90 SHEKELS
I made another trip up to Mars Hill on Sunday to hear what Rob Bell had to say. I know that I can listen through podcasts but there is just something “extra” about making the one-hour and forty-five minute drive and being there in-person.
To no surprise he knocked out a couple of great points. It was kind of a tri-teaching with Rob Bell, Don Golden and Denise VanEck about how, as a church/community, Mars Hill is going to aid and assists those in need. Kind of a vision casting morning but with some really good teaching.
Here’s some of the bullet points and questions:
* The church is the only organization that exists for the benefits of its non-members. It’s a gift as God’s gift of Jesus was (John 3:16).
* Would anyone protest if your church was taken away from your town/area/city? Does your church make that place better?
* When you are no longer able to help the needy (this word has very broad meaning) are you still a church?
* God will hold you accountable. Keep Him on display and make His gift most relevant
One of the last things in the service was Rob telling this amazing story when he was walking the streets of Nairobi, Kenya after night fall –
Rob and his tour guide were going through a dark alley in one of the most dangerous parts of town and as they walked the alley these teenage girls were coming out of the shadows. The girls were coming up to Rob and the tour guide asking for “shekels, 90 shekels.”
Having no idea what the girls were talking about Rob asked his tour guide and the tour guide went onto explain that the girls were offering their bodies to them for about 90 shekels. An equivalent to about $.25 in America. Most of the girls were orphaned because their mother and/or father died from AIDS and were trying to feed their brothers and sisters and prostitution was the only source of income they had.
I can’t get this story out of my head. That’s probably a good thing. It, once again, puts into perspective how trivial our American lifestyle is and why many in the world don’t like us. But more importantly – why aren’t we, as Americans who have so much, helping people who seemingly have no choice to live a “sub-human” existence? We will be held accountable.
To no surprise he knocked out a couple of great points. It was kind of a tri-teaching with Rob Bell, Don Golden and Denise VanEck about how, as a church/community, Mars Hill is going to aid and assists those in need. Kind of a vision casting morning but with some really good teaching.
Here’s some of the bullet points and questions:
* The church is the only organization that exists for the benefits of its non-members. It’s a gift as God’s gift of Jesus was (John 3:16).
* Would anyone protest if your church was taken away from your town/area/city? Does your church make that place better?
* When you are no longer able to help the needy (this word has very broad meaning) are you still a church?
* God will hold you accountable. Keep Him on display and make His gift most relevant
One of the last things in the service was Rob telling this amazing story when he was walking the streets of Nairobi, Kenya after night fall –
Rob and his tour guide were going through a dark alley in one of the most dangerous parts of town and as they walked the alley these teenage girls were coming out of the shadows. The girls were coming up to Rob and the tour guide asking for “shekels, 90 shekels.”
Having no idea what the girls were talking about Rob asked his tour guide and the tour guide went onto explain that the girls were offering their bodies to them for about 90 shekels. An equivalent to about $.25 in America. Most of the girls were orphaned because their mother and/or father died from AIDS and were trying to feed their brothers and sisters and prostitution was the only source of income they had.
I can’t get this story out of my head. That’s probably a good thing. It, once again, puts into perspective how trivial our American lifestyle is and why many in the world don’t like us. But more importantly – why aren’t we, as Americans who have so much, helping people who seemingly have no choice to live a “sub-human” existence? We will be held accountable.
posted by Stephen Hinkel at
12:17 PM
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