Cowardice or Revelation?

I don’t belong here, at HOPE. Oh, I am supposed to be here for a time but this isn’t where I’m supposed to settle.  It is not that I don’t firmly believe in the vision of this organization. On the contrary I believe it is intricately linked to my own passions and purpose.  That being said I struggle with the knowledge that the organization itself isn’t truly answering the biblical call to do justice.  It is doing justice…it does bolster its cause with the use of scripture… but it is not an entity driven by a love for Christ and by extension a need to see his kingdom brought to earth.  There is a lack of people doing this with the fervor I would expect from followers of Jesus.   It is sometimes as if the word of God is a secondary consideration next to man’s agenda; albeit a worthwhile and admirable agenda.  I came into this field knowing I would be working with people of mixed faiths and that was an exciting and welcomed challenge.  Still, I had thought that challenge would be tempered by the presence of Christians that I had been longing to meet.  God has undoubtedly written a call to do justice on my heart.  In ministry I had felt like the odd woman out and was so anxious to meet Christians who shared the same burden.  I have found people who share that fiery passion for justice but I had hoped it would be matched… no… exceeded by a passion for Jesus.

I would not be so presumptuous as to say I have no colleagues like this.  Of course I do and they bless me.  I had just had such hopes for a community (as spread out as we are) of believers whom I could strengthen and who could strengthen me not only in our work but also in our faith.  It could simply be circumstance that prevents me from seeing the full extent of their faith.  Perhaps with more conversation and more time it would become clear how they love the Lord.  But if you live for him shouldn’t that be as obvious a part of you as the color of your skin?  Then again, they could have been looking at me this past year and harboring the same concern.  Do I clearly live for him?

For those organizers who do not follow Jesus I have no criticism.  My faith is not their faith and I have no place judging.  I am simply honored to watch them exercise a passion to see justice done.  I believe that the Lord lovingly placed that passion in them and that what they do now is a glimpse of whom God desires for them to be but that is for them to work out and decide in their own time.  It doesn’t diminish the impact their efforts have on our community.  They are a gift to the cities they live and work in.

It is not without reservation that I continue to come to work each morning.  My insides recoil at the idea of doing this work day in and day out for years to come.  Not because I am sorry to be doing it now but because this is not what I envision for myself.  I still crave adventure, and movement, and to be great.  When I look ahead I see so much more than what I am doing at this very moment but I suppose that is a natural desire.  Some of my peers in this field have or will commit their lives to this work.  They thrive on it, are good at it, and some go as far as to be defined by it.  Sometimes I feel guilty for not being that committed; not being that certain.  I see it as a stepping-stone to the next phase in my life.  I respect the work and want to honor a field that I see as crucial to our city’s well-being but it would be a lie to say this is where I want it to end.

Am I not meant for more than this? Am I standing in the way of my own calling or am I yearning for an excellence that was never reserved for me?

I have known I was called to missions since I was eighteen years old.  I spent several years following that waiting for God to show me where.  Where would I live? Who would I serve?  I knew little of missions but what I did know was everyone got “called” somewhere.  Would it be India? Africa?  For a while I was certain it was Haiti.  I was mistaken.  How could I be so certain I was called to missions and not know where? Was wrong about everything?

A few years ago Wesley (campus ministry) had a Prophetic ministry weekend.  Our pastor challenged us to intercede and pray into each other’s lives, to exercise the gift of prophecy and be bold enough to share words with each other.  When it came time for me to be prayed over I was given an answer.  Several people spoke such an affirming truth into my life.  “Your feet will constantly be moving.” “ You are to go from place to place as God decides where and when he needs you”

Of course!  It is how I spent my entire childhood.  Constantly being moved around.  Never having a home. It wasn’t ideal but it also made it so that I became a natural at assimilating myself into any environment and creating a “home” for however long I was there.  It would make sense for the Lord to redeem that aspect of childhood by making it a strength in my adult life.  It was so comforting to hear that from friends.  I am called to the nations.  I love that God made me this way.  I love that he trusts me.

The reason I mention this now is I’m struggling with whether I am creating truths to simplify my life or if God is using this time to unfold another part of his plan for me.  I’m jumping ahead though.

The potential “truths” I am referring to is the recent nagging feeling that perhaps I’m not only meant to wander in terms of where I’m called but also in how I’m called.  I’m been carrying that weight around for months.  Am I supposed to master one thing/career and pour myself into it for the rest of my life or commit myself wholeheartedly to a multitude of things until God calls me onto the next task.

