At the Margins

Thursday I went to the last Urban Prayer Breakfast, at least for a few months and probably forever.  It’s been a wonderful home for a couple mornings a week almost my entire time in DC.  Here are only a few stories of the people there who have taught me so much.

A few months before coming to the Urban Prayer Breakfast, Momma had been on her deathbed.  She made a request from God that she not die with the anger she had in her heart.  You see, years ago, Momma’s husband had become a homeless adict.  God answered her request.  He gave her a reprive from death and sent her to lovingly cook breakfast for over hundred people every morning.  She described how he’d sent her to look into the eyes of dozens of homeless men each morning, see her husband, and choose to love and serve them anyway.  It was a daily discipline that wicked away the anger that had consumed her heart.  I love and miss Momma Charlotte so much.  Her cancer came back and she disappeared, literally without a trace.  Part of me thinks she is literally an angel.

Brother Maclean came to be chef after Momma’s departure.  Actually, he’d been the chef before Momma, but had been sick with cancer and had had a heart attack and had to spend some time recovering.  I am his adopted son and I love him so dearly.  He has taught me so much.  God wakes him up early every morning, and I mean early, usually around 4AM.  He fills the strength move out through his 76-year-old body, strength he needs each day to do the work Father has given him.

During the time Momma was there, so was Ray.  For months I just thought Ray was another volunteer.  One day I found out that he was homeless.  Ray was an incredible joy to work with in the kitchen, constantly cracking jokes and truly loving on everyone there.  After several months of workin alongside Ray, he found out he had colon cancer.  They successfully removed it, but within a month an infection had setup and he died.

One day I was driving away from the Breakfast when I saw Momma Smith, a woman in her late 80s who lived in the neighborhood and would often play the piano for us after she ate, pushing her cart along the sidewalk as was her custom.  I asked her where she was going and if I could give her a ride.  She said in a barely comprehensible voice that she was only going a few more feet to the bus stop where she was going to study the scriptures until it was time for the noon bible study at a nearby church building.  She then began to speak of a specific passage of scripture and how it applied to me that day.  From then on, I would seek to sneak a moment talking with Momma.  Only able to understand every few words, I would labor to understand what she had to teach me that day.  A few months ago, quite to her dismay, Momma went to an assisted living facility.

I haven’t seen Sister Lyles for a few months, but she is a woman who seeks after God with incredible, quiet, humility.  She’s an older woman who always wore a big red fleece sweetshirt, that is except for the couple of months she wore sack-cloth near the time I first came to the breakfast–I assume she was mourning, but I regret never asking her why.  Woman are served first at the Urban Prayer Breakfast, however Sister Lyles would often go at the very last, after all the men.  Like the widow, every morning she would bring her offering–a few coins, sometimes a dollar bill–but it constituted much, if not all of what she had.  What a testimony! 

One time I was at Union Station for a meeting and I saw Sister Lyles outside.  I stopped and we spoke for a little while.  At one point during the conversation God told me to give her the money in my wallet.  I grabbed the 20 dollar bill and gave it to her.  “Oh no.” She responded.  “I can’t take that… that much money is dangerous.”  Jesus had a lot to say about money and it was pretty much never good.  Money is dangerous.  So often I go through life with little thought to the 20 dollars I spend here and there.  What an important reminder from Sister Lyles!

My time at the Urban Prayer Breakfast has been an incredible blessing and I am so thankful God put me there.  What a blessing!

Where

Authors: Peta Owens-Liston

Journal: Time Magazine

Publish Date: Dec. 26, 2006

I just finished reading a TIME article about restaurants that ask people to “pay what you can.” It seems to me an intersting model of voluntary redistribution.

Nothing New Here — And That’s the Point

Authors: William Booth

Journal: Washington Post

Publish Date: December 18, 2006

My friend Laura Gillaspy just sent me a wonderful article from the Washington Post. I’ve heard of folks doing this before.

For those who don’t want to read the article, I’ll give you the gist. There’s a green-minded group of people in San Francisco who, last year, made a vow not to buy any new things for a year (save for a few essentials).

I think it would be fun and hard. How do you move away from legalism too? I think it’s hilarious how people are militantly opposed to what these folks are doing, which honestly makes me want to do it even more.

I’m not a green by any stretch, though it’s something I should probably think about more. However, I am a strong proponent of using God’s resources well–most specifically money and time, so giving up new items for a time period is something I’d be very interested in doing. It’s not something that I think should be imposed on people, but certainly a good option for Christians. Similarly, I like the timeframe aspect–it’s sort of akin to a nazerite or lentin vow. Also, many of you know I have a book problem and as of late new books have been cheaper than used, I think that means no books.

Still a lot of details to figure out, but anyone in with me?

I was just out filling a prescription (I’ve pulled out my back someway) and saw a very nice car (I’m not a car person, so I don’t know what type) with the following bumper sticker:

“Don’t let the car fool you, my treasure is in heaven”

Arrrggghhhhhh!!!! Why is it that American Christians (perpetuated by the American church) think that we can have Jesus and all our personal preferences? Guess what folks, to follow Jesus is to die to oneself daily! The scourge of cheap grace has infected our nation. Like the good kings of old, we must tear down the asherah poles and high places built by our fathers.

While at the CCDA conference I got to hear from a group that I was first introduced to at the PAPA Festival.

Relational Tithe seeks to relationally distribute tithes in accordance with scripture. Much of their work is fueled by an essay by a megachurch teaching pastor entitled, “Embezzlement: The Corporate Sin of Contemporary Christianity?” In it Ray Mayhew, quite against his own best interests, seeks to examine the purpose of tithes using scripture and documents of the early church. It is an amazing, hard teaching and a very worthwhile read.

I increasing realize the need for a complete examination of church practice and that many of the problems of the church are directly related to an incorrect view of evangelism. I am working on a paper examining evangelism and plan to post it in the next few weeks. My hope is that it will serve to begin a series on a vision for the 21st century Church.

The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

Rating: 5 out of 5

Author: Shane Claiborne

Year: 2006

Publisher: Zondervan

ISBN: 0310266300

As I have traveled the country talking with fellow 20-somethings, it has been clear that God is speaking to us in a united voice, however it has been difficult to find the words that correspond with this calling. Shane Claiborne artfully articulates what so many in our generation are hearing. A theologian who truly lives out the Call, he challenges the Church with exceptional love and truth.

The only negative is that in chapter 11, I felt he crossed the line from solidarity with the poor and oppressed to political action. At any rate, it’s a difficult path to navigate and Claiborne does it exceptionally (both in his writing and life)!

I have given away over 150 copies. A must read!

Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity

Rating: 5 out of 5

Author: Ronald J. Sider

Year: 2005

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

ISBN: 0849945305