From a statement released by the North American Mission Board:

“At this time, volunteer and faith-based organizations are not permitted to engage or provide care until federal and state authorities agree on a plan.”

Excuse me. Since when did volunteers, faith-based or otherwise, need government permission to help anyone? Does anyone remember this: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” It’s the ninth amendment to the U.S Constitution. James Madison (and others) insisted on its inclusion, because they knew these rights to be unalienable and granted by the Creator. It was not conceivable that there were but nine.

Permission is not needed to offer a cup of water. Please pray with me that the walls and halls of bureaucracy will fall. Please pray with me that we can get past these over-sized stumbling blocks for the sake of children.

Maybe my part or your part is small. Maybe it will be large. Doesn’t matter. The border crossing crisis is now about needy, frightened children. The Savior said, “Suffer the children to come to me.” And to those who would cause them harm he said, “Tie a millstone around the neck and jump into the deep.”

Please pray. We (as in America, but more pertinent to my radar screen, as in Church…with either a small or Capitol C) can do better.

The search continues. Ricki.

http://www.scbaptist.org/dr-unaccomp-minors/

Dear ones, I’m not sure where everyone falls on the debate regarding the “flood” of children crossing our southern borders, but I have a few reflections. It seems to me we have the resources (and I’m not talking about government resources) to offer our hands of love to 50,000 children. We should do so. However, the whole thing has become, yet again, a socio-political quagmire of debate, debasement, and deceit. Caught in the crossfire: the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the ones considered the wretched refuse of another country’s teeming shore, the homeless, and the tempest-tossed.

These are God’s children. And God knows these children do not have the privileges of ours. We the people can do this. We can love them. We can help them. We just need the socio-political bureaucracies to get out of the way. Of course, this would be an undetaking of far greater motivation, creativity, momentum, and sustainability than the actual care of these precious children. I do not pretend that I have an idea for how to produce that kind of change. I don’t. I feel another letter to an elected official is pointless…another letter to the editor the same. The halls and walls of bureaucracy have become entities unto themselves. We the people need another approach.

So, I’ve committed to several things:

1. I will pray fervently. I will pray for the walls and halls of bureaucracies to fall. I will ask God to remove them.

2. I will look fervently. Is there a way that I can, at least, get past those walls and halls? Is there someone in Texas who can help me help one, or two, or three, or more of these brave yet frightened children? I will look and I will call.

3. I will pray again. I will pray for the children. I will pray for their parents. I will pray for the less than kind adults who may be transporting, accompanying, or receiving the children.

4. I will pray for myself. “Oh God, break my heart and keep it broken.”

5. I will pray for the Church. I will pray that true followers of the Savior will fill the breach. I will pray that we stand up.

Yes, I want to help ours. I know there are great needs in our communities. And we are working to meet those needs. However, this should not stop us from helping all the rest. So, I ask you to consider. Will you join me in praying for the walls and halls of bureaucracies to fall?

How much does God love you?

When God says, “I love you to the moon and back,” does he mean all the moons in a bazillion zillion galaxies? No, that can’t be right…not enough moons, not enough distance.

When God says, “How do I love thee, let me count the ways,” does he then complete his poem with a certain number of ways in a prescribed number of lines? No, that can’t be right…not enough ways, not enough lines.

No, when God says I love you the Father sends his Son to the cross, the Holy Spirit grieves at the thought of the cross, and the Son stretches his arms out wide upon the cross and says, “This much. This is how much I love thee. Not to the moon and back, but to the depths of infinity and the breadth of eternity; and not in ways that might be counted, but in ways that measurement cannot surround or contain.”

No, when God says I love you the Spirit of God says of God the Father and God the Son: “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him… (for) as a result of the anguish of His soul, he will see and be satisfied; and by his knowledge the Righteous One, my Servant, will justify many.”

♫Oh how he loves you and me. Oh how he loves you and me. He gave his life. What more could he give? Oh how he loves you. Oh how he loves me. Oh how he loves you and me.♫

Need a little reminder? Listen to Vanessa Williams.

So into this crazy, mixed up world walked a Savior. Oh he didn’t have to come. He didn’t lay aside his deity to do so. But—and man oh man this is an important but—he did make sacrifices.

He planned something. This is salvation. Messiah. God for us.

He became something. This is incarnation. Immanuel. God with us.

He paid something. This is crucifixion. Ransom. God covering us.

He didn’t have to do any of this. But he did…and so much more.

In fact, as though even the Word of God needs footnotes, the Apostle John added a last verse to his gospel: “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” If you’ve read John’s historical narratives of Jesus, you should be impressed enough. Yet, there was more. And there is still more.

The footnotes are not done, because Jesus is not done…not hardly.