Every time that thought creeps in I chalk it up to weakness and a lack of fortitude.  Every responsible adult picks a path and maintains it.  You rise in the ranks of your given field and you establish yourself in one community.  Is it just immaturity that makes that concept seem so wrong to me? Should I have stuck it out with law, or ministry, or now with organizing?  I never felt as though I was quitting.  These all seemed like seamless transitions I was meant to make and continuing to live my life that way seems so right.

What are your thoughts?  Are you where you belong? Are you doing the one thing you are meant to do?  Does everyone have only ONE thing they are called too?

The 2009 Nehemiah Action

HOPE and its member congregations Share a vision for mobilizing all of our organized

power to confront systems that perpetuate injustices in the community.

Micah 6:8 and Matthew 23:23 and 24 are the Biblical basis for our vision.

Both passages state that the Lord requires us “to do justice, love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with our God (faithfulness).” Our congregations do a good job of reminding us to be faithful; we gather, at least, 52 times a year for worship.  And our congregations do a fair job of showing mercy by providing services like tutoring and food pantries to the individual victims of injustice.  Unfortunately, our congregations generally do a bad job of meeting the justice requirement to hold the political and economic systems accountable for fair policies and resources such as quality education for all students.  Why? Well, to justice requires having enough power to hold the political and economic systems accountable for fairness in our communities.

As we learn from Nehemiah’s calling of a great assembly of people to bring charges against the unfair nobles and officials, there is power in numbers.  And one congregation doesn’t have enough people power to hold the systems accountable So, we build our power by joining up with other congregations in our organization and together we exercise our power by turning out hundreds, even thousands, of people to a big Nehemiah Action to win needed changes.

Below is a description of one of the issue cuts we will be addressing at the 2009 Nehemiah Action.  I hope it inspires you!

Extraordinary Opportunity for Every Hillsborough County Resident

If you want to spend a couple of worthwhile hours that requires nothing more than signing-in and watching a grassroots process that includes elected officials committing to a just cause, please mark you calendars for 6:30 PM, Monday, April 27, at Nativity Catholic Church. I am a community organizer for HOPE,  Hillsborough Organization for
Progress and Equality, and at this year’s Nehemiah Action we will be addressing issues causing Hillsborough County’s middle-school children population to be at risk with gangs and violence, not learning at grade level, lack of supervision after school hours.

In the 2007-2008 school year, 10 middle schools in Hillsborough County
received a grade of C or D. Of those schools, an average of 46% or
less met the reading standards, 47% or less met the math standards,
and 24% or less met the science standards. Further, the 2000 census
revealed that there were approximately only 4,000 after school slots
available to middle school students and there were more than 41,000
middle school students. Only less than 10% of Hillsborough County’s
12 – 14 year olds could be served in the year 2000.

A lack of supervision can lead to children being victims and/or
perpetrators of bullying and crime. Beyond this violence there is
the risk of teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and no one to monitor
homework and studying, which all negatively affects grades, leading
to dropouts and the likelihood of substandard living as adults.

Please schedule the date and time, and invite friends, as well.
The more making their concerns for our children known to our elected
officials, the better the attention will be on this matter.

DO JUSTICE!!

25 random facts about Meeeee!

1) I spent approximately a decade of my childhood as a Catholic/Jewish girl named Ashley Rachel Roth. Yeah…try and figure that one out.

2) I have a deep love for Hugh Jackman. I don’t care what you say…it’s not superficial! It’s so much more than that. He makes me want to marry an Australian. In my mind Australia is magical place where Hugh Jackman-like men roam the streets.

3) I…like many other community organizers…. am hopelessly unorganized. It’s sad really. I can’t function without my dayplanner. It keeps me sane because everything else is a chaotic mess.

4) I don’t speak Spanish. Yes I look like should speak it. Yes I am from a country where everyone else speaks it. Yes I did start out speaking it. But no…I don’t speak Spanish. I barely speak spanglish.

5) I have a horrible habit of pointing out people and things I notice about them while in public. This is done neither quietly nor discreetly. I was recently informed that I also actually do physically point at the person. I’m not intending to be rude. I just don’t mind being heard. I should probably work on that.

6) Hi, my name is AnaYelsi and I am an activist. If you’re organizer you know this is sometimes said like it’s a dirty word but I’m sayin’ it! What now!!

7) I get waaaay too excited about food. It’s just all so yummy and there are so many different kinds. Seriously…when I know I’m about to eat something really really good I can reach a point of giddiness. I’m not ashamed of that.

I’m really looking forward to being an old lady who says whatever she wants whenever she wants and then gives people that look that says “what? I’m old. Back off” It’d be like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino but less racist.

9) I have a mild case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. You’d think this would make me an organized person but it’s sort of selective. I can leave half my wardrobe on my living room floor but the half hanging up is done so categorically (jeans, then short sleeves, then skirts etc…). The same goes for books and movies. I think it’s probably the most odd when I organize candy I’m eating or have to repeat hand motions so that they’re done in acceptable pattern.

