Self Denial?
I have been reading the book "What Jesus Meant" by Garry Wills. Admittedly, Wills writes from a Roman perspective and from a more progressive view than most of us who consider ourselves "evangelical." Wills does make a great statement early on in the book when he says, "God's chosen people are commonly chosen to suffer." I am realizing more and more how easy my life is in the scheme of things.
These thoughts led me back to some conversations I had recently with family members, co-workers and friends on the issue of The Salvation Army World Services effort. While I know it will call for us to make some hard choices, I do applaud the General for his desire for the first world nations to give more generously and yes, sacrificially to the effort. In our territory, world services has become an assessment. It is a cost built into our budgets, we know we will have to pay. It became so early on in my time as an officer.
When I was growing up, I remember the effort being called "Self Denial." The concept of the program was that our soldiers and other members took away from their comfort to give to the necessities of others. I am not so sure that the concept of World Services quite works that way in most of our situations. Most of us in the West lose very little in the way of comfort for the sake of the rest of the world.
As I had this conversation recently with two people Janet and I love deeply, it got quite heated. They talked about how their corps could not sustain a 15% or so rise in their assessment. Then I made the statement that we really don't sacrifice enough for the sake of the Kingdom in the West. You could have cut the tension at this family gathering with a knife. "Easy for you to say," was the retort, "You are at DHQ." Of course, neither of them have served at our headquarters or really have a grasp on all of the measures we have undertaken to cut our costs and to stretch our resources, so that we could fund various missional projects instead of adding to our administrative load. They also live in lovely homes and have a couple of cars, nice corps facilities and a wonderful middle-class lifestyle.
These people are Godly. They work very hard. They give of their time and I am sure their money to others. I love them and respect them. We just disagreed.
When I replied that after having been in Africa and seen the conditions there and heard of the conditions my good friends serving in Papua New Guinea are enduring I said we should be ashamed to complain about our need to sacrifice. The fact is that around 3 billion people on the planet try to exist on less than $2 a day. Many of them are Salvationist brothers and sisters, trying to do the Kingdom's business. This to me is a great moral dilemma for the Army and the church. I think in many respects the gap between "the haves" and "have nots" in our Salvation Army world continues to widen. Even the poorest of us can be numbered among the "haves" of the world.
I realize there are some fixed costs that every corps must fund. I wonder though if we really taught on the issue of missions, if there would be a different response. I feel that it is often just a passing pity party for the poor of our world. Our pulpits and our teaching rarely educates about the depth of poverty in the world.
This has really hit home for me this weekend. I am in Charlotte, NC for a couple of days of retreat and relaxation. I am overwhelmed by the huge and ornate churches which dot the landscape here. I wonder if we quit building monuments to ourselves and went with a more functional facility what impact that would have. I often think that about some of the building projects we are undertaking here in our territory. I wonder how missionally minded they really are. What if we took a few moments and reflected on the issue of need instead of want or what we could afford, if we would have a better view of things.
I fear that our vision has been clouded by our consumerism. This is a lesson I am learning way too late in life and am trying to teach my children now that they are in their early twenties. For what ever reason, we have not been chosen to suffer. That does not excuse us from sacrifice though.
In our conversation, we also discussed gay marriage, abortion and other "moral" issues. I am not saying these are issues to be ignored or that we should turn our attention away from them, but I believe there is a broader moral agenda that we must address. It may begin with our own self-denial, which will help alleviate disease, poverty and despair. Possibly, it may also help the world to see a different, holy way of living.
I don't suffer very much. It is not a pretty thought. No one really wants to choose to suffer, well save One, who did for us. Instead of world services, I think, I really think, I need to go down the path of self denial.
I wonder if we really returned to teaching about self denial if our world services would not be a matter of complaint, but a real joy would be found in sharing.
What is it that causes us to want to be so stingy in our giving? Do you think that we ought to return to self denial teaching? Do you think we can raise up a missionally minded Army that would not look at the perks but would look at the need realistically? Are we sinful because we are comfortable and middle class? Am I less holy because I don't suffer?
There are many other questions I could ask. I am really struggling with the attitude of entitlement and monument building that seems to prevail not only in the first world Army, but in the church in general. How can we change this?
What do you think?
These thoughts led me back to some conversations I had recently with family members, co-workers and friends on the issue of The Salvation Army World Services effort. While I know it will call for us to make some hard choices, I do applaud the General for his desire for the first world nations to give more generously and yes, sacrificially to the effort. In our territory, world services has become an assessment. It is a cost built into our budgets, we know we will have to pay. It became so early on in my time as an officer.
