I need to check on the depression status of the congregation

17O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
         You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
    18To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
         So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.                       (Psalm 10:17-18, NASB) 

After last nights sermon/ study I need to check if any of our congregation members are locked in their rooms, more than a little depressed. The discussion/ topic was on God wanting to use us as instruments of change in the world. It was more than a casual “Yeah… um… God can use me to feed homeless in downtown Oxnard during Thanksgiving.” But it was my desire to foster a desire to care about justice throughout the world. The organization that I highlighted, simply because it was so user friendly was International Justice Mission. As we looked at various videos on their site our hearts broke. Like many people issues such as Peace in the Middle East, sex trafficking, modern slavery, and other issues of global importance paralyze us because we believe that we alone cannot do anything. The question was asked “What if everyone did that?”. Simply nothing would get done. Far too often we look to spirituality as being internal. We consume all that the church gives. Whether that is Bible Studies, services, activities, etc. Another dimension is to be sent into the world. That means that we are to be a witness of Jesus, but also an advocate for those that are oppressed and taken advantage of.

If we were all to close our eyes to these problems, who would solve them?

July 14, 2008 | Categories: Ministry | Tags: International Justice Mission, Social Justice | 2 Comments