10) I can’t wait to be a mother. Well….. I’m not trying for tomorrow but I’m really looking forward to the day it happens. There is so much I want to give my children that I didn’t get as a child. I’m looking forward to every messy, difficult, wonderful, loving moment of motherhood.

11) I love reality shows. The crappier the premise and the more contrived it is the better. Rock of love? All the New York spin-offs? I love Money? Bring it on! It’s total junk and I recognize that. So what? it’s funny.

12) I’m terrified of spiders. Until I’m standing before the Lord and he tells me different I can only assume that something that horrendous is a product of the fall and not part of his original design.

13) I wish I was 3 inches taller, 40 pounds lighter and had a better smile. Those are some of the thoughts that bombard me if I spend too much time in front of a mirror. It is so hard to believe you’re beautiful in the Lord’s eyes when the rest of the world has you believing you don’t measure up. Stupid world!

14) I love dressing up. That’s why Halloween is so fantastic. I like any excuse to put on a costume and adopt a new persona for the night. If I don’t have an excuse I’ll make one up. I’ve thrown many a party just so I can get everyone to play dress-up with me.

15) One of my most favorite bible verses is from Proverbs 31 “She is clothed in Strength and dignity. She can laugh at the days to come.” It empowers me so much.

16) I would love to spend some time living in Haiti. And India. And Australia. And Venezuela. And Africa.

17) I think the best thing a man can wear is good-smelling cologne. Most men don’t seem to know this. Get a clue boys.

18) I don’t like being alone for too long. I draw energy from the people around me.

19) New York is better than Florida. Snow days are better than hurricane days. Baseball is better than football.

20) I LOOOOOOOVE THE NEW YORK YANKEES!!! Yes, I agree there should be a salary cap. There isn’t one so quit your griping. My boys are awesome and I love them!

21) My job has provided way to many occasions where I would have liked to kick a pastor, priest etc… in his shin and run away screaming. They can be quite aggravating.

22) I love to paint, dance, sing, take photographs, and more. The Lord blessed me with a creative spirit that sometimes bubbles over and wants to try a multitude of things. Unfortunately… God forgot to give me the hands and feet to match the spirit.

23) I love to cook. I think my love of cooking is a combination of my creative spirit and my love of hosting. Thankfully cooking is one thing I do fairly well. Few things give me more pleasure than creating an environment that is welcoming and warm and watching people enjoy everything I’ve laid out for them.

24) I have horrible short-term memory recall. I’m not exaggerating. I think it’s a result of spending many years getting 3-5 hours of sleep a night. I hear that your short-term memory is directly connected to your sleep patterns. I’m pretty sure I’m ruined forever.

25) My life is nothing like I expected or planned for. Praise God for that! I have been so blessed by God over the last six years. He has brought me so much joy, so many opportunities, much-needed healing, a new direction for my life, a passion for missions, and relationships that long ago became something so much deeper than simple friendship. He’s made a daughter and a sister of me.

My day with my Father

I realize this category is for updates on my life and that I have gone a horribly long time not posting an update and I will continue to do so because this isn’t really an update.  I just wanted to let all of you know how loved and blessed and taken care of the Lord has made me feel this week.

I have unfortunately been having a very very difficult time at work these last few of months.  My 1-1 numbers have been terribly low and clergy have been the thorn in my side.  There has just been failure after cancellation after disappointment for weeks on end and I really was beginning to feel dejected.

The worst of it was last Wednesday evening and then this Tuesday evening.  There is a congregation, we’ll call it congregation M, that I have been trying to work with since I started in October. After months of phone calls and e-mails to the pastor and members I had had met exactly one person and he had no desire to learn about HOPE.  In all my calls and e-mails the pastor had only responded to one e-mail to basically say keep trying and eventually we’ll meet.  I finally got another church member to agree to a 1-1 and he even invited me to the church dinner that would be happening the evening of our appointment. I was ecstatic.  Maybe this was the breakthrough I needed.  I could see the pastor and meet people and finally get my foot in the door and begin making things happen for congregation M.

So I meet J for our 1-1 and he proceeds to spend the next half hour telling me in a 1/2 dozen different ways that the congregation no longer wants to be involved in any manner.  I was furious that a pastor whom I have been spending months trying to see sent a random congregation member to do something that is his responsibility.  it was disrespectful and dismissive.  I went to the dinner even though I didn’t see the purpose and ended up sitting with J and the pastor’s wife; who had never heard of HOPE (not a good sign).  J left halfway through the meal and there I am awkwardly sitting with the Pastor’s wife when a man comes up and she Introduces us.  It was the pastor!

