We had the privilege of serving the poor twice this week, due to a very large donation of food from one of the local stores we visited last week! There are tons of stories I could share about how those experiences affected me and the team, but I wanted to just share one story from church today. The boy you see below, Thabang (who is the brother of Maria and Koketso ) is one of the people we fed on Saturday. This Sunday after service, Thabang pulled me aside quietly and said, "Chicken." I didn’t understand at first what he was talking about, then he pointed to his stomach and said, "Hungry." Then he rubbed it and smiled and said, "All better now. Thank you for chicken." My heart melted… I reached out and hugged him and then reminded him how much God loves him, and how much He cares for him. I made him repeat to me, "God is my father," because at first he kept saying, "God, the father." After our exchange I stood up and tears poured out of my eyes. I felt the force of Jesus’ words, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40)
Probably one of the greatest things about being here so far is worshiping at the Powerhouse Church. There’s no good way to express how wonderful it is, but I thought we could at least share some of the songs, with translations when needed. The first song I wanted to share really gets at the heart of worship. The lyrics are very simple, as with most of the songs sung here.
“When the praises go up, His glory comes down. We lift Him higher, higher, higher. When the praises go up, His glory comes down.”
Back home, at most churches I’ve ever attended, I felt like the praise team was like a an ox, hauling a big wooden cart filled mostly with sick people. Sometimes the cart would get rolling pretty well, and everyone felt something. But sometimes the ox was too weak to pull the cart at all, even when it encouraged the people in the cart to help out. At the Powerhouse, it’s more like all the people are meeting for a huge rally or some kind of celebration. There’s electricity in the air, and the praise team is just there to start the anthem. Everyone gets into it, making up their own ways to demonstrate their love for God. Some dance, some form a conga line around the church, some just move from side to side with their hands raised high. Sometimes the pastor has to stop a song or else it will just keep going and going like the Energizer worship bunny. This type of worship is so much more meaningful and I dare say glorifying to God because the people are putting their hearts out there for God—telling Him how worthy He is of praise. My hope is that back home we can learn to worship like this—to get out of the cart and start dancing without shame. I pray for thankfulness for all that we have, and for warm hearts eager to give God the glory for it all (I’ve got more thoughts to share on this, but I’ll save them for next time).
I am tempted to think of productivity as setting out to accomplish certain tasks (a to do list), then eventually checking them off. The speed and orderliness with which those tasks get accomplished usually determines how I am feeling. For instance, back in North Carolina if I got into the car with Rebecca after a day at work where I knocked out a lot of items, I’d be in a cheerful mood.
"’My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord". –Isaiah 55:8
If I happened to have had "one of those days" where everything I set out to do was more complicated than I thought and I couldn’t reach down and check much off the list, then I’d go home frustrated. I eventually learned to repent from that, knowing that productivity for me is something I put in place of God—I care more about how much I get done than how much I am worshiping God through my life. Ouch.
As we were discussing productivity here this morning, I was reminded that God’s ways are not my ways. If the main overarching goal in my life is to glorify God, then all those little tasks, even the seemingly important ones (like blogging!), really aren’t all that important. So at the end of the day when I kick back and say, "Wow, look at all I’ve done today," God probably shakes His head and says, "Why were you playing in the dirt when I was calling you? I had great plans for you today." So far, I’ve learned that God doesn’t give us a to do list and then say, "Get ‘er done." He has much more care and concern for us, and after all He really just wants to share fellowship with us. While I certainly don’t know yet what God’s ways are, I think it has something to do with trusting him moment by moment. It has something to do with planning my day with the knowledge that nothing may get done, but that probably many other great and surprising things will come up that God had prepared for me in advance (Ephesians 2:10). And through those things God was able to be with me, to correct me, to ultimately make me more effective in His kingdom.
In about an hour we leave for the Jo-burg airport. I am headed back to the U.S. for the next 10 days to witness and celebrate the marriage of my dear, lifelong friend Shilo Groover in Little Rock.
While I’m excited to see and spend time with friends and family in Alabama and Arkansas, admittedly, I have mixed feelings about heading back to the U.S. Today I am finding myself already missing life here. This coming week will be a full one for my team: items arriving on a container from the U.S. will be unloaded; follow-up with the grocery store managers re: the feeding scheme will be ongoing throughout the week; the new computer room at the Powerhouse will be tiled and electrically fitted; the future food pantry will be cleaned out and work will likely begin on outfitting the room with shelving; planning for the the Heritage Day Women’s Brunch will continue in my absence; and most of all, good friend and final team member Will Brown will arrive on Friday the 19th—hooray!
