Kingdom Balance: Economic Outputs and Inputs

Dear Friends:

How can today’s body of Christ live out the Bible’s kingdom economic principles? Are we challenging ourselves to look at our economy through the lens of the Bible? These questions overwhelm me when I realize that through my work, I bear the responsibility to craft programs and policies for many groups: our ministry team (the full and part time staff of Advance Memphis), our graduate employees in the Advance Memphis Staffing Program, and even for volunteers and donors. Bob Goudzwaard argues that while socialist and capitalist economies focus on maximizing OUTPUTS (more production, more money), the biblical economy focuses on INPUTS (taking care of workers, of immigrants, of land and animals). As I’ve studied these principles and begun trying to apply them at Advance and in my home, I am constantly asking myself if my priorities reflect the kingdom principles of INPUTS first, or if I’ve fallen into the trap of OUTPUTS obsession. 

For example: am I more focused on outputs, such as the number of graduates employed, the number of GEDs, and the number of dollars in the bank—to the exclusion of people’s hearts? Or am I, instead, concerned with how to honor and develop the individual spiritual gifts and talents of our participants and staff? Do I consider the humanity of our Staffing Program graduate employees and, in turn, craft employment policies that give image bearers dignity? I’m also reconsidering how I view Advance staff, donors, and volunteers. Are they merely “labor” and a means to an end? Are they commodities to use to get ministry results as inexpensively and as efficiently as possible? 

My focus on outputs shows up in a lot of ways. I know there have been times when I’ve been guilty of an attitude and practices focused only on results and on financial “stewardship,” rather than on encouraging and developing the image-bearers I encounter at Advance. Unfortunately, I’ve defined stewardship as “getting the most bang for my buck.” I’ve asked employees for as much work as possible with as little compensation as possible in the name of stewardship (a reduction of Biblical kingdom stewardship). I’ve worried about quantity over quality. In this, I’ve failed to love my neighbor as myself. Remember: it’s a command God gave His people to love our neighbor. I’ve asked Christ’s forgiveness for my mistreatment of my fellow man and of His natural resources, and I ask your forgiveness as well. Today, I’m working to reconnect with the inputs while learning to trust God for the outputs even as we continue setting goals and working toward results. I’m acknowledging that stewardship may mean doing what’s right in loving my neighbor, even if it costs more. 

Recently, I’ve worked on increasing the tangible ways that I’m caring for our inputs. We’ve added professional development days for full time staff and we’re working to add them for Staffing Program employees. Advance challenges ourselves to move as many employees as possible from temporary to permanent employment, even if it makes our work more difficult. We’ve begun giving employees “flex time” to acknowledge the evenings, weekends, and early morning hours that they often work in order to serve and love our neighbors. We’re sharing the surplus from the Staffing Program with its employees, increasing wages (longing for the day when a full day’s work is a living wage for the employee) and offering bonuses for attendance. 

We’re also having “Feast Days”—enjoying time with Staffing employees, mentors, and business owners as we grill and eat lunch together. Counseling is now available for everyone at Advance: on site for participants and off-site for staff members. We’re adding new ways to develop our Staffing Program leaders, preparing them to move to permanent positions. We’re taking steps that value the image-bearers we encounter, but there’s more work and learning to be done.  Skills and wages must increase for our neighbors, especially sinceTennessee leads the nation in minimum wage workers.

When viewed through a Biblical lens, how does your place in our economy change? Does it change how you manage your home or business—or even daily errands? Does it change who you hire? Does it change how you manage or how you work as part of your team? 

These are the questions that I’m struggling to answer, and I invite the Church to join me in this prayerful struggle. Sovereign economy? No! Sovereign man? No! Sovereign God. YES! PLEASE join me in our application of Biblical truths regarding inputs and outputs. It matters to our Creator. I believe that through prayer, God’s word, diverse and challenging personal relationships, and humility, we can experience a foretaste of God's kingdom economy in the midst of our own lives and community.

Steve 

Art for Jobs 2014: Get Involved Starting NEXT WEEK!

This September 11th, we'll host the 4th annual Art for Jobs event, our art show and sale that benefits the programs and people of the Advance Memphis community. It's my job to run this event -- but it's also the one of the most fun and encouraging things I do all year.

We're starting work NOW to make sure that this event is the best yet. And we plan to have a great time doing this work -- so join us! There's something for everyone, and your time will benefit one of the hardest working communities we know!

• Help us market the event to churches and groups all over Memphis...as simple as telling your book club or Sunday school class about the event...as fun as helping us choose the poster art! 
• Help us recruit artists -- everyone from your talented neighbor who paints on the weekends to the well-known artist with pieces in your favorite shop. 
• Help identify and communicate with potential sponsors. These generous businesses make all the difference in the impact of this event! 
• Help us organize volunteers. There will be 40-50 volunteers here on the day of the event! We'd love your help in recruiting them and getting them all pointed in the right direction as they arrive!
• Help us throw a great party! We need all the elements of a good time -- food, drinks, music and people. If you enjoy making all those things come together, join us!

Meet us at Cheffie's THIS Monday, March 31st, at 7pm OR on Thursday, April 3rd, at 11:30am. Pick the meeting time that's best for you and we'll see you there! If you've got questions or want to let us know you're coming, please contact kate@advancememphis.org. 

Hope to see you next week!

Kate

Grind 'Til You Shine: Mural Completed at Art for Jobs

Artist Brandon Marshall recently completed a mural on the west wall of our building with the inspirational words "Grind Til You Shine." The mural also contains symbols and imagery that came directly from Brandon's brainstorming session with Jobs for Life participants where they discussed the beautiful things and the challenges that they see in their community. (SEE FULL ARTIST'S STATEMENT BELOW). The mural has serpents to represent the fall, circling arrows to represent renewal and change, and an apple to represent a plant bearing fruit. When asked what the phrase "Grind 'til you shine," meant to him, participant Walter Brown, said "Staying down for what you really want, working until you get a better outcome." There's much more packed into this beautiful piece; stop by to see it and learn more. More pictures from Art for Jobs are here; thank you for supporting this event!