“hello I’m Ana Sanchez with HOPE.”

“Oh, is J not here?” (clearly he knew about our meeting)

“yeah, but he had to leave early”

“Okay, well it was nice to meet you.”

turns and walks away…

SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!

No acknowledgment of anything! I was pissed.  It was just another setback in a long line of setbacks.

Then this Tuesday comes along.  I had a team meeting that had been scheduled since before Christmas. I had been calling and e-mailing with the pastor for the past two weeks including the day of the meeting to ensure that people were coming and that he had the script for the vision statement I had sent him and was prepared for his roles on the agenda; since he refused every time I requested that we meet to walk through it.

I get to the meeting and the only two people other than the pastor and I who were there are the two people I had met with and invited; I could meet with or invite anyone else because the pastor kept refusing to give me their contact info.  During the agonizing time that we just sat there waiting for someone to join us the pastor turns to me and asks I have a copy of the vision statement he’s supposed to give so he’ll know what to say.  COME ON!! of course I did because I just had this nagging feeling that he would come unprepared.  fifteen minutes into the meeting I finally ask him how he would like to proceed since no one appeared to be coming.

“well I actually just sent out the invitation letter before Christmas but I never called to check-in with people (something I had repeatedly offered to do for him) so maybe we should just reschedule for 3-4 weeks from now.”

again, SERIOUSLY!?!?!

“no pastor that’s not possible, we are already behind schedule and if we have to reschedule it really should happen in a a week, two tops.”

“No, how about Feb 3rd (another Tues. evening)”

“It doesn’t have to be a Tuesday meeting, let’s try for before or after services to make it easier on people”

“NO”

“okay then, how about a day meeting. you did say most of the people you were inviting were retired.”

“NO”

“alright, then perhaps we can meet during a scheduled bible study time.”

“NO.”

that’s it, Just like that. No explanation. Just NO. again and again and again!

“Fine Pastor, February 3rd it is then but if we schedule this we have to do everything to ensure that it happens in order to make sure we reach your congregations goal of 40 people to the Action.  How about you allow me to make the follow-up phone calls and pull things together for the meeting?”

“NO”

The man has a very limited vocabulary.

So that’s it.  I left with a meeting scheduled that will most likely fail to accomplish what it is supposed to because the pastor will not allow me to do my job.

okay…I realize none of that sounds like blessings and you read a lot to get to this point but I wanted you to understand where I was emotionally at this point.  I really was so upset.  I have spent a lot of time crying and questioning my ability to do this work when so many doors were being slammed in my face.  Most if not all of my job security rests on my ability to turnout large numbers of people to our yearly Action and if my congregations don’t do what is necessary to reach their goals it affects me in a very powerful way.  That’s a huge weight to carry around.

So I left that meeting this past Tuesday night and drove out to Temple Terrace UMC for the launch of a new service that I thought I was going to miss because of the team meeting.  The service is called RE:WIRED and is a joint effort of the church I attend (Van Dyke UMC) and several others.  Temple Terrace was hosting us.

I had a great evening of prayer and worship and really was in a much better place spiritually then I had been when I walked in those doors.  I stayed to help clean up and just as we were finishing a man who had been sitting in the corner talking with a couple stopped me and asked me who I was and did I work for Van Dyke.  I introduced myself and told him what I do and suddenly found myself in a deep conversation about justice ministry with the Pastor of Temple Terrace UMC.

It ended with him emphatically stating that “any church that isn’t pursuing justice should just close its doors and how does Temple Terrace join?”

I said i’d be happy to meet with him and he asked for my number so that he could call and schedule something.  I was feeling a very guarded excitement because I would likely never get a call and if I did most clergy don’t fully understand what a justice ministry is and the work it will take so his enthusiasm could wither very quickly.

The next morning I decided to call him instead and and his administrative assistant, whom I later learned is also his wife, scheduled a meeting for today.

Being randomly pulled aside by a church pastor was blessing enough.  I don’t know exactly how it worked but I think I stepped out of the place I had been for weeks and spent an evening in worship and praying over others and the Lord blessed me.  I invested in him and he gave me something to lift my spirits.

So I’m driving to the meeting today and I stop for gas.  I always unlock my cars and leave my keys on the seat because I heard someone say a long time ago that if you hold your keys or cell phone while pumping gas you might blow up.  true or not, it stuck with me.

I go to get back in the car and it is locked.  I don’t have AAA so I call a locksmith from the phone book and he tells me it will be a 1/2 hour before he gets there and that it will cost me $50.  I had no money on me and didn’t have $50 in my account to spare but I say okay, hang up the phone, and proceed to shock the gas station attendant by immediately bursting into tears.

