Acceptable Sacrifice

"There's a very tangible cycle of how it all works. The book of Isaiah asks, what is our acceptable sacrifice? What is our acceptable worship? God's people say, 'we bring burnt offerings, and we give it to You. We have these literary things that are part of our tradition that we do for worship,' and God basically comes back and says all these things have no connection to real relationship. What about taking care of widows and orphans and healing the sick? Taking care of the naked and giving shelter? All these things are relational. With relationships you have to engage another person. Obviously we all know that relationships are incredibly difficult and incredibly messy.

I hope people see the privilege in serving this way. Many think it's the government's job to help; it's not. It's the Church's job to do it. The problem is that the Church isn't doing it. I think we have a responsibility to serve, but at the same time it's not as much a responsibility as it is a privilege. We just don't know what it's like to enter into suffering and to know God in the midst of that. And yet, that is what the gospel is about. I mean, if suffering and sorrow and pain were not really meant for the Christian life, why did Jesus die on the cross? Why did He endure such suffering? It doesn't make any sense. The Bible just wouldn't be true because the Bible says, 'We enter into Christ's suffering.' It's a part of us. And yet the Christian life at this point is more represented by safety than risk. It's more represented by comfort than pain and sorrow, and I think we see how that can destroy the Church or distract the Church into thinking that other things are more important."

- Dan Haseltine in Worship Leader Magazine

Haseltine and the rest of Jars of Clay aren't just about talk, of course. The mission they have started, called Blood:Water Mission, is simple in theory: help the people of Africa by focusing on an essential element confronting them: contaminated blood supplies and the lack of clean water. "The image is a powerful one since the water and the blood that poured from Christ's side represented the ultimate sacrifice. How appropriate for the Church to take the images of our spiritual transformation and use them to bring concrete relief to people who are hurting in our world."

Their website gives more information about this mission of theirs, including their 1,000 Wells Project, with a goal of raising funds to build, rebuild and repair one thousand wells in urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Erwin McManus, in a message given to the 7:22 worship service at Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, GA, said that today's believer lives in a period of history where he/she has the most opportunity and the most resources to DO SOMETHING. He spoke on ambition, and how we tend to think that all ambition is bad - yet Paul says "Do nothing out of selfish ambition". Some ambition is good. McManus says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but by God, don't just do nothing!" He also notes: "And yes, the Scriptures are laced with promises, but they are also packed with commands. And a command is just a religious way of saying 'things God holds us responsible for.'"

I've been thinking about all of this stuff because the House of Representatives passed their budget reconciliation bill - a bill that was supposed to be done November 10 - eight days late, but they passed it. This bill axes billions of dollars allocated to help the poor - the food stamp program, medicaid, and more. I know not to get too political about all of this, but it frustrates me. I agree with Jim Wallis that the U.S. budget is a moral document - and when help for the poor is cut and the rich - both individuals and corporations - continue to get big tax breaks - it breaks my heart. I have been extremely upset all day, and it's been wearing me down. However, after reading the above Haseltine quote, I now realize that what this seemingly bad thing does is give the Church another opportunity to reclaim its responsibility to help the poor, to take care of the downtrodden, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the prisoner - to be Jesus. Someone once said, "Your faith hasn't taken hold of your heart until it extends to your hands and your feet." Will the Church have the selfless ambition to be the light of the world and to do unto the least of these?