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Because we talked so much about the importance of Booker T. Washington in the community, we wanted to use some kind of reference to the school itself. We mentioned how something having to do with the mascot, "The Warriors," could be a good metaphor to relate to the mission of Advance Memphis, as well as a reference to the people in the neighborhood, encountering their own day to day battles, and fighting for their families.  This is why I adopted a traditional Native American art motif: I think that it's unique, transcendent (which also relates to the Gospel) and relates to Battle and the Supernatural. 

Another important element that kept being mentioned was the Grizzlies basketball team. While I did not feel a straightforward Grizzlies logo would be appropriate, I did choose a Bear as the central figure for the piece. The Bear is not only a subtle reference to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Spirt of Grit and Grind, but it also represents strength, persistence, and overcoming hardship. It is framed by two wings with Crosses in them to symbolize freedom within the Gospel.

You will notice that below the bear figure are two serpents, which is a reference to the Creation & Fall story in Genesis. The snakes are placed below the Bear, encouraging the viewer to rise above temptation.  You can also see that within the snakes there are the three circular arrows which refer back to the Negative Life Cycle that so many become trapped in.  Again, this is a reminder to the neighborhood, and especially the graduates to rise above the temptation of becoming stuck once again in the Cycle.  Above the Bear there is a small Apple, which is a Biblical Reference to Bearing Fruit. These things are strategically placed above the serpents as things to focus on and strive for. Because they are at the top in the hierarchy of scale, they become more important. 

I also used the image of Hands 'holding' Hope, as well as Arrows pointing up based off a sketch that one of the people in the class did. I'm not sure if the wall will permit for this exact composition, but if need be I can use the Hands on the sides of the mural. 

One of the other things the class mentioned that was unique to the neighborhood was the movie Hustle and Flow, and how it was filmed in the area.  While we could all agree maybe the message about the lifestyles of the characters in the movie was not appropriate to reference, the class did say that it was important to note that everyone in the neighborhood had a hustle.  Everyone had a Grind, whether that be washing cars, cutting grass, and so on. No one could deny that inside of every community member was the God-Given desire to work hard and enjoy the labor of their hands. So something I thought of that might speak specifically to the community was the phrase, "Grind Til You Shine." Maybe unconventional, but I believe everyone who lived in the area would appreciate it.

Thanks, Brandon. 

The Complexity and Shame of Addiction

Compiled by Cindy Goad from materials edited by David Sper, written by Tim Jackson and Jeff Olson, "When We Just Can't Stop: Overcoming Addiction"

Addictions raise many questions. Are they moral weaknesses, diseases, habits, or sins? Are they physical dependencies, or complicated spiritual cycles? What’s needed for change? Is it medical treatment, family intervention, daily group accountability, or spiritual transformation? Can behaviors be changed quickly, or will recovery be the process of a lifetime? The answer to these questions are anything but simple. Honesty demands that we acknowledge the complexity of addiction. Defining Addiction: An addiction is an enslaving, destructive dependency… “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.”

Because a person can be physically predisposed to an addiction, and because of the likelihood of medical complications, addictions are often viewed as a disease. It would be a mistake, however, to think only in terms of the physical dimensions. Most addictions are rooted in moral choices and spiritual needs. 

What is most important is not whether we are predisposed to an enslaving habit, but whether we are willing to do whatever it takes to bring this predisposed “diseased body,” habit or idol under the control of reason and faith. Addictions are not just diversions of choice. We see them as lifeboats necessary for our survival. Addictions give us something we believe we must have in order to live. They provide predictable relief and power in an unpredictable and painful world.  Our addictions provide a remedy that helps us to forget the pain--at least for a little while.  In time, they become worse than the pain we were trying to relieve. Now we find ourselves needing relief not only from our inescapable losses but also from the shame of our own foolishness. We feel shame for an addictive behavior that made our problems worse. 

Shame, however, is also a deceiver. In the beginning, pleasure holds us in the addiction.
In time, shame has the same effect. 

With shame, unless you first identify the problem, you will pass by the many treatments in Scripture without ever seeing or hearing them. Shame. You feel worthless, rejected, dirty and exposed. Sometimes you feel it because of what you have done, in which case your badness must exceed community standards. Shame attaches itself to our sins and does indeed have many faces. It seems to be everywhere and yet still be elusive. Maybe that’s why we can’t do anything with it until we put words on it. But God puts words on it, so we should too. That itself can be hopeful. It can also leave us wanting more. If you want more right away, just watch Jesus. He goes out of his way to meet, touch, bless and restore the shamed and addicted. 

At this crossroads of invitation, there is an opportunity for change. It is an opportunity to discover life through a process of admitting our addiction, acknowledging our pain, accepting responsibility for the damage we've done, pleading for mercy, choosing surrender, and caring for others. Here at this crossroads, our hearts can come alive in the presence of One who, while knowing everything about us, still wants to come into us and be the God and Friend we've been looking for. It will become clear that we need undeserved help and forgiveness. Mercy will become our new found joy. Mercy invites us to a change of heart, a repentance, that will cause us to gladly turn from our idolatrous obsessions. With failure behind us, mercy now calls us to a new dependence on God. For the first time, we will have more than momentary pleasure. Now we will have reason to destroy the idol and break all ties with it.

In our reflective moments we will always have to admit that the pleasure of our addiction doesn't deserve to be compared to the mercies of God. 

Titus 2:11-14 

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

--Cindy Chapple | Leader of Overcoming through Christ at Advance Memphis | cgoad@advancememphis.org

A Volunteer's Experience with Advance

Jay Webb, pictured at center, above, has volunteered at Advance Memphis for over a year. Below are the notes he wrote before presenting to a meeting of his church members about his experiences at Advance. We were encouraged to read about his perspective on the Lord's work in 38126. Read his notes, below. 