I just don’t think I had it in me for much more to go wrong and here I was about to be late for a crucial appointment because I’m stuck at a Citgo waiting for a locksmith that I can’t pay. Crying was really all I had at that moment.

I stood outside my car crying and decided to pray over the car.  I’m willing to pray with expectancy so I just placed my hand on the car door and prayed repeatedly for  God to unlock the door.  I’d pray..pull the handle…nothing….pray again…pull…nothing….more tears.

“I’m praying with expectancy here Lord! could you please hold up your end of the deal!”

Suddenly a truck pulls up a couple spaces near me and two guys get out saying they had been watching me from the other end of the gas station and could they help.  They proceed to go back to their truck, open up the bed, which was literally packed with tools, and looked for something to unlock my car with.

So I’m watching them and I look up and to my right to the street where a AAA truck is pulling up to a red light.  The guy pulls into the gas station, jumps out of the truck, says he saw me crying from the road and thought I needed help (I wasn’t sobbing so I don’t know how he noticed). I explained the situation and that I had no money but that the two guys near us were looking for something to open the car with.  He pulls out a locksmith kit and proceeds to start working on the car and when I repeat that I have no money he told me not to worry about it.  So while he was working I told him I thought he was God’s way of answering my funny little prayer.  A few minutes later the car is unlocked, Jimmy (that’s his name) gives me a hug and is on his way.  I made it to my meeting several minutes early.

I know that God could have answered my prayer the way I asked for and that would have been a cool weird little story but instead he answered it with an abundance of generous people and I think I like his way more.  I felt very loved and taken care of.

My meeting by the way was phenomenal.  I shared my story and spent the rest of my time answering question after question about HOPE and what we do.

“Okay, so how do we join? do you need me to sign something?”

SERIOUSLY!?!?! (but in a good way)

I walked him through the three yearly processes of HOPE, the process we’re in now, and how a congregation builds a Justice Ministry Network.  We scheduled a time for me to speak at his church services and he enthusiastically agreed to come to our Clergy caucus next week.

This truly was just the Lord handing me something to remind me that what we’re working towards is in line with his kingdom and his vision and that he didn’t make a mistake when he put me in place to do the work i’m doing.  Some moments may be extremely difficult and I may sometimes face opposition but some of it is exciting and fun and simple.  Every clergy and every congregation is in a different place when it comes to understanding their call to justice and I need to be patient and grasp tightly onto the victories while waiting for everything else to fall into place.

It was just nice spend a day feeling so embraced and protected by my father.

Name that Movie

The Rules:
- Pick 10 of your favorite movies.  (10, 30, same difference ;D)
- Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
- Post them here for everyone to guess.

1. Damn belief. I believe in Africa. I believe in my people. I want to in the future. Now what do you believe in, P.K.? Tell me, what?

2. A: Now Don’t Forget, Don’t ever Forget, you’ve promised to become a new man.
B: Promise? Wha, Why are you doing this?
A:: my brother you no longer belong to evil. With this silver, I have bought your soul. I’ve ransomed you from fear and hatred, and now I give you back to God.

3. I’ve never been alone with a man before, even with my dress on. With my dress off, it’s MOST unusual.

4. A:Hey Luce! Is this guy bothering you?
B: [Laughs] No, no.
A: Are you sure? Because it looks like he’s *leaning.*

5. Nine million terrorists in the world and I gotta kill one with feet smaller than my sister.

6. A:Give me the whip.
B: Throw me the idol. No time to argue. Throw me idol, I’ll throw you the whip.
A: [throws the idol] Give me the whip.
B: Adiós, señor.

7. This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.

8. These walls are funny. First you hate ‘em, then you get used to ‘em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized.

9. “I guess we did get a little drunk”

10. Any thug can kill. I need you to take your ego out of the equation.

11. Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?

12. A: When they come out… does it hurt?
B: Every time.

13. A woman happily in love, she burns the souffle. A woman unhappily in love, she forgets to turn on the oven.

14. You’re so easy to talk to, unlike my current cow.

15. I’m the most dangerous man in this prison. You know why? ‘Cause I control the underwear.

16. Do you think there will ever be a time when you can stand in a room with me and not think of me as the president?

17. Shoot you? I’m not going to shoot you. No, I’m going to take you to my workplace. I think you’ll be very interested in some of the machinery I use.

18. “Toe pick!”
19. One cannot be betrayed if one has no people.

20. Next time you talk to my wife like that, you’ll get worse! She cried for an hour! It’s not enough she teaches stupid children to read and write, you had to bawl her out!