Still, I am excited to see and visit with my mom and dad. I’m excited about calling people and catching up. I’m excited about driving a car. I’m excited about enjoying a cup of non-instant coffee with my sister-in-law at Boulevard in Little Rock. I’m most excited about the fact that four-out-of-four of my best friends and my parents will be at Shilo’s wedding—a huge relief since I’ll be without Nate.
Ah Mamelodi, I will miss you and your dusty roads. But as I keep saying to myself, it’s just for a few days. Habaningahle—bye and go well!
Filed under: General by Rebecca on September 13th, 2008 | 2 Comments
“As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” —Psalm 40:17
Last Saturday, we joined the Powerhouse in serving a few families in the community who Vincent knew were facing many troubles. Armed with cleaning supplies, a washing machine, ample food provisions and even painting supplies, 15 of us—including many youth from the church, which was awesome!—set out mid-morning eager to help in any way we could. Vincent chuckled later as we learned a lesson that day: don’t give people a heads-up that people from the church are visiting—they’ll clean house in expectation of your arrival! So needless to say, we didn’t end up cleaning or painting anyone’s house or washing anyone’s clothes, but we did bring song, prayer and encouragement to the families we encountered.
We set out that morning thinking we would visit two or three families, but as the morning went on, momentum grew and we just kept on going. We visited an elderly woman and a wheelchair-bound man experiencing fighting among family members; Granny whose favorite grandchild had died earlier in the week from under-developed lungs; Selina whose father is critically ill; a sleepless elderly woman haunted by witch doctor curses and family issues; another wheelchair-bound man; and finally the family of a very special young man, Nicodema.
The most moving experience for me that day was walking into the last house we visited. For some reason, I had a sense that I was to see/experience something unexpected. In the garage was situated a bed, and on it lay a young man somewhat disoriented, but smiling and happy we were there. The smell of urine was fresh, yet old. Flies buzzed around. Vincent translated the man’s elderly parents: his name is Nicodema and they have considered him, since birth, a gift from God. Though he has never been able to walk and has been bed-ridden for nearly 30 years, he is their gift and their joy. As we had with the other families we had visited throughout the day, we sang praise songs and prayed aloud, all at once, petitioning God on this family’s behalf. Among the prayers we lifted up was that Nicodema would know that he is loved and that his life has a purpose. In making eye contact with him, my fear of experiencing an awkward moment was replaced instead with a sense of joy: Nicodema returning a big smile. God, you are so good, that this young man knows you and knows your love.
Last Saturday, we felt God’s presence among us. In one sense, surrounded by my brothers and sisters from the Powerhouse, singing and praying at the top of their lungs with great faith, I was humbled that day by how spiritually under-exercised I am and how small my faith can be. Why do I not pray this boldly always? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that here, we are so close to need, poverty, distress, sickness and death. Or perhaps not. In fact, I was struck by how many of situations we encountered that day are no different than what we face back home: sickness, old age, family members fighting, grief, financial distress. Even the darkness of witch doctor curses manifest differently back home; it’s just that Satan has more subtle ways… And poverty is just as present at home, though less exposed. I thank God that despite my sin and inexperience in serving the poor—here or elsewhere—he used me and everyone that day to bring great light and hope into places of darkness. His Spirit was surely felt. You could see it on people’s faces. God was smiling back at us.
“I have waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” —Psalm 40:1-3
While AR Board Member Dave Clark was here, he led us through an afternoon of orientation on walking with the poor. Dave works with an inner city ministry in Chicago, and had some great insights to offer, as well as many challenging scriptural references. For me, the main things I took away were a great need for humility in serving and God’s heart for caring for the poor. Also, that ministry to the poor is based on relationships, and that not all poverty is a result of personal choice. There are many injustices in society as well as straight-up natural calamities that lead to poverty. All good stuff to keep in mind as this year we’ll be working both on a personal level with individuals as well as working to combat some of the systemic injustices that perpetuate poverty.
I wish I could recount the entire session here, as there were so many valuable points on empowerment vs. paternalism, approaching servanthood with a cross-cultural understanding, celebrating the image of God in a different culture (rather than focusing on the brokenness), etc. But instead, I’ll let you ponder the verses below that talk about what God thinks of the poor, and what he expects of Christians. Roll over the links to view the text (you have to roll off and wait for the text to disappear before you can view another verse).
A big shout-out to Dave for condensing such a large volume of material into a very enlightening and helpful session.
"Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.’" —Jeremiah 9:23-24
One of the first projects that we’re tackling at the Powerhouse is to help make the church’s feeding scheme more of a regular, sustained ministry. The feeding scheme started three years ago when Nate was here on his first trip. Tired of talking but not acting, Vincent announced one Sunday, "On Wednesday, we’re going to feed the poor," challenging his congregation to follow Christ’s command. No mind that there was no food to feed the poor on Wednesday… By Tuesday, the plan still stood, but still no food. Nate was riding around with Vincent late Tuesday afternoon when Vincent got a call on his cell phone from the Pick-n-Pay, the local grocery store, to tell him that they had loads of food that had just expired but still edible—could the Powerhouse use it? Needless to say the church fed the poor on Wednesday. Praise God.