What is Advance Memphis:

For me, the transformative statement of Advance Memphis is that is a relational example of the Lord’s work and intent. The program is serves individuals that have been lost in the abyss of apathy, neglect and/or self-induced pain.

 I will borrow from the programs mission statement: Advance intends to empower members of their specific community (Claiborne –Foote, the 38126 zip code) to recognize their specific skills and value as unique and gifted individuals - children of a Father, who created all of us to find joy and meaning in work. Advance has 3 distinct initiatives:

1.       The nationally recognized Jobs for Life program - candidates encounter a 6 week soft skills training program for those who are unemployed or under employed.  It begins with simple elements of work place conduct and is finished off with literacy and GED certification.  Jobs are then assigned with the cooperative partners.

2.       Faith and Finance – while working the candidate attends an 11 week program of financial literacy skills which is required for the 3^rd part of the distinct program.

3.       Individual Development Account (IDA) – graduates are incentive to save with a $2 match to $1 dollar saving program. These funds are used to assist in the essentials of obtaining transportation, housing or additional education.

Why am I involved:

In preparation to speak with you, I had to search, why am I involved? There are dozens of reasons why and most of them are selfish in nature. Does that sound strange? No, because most of you serve and or volunteer. Don’t we get more than we give, when we serve?  Serving the specific community of 38126; one of the poorest zip codes in the U.S., and walking in the doors of Advance you are connected with some of the most ambitious folks you will ever encounter. Overwhelmingly, the filter of the front door brings the true players, the truly ambitious, those who have prayed for change. Those most motivated, walk through that door and in to the fold of its director, Steve Nash and the Advance staff. You are not working with “lost folk” (as Rocky use to say) inside Advance. Within that door you find relationships that are built on love, mercy, grace and acceptance. That is not to say, that you avoid the installation and foundational components of accountability and discipline! The key emphasis; and this is very important, the message and treatment is delivered with human dignity and compassion for another human.  The result of this environment is tremendous! If you want to witness the impact of Christ spirit and visitation, come with me and attend the graduation day. You will be washed in the joy of accomplishment; you invariably will witness the testimony of a candidate or see the new or refreshed commitment to Christ! The energy of the room is amazing, the dull room takes on new dimensions, and people are changing their life’s direction!

This summer, our ministers have been repeating the message of redemption.  Barton Kimbro’s delivery of the meeting of Jesus and the lowly tax collector Zacharias, Mitchell’s sermon, Jesus acceptance and validation of the Samarian women. Dan Brown, he probably thought I wasn’t listening while he discounted his abilities, but the delivery of the idea - God accepts me, but in an insecure moment – you think, will your neighbor accept you, will he/she forgive me, will they recognized your redemption? Can I have the second chance?

 Second chances and recognition of redemption is the strike zone of Advance. It isn’t genius on their behalf; they simply follow Christ teachings and methodology!   We/they serve the individuals who fell off the assembly line of education as teenagers and woke up to find themselves in their early 20’s without work skills , unfinished educational and most often, a criminal record for various destructive reasons. We all know the national statistics of crime rate in our youth between the ages of 13 to 21 years of age. When you add the lack of education on to the equation, the multiples jump.

Closing:

 I have had all the chances one person can be given. That said, I am an advantage immigrant, a product of a father in the military, whose marriage dissolved with my Mother when I was young living in my Mothers native country. As an ace in my hand, my mother was incredibly strong willed and devoted. Additionally, I have been fortunate to have had mentors that served as role models and nurtured me with good habits and emphasized the value of education.  I can’t say that - I found them or they found me! The reality is that mentors were always provided. Wonder, how that happens? Do you think someone was in their ear, like I and our churches are in your ears? I was very fortunate to have had these mentors and most of all they been grounded the Lords grace and capabilities.   

Our Lords acceptance of me is paramount, His gifts have been plentiful, my family the greatest gift of all. I am at Advance, developing relationships and delivering the message of redemption, education or re-education, because it is my responsibility!  It is my responsibility to serve others and nurture those who God loves and who love him.  Who in here has never had adversity? Show me hand! The rest of you are qualified to serve.

How can you get involved?

Contact Advance on Vance Avenue, up the street from Streets Ministry.  Call or write Steve Nash, the Director.  Go to advancememphis.org. Look for a staff member in this room. Grab me.

Other notes:

 It personifies everything that is right n the Memphis community. Let me say, there is a lot going on in Memphis that is good and just. This church, our churches, its members, its leadership and objectives are energized and gaining momentum.  Advance is a component of that energy and momentum! Using Christ example and scriptural mandate, we are accepted and worthy of redemption. My favorite poet wrote, “We are one, we are not the same, yet - we must carry each other”. I identify with that statement. It was written for a different occasion, but it is as true a statement in regards to our community as any other statement that can be made. 

Bus Route Cuts

Did you vote in local elections last fall? If so, you either voted for or against a proposed one cent gas tax that would have helped fund the MATA bus system. Only 38% of voters approved this tax. It failed, and now dozens of routes are being drastically changed or eliminated. Some Advance alumni are losing their transportation to or from work. In the poorest metropolitan city in the nation, can we afford to cut services to the working poor? 

In both Old and New Testaments, the Bible testifies to two central economic convictions:

·         God created people to work, and

·         the faith community is responsible personally and corporately to make sure that work WORKS for those who work.

OT laws like the Jubilee and gleaning laws testify to the great sacrifices Israelite society was to make in order to ensure that people could earn their own living (see: http://tinyurl.com/lszg7nv ), and James’ words condemn those who employ workers but don’t pay them enough to provide for themselves (James 5:4-5).

