look closely at scriptures and encounter the God in the Living Word, NOTHING IS BEYOND REDEMPTION. Not even the people who do the most vile, gross, pathetic, disgusting acts. That's a hard one to swallow-- especially if you throw a child being hurt in that mix. Then you just feel sick.

But all those emotional feelings aside to think theologically about what we are really saying: If nothing actually BECOMES "bad," to the very center of its being, then we must ask the other question: What is it that causes that person or created thing to APPEAR bad?

Perhaps it is our choices. This would make sense. Our choices form us into the kinds of people we are.

In fact, brain science teaches us some interesting things about habits and patterns of the mind based on the choices we make. If we choose something once, we are not in a habit quite yet. If we choose it again, we could still make a different choice. Then the third, fourth, fifth... and before long- after we choose to do something bad or good over and over and over again, we lose our ability to really chose.

Our brain is formed into a habit so it literally becomes a reflex over a choice (for more explanation on this see the text "Liars, Lovers, and Heroes: What Brain Science Reveals About How we Become Who We Are). Our brains are literally formed based on our choices and decisions.

Thus, when we make good choices-- we appear good. When we make bad choices-- we appear bad.

When a person makes bad decisions again and again, that person appears evil to us. And unfortunately, when we experience the evil choices of another, it hurts. It burns our very inside to our core, turning our stomach, and making us sick. We want to label them "the bad guy." We want justice.

But again- I want to call us toward truly thinking about that label "bad guy." Do we really want to say this person is so bad- they are beyond redemption? That the vile, horrible things they did really caused their very being to change? It is something to think about, for sure.

For when we call someone "bad," though it might seem justified to judge a person this way because we have already spent years being formed to focus on ridding our lives and families of evil and containing the world of the "bad ones," we must remember they too were created good.

The world might call them "bad guys" but we are the church! We remember the story of God-- the story of God creating all things good, even humans.

Creation was designed good. Take a moment to REMEMBER our story, God's story. We were created with a purpose, to be beautiful. But sometimes we make bad choices-- and forget how we were created. We choose what we want over what God wants. We sin. We make "bad" choices.

And since we are the church, since we are the body of Christ in the world-- called to be different and set apart; called to make choices towards the redemption of creation and not the destruction of creation-- I would like to pose this challenge: Perhaps what we are really doing is dehumanizing people when we call them "bad guys."

Go ahead, take a minute to process that one. I will say it again to help with the digestion of this one. When we call someone the "bad guy" perhaps we are really dehumanizing them, looking at them as less than ourselves.

In fact, perhaps we even view persons who make bad choices as less than human. We want to claim creation was good, according to Genesis. And thus we want to say humans were created good-- but when we label them as "bad," then we are really saying they are less than the good creation of God.

And if we are dehumanizing people by calling them the "bad guy," then we are participating in a form of oppression (a classy form, mind you), but a form of abuse- nonetheless. We call them "bad" and we thus call ourselves "good." We say they are "bad" and enjoy the power of not being "bad." We label them as "bad" and become the god in our own story.

So who is really making the bad choice here?

Which is the greater evil?

And thus, I really want to ask: Do we have the ability to step beyond our normal view of the world and see who WE REALLY ARE and what we really think? Do we have the GUTS to confront our own selfishness and sin in how we label someone? How we participate in idolatry by making ourselves the god, deciding who is good and who is not?

If we do not find the strength to look deeply inside ourselves with this one, I am afraid the church (and thus all of creation) will suffer. We will have communities filled with people who view "the other" as someone separate from themselves. Someone so different, so vile, so disgusting-- they are beyond the church and far beyond God. We will have faith based groups of people who have eyes only to see the negative. People who look out at the world and only see the pathetic waste of space and have lost their ability to see the beauty and wonder of the good creation-- even in humanity.

If we do find the strength to look deeply inside ourselves and see what we are really saying when we label someone as "bad," I think the potential is boundless. We will see churches who model for the world who they could also be. We will have communities who see God's beauty and vision for all of creation and work towards the redemption of ALL things- not just the "good guys."

Dear God-- grant us the vision to see your beauty in all of created things and forgive us for sinning against our brothers and sisters by dehumanizing them and calling them the "bad guy."

This Church Got it Right!

I went to a "Back to School Community Event" at the Church at Mercy Crossing in Martinsville, Virginia. I was BEYOND impressed. This Church got it right!

Each person in the church community brought their abilities and talents to the event. A few lady stylists were doing free haircuts for the kids inside. A couple of men who were car experts diagnosed car problems- aimed at helping single parent moms.

There were free car washes- free school supplies- free clothes- free brand new socks. There were free coloring books, free reading books, free toothbrushes, & health education. There was a nurse on hand to check parent's blood pressure. There were poison control magnets and advice on helping develop babies during their "tummy time."

This event had a lot of fun too! There were moonwalks to jump in and slide down. There were pony rides. There were ice sno cones, train rides, toss games, candy to be won, and a dunk tank.

And- there was a ton of food! There were enough hot dogs to feed 500 people, nachos and chili, chips and cookies. And they kept everyone hydrated with Gatorade! What a treat for all who were playing (or watching their kids play) under the hot sun!

There were things to keep everyone's attention and entertain the community. There was a car and motorcycle show. There were two firetrucks and a sheriff who awarded the kids Junior Deputy stickers. There were coloring books about safety and there was information about drugs.

They even had a live teenage band singing Switchfoot songs and enabling the place to rock! There were prizes given away (creatively by numbered tickets, so they could simultaneously keep a running count in order to plan for future community events), and every child received a balloon.

As for the "churchy" part- well, that was on the back burner. It seemed this church had the ministry goal to "feed them, care for their needs, and they cannot help but see Jesus."

If we could all live by this philosophy of ministry and vision for loving the community, what would the world learn about God?

As attenders, my Father, Jayden, and I were asked to register our names, give our address, and write down any prayer requests we might have- and that was it. Everything was a gift to us-- to show God's love to whatever need we might have. I was beyond impressed.

This church certainly got it right- when it comes to being the body of Christ to the world! I am confident the community walked away from this event thinking "Wow- this church really cares about me." I hope we can all learn from this beautiful example of being the church who participates in the redemption of creation.