Into this crazy, mixed up world walked a Savior. Then he reached out. He saved. He rescued. He recruited. He befriended. He even partnered with the folks inhabiting this crazy, mixed up world. He’s still doing it. And every time he rescues and partners with someone, he creates a new footnote. He’s been creating footnotes for a long time. I’m a footnote. You are either a footnote or a footnote waiting to happen. Perhaps John is still writing…

“And Jesus sent his Spirit to North America unto the region of Washington. Passing through Silverdale he saw a man working on a car, for the man was a mechanic. Jesus, through the Spirit and his word, said, ‘Come, follow me, and I will make you a mechanic of men.’ At once the man left his shop and followed Jesus.” 

Who knows? God does. He sees your faithfulness. 

Maybe it was you the Spirit of Christ used to speak with the mechanic…or was he a teacher, a cook, a doctor, a neighbor, friend…adversary…

Maybe it was you he used to plant a seed.

Maybe it was you he used to water the seed.

Maybe it was you he used through a small act of kindness, a soft word of encouragement, or a silent moment of connection. 

Who knows? God does. And sometimes we do. Sometimes people tell us. I hope and pray the following notes encourage you. If you donated time or treasure, if you prayed, if you are in any way connected to West Sound Church and the greater body of Christ you were and are part of the Christmas Hope project for the Kitsap Jail…and you made a difference. The following are excerpts from thank you notes we received on Tuesday following the Saturday delivery of the gift bags. The bags were small in size, but apparently big in hope. Of course, names have been left out to protect the privacy of folks dearly loved by the Savior.

Dear sisters and brothers of West Sound Community Church, I am an inmate here in Kitsap County Jail. Today at dinner time we all were surprised to receive the gift that you all put together for us. Thank you for having such beautiful hearts and being so charitable to people who are looked down upon. It is a good feeling to know that there are people out there who love us for us. Yes, the candy was awesome, but the love you bestowed upon us was incredible. Thank you and God bless.

I was just reading a book called Small Things (? word was hard to read). It’s about ________ (not sure) and how they’re God’s way of showing us that he is there even in the small things of life. Thanks and God bless you all.

Thank you! Chocolate is much appreciated! Merry Christmas!

Dear West Sound Church, thank you for your thoughts and care. Please keep us in your prayers. Much love and respect.

Huge thank you to the sisters and brothers of West Sound Community Church. God bless. Inmate (identifying numbers and letters)

West Sound Community Church, thank you for the goodie bags. Please pray for me and all of us in here.

Many blessings for the church and thanks for everything.

Thank you guys for the holiday gift bags. It shows that even in times of stress and need __________ (?)  Thank you.

I just wanted to say thank you for thinking of us. It really made our night. Bless you and your church. Season’s greetings and Merry Christmas.

Thank you for the holiday gift. God bless.

The best and happiest of holidays to everyone who contributed.

Thank you. Very thoughtful. Merry Christmas!

Thank you so much for the Christmas gift. It made all of our days and we are truly grateful.

Thank ya’ll from the bottom of my heart. We all loved the care package very much.

Thank you very much for the holiday treats. Very thoughtful and greatly appreciated.

May the bright shining light of the Queen of Heaven be upon you forever.

Thank you very much. That made us all feel very good.

God bless you all. Thank you for your kind hearts. Thank you. God bless.

Thank you West Sound Community Church for making our time a little easier this holiday season. Hoping you all have a very merry Christmas! And also, if Art and Michelle and Auntie Coral are there, please tell them I love them. 

Thank you so much for the wonderful surprise gift of candy and chips. It’s quite a treat to get…given our situation. God bless.

Thank you for the bag. God bless!

Thank you for the gifts to the inmates. It made people in here feel better in bad situations. Bless you.

Thank you very much for your thoughts and consideration…not to mention the candy. It really does mean a lot to know there’s people that care and understand that we all make mistakes, but we are all souls in need. God bless.

To whom it may concern: My name is _______ _______ and I’m currently incarcerated at Kitsap County Jail. I want to thank you so much for the gift bags you donated to us. It’s such a huge blessing that God placed such a giving and caring heart in his children. May God bless you abundantly. Have a wonderful Christmas! May God be with you this holiday season.

West Sound Community Church, thank you so much for the wonderful baggy full of yummy goodies! I do greatly appreciate the wonderful surprise and wanted to relay my thanks to you. It takes a great person(s) to think of others during these times. I do have family here in Kitsap County so this gift made a great impact and brightened my day. Thank you and God bless.

There was also one written in Spanish. Please excuse me for not being able to distinguish many of the letters and words, so I thought it best not to attempt a copy.

Finally, this last one brought me to my knees…

It’s nice to know that though we are fallen we are not forgotten. Thank you for reminding us that there is still a little hope left in this world. Thank you very much.

Project Christmas Hope…that is the life-changing message of God’s love through Jesus Christ. You leave these kind of footnotes…you leave love, you leave eternal dividends. Well done my friends. I hope you are encouraged as a result of your encouragement ministry.

I love Christmas. I worship Christ.

In the following very brief video one of my favorite pastors, Chuck Swindoll, reminds us not to let Christmas become mundane. Instead, he concludes with, “It’s Christmas. Run to Bethlehem!”

If I could have said it so well, I would have. Instead, listen to Chuck, and remember, Merry Christmas…run to Bethlehem.