Last week, we found out from a concerned neighbor that MATA plans to make serious reductions to bus service beginning next month. The vast majority of our graduates use the bus service to get to work, and one of our biggest staffing customers, WM Barr, will no longer have any bus service on President’s Island. Already, low-income Memphians have seen a 30% reduction in bus service over the last 5 years. Furthermore, with the elimination of big public housing projects, poor Memphians are being relocated further and further from downtown services AND workplaces. This means we need more bus service, not less.

Even in times of tight budgets, Christians must fight for robust public transportation because this is the only way that work can be a viable option for the poor. Saving on our city budget by making it harder for the poor to get and keep jobs is like sawing off the tree branch you’re sitting on. Many of our residents don’t have cars because they don’t have money; if they can’t get a job because of reduced bus service, what are they supposed to do? Old Testament saints made the edges of their agro-businesses available for the poor to glean from; must we not fight to keep access to work places available for our low-income neighbors? If the faith community does not take responsibility for making work WORK, then we should not be surprised if organized crime flourishes; if people can’t get to work, they’ll take what work they can find nearby, legal or otherwise.

The time to act is NOW! Here are some action steps you can take in the next 3 days. They won’t take much time, and each one will put pressure on our elected officials!

1. Call your council representative. You can use this website to get their emails, or send an email to all of them (http://www.cityofmemphis.org/Government/CityCouncil/CouncilMembers.aspx). To find out who yours is, you can use this one: http://www.cityofmemphis.org/Portals/0/pdf_forms/2011_Redistricting_Maps.pdf. If you know yours already, a list of all council email addresses is here. 

2. Email your thoughts before Friday at 5 p.m. to publiccomments@matatransit.com 

3. Go to one of two public meetings. These are on Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30-7:30 pm. Info here: http://www.matatransit.com/newsandalerts/public-meetings/

Thrift Store Survey: Help Us Complete Research for Co-ops

These interns are hard at work doing biz dev research to support our investigation into the feasibility of beginning worker owner cooperative businesses here in 38126. Support them in their efforts! Read below to see how you can help them by completing a brief survey. 

Why did God give Israel laws requiring His people to share ASSETS among the poor as well as INCOME (Leviticus 25)? In God's economy, the poor are given access to more than hand-outs or even wages; through the Year of Jubilee they also receive access to ownership! 

Advance Memphis is exploring ways to help our South Memphis neighbors live into God's economy through empowering local entrepreneurs and launching worker-owned cooperative businesses. 

You can help us with the early stages of this research by taking our brief survey on RESALE STORES (thrift, consignment, antique shops, etc). Here's the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CLHZYQZ. 

Join us as we not only try to teach folks to fish, but just as importantly, make sure that every fisherman has access to the pond. 

Thanks!

The Advance Memphis Co-Op Research Team

News from Employment Support

The Restore and Renew program was developed as an additional rung on Advance Memphis's employment ladder -- one that gives a second chance to graduates who had been terminated from employment in our Staffing Program. Below is an email from Employment Support Specialist Juanita Johnson, reporting to our staff team on the success of that program and other efforts of that department. Be encouraged!

Dear team,

Twelve graduates started Restore & Renew six weeks ago and all twelve successfully completed the class on yesterday!  Thanks to Michael for seeing my vision for this class and helping to bring it to fruition two years ago, and to Walter [pictured above left, Walter teaches this class] for his patience, love, mentoring and leadership.  We have seen a 90% success rate with R&R grads returning to work and staying in active status for at least 90-days.  

Additionally, I would like to let everyone know why you are seeing [student] and [student] in the building so much recently. Walter has taken these two young men under his wings and is mentoring and monitoring them as they work through specific goals that once complete, will allow them to be more mature, committed, and trustworthy gentlemen.  

I am asking that you will please continue to pray for the Employment Support program as we continue to develop and expand to allow more time for mentoring and relationship repairing as outlined above.  

Thanks and be blessed!

Juanita Johnson

Resurrection Church

In the corner of the body of Christ where I hang out, most folks seem to understand pretty clearly that we are saved “not by works, so that no man can boast,” but solely by the free and gracious gift of Christ’s death. But lately I've noticed that when we talk about the church, we sometimes make a subtle shift towards an us-centered effort. Maybe we’re told that the church has the “potential” to change the world, or maybe we’re hearing about how the church’s failure has resulted in some or other of the world’s ills. 

And of course this is all true . . . to a point. As we self-assess how we, as this eye or that toe of the body of Christ, are being faithful to Jesus, it is right and good for us to be prophetically rigorous in naming our racism, greed, classism, lust, individualism, nationalism, or downright apathy, and even to name how our failures have been failures to Jesus, the Head, to the rest of His body, the church, and to our neighbors throughout the world.

Nevertheless, I think that some of our talk about the church can make a grave error: speaking as if the church’s mission is up for grabs, as if the church might stand, and change the world, or fall, and destroy it. But it is Jesus himself who promised to build His church on the rock of Peter’s confession that Jesus is the King of the entire world. And that promise to build the church was tied to another: “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” We often picture this as a promise that the church will survive hell’s onslaught, when really it’s actually the opposite. Gates aren't offensive weapons like swords or nuclear bombs, they’re defensive weapons, like moats, ramparts, or missile shields. So the promise isn't that the church will survive hell’s onslaught, the promise is that hell will be demolished by the church’s attack.

And to some extent, to look around and say, “It sure doesn't look like we’re pulling down the gates of hell,” is to look in the wrong direction. Because the gates of hell have already fallen before the Risen Christ. He has already defeated hell through his resurrection, and it is this risen body of Jesus which every Christian is grafted into. To be the church is to be part of the people united with the risen Lord.

Eugene Peterson calls the church a “colony of heaven in the kingdom of death.” And what I’m saying is that this colony is backed by an enormous super power, the Empire of God, which has already taken out the capital of Death’s kingdom. The church’s work in the world is founded upon the resurrection and carried out in the power of the resurrection. Our work is from life to life. Just as our personal salvation is sure, so also is the church’s victory through its union with the victorious Christ.

