It's a small unassuming little book with a big message: Just Courage by Gary Haugen. The subtitle is "God's Great Expedition for the Restless Christian."
I'll probably be reflecting on this book for a long time and hope to share some of it over the next couple of weeks. But I don't just want to share it here, I want to give a copy of the book away. To enter, leave a comment below with some aspect of God's concern for the world and maybe how you are responding to that. You see, I need ideas on how God may want me to respond!
About half way through the book is this quote:
We must seek to rescue our neighbors with dedication and urgency with which we would go about trying to rescue our own family or even ourself. In a world of injustice, loving intervention on behalf of the oppressed is simple obedience to Jesus' must fundamental command to love our neighbor.
Do I have the same urgency to help those around me -- particularly the oppressed that I would have if it were happening to someone I knew and loved?
I think I have in the past. I think of my time as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). I spent 3 years representing two children in the foster care system. It was a demanding volunteer position. I averaged about 40 hours a month on my case over that time. I had that sense of urgency for those children.
But what about now? I have a couple children through Compassion International. That's a good thing. I pray for them daily. But what am I doing on a more active level to advocate/love someone who cannot do it for themselves?
Ideas please!
If there is some way you are showing that what matters to HIM matters to you please let me know. Or maybe you know someone who is taking action for God. I'd love to hear about them as well.
The contest will go until September 30. Every comment will be an entry. Oh, and I'm adding some quotes from the book to the quote section of my blog. Just click the word quote in the navigation bar and scroll down until you see "Gary Haugen: Just Courage."
ps: I'd love to have you promote the contest on your sites. If you want to, you can add the graphic by right clicking on it and down loading it to your site. Then click the paper clip/world icon and enter the address of this post or my general address of http//amylbrooke.blogspot.com Thanks!
7 comments:
Amy, I'm so glad I receive your posts in my e-mail, especially now as I'm taking a sabbatical from 'blog world'.
I would LOVE to read this book. The title alone makes me want to read it. As I told Zoe at "She Speaks" there isn't a courageous, dangerous bone in my body!
I'm also glad you pointed us to your 'quote' section. I didn't realize that was there - and I'm a 'quote'aholic'. Lots to ponder over there!
God cares about the lost. This Saturday our church is hosting a Family Fun Fair for the community. We had 1,000 wristbands available (just to help with crowd control, plus we're having pizza available and needed to know how much to order) and already 800 of those are gone! Praying that this outreach will just let the neighbourhood know that they are loved - no strings attached.
Ok...going to hop back over and read some more quotes.
Hope you're having a good day!
Love & prayers,
Joy
Amy,
I can think of two ways our church has been involved in the lives of those less fortunate.
Today we were informed that the money that we had saved up and donated to our Missions fund was going to be sent over to a church in Haiti. The pastor's son had been in the US for schooling, and was part of our church family for 3 years. He has been our connection there. They needed money to add on to the school, and to put a roof and windows, and bathroom onto the parsonage.
We also have a sister church, and they are building a new church, that will be bigger, and will be able to have a worship center for their deaf community there, as well as their hearing community. They have done much of the work by hand, digging a lot of the foundation with shovels, got a lot of donated supplies, did the interior bricking of the walls themselves. A team of 4 men just got back this week from our sister church, having been over there to help with construction, as well as take over a monetary gift.
Those are things we are corporately doing, but myself? I don't know. I am loving on the people God has been bringing into my life. Praying for those around me. I am going to start heading up a worship team once a month in church. I think God is starting a passion in my heart for those who are hurting from their past. Like the things that I have struggled through, or the things you have talked about as well. I don't know where that will lead. If i get any clearer answers, I will let you know! It could be counseling, it could be speaking, it could just be befriending someone my age or younger and being a mentor, adn speaking into their life from my experiences. I don't know.
I hope that helps. Now i am going to hop over to your quotes, and see what is there!
Love you, and great to hear from you again. Still praying,
Heather
Amy, what an exciting book! I pray you are inspired and the Lord directs you to the special task He has set before you!
As for me, I serve the women in our ministry. Even in ministry we grow weary and the Lord has placed me in a special place to encourage with humor and service.
Amy, our very small church has taken into our fold a young Hispanic girl who just arrived to the US a few months ago, and upon her arrival she discovered she was pregnant. She has no family or friends here, totally alone. We are helping her set up a household, getting a bed so she doesn't have to sleep on the floor, etc.
Thanks for taking time to read and share everyone! I love hearing how God is using you.
God is more interested in me than in what is happening - to me or otherwise. He is longing for me to realize that He needs me. He created me to fill one special place in His great heart of love that no one else can fill in the same way. God loves me - not because of what I do or say or feel or know. God loves me because of who I am in Him. WOW!
Thank you for using your on-line voice to speak for Compassion and the poor.
-Shaun
CompassionBloggers.com
Post a Comment