21. You’re familiar with the phrase “man’s reach exceeds his grasp”? It’s a lie: man’s grasp exceeds his nerve.

22. As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children’s voices.

23. I am insane. And you are my insanity.

24. I would like the locks changed again in the morning. And you know what, you might mention that next time we’d appreciate it if they didn’t send a gang member…

25. I’m the latina Marilyn Monroe. I’ve got more legs than a bucket of chicken!

26. You’re speechless, I see. A fine quality in a wife.

27. What’s with you, kid? You think the death of Sammy Davis left an opening in the Rat Pack?

28. His name is _____? Oh! That’s a major appliance, that’s not a name!

29. Life is… precious, especially if you’re a Christian and only allowed to have one.

30. A: Speak for yourself.
B: Do you think I’d speak for you? I don’t even know your language.

Jubilee

In studying I do related to my job and in every day conversation as of late the idea of Jubilee and fair distribution/justice have come up quite a bit.  I’ve even had conversations with several of you regarding this subject matter and for you fellow organizers some of this scripture and info is very familiar.

This is more a wave of thoughts than any well-constructed material but I would really like to hear your opinions.  I’m no biblical scholar and if you can compound upon this or you see something I misinterpreted please share.  I look forward to the discussion.

** I put asterisks next my commentary so that you can tell it apart from the rest

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (New International Version)
10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

** This scripture is from the sermons that Moses gave the Israelites after they had entered the promised land but it is really a restating of what he’d already shared with them about God’s decrees. The reason I’m starting with it is it resonates with several of the jubilee scriptures in the fact that it reminds the Israelites that they do not own the property or goods they have and are only stewards of what belongs to God.

Deuteronomy 15
The Year for Canceling Debts
1 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. 4 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.

** this is of course an explanation of the Sabbath years and it is reiterated in Leviticus before the description of the year of jubilee. Note* 15:4 another reminder that this is an inheritance/something entrusted to the Israelites by God.

Leviticus 25
The Sabbath Year
1 The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest, a Sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. 6 Whatever the land yields during the Sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, 7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.
The Year of Jubilee
8 ” ‘Count off seven Sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven Sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.

**Unfortunately, the ancient Israelites did not observe fully the Sabbath and Jubilee years. During the captivity in Babylon, the Lord indicated that their seventy years of exile were to make up for neglected and uncelebrated Sabbath years. The Bible states that: “To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.” (2 Chronicles 36:21)

**The rest of this Chronicles chapter talks about the way in which the Israelites disobeyed God’s law and mocked his messengers despite the grace he was showing them until finally he handed they over to the Babylonian king. Note* 36:14 points out how the leaders of the Priests and the people became unfaithful and followed detestable practices.

** The scripture below is what I really wanted to draw your attention to. Though it does not directly state it what can be strongly inferred is the lack of obedience in God’s call to a just system i.e. Jubilee.  I want to give credit to those who did the legwork in this: We use this scripture quite a bit within DART (the org. I work for) and it was a real eye-opener for me to be introduced to it.

Ezekiel 22:23-31
23 Again the word of the LORD came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has had no rain or showers [a] in the day of wrath.’ 25 There is a conspiracy of her princes [b] within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. 28 Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says’-when the LORD has not spoken. 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.
30 “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

** Israel only followed God’s economic system twice before they moved to the Year of Jubilee.  The year of Jubilee was a remission of debts every 49 years.   One specific example can be seen in their decision to have a King to govern them “just like the other nations” (I Samuel 8:5). The Israelites rejected the God who had delivered them out of Egypt and instead they made kings of Saul, David, and Solomon. Eventually things deteriorated to the point that the nation was divided, conquered, and many Israelites were taken out of the Promised Land as I pointed out earlier with the Babylonian empire.
The reason I’m drawing your attention to Ezekiel 22 is it gives us a much more detailed picture of what went wrong rather than just stating that the Israelites were not observing the law.

** Ezekiel 22: 23-25 refers to “princes” which is indicative of a political system. Look at what the system had become. It was so corrupt that it was being compared to “roaring lions tearing the prey”. That’s a really intense description of you consider it. Lions are strong and powerful. They kill by quickly severing the spine and going for the jugular. What does that say about the way the political system functioned? Instead of seeking justice for all people, the political authorities are oppressing the poor and powerless in order to increase their own power and wealth. An oppressive system like this would leave no room for an observance of something as just and fair as Jubilee and Sabbaths.

** Ezekiel 22: 26 is another reference to the unholy acts of religious leaders. Instead of bringing the people closer to God through the teaching of values, the priests have “done violence” to God’s teaching and “locked people out of the kingdom of heaven.” These verses are particularly alarming to me. Seriously consider all of these verses and the disturbing comparisons we can make to our current political/religious/economic systems.