Of course there is a longing, a waiting, a deep gasping for breath before all of this is finally consummated and completed, when the Risen Lord comes to resurrect us. And what that means is that the way that we live out our life in the Risen Head as we wait to become fully the risen toes, feet, and fingers, is that we expect to travel the way of the cross. I needed the reminder of resurrection this week, because recently the brokenness of my neighborhood, family, life, and world has been overwhelming (remember Andrew’s post about failure?). And that feeling can and has fueled cynicism, burnout, bigotry, and despair in my life and the lives of many of us. But if Jesus really rose from the dead, all the pain of the world is the pain of the cross, and it should simply fuel wonder that this, this too, will be raised from the dead. May we always speak of the bride with the confidence that the cross is the sure means and the resurrection the sure end by which Christ has saved, is saving, and will save the world.

Michael Rhodes

mrhodes@advancememphis.org

Lessons from Jawbreakers

Dear Friends,

Why do I need winter, a garage, a cat, Jawbreakers, and a friend to help me to learn contentment and joy? Isn’t reading God’s word and going to church enough? Well, it’s NOT for this writer.

Sermons at church about joy and contentment prick my heart from time to time. But when those lessons are coupled with relationships that show me the contrast between what I SHOULD do and what I AM doing—then things get moving. Change happens. We all know that God's word says to imitate Jesus. To do that, we must be constantly changing. If I'm imitating Him, then I'm always repenting of my sin and seeking His design. My friend Jane is helping me to do that in a mighty way. 

Jane asks me, “How can I heat the garage I’m living in with a space heater and not drive up the owner’s utility bill?” I admit my ignorance and then begin to brainstorm with her.  She is not bitter about her living situation—quite the opposite. In fact, I actually notice her contentment and her gratitude to the family letting her live in their garage.

WOW, that is in STARK contrast to the 

way that I respond to all I have.

Now we get to the part about Jane’s cat—I really don’t like cats. Jane has four cats, and she loves them. So where does my friend find her joy? She is elated to be on our computers at Advance learning how to use email so that she can communicate with an agency that will help take care of her cats for free. As I am talking to her, she asks me a question about email. Eventually she sends off her request for help, delighted that she has found a way to help her cats.

Then Jane’s Champion (mentor) arrives. Jane jumps up—thrilled—and says “I love this lady!” You see, Jane had been asking for a Champion for months (she went through Jobs for Life before we offered mentoring). Advance began to pray and ask friends if they would be this woman’s Champion. God has answered that prayer and Jane is studying God’s word with her Champion. This mentor knew it was my friend’s birthday and brought a cake to celebrate! Now Jane's joy was overflowing; her delight over cats being helped for free, having a friend to study the Bible with her, and having a birthday cake. I have more friends and invitations to study the Bible than I can possibly accept, plus birthday cake options every year. Again, God is using her joy and contentment to convict my heart. 

Now let’s deal with this box of candy. A couple of weeks ago Jane was in the office and shared her Jawbreakers with me.  Today she asks me to close my eyes because she has a surprise for me. We all know the game and I was happy to play. Her hands are behind her back. I’m told to pick a hand. I pick left and am given a box of Jawbreakers! I’m thrilled with the gift and my heart is now in tension.

Friends, this woman joyfully lives in a garage and has planned this purchase and gift for me—JAWBREAKERS. Why don’t I have more joy, contentment, and generosity in my life? Oh, the reasons are many; maybe my environment is too sterile (church, neighborhood, school) or maybe I’m just “too busy” to plan a thoughtful gift or listen to God or reflect on a sermon.

I know I'm not the only one who benefits from seeing this contrast. Won't you come get involved in a personal relationship and begin to embrace cats, candy, and garages? God will continue to use His word and many other things—Jawbreakers!—to move us toward being more joyful, content, and generous. Please bring your time, talents, and resources. Let’s build His kingdom and embrace reciprocal learning!

Sincerely,

Steve

Crime and Poverty and Ourselves: Wisdom from Proverbs, Part III

give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with the food that is needful for me,

lest I be full and deny you

and say, “Who is the LORD?”

or lest I be poor and steal

and profane the name of my God.

  Do not slander a servant to his master,

lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

There are those who curse their fathers

and do not bless their mothers.

There are those who are clean in their own eyes

but are not washed of their filth.

There are those—how lofty are their eyes,

how high their eyelids lift!

There are those whose teeth are swords,

whose fangs are knives,

to devour the poor from off the earth,

the needy from among mankind. 

Proverbs 30:8-14, ESV

We've been thinking about the common sins of the poor (post 1) and of the rich (post 2). We've seen that the sage does not discriminate between criminal sins (such as stealing) and private sins (such as idolatry, materialism and pride), and we've hopefully concluded that we cannot discriminate between these different types of sins either. If we do, and we think our sin struggles aren't as bad as someone else’s, then we are like those who think their צֹאָה don’t stink--modern day vernacular!--“but forgot to wash off their anus” (verse 12, see previous post). 

Now that we've tackled the false notion that the sins of the poor are worse than the sins of the wealthy, we need to dispel another myth, which is that our sins are less damaging than the sins of the poor.  

One of the great strengths of the Christian tradition I was raised in was the emphasis on “heart sins.” The accent was much needed because it was through this emphasis that our predominately middle and upper class congregations were able to see that we were just as spiritually needy as the man found guilty in the court room.  By dwelling on our “inward sins” during personal and corporate worship, the gospel became alive and more beautiful to us.  All of this is very good and I do not wish to discredit this emphasis at all; however, we need to make sure that we don’t fool ourselves into thinking that our "inward," "heart" sin is simply a personal matter between us and God, as if we could actually suppress what’s inside us.  The Scriptures teach that everything we do and say comes from the overflow of our hearts. Thus, to the extent that “inward sin” remains in our hearts, it will surely express itself outwardly.  

