Grace family,
Exciting news from our ministry partner Jim Keith in Germany. He’s leading an effort to coordinate a loving connection/outreach to Muslims in Germany. Watch the video below.
Together in the Harvest,
Kendrick
Last night, Grace Church gathered to hear an update on where we are going as a church family. Please click on the play button below if you would like to hear the communication meeting in full.
Here is a quick video of some highlights from Day 3 of our New Orleans Mission trip.
Today is the second day of our mission trip to New Orleans. We have 22 members of Grace Church participating, 9 of which are from our youth group. With spending over 3 hours in the car thus far, traveling to church, downtown New Orleans, and to our “bunk house”, we have inevitably had many discussions regarding what radio station to listen to and what qualifies as an appropriate song. The youth have been the initiators of these conversations.
One song we listened to on the radio was “Halo” by Beyonce. At first listen of this song, it might seem like this song could be appropriate for even the youngest listeners. There isn’t any explicitly inappropriate content. This song even uses a lot of theological language: “saving grace”, “light”, “pray”, “fall”, etc., that can give the appearance of suitable music for all ages with a Christian bent.
During our car conversation the appropriateness of the songs content, implicit or explicit, was questioned due to one person challenging the author’s original intent. This person claimed that the author was implicitly promoting an expression of extreme romantic passion by using familiar religious language in order to make the described romantic passion sacred itself without including God in any way. If this were the case, than and unsuspecting listener could be negatively influenced by the feelings and ideas that the song is promoting. An interesting point.
I responded that I chose to think about Jesus through the song. Even the verse, “Hit me like a ray of sun/ Burning through my darkest night/ You’re the only one that I want/ Think I’m addicted to your light,” described how God’s love changes me and affects me, even if I wouldn’t express it with words like “addicted”. The song even acted like a praise song with the phrase, “You know you’re my saving grace.” (After reading the lyrics without the accompanying music, I realize there are lyrics in the song that do not apply to Jesus and evoke completely different thoughts and feelings, which wouldn’t be appropriate for all ages. My listening experience this time provided me with feelings that I would deem helpful.)
At the end of this discussion, we found that this song brought out desires in some that were not Christ-centered while others actually could focus on Jesus through the song. For some the song made them think about a romantic relationship between a man and a woman while others thought about the deep need and desire we have for Jesus.
It was interesting to see what we bring to what we hear and what we accept. Some people probably shouldn’t listen to that song because it evoked desires that were separate from who they are in God and what God has for them. Some people can easily listen to it, even if they don’t specifically focus on Jesus, because it doesn’t promote unhealthy desires in them or take away from their God-given purpose.
This experience of questioning whether or not we should listen to a particular song on the radio isn’t an unusual one for someone following Jesus. We quickly learn about Christian liberty and discernment while trying to make decisions in life that are most beneficial to us in following Christ. We want to make right choices because we have been changed by God’s love. Sometimes we are free to choose something that others aren’t free to choose, while other times we discern that we shouldn’t choose something that others are free to choose.
I am encouraged by the fact that we follow a living God, not just principles. “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” My soul doesn’t ultimately thirst to fulfill rules and laws perfectly. I need the grace and love of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Once His love changes me I want to do everything that brings me closer to Him, which innately affects what songs I listen to on the radio, why I listen to them, and, even, how I listen to the songs.
Last week, Grace Church hosted its 6th annual GraceMart event where we gave away furniture, clothing, food, toys and household items to nearly 950 people from the Durham-Chapel Hill community. It was an amazing event that was genuinely a blessing for me to help lead. Perhaps, what is most amazing is how God really speaks to us when we reach out to those in need. Today I received an email from a volunteer at GraceMart that really spoke to this, I hope you enjoy and God reminds you of what He reminded her:
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I hope that you have been able to take the time this week to get quiet, put down your double cappuccino and to-do list and be still before God! It has been way too hot for me to even have a to do list……………just trying to figure out how to keep all the kids occupied inside without driving me nuts.
This past week I had some interesting and thought provoking experiences at the Grace Mart (free stuff giveaway at Grace Church for the community). As a volunteer I was given a clipboard with a questionnaire for the clients to see if there was interest in becoming a Christian or deepening their walk with God. It was a roasting hot evening with families waiting outside for GraceMart to begin. Many of the families even brought the grandmas along and there was an air of fun and excitement as they waited for the doors to open. Walking thru the crowd, I looked for people who I could maybe connect with. My eye caught that of a woman about my age. Sheila was an African-American woman in her 50’s, with her grown daughter, Crystal. We started chatting about kids and of course when grandkids were mentioned, the rapport began. Sheila runs a daycare in her little apartment and also helps care for a few grandkids while her son works. One of the questions on my list was, what would you like God do for you? Sheila really has always wanted to own a home where she can set up her daycare to provide for her kids and grandkids. She was telling me how very crowded it can get in her apartment. Though Sheila has no money saved up, she still believes that God can do anything. When we prayed together to ask for this home, I began to feel strangely blessed and a little embarrassed for already having a home of my own where I can help out with my own grandbabies, kids, and adult children.