**Ezekiel 22:27 is looking at the economic system that is in place. It was horribly corrupt. The officials in power are compared to wolves in their quest for unjust gain. Wolves capture and kill their prey by hunting in packs, sneaking up on a group of animals and running them, attacking the
weakest, immobilizing one by nipping away at its tendons, and eating it alive. This entire economic system was running on exploitation.

**This entire nation was in a downward spiral and was constantly ignoring the cries of the prophets God had placed among them. What’s even sadder is to see the way in which the systems must have had to work together in order to create this sort of chaos.  As DART puts it,  “The more economic systems exploit, the more they need the political system to use its power to oppress the people and allow the exploitation, the more the religious system must ‘bless’ this activity as God’s will, thus controlling the people.”

This allows the economic system to exploit them even more, and society becomes this broken picture unlike anything God was calling the Israelites to be.

**Again,
The reason I am pointing this scripture out is to pose the question: where in all of this corruption could an act of justice such as Jubilee/Sabbaths be functioning? And what parallels can you see between the nation of Israel and how our systems work today?

My loveable right-wingers:

I’m sure this idea of Jubilee has an eerie ring of socialism to it but lets push past that and consider why God put these laws in place and what their purpose was ;D

What was he trying to protect?

how can we observe these laws within the context of today’s society? and how have we lived up to them/ failed to do so?

All I can think of are my future children….

I think most of you know my heart and the things that matter to me; that often includes knowing my political ideals.  Those are things that were on my mind these past 2 years as I watched Obama make this historical climb to presidency but this morning all I can think about are my future sons and daughters.

I knew that my emotions would be stirred the moment I heard Obama declared as the future president but I didn’t expect how deeply it would affect me.

When I sit in the reality of it for even a moment and consider what this means for my future children; our future children I start to cry.

I am a Venezuelan female immigrant who couldn’t even vote in this election and it is suddenly a undeniable truth that a child who looks like me can grow up to claim such victories.  I don’t have to tell my children to hope and dream with my fingers crossed behind my back. This is their reality now.

I just don’t have the words to express what that means to me.  I don’t know how to voice it except to say I feel blessed and hopeful and grateful that I can raise my children in that knowledge.

my heart is bursting!!

It’s not hypocrisy…it’s truth

Some reject, some support, some ridicule, some doubt, and some aspire…

But everyone reacts when you identify yourself as a Christian as well as… dare I say…a feminist. 

There is a misconception that these two things are diametrically opposed.  In truth, one role can strengthen you in the other.

 

The tagline from my blog’s main page says “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

 

As a woman, this is one of the most inspiring verses of the bible.  It encourages, motivates, and frees me from fear when I’m facing the unknown.  The line “She is clothed with strength and dignity” has me grasping for a word that encompasses both unshakeable strength and undeniable beauty.  That is the imagery that it conjures for me. A woman who possesses strength, dignity, and the joy of laughter must be stunning before God.

 

This verse is from Proverbs 31, a chapter I often refer too when discussing with someone how a woman can be both a Christian and a third-wave feminist. 

 

We would of course have to begin by presenting some definition for “feminist”.  There are afterall so many types out there and they are often co-mingled into this distorted picture of what the word itself means and who can and can not be one.

 

A feminist, before he/she is influenced by political, religious, and personal goals, is simply a person who campaigns for or supports the campaign for equal rights and opportunities for both men and women.  In this case the word could easily be replaced with egalitarian.  You do not have to be a woman to be a feminist and the word may not be a comfortable fit but many of today’s men, Christian or otherwise, meet the citeria.

 

As far as refering to myself as a third-wave feminist, I am referencing the third in historical feminist movements.  The first-wave refers to the suffragists, the second-wave to feminists from around the 1960’s until the 1980’s who championed for rights in the workplace and addressed issues such as pay and sexual harassment, and the third-wave began around the 1990’s and refers to the most recent efforts to address social equality.  This is the new generation of young feminists who are looking at today’s issues in society which affect gender issues.  Some of those areas are race, social class etc…

 

That’s enough on the history and vocabulary lesson.  My point was my role as a feminist in terms of my Christian faith.  For that I refer you to proverbs 31: The wife of Noble Character in it’s entirety.

 

 The Wife of Noble Character

 10 A wife of noble character who can find?
       She is worth far more than rubies.

               -the woman about to be described is invaluable

 11 Her husband has full confidence in her
       and lacks nothing of value.

               -this is a woman who is trusted and respected by the male counterpart in her relationship.

 12 She brings him good, not harm,
       all the days of her life.

               -she is faithful

 13 She selects wool and flax
       and works with eager hands.

 14 She is like the merchant ships,
       bringing her food from afar.

 15 She gets up while it is still dark;
       she provides food for her family
       and portions for her servant girls.