When I was growing up, I remember the effort being called "Self Denial." The concept of the program was that our soldiers and other members took away from their comfort to give to the necessities of others. I am not so sure that the concept of World Services quite works that way in most of our situations. Most of us in the West lose very little in the way of comfort for the sake of the rest of the world.
As I had this conversation recently with two people Janet and I love deeply, it got quite heated. They talked about how their corps could not sustain a 15% or so rise in their assessment. Then I made the statement that we really don't sacrifice enough for the sake of the Kingdom in the West. You could have cut the tension at this family gathering with a knife. "Easy for you to say," was the retort, "You are at DHQ." Of course, neither of them have served at our headquarters or really have a grasp on all of the measures we have undertaken to cut our costs and to stretch our resources, so that we could fund various missional projects instead of adding to our administrative load. They also live in lovely homes and have a couple of cars, nice corps facilities and a wonderful middle-class lifestyle.
These people are Godly. They work very hard. They give of their time and I am sure their money to others. I love them and respect them. We just disagreed.
When I replied that after having been in Africa and seen the conditions there and heard of the conditions my good friends serving in Papua New Guinea are enduring I said we should be ashamed to complain about our need to sacrifice. The fact is that around 3 billion people on the planet try to exist on less than $2 a day. Many of them are Salvationist brothers and sisters, trying to do the Kingdom's business. This to me is a great moral dilemma for the Army and the church. I think in many respects the gap between "the haves" and "have nots" in our Salvation Army world continues to widen. Even the poorest of us can be numbered among the "haves" of the world.
I realize there are some fixed costs that every corps must fund. I wonder though if we really taught on the issue of missions, if there would be a different response. I feel that it is often just a passing pity party for the poor of our world. Our pulpits and our teaching rarely educates about the depth of poverty in the world.
This has really hit home for me this weekend. I am in Charlotte, NC for a couple of days of retreat and relaxation. I am overwhelmed by the huge and ornate churches which dot the landscape here. I wonder if we quit building monuments to ourselves and went with a more functional facility what impact that would have. I often think that about some of the building projects we are undertaking here in our territory. I wonder how missionally minded they really are. What if we took a few moments and reflected on the issue of need instead of want or what we could afford, if we would have a better view of things.
I fear that our vision has been clouded by our consumerism. This is a lesson I am learning way too late in life and am trying to teach my children now that they are in their early twenties. For what ever reason, we have not been chosen to suffer. That does not excuse us from sacrifice though.
In our conversation, we also discussed gay marriage, abortion and other "moral" issues. I am not saying these are issues to be ignored or that we should turn our attention away from them, but I believe there is a broader moral agenda that we must address. It may begin with our own self-denial, which will help alleviate disease, poverty and despair. Possibly, it may also help the world to see a different, holy way of living.
I don't suffer very much. It is not a pretty thought. No one really wants to choose to suffer, well save One, who did for us. Instead of world services, I think, I really think, I need to go down the path of self denial.
I wonder if we really returned to teaching about self denial if our world services would not be a matter of complaint, but a real joy would be found in sharing.
What is it that causes us to want to be so stingy in our giving? Do you think that we ought to return to self denial teaching? Do you think we can raise up a missionally minded Army that would not look at the perks but would look at the need realistically? Are we sinful because we are comfortable and middle class? Am I less holy because I don't suffer?
There are many other questions I could ask. I am really struggling with the attitude of entitlement and monument building that seems to prevail not only in the first world Army, but in the church in general. How can we change this?
What do you think?
posted by Larry at 10:13 AM
11 Comments:
Stop building monuments to ourselves...a truth, an abysmal truth. What a truth writer you are today. There is an immense amount of ministry money spent on buildings which can be called nothing more and nothing less than "monuments to ourselves." The amount of money spent would mean life or death of so many people in a different country.
I agree about your statement of the difference between self-denial and an assessment process. By giving sacrifically, setting aside the money which would have been spent on soda or dessert or movies or leisure, it really does add up to a physical amount to see "This is all it cost to go without for a short time and see the total it really turned out to be."
The opportunity to have been born within the USA has provided an opportunity of expected good health, good nutritional choices,
In the US we have running water, clean, drinkable running water available at any public buidling free of charge. This fact alone makes us rich in all standards above so many other developing countries - drinking water. How humbling to understand the depth of riches which are so easy expected within this part of the world. And then add lighting, heating, postal service, driveable roads...the list is immense.
It is a consistant reminder to give sacrifically, and it never feels like a ministry when it is aligned as an assessment, you are correct.
