New Opportunities

It was a happy, ordinary morning. 

As I readied the kids for school, the sun was shining and I was smiling: a good friend and I were meeting for coffee at a newly opened café that looked really nice. It had taken a month for us to align our schedules to make this visit happen.

My friend arrived at the café first—and this was when things went awry. On entering, she discovered the doorway was not only tight but also had a tiny step of about two inches. 

Building organizational capacity for local church and community partners is a central part of what World Renew does. But in 2013, one situation where community capacity development interventions were taking place, the grassroots systems and structure grew stronger than the body that should have taken lead on change making. Why? The attitude, visioning and worldview held by the grassroots leadership around stewardship was questionable.

As I write this, I am en route to the Holy Land … A place that I hold deep in my heart and that is sacred to many believers around the world. The land is holy and has such rich history and theological significance. But the “holy land” can not be understood apart from the contemporary geopolitics between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. And today, the realities on the ground continue to escalate with some of the worst violence we’ve seen in years.

When you became a deacon, did you know what you signed up for? Most new deacons hear the Deacon’s mandate read at their ordination and then sit at their first meeting thinking – what now? My job at Diaconal Ministries is to help deacons understand their calling and discover ways to work out their leadership role. The Deacon’s mandate can be broken into 4 ministry areas: Stewardship, Benevolence, Justice and Community.

I, a minister in a post-Christian American city, found myself presenting on a zoom call with about a dozen community leaders. On screen with me were representatives from an agency that connects and serves local businesses, a housing developer, a woman from a company that prints materials for the Phoenix Suns basketball franchise, a leader in one of our most diverse and liberal business districts and others. Midway through my presentation, I alluded to a tune they might recognize from Ken Burns' National Parks documentary.

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1-2)

Last week the United Nations reported that the number of forcibly displaced people around the world has risen to 103 million, the largest number ever in recorded history and a number that has increased by almost 14 million in one year.

Recently the vehicle I drive ran beyond the recommended service schedule for its mileage plan. This compromises the expected maintenance standards of the vehicle and a tests its durability and the comfort and safety it provides on the road. The delay was due to factors beyond my control and emergency calls where I had limited alternative options.  How often have you found yourself under difficult situations that lead to similar kinds of compromise on the resource entrusted in your care and responsibility?

While I was waiting in line for dinner at Inspire 2022, I struck up a conversation with someone about the workshop I was co-facilitating (with Liz Tolkamp) on restorative practices. The person’s eyes lit-up with some kind of familiarity (which sparked my curiosity!). That night, I heard yet another unique description of restorative practices, similar to what I have been hearing over the last several years.