               -this is a hardworking, generous woman

 16 She considers a field and buys it;
       out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

               -this is a woman capable of making major decisions that affect the finances and her family.

 17 She sets about her work vigorously;
       her arms are strong for her tasks.

               -she is not weak, or docile but rather physically and spiritually strong

 18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
       and her lamp does not go out at night.

 19 In her hand she holds the distaff
       and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

 20 She opens her arms to the poor
       and extends her hands to the needy.

               -this is an obedient woman who answer’s the Lord’s call to serve the poor

 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
       for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

 22 She makes coverings for her bed;
       she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
       where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

               -Her active role in the home and society is not a detriment to her husband’s standing

 24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
       and supplies the merchants with sashes.

               -she is entrepreneurial and participates in local business

 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
       she can laugh at the days to come.

               -she is brave and confident in the Lord

 26 She speaks with wisdom,
       and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

               -she is intelligent and capable of sharing her knowledge with those around her.

 27 She watches over the affairs of her household
       and does not eat the bread of idleness.

 28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
       her husband also, and he praises her:

               -her husband is not intimidated by her but rather loves and praises her; as do her children.

 29 “Many women do noble things,
       but you surpass them all.”

 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
       but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

               -She loves God!

 31 Give her the reward she has earned,
       and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

               -this is not a woman who acts shamefully and she deserves to be held in high regard for her efforts in all areas of her life.

 

 

Many of the matters mentioned above address what it means to simply be a faithful Christian; others what it is to be a feminist.  These ideals are brought together to describe a woman of noble character.  She is a well-rounded, intelligent, generous, faithful wife and mother who loves the Lord. 

 

These verses describe a dignified woman who plays many roles and plays them well.  The bible is filled with strong, admirable woman: Lydia, Anna, Pheobe, Martha and Mary, Esther and more….

 

I do not believe the role woman play in society and in the church is indicative of men’s failure to live up to their intended role but rather a too-slow restoration of the original, equal relationship God intended for men and women.

 

The enemy is not playing with half his team on the bench and neither should we.  Woman must be encouraged and empowered to be who they were intended to be.  If that means running a corporation, serving overseas, maintaining a home and raising children, or leading in the church than we must smash through all glass ceilings and do our jobs in a way that honors the Lord.

The romancer

There is a church near my home that I have been working with for the past month.  As part of the job I’ve attended several of their Sunday services.  Every Sunday I sat in the same row and watched the elderly couple that sat in the pew in front of me.  I realized my most distinct recollections of them were moments when I couldn’t even see their faces.  The woman is very petite and frail-looking.  Her husband is only an inch or two taller than her and they seem like a perfect match; a couple who had spent so many years together that they worked as one.  What’s distinctive about them is the way they were with each other.  Every time we stood to sing or pray the husband would put both arms around his wife and gently lift her up.  He would then keep his arm around her waist holding and supporting her as they sang.  It’s one of those beautiful glimpses of people that makes you suddenly want to cry.  There was so much love and nurturing and protectiveness in that simple act.  It makes you yearn for it. 

 

 

We were fashioned so delicately

By a romancer whose love goes further than any one man’s reach

Thoughtfully he designed us to delve into each other

To search and find glimpses of that limitless love

The broken and inferior things may distract

But he’s woven that yearning into our souls

And we’re called back to it time after time

For that kind of tenderness we…

willingly…

hopefully…

eagerly…

wait.

Gee Palin, work that all out on your own?

I don’t have very many nice things to say about Sarah Palin at the moment so I’ll just call her an opinionated woman and we can all assume it’s a compliment.

 

Most of you know this but the job I moved to WPB for is community organizing.  I’m only a few months into the job but I can certainly attest to its value and purpose.  I have said before that this is the hardest I’ve ever worked and I truly mean it.  This is a 50-60 hour work week that has me running all over Palm Beach County but I enjoy it and do it willingly.  The organizers I have met are dedicated hard-working individuals who have committed themselves to restoring their communities but according to Palin…

 

“I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.”

 

What the crap is that about?  Asinine cracks such as this and others were made throughout the evening and the RNC ate it up as though community organizing is a nonsensical thing to be jeered at.  You would think that a party that is supposedly all about the people and doing what’s right for America would show respect and perhaps even praise for community organizations; organizations that have fought and won for the American people concerning a great number of issues such as education, fair housing, healthcare etc…  Instead Palin, Guliani and the RNC saw this as an opportunity to discredit organizing while making personal attacks against Obama.  Talking about trying too kill two birds with one stone and missing completely.  Nice try Palin but both organizing and Obama are targets too full of power and hope for your outbursts of idiocy to bring down. Point-Obama.  Point-Organizing.  Zip-Palin.

 

 

 

Community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies.

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America