I'm not sure that the monuments in terms of buildings are the most wasteful, as there is much good that can occur within our buildings - perhaps our spending on the mandated "gathering together" events exceeds our self denial "assessment" - our own creature comforts . . .
So can't post much, but I am reading a fanatastic book at the moment that speaks to this. It's called 'The Barbarian Way' by Erwin McManus
So I give up soda and send the money overseas. I give up coffee and send the money overseas. I give up a new CD and send the money overseas. Doesn't seem sacrificial to me.
How many official expences would officers go without just to send money overseas. How many "Meals while on duty" are we willing not to put through to send the money overseas? There are some that spend enough in Househelps alone to pay many of the Corps whole "Self Denial". Got to have a dozen white shirts, three uniforms, and six ties. Why not? Heck if we go through Trade the Army will pay. Why not cut househelps in half and send the money overseas.
Imagine if for one month every Officer went without all the official expences we can put through and sent a check in like amount to Headquarters instead. Imagine for a moment taking a year off of cable tv, internet or some other perk and sending the savings overseas.
The monuments that are being spoken of are made of bricks. The biggest monument that just may be the biggest problem is our "entitlement" way of thinking.
blue,
i have been thinking much of the same thing. i did some quick math. one month of no official expense by every officer in the territory. it would probably be $100 per month. multiply that by 1500. 1.5 million would sure put a dent into our SD.
hs,
good point about the mandated gatherings. that is why we moved our family camp back to NEOSA. by doing so, we stand to save thousands this year.
i would love to see what it would cost for all the official expenses related to gatherings. bet it would be millions.
t,
interesting and provocative. i too have been in those meetings and in those situations. it is amazing the lack of sacrifice we all can have. i count myself among that number sometimes. in the good ole US of A, it is very easy to forget the abject poverty i have seen or two remember i am only one generation removed from extreme poverty myself. my mom's stories of her upbringing in west virginia coal country are very heart-rending.
aaron,
thanks for your comments. i know you are not knocking officership.
i would be interested to know how your co's are prohibited from giving. maybe i misunderstood that comment.
while i am not against having decent living conditions, i wonder if at times, your observation about the way we live as officers and christians in the west is perceived by those in developing nations.
Great responses to Larry's post! I am often frustrated at the way we do "business." In two of our appointments, we've asked to move into lower income neighborhoods nearer to the corps so that the sale of the quarters could be put toward ministry and/or debt of the corps (another topic altogether!). Additionally, by moving closer to the corps, ideally in the same neighborhood, we would essentially be living with our constituency. Once we were flat out denied, the second time strongly urged against the notion. Yet, we're encouraged, as others are, to wine (iced tea) & dine visitors from THQ and spend sickening amounts of money on events that cater inwardly.
rob,
recently, i was at a conference on evangelism and went to a dinner at an establishment that was beautiful and pricy. reservations were made for us there. i did not pay for the meal. yet as the 20 or so of us sat around the table, many of us saw the disconnect. much could not only be said about our choices that way, but about the way we also eat twice as much as we need to even when we pay for it. i really don't need to go to starbucks or (name your own establishment here) everyday. when i do, i am afraid i begin to look as my youngest son says, "like the fat, ugly and obnoxious american," to the rest of the world.
Jesus wants better from us.
Larry your math is humbling. I have to admit on the days that I fast, I do not calculate a cost on meals. Placing them within a self-denial column, I consider it a meal not consumed. The method that spiritual discipline has worked through in my life is that I include one day of fasting through the year (Fridays) and during Lent two days (Wed. and Fri). By examining the monetary value of these meals from our grocery bill adds to such a grand total if maintained throughout the entire Lenten season. Even more dramatic when taken through the Pentecost.
I would always take away the nutrition and replace it with Scripture and study, but didn't move the monetary value over. What a sizeable difference that makes, just from the surface examination.
This issue of entitlement is an issue I have been scraping away at in my own life, you know what I discovered. So much of my life I define by what I am able to buy, not by who I am in Christ, or what ways Christ affects non christians in my neighborhood. So much of who I am is basically boring, everyday, and based on consuming.
A question I sometimes entertain is how much would a church like the army benefit if it was just based in the community and not in a building. Every ministry was motivated by a group of people commited to the S.A's mission and not on a building. I suggested this to an officer one time and they told the story of an officer who was house based and just whined about not having a building. So are minds are composed of bricks and mortar it seems not of a king and a kingdom. Which even typing this I question how much I really think of Christ as a king and this world as His kingdom. This world is a shadow we are playing in, not realizing what lies out in the light.
Post a Comment
<< Home