The next person I interviewed was Roger. Roger lives in the most rundown down apartments in my area. He has a job, which he is very thankful for, but wants to own a tree-cutting company of his own. My husband has owned his own business for over 20 years. Again I was struck at how privileged we are. Roger was on the crew that cut down a big dead tree for us a year or so ago. When he heard me remind him he had cut down a tree for me, he said, “Oh, you is rich.” At the time I thought, no way. We are struggling like everyone else. His prayer was not for more money but for a better relationship with his 3 estranged kids. A group of his friends joined us as we asked for God’s miracle touch here. May God grant his request!
There was Latia and her desire for her own home also. She has 7 grandkids and is helping raise 5 of them. I was struck with her simple, trusting faith in God. Sitting with her were her other grandma friends, and we all had a great time bragging on our grandbabies. We even decided that we were the sexiest grandmas in town. It was great to laugh and relax and not just be trying to fill out forms. When we prayed for Latia and her dream home, I was ministered to in a very deep way by the absolute trust that God is able to do greater than we can ask or imagine, and that He is taking care of His people.
Sharon was my last lady to talk to. She just moved to the area with her small son and knows no one. She has no job and is living on AFDC, but she has faith that God is going to care for her and her boy. I am hoping that she will come to Grace and be part of the loving community of women there.
I was getting ready to leave the last night, and an older woman stopped me and told me what a blessing to be able to come here and get good things for her home. That we must know Jesus here at Grace Church.
I came home, grateful to get out of the heat and that I have a home to come to. I could not help thinking about these people and the fact that right here in Chapel Hill there are many families who are living with the barest of things. And I am here also, with all the trimmings of a middle class family. If my car breaks down, I get it fixed. If I have a toothache, I go to the dentist and get it fixed, not pulled. My kids need shoes, off we go to Target or Wal-mart, granted not Foot Locker, but we get shoes. Why do I get a complaining attitude that we cannot afford to take our kids to Disney World or Carowinds? I have a home, a good car, good clothes, my own laptop. With food and clothing, Paul tells us to be content. I have much more than that. Am I using my riches to make friends for me in the kingdom of God? (Luke 16:9 – I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.) Am I rich towards God and others, being willing to bless when I see a need? I am rich, but do I see my riches as my money and my home and comforts, or am I rich as these poor clients, who have to wait in line for hours to receive what seem like bare necessities, but have a deep faith and trust that their Savior will be there for them?………………………….Man looks at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart.
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Amen!
Jesus said, “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Matthew 21:28-32
The other son is like a lot of us. We say we are christian. We say Jesus is our Lord. But we don’t do what He asks. If we don’t follow Jesus, then we are functionally atheists, despite what we say. If we don’t follow Jesus, then we are living as if God doesn’t exist.
Starting August 8th, Grace Church of Chapel Hill is doing a sermon series called “Christian Atheists”. The series will explore the reality of when we are not who we say we are.
Are you who you say you are?
Pastors DeWayne, Jonathan, and I are currently in Birmingham, Alabama at the Grow Conference. Here is a video describing our experience so far.
Two convictions! Here’s news from Freedom Firm today:
Honorable Judge Walche at the Thane Sessions Court convicted the accused, Yalamma and Puja, for the forced prostitution of two minor girls. They were sentenced to five years each under Section 366A of the Indian Penal Code for procuring a minor for the sake of prostitution. One victim came from the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh and the other was brought by the Thane police department all the way from West Bengal. The strong testimony of the girls won the case in the end.
We thank God for another two convictions, which we know go a long way in deterring other brothel keepers from submitting minor girls to prostitution. Please pray to this end, and also for future convictions, as a number of cases will make their way to court in the coming months.
Kendrick on the power of initiation from Kendrick Vinar on Vimeo.
Phyllis and I begin a two week vacation on Friday. It’s a mix of family, beach, and staycation. Our grandson Phineas, with his mom and dad, (our daughter Katie and husband Patrick) is coming to visit us for several days. We can’t wait to have them around. Then five days and four nights at the beach. The last six days we’ll be local but enjoying things we don’t have a lot of time to do or see. One things we both love to do on vacation is read. So here is my reading list for vacation. It’s mostly pleasure as I seem to read the serious stuff for work all the time.
)Hope you have some time to read this summer, too. Love to hear what others summer reading list looks like. I’m always looking for new material.
