Compassion

Learning from a True Hero

This past Saturday, I had the unexpected joy of serving an elderly gentleman, Bill Scott, alongside two other members of our church – Mark and Dustin. Mr. Scott lives in a 175-year old house in a little corner of Laurel, MD. What I thought would be some kitchen work turned into having to tear out …

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Preach the Gospel at all times; use words if necessary…or not!?

Duane Litfin has an interesting response to the well-known quote erroneously attributed to St. Francis. While I think that Litfin sets up a false analogy equating verbal and non-verbal communication with word vs. deed, I think his emphasis on the explicit and verbal proclamation of the Gospel is an important one. It’s not enough just …

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Those people!?

Great video on how we view “the poor”. In the past year, I’ve been really convicted about how I essentially deny the doctrine of imago dei (being made in the image of God with all of its inherent dignity) in the way I interact with and respond to my neighbors – especially those who are …

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A CCD Parable…courtesy of Veggie Tales!

There are eight foundational principles to Christian Community Development: Relocation Redistribution Reconciliation Listening to the community Church-based Leadership Development Empowerment Wholistic Approach An explanation of each of these could fill an entire website, so I’ll leave you to study them on your own. Instead, I want to state that underlying all of these principles lies the …

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TED Talks

If you haven’t watched any of the TED talks, you’ve been missing out. TED stands for Technology, Education, and Design. It’s an annual gathering of world-changers, innovators, scientists, and entertainers. Each talk goes for 18-20 minutes, and you can find a wide range of topics on everything from magic to the Internet to psychology to …

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Signs of homelessness

The Chicago Tribune reported on an interesting initiative to help the homeless in Chicago. By giving them clear and weatherproof signs, they are enabled to be more visible. While the motivation to give attention to them is certainly dignifying to these individuals, my only concern is that as these signs become ubiquitous, they will serve …

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