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In case the above link to Henri Nouwen’s Daily Meditation doesn’t work:
Thursday October 31, 2013
Focusing on the Poor
Like every human organization the Church is constantly in danger of corruption. As soon as power and wealth come to the Church, manipulation, exploitation, misuse of influence, and outright corruption are not far away.
How do we prevent corruption in the Church? The answer is clear: by focusing on the poor. The poor make the Church faithful to its vocation. When the Church is no longer a church for the poor, it loses its spiritual identity. It gets caught up in disagreements, jealousy, power games, and pettiness. Paul says, "God has composed the body so that greater dignity is given to the parts which were without it, and so that there may not be disagreements inside the body but each part may be equally concerned for all the others" (1 Corinthians 12:24-25). This is the true vision. The poor are given to the Church so that the Church as the body of Christ can be and remain a place of mutual concern, love, and peace.
My Commentary:
Mission in the church today is very difficult on some levels either because it is laden with stumbling blocks of politics and money or as my pastor friend would say—“self-stifling protectionism…” In a perfect world, it would be nice if the corporate church could function completely engaged in servant leadership in all facets of reaching out to the world… As we know, however, that is impossible for there are many churches with leaky roofs, office supplies to buy and bills to pay. The church plant I recently served strove for that reality by operating completely and critically through volunteers. The pastor himself was a volunteer! They could reach out to many people in various situations and ministries but they can’t grow beyond themselves, ironically.
The cruel reality of living towards being in the world but not of it; IS that we have to operate through and around sin. These greatest sins are greed and indifference. They’ve hit the corporate church where it hurts and in some cases truncated arms outstretched for the glory of the Gospel. The “transactional” mentality of the current American mindset is even showing its ugly effects in training and placing future pastoral leaders. Many parishes are only seeking part-time pastors (which truth be told from many pastor friends of mine—it is NOT a part-time vocation to say the least!) and many seminarians are deep in student loan debt finishing their degrees in hopes to be interns, to be ordained!
Nouwen in today’s meditation is reflecting upon one facet of poverty and mission. For the greater can of worms is girding up to serve, address is a more devastating poverty; this being spiritual poverty. We are in a vast cultural wasteland of transactional, agenda-oriented, heretical idolatries. We idolize the intellect and the self above and beyond God. Willfully allowing Satan to assist us in tearing down the pillars/norms of our faith! The further we move into being consumed inwardly, the further we grow away from God feeding off of the false epicurean promises of the evil one.
The only way we can win the war on both kinds of poverty is living into what are true values over ideals. Spiritually working together as the Body to transform, not transact with the world around us. We are not in mission to preserve brick and mortar more than transform and build up the Body of disciples in the world. If we all came to be spiritual grounded in Christ as the Lord of our lives… (Matthew 7:12-14) 12“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. 13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
God Bless Your Thursdays!
Nicole Collins
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