This past Sunday at church a similar thing happened. Vincent preached on the Parable of the Lost Sheep , but extended the parable beyond just the account of the shepherd risking the 99 to rescue the one and focused on the why —why would the shepherd rescue the one? Vincent creatively related to the church why that sheep has value in the eyes of the shepherd, just as why one person has value in the eyes of God—why salvation is not just the start in God’s eyes. It was neat to hear how Vincent drilled into our hearts the message of our importance as individuals, while encouraging us to share that same message with others in the community. Why is this a message a township church needs to hear? We are learning that the blacks in the township have consistently heard the lies of Apartheid (even in the post-Apartheid era)—you are nothing, you are inferior, your poverty will keep you down, you will amount to nothing; and we realize every Sunday that many of the children we interact with don’t have parents to tell them they are loved and to remind them they are important. Truly, we are finding that sharing the message of love in the name of Jesus—you are of value, you are important, you are here for a purpose, you are loved—is perhaps the most important thing we will "do" this year as we relate to people. Something seemingly small, but hugely needed.
The next thing we knew, Vincent was announcing AR ’s intention, along with the leadership of the church, to grow the scale of the feeding scheme—in effect, to start a food pantry with a fridge and deep freezer to store breads and meats, industrial shelving to store canned goods, wholesale bags of mealie (corn) meal on hand, etc. so that the church can regularly feed the poor, while supplementing any random donation phone calls from the Pick-n-Pay. Next, Vincent announced the idea the church elders had for providing laundry care for the children who live in shacks behind the church. These children may have received donated uniforms for school but they have no way of taking care of them and essentially wear them until they are totally worn out…and, as a result, these kids stop going to school. The Powerhouse could help them by washing/drying, ironing, folding and returning their clothes each week, and in doing so, share the love of God with them by humbly serving them as Jesus would. Whether Vincent planned it, or if it was the Holy Spirit moving him to challenge his congregation, Vincent turned the sermon to the practical and busted out," "Who’s on board? Who will help?"
At least 20 or 30 hands went up. Wow. "I’ll donate an iron." "I can bring an ironing board." "I’ll provide soap." "I’ll be happy to fix any broken washing machines or irons people have." "I’ll do the laundry." "I’ll bring an ironing board." "I have a washing machine to donate." It was incredible. The church was coming together to be what a church should be, to do what Christ-followers are called to do: respond to need. We were all moved. After, Vincent invited people up to pray for what had just happened, that God would use us as His hands and feet and that people would come to know the love of Jesus through these intentions.
It was refreshing to see a church act—not call another meeting to discuss more—but act, and specifically, to care lavishly for the poor. And to see Vincent, again as he did when the feeding scheme first started, step out on faith before his church and essentially say, "Lord, this is what you have called us to do. Let’s do it," without having the necessary resources but trusting God that He would provide.
We’ve said it before, but it continues to be our privilege to be here alongside the Powerhouse, learning about what it looks like to trust God and to put the gospel into practice. Admittedly, Nate and I are working out in our heads what that will look like back home, where suburbia does an excellent job of hiding need and injustices our neighbors face. But one thing I believe, if all churches would respond as the Powerhouse does, Christians would change the world.
To listen to Vincent’s sermon, click the play button below.
You can’t visit Africa without seeing some wild animals. So with our guests Dave Jr. & Dave Sr. in town, we made a trip to a lion park near Johannesburg.
To put a little background behind the video (and photos), I’ll share the experience our friends Ben & Anna had with Pastor Vincent last December. While they were admiring a beautiful white male lion stretching against a tree, remarking how much like a harmless kitty cat it was acting, it suddenly lept onto the driver’s side window, shaking the van from side to side, then attacked again on the rear window. As all the passengers were yelling at Vincent to drive off, he got excited and popped the clutch. They luckily got away without any tires bitten off or windows broken, but when they first told this story to me (and Rebecca and Allan & Annie) it was clear they were terrified by the experience and warned us to keep our windows shut should we visit. Needless to say, going into the park this week, we had high hopes of an attack. I personally was hoping to break YouTube records with the video of our own attack—but there was none. However, be sure to watch to the end for some explicit animal kingdom action…almost.
It has been great having the Daves here. We’re headed out later this week to see some more wildlife at Kruger National Park. Things at Powerhouse are going really well—we’ve got some more info on all that’s going on there coming soon.
by Dale Hanson Bourke
