In what ways do you see that you can become like others in order to "win" them to Christ - while remaining under the Law of Christ?
The law Christ gives us is to
love one another... Last year, I went to The Inn, which is a kind of a church service for college students. One day, a man went up and spoke about being loving. He said that
we're not being loving when we judge others for not following God's laws/rules. The example he gave of being loving was that there was a young man who really wanted to committ to God, but he wasn't feeling how square you have to be in order to be a Christian. He felt like he couldn't do anything or have any fun. So this pastor takes the guy to a bar (the young man is over 21) and has a beer with him. For that situation, that was the loving thing to do. Instead of letting the young man believe that you can't be a Christian and have a good time and then having the young man possibly turn away, he showed him that you can have a little (legal) fun, and still be following God's rules. For my situation, I think that it's a little harder, because
I'm not going to drink with my friends so they can see that I'm not that much of a square...
because I'm a Christian, because that would be against God's laws...and our state laws too...but maybe if I kick it with them sometimes, instead of always staying in because I know what they're going to get into, I can build relationship, and through that, show them a better way...I don't know...
10 ways to say, "Where are you?"
1. Where do you live?
2. What do you think about your neighborhood?
3. What are some good things about where you are right now?
4. When you walk out of your home, what do you notice?
5. Who runs your neighborhood?
6. If you had to leave this area, what would you remember most?
7. If you could tell the President about your neighborhood, what would you say?
8. When you lay in your bed at night, what kind of things do you hear?
9. What can be done to make your neighborhood better?
10. What about this place makes you feel like it is home?
Who do you dislike or can't stand...focus on positives of that person.
AAAHHH!!!The person that I often have a problem with is a very interesting character. They do not like to involve themselves in the classes, but they do a fairly good job with the kids at Hope Central. Good things about this person is that if they are interested in something, they'll give it about 85%, and that's usually all that's necessary, so they're fine. They match almost every day, and they're pretty entertaining. I think they have a lot of potential that needs to be tapped into.
How do the qualities of self leadership impact leadership as a young person?
Self Leadership*blameless
*good reputation
*husband of 1 wife (committed)
*not having sex
*self controlled/vigilant (consistent)
*sober
*good behavior/respectable
*hospitable
*teacher
*not violent/quarrelsome/striker
*not greedy
These qualities of leadership are a guide to young people on how to live correctly and in line with God's will. If we act with even some of these qualities in mind, we'll make better decisions and will honestly be able to say we are good self leaders.
4 questions
Where are you?In America
Who are you?I am an African American woman. Descendant of kings and queens, bearing the last name of some white man who felt that oppressing and dehumanizing people was a good way to make money.
What's the problem?They say if you know your history, you know yourself. However,
I can never truly know who I am because of slavery. I want so badly to be able to embrace who I am, but it's hard because without knowing the specifics, there's a lot to try and get my mind around. I know who I am as a Black person in America, from the first ship to present day, I know a lot about what my people went through. Then, I know some African history, but really, what I know is censored, because I can only know what they have in history books and since traditionally our history is told not in writing but orally, so much has been lost. Then, am I supposed to embrace my white ancestry?
How can I embrace a part of me that I'm ashamed of?
Another problem is that Africa is in the state its in mainly because of slavery and the European influence in the continent... We try to help by sending a little money, but we don't address the reason for why the continent of our beginning is in a shambles. And then we try to act like white privilege in America just happened, or it was earned in some way...Not looking at the fact that
400+ years of oppression of every race that wasn't white could cause the scale to tip just a little to the white side.
How can you solve it?I don't think there is a way to solve it.
Maybe we have to start all over...I don't know...
How far does the gospel go?
How far does the gospel go?
In our world today, one that claims it has no need for God, the underlying desperation for guidance and supernatural intervention shows up all over the place. From movies to music, people are crying out of their pain and suffering for a change and for fulfillment, because the lives they're living aren't enough. When you look at music today, there are a lot of rags to riches stories. People who grew up with nothing, had talent and determination and a friend who "knew someone" and a few years later they're making more money than they'd ever imagined. In America, we believe money is the answer to all of our problems. This country was founded by people looking for a way to live on their own terms, then more came, promised a life of prosperity and happiness; to this day we are waiting for this promise to be fulfilled, hoping it will be in our lifetime. Some have received that life and even though the American Dream says they should be content, when you listen to their music you can see that they're still searching for something. For some, it's more money or respect, but oftentimes, it's love. That's where the gospel comes in. The gospel should reach into their pain and insecurity and say
You are fearfully and wonderfully made! Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever!