In other words, while we like to think of our “heart sin” as being a private issue between us and God, in reality, it always affects those around us. God may be the primary one we assault with our sins of greed and self-righteousness (the basic sins attached to the rich in this passage), but he’s not the only one we assault. Our sins are social evils.

Am I exaggerating by calling what we typically think of as private sins “social evils?”  It sure feels like it, but I think this is the point Argur, the author of this passage, is alluding to in the last part of this passage.  While blindness to one’s own filth is bad enough (v. 12), it gets worse.  Those who consider themselves superior exhibit exactly what they’re thinking to everyone they look upon (v. 13) and every time they open their mouths, whether they’re addressing their own parents (v. 11) or the marginalized poor (v. 14).  While we tend to be blind to our own attitudes, they are never subtle to those we come into contact with. This probably just irritates those around us who are also self-confident, but it is devastating to those who already feel inferior. 

In “When Helping Hurts” (a must read, if you haven’t already!), Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert help us observe that most poor people tend to describe their poverty in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, social isolation, etc. They provide some quotes from the poor from various parts of the world such as the following:

“For a poor person everything is terrible- illness, humiliation, shame. We are cripples; we are afraid of everything; we depend on everyone. No one needs us.  We are like garbage that everyone wants to get rid of.” – Moldova

“When I don’t have any [food to bring my family], I borrow, mainly from my neighbors and friends. I feel ashamed standing before my children when I have nothing to help feed the family. I’m not well when I’m unemployed. It’s terrible.” – Guinea-Bissau  

“When one is poor, she has no say in public, she feels inferior.”  – Uganda

It’s no different for the poor in America.  In the Jobs for Life class, I always ask the class to describe what it feels like when they aren't working. I've asked this question to over 400 mostly unemployed adults; I've never heard anyone say that it was nice or care-free or relaxing.  Instead, I get the same kinds of answers over and over again: 

“I’m depressed.” 

“Ashamed.” 

“I feel like I’m not even a man.” 

“I can’t even work at Burger King! I feel like nobody wants me.” 

While the poor often feel powerless and inferior, conversely, the self-sufficient often consider themselves wise and superior. As Fikkert likes to say, “We have god-complexes” because we ignorantly think we achieved everything we have strictly by our own efforts which, by implication, makes those who haven’t accomplished what we have, i.e., the poor, inferior to us. Thus, I shouldn't be surprised that when I hear my middle class friends talk about people on welfare, the messages I hear are similar to the self-messages of the poor:

“They’re all just lazy!” 

“Why don’t they get a job!” 

“They just think they’re entitled to my money that I worked hard for!” 

“No one gave me a handout, so why should they get one?”  

Sadly, this kind of rhetoric is found in our churches as well. I once heard a pastor state from the pulpit: "I can have compassion for the poor children, but not a grown man. Anyone who won't provide for his own family is worthless." 

Such statements not only reveal our critical attitudes, but also a profound ignorance among middle class Christians about the poor. Is there any wonder why so few poor people attend our evangelical churches? If there's one thing I've learned while working at Advance it's that there are tons of people who want to work, but for a variety of reasons it hasn't worked out for them, evidenced by the fact that there is always a waiting list to get in our Jobs for Life program. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that the last thing a grown man, whose chief ambition is to provide for his family but finds himself constantly rejected by employers, needs to hear is "Get a job!"

Rather than being simply a personal matter between us and God, our attitudes of superiority are extremely damaging and hurtful to others.  The reason is this: our hearts always manifest themselves outwardly.  Some of us are able to guard our tongues better than others; however, if our hearts are prideful, we still can’t help but “look proudly around, casting disdainful glances” (verse 13, NLT).  The way that we look at those in the streets is obvious to them. They know they’re looked down on by the rest of society, causing them to feel further marginalized and isolated.

Verse 14 describes those whose teeth are like swords, and whose jaws are set with knives. In a pre-gunpowder era, the sword was the chief instrument of violence. The commentators I've consulted all believe that the use of weapon imagery used in this passage is a metaphor for destructive speech. 

Why is it that the self-sufficient tend to struggle with self-righteousness on the one hand and criticism on the other? The latter part of verse 14 gives us the answer: “to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.” “Well,” we might think, “I’m not trying to devour anybody.” But this is where we must really search our hearts. Of course we aren't actively trying to kill the poor; neither were the Bible’s wealthy class. But just because we aren't actively destroying the poor, are we not just as guilty when we allow them to be slowly consumed because we passively neglect their needs. 

What's our motive? The reason we think and talk about the poor the way we do is because we want to feel justified in not helping them.  As long as the hungry man is a “lazy-good-for-nothing,” and not an image bearer, we feel okay about holding on to our goods.

The imagery is ironic. We who are pure in our own minds are the real doers of violence! While the self-righteous and self-sufficient may be less likely to be convicted of literal violence, our very words destroy the dignity of others, especially the vulnerable, the poor and the needy. Why? Because we’d rather accumulate wealth than love our neighbors.

Our heart sin of superiority is very serious. We are the ones condemned in this passage, not the impoverished thief. Because the poor are made in God’s image, Jesus takes this very personally: “Whoever mocks the poor, insults his Maker” (Prov 17:5; cf. 14:31; 21:13). If we do not change our thinking, we mock God and devour his image.

Andrew Vincent
Jobs for Life Coordinator
andrew@advancememphis.org

Encourage One Another...Build One Another Up

Recently, volunteers and staff members at Advance pulled together to experiment with a new self-exploration and goal setting process for students--MAPS. Students thought through their life experiences to identify their skills and strengths; they also invited their Champions, friends and family to be part of the process, so that those folks could also call out those strengths and skills. While this conversation took place, a volunteer artist did his/her best to represent the life experiences, fears, and strengths in a quick drawing. It took a lot of careful scheduling and dedicated volunteers to pull off this process--and it also took students who were brave enough to be vulnerable to the process. On the whole,we think this experiment was a success, and we're grateful to everyone who helped make it possible.  

