Ashworth Road Baptist Church was featured in last week's West Des Moines Living Magazine for Summer of Love. Click here for the article. For more information about Summer of Love, visit our website at http://www.arbcsummeroflove.com!
Showing posts with label Summer of Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer of Love. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Summer of Love
Last night's Summer of Love project took some from our church to work with Rebuilding Together, a Des Moines organization helping those in the city do some basic remodelling and rennovation jobs around their homes. Pictured with me above is Matthew Pierce who I worked with finishing the last portion of the house. Did I mention the heat index last night was 110 degrees?! For more information and photos from Summer of Love, check out http://www.arbcsummeroflove.com/.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Summer of Love Week 4
Here's a picture from St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in West Des Moines. This congregation has planted a huge community garden on their campus to provide fresh vegetables to the poor and under employed in our community. We were able to assist with harvesting sweet peas and weeding. Great idea!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Summer of Love Week 3
It's not to late to join the Summer of Love! For more information or to sign up visit http://www.arbcsummeroflove.com! To view the full screen version, just click inside the video window after the video begins.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Summer of Love is Here!
Welcome to the Summer of Love. From tonight through mid-September, Ashworth Road is taking Wednesday nights and serving our community off campus. I'm excited about what we're going to learn about God, others, and ourselves as we come together do minister to those who surround us.
If you'd like to learn more about Summer of Love or would like to sign up, visit http://www.arbcsummeroflove.com/. We plan to keep this site updated each week with pictures and video of this awesome project.
If you view this blog from out of town, please remember us in your prayers!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Characteristics of Compassion
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus taught his disciples about his return and the subsequent judgment to follow. In the previous section, Jesus had given the parable of the talents, in which the disciples were challenged to remember that at the return of Christ people will be judged for their faithful obedience and how they have used what we’ve been given.
A lot of ink has been spilled on the passage about the sheep and the goats. Admittedly, it is a difficult passage, containing many Semitisms and cultural distinctives. However, at face value the text seems to boil down to this simple point: we will be judged according to the compassion we show to those in need.
Last night I taught from this passage, and offered three simple characteristics of compassion. First, compassion is mercy in action. It’s not a feeling or an emotion, such as sympathy or empathy. It’s tangibly acting on a need. The word compassion simply means “to suffer with.” So to show compassion is to walk along side those who suffer and to enter their experience of suffering. (Matthew 25:35-36)
A second characteristic of compassion is that compassion takes the initiative. It is intentional. It’s not passive or reactive. It is responsive. In the passage of concern, Jesus commended those who offered him food, water, shelter, clothing, hospitality, medical care and visitiation. Those who were commended answered blankly, “When did we see you…?” I think it’s fascinating that those who were commended for serving Jesus did not necessarily see the face of Jesus in the faces of those they served. But they did it anyway, and were rewarded accordingly. (Matthew 25:37-39) Their compassion was unconditional, as if to suggest that not everyone has the purest of motives in showing mercy.
A final characteristic I would offer is that compassion puts one in close proximity with those in need. Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40, HCSB). Jesus calls those who suffer his brothers and sisters. He holds the suffering close to his heart as he would his own family. Only when we are willing to enter the world of the suffering and dwell in close proximity will we really begin to make an impact. The thing about being the incarnational presence of Christ in the world is that you have to be present. You have to enter their world, serve their needs, and listen to their stories. And story is the power that unlocks the heart.
A lot of ink has been spilled on the passage about the sheep and the goats. Admittedly, it is a difficult passage, containing many Semitisms and cultural distinctives. However, at face value the text seems to boil down to this simple point: we will be judged according to the compassion we show to those in need.
Last night I taught from this passage, and offered three simple characteristics of compassion. First, compassion is mercy in action. It’s not a feeling or an emotion, such as sympathy or empathy. It’s tangibly acting on a need. The word compassion simply means “to suffer with.” So to show compassion is to walk along side those who suffer and to enter their experience of suffering. (Matthew 25:35-36)
A second characteristic of compassion is that compassion takes the initiative. It is intentional. It’s not passive or reactive. It is responsive. In the passage of concern, Jesus commended those who offered him food, water, shelter, clothing, hospitality, medical care and visitiation. Those who were commended answered blankly, “When did we see you…?” I think it’s fascinating that those who were commended for serving Jesus did not necessarily see the face of Jesus in the faces of those they served. But they did it anyway, and were rewarded accordingly. (Matthew 25:37-39) Their compassion was unconditional, as if to suggest that not everyone has the purest of motives in showing mercy.
A final characteristic I would offer is that compassion puts one in close proximity with those in need. Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40, HCSB). Jesus calls those who suffer his brothers and sisters. He holds the suffering close to his heart as he would his own family. Only when we are willing to enter the world of the suffering and dwell in close proximity will we really begin to make an impact. The thing about being the incarnational presence of Christ in the world is that you have to be present. You have to enter their world, serve their needs, and listen to their stories. And story is the power that unlocks the heart.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Summer of Love
This summer we’re going to do something unique. We’ve cancelled all of our Wednesday night activities beginning June 2 in order to go into our community and serve some of the agencies and ministries that our church partner’s with. We are presently preparing for this summer of missions and ministry by having leaders from the agencies and ministries come on Wednesday nights to make presentations about their work. On Wednesday, May 26, we’re going to conclude our equipping time with a night of worship. We will be on the streets from June through August and will conclude our summer of love with a neighborhood block party on our campus.
If you live in the 515, you’re invited to come along and participate in this missional endeavor. If you don’t live here in Central Iowa, I covet your prayers as we engage our community as the presence of Christ.
If you live in the 515, you’re invited to come along and participate in this missional endeavor. If you don’t live here in Central Iowa, I covet your prayers as we engage our community as the presence of Christ.
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