So that one day they too might say, "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."
Can people tell you are different? Do you feel hated?
I feel like people can tell I'm different because of the way I carry myself. I don't participate in activities that I don't agree with, but I don't feel like I'm hated because I don't judge others who do participate in such activities. When I think of the people that I spend most of my time around, some of them aren't sure of their faith, but they respect me for my beliefs, so on a day to day basis, no, I don't feel hated. However, when I think on a larger scale, I do feel hated. I think of other religions and I feel like others aren't persecuted as much as Christians are. Even in America, it's okay to be Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Wiccan, etc., in schools, but you pull a Bible out and there's more drama than you'd ever need. And why?
What is the beef that the world has with Jesus? What is it about God and those who believe in Him that makes others want to spit on our names?
We are called weak and feeble-minded for having faith, and those who don't believe are praised for their intelligence and for "thinking outside of the box." A friend of mine once said that he felt like he didn't need God because his life was fine without him, he said that he was perfectly happy. I thought,
is that what people really think? The rest of the world thinks it's fine without God? If you look at the state the world is in now, you can see, it needs something because it is not fine, not okay, not a perfectly happy place. The world and people in it need God, but
how do we administer God to them? By sending white missionaries to Africa? Maybe another Crusade? If America gets on Israel's side of the war instead of Palestine? If our war hungry Evangelical President makes laws that disadvantage women & minorities and makes decisions based on how they'll effect his wallet and not the wallets of the least of us? If we get TV's in every household that only have TBN? If we have camps for kids and get them saved in a week, give them a Bible and no guidance? If we pass out tracks that scare people into being saved? If we have pastors and priests and other Christian "leaders" blatantly sinning while telling us how to live right? Of course not, you say, but that's how we've been getting Jesus to people up to now. People see Christians and want to run away because we're hypocrites and we try to justify all of our sins with our humanness. That's not the way to bring people in, and that's why we're hated. The world probably doesn't have a problem with Jesus, its problem is most likely with us and our cockiness because we've got the golden ticket into heaven. But when we get there, Jesus is going to ask us, "Did you feed me when I was hungry? Did you give me drink when I was thirsty? When I was a stranger did you invite me in? Did you clothe me when I was naked?" What will our answer be?
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
Keepin' it Real (Leadership w/ Paul)
My bumpersticker said, "Kaila. Real." I like to think of myself as a real person, because I am open and honest with my opinions, and because I'm pretty down-to-earth. If I don't understand something, I'm not afraid to ask questions, and I'm pretty comfortable with who I am, so I am less likely to compromise myself for someone or for certain situations.
Leadership Practicum #1
Of the systems of negative leadership that you've seen (money, relationships, appearances, performance), how have they impacted your peer groups? What challenges do you have in becoming the opposite of that? What areas do you need to work on to become a good self-leader?
The systems of negative leadership have impacted my peers in such a way that our priorities are all out of whack. The motivation behind our striving for success is no longer aimed to help others, only ourselves. We don't want to be doctors so that we can save lives, we want to be doctors because we'll make a lot of money. We want to be lawyers, not to uphold justice, but to empower ourselves and make our position in the world better. Now I'm not saying that everyone has the same idea, but just think about when people say they're going into the non-profit sector for education, social work, ministry or something along those lines; they're given looks of pity and are told they are doing an admirable thing because they're making a sacrifice. We have become a society that will sacrifice a clear conscience and a sense of good will for money and power.
I believe the only way this can change is if we take initiative as individuals to change. They say the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem, so I'll say now that each system of negative leadership has impacted me greatly, and through prayer, I can ask God to convict me and help me make the steps away from negative leadership and toward Godly leadership.
Am I really following Jesus??
Am I really following Jesus? I want to be able to say yes, but I know that in following Jesus, I'm looking to him as an example, no - THE example - of how to live my life, and if that was it, then yes, I'd be following Jesus. However, living it out is the next step and I'm not quite sure just where I am. I mean, yes, I'm "living right" according to outsiders, and even those in the church, because I don't drink, smoke, fornicate or party, but the relationship isn't there in the way that it should be. That's something Jesus had that I envy, the relationship with God the father. Jesus was able to be real with God and to fully submit to his will and have faith. We are told to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and strength, and I am in the process of figuring out what that looks like.
In regards to following Jesus, I feel that I can see him and what I'm supposed to be doing, but he's far away, kind of like the horizon, ever escaping me.
An excuse I use consistently is that I'm not perfect and therefore incapable of truly being close to God. It's an easy one to use because our imperfection is a recurring topic in the Bible. But then, there's grace, and that erases our imperfection, or at least our reasoning for why it's a valid excuse. So then I say I'm not worthy of following Jesus, and this walk is too hard, too challenging. In our society, it's been ingrained in us to want whatever it is we want, but to find a shortcut to get it. I want salvation, but I want to get it the easy way. But following Jesus is not easy.
Journal #1
1. What are some expectations you have for the summer with excitement? What expectations do you have with hesitation? This summer will present many opportunities for the Summer Academy staff as a whole, and before coming into the job, we all had expectations for how the summer should play out. Personally, one opportunity that I am excited about is that with the theme “Faith in Community” we will enter into relationship with one another that reaches past the superficial and into our souls. In college, I took advantage of the opportunity to get to know many different kinds of people, and to get involved in the school and make myself known; however, with as many groups of friends that I had, I still left for the summer with the same loneliness that I had coming into the school. The feeling of loneliness was not because my roommate had already left for Hawaii, or that most of my floor was gone, the loneliness I felt had been with me all through the year. It was the feeling of being disconnected from the whole, a feeling of emptiness because I did not find a “best friend” or someone I could really trust and confide in. I also had a feeling of being too full – I kept all of my experiences over the year and my emotional considerations to myself, and that was overwhelming at times. Therefore, this summer I expect the program (classes, bible study, service) to challenge and convict me to work on myself, and to rediscover faith in people so I can truly be able to trust others. Another opportunity I am excited about is that I have a new role in the program, and I have been given a little more responsibility. In addition, as one of my aspirations is to be a youth pastor, a job like this will give me an idea, first-hand, on what it is like to work with youth and be in a position of authority.
I expect this summer to go smoothly; however, I will enter the first week with a little hesitation because I am unsure as to how everything will come together. I also realize we are going to have to let ourselves be vulnerable, with each other and with the students, and I am hesitant about that as well. However, I know that in order to be a better leader, sacrifices must be made and I will have to let my guard down, because a part of leadership is being compassionate and understanding, and if you keep a wall between yourself and those you are attempting to lead, your effectiveness is limited.
2. What part do you play on this team? From the ropes course and the work we have done this week, I have gathered that my role in this team is to be the one who people can look to for understanding because I have the ability to effectively communicate, and because I have years of experience. The team can help me come out of myself and learn to trust people more, and also can help me show more integrity – I don’t want to be the one who won’t pull someone aside when they’re doing wrong or aren’t living to the goals and expectations we’ve set for ourselves.
3. Summarize ECOM's mission, vision and values. What is important to Pastor Harvey? What is important to Pastor Harvey about you? ECOM’s mission is, “Building Our Community One Family at a Time” and through programs such as marriage retreats, Summer Academy, and leadership opportunities such as the High School Academy, they can achieve their mission.
With the vision “to be the premier model of effective Christian community development,” ECOM commits to 1) be good at what they do, 2) not just save people from their respective situation, but to help them develop; instead, presenting them with programs and resources that will give them access and the capacity to change their situations for themselves.
At ECOM, everything is driven by values. To this organization, what is important is that its work connects with the people it serves, that people are aware of their own ability to help themselves, that in its work with people, it holds them accountable, and racial reconciliation.
Pastor Harvey feels every one of us must come to terms with the fact that each of us is created in the image and likeness of God. Our call as humans was to be fruitful and multiply, and we have dominion over the world, but we are not supposed to dominate one another - to God we have the same value. However, we are not all the same – we have different strengths, gifts and capacities. When we come together, we can be all God created us to be.
We are important to Pastor Harvey because we are representations of the mission, vision and values of ECOM and he wants us to represent correctly. Our generation is going to make decisions for him, and he wants to make sure we are well equipped to make wise decisions.