After MAPS, Andrew was teaching a lesson on communication in Jobs for Life. He guided students through communicating with a classmate about a recent emotional experience. One student, Latabatha (far right), chose to talk about her MAPS experience the week before. We praise God that she experienced this affirmation of her dignity and worth:

"During the MAPS class I felt proud of myself. I felt very happy and joyful.
I feel much better every day since the day of my MAPS class...
I wanted to hug my mentor, drawer and my good teacher Andrew,
because they all made me feel bigger than I'd ever think I would feel.
I drew a bible around my nightmares.
I am going to take all the advice and good words
they all said about me everywhere I go. My sister and cousin was a big inspiration to me.
At the end of my session I walked out very proudly and joyful.
I now follow my heart because of finding out how good of a person I am
and that I'm very strong with and through all things."

Who Should We Invite to Our Homes?

God is constantly revealing to me that I have so much to learn…from His word, and from my friends. 

I have a dear friend that I have had the pleasure of being in a relationship with since she attended Jobs for Life class. We often ride to church together, and last week as I asked her what she was cooking for Sunday dinner. She named off the usual big “Southern Sunday Dinner” that had my mouth watering. My friend told me that she was making plates for a few homeless men that hang around her apartment complex. I immediately went into a mode of “listen to me, I know best.” I encouraged her to not let strange people into her house, to be careful, and to take their plates outside. Her response to me was “of course I am letting them in—why wouldn't I?” As we were both thinking the other was crazy, I went home and contemplated her words. After much thought, I still thought that she was being careless and not thinking of her own safety. I felt like she needed to listen to me and if she didn't, she was headed for trouble. 

As I was going about my week in my self-righteous thoughts, our staff came together for a time of worship and to delve into scripture together. I was immediately faced with Isaiah 58:7, 

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” 

Wow, was I ever convicted. God is leading me to repent  for things I hadn't even realized held me in bondage for so many years. Just when I felt as if I was trudging through life, cultivating relationships by inviting MY FRIENDS into my home, He is showing me that I need to throw away my “A-List Party Invitations” and welcome others to my home and table. How long is it going to take for me to learn how to die to self and live by scripture? A foundational teaching of Scripture is that it is possible to be completely changed through transformed thought patterns. I am choosing to view this circumstance as a call to action. I challenge myself to come out of my comfort zone, trust in God and live as Scripture says I should live--by continuing to journey through imperfect progress. I am so touched by  my relationship with my friend; I continue to learn from her wisdom and her love for me and others. 

Editors's note: The above is written by Cindy Chapple, Jobs for Life grad and admin assistant at Advance Memphis. I think you'll enjoy knowing that shortly after writing this, the below scene occurred in Cindy's living room: a house FULL of people, sharing a meal together. What steps can we take today to live out the truth of Isaiah 58:7?

A Letter from Phyllis

Phyllis, pictured front right, graduated from Jobs for Life
in December, 2011, and now works at Poplar Point
Health and Rehabilitation.

To my Advance Memphis Family and Overcoming Through Christ group,

First, I want to give honor to God and then to you for helping me make a change in my life. Before I came to Advance Memphis, I knew nothing about God’s unconditional love, faith, hope and the encouragement everyone here has given me. I felt at my age, life was over for me. Who would hire me? And who would love me? 

This school has taught me that I've always been loved by God and there is nothing he won’t do for his children. He knew what I needed, that’s why he sent me to Advance. To me you are all Angels sent by God. I just want you to know (teachers and staff) that I am so grateful to you for not giving up on me, also for your teachings and uplifting words. Now I know my past doesn't define who I am. I now have a full time job and benefits!! The courses I took help me to have confidence on my job and to get along well with my co-workers. I've also been getting complimented on my work by my supervisor and the administrator of the facility thanking ME!! for being a part of their family. 

I pray everyday that God will expand this school building [Advance Memphis] because there are so many of me still out there needing your love and encouragement. Even though my off days prevent me from attending my community groups and church the way I want, I wake up every morning with prayer and the reading of God’s word. When I come home I thank God for everything he’s doing in my life. I sit and read and pray because that’s what keeps my battery charged! 

To God we give the Glory,

Phyllis

P.S. Love you and miss you all. 

2012: Congrats to Our GED Recipients

To support this work, go to www.tinyurl.com/givetoAdvance. 

Andrew and Mike Memphis: 2012 Rap

Each time a Jobs for Life class begins wrapping up for graduation, recognizing the amount of work that the class has completed, Andrew allows them to give him one homework assignment. This rap was his assignment for the last class of 2012, and he performed it at their graduation. The beat for Andrew's rap -- and the second wrap -- were written and performed by one of that days graduating students: Kenneth Chalmers, AKA Mike Memphis. The lyrics to both raps are below. 


Andrew's Rap
This is the last class of twenty twelve
I know this whole class is feelin' themselves [slang for proud]
Mr. Gerald is always the very best dressed
And you know Mr. Charles is too blessed to be stressed
James Cross be keepin that coffee pot hot
I'm proud of all yall that quit smoking pot
I know yall be thinkin my rhymes are lame [slang for uncool]
But com' on, I'm white, and the class is to blame
Ptosha be matchin from her head to her toe
From far away she looks like a rainbow
Terrance started class with a terrorist beard
Martrecia on a bad day is a thing to be feared
LTD, he got his female haters [slang for a person who cannot be happy for another]
Joscelyn and Andre were his chief motivators
Latasha already got her GED
And Nichole brought us a hundred honey buns for free
Valerie looks like an eskimo in that jacket
Andre's so quiet he never once made a racket
Terrika be cheaing cause she already had all the notes
Xavier got shoe strings on the back of his coat
Ms. Barbara went ham in lunch line [slang for being tough]
4 of yall forgot to pay your class fine
Deborah she got caught ghetto dancing in class
Mike and Jamaine they sit on the....same table.
This is the last class of twenty twelve
I know this whole class be feelin themselves!

Memphis Mike's Rap: Roadblocks
written and performed by Kenneth Chalmers (Mike Memphis)

They don't want to see my ball [slang for how I get things done],
they just want to see me fall
I'm go get to where I'm going 
even if I have to crawl
You can handcuff me and put my back against the wall
No matter the situation I'm going to make it through it all
I aint never been a quitter, was born a survivor
Got the heart of David when he took on Goliath
Not a shaky bone in my body I'm a rider
Before gold can shine you gotta take it through the fire
I been there...I done some things in my life brought me pure hell
A couple years ago was sitting in a jail cell
I done some things in my life brought be pure hell
But now I'm out here doing good so you can't tell. 

Crime and Poverty: Part II

give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with the food that is needful for me,

lest I be full and deny you

and say, “Who is the LORD?”

or lest I be poor and steal

and profane the name of my God.

  Do not slander a servant to his master,

lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

There are those who curse their fathers

and do not bless their mothers.

There are those who are clean in their own eyes

but are not washed of their filth.

There are those—how lofty are their eyes,

how high their eyelids lift!

There are those whose teeth are swords,

whose fangs are knives,

to devour the poor from off the earth,

the needy from among mankind. (Proverbs 30:8-14, ESV)

In the last post, we saw the wisdom of the sage who humbly prayed “give me neither poverty… lest I be poor and steal…” The prayer (one of the only prayers in the book) is surely close to the heart of Jesus since it echoes the way he taught us to pray: “Give us today our daily bread…and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Mt 6:9-13). The author knew that temptation for the poor is uniquely complicated and severe, and he knew the depravity of his own heart; thus, he concluded that if he were poor, he himself would likely be a criminal.

If we are wise--if we are biblical--we will conclude the same thing: the reason you and I are not sitting in jail right now has more to do with our economic status than our character and love for Jesus. 

In case we miss this point, in case we actually think there is something superior about ourselves that keeps us from toting guns (or using our bodies, etc.) to make a living illegally, the rest of this passage should sober us, if not embarrass us.

This post will focus on the flipside of the wise man’s prayer: “Give me not riches.”  Before we can understand what we need to learn from this passage, we must understand that as modern day Americans, the middle ground, which the author requests, is not likely.  The prayer is  for “daily bread” (NIV) as an alternative to poverty and wealth, so that if we have enough food for today and tomorrow, then by biblical standards (not American consumer standards which makes us all feel like we don’t have enough), we are rich.  And if we are rich, this means that while we may not all struggle with stealing, we will struggle with something that’s ultimately (as we will see) more pathetic.

The basic sins attached to the wealthy are over-consumption and overconfidence.  “Give me not riches… lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’” Of course those of us who have more than our daily bread aren't robbing people--we don’t need to rob. We don’t even need the Lord! Or at least this is what our lives usually imply. We may not flat out reject Jesus literally through our words, but we do so practically when we live for more money under the pretense of living for God. Based on the structure of this passage, we must see that to the degree that the poor are prone to steal, we are as likely to become addicted to the things money gives us, making wealth ultimate instead of God.

So how well are we fighting the good fight?  A good indicator of whether we've fallen into our demographics’ unique temptation is to think back to the last time we prayed this prayer: “Give me not riches, lest I get too comfortable and reject the Lord.” If it hurts to pray this prayer, we are guilty of idolatry. 

Ouch… I don’t know that I’ve ever prayed against obtaining more money. While I'm being honest, I should also confess that gluttony and skepticism (a form of denying of God), the two sins the author immediately attaches to the wealthy, are two of my biggest ongoing sin struggles. While my poor neighbors are more likely to be caught up in theft, I'm taking pills to combat my high blood pressure and cholesterol because I love food and drink more than honoring Jesus' name.

Now, here’s what’s truly pathetic about those of us who have more than our daily bread. The problem isn't that we tend to struggle with gluttony and/or materialism and self-reliance. These things are bad, but our real problem is that we think our sins are not as bad compared to theft and other kinds of poverty-driven sins.  The author places the sins of the rich on par with the sins of the poor, but with our tendency toward self-righteousness, we actually fool ourselves into thinking our problems aren't as bad.

If we were being truly honest, we would have to admit that we often think there’s something about us--or perhaps something about them--that makes us better. “Well sure, we’re all sinful,” we say, “but these people really need help.” And if we are really blind, we might even go as far as saying “these people need my help.” 

Ever think this? I have, and that’s why the rest of this passage is so humiliating.  Read verse 12 carefully: “There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.” Unfortunately, modern translations are produced by members of middle and upper class society and offensive passages like this one are tamed for our polite, cultural preferences.  “Filth” is accurate, but it’s not literal. The Hebrew word צֹאָה either means excrement or vaginal discharge with a focus on the foulness or odor of the organic matter.*  Since even I’m uncomfortable talking about the latter of these two options, I’ll gladly accept this translation: “Wicked progeny judges itself righteous, but did not wash off its anus” (A New English Translation of the Septuagint). This is what the bible says we are like when we think we are superior to others.

Verse 12 is extremely ironic, especially reading it in its context of wealth and poverty. Those of us who are economically self-sufficient struggle with sin just like everyone else. Our depraved hearts may manifest in different ways depending on complex sociological factors; however, in the final analysis, these differences are only superficial--our hearts are all the same. We all need Jesus. If we think differently, if we hold on to the belief that we are somehow different or better, we are like someone who after scrubbing and examining himself, and pridefully thinking he’s done a meticulous job, walks away judging the appearance of others but not realizing his backside is covered with smears.

Along these lines, Jesus criticized the Church of Laodicea: You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). We think we are better, but as it turns out, we are the ones who really need help.

* Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Andrew Vincent
andrew@advancememphis.org