Toxic Charity?

The hospitality class at church read Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton. I did not make it to any of those nights of discussion, but I did read at home. Most of the time I kept my head cocked to the side wondering if I could come into agreement with him.

Re-neighboring as a mission endeavor was a new concept for me to consider. The author and his family choose to buy a house in a low income area to serve those living there - serve as in befriending and entering into life with them. 

Can I put us in that category living here in the hotel?

We have walked through a shooting of a child on the premises with the staff. Watched drug deals go down outside our window wondering about safety yet still calling the police. Yet on the other hand, some would say we are poor. We have benefited from the help of government, family, friend, and stranger.

One new friend asked me, "Why did you choose a hotel to live in?

"Because it was the Lord's direction to me," I responded. 

She said, "Then you can say he sent you there."

Why then do I feel shame sometimes and confidence other times? I wonder if the author would see me as one in need of help or as a helper. 

Can you be both?  I don't remember that possibility in the book. He seemed to present an either/or case.  You were either the giver or the receiver.

Now here is the hardest part.  I have harshly judged the poor and the needy.  I have been the mighty missionary going oversees.  I had a haughty attitude that the Lord has adjusted during the now four plus years we have been out of our house. 

As I think back over the book, what I missed between the lines was humility. Writing a book takes courage, and I commend Mr. Lupton for stepping out on that limb with a very difficult subject.  You do have me re-thinking.

Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed

I unintentionally left something out of the blog when telling you about our summer Bible study ... C Square Ministries was on the road again! 

My laptop went to a black screen and never came back.  With no way to show the DVDs in the exercise room, there would be no hotel study.  The only other friend taking the class offered her home, so on the road I went. 

She and I enjoyed the shorter sessions offered with the conference format.  The new teachers and styles of homework lead to discussions.  We liked Faithful, Abundant, True so much we moved onto the next one which was actually the previous one.

Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed, according to Lifeway's website, was taped at the 2007 Deeper Still women's event.  The message is divided into three segments.  Each segment focuses on the life of David at a different stage of his life: as a young man (sessions one and two by Priscilla Shirer), as a middle-aged man (sessions three and four by Beth Moore), and as a man facing the final third of his life (sessions five and six by Kay Arthur).

In this study I saw David decide to trust God in a disappointing situation.  After the ark almost fell of the new cart and Uzzah died trying to steady it, David was not willing to go on.  He was disappointed.  After some time and good news that God was blessing the temporary home of the ark, he choose to trust God.  Armed with knowledge of the correct way to carry the ark, they continued with the journey of the ark to Jerusalem.  (Dare I say David did a "Bible study" to figure out what had gone wrong?) God's presence was again with them.  He choose to trust God and was not disappointed.  Sound familiar?

Last night was our last session.  The laptop has been officially pronounced dead by a trained technician.  I